The Children of the Stars

Allana Skywalker

"Sam! Danni!"

Even though Allana knew that they would be here, she couldn't help it. Elated to see them again, she embraced them both, tears of joy on her face.

"Allana, I thought you were dead!" Sam cried as they let go.

"I went here after the Purge," Allana explained. "I was told to go to Tenel Ka, should there ever be an emergency where I couldn't go home. I don't think any of us ever thought that emergency would come."

"The Skywalkers are still alive," Danni mused. "You could come back to the New Republic, you could convince my mother to go against the Imperial Remnant, if anyone could—"

"I'm sorry." Allana tugged at the cord of the hidden necklace as she avoided Danni's eyes. "I can't. I— I'm not a Jedi anymore."

"What do you mean?" Sam's eyes widened in horror.

"I can't really explain it." Allana knew she'd tried far too many times when she couldn't sleep at night. "But I can't access it. Not anymore."

Most of the night of the Second Purge was a blur to Allana. But the part where she lost her powers was crystal clear.

Despite the heat of the flames, Allana felt the chill, deep in her bones. Evil felt so cold, Allana felt as if she might die from the sensation. It burned.

She was running, out of breath— but where she did not know.

Only that she had to run, to flee, to get help from the New Republic—

Then she felt it.

Him.

It was perfect in its clarity. All of her senses sharpened just as she saw through the flames, to where Anakin, stupid brilliant Anakin, was fighting their sister.

He'd grabbed the legacy lightsaber, she knew that much. She'd yelled at him when he returned to the hut, that they didn't have time for this—

But she didn't remember how she lost him and ended up here, running blindly.

All she did remember was what came next.

He'd practiced with a lightsaber only a few times, and was reckless in his feints, in his heavy-handed style. Allana felt as if she saw the opening hours before Darth Keera did.

She tried to run through fire, only for Darth Keera to strike their brother down. Darth Keera then continued, gliding like a dark, angry ghost.

Allana didn't care about her burns or her aching lungs as she managed to tumble forward to Anakin.

He coughed, still grasping the legacy saber as tightly as possible.

"No, no—" Allana tried to heal him with the Force— but it was no use.

"It's okay," Anakin choked out. "It's okay. Let me go, Allie. Let me go. I'm sorry I couldn't stop her—"

"Shh, it's alright, you'll be alright—"

But as she said it, the light faded from Anakin's deep blue eyes. Numbly, she closed the lids, and took the lightsaber from him, laying his body in the sand, now mixed with blood and ash.

Her heart pounded in her brain as she felt the suffering. The overwhelming screaming of the dying was both in the air and in her brain—

She could feel it, the slashes and stabs of lightsabers, the searing of fire and yet she was fine—

It was too much to contain. She felt and she didn't want to anymore, didn't want this—

So she screamed.