The Jedi's Final Stand

The Death of Many, the Loss of Hope

It was just an ordinary day. Bella and I were in the middle of dueling each other. Deliah was watching us. Janson and Carth were talking about weapons. Dack, unusually quiet. Just then, Scortch comes running up to us. The look on his face is pure devastation. Something really bad must have happened. Bella is forced to another room, while Carth and the Freedom Fighters are taken with her. “What’s happening?” Scortch comes up to me and whispers in my ear.

“Something terrible has happened. There is an attack on the Military base. We can’t let anybody else know for our sake. Just get over there and defend them. Ran sent a whole flank. Now go!”

Without another word, I sprint to my speeder, and speed through the city. The words: We can’t let anybody know for our sake, keep echoing through my head. I shiver as I see the smoke rising from what seems to be a huge fire. Ran must have bombed the place, I think. As I arrive to the horror that is awaiting me, I nearly burst out in tears. No, not now. I have to be strong for them. Hundreds of corpses littered the ground. Mainly of Bella’s tribe, and of our soldiers.  The cries of the wounded and dying pierce my ear drums. I crouch down to one wounded man, who has a big wound on the side of his head. I grab his shaking hand. “What happened here?” I am not surprised by the sound of hurt and sadness in my voice.

“They came, all of them. Hundreds of soldiers. He’s got so many of them on his side,” he explains as he starts to cry,”They killed everyone, and I stood there and watched as they all died. He said you did this, and that you are responsible for our pain. I know you’re not, but if you care about us, help us!”

The villainous coward! All this pain, all this destruction, because of me. I’m to blame. This is all my fault! “I was born to protect you, and I will die to protect you.” I sadly walk away from the man, to check for any survivors. But all I see is death. Pain, suffering, loss. I can’t let this happen any more. I must turn myself in. If that’s what Ran wants, then that’s my duty. I owe it to everyone here. Suddenly, I see… wait, it can’t be….. Bella’s father, the chief, dead, stone dead. I take his necklace, to give to Bella and start to weep very loudly now. ALL MY FAULT!!!

I turn away, and walk back to my speeder. I am too late. I have to deliver the news to the others.

When I finally arrive at the bunker, I see Bella’s tear stained face, along with the Freedom Fighters. I glare at Dack, as I see his face, not the slightest concerned. He is an enemy, and I know it. I run towards Bella, and embrace her with a hug.

“Is it true? Where is he?”

I put her father’s necklace around her, as we start to cry. Everyone, dead. After some amount of time, I am taken away for questioning about the situation while Bella is escorted to her room; to further mourn over this great loss. The whole rest of the night, the words keep echoing in my head. All. My. Fault. 

Finally, they let me leave. I go to Bella’s room, to comfort her. When I walk in, it is completely dark. Then Bella puts a knife to my neck, and pushes it on my throat. I look around in confusion as blood trickles down my neck.

“It’s all your fault. You were just using us! Only for the battles, that all you cared about, not family! We’re all just on your list of expendables! I guess you’re going to kill me next!”

I am so hurt by those words! Could she be in such a deep state of depression to be making up things? Or was it really all my fault? I couldn’t be! “I loved every single one of them like my family! I-“

“You wouldn’t know what it feels like! You got your family killed!”

That’s it! No one ever talks about my past like that! I don’t need this tribe girl telling me what I’ve done wrong. My anger takes over me. Rage , hate, anger. I use the Force to choke Bella. She will die. I choke her more and more. She drops the knife as she holds on to her throat, gasping for breath. Time to finish her off! Do not let your emotions get in the way! I release the hold on Bella, as a tear drips down my check. I walk away, as Bella continues to cough for breath.

As I approach the meeting room, I hear the general talking about me to the Jedi and other leaders.

“She can’t win battles, she can’t fortify one base, and she can’t lead the New Republic! I request immediate removal of her authority!”

I walk in, right in the middle of his screaming. “I know I did wrong, ok? I understand that I made a huge mistake, and you have my permission to proceed in any other attack plan without me.”

“I don’t need your permission, you weak, powerless-“

“Stop that!” Aayla exclaims. “Enough of this bickering! Um, Atarah, you have a little blood dripping down your-“

“Ya, my most trusted ally gave this to me!” I say as I storm off in tears.

If nobody wants me, then I am going to have to confront Ran. If I win, great. If I lose and die, nobody will notice a thing. I head to my room as I take off my tunic and put on a black jump suit. I attach my light saber to my belt. As I head out the door, I say my final farewell to R3. I am about to sneak out the window when Carth grabs me, a look of hurt and concern on his face.

“I thought I lost you out there!” He hugs me as a tear rolls down his face. “What are you doing? I can’t have you leave like this! What if you don’t come back?”

I am going to miss him. “I have to do this. You know I do. This is my destiny.“

He just hugs me, and doesn’t say anything else. I wish I could just stay like this. In his arms. This is my whole world, my family, and I’m going to leave it for some stupid move? No, I have to do this. Love isn’t going to win this war. “I love you Carth,” I say as I slip out of the building.  I hope and pray I will see him again. But I know what I must do. Sadly, I will never see him again.  I frown in sadness as I say goodbye, to the one I love the most.