Of Love and War Book 1: Dawn of a New Life

Chapter 6: Grim Goodbyes and Surprising Hello

"Daddy? Daddy, are you home?"

Zelina cautiously made her way into the house, not wanting to stumble across one of her father's drinking sprees again. However, she found him in the kitchen, making what looked like lunch for the two of them. A pang went through her. Was she really going to do this? How could she possibly leave her father? She was all he had left.

Zelina squared her shoulders. No...no she knew that leaving was what she needed to do. She was meant to be a Jedi, and to be a Jedi she would have to leave.

With a small sigh she walked into the tiny kitchen. Her father looked up at her and smiled. "Good, sweetheart, you're home."

The smile slipped off his face when he took in his daughter's beat up form and grim expression. Immediately he put down what he was doing, getting down on one knee in front of her as he inspected her with gentle hands. "Zelina, what happened?" he asked gravely, fingers brushing the bruise on her face.

Zelina looked him in the eyes. "Shal'ma," she said simply.

Her father never remembered what he did when he was drunk. She'd learned that after the first time he'd laid a hand on her. She could never bear to tell her father that he was the reason for some of her injuries, and had continuously blamed all of the marks on herself from her father on Shal'ma. He was completely oblivious to the abuse that he occasionally brought down on his daughter.

Her father's face darkened and he gave Zelina a tight hug. She grit her teeth at the pain it caused her back but didn't protest since he wasn't aware of the whipping cuts. "One of these days Zelina, I promise, we're going to be free, and you'll never have to worry about any of this ever again."

"Daddy I need to talk to you," Zelina said quietly.

Her father pulled away. "What about sweetheart?"

Zelina looked away. "I...I disobeyed you. I used those powers you told me never to use today."

His face darkened and he stood up. "Zelina, what did I tell you about that? There's dangerous people out there, and if they find out that you have access to these powers they'll take you away from me. You know better."

Zelina nodded. "I know Daddy, and I'm sorry, but...she hurt Ani, and she was hurting me, and I just...I just wanted her to stop."

Her father froze. "What did you do Zelina?" When she didn't respond he slammed his hand down on the table and she flinched despite herself. "What did you do Zelina?"

He's never hurt me when he wasn't drunk: he won't hurt me if he's not drunk, Zelina reassured herself in her head. "Daddy, Shal'ma's dead." There was a few moments of silence and Zelina's fears rushed back to her despite herself. "I-I didn't mean to do it! I don't even know how I did it! I didn't mean to Daddy, I'm sorry," Zelina sobbed.

For a few moments, her father didn't say anything, didn't do anything. Then, very slowly, he got down on his knee again. "I...I'm sure...everything will be fine Zelina. Perhaps...perhaps they won't think you could have done it. Perhaps...everything..."

His voice trailed off and Zelina could see he was about to go into a full blown panic.

"Daddy...someone bought me. After Shal'ma died, they bought me."

Her father's eyes snapped back into focus and he stared her down. "Who bought you?"

She could hear the dread in his voice, but she pushed on with her news anyway. "An outlander. He's going to take me and Ani far away from here Daddy."

"He bought Anakin Skywalker too? How did this man manage to get Anakin away from Watto?" he asked in surprise.

"Watto and Qui-Gon made a bet, and Qui-Gon won...Daddy...Qui-Gon's a Jedi."