Red Desert, Heal our Blues

Chapter 1

Authors Notes

TW! Yes I know it is really early in the book but there are mentions and depictions of SA in this chapter. It is necessary to depict it because of how the plot goes. I will put a bold star before and after the scene. 

If you have been or know someone who has been assaulted, here is the hotline for Sexual Assault 

800-656-HOPE (4673)     SA hotline 

800.799.SAFE (7233)    Domestic Abuse hotline 

Lyriah's POV

Birds.

That's the peaceful part of my morning. Their songs floated around my head and encouraged me to get out of bed. By their active song, I knew that it was a warm morning out. The thought of it even made a smile creep onto my tired face. The metal room was still dark and its peaceful stillness welcomed me. But not for long.

The door slid open with an aggressive woosh to reveal the blinding morning light shrowding a figure in light so bright that they appeared as a shadow. But I knew who it was. Coming further into the room was my brother. Mornings were his least favorite thing in the morning. But today he looked more awake, his energy was radiating around him, and you could hear his adrenaline pumping. His hair wasn't even brushed.

"What are there pancakes or something this morning or...?" I asked, slowly sliding out of bed and putting on my slippers. His eyes were wide as he shook his head frantically.

"No pancakes today Ly," Poe said quickly as he barged into my room, grabbing my orange flying suit and proceeding to throw it at me. "Tie fighters have been spotted in the atmosphere. They are headed this way." Now I knew why. They haven't been able to find our base for years, and why the silent approach?

"It's that new Jedi girl I am telling you," I shouted, hopping into my suit, not even caring if Poe sees me. We were siblings after all. I have heard too much of his janky life so if he sees something and is scared, well, let's just call it payback. "The one Leia told us that she could sense!" 

Poe rolled his eyes at me, "she's just a kid, Lyriah, Leia probably needed to help her or hide her. The general even said-"

"The general my ass Poe." I turned to him now, "Jedi are always bad news, especially, ones that we don't even know where they came from. Now, suddenly, we have TIES coming at us, with no indication that they have even found our base. Leia had her here once and I know it. I could sense it."

"You and your energy thing," Poe complained as we ran out to the tarmac. I had an elastic in my mouth as I tried to pull up my crazy, unbrushed hair. Until I could take the elastic out I just shot him a glare. As we ran in the morning dew, we met up with other pilots running as fast as they could still under the glaze of sleep. At this point in our lives, our bodies just knew what to do before our minds even woke up. I've found myself in an X-wing without remembering changing or even starting the ship up.

"Her energy is shrouded in darkness, Poe. I don't know why I can see that shit but I can." We neared the tarmac and we stopped. Our sharp features were glistening with sweat and glowed in the sun. Although he was a pain in my ass, he was my older brother. We both led our own squadron, our piloting skills always competing with each other for first. There were never hard feelings if one of us beat the other. Poe had the flying skills down pat, but I had the best aim. That's why we couldn't ever be better than each other, our skills were so different but at the same level as the other.

"Hey, what do you say we go for breakfast after this?" Poe shouted at me over the starting engines around us. My hair started to let loose the hair that was too short to fit within the elastic, its strands dangling in my face and in my mouth. "I'll pay!" He added.