Star Wars: Immortal Devotion - Short Stories (Character Intros/One Shots)

"A Fool's Errand" (Part 3)

Hope...

Oh what a funny and deceitful feeling.

A single blaster bolt rang out and Jannis felt the direction her arm was being jerked rapidly change. Vick's face met the concrete with a wet and grizzly thud, and he crushed the bundle of Jogan fruit as his body crumpled right in front of her.

She was forced to skid to a stop and the speed at which she passed her friend pried her hand from his. He was lying face down, motionless on the concrete street. Jannis quickly rushed over to his side and lay herself over Vick's body as the armed Quarren rapidly approached.

"You little scamps. I'm sick and tired of dealing with your kind."

He raised his blaster with his good hand, clearly with the intent to fire again. But at that moment, Jannis heard the clanking of boots behind her, and the two white clad soldiers from the gate maneuvered around she and Vick to apprehend the Quarren.

The vendor seemed to have no intentions of being arrested, and he took off back down the street and into an alleyway. One of the troopers follow close on his heels, but the other paused for a moment.

She heard him sigh through his helmet, "I'm sorry kid." Then he opened a pouch on his belt and pulled out a roll of gauze. "For your knee," he said tossing it down to her before following after his fellow soldier.

Jannis could barely see this happen, as her eyes were filled with a screen of salty tears. The purple juice from the Jogan fruit began to turn red, and Jannis quickly rolled Vick over to reveal that he had fallen on his own small knife.

For the next few minutes, he whimpered the word "Mama" over and over again, and Jannis had no idea if he was calling out for his biological mother, or the woman who had raised them. But did that really matter anymore?

She held tight onto his hand as he finally stopped breathing, and the crowds began to step out into the streets once more. As before, some approached to see if they could help, but the bracelets that both the children sported quickly turned them away.

"It's not fair!" Jannis screamed out, crying on her dead friend's chest, "it's not fair... first Mama, and now you. Why did you have to do that, Vick. Things were so perfect..."

After slightly regaining her composure, Jannis weakly stood to her feet and attempted to pick up Vick's body. But she could barely even make it budge. Tears poured down her face as she dragged him inch by inch down the street. After making almost no headway, her strength gave out on her.

Some pedestrians watched her effort in bemusement or pity, but no one helped as she let go of Vick's hand and sobbed, realizing she was going to have to leave his body on the cold, hard, unforgiving streets.

She had all but forgotten what hope felt like as she weakly trudged out of the city and down the path that would lead her back to her benevolent master.

She was no longer in any hurry, and her shoulders drooped low as she slowly walked along the paved pathway. The sun was now setting behind the Lothal mountains, and as the light began to wane, so did her spirit.

The only thing she could think of was the days before Mama had disappeared.

She hummed the familiar tune that she had sung happily every day before, but now it's words held seemingly no meaning in her heart.