Padawan's Choice: The Cylis Chronicles

A Terrible Sithuation

      A cold feeling, like mist wrapping around him. That was the first thing Kalumb felt as he slowly gained consciousness. His eyes slit open, drowsily looking around him, which wasn't very easy because everything was really dark.

     The next thing he noticed, once his eyes became adjusted, was a bunch of children gathered around him.

      "Whaa......?" He bolted up, ready to shout, but someone grabbed his mouth before he could. Grabbing the hand as little voices came to his ear, he tried desperately to get the fingers off his nostrils.

    For some reason, he felt very weak, as he couldn't seem to get a grip on the hand. The fingers tightened as small whispers traveled into his ear, but they didn't make sense.

    "Quuti Simph." and "Sashy mockta" are an example of such words. Then, right next to his left ear, someone gently whispered, "Be still. Do not make any sudden sounds, understand?" Very desperate now, as he was quickly losing air, Kalumb nodded.

       The mystery person (who by their voice seemed to be a girl) removed their hand, finally allowing air to come to his lungs. Gasping, he stumbled back, his skull suddenly making hard contact with the wall behind him. "Ow!"

     He muffled out a tiny screech, the pain wrapping around his head and causing the wound already on his head to hurt even worse. "SHHHhhh!" Came the response of nearly all the kids with him.

       Rubbing the back of his skull and neck and cautiously stared at the children, he wondered what exactly was going on, more than a little confused.

      "What is-" He started to say, at normal voice level, when the mystery person grabbed his mouth again. "Shhhhh!" All the children said, while the only english speaking one, or the only one who seemed to be able to speak english, harshly whispered, "I told you no sudden sounds. You must shut up if you can't speak quietly."

          A little frustrated, Kalumb slapped their hand away as it slowly came off. "Will you stop doing that?!" He whispered angrily at her. Stepping back, the figure glanced at him up and down, before turning away.

       Trying to breathe normally, and quietly, he quickly rolled his eyes and in a whispered asked, "What is going on? Where am I?" The figure turned back from reassuring some of the smaller figures and spoke, practically spitting.

"A sith torture chamber."

                             _________________

      The night had passed without incident, and with a new day, new hopes also arose. Communications with the coruscant jedi council had gone well, and back-up was well on their way. Pacing the halls of the scout ship, Ahsoka waited to be called into the meeting room.

          The masters had requested to be left alone to speak, which she had to oblige with, of course, but that didn't make her any less upset on being left out. Now alone, she couldn't help her thoughts turning back Kalumb.

     She remembered his light smile when she told him how good at the lightsaber he could get.

         Now he would never get to be a jedi master..... She was completely at a loss for words when it all happened. Unlike Obi-wan, who had almost lost his head about it. She still remembered the last words she had said to him

" Kalumb, watch out! There's a missile coming straight for you!"

It rang out in her thoughts when she wasn't careful enough to block it, and she wasn't surprised when she felt moist tears at the corners of her eyes. Reprimanding herself, she wiped them, but that didn't stop all the emotions rushing back to her: