All That We Are: A Star Wars Story

Prologue pt. 1

Alderaan

19 BBY

Nasia Plubel

          For the first time in what had seemed like months, I was enjoying the weather. The air was crisp and I could see my breath, but the chill wasn't uncomfortable. My Master had always said that if you woke up early, you didn't miss what most people did; in that case, it was the scenery accompanied by perfect weather. The skies of gold and pink; the patches of cool, shaded grass; and the soft, morning sun contouring layers of mountains as they overlooked the city of Juranno were all a sight to behold. See, traveling for three standard years on a Venator, give or take, didn't do much good for the skin – or for the soul, said Master Luten. Though, the natural light did wonders.

          I never did much research on the fauna that resided on Alderaan, but whatever avians flew above my head, marching slowly across the sky like a small battalion, made echoing chimes that rendered the environment peaceful. My padawan, Sajji, probably knew their name. I had half a mind to leave my spot in the grass to ask them, but I knew they were enjoying the morning after a late-night, which was unlike them. When I used to sleep in late on a daily, Sajji Qraszz had already completed their academic assignments and stretches before I opened my eyes.

          My Master, on the other hand, had been bedridden on Alderaan for weeks now. The doctors on Coruscant had told him about his incurable heart disease years ago, yet I only learned about it recently. He had been fairly active for most of his life, especially during my padawan training, but to him, some days were more tiring than others, it seemed. While he enjoyed the extra time to relax, he was in bed against his will. Sajji and I tried to keep him company aside from his books and holofilms, but Biwu Luten, as docile as he was, refused to admit that it was never enough.

          Something that was fairly new was my enjoyment of early mornings. Most times, I would still sleep in past my alarm and jolt at the banging on my door from Captain Radar, but on occasion, I felt decent enough to pull myself out of bed earlier than usual. By being able to wake up early, I got more done. From time to time, I would bring buckets of water into the semi-empty hangar and give the men's ships a good scrub, only for it to rain the next day. I also had time to take walks, soak up all of the scenery where we were stationed, and document the new flora I found.

          The Republic base we now occupied in the mountains was relatively small so, it wasn't bustling like our Venator, The Element. While the battalion previously stationed here was dispatched to another planet, a small group of my men was assigned to look after the base and monitor Separatist transmissions in that sector of the galaxy. It was finally nice being able to do something with the Dynamic Squad that wasn't fighting on the front lines. The emptiness was refreshing, but as much as I loved all my men, the mere silence was too.

          I took in a deep breath, smiling at the chill against my lungs. Everything about the day's start was flawless, but nonetheless, I think I should have stayed in bed.

§

Republic Base

"Watcher's Retreat"

Alderaan

          "You ready, Commander?" Nasia stuck her head in the doorway.