The Shadows Star: Book 2

22: Dream

After another day of travel, the ship was quiet, the majority of the passengers were asleep. Sombra had found a ledge by a window looking out towards the blue blur of hyperspace. She was curled up in a ball, fast asleep.

In the depths of the night, she plunged into a nightmare, a haunting echo of her past. She found herself standing alone in the darkness, a chilling wind whispering through unseen shadows. It was a place of foreboding and dread, a place she knew all too well.

Suddenly, from the shadows emerged a figure she had hoped to leave behind forever – her father, Maul. His crimson skin and menacing yellow eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, and his presence sent shivers down her spine.

"Hello, little shadow."

Sombra looked at Maul, her expression tinged with sadness and longing. This happened very often, but the fear and sadness it brought never waned. "I miss you, Father," she admitted, her voice filled with genuine emotion.

Maul, his menacing demeanor softened, walked over and sat across from her. "You're stronger, my darling. How have you been?"

Tears welled up in Sombra's eyes as she continued, "My friend almost died and I couldn't protect her. I miss you so much, I needed your help."

Maul seemed taken aback by her words, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a flicker of something deeper. "I never wanted this life for you," he confessed.

Sombra reached out to him, her hand trembling in the dream. "I know, Father, but I'm stronger now. I'm with my friends and were going somewhere safer."

For a moment, the darkness that surrounded Maul seemed to recede, and he looked at Sombra with a hint of the fatherly love. "Be brave, Sombra," he said, his voice filled with pride and regret. "The Force will protect you when I cannot." He reached out and held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears. But the dream flickered unexpectedly and his face twisted in pain.

She stepped back in fear. "Papa, what's wrong?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, child." He let out a grunt and his eyes glazed over in a crazed way. "I will come for you. We will be together again, and you will join me."

Her heart began to beat faster at his words. "What do you mean? You died on Naboo... this is just a dream!"

His menacing laugh echoed around her and the darkness began closing in, "Are you sure?"

Anakin sat in the bay of the ship with R2 playing a game of Sabacc, when suddenly, a wave of distress rippled through the Force, jolting him. He stood up in an instant, his senses on high alert. It was a sensation he had grown all too familiar with - the unmistakable presence of Sombra's fear.

Without hesitation, he rushed out of the room, his boots hitting the cold floor as he rushed to Sombra's presence. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the dimly lit room where she was curled up on a window ledge, her breathing rapid and panicked.

Anakin swiftly crossed the room, concern etched on his face. He gently touched her shoulder, his voice laced with worry. "Sombra, wake up! You're having a nightmare."

She shot up and jumped away from a figure in front of her. She drew her sabers and held them at the figure's throat. "Sombra! It's me, Anakin!"

Her panting and the hum of the lightsabers filled the hallway. Her eyes focused on the face of her friend, his short brown hair, his padawan braid, and his deep blue eyes. Realizing her horrible mistake, she withdrew her sabers and stepped away. "Anakin? Dank farrik, I'm so sorry! Are you ok? Did I hurt you?"

He stood up slowly and took a step closer, noticing that she stepped away. "I'm alright Angel, I promise you didn't hurt me," he picked up on her rapid breathing and her wide eyes.