LONGEST CW ONE-SHOT EVER. I'M NOT EVEN SORRY.

Kira Narro belongs to MusicKeeper and MusicKeeper only - if you hadn't checked out her stories on Kira already, check it out now for a totally non-Mary-Sue character and some pretty cool plots! Trust me, you'll love 'em!

Enjoy!

One Moment

"You'll do just fine on this mission, Kira; after all, this isn't your first time going solo," Kira Narro heard her master tell her as she fastened her light saber to her belt. Looking up, Kira smiled at Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Thank you, Master," she said. "Besides, I've got your teachings – I think I'll be able to do fine with that."

"I'm certainly hoping so," Obi-Wan replied as they headed out of the hanger. The bright sunlight greeted the pair, but the ship settled on the extension of the hanger was the main focus of attention. Kira couldn't help but to feel a shiver of excited anticipation run down her spine when she caught sight of the ship. It would transport her away from Coruscant and to Yanibar, a planet that had been known to have harsh conditions. Kira would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a bit nervous about what would come – in fact, she's fairly sure that the Council was a bit hesitant to let her go on this mission by herself, especially on what she would do.

"No one has actually been on Yanibar for centuries," Kira remembered Obi-Wan telling her in the briefing. "But if the rumors are true, the Separatists have decided that the planet is useful for something. And whatever it is, it can't be good."

According to the research Kira had gathered, Yanibar was a planet with harsh conditions – and only had a few inhabitants, though most were known to be hostile…and apparently, since it was known that Jedi weren't always welcome, Kira would be able to blend in because she wasn't a fully-trained Jedi. It sounded risky – and certainly something that Kira hadn't thought of as easy, but she figured she had dealt with worse before.

So now, she stood in front of Obi-Wan, only a few steps away from the ship. "I'll hand over my light saber once I'm off at the separate station," Kira explained when the older man's eyes flitted down to her belt. She gave the weapon a quick pat, adding, "You know. Just because."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "It wouldn't be good to get caught because of your saber revealing your occupation as an apprentice," he murmured. "Be careful."

Kira grinned. Bowing once to her master, she said, "I'll see you in a few days."

The corner of Obi-Wan's lips twitched into a smile. "May the Force be with you, Padawan," he said quietly. Kira lifted her head. "And you, Master," she replied. With that, she gave one, last nod and turned on her heel for the ship. She was instantly enveloped in the uncomfortably stiff, metallic interior of the ship. The door closed behind her, blocking out the sunlight and her master in process.

Kira breathed in and closing her eyes, thought to herself, Here goes nothing.

xXx

The first thing Kira noticed about Yanibar was that it was extremely cold. An icy, sharp wind whipped past Kira's face, causing her to cringe. She wrapped her arms around her ribcage, absent-mindedly reaching for her light saber, only to find with a sinking heart that it wasn't there. Of course – she had dropped it off, true to her word with Obi-Wan a while ago.

Pity, Kira thought to herself as she looked around the planet, I would have liked to at least have some form of security. Then, with a puff of breath, Kira turned her head to the ship that had dropped her off – no one but the driver was inside. Swallowing, Kira called, "Can you tell me where the nearest village is?"

The driver – a burly, sweaty man with suspicious-looking stains on his shirt, only let out a scoff. "And why don't I show you where the nearest plaza is, as well, love?" he asked. He shook his head. "There aren't any real villages out here – I wouldn't understand why you'd want to come out to this planet in the first place."

"Please," Kira said, biting down on her lower lip to keep herself from shivering. The cold had already gotten to her. "This is important."

The driver gave Kira another cynical look. Then, letting out a low, long sigh, he said, "It should be only a little far off from here – see that light?" He pointed to the north, and sure enough, Kira could make out a faint glimmer of red. "That's where the nearest shelter could be."

"Thank you," Kira replied.

"Don't mention it," the driver grunted. With that, he started the ship up and within seconds, he was already flying off. Rubbing her hands over her clothed arms, Kira turned the other way and started trudging to the bloom of red. She kept her head ducked low, focusing on her breathing and occasionally quickening her step in hopes that the movement would warm her up.

xXx

By the time Kira had reached the shelter, her hands had all but frozen and her limbs were trembling from the exposure to the cold. She practically forced herself into the shelter – a small hut made of cloth – without even announcing herself.

There was a silence inside the hut – and slowly, Kira looked up to see a family of humans gathered around a fire. They were all staring curiously at Kira, their eyes wide and bewildered. Swallowing, Kira shook off the snow and ice that had gathered around her clothes. Kira's own eyes wandered silently over them – she could make out a young boy, and two adults – a woman and a man.

"Hello," Kira finally managed to say. She forced on a smile, though judging by the way her face felt, Kira figured it looked more like a grimace. "Do you mind if I…"

The woman spoke first. Hastily, she moved over. "Of course," she said. "We have plenty of heat to share. You look half-frozen." Kira felt an automatic rush of affection for the woman, along with the man and boy, who both moved for Kira to sit down.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," the woman said as Kira sat herself down in front of the fire. Rubbing her hands, Kira replied, "Oh, really? I'm afraid I was on the other side of the planet…" Her voice drifted in frantic thought for a proper lie. "Actually, due to the recent turn of events, it seems that I was forced to…move out."

To Kira's pleasant surprise, the woman nodded her head sympathetically. "It's awful how they came here, isn't it? My husband, Mellark, and my son – Cameron – we were actually forced to leave our own home when the Separatists took over." The woman paused. "Not that our home was much of anything," she murmured. "But it was still something."

So the rumors were true, Kira thought to herself. Casually running her hands over her arms, Kira asked, "Do you have any idea why they're here? I always figured that no one wanted anything to do with this planet."

"That's what I thought, too," the woman responded. She shrugged her shoulders. "But do the Separatists have reason for doing anything? The only thing I want is for them to leave this place. It's wretched enough without them here." Kira only nodded. Then, extending a hand, said, "I'm Kira, by the way." Almost as soon as her name left her lips, Kira cringed inwardly. She should have given a fake name – but hopefully, this slip-up wouldn't be too bad.

"I'm Thistle," the woman introduced, shaking Kira's hand. She nodded to the fire. "You're welcome to stay here if you wish. In times like these, helping one another is the only thing we can really count on." Kira smiled. "Thank you," she replied sincerely. She looked back at the boy – Cameron, wasn't it? – and the man – Mellark. She managed to wave halfheartedly to them, and they both gave her small nods of acknowledgement.

"You should rest," Thistle suggested. She gestured to the ground. "Not that it's very hospitable, but it's still…"

"Better than outside," Kira finished. Thistle gave the younger girl a tight-lipped smile. "Exactly," she replied.

xXx

Kira woke up to the familiar sound of droids marching outside. Her body temporarily went rigid as the cloth tent flap suddenly whipped open, followed by the shuffling of other pairs of feet moving backwards. Kira herself managed to stand up, ignoring the stiffness in her bones from the cold. She looked up at the droids, who had cocked guns pointed at them all.

Well, at least this mission is moving along quickly, Kira thought to herself as her eyes lowered to the gun. She slowly lifted her arms to her head, urging the family to do the same. Slowly, frightfully, they all lifted their arms as one of the droids said, "All of you – you are to come out. Do not bring any of your belongings."

"And for what reason?" Kira heard Mellark say (for the first time she had been with the family).

"No questions are to be asked," the droid replied. "You will come out with us now or consequences will be given."

Compared to the droids I have met before, these are tame, Kira thought, though just as that little bit formed in her mind, the droid shot at the ground, causing everyone to flinch. "Now," the droid barked, and without protest, everyone quickly filed out.

xXx

When Kira realized they were being led to a factory, two things collided in her mind –

One – oh, dear.

Two – So this was where everyone was.

Groups of dirty, ragged-looking people were clumped together around the warm factory, all shoveling dark objects into a furnace or turning still-hot pieces of metal in thin gloves. For a few moments, Kira could only stare and feel an onslaught of memories work into her head. She felt her breath quicken – this feeling – this room – was all too familiar. Filled with faces of despair and loss that Kira had seen before, as young child still on Zygerria. She swallowed hard, slowly forcing her eyes around the great factory. From what she could tell, this looked like another simple Separatist factory, with simple Separatist means.

But why all the people? A voice whispered in the back of Kira's mind. Machines can easily make weapons and objects for the Separatists. Why would people be required?

Unless whatever they were being forced to make was…something more.

A shiver ran down Kira's spine at the thought. She turned to the droids, who had taken to shoving Thistle towards a group of women. "You'll be working with them," a droid dismissed. Then, it grabbed Cameron and Kira roughly by the shoulders, tossing them into another section of the room. "You'll work over there and you –"

"At least it's warm," Cameron said in a small voice, looking up at Kira. The older girl could only smile. She looked around the factory, murmuring, "At least there's that." Then, she felt someone tug the corner of her tunic. She looked down to see Cameron trembling. "I still wanna see my momma," he said. "I still wanna see my poppa, too, and I don't like the droids here."

Kira looked around – tried to find Thistle and Mellark – but both adults weren't anywhere to be found. Unsettled, Kira knelt down in front of Cameron and whispered, "You'll see them soon. But for now, let's just play along with this, okay? This is all just a…a…set-up. Those droids over there?" She pointed and smiled. "They're much weaker than you are – they're only acting tough because they know how scary you'd be if you knew about them."

Before Cameron could answer, a gritty, tired voice said, "You two might wanna get into work before them droids see you." Kira looked up at an elderly woman leading against a shovel. Judging by the dark particles that came from the coal on her face, Kira figured that the woman had been in the factory for a while.

"Right," Kira murmured. "But what are we supposed to –"

"Just grab a tool," the elderly nodded. "Get something and help us shovel the coal in. If we don't do our job, there'll be punishments." Kira pressed her lips together, but did as she was told. She helped Cameron choose a small shovel – and with him following her every step, she was careful to ask, "Do any of you have an idea of what's going on here? As in, what we're supposed to be doing with all this?"

The elderly shook her head. "The only people who know are them leaders." She sighed and giving Kira a surprisingly sharp look, said, "Now, listen here – you don't cause any trouble – none at all – and all will go well. You won't be a troublemaker, now, will you?"

Kira frowned. "Do you believe that? That everything will go well if we just keep quiet?" she asked slowly. The elderly waved her hand. "It's better than sending yourself to the grave," she responded seriously. "We are simple people with simple wants. The less trouble we have, the better of we are. Now, no more questions – we'll need to get this work done!"

xXx

Two days in and already gathering a bit of info, Kira thought to herself as she curled her legs underneath her body. The factory wasn't quiet, even though most of the workers were to go to sleep. (Everyone was promised an early start tomorrow.) Kira couldn't help but to feel more at unease than ever as everyone quieted down – the fear and uneasiness from the people echoed around and around the Force, coming in waves and crashing over Kira. Once or twice, she resisted the urge to give in herself.

Stuck on Yanibar, she thought she could handle.

This situation? This predicament of people being forced into working on Force-knows-what? Kira wasn't too confident about her skills here.

Not for the first time during the mission, Kira found herself wishing she could somehow contact her master – ask him for help – or at least call on a helping hand. But right now, she was quite properly…very alone.

xXx

Kira remembered that once, her master had gone to Zygerria over a matter of enslaved Togrutas. That was before he had met Kira, of course, but the young girl remembered the stories quite well from her time in the palace. She remembered hearing the boasts of guards and overseers of how easy it seemed to break a Jedi's will through something as basic as slavery.

And Kira always understood how hard it was – to stand in a place of oppression and not be able to do anything about it.

But this time, the feeling was much, much worse. Because like Obi-Wan, she was sure, Kira actually knew the extent of her powers. She understood that though she was still young, she could…somehow help people. But not now.

And if that didn't kill her, Kira didn't know what did.

xXx

"Kira!"

Kira blinked her eyes open wearily, trying to make sense of the sound.

"Kira! Help!"

This time, the girl managed to rub away the sleep from her eyes. She sat up, whispering, "Hello?" There was a thump, followed by another, "Kira!"

The girl turned – and found Cameron dangling above one of the furnaces, tied above the heated metal – his legs were kicking wildly, and his eyes were blown with fear. Kira instantly pushed herself up, already extending her hands. "Cameron! How did you –"

"The droids," Cameron cried out. "I was trying to find Momma and the droids found me! Kira, help me! I'm scared!" He kicked harder, this time shrieking, "I don't wanna die! I want Momma! I want Momma!" Kira felt her chest ache at the sight. Biting down on her lip, she said, "Cameron, quiet down! Don't let the droids – here, I'll get you down from there!"

Hands shaking, Kira started to move towards the large furnace, ignoring the intense heat radiating off of it. If she could reach high enough, she could probably lower Cameron from his place without burning him by accident. Breathing in, Kira whispered, "Cameron, I'm going to need you to be very, very quiet for me. Do you think you can do that?"

Despite the obvious tension in the situation, Cameron nodded his head. Kira closed her eyes. She started to reach a bit higher – and with only slightly shaking fingers, she managed to undo Cameron's arms, mentally cursing her height in the process. Cameron let out a single whimper, though Kira pretended not to notice. "You're going to be fine, Cameron," she whispered. "Trust me."

"What're you two doing?" someone asked. Kira froze and turned to see the elderly from earlier that day, staring at Kira and Cameron with wide eyes. "Do you want to attract attention?"

Kira gestured to Cameron, saying, "He's scared and needs help. I can't just leave him there – it'll only take a minute."

"No!" the elderly hissed as Kira started to move to Cameron. "The droids will notice! They'll know one of us got him out and then we'll all be in danger!" Kira pressed her lips together. "I'm afraid we're already in a dangerous place. The situation won't change." With that, she returned to undoing the clasps – only to miss as the elderly clamped a hand over Kira's arm, breaking off her concentration.

Cameron instantly cried out as he began to fall – and letting out an equally frantic shriek, Kira reached out her hands –

And called upon the Force –

And lowered Cameron to the ground –

And heard a droid coming near.

"She's a Jedi!" Kira dimly heard the elderly screaming. "She's a Jedi! Look at her!"

Everything else seemed to happen in slow motion after that. Kira felt someone grab her shoulders – heard Cameron screaming at something – and the heat of the factory seemed to intensify around her. She blinked once, twice, and stared up at the ceiling of the factory. This is okay, she thought to herself, but those words seemed to be lost over the din of everything else going around her. This is going to be okay. It's not all that bad. Not all that bad…

xXx

"Did you really think you could sneak in someone like her into this establishment?" The overseer let out an oily, loud laugh as he kicked Kira from the corner of the hologram. She grunted, but otherwise didn't let anything else out. The overseer chuckled again, saying, "You were foolish in bringing Republic forces here. You'll see." He kneeled down beside Kira and added, "As for this one…" He smiled. "I believe you won't be seeing her anytime soon."

With that, the message ended – and all that was left in the room was a stunned and grave silence from the Council.

Obi-Wan stared at where the message had just been playing seconds ago. Kira was over there – only made apprentice a few months ago – and in the verge of Force-knows-what. He closed his eyes briefly. He had been afraid of this happening – he hadn't been completely enthusiastic when he had found out what Kira would have to do for the mission. He hadn't been at all comfortable with the idea that she would be on her own, either.

"Have anything to say, do you, Obi-Wan?" He heard Master Yoda say. Obi-Wan re-opened his eyes and looking around the Council, managed to reply, "Kira has been in difficult situations before. There's still a chance she might…endure."

"You don't sound certain," Master Windu noted.

"There are many variables at play here," Obi-Wan replied, careful not to let any emotions seep through his voice. "It's impossible to know anything for sure."

xXx

"I heard the news," Anakin said, walking into Obi-Wan's quarters. The older man sighed, turning around to face his former apprentice. "I would tell you to knock, but at this point, I don't even think you're paying attention," Obi-Wan replied tiredly. Anakin only shrugged his shoulders, leaning against the doorway. He hesitated and then asked, "Are you alright? Hearing that Kira is hurt…" His voice drifted as Obi-Wan stood back up.

"If you wouldn't mind, Anakin, I think I'd actually prefer to be alone for now," Obi-Wan said. There was a pause. Then, Anakin replied, "Fine. I get that." He gave Obi-Wan a small nod and added, "But listen – we've all been in those situations before, right? And we're usually okay."

Obi-Wan lowered his eyes. "Yes, Anakin." He braced on a smile. "Thank you."

"'Welcome."

xXx

Kira's head was incredibly sore and it had nothing to do with her headache. More so, it had something to do with the dull throb from being held up in chains. She was dangling a few inches off the floor, and though it was probably more comfortable than other prisons, Kira still berated herself for getting caught.

And for being dragged into the hologram sent to the Temple. She cringed at the idea of what her master – and what the Council – must have been thinking when they saw her. I'm sorry, she thought. I didn't mean to ruin the mission. I'm sorry. Please don't see this badly.

"Thinking any of your friends will rescue you?" Kira heard the overseer say from outside the cell, as he had been doing in the last few hours. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back. In times like these, she decided it was always better to tune out those words.

"And here I was, thinking that the Republic might send more powerful Jedi," the overseer tsked. "They've sent no one but a child."

Back home, the younglings are probably going to classes, Kira thought. And my friends might be trying to skip out of them – probably hiding in the hanger or in the Archives, which is always a bad place to hide in. If I was there – no, I am there right now – I'd probably be in my quarters, looking over something with my data pad, and trying to get out of learning how to negotiate. Which, now that I think of it, isn't such a bad thing to learn, I guess…

When the cell door opened for the overseer to taunt her some more, Kira reached for more happy memories. She wondered briefly if this was what Master Kenobi had done. Or if he would try to find an escape plan.

Still need to carry on the mission, though, right? Kira thought. She narrowed her eyes around the cell. First, she could try to escape – and then what? Everyone was still in the factory – she could…

She blinked, suddenly wide-awake. She could try to escape – somehow – she was sure she could do it with some help from the Force. Then, she would send a message to the Temple to send a ship over – and preferably a big one, so she could transport everyone in the factory out of here.

And then, well…there was enough heat in the factory. If she could possibly override it – maybe find something that could ignite an explosion, the factory could be destroyed, too! And everyone would be out safely and –

Wait, Kira thought, her heart slowing down. How are the people going to get that message?

There was no way Kira could relay her message to everyone – and expect them all to listen to her.

xXx

"We can always send a rescue team and let them take care of the rest of the mission," Obi-Wan suggested, tapping the hologram thoughtfully. "There's no point in trying to hide our stance in this situation – the Separatists already understand that we're a part of this." He had to bite the inside of his cheek as Master Windu shook his head. "It would take too long – they've already hidden their coordinates. There's no way we can detect this place where Padawan Narro is being held without the Separatists finding out where we are first," he said.

"I can go myself," Obi-Wan argued, but was once again stopped with another look of disproval. "You'd attract too much attention," Master Windu replied. Looking at the hologram, he added, "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan – but it seems that your apprentice is on your own until we can come up with a different solution."

xXx

"Kira?"

The girl looked up to see Cameron peering through the bars of the cell. Clutching the bars, he whispered, "You're here!" Kira flinched. Looking from side to side, she hissed, "Cameron! What are you doing? You're going to get caught!" Cameron's bottom lip trembled, saying, "Everyone else is mean to me. Why were you taken away? The old lady says you're a Jedi and that you're gonna get us all killed. But you're not, right, Kira?"

I don't know, Kira wanted to say, but one more look at Cameron's face forced her to shake her head. "No," she replied softly. "But you should leave, okay? I don't want you to get into trouble."

"But I wanna help!"

Before Kira could protest, something stirred in the back of her mind. Something settled into place. Straightening her back, Kira replied, "You want to help?" Cameron nodded frantically. The girl allowed a smile and said, "Listen – I need you to tell everyone to get ready to get out, okay? Don't tell everyone at once – just tell them to pass that message along. Can you do that?"

For the first time, Cameron's face split into a happy smile. "I can do that!" he said. "I'll be extra careful, Kira!" He blinked up at Kira and asked, "But how are you going to get out?"

Kira grinned. "I'll find a way," she replied. "Don't worry about me."

xXx

"They've been working harder, Jedi," the overseer growled , circling around Kira. "Any idea why that is? They've given up hope no you – they've given up hope on everything that you might have represented." Kira pursed her lips in response. Little do you know, they might actually be preparing for escape, she thought to herself. Still, she kept her face blank – until the overseer circled her again.

Swinging her feet, Kira threw her legs against the man's chest, throwing him against the wall. He let out a growl, already unhooking the gun from his belt. He started to walk for Kira, snarling, "Did you think that was funny, you little –"

Closing her eyes, Kira politely called upon the Force – allowing the gun from the overseer's hands to jerk itself to the right – then to the left, for the clasps that held Kira above. Huffing out a breath, Kira felt herself being dropped to the ground. She grinned up at the overseer, saying, "Thank you for your cooperation."

Then, ducking out of the way, Kira closed the cell behind her. She smiled as the overseer threw himself against the door. She gave him a cheerful wave – and ran down the hallway. Kira figured she only had some time before the overseer would get out – so she had to be quick.

Send a message, send a message, Kira thought to herself, stopping in front of a hologram. Heart beating fast, Kira frantically started to press in the coordinates of the Temple. She slammed a fist on the controls, muttering, "Come on – work for me!"

xXx

Obi-Wan jumped when the hologram started to beep for an incoming message. He turned – Anakin, bless him, had been waiting beside him in the past few hours. The younger man looked just as bewildered and confused by the incoming message as Obi-Wan felt. "Do you think…?" he asked quietly, nodding at the hologram.

"Only one way to find out," Obi-Wan murmured – and leaning forward, he accepted the message.

"Master!" Kira's face lit up, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel his heart leap at the girl's familiar face. "Padawan," he replied, leaning forward. "Where have you –"

"No time to explain!" Kira cut off. She was looking over her shoulder every few seconds, as if someone might come in any moment. It struck Obi-Wan that maybe someone was about to come in. "I'm sending my coordinates over now," Kira said. "Do you think you can get some ships over here? There's hundreds of people in this factory – and I'm getting them all out!"

"Kira," Obi-Wan started, but the younger girl was already tapping in the numbers. "And don't land so closely to the factory!" she added. "This place is gonna blow!"

Then, Kira looked back up. "Oh, and hello, Master. Nice seeing you again."

Obi-Wan smiled – a tentative smile, but still a smile. "It's nice seeing you again, too," he replied sincerely.

xXx

Kira darted away from the hologram, feeling energized by the temporary glimpse of her master. She was going to get out of here – she was going to get everyone out of here – and they can all go back home and everything would be just fine. Her eyes travelled around the room – looking for something – anything that might do the job of possibly exploding the factory…and nothing.

I can figure that out later, Kira thought hurriedly to herself. There wasn't enough time for her to find some other option at the moment. She sprinted out of the room and headed back for the main rooms of the factory, and not to her surprise, the workers had already gathered around.

"Kira!" Cameron shrieked, jumping up and down. "There was an announcement that you escaped! Are we gonna get out now? Are we gonna –"

"Yes, Cameron, we are – hurry, the droids might be coming –"

As soon as Kira mentioned the droids, the sound of metal clanking against metal sounded through the hallways. Eyes widening, Kira turned to the rest of the workers. "Move!" she shouted. "Get going! Come on!"

xXx

The factory was in frenzy. Workers were clawing at battle droids, some hiding behind furnaces – others grabbing hold of shovels or abandoned guns to attack at the tinnies. Kira herself was doing the best she could by pushing the droids out of the way – every so often managing to take the head off a droid with a shovel. Several workers cried out when seeing their loved ones – Cameron one of them.

"Momma! Poppa!" Kira heard the boy scream. She watched him run towards them – and felt another burst of affection. This was something she missed seeing. Turning back around, Kira took the arm off another droid. "Get to the doors!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Get to the –"

There was a loud boom from another part of the factory, causing almost everyone to tumble down to their feet. Kira grabbed a hold of a part of the wall, looking up with wide eyes. Parts of the ceiling were starting to come apart – and Kira couldn't fathom why…unless there had somehow been an explosion.

Explosion.

"Kira!" Cameron said excitedly, pointing up at the ceiling. "It's working!"

Dazed, Kira replied, "I guess – but that wasn't me."

"It was me!" Cameron shouted, grabbing Kira's arm. "After I got you, I found a bunch of big tube-thingies! I heard a droid saying they were dangerous, so…"

Kira grinned. "Cameron, you're a genius," she said happily. "Come on – we've got to go!"

xXx

Kira stumbled out of the factory, looking back to see that the workers had followed her out as well. She smiled. She looked up at the sky, searching for some sign of a ship or cruiser to appear – but then, with a start, she realized there was nothing. Kira turned around to look at the workers, and said, "Help should be here any minute!"

She turned her eyes back to the sky, murmuring, "Come on, Master – any day now would be great!" A harsh wind ripped through her, causing Kira to tremble. She looked back around at the workers, who looked as equally worried and discomforted.

"Kira?" Cameron asked, looking up at the girl. "Where are they?"

"They're coming, Cameron," Kira replied through chattering teeth. "Just wait a little."

But one minute turned into five minutes, and five minutes turned into seven and the workers had become restless. "The droids are going to come out," someone said, pointing to the factory. "It still hadn't fully blown up! There's no way your friends are going to –" He was cut off by the sound of a bullet whizzing through the air. Kira flinched as the worker sank to his knees, his eyes wide and life fleeting out of his body. She turned to look at Cameron, who had rushed back to his parents – and the other workers, who had all but lost their senses.

"We're going to die out here!" someone wailed.

"No one's coming!"

Kira felt tears sting her eyes – though from the cold or from shock, she couldn't tell. She yelled, "No! Someone's coming! They'll be here! They'll be…" Her voice drifted as more droids marched out, their guns held at the ready. No, no, no, no, no…Kira thought to herself as bullets were fired across. This wasn't supposed to happen! Master, where are you?!

Kira looked back up – the factory was slowly losing parts, though it wasn't going fast enough. She felt her heart sink. This plan was supposed to work – but why wasn't it? She turned to the other workers – and with stuttering breaths, realized that they falling down around her.

Kira turned again – this time to see Cameron staring up at her with sad eyes. "I thought you said this was gonna help," he said quietly. "You said people were gonna help. You said we'd be okay."

"Cameron," Kira started, reaching out a hand. "Please, we can still –"

"There's no time to waste," she watched Thistle say, grabbing Cameron's arm. "We have to leave now, while we still have the chance." Kira felt her energy spiral downwards – collapse, sink, spin out of control. No one was listening to her. No one was paying attention to her. No one was coming. Why wasn't anyone coming?

xXx

"They're down there!" Obi-Wan shouted over the din of the shuttles flying down. He could see Kira standing in a group of people . He looked at a large, metallic building and frowned. He supposed that was the place Kira mentioned she was staying in. Something must have gone wrong with her plan, Obi-Wan thought, looking back down at the younger girl. From his place on the shuttle, he could make out that she had taken to trying to shove people away from a…cluster of droids.

Droids.

And then, Obi-Wan made out the bodies – fallen bodies – on the ground. With sinking heart, he realized that whatever Kira had been planning must have proved itself to be a harder feat than she had originally planned. As soon as he figured that, there was a wave of grief through the Force – and it didn't take too long for Obi-Wan to figure that it had come from his apprentice.

Oh, Kira, he thought to himself – and then, she looked up.

"They're here!" Kira shouted, waving her arms frantically. "Everyone, they're here!"

xXx

Kira had never been so relieved to see a familiar face, but she let the surviving workers board the shuttles first. She watched her master help them in, occasionally deflecting bullets from the droids. Kira, enthused by Obi-Wan's actions, made quick work to follow his example. She gently pushed them in, carefully avoiding the bullets aimed around them.

It seemed to take a long time – too long – until the shuttles finally lifted themselves off the ground. Kira felt someone grab her arm – Obi-Wan and push her up into the shuttle – and almost instantly, without even thinking, Kira let herself fall against his side. She felt exhausted, to say at the very least, and didn't even care if gestures such as these weren't too common amongst Jedi. Right now, all Kira wanted to do was leave.

To her surprise, however, Obi-Wan didn't chide Kira for the interaction. Instead, he simply gave Kira's shoulder a reassuring pat – and the shuttle lifted itself off the ground.

"There'll be people taking care of the factory," Kira heard Obi-Wan say quietly. "And everyone's safe."

Not everyone, Kira thought, but didn't say anything.

xXx

"I talked to the Council," Obi-Wan said as Kira headed into their quarters. "I convinced them to not debrief you until tomorrow afternoon. I figured that you deserved a break for now." Kira nodded her head listlessly, plopping herself down on her bunk. She fidgeted with her braid – then started to take off her boots. She neatly pressed them to the side, and crossing her legs, on the bunk, replied in a small voice, "Thank you."

Obi-Wan gave her a gentle smile. "You're welcome, Kira," he said. He sat down across from her, saying, "You should get some rest. You certainly look like you need it."

Kira lifted her head. "Master," she started. She paused and then, biting down on her lower lip, asked, "Do you – do you, by any chance, have those days when no one seems to want to work with you? Or no one wants to understand where you're coming from?" Obi-Wan watched sadly as she gripped the last bead of her Padawan braid. "I mean...one quick mistake. It's a mistake, yes, but a mistake out of your control – and suddenly, nothing seems to work anymore. It's…" Her eyes drifted to the void. "You have those days, don't you? And it's not a great feeling, right?"

Obi-Wan chose his words carefully as he replied, "Everyone has those days, Padawan – it'd be strange if no one did." Kira pressed her lips together. "Yes, but it's…something that I…" Her voice drifted and eyes snapping back to Obi-Wan, she added quickly, "I understand that the Jedi are supposed to accept whatever comes their way. I know that, I do, but…it doesn't mean that I have to enjoy it. Or not want to avoid it." She swallowed. "Because I know it's going to happen again, but…"

Kira didn't finish her sentence. Lowering her eyes, she murmured, "I just think I should get some rest now. Forget what I said, Master. I'm tired."

"Kira," Obi-Wan said before the younger girl could settle under the covers. He reached out – and gently grasping her shoulder, replied, "What you felt was normal. I'd be worried if you didn't think of your experience as troublesome." He paused. "But you can learn from that, can't you? You can do something more – make something better out of it."

"And if I don't?" Kira asked in a small voice.

"Then you'll improve on it the next time the chance comes around," Obi-Wan replied.

Slowly, Kira turned back to the older man. For a second, a smile appeared on her lips. "Thanks, Master," she said quietly. She bowed her head and replied, "Then I guess I'll just have to look forward to it." Obi-Wan took his hand off of Kira's shoulder, responding, "Take heart, Padawan – one moment of difficulty doesn't mean an entire lifetime of misery."

Kira nodded. "I'll remember that," she said quietly.

A/N - Unfortunately, this has been one of my first times ever writing Kira, so my depiction of her might not be entirely accurate. Again, she belongs to MusicKeeper!

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