Daughter of the Force

Chapter 6

Shaken awake by Elan's forceful hand I realize we have descended upon Nar Shaddaa. Inside my wardrobe, I scour to find something to wear that won't stick out from a crowd. Elan comes in pushing me aside and tossing me one of my dresses. "You're kidding me right?" I said, holding up the dress. "I can't wear this, Elan. I am a woman of honor not well this. I refuse to wear it and downgrade myself." He replied," Do you want to see your parents again? Then you will do this for them." He walked out leaving me alone with this well ugly-looking outfit. For the good of the mission, I put it on. It was a full-length light blue dress with baggy sleeves, an open exposed back reaching down to my hips, and knee-high boots. I walked out putting my head down in shame. I then feel Elan's hand tilt my chin up. He wore a tight tattered sleeveless shirt and long tan pants. His lightsaber hung loosely at his waist. I said," You can't wear your lightsaber." He unclipped it, tossing it to me only to decide to give it back to him. He said," Stay by my side the whole time and no harm will come to you." Outside the city was in chaos. There were buildings leveled to the ground left as rumble reminders of the past. People kept passing us with twisted looks on their faces. I quickly grabbed a hold of his hand in fear. We travel inside a cantina full of various galactic species. I keep my head down as we pass a group of Rodians staring at me. Elan puts his arm around me as if telling them that I belonged to him. Around a corner, I feel a hand go over my mouth leading me away from Elan. "Don't move, Milady. Please don't move." A voice whispers in my ear. I turn to come face to face with a stranger I have never met. I asked," Who are you?" He replies," My name is none of your concern. I am Senator Naberrie's contact and yes I live here amongst this slime. I urge you to come with me at once, Milady." Behind us, I could hear the hiss of Elan's green lightsaber. I say," Please stay here." I rushed out to find Elan standing in the center of the room. Placing my hands on his cheeks I used the Force to calm him down. He stared into my eyes and I said," Come with me." Grabbing his hand I led him over to the mystery man hiding in the shadows. The man's head peers into the light and Elan pushes me behind him in defense. "Elan, this is Senator Naberrie's contact." I say pushing myself back in front of him. "It's okay. He won't hurt us or me." The man extends his hand to Elan who just brushed it aside. The man says,'' Come with me to my apartment so we can talk more in private." We both nodded in agreement and followed him down a long narrow alley to his apartment. His apartment looked cleaner than the streets did outside. Elan moved some clothes from a chair for me to sit down in while he stood over me. The man sat across from me and said,'' Milady, Senator Naberrie contacted me on the possibility of your parents being here. I will say they haven't been seen around these parts except for the recurring rumors. Wait, if I remember correctly your father was here in the city not too long ago. He was looking for something I think." Elan said,'' Do you know what he was looking for?" The man replied," That I do not know. I am sorry." I said," What about my father's next location perhaps? Where did he go after arriving here?" Elan said,'' He doesn't know, do you?" The man shook his head," That type of thinking will get you a meeting with the Empire, boy." I said,'' He's trying to protect me that is all. Please excuse him." The man nods," No harm done, Milady. What I know is very uncertain of what their next location was. We have no way of tracking a starship here on Nar Shaddaa." I said,'' I can use my mind against yours to find out what you saw that day." Elan looked at me concerned and said, "Milady, that's something I won't allow you to do." "So I have the honor of meeting two Jedi then. You both need to leave here before the Empire decides to come to find you. Boy, I knew there was something unusual about you. But, Milady, this changes everything. I can't be found by the Empire for helping out the Rebellion. You both must leave immediately." He got up to escort us out but we both stayed seated. I said," Please allow me to find out why I was left behind on my planet as an infant. I need to know what happened to them. If you need protection I will provide for you as much as you need. Just please permit me to find them." The man sat back down as I made my way toward him. Elan gave me a stern look before I placed my hands on the man's wrinkled temples. Rain begins to pour down upon the darkly lit city. My father runs down a darkened narrow alley. He turns into a cantina full of light. Out of breath, he stumbles to a nearby table. A Rodian comes up to him and a lightsaber hisses into force. A shining blue blade splits them apart. The opponent backs off from him. He's upset with something as the table begins to vibrate. Clouds consume the images. I snap back shaking my head in response. "Your mind is so clouded from that night. All I saw was my father in a cantina, then it went into a fog." I said, placing my own hands-on my temples. Elan looks me over and says, "You know what he saw but only patches." I nodded," I can't read his mind anymore or my mind will become a haze." The man then says," I remember now what I saw. Your father used the Force to levitate the table he was sitting at. I escorted him out to the rainy alley. I remember asking him what was troubling him. He told me his wife was sick and she needed medicine. I didn't know how to help.I told him of a place but I don't remember what I told him. Now, I must ask you to leave this place. I will contact Senator Naberrie about your arrival and departure." As the door hissed shut I began to feel my heart begin to drop. I stumbled against the wall trying to catch my footing. "You're tired, Shiraya. I'll carry you to the ship the rest of the way. We'll find them I promise." He said, picking me up off my feet. My eyes began to shut than my mind went dark. I awoke in my chambers, rocking steadily in the galaxy's steady winds. Placing my cloak over my head I walked into the cockpit to find Elan sitting at the controls. I said," How long have I been asleep?" "You've been asleep for a while since we departed from Nar Shaddaa." He said, turning his head slightly. "I have it on autopilot until we can figure out our next course of direction. I've been trying to contact Senator Naberrie but we must be hitting static somewhere. Are you hungry?" I nodded, as he walked past me to the kitchens down the hall. Sitting down at the round table he placed some of Naboo's traditional fruit in a bowl in front of me. Across from me he poured himself a cup of caf and said," I guess we're what you call stuck for the moment anyway. I'm sorry about what happened down there." I said," It's not your fault to any extent, Elan. We couldn't have known what would happen. Thank you though." He replied, "For what?" I said," Thank you, I mean for coming on this mission with me." His soft warm hand brushed up against the side of my cheek. In my chest, I could feel my heart beginning to beat faster and faster. His smile shined brightly in the lightly lit room. I say," I can't, Elan." I was about to get up when I felt his hand clasp onto my wrist. He said," I'm sorry, just come back." I wanted to sit back down to stare back but I knew I wouldn't let him give up his years of training to become a Jedi for me. I whipped my wrist back and walked down to my chambers. Against the wall I slumped down onto the floor beneath my feet, cradling my legs up against my chest with tears streaming down my face. My fears were starting to come alive right before my eyes. I was beginning to fall for someone I shouldn't. My heart wanted to say I was falling in love with him but my mind told me that if I did it would destroy him. Outside my chambers, I could hear Elan asking me to open the door but I just froze. Lying on my bed I try to clear my mind only to keep seeing his face peering back at me. Throwing my blanket over my shoulders I go across to Elan's chambers. The door hisses open revealing him lying back on his bed, eyes closed in a peaceful sleep. "Don't go." His voice says from behind me as I'm about to leave. "Please stay." I walk over to a clear edge of his bed and say," Do you care for me?" He replied," Yes, of course, I do." I said," No, I mean do you care for me?" He placed his hand on my cheek and said," Shiraya, from the moment I met you I have always cared for you." I said," Then, you must stop caring for me. I won't let you throw away all that you've accomplished for me. A Jedi isn't allowed to love. It's against the Jedi Code." He said," I don't care what is allowed and what isn't. All I care about are the moments we spend together. So many of us are fading away into the shadows afraid of what's to come. I'm not going to fade anytime soon, Shiraya. I'm going to fight until my last breath trickles from my lips. I know my place but the question is do you know yours?" I said," I honestly don't know, Elan, I honestly don't know. If I could turn back time, from the time my parents met to now I would so we could be a family again. I am sick of this galaxy and the Empire. I wish they would all disappear along with every plague they have put on this galaxy." He said," You sound like a senator." I said," I could never speak my mind like this in front of a ton of people. Back on Naboo the Queen would have silenced me by having Teckla escort me back to my quarters." He said," I have chosen the life I want so tell me what you want out of this life." I said," I want you to stop looking at me like this with your eyes trying to figure out what I'm about to say next. I will not ruin you, Elan, I will not." I got up making my way to the cockpit to think. While going through data on my holopad a hologram flickered into life. "Milady, I see no success." Pooja says. "Was my contact of any help?" I replied," No, his memory of them has faded. He remembered my father looking for medicine for my mother. Where they went from there is a mystery." Pooja said," It is no longer, Shiraya. I require you to go to the planet of Endor. I have received word they may have stopped there at Bright Tree Village. No contact will be there to help you. But, a young Ewok there might have the answers you're looking for. Her name is Winda. She will help you find your answers." The hologram then disappeared into a shimmer of light. On the navigation computer, I put in the coordinates for Endor. With that, the starship jumped into hyperspace. By the time we arrived, my lack of sleep was starting to creep up on me. The forests around us whispered endlessly in the wind. Little woklings circled our ship curious as to what we were doing on their peaceful planet. A gray-colored fuzzy older Ewok stepped forward carrying the sacred reptilian staff of a chief. "I am looking for Winda. Have you seen her?" I said, bowing my head in respect. The chief stepped forward with the tip of his staff pointed at me. A young man rushed forward out of the bushes and spoke to the chief. The chief said something back only to leave peacefully with his many followers. The young man turned to us saying," I am sorry I couldn't have come sooner. Winda?" A little brown Ewok hopped from the bushes with her small blue eyes. The young man motioned her to come to us and he said," This little fuzz ball is Winda." I got down onto her level and said," Hello. My name is Shiraya." She smiled and spoke to the young man. He nodded and said," She says you must stay for the night, there is much to discuss."