Crushed Dreams

Chapter Nine

    Plummeting downward in a blurred kaleidoscope of colors, Kanan's heart pounded loud enough to be heard back on Corascant. Mentally he reached out for the comforting aura of the Force. It wasn't there, replaced by a cold wall of fear.

    Concentrate. Kanan steeled himself, pushing down his fear. A flicker, and he felt it again. Focusing on the Force, Kanan opened his eyes and Force slowed his fall.

    It wasn't so bad actually. Clouds stretched across the horizon, a gentle contrast against the lush blue of the sky. It was peaceful, actually. And then he broke through the cloud cover.

    He was so high, plummeting down....down to his death. It was hard to believe it would end like this, no warning the other Jedi, no telling Hera how he felt; not that it would matter, since he couldn't form attachments.

    Kanan closed his eyes, readying himself to be impaled on the sharp peaks. He could feel them, growing closer and close by the second. Kanan stiffened. I'm sorry Master, I've failed. Failed the Order, failed Hera, failed you. This is how it ends.

    Kanan could almost feel the sharp pain, the cold rocks jabbing into him almost feel-. Kanan slammed into a cold surface. He groaned, lifting his head and wondering why he wasn't dead yet.

    He hadn't landed on one the sharp mountains, instead he has landed on the open ramp of the Viceroy's ship. Breathing again, Kanan sat up, rubbing the back of his head which he had bumped while he landed.

    Hera, he remembered. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, even when injured; but he didn't like the idea of her facing off against the Viceroy and his allies alone.

    He sat up with a groan, brushing his fingers along his saber to reassure himself. Stretching out his senses, Kanan found Hera's force signature, following it up to the cockpit where the controls were.

    "Hera?" He called, holding his lightsaber firmly, though he didn't take it off his belt. "Here!" Came the melodious reply. Hurrying in, he found her seated in the pilot's chair. "Are you okay? How hard did you land?" She jumped up to greet him, gently holding his hands in hers. "I'm fine." Kanan reassured her. Part of him wanted to pull her close, holding her to him and protecting her from harm. Instead, he squeezed her hands once, drooping them to sit exhausted in the co-pilot's seat.

    Taking up the controls, Hera turned the ship around, flying back toward the temple. Kanan felt a stirring in the Force, a sense of dread coming over him. "Where are you going?!" Hera's flaming green eyes were fixed in the temple, as if ready to go and face the Siths herself. "Back to help my father!" "It's too late! We have to leave now!" Kanan told her urgently. She turned toward him, a disbelieving look on her face. "No! Not when my people are still there!" I expected better from you. Her eyes seemed to say. Kanan felt his heart race. Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. "Hera-!" Kanan started. He didn't have time to finish. The whole mountain collapsed, caving in on itself. "Hang on!" Hera yelled, diverting all power to the engine. It was too late. With a stupendous crack, the mountain broke in two, half in it falling towards the ship, ready to end the last of the Jedi and the Syndulla family in one final blow.

Hey everyone! Were down to the final chapters and I just wanted to know if anyone other than Mswan is still reading. For those of you that are, THANK YOU! Thanks for all your support as I've been writing and are writing those final chapters. :D

Thanks for reading, may the Force be with you.

Skye