The Lost One

Chapter 25

"Lyra, we are here. Get you sleepy ass up." Rift nudges my side and I groan.

"Five more minutes please?"

Rift just laughs, and continues nudging my side every few seconds or so. Eventually, I get pissed off enough that focus on the gun he keeps poking me with and I Force push it across the room. Rift just laughs and I hear Rift walk across the room to go get the gun.

"Alright you've had your fun. Now get up, we are landing shortly." Rift says as he leaves the room. I slide off the bed and grab the wall for support as the ship shakes as it begins the landing procedure.

After a few moments of stumbling around, I walk out of the room. I see Hefty lifting a few crates onto a trolley that hasn't been powered on yet. He gives me a slight nod and continues stacking the boxes. I glance around, smiling as I see Yaz and Eighty asleep in a corner on the floor. Yaz snoring loudly and Eighty's head hanging in a weird position.

I walk into the communications room and I see Jordan hunched over the hologram projecter in the center of the room. I watch as he saluts and the projection disapears, he looks over at me.

"Morning sleepy head. Rift should be landing the ship shortly, and it would be better if u were up before we land." He tosses me a bag and I catch it in mid-air. "Eat up, probably the only real thing you'll eat in a few days."

"Gee, thanks Jordan." I mutter as I take the bag of food and then chuck it at the wall. "Freeze dried crap... Rather not eat at all."

"Fine, but don't be complaining when your starving!" Jordan shouts as I walk out.

~~~~

"Lyra, are you sure you want to go down there?"

"Positive about that Rift. I gotta find my dad." I say as I wait on the ramp that leads off the ship.

"Alright, I know just... It's not too pretty out there." The ramp begins to lower, and Jordan speaks up over the Com's.

"Lyra, we are about twelve clicks away from your family farm. Should be a few hours or so walking, but we will get there soon enough."

"Jordan, I plan on being there by the end of the hour. If you can't keep up, tell me and I'll run ahead and wait for you. But I really can't wait much longer Jordan, he's all that I got left."

"Alright Lyra, we'll do our best." The ramp hits the ground. "Men, lets move out!"

"Yes Sir!" They all shout and hustle off the ship. I roll my shoulders and sprint after them into the tree line, or should I say what is left of it. Not only are some of the trees dead, but some are still on fire or there are no trees.

I stop dead in my tracks when I see the forest I use to know burning and the ash of the trees already burned floating away. I cover my mouth and choke back a sob. Basically seeing all my childhood memories being lit a flame, Kreil and I use to play here all the time before the gangs spread out into the hillsides of cities. It was our place to get away from the world, and it's burned away in a few days.

I tear my eyes away and run after the squad that has disappeared into the bush that isn't on fire. I try to focus, and after a few short minutes I catch up with the squad. Then I sprint past them, wanting to see how far the fire has spread to my home. I keep running till the forest begins to feel more familiar, and I ran through the tree line. Only to stop when I see my home on the hill do I stop.

My dad's barn is burned to the ground, along with my house that is barely standing. The fields around are black and gray from all the ash and burned grasses. The animals are dead, their bodies are out in the fields. I stand their dumb founded for a few seconds, then sprint down the hill to the house.

"Dad?!" I shout out at the top of my lungs. "Dad where are you?!" I still hear nothing, so I calm myself and use the Force to sense if my father is around. I sense the squad is about a few hours away, and by then it would be useless to look. I shake my head and listen intently, only to hear the faint heart and breath of my father off in the north.

I open my eyes and take off again. I run for a solid minute before stumbling across my father as he coughs uncontrollably.

"Lyra." My father whispers as I slide on the ground next to him. I pick up his head off the ground, and he coughs up some blood. I hold on to him as his fit continues and once it stops, I use the Force to pick him up and place him on a few hay-bails that weren't on fire or burned.

"Lyra, when... when did you get back?"

"A hour or so... I ran as fast as I could. Oh Dad, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"It's alright Lyra, you're here now."

"What happened Dad?" I ask as I look around on his body for injuries.

"It was a tough few days. The droids marched through today in the morning..." He has a coughing fit again. "Which is why the forest is still on fire."

I roll my father on his side, and see a gaping hole in his side. No amount of stitches would seal it up. I look away and roll him so he's on his back. "Dad, what happened here?"

"Lyra, you would never guess. They connected my name with yours and burned the whole place down when I refused to tell 'em where you were." He gasps and I grab his hand. "Lyra, I know that this is hard to accept, but I'm going to be with your mother soon." He coughs and gasps again. "Just know that I'm proud of you."

"I know Dad." I sniffle "Just hang on... Yaz has got a med-kit. We'll get you patched up and- and."

"Lyra, I know how far away they are... you weren't the only one to have a hand in the Force." He has another coughing fit and it sounds like he's drowning. "Lyra, you'll always be my Little Lyra."

"Dad-" I hold onto his hand, but it begins to slack. "Dad?!" His hand drops and close his eye lids. I drop to my knees and place face in my hands, refusing to cry.

Who knows how long I sat there. I heard the shouts of Jordan and the rest of the men, even over the com-link. I don't even move when it begins to rain. Only when I feel a hand on my shoulder do I relax and look up. I see Jordan crouching in front of me, his helmet extended out to me.

"Take it." I grab his helmet, smile back at him, and slide it on. Then and only then, do I cry.