Crossfire - A Short Star Wars Story

Chapter 2

Because Noah had left, everything had gone silent. The flooding of the sound of silence in my ears was unbearable so I went to check on mama.

As I walked into her room my eyes were submerged with color. My mom used to be a artist and sold paintings to the weathly on the higher levels. This was how we could afford our house. After she got ill, Noah and I saved up to get her paints. Even though they were cheap and weren't colorful, somehow she made them look amazing. She painted on her walls and on the ceiling and when she finished that she painted on her own floor.

I love asking about her art. She says that they tell the story of the jedi and of how one boy and his friends almost brought peace to the galaxy. Just like in my story books

When I walked in, I saw mama was reading one of my books from Terins. The rest of my books were scattered around the floor.

"Mama," I said sounding surprised. "Those books were in my sleeping pod. You would have to get up to grap them."

"Don't be so sure." she replied with a smile on her face.

No matter how ill she will get, you can count on one thing, she will always find the bright side to things.

"Oh mama, you know that only Jedi masters can use the force." I start to pick up her books on the floor and place them in my bag. " I got you the fruit you wanted, would you like me to cut it up and place it in my portions."

"Oh my darling that sounds wonderful." she sighs and she puts down her book.

I start walking out of her pod when she calls, " Peel of the skin off love, so that I we can have tea later."

In the kitchen I peel of the spiky orange and green fruit skin. As I am making the food, my mind drift off to one of the stories that I just read from Terins. Ternis is my mama's old care giver when we had enough money to pay for one, we would go to him if mama ever grew very ill. He has a very big collection of books also, so now I will go to him to borrow a book. But not with out a price, I still have to give him blood so that he can use it with his ill and his meds. Wait! Oh no.

I run into mamas room and rip the book from her hand.

"Sorry mom" I cry " I am late to return the books to Terins, your food will have to wait." I bend down to give her a kiss and run out the door.

It doesn't take long to get to where he lives but it crosses one of the most heavy guarded roads on my level. Every since Cole has been looking for me, the Stormtroopers have been reckless. I find that if I just keep my head looking forward, I look like I could be going to the gambling house down the street and only the grown are aloud there.

Terins lives down a ally way. At the end of the ally way is a drain, but if you know the right pattern then you can tap on the top of the drain with your foot and it will open like a door. I hit my food down 5 times and then stand off to the side of the fake drain.

After a couple of seconds the door opens and I am let in. His living area is one of the most beautiful thing I have ever been in. Once you step of the latter you are met with a hallway with many doors on each side. On the hallway walls, where there is no doors, there are thousands of books and scrolls. At the end of the hallway is a room with a kitchen, a place to eat and in the corner of the room there is a blood drawing chair.

I find Terins at the end of the hallway waiting for me.

"You are late," he growls. I have never asked him what species he is but I have ever met anyone like him. He is on the big side and his skin is blue and spiky. The end of his spikes glow white and the rest of him looks just like me and you.

"I know I know, please let me explain! I had a hard day with Menis and I needed to go home to my mom first before I came here to make sure she was fine." I look up at him to see if he believes this story, which for the record, is not totally false.

He looks down at me and nods his head. "How is your mother?"

"She has been better," I answer with truth and then hand him his books.

" Would you like another book for the week?" He asks gently

"Yes please, can I have another one about the Jedi and their light sabers and their quests across the galaxy in search for galactic peace?" I say a little too eagerly

He looks down at me again and chuckles to himself, "I think you have read all the books that I have on that subject."

"You must have one more among all your books." I plead.

He rests his head on his hand and closes his eyes thinking as I wait. I know that he has a secret pile of books that he will not share with me in his wives room and no matter what he will not let me read them. I look up at him and say " You can take my blood!"

He opens his eyes with surprise and exclaims " but you hate getting your blood taken and you just had it done last week!"

"Yes but you like it when I give blood and the more the better right." I pronounce with confidence.

Terins chuckles again and nods me to the chair. He takes my blood but not as much as he normally does and then walks off. I alway feel a little bit dizzy after so I say in the chair waiting.

After a while when I feel a bit better, he comes back with a book in his hands and holds it out for me to see. I grap it and examine it carefully. The cover of the book is make out of some type of leather or skin of an animal. On the spine of the cover is a beautiful gem and the book is tied together with a string.

"Wow--I--It is beautiful." I stutter

He smiles at me and then says "Go, and tell your mother I say hello."