Insight

Chapter One

Run.

Reach them.

You must.

Jade Elysar was out on her daily errands. Collecting and scavenging for food, materials, and firewood. She just finished for the day, walking back home with the last bundle of firewood in her grasp. The dark woods of Takodana were starting to grow darker as the sun set. She knew she only had a few more minutes of light before night fell so she started to walk a little faster.

It had been a long day of collecting goods for her family. She lived with her caring mother and younger brother. There was nothing she loved more than them. She would do anything to keep them safe and happy. The planet they lived on was dangerous, filled with thugs and vermin. These people were unpredictable and down right savage. However, they were still her people and she wouldn't trade where she lived for anything. It taught her to be alert, cunning, and defensive.

The beautiful woods that surrounded her seemed to go on for miles. Tall trees covered the area as well as large boulders that she loved to climb up when she was a kid. It was a gorgeous forest with a trail that had been made by the villagers to make traveling into them easy. Jade continued down the trail, looking around at the trees, being able to see through them just enough to see the last bit of light. She smiled for a moment, knowing she'll make it home in time for dinner around the fire.

Just as the night was about to fall, she felt something. It was so sudden. It felt as if a knife shot through her chest. She felt a sharp pang in her that caused her to drop the firewood onto the muddy ground. She fell to her knees and reached up, grabbing her chest. Looking down, she expected to see she had been stabbed or shot.

Nothing.

The pain lingered for a few more seconds, slowly disappearing. She dropped her hand and huffed a few breaths in and out. For a moment, a question rattled around in her head.

Could it have been...

Jade was force sensitive, that she knew for sure. She only found out a few weeks ago just how strong it was. She only ever told her brother, Lyle, because she never wanted anyone else to know. Lyle never told a soul, he was good that way. They spent hours the last few nights playing around with Jade's force powers. Lifting objects, levitating herself, even levitating her own brother. They found such amusement in it, not understanding just how powerful this was.

Another sudden pain, this time it seared through her head and was accompanied by noises. Loud, deafening screams surrounded her as she cradled her head in her hands. Her head was pounding, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut tightly. A slow scream crept up inside her before letting it out to echo into the night.

Her eyes shot open. In that moment, everything was silent. Then she heard it.

They were real. Actual screams.

Jade sprung up and instantly started to sprint in the direction of the screams. Her legs were working so fast, carrying her through the thick trees and over mossy green rocks. She hopped over a down tree stump and ran out into the clearing. Spotting her village on her right, untouched, she looked to her left.

Maz..

The beautiful castle, that once stood proud as a reminder of who they were, was slowly crumbling down as bombs struck it. For a moment, Jade couldn't hear anything again. Just the sound of her own heart beating wildly in her chest. She watched. Stormtroopers and fugitives battling each other.

Those people, her people, were losing and she couldn't do anything but stand there and watch. Shock was rushing over her like a wave. Then, she felt it again.

No longer was it a sharp pain, but a feeling. A strong feeling. As if someone was standing right behind her, hovering over her. She spun around to see but there was no one there. It was a feeling as if she was in danger, that someone bad was coming.

Her eyes flashed open and closed. When they opened again, she stumbled back at what she saw. She was in her village, surrounded by burning buildings, people running away from blaster shots. Their screams. The same ones she heard before. She watched as a mother was shielding her small child from a stormtrooper. Just before the shot reached the mother's chest, Jade turned away with her eyes glued shut. She shook her head and repeated to herself.

"It's not real. This is a vision. It's not real."

She then felt a hand on her shoulder. The murderous grip tight against her. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal the tall, masked figure.

"Take her."

Jade's eyes opened again, this time her lungs letting out a gasp for air. She looked around, she was back to where she was before. She was right. It wasn't real, however she had a feeling it soon would be.

A loud, black ship came into view above her and she felt it again. She watched it soar above her head and land not too far away from her. That's when she understood what that vision meant. It wasn't real then, but it is now. They were coming for her and she needed to get home to warn the others.

She needed to save her family.