The Shadows Star: Book 2

42: Fire

In the realm of dreams, she awoke to the familiar surroundings of her childhood room. However, the vibrant colors that once adorned the walls seemed muted, the room itself less alive. As she got up from her bed, a wave of weariness and subtle pain washed over her, making each movement feel like a deliberate effort.
Her father's robe hung on a chair, a comforting sight in the otherwise dreary room. Sombra reached for it and draped it around herself, feeling its familiar weight and the warmth it offered. She pulled it tight around her as she made her way into the main hall.
There, her father sat near a crackling fire, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. Sombra took a seat across from him, and for a moment, a heavy silence hung in the air.
Her father leaned back, looking at his grown daughter, and a swell of pride filled him. He saw the transformation from the wild and spirited child he once knew to a young woman with a power he could only dream of. The roundness of her cheeks and the unruly curls of her hair had since been lost to time.
Yet, the fire in her eyes that had originally drawn him to her, remained. Her spirit, wit, and strength had endured the passage of time, leaving him in awe.
After a few tense minutes of staring into the flames, she finally gathered the courage to break the silence.
"Am I... dead?" she cautiously asked her voice a whisper that hung in the air.
Maul chuckled, a deep rumble that seemed to fill the room.
"No, my little one. You did venture perilously close, but you're still very much alive." He looked at her with concern and a touch of scolding. "What possessed you to wield such power without proper preparation? You could have undone yourself."
She shifted uncomfortably under her father's gaze, knowing she had taken risks that pushed her to the brink. "I had to help him. I couldn't stand by and watch him make a mistake that would destroy him."
Maul sighed, his brow furrowed, but his eyes softened, full of pride.
"Your heart, my child, is as vast as the galaxy itself; it could be your doom if you're not careful. I have warned you many times: you must learn to temper it with caution."
Her head dropped into her hands, and she groaned in slight annoyance.
"I know, papa. I know. I am trying."
With a gentle yet firm tone, he continued, "Don't give your life for just anyone. Be certain of their intentions and the place they hold in your life. Is the person you're sacrificing so much for even worthy of your heart, darling?"
"I... I think so. They are strong and kind, and they would do the same for me."
Maul regarded his daughter with a softness in his eyes that revealed a love as vast as the galaxy itself.
"I should hope so, my sweet child. You deserve only the best." He frowned as he felt the confusion brewing in her mind. "Of course if you're unsure about this person, there is no need to rush. You are still very young, darling. There's no need to settle down now... or ever."
Sombra let out a airy laugh at his suggestion.
"I never thought I'd be in this position. I always believed in keeping my options open, you know? And there's so much I want to do, so many places I want to see. Commiting to someone feels like giving up on all that."
Maul placed a comforting hand on hers. "My experience in matters of... romance may be limited, but I do know this. You don't have to choose right now. Focus on your studies, hone your skills, and become even more powerful. Boys and girls are mere distractions on your path."
Sombra laughed a genuine and affectionate sound. "Once a dad, always a dad, I see. But maybe you have a point."
Maul nodded with a hint of a proud smile. "I just want you to be happy. My dear, you have so much potential, more than the Jedi can fathom. You know as well as I do that the Jedi aren't always right. Perhaps it's time to consider a path that diverges from their views."
Sombra sighed with weariness in her eyes. "Papa, we've had this discussion before. I respect your opinions, but I've chosen the Jedi path. It's where I belong."
Maul grumbled under his breath, frustration evident. "They've made you narrow-minded. You've forgotten everything I taught you, forgotten me."
Her eyes flashed with hurt and defiance. "It's been ten years since I last saw you. I can't be blamed for walking away from your teachings. I've had to navigate the galaxy on my own, make my own choices."
Maul's face fell in a mixture of hurt and regret, his yellow eyes betraying a deep sense of pain. He could see the conflict in her eyes, the wounds he unintentionally inflicted on their relationship.
"I'm sorry, Sombra," he whispered, his voice carrying the weight of years of absence.
As the words left his lips, she noticed the weariness etched into his features—the tired eyes, the pallor of his once vibrant red skin now tinged with age.
A wave of conflicting emotions washed over her. Anger surged for the years of abandonment, sadness for the strained bond, and a reluctant understanding of the impossible situation.
He felt the conlfict in her heart and reached out to hold her face.
"I will return to you. I promise, my heart. No one will get in the way of us being together again."
As she felt the warmth of his touch, the dream shifted and wavered, like sand slipping through her fingers. The vibrant room with the comforting presence of her father dissolved into a hazy mist. As the dream dissolved, her desperation surged, reaching for the fading figure of her father.
"No, please... I'm sorry," she begged in a broken whisper.
Her voice quivered with a mix of sorrow and longing. She stretched her hand toward him, fingers desperately trying to grasp his. But the dream slipped away anyway.
His whispered promise echoed in the dissolving room, leaving a bittersweet ache in her heart.