A Star Wars Story: The Adventures of Lera Neacon

Coruscant has fallen

"Lera," she said as she shook Dolj's hand and smiled. "Cazar Queorn told me to find you here."

"I see. Cazar is a good friend. I go to Bracca for ship parts ever so often. What can I do for you?"

"I need help reprogramming a few droids... Battle droids," she corrected.

"How many?"

"Thirteen."

"That's gonna take a while."

"How long?"

"A week, maybe two."

Lera thought for a moment. "What about a paint job?."

"That can be arranged. But that'll be an additional week."

Lera nodded. "Price?"

"Two thousand credits."

She thought for a moment. "Fair enough. I'll bring my shuttle." Lera turned to leave but then remembered something. "One final thing. Did you happen to come across a girl, she looks, uh, looked a lot like me, similar face scars, height..."

Dolj thought for a moment. "No, sorry."

⊚⊚⊚

"This is the last one," Lera said as she disembarked the droids. She tried to straighten a droid's head and when she lifted her arms, her poncho revealed her lightsaber.

"You're a Jedi?" he asked looking at the curved blade.

Lera stopped for a moment. "No, not really. It's- it's a long story."

"We have three weeks. I'd like to hear it, because there's something I need to tell you-"

"Dolj!" A woman's voice called from a few yards away. Lera and Dolj turned their heads. She was wearing a Jedi robe. She drew her hood back, which revealed her purple skin and Mirialan markings. Dolj ran to hug her.

"I was so worried my love," he said as he kissed her. "What happened?"

"The clones... they- they turned on us. Started killing Jedi. I killed them and ran."

Lera listened intently.

"Why would they do that? Are you okay?" Dolj asked, his voice trembling.

"I'm fine," she said with a faint smile. 

"You need to lay low for a bit. Until we can figure out what happened. If what you say is true, they'll kill you on sight if you go back."

"Yeah." The woman noticed Lera. "Who is she?"

Dolj motioned for Lera to approach. "Lera, that's what I wanted to tell you," he said. "I present to you my wife: Jedi Knight Orola Dida."

"I thought the Jedi didn't marry," Lera said.

"We did, in secret," Dolj said.

"What do you mean the clones started killing Jedi?" Lera asked Orola.

Orola glanced at Lera's hip. "You're not a Jedi. Why do you have that lightsaber?"

"It's a family heir. Belonged to my sister. She died a few months ago."

Orola thought for a moment. "Salix. Salix Neacon, right?"

Lera's eyes lit up. "Yes! You knew her."

"I met her briefly once or twice. I attended her funeral."

"You saw her body then?"

"Come to think of it, no I didn't. They said her body had already been burnt in the Temple. We only attended the procession. Though it was a very small crowd. The war and whatnot. Who gave you the lightsaber?"

"I didn't see her upclose, but it was a Togruta. Green skin, red montrals."

"Lunaria Illex. Her Master."

"Do you know where I can find her?" Lera asked, her voice cracking.

"No, I'm sorry. Haven't seen her since the funeral."

"Well, it's getting late," Dolj said. "Sun's almost set. Lera, you can sleep in your shuttle, or get yourself a room in town. Tomorrow I'll start working on those droids. How does that sound?"

Lera nodded.

⊚⊚⊚

Lera slept in her shuttle. She had cried herself to sleep in her cold and lonely cabin, thinking about her sister.