Star Wars: Rebels of the Stars (COMPLETED/BEING EDITED)

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Freedom At Last

I stood on the balcony, looking out at the stars and the fireworks that boomed in the sky of every color and luminousness.

In the castle, the people were celebrating their freedom and the new queen.

I gently tilted the half-empty glass of water in my hand and watched it slosh from side to side, deep in thought.

What happened to us now?

I know that Anoles and Wen wanted to leave Harmonia, wanting to help the universe more to finally free every planet from the central systems to the far reaches of the Outer Rim of the Empire, and of course, Greenie and Khau would go with them. Zart hadn't decided what he wanted to do yet, and neither have I. I wanted to stay here on Harmonia, and help my people rebuild, yet I wanted to stay with my crew, my family, and go save the universe.

I heard the citizens chanting from inside of the castle, singing some song of celebration. Little children stumbled along with their parents and older siblings as they tried to keep up with them on their shorter legs as the adults and teens went around a structure in a circle.

I looked down at the dark grass below the balcony, and wrapped my jedi cloak tighter around me to fight the chilly breeze.

I put the glass down, and gently climbed up onto the banister of the balcony, before leaning slightly forward and letting myself fall towards the ground, using nothing but the Force to slow my free fall. I made myself float and land gently on my feet, not making a sound at all.

I had dreamt of many things growing up: The end of the Empire. Finding my home again. Finding friends and acquaintances who were still alive. In some sense, I had achieved it.
My mind drifted back to Empire day, when I was fourteen. Amalia and I had visited Coruscant for the holiday, to sneak into the former Jedi temple for the ten year anniversary of Order 66 and the rise of the Empire, the fall of the Jedi.

I watched the parade of the streets below, the stormtroopers marching towards the Jedi Temple. Coruscant had changed so much after that day. They had celebrated Empire's Day year after year, as the very day that the war with the Separatists had ended, the day the Empire began, and the last day of the Jedi.

I felt Amalia's presence walk up behind me, as she sensed my tenseness, my knuckles white as they were clutching my lightsaber for my dear life.

"Breathe, Mira. I feel it too. Do not let your anger take control." She warned me.

I took deep, unsteady breaths, until they steadied, then I calmed down fully. "The pain... It still echoes here..."
"I know, young one. It may have been ten years ago, but I feel like we lost more than fellow Jei and friends that day. We lost what it meant to be prideful to be a Jedi. Now, put on your shawl. The tour is beginning." She gently let go of my shoulder and lead us to where the parade was ending, as the crowd followed the troops into the house of Chancellor Palpatine, or as the remaining Jedi know, the home of the Sith lord, Darth Sidious, for when he resides on Coruscant.

On Empire's day, it was the one day we could be in there, as he was on Naboo.
Even though I had only been four, I recognized every hallway that had been redecorated that I had lived in for the four years of my life.

"Paper's please." A stormtrooper asked me and Amalia, as Amalia coughed up documents she had forged, before she used a Jedi trick that she had yet to teach me.

"You both are cleared to go."

"You both are cleared to go."

"Have a nice day, move along."

"Have a nice day, move along." He waved us off, and went to the next people he saw, as we went to a guide to fit in.

"I don't get it Amalia... Why are we here exactly?" I whispered to her, as we stood to the side.

"I wanted to see if there was anything we could save, or any information on any other Jedi. Plus, this was our home. And this might be the one time we actually get to properly say goodbye to it."

"Mira!" I heard a shout and snapped out of the memory, and turned to see Z racing over, waving to me.

I turned to face him, "Hey Z, what's up?"

He slowed to a stop, panting tiredly from running. "I... I saw you dive off the balcony. And your saber is on. Are you ok?" He asked, genuinely worried.

I looked down and saw that, indeed, both sides of my lightsaber were powered on in my hands. "Yes, I am alright." I sighed and powered it off, putting it away. "I was just thinking of an old memory."
"Care to share?" He asked, sitting on a rock and patting a spot next to him for me to join him.

"Thank you, but no thanks. Maybe another day." I smiled softly, as I still sat next to him, "So did you decide what you are going to do yet?"

"Yes. I think I have." He smiled softly. "I... I am going to stay here on Harmonia."

"W-what? Why? I thought you wanted to go save the universe." I was surprised.

"Well, I do... But... It doesn't feel right to leave yet. And..." He took a deep, nervous breath. "I don't want to exactly leave my teacher yet. I still have lot to learn of the Jedi ways. But... There is one I would like to break, if it is alright?"
I blinked confused. "Which one would that be?"

"I... I know a Jedi isn't supposed to have attachments, and aren't supposed to feel certain emotions, but... Mira, I love you... I have for years..." His shoulders fell, in fear that I would reject him.

I blinked a few times. Love... It was one of the forbidden emotions of the Jedi, but I remembered what Aslan had said, my former Master talking about how some things of the past should be left there, and it was up to me to decide where I wanted that path to go.

"I... I understand if you can't feel the same way, or don't, but I thought you sho..."
"I love you too Zart." I gently took his hand tightly into mine, and gently squeezed it.

"R-really?!" His face lit up slightly. "Really." I smiled back softly, and leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as I calmly smiled, happy that I was not alone.