This is the last chapter of Ruin. It is bittersweet for me (darksideyesplease) that this story is coming to an end. I've come to love these characters and this story like nothing I've ever created before. Perhaps a sequel is just the cure?
I did write a majority of this story but I couldn't have done it without my wife, FelsGoddess (she did write several scenes but we have decided this is overall, my story). She helped me out and told me when things didn't work and wrote the scenes that I knew I would struggle with. When we need more tactical information, she was there to lend her vast knowledge of the Star Wars Universe. She created Kyn, Kyra and the entire Fuller family. She gave them a beginning; I just did most of the fleshing out and character development. So I'm much sadder to see this story end than she is… Just thought I'd put that out there and give a little insight to how the process of writing this story occurred.
Chapter 21
9 years later… (18 BBY)
Lieutenant-Colonel, Cole Fuller hadn't seen his family in three years. He was so happy that he was able to get a few days leave so that he could attend his sister's 22nd birthday. He was downright surprised when his Admiral had granted him the requested leave but he wasn't going to ask any questions. They even gave him an Imperial ship to fly home with.
Tyon, Rayna, and Kyra no longer lived on Coruscant however. After the end of the Clone Wars and the downfall of the Republic, Tyon and Rayna took their savings of over ten years and moved to Alderaan. There were whispers that Alderaan was still friendly to those who supported the Republic and the defeated Jedi.
They lived in a quant cottage near the mountains. It was a nice change from the city-world that was Coruscant. Kyra had taken up art in her years at school on Corsucant and had become quite good at it.
Some days all she did was sit outside and paint the glorious mountains of Alderaan. Even though Cole was away on duty all the time and they had no knowledge of where Kyn was on a day to day basis, they were happy.
"That's beautiful, sweetheart." Tyon said, now standing behind Kyra as she painted in the pasture outside of their home.
"It's coming along," Kyra said humbly.
Tyon smiled and watched his daughter do what she loved for a long while that day.
Rayna and Tyon had asked her what she wanted to do for her 22nd birthday. All she wanted to do was paint. Paint and be at peace.
Today however, she was not painting the mountains or fields of Alderaan. Instead she had taken to a portrait.
"I think that's how she would look today." Kyra said, sadly.
"I think so," Tyon nodded.
A ship zoomed overhead, it was Imperial class.
"That must be Cole." Kyra said.
"I certainly hope so," Tyon noted.
Indeed it was Cole. Rayna ran outside and hugged her oldest child before the other two had the chance. Soon they found themselves in a big family hug. It was as close to perfect of a birthday present as Kyra could hope for. The only thing that was missing was Kyn and Zafii.
The afternoon turned into dusk and the family sat inside for a dinner that was much too big for the four of them.
"It's great that your home, Cole." Kyra said.
"Yeah, home is where your family is at. Because if this is home, it's funny that I've never even been on this planet before today." Cole noted.
"It's been three years. I thank the Force everyday that you survived that dreadful war." Rayna chimed in.
"Let's not talk about that now," Tyon smiled. "We have precious little time with you. Any chance you might be starting a family of your own, Cole?"
"The dating prospects are kind of slim on a Star Destroyer." Cole laughed.
"It will happen one day." Rayna said, reassuringly.
The conversation continued as dinner wrapped up. Eventually Rayna surprised Kyra with a cake even though she had said previously she did not want one.
"I'm not a kid anymore." Kyra smiled. "I didn't need a cake."
"Everyone gets a cake on their birthday!" Rayna scolded playfully.
There was a buzzing noise coming from Cole's chrono.
"Blast it! I have to run out to the ship really fast. They are trying to get a hold of me." Cole announced.
He put down his fork and ran outside to see what was going on.
"I suppose we should wait for him before we sing happy birthday." Tyon mentioned.
"No… no singing." Kyra buried her hands in her face.
"Yes, everyone gets a song too." Rayna patted her on the back.
Several minutes passed while Cole was out at his ship checking on the urgent message. The three of them sat quietly not knowing what to say. After all it was only the three of them all the time. They had already heard everything the others had to say. The nearest neighbor seemed like they were a parsec away.
Then there was a knock at the front door.
"I know this doesn't feel like home yet," Tyon shouted, walking to the door. "But you don't have to knock in this house, son."
Tyon opened the door and the butt of a blaster rifle hit him in the forehead, knocking him unconscious. Rayna screamed as she witnessed this.
"Kyra, get out! Go to the back door!" Rayna yelled.
"I can help! I've been practicing the Force." Kyra screamed.
"NO!" Rayna yelled, pointing.
"That's her; she's the one we're looking for." The lead storm trooper said.
Rayna charged at the five storm troopers who had entered the house. She lunged at them like a cheetah protecting her young. The storm troopers all fired upon her at once and sent stun bolts at her. All five stun bolts hit her simultaneously, knocking her out.
Kyra ran to the back of the small cottage and tried to open the back door. It was locked however and she began fumbling with it.
"No need to stun her." The lead storm trooper told his men. "She's the one he wants dead. Blast her!"
Kyra dove into the fresher to avoid the blaster bolts. She crawled into the corner of the small tub and hid her face as if she was trying to not witness her own death.
Snap-Hiss!
A green blade of light erupted from behind the storm troopers. The figure holding the weapon jumped in the air and somehow landed in front of them. The hallway was narrow and the doorway more so. How could anyone have jumped and fit through? Their blaster rifles were all cut in half with a single swipe. A few Force pushes later and only one storm trooper remained alive.
"Go back to your emperor. Tell him the girl is dead." The voice commanded.
"I'll go back to my emperor. Tell him the girl is dead." The storm trooper stupidly repeated.
"Be gone."
"I'll be going now." The storm trooper nodded.
Kyra rushed passed the mysterious figure, never looking at them. She found her mother first and checked her pulse. She was alive.
Tyon was in the midst of pushing himself to his feet. He saw Rayna on the ground and ran over to her.
"Rayna!" He cried.
"She's alive, Dad." Kyra assured him.
"What about Cole, what happened?" Tyon asked.
"He's in his ship stunned… by these same troopers no less. They have been looking for Kyra," the voice of the savior said, entering the room. "After raiding the Jedi Temple they knew who every registered Force sensitive person in the galaxy was. They tracked his ship to get to you."
"Zafii!" Kyra squealed, jumping to her feet and hugging her. "I thought you were dead. All these years, I thought you were dead."
"I would be if it wasn't for Kyn. He saved me."
"I'm going to go check on Cole." Tyon announced.
"I'm here." Cole said walking through the front door, his face red with anger. "Is anyone hurt?"
"Your mother, she's unconscious." Tyon said.
"I'll go get my first aid supplies." Cole said.
"No time. We need to get her and get off the planet immediately." Zafii said. "We need to clean up the evidence that a light saber was used here."
Tyon nodded and ran to pick up all the pieces of rifle that littered the ground.
"Cole, can I borrow your blaster?" Zafii asked.
Cole nodded and handed her a pistol. Without warning she shot each of the four dead troopers in a convenient kill spot. No one asked what she was doing. They all knew she was making it look like there had been a struggle and that only the one storm trooper escaped.
"Let me get the medical capsule in my ship for mom." Cole said.
Zafii nodded and Cole ran to go fetch it. As Cole went back to his ship, Kyra and Tyon threw several articles of clothing and a few other possessions in a large suitcase.
When Cole returned, Zafii used the Force to levitate Rayna onto the medical capsule and to carry her safely to Cole's ship. As they made their way outside, R7-Z3 came flying after Zafii. He was holding a small bag of Zafii's things.
"R7, we are being tracked." Zafii informed him.
R7 chimed and doodled and rolled up the ramp of the ship and Cole joined him in the cockpit. Cole sat down at a terminal and began to search for the computer code that was tracking the ship's coordinates as R7 plugged-in. Meanwhile, Tyon and Kyra tended to Rayna while Zafii primed the ships engines.
When Rayna was resting comfortably, Kyra and Tyon joined everyone else in the cockpit.
"Zafii… how? You were in the coma and then the Jedi let you go?" Kyra asked.
"Not exactly… It's true I have been in a coma for the last ten years. Apparently from what I was able to gather before I left to come here… Kyn kidnapped me from the Jedi Temple and paid for my extended hospitalization. Like I said, he saved my life. It was you in danger that I felt in my coma and I was able to wake up. I tried so many times to wake up but my body would never let me. Finally I pushed through the last barrier and here I am. I knew the self proclaimed emperor was looking for you. I think I've known for quite a while now. I felt your demise and our Force bond was what woke me up." Zafii explained.
Kyra looked at her father. She had never forgiven Kyn for putting Zafii at risk which had led to her coma and what she thought for so many years… her death.
"I've never seen that ring before." Kyra pointed to Zafii's left hand.
"Kyn gave it to me; the stone is cut from a lightsaber crystal. He put the ring in a drawer next to my bed." Zafii said.
"But… you were in a coma?" Kyra said, confused.
"Yes… I was." Zafii nodded.
"Then how do you remember that?"
Zafii shrugged, "I just do."
Kyra nodded and looked at Tyon and then Cole.
"If the Empire ever discovers that I'm not dead, then Kyn will be at risk." Kyra announced.
"I agree and if I they find out I'm alive, we all will be." Zafii said.
"Let's go find Kyn, before the Empire does!"
Cole nodded and the ship lifted off Alderaan's surface. He began to punch in some coordinates to get them to a safe spot for now. As they exited the atmosphere the hyperdrive computer informed Cole that the jump could be made anytime.
"May the Force be with us all." Zafii said as R7 whistled and the ship jumped into hyperspace.
The End