The rumbling engine of the once daunting Marauder dissolved into the distance beyond the horizon. Winter stood at the edge of the landing bay and squinted her eye so she could better see it completely exit the atmosphere; free at last.
Beside her, General Grievous gazed as well, though not at the dissapearing freighter ship. The horizon was lightening now as dawn approached and he sensed the winds grow rough; a dust storm was in the works. This planet, Elphrona, wasn't far from Vassek but they would need to secure transport. General Grievous should have felt pride; he freed them, hadn't he? Why, then, did he feel so troubled?
As the winds picked up he drew the long, dark fabrics that covered his armored body closer. Winter had suggested he cover himself in something to ward off any unwanted attention; even in the Outer Rim General Grievous held a distinct reputation. His height itself would be enough to draw wandering eyes.
Winter turned and followed as Grievous stomped away in the direction of what she hoped was a bustling city. Perhaps there they would find a way off this mass of rock? She could only hope.
Elphrona held similarities to Kalee primarily, Grievous noted, in it's weather. It was dry, hot and dusty from the storm that had since passed. Despite it's dissagreeable weather that he was all too familiar with, Elphrona was a picturesque planet with rocky terrain and high mountains. There certainly was nothing, however, to compare to the lush, tropical jungles and vast Jenuwaa Sea that Kalee was known for! General Grievous relished the memories of his home world and for a despairing moment he longed to behold it once more.
Winter walked behind Grievous in silent observation, noting that he was seemingly distant. Where was he, she wondered? She wished she could also escape, but her torment ran far too deep. The time they'd spent fighting, not just Hondo Ohnaka, but also each other had worn her down and opened her eyes to her own futility. All of it, every bad thing that had happened since their first engagement, was her fault. If she had just listened to Shaak Ti and to the Council then she wouldn't even be here; she'd be home, on Coruscant, sitting on her favorite tufted bench inside the Temple Library and fully immersed within the archives! Or perhaps she'd be in the training grounds, perfecting the Makashi method, while sparring with Caleb Dume?
Her friends, her family, her past life and all her experiences were now but a whisper of time gone by and, just like General Grievous, world's away...
END NOTE
Thank you so much for taking an interest in this original fanfiction, 'Winter Vance: Shadows of the Past'.
The adventures and sufferings of this unusual pair will continue on in the second installment of this work so stay tuned!
-rori.writes