Never Lose Hope

Prologue

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I remember sitting in the darkness. My parents kept us safe inside a cave where we were sure the Separatist Droids would never find us. I remember waiting, waiting for the faint sound of a ship's engine. We were in fear, terrified for our lives. We heard what the Separatists were doing in other parts of our world. We imagined what would happen if they did the same to us. And then I heard it. The rumbling of an engine. I knew right away it was the engine of a Republic Cruiser. I remember smiling in the darkness, knowing we had been saved. The children like me would peek out, and see the ships fly overhead.

The Republic. Their Jedi and Clone Troopers were our saviours, the ones we knew would keep us safe from the Separatists. They were once a symbol of hope, and safety. Now, it is a sign of fear. The New Empire that rose out of the ashes of the Republic, it is nothing like the Republic. The Jedi who protected us were accused of treason against the Chancellor and the Republic. I remember watching the speech the new Emperor gave in the Senate. I remember his words.... "The Jedi will be hunted down and defeated.... The Republic, will be reorganised, into the first, Galactic, Empire!.."

And then the New Empire's army came to Ryloth... I was 7 at the time. I didn't understand, I was only little, but my family did, and every other mature Twi'lek understood why they were coming. The Separatists had been driven back and the droids were deactivated, there was nobody to fight against. That's how we knew it was an invasion. My parents were ready for something like this. My father was a commander in Ryloth's military and he had a ship that he would use to travel around the surrounding systems. He brought me, my older brother, Jaxter, and my mother on the ship. I remember what he told us before my mother started the ship's engines... "You'll be safe away from here... go as close as you can to the edge of the Outer Rim." I was confused. Why wasn't our father coming with us? "Father," I asked, my lower lip trembling with fear and sadness, "Why aren't you coming with us?" He smiled slightly and bent down on one knee so his eyes aligned with mine. "I have to help fight for Ryloth and it's people." I nodded and ran into his arms, and hugged him one last time. He then ended the embrace and looked at my mother, "It is time to go. Take the children, keep them safe." He then looked at all of us again. "Be brave, my family. I will always love you."

We ran into the cockpit of the ship, my father running the other way, towards the Empire's Star Destroyers. My mother started up the ship and we took off from the ground in less than 10 seconds. She was muttering something unintelligible under her breath. I sat in my brothers lap, clenching my fists as we hugged to comfort each other . We managed to make it out of the atmosphere in one piece. I had thought it was over, but then we noticed the Star Destroyer looming in front of us. That moment was when I froze - I couldn't believe what the Republic had become, or better, the Empire. My mother was quite a talented pilot and she knew how to fly well. She dodged the lasers from the Destroyer, but as she was about to make the jump to hyperspace, the ship gets thrown forwards. The only thing that could have happened was that one of the lasers hit the ship.

The three of us thought we were safe in the hyperspace lane - the Empire couldn't track us and there was no way of entering into the same hyperspace lane anywhere near us. Though, all of a sudden we hear an explosion just outside the cockpit. I jump up from my brothers lap and look out the window on the right. I freeze, the right engine is completely engulfed in flames, the red and orange of the fire complimentary against the blues of the hyperspace walls. I screamed and stumbled back into my brothers arms. My mother started to panic as she looked out of the window herself. I remember what she told me"It will be alright, Tayilee. Don't you worry." She then had looked at my brother. "Jaxter. Help me stabilise the ship when we come out of hyperspace." I remember him nodding and running up to the controls. As the stars become streaks we came out of the hyperspace lane and a blue and green planet appeared directly in front of us. My mother had tried to steer the ship away but it was no use. "Steering is down!" She yelled. "We're going to have to land on that planet! Strap yourselves in!"