Against the Odds

Chapter 12: Him

After her master had been murdered, young Vella became anything she needed to be to survive. She stepped back from the Force, closing herself off from the last thing she'd grown up with. She'd toughened along with the rest of the galaxy as they adjusted to being oppressed by the Empire. Her heart hadn't hardened but she trained herself to ignore the pain she saw. She was young and inexperienced, terrified at all times. Everything new to her made her wary. The stress of constantly watching her back tired her greatly.

In those early years, her master's voice had been her guide and conscience. Sometimes it was master Yoda's voice echoing what he had taught her as a youngling. Other times it was Master Obi-Wan, or another one of the master's or one of the other padawan learners she'd called friends. It didn't take very long for those voices to fade as survival instincts took their place.

She'd often smuggle herself onto transports or sometimes she'd have enough credits to buy passage. But in her efforts to fade into the crowd, someone picked her out of it.

Nahla had found her after she'd been alone for nearly eight months. The woman was kind to her, making it clear she meant her no harm. But gaining Vella's trust was no easy task. She ran away from her three times before finally Nahla convinced her to at least have a meal. She offered a warm bed and warm food. But what she'd really given her was a warm home.

The rest was history, she became the girl's mother and the woman's life became the girl's. Nahla told her stories of her tribe and the war, taught Vella her native language, and cared for her every need. The woman meant more to Vella than she would probably ever be able to express with words. Nahla meant the world to her.

Eventually she got the hang of living in a galaxy under the Empire's rule. Vella figured out how to keep her head down and stay out of trouble, do the work she found until she moved on. Never staying in one place was the smart thing to do, so she left, for Nahla's sake. If anyone tracked Vella's connection to her, it'd put her mother in danger. But her compassion and love made it difficult. She missed her mother and saw how badly the Empire treated those she worked with, she felt their pain.

The ingrained desire to help people stayed but she knew there was nothing she could do without exposing herself as a Jedi and drawing unwanted attention. Until she found out about a small rebel cell that was providing food and medical supplies to towns in planets that needed them. Nahla was the one who brought the idea to her, she had started and invited Vella to join as well. The work seemed like the perfect way to help others without getting directly involved with the Empire.

For a little while at least.

Soon, that small rebel cell grew into a rebellion, her handful of helpful people became a battle between the Rebels and the Empire. She found herself in the middle of a war she didn't want to be in. Not after the last war she had fought in and lost. But Vella had done something her master and all the Jedi had trained her not to do, she'd grown attached to these Rebels. To Nahla. So against her better judgment, she stayed.

That's where she met him, they were both young, they both had demons to vanquish but somehow there was a connection Vella couldn't explain.

His name was Daxon Eldar, of the Mandalorian clan Eldar, a valued asset to the rebellion. She hadn't noticed him at first, but he was an amazing pilot, excellent shot, and a skilled warrior. He gained her attention as much as the rest of the Rebellion. No one had anything but praise to give him.

She was a Jedi in the Clone Wars, she'd been trained to be good at all those things. But it didn't bother her if the attention was on him, that meant it would be off of her.

Something about him called to her. His strength? His conviction? His compassion? Vella didn't know, but ever since she noticed him, she couldn't stop noticing him.