(If you thought the last one was sad read this. I balled the whole time)
Chapter Five: Lives Begin Anew
Kalee
Palace garden
25 year-old Raven Rune walked through a star lit night. She was following some essence that was screaming for help. It seemed to her as if the Force itself was asking for aid. She felt a disturbance in the Force as well. And then there was a warm feeling. Like when a child is found that is Force sensitive. But there was a ripple, hardly there, but there nonetheless. This child was in pain. Mentally and physically. And was afraid.
Raven picked up speed. She was now jogging. There was the smell of smoke in the air. She was running at top speed. There was a frightening cry. She was at a wall and there was a window. She saw a shadow cross the window. She backed into a bush were she could get a good view of it.
Crash sight
Pain. Horrible pain.
That is what Grievous felt in his unconscious state.
Pain. Sadness. Hate. Anger. Failure.
These were the words that echoed to him as he lay there burning.
Dying.
Death. Rest. Forever. Peace
Palace Window
She felt the Dark side of the Force. But that was not what had summoned her. It was the child. She must find the child.
Suddenly there was a thud and a boom. Raven looked to the window and the shadow that she had only caught a glimpse of was standing there looking out. The shadow was a man, in his middle ages, graying brown hair, and his eyes were red with yellow veins.
Raven gasped. The man was a Sith.
“That must have been the disturbance that I felt. ” She thought.
Raven heard a hum in the distance and it became louder. Soon there was a speeder/bike (what he rides in E2) resting against the wall. The man climbed onto the bike and sped off into the night.
Though Raven did not know he was on his way to visit another death site.
Crash site
Grievous came to and when he did all he could feel was pain. His life hung by a thread. A single, fragile thread. And he just wanted to get this through with. He wanted to rest in peace. He was slowly, yet surely sinking. He was gasping for breath. His lungs burned. His head was the only thing above the water. And the next second he was under.
Suddenly he felt cold hands drag him out of the water. He gasped for oxygen and he tried to get away from the grip. But he found he could not feel his body at all. He was placed on a medical carrier. And not gently either.
Grievous slowly opened his eyes.
“W…W…What happened? Where am I? What are you going to do to me?”
“Give you a new life General.” came the cold voice of Count Dooku.
"And may this be a lesson to you. Because by refusing my offer you signed your families’ death sentence. As well as yours. But there is of course a way that I could provide, with your agreement, that you could cheat death. What do you say General? Do you wish to die? Or do you wish to live and pay of your debt?"
"H...H...how would I pay of...o...off my debt?"
"Same terms as before."
"H...H...how could I cheat d...d...death?"
"You would be given a new body."
Suddenly Grievous started rasping and coughing. His lungs burned and the salt in the water had done them no justice.
As he coughed Count Dooku could decern only one word.
"Agreed"
And Grievous collapsed back into his unconscious state.
Palace Window
Ravens POV
Revan was becoming bolder by the minute. She could see the flames becoming more powerful. And the child's essence in the force was becoming stronger. The cry for help louder. And Revan knew that there was some one in that room. Dying.
Without another moments hesitation she force jumped up to the open window. Raven shielded her eyes from the smoke with her hand. She stepped off the sill and she saw a small fragile figure lying on the floor.
Raven walked up to the figure.
"A kaleesh!" Raven said in a whisper.
"And she is unconscious."
Raven stooped down and put her index and middle finger on her neck. The was a slow weak pulse, but a pulse nonetheless.
Raven sighed in relief as she stood up and bent down to pick the woman up. But just as Raven slipped her hands behind the woman's back, the kaleesh opened her eyes wide and grabbed Ravens throat.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" growled the woman.
"I'm Raven Rune. Jedi padawan. And no threat what so ever." gasped Raven.
The woman's countenace changed from her fierce scowl to the look of sure pain. She released Raven's throat and collapsed to the floor.
Raven was gasping for air when the woman looked at the young padawan.
Mara's POV
Fear consumed Mara as she laid there staring at the young girl before her. Fear was why she had grabbed her throat. Thinking it was that demond trying to finish the job.
There was a cry from the other room. Mara could feel (through mother intuision) that the flames were devoring the nursery. Mara cryed out in pain. Which made the girl jump.
Mara knew she was dying. And she knew that this padawan could save Angelica. So she spoke.
"Jedi..."
Raven's attention was on her. Listening intently.
"My daughter is in the room next door." said Mara in a long drawn out breath
"Please save her. I beg you." Mara was crying tears of pain and saddness.
"Okay" said Raven in a voice full of concern.
"Whats the child's name."
"Angelica Rose Shikar. I am Mara..."
Raven could hear the child's cry. She began to get up but Mara grabbed her arm.
"Give these to her when she is older. She must know who her family is."
"I will allow her to come back. She shall be a true kaleesh. I promise."
"Thank you."
And Mara closed her eyes, breathed her last breath. Never to awake, never to breath, never to see or feel ever agian.
Ravens POV
Raven put the items in her pocket and stood up. There resounded an explosion that shook the ground.
A loud cry came from the next room.
Raven ran to the burning door and force pushed it down. The flames licked her face and body. Raven cried out in pain, but she had to save the child. She forgot about her pain and strained in the force to locate the child.
It was twenty feet away and luckely there was no fallen debris in Ravens path. She ran up to the cradle, wrapped the child in some cloth and made her way to a balcony. Raven landed just as the entire roof collapsed. Raven looked back to see the pile of burning debris.
Tears streaked Ravens face. Not just because the smoke had caused it, but because of the kaleesh woman. Mara was her name. And Mara was this child's mother. Raven pulled the cloths away from the child she held in her arms.
It was a little girl.
"What was it that your mother said your name was little one?"
Raven stood there thinking, with a puzzeled look on her face. As she looked at the baby girl she notice a burn right under her chin. The burn looked oddly like angel wings.
"Angelica! That's what your Mother said your name was. Angelica Rose Shikar!"
Angelica just looked at Raven with a sad look in her brown eyes. Tears were falling down her little cheeks and Raven felt a slight push on her heart and mind. It was the force, she could feel it.
Raven reached out to the child through the force. In a way she was streching out her hand to the child. And suddenly a small "hand" in the force reached out and grabbed Raven's "hand".
"Your...Your Force sensitive. I must take you to Master Yoda imediatly."
Geonosis
Geonosian scientists and doctors swarm around the broken body of General Grievous Shikar. They must move quickly for he is dying. They remove his organs (still intact) and put them in a synthetic gutsack. They put his brains and eyes in a metal skull.
They have completed one of their greatest achivements. They have turned this kind and loving man into an aggressive killing machine. Shikar is now only 5 organic and 95 cybernetic.
The Geonosian exit the room. Leaving Grievous unconscious and alone.
Soon afterwards his eyes open.
"I can't feel any thing. Why do I feel so different? I can't rember any thing. Why? What has happened to me?"
Grievous sits up and lifts his hand to his face. It is difficult but he lifts it nonetheless. But he does not see his four fingered, ivory clawed hand. No... he see's a metalic, six fingered, cybernetic hand.
Grievous stands up but falls right back down onto the table, leaving a big dent.
"Why am I so heavy?"
He gets up agian, this time steading himself. He slowly walks to the wall. (the wall is like a mirror.) What he sees frightens him.
Instead of his young and youthful organic self (kaleesh live 200 years), there stood a droid like thing.
Courscant
Jedi Temple
Raven walked up the set of stairs to the Jedi Temple. She entered the huge double doors and made her way to Master Yoda's personal quarters. She came up to the door and pressed the intercom button.
"Yes" came the voice of the very wise Master Yoda
"Master Yoda. It's Jedi padawan Raven Rune. I found a child that I think you should meet." said Raven in a shakey tone.
"Very well. Enter you may."
The door slid open and Raven walked in with little Angelica wrapped in her arms. The room was not extravecant, but it was not bare either. On one side of the room a small low bed sat off in the corner. A door was a few feet past that most likely led to the bathroom. There was a medium sized window on the other side of the room with eleven medium sized automens. And in the middle were two of the same automens, and on one of them sat the wizend old Master Yoda.
"Young Raven Rune. Seen you I have not for many months. Why?"
"My Master and I were sent to the Huk star system to negotiate. But as you have heard Master, things have not gone so well." Raven said this in a sad voice.
"Your Master, young one. Died with honor...she did."
"Yes Master. I believe you."
"Now sit you must. Believe I do... that some thing to show me you have."
"Yes Master I do." and she sat down
"It's a young kaleesh girl." said Raven unwrapping Angelica so that Yoda could see her clearly.
"Her name is Angelica Sheri no Shikar. Her mother's name was Mara. She died. I do not know who her father was or if he is still alive, but her mother gave me these."
And she handed him the objects which Mara had given her a few nights ago. Master Yoda looked at each object inturn closely. The first he inspected was a kaleesh dagger. The handle was a long dark wood with leather and some kind of metal wrapped in a spiral. The leather stopped where the blade began, but the metal kept going up the blade. It was a darker metal than that of the blade, and you could see the intricate designs it played into it. Swirly Q's, Kaleesh ruines, and it even had an inscription; Warrior's strength...Angels heart...Lords wisdom. The blade itself was one edged, and curved towards the top. (half the size and the shape of Arwens sword Handafang.)
"Intersesting this weapon is. The Kaleesh... quite artistic they are." Master Yoda said as he put the weapon down and picked up the smaller object.
This object was not like the dagger he had just inspected. No this object was sphereical. About the size to a tennis ball and made of a metal that looked and felt like chrome. And there was a blue crystal like stone for a button.
“Hmm… holo-transmiter this is. Family perhaps. But none of our business it is.”
Yoda looked up from the objects to look Raven straight in the eyes. Raven looked back. After awhile he sighed and lowered his gaze and finally spoke, just above a whisper.
“Yes… this child… raised in the Temple she shall. But when the time comes a master for her must be found.”
“I will train her. I…I promised her mother that I would and that I would be there for the child as she grew up…”
“Yes Raven. Understand I do. But young you still are. Master you do not have. And need one you do. And until one is found… to Ilum go you must.”
“I understand Master.” Said Raven lowering her head.
Truth was she was still a padawan and she needed a master. But at this age a padawan would begin ones trials. But she would not. But an idea came to her.
“Master Yoda?”
“Yes?”
She took a deep breath.
“Could you… I mean… Ohh…” this was more difficult than she thought.
“Be your Master… you want me to be? Hmm? Bad idea that is not. Accept that responsibility I do.”
Raven grinned from ear to ear. She got up from her seat, bowed in respect and left. And she took Angelica to were she would be cared for properly. And grow up to be come a fine young girl. And when she was ready she would become Ravens padawan and then a Jedi Knight.
“I promise that you will know your kind. And I promise to take very good care of you.” Raven spoke to the child so softly that when she reached the “nursery” Angelica was fast asleep.
Geonosis
“WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO ME!”
Grievous threw any thing and every thing in that room that he could get off the floor and walls. Then he stopped, looked at himself in the dented wall, screamed once again and the whole storm started again. And this time his fist and feet were involved.
All the while oblivious to the figures looking through the transpara-steel wall.
Finally Grievous tripped over an object and fell face down on the floor and he did not get up. Not because he didn’t have the strength, but because he just did not want to.
But after awhile he let out a horrible, metalic, bloodcurdling scream.
And it resounded in the Force…
Jedi Temple
Raven stood out on one of the nursery’s balconies holding Angelica in her arms. The wind was blowing and the temperature was cool. Raven stood there meditating in that peaceful environment when in her actual meditation it was anything but peaceful.
Pain. Great Pain. Anger. Rage. Hate.
She felt these things as she searched for the source. But she finally gave up. But as Raven stood there with Angelica in her arms, she could hear a cry resound through out the Force and her body.
“Hard times lay ahead for the Republic.” Stated Raven blankly as she and Angelica watched the sun set on another day.
Neither one of them knowing just what lay around the next bend in the road of the adventure known as LIFE…
(kay thats the end of part one. and as like a tribute to this fic I really thought My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion really went with it. So listen to this and you'll understand.
My Heart Will Go On)
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