Fall of the Jedi

Chapter 17

Kira couldn't remember how she'd gotten in the small hut, but the smell of something cooking over the fire sent her stomach growling. She rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The last thing she remembered was being knighted before the Jedi Council.

The hut was homely but dimly lit, the only light source was the main fire which held a pot over the top and something fragrant bubbled inside and several candles lit throughout the house.

The night was calm, quiet, the insects were chirping their nightsongs just outside the door.

The Jedi Knight shook her head trying to clear her mind when she heard the sound of a baby cry.

Immediately, Kira's head snapped towards the sound coming from behind the door, down the hall. Then the sound of a woman's voice humming a tune that somehow felt familiar.

Kira, against her better judgment, followed the sound. The baby had been soothed enough to contentedly listen to the humming. As Kira continued down the hall the corner of her eye caught the sight of something reflecting in the closet. She glanced over and sitting on the shelf was a brown and black t-shaped visor of a mandalorian helmet.

"What the-" Kira muttered to herself. Wherever she was, she was no longer on Coruscant.

Then the front door was smashed in with a loud crack, the wood splintering as it hit the wall.

It was only a moment before the mother of the child came barreling out of the room, panicked at the noise. Kira froze, throwing her hands up in submission.

The blonde haired woman's green eyes were wide with surprise but she seemed to look right through Kira, as if she hadn't existed at all. Instead, the woman opened the closet door reaching for the helmet and armor that hid behind and grabbed a blaster rifle from inside.

From the doorway, another mandalorian stood, clad in the blackest of armor. Tattered hides and leathers hung from his waist and a rusted vibroblade lay clenched in one hand and a blaster pistol in the other.

The blonde woman gasped as she saw the mandalorian.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded. "I gave you what you wanted. How dare you show up here and blast my door in."

"The fake you mean?" His voice deep and angry, the mechanical filtering of his helmet made his voice sound menacing. The blonde woman stopped, swallowing hard. "I gave you plenty of chances, Lenore Jusse and you've wasted the last of my patience. Tell me where the data chip is or I'll kill you, your husband, and whatever remains of your pathetic little clan."

Kira's eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the woman, Lenore.

"Mom?" She couldn't stop herself from saying the word. 'How is this possible?' She asked herself in confusion.

Then it clicked, this was either a dream, a vision, or some kind of memory that had been locked away inside her mind that had finally somehow come loose. Likely as a result of the Trial of Spirit, looking that far inward must have jostled other suppressed memories and fears loose.

As the scene before her unfolded she realized exactly what was happening and she could do nothing but watch in horror.

This was the night everything happened.

Lenore backed away but used herself as a shield, not stepping away from the door. "Give me another chance, Voss. I'll make this right. I can get you the real data chip by the weeks' end."

"So you can disappear on me again, Girl?" He asked, his head tilting to the side before slamming his fist down on a dresser as he passed it. Driving the rusted knife into the wood, Lenore jumped, gripping her blaster tighter. "I'm done giving you chances. You give me the data chip now or you find out exactly why no one crosses me."