Endeavor [Complete]

IX

"Ava, you need to focus!" Master Jiron said, scolding her. "You seem so distracted today."

"Sorry Master, just a lot on my mind. I'll focus." She cleared her mind to lift the huge boulder she was tasked to move. She had been lifting things with the Force since she was small, but she seemed to be struggling that day. She took a deep breath, cleared her mind and the boulder sailed into the air and landed perfectly onto the spot she was aiming for. Marc nodded.

"Take a break, clear your mind. You'll do better."

Ava nodded, and sat down. The second she was sitting, rather than clearing her mind and refocusing, her thoughts inevitably floated back to Michael. She was still slightly in shock from the events that had transpired that morning. She wished more than anything that she could talk to him. Being apart, completely unable to contact him, it was killing her.

The next day, Bara Su'k returned. As his mission was scouting out Sith movements, he was unable to contact anyone except the council to report his findings, and was unaware Michael had left until his return. Bara and Loron Kyes' tales of narrow escapes and exciting adventures captivated all those at the temple, and remained the main talking point for many days. But the time still dragged by for Ava.

She was getting back to the temple after swimming at the waterfall with Tira. It was starting to get cold again, and this might have been one of the last times she could jump off the falls, so she had stopped training and agreed to come. Tira, being an aquatic species, was constantly off swimming in Tython's little rivers and ponds.

"Hey look, there's a shuttle coming in from the orbital station, " Tira pointed out as they approached the temple. Ava watched it as it passed over the landing pad outside and flew into the temple hangar.

"I bet its Michael!" she exclaimed.

"It's still a day under two weeks, don't get your hopes up, it's early yet. But I'll take your stuff to your room, you go check," Tira told her, taking her things.

"Thanks, Tira," Ava told her.

"You're welcome, I'll swing by the hangar in a bit if it is him, to say hi." And with that, she turned and left, and Ava ran in the direction of the ship dock. The shuttle was landing as she walked in, guided by Forro Nok to the ground.

She bristled with excitement as the ramp fell open, hoping it was him returning. She recognized the man who walked out as the co-pilot for the ship. There was another man behind him, probably the shuttle pilot as they both wore pilot uniforms. Another man emerged, a person from Nakadia going by the pictures she'd seen of the human residents there. It was Michael's shuttle all right. But she got the feeling something was wrong. The pilots and the Nakadian man walked up to her.

"You're Ava, right? Michael's friend," the pilot she remembered asked. She nodded in response. "I need you to come with me." Apprehensive, she followed him into a small room and all four sat down.

"Michael Lecta, is dead."

The ground seemed to drop out beneath her, the breath yanked from her chest. She reeled, tears springing to her eyes. No. No. It couldn't, couldn't be true. There was no way he could be gone. A sob escaped her. "H-how?" she managed to force out, her voice stiff and choked. Her throat had seized up.

"It was all a trick, by the Sith," the Nakadian man spoke." They caused the quake, to get the Jedi to help. They must have been waiting that whole time. I saw everything that happened. The Jedi were rebuilding homes on the south side of one of the villages, when a Sith Lord attacked. I could do nothing against a Sith, I hid. I didn't realize I was leaving them alone.