Padawan's Choice: The Cylis Chronicles

Happy Landings

            Obi-wan saw the missile hit the ship.He saw it burst into flames. He watched as it fell towards Kooriva's atmosphere, leaving a plume of smoke in it's wake. Yet even as he saw all this, he couldn't help yelling out his padawan's name.

        "KALUMB!" He yelled, almost at the top of his lungs. He completely froze up, stunned and shocked, confused and hurt, every emotion that didn't help in a situation like this. Something, in the very back of his mind told him to keep going, that he too would end up dead if he didn't move. 

      But he couldn't. His brain had stopped working, only one thought racing through his mind. His padawan....... Whom he was instructed to teach........ to take care of.........was.... Was dead.                             

                                              _____________________

         Darkness. That was all he saw. All around him was dark, blackness. Confused, he turned his head around, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, to his right, he heard a low, thumping sound, similar to a beating drum. He was intrigued by this noise, yet even as he turned to the sound, he had the strongest urge to turn left. 

        Something was wrong..... Looking to the left, he sensed relief, peace, and rest. But also regret and confusion. To the right, he sensed pain, hopelessness, fatigue, and harm. But along with that came the sweet sensation of..... what was it...... Life. 

       So that was it. 

       He was walking the line between life and death. Odd, he always thought he would feel panicked when he came face to face with death. Yet he felt nothing. Completely void of emotion. Looking around, he wondered which way to go. 

          Well, death was looking awfully good... 

     The second he thought this, however, he felt himself beginning to edge that way. He almost gave up and decide to go with it, when another thought stopped him in his tracks. What about Ahsoka? What would she think, if he died? Would she be in tears? Angry? Resentful? Tormented? He couldn't just give up. 

      If he did, he would never achieve the goal of becoming her friend.... her.... Best friend. All at once, he saw him and Ahsoka, both a few years older, laughing and talking as the sun set on the temple on Coruscant. He loved her laugh, the way her eyes sparkled. 

       They talked about the good times, the fact he chose life over death for her, despite the pain he would endure. Yes, he would not give up. He would continue to go one, even if he was in pain for the rest of his life. Just to hear her laugh, once more.....

      Suddenly, he became aware of a loud ringing noise. He heard a loud snap of a branch, and suddenly, his eyes were opening. Everything was very bright for a moment, and the ringing was very loud and annoying. But above it was the thump thump of the beating drum, his heart. 

   Glancing around him, he was able to make out a bunch of trees and broken branches. Taking off his headset, Kalumb groaned as a sharp stabbing pain shot around his skull. It hurt, really hurt, but he couldn't sit around whining and complaining. He gasped as he sat up, his breathing coming roughly. Smoke arose around him, the steam stuffing up the already hard to breath air. 

   "W-Where am I....?" He coughed out, looking at the bits of shrapnel and broken glass in the cockpit. He shook his head slowly, when a sudden beeping caught his attention. Turning around, he saw R6-D4, it's little head, slightly burned, whirling around n a panic.