Lhinneill

*sheepish* It's been forever, I know. Sorry, guys. I've ran into another bout of writer's block, but I think I'm starting to break through it. Sorry for making you all wait. This update's going to be kind of small, but hopefully worth it. ForceFusion - thanks for your feedback. I'm never sure of how much to put in/leave out. There's so much backstory and stuff that we have, I don't want to cram in a huge infodump and make it boring, but I also don't want the readers to be completely lost. I'll see what I can do to answer your questions, hopefully in a way that makes sense. Now, on to the story. ---- Skynia dashed through the Temple halls, guided by nothing but her growing sense of urgency in the Force. She found Tru seated on the floor, his knees drawn up close to his chest, head sagging. She slowed her pace, hesitantly drawing closer. "Tru?" He didn't react to her voice. "Tru, are you all right?" He looked up finally, and she saw that his eyes were bloodshot. "Oh, Tru," she dropped to her knees beside him, reaching to brush his cheek with her fingers. "What happened?" He opened his mouth, but closed it when no words came. His head dropped to his knees and he rocked side to side. A single sob escaped as his shoulders shook. But before Skynia could ask any more questions, the door to the Council room swung open and Kibecca and Chldrrl stepped out. The younger wookiee's head hung and his shoulders slumped. He didn't look at Skynia or Truen. "The Council will see you now, Truen," Kibecca woofed gently. Truen pulled away from Skynia, standing and shuffling into the Council room. He didn't look at Chldrrl, and the wookiee still kept his gaze fixed on the floor tiles. "You may go to your room, Rrl," Kibecca said, her voice soft and calm. "We will contact you once our decision has been made." The room swirled around Skynia. The faces of her friends changed and faded, their voices slurred and then went silent. The Dark Lord smiled. ”œIt's destiny, child. You know that.”

Sounds really interesting. Can't guarantee I'll have the time to read it, but...yeah. Sounds interesting.

Thanks, guys. I wasn't really sure about capitalization, so I appreciate the input. Will make sure to fix that from now on. Kestry Calladann belongs to my friend. ---><--- Towering above the other four spires of the Jedi Temple, the central tower provided a breathtaking view of the city below. It was Kestry Calladann's favorite place to watch the sunset on Coruscant. From here, she had a clear view of not just the city but the streams of traffic in the sky as well. At sunset, the sunlight reflected off cloud and ship alike, creating a spectacular display of color and light. While the view during midday was nothing compared to the show of sunset, it was still beautiful. But today, Kestry wasn't here for sightseeing. The door behind her opened with a soft swoosh. Kestry didn't turn. "Where are they?" Kibecca stepped up beside her fellow Jedi Master. She gazed out the window, woofing gently. //"I left Skynia at the commissary with her friends."// "Good," Kestry smiled. //"You know what they're planning, don't you."// Kestry raised a brow, looking up into Kibecca's twinkling blue eyes. "Oh, do you think they could hide it from me? You know Truen." The Wookiee rumbled, amused. //"Of course."// Kestry let her gaze return to the cityscape. Her smile died. "I hope they have time, Kibecca. I really do. They've all worked so hard and come so far. They deserve this." Kibecca snuffed. //"We will make time, my friend. Skynia's birth celebration is a thing I don't intend to miss."// Sighing softly, Kestry nodded. "I know." But we may not have much choice. The galaxy would not wait. Kibecca knew that as well as Kestry did. The Jedi had a duty to uphold. As much as Kestry hated to accept it, she was aware there was little chance of Skynia celebrating her eighteenth birthday with her friends on Coruscant. Despite the Council's recent ruling, the Jedi would still be deployed. They would do their duty. They would fight the Sith, no matter where the battle took them. Centuries before, Jedi not so much unlike the strong individuals Kestry now knew had made their stand against the Dark Side. The extensive archives of the Jedi Order listed names of those hailed as heroes of the Force. Names like Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the great Jedi Master Yoda were names familiar to every Jedi in the Order. Kestry had studied their lives as a Padawan because her Master told her it was important. She studied them now because she knew it was important. It would be foolish of them to dwell entirely on the lives of long-dead heroes, but they could learn from the past. Learn from it, or be destroyed by our own mistakes. "We can't wait, Kibecca." Kibecca bowed her head. //"There will be time, Kestry. By the end of the week, we will--"// "By the end of the week it will be too late. You heard the report. Tardin knows where it is. If he finds it, you know what will happen." The towering Wookiee lowered herself to a seat so she was at eye level with Kestry. //"Kianna and Truen will go without hesitation, you know that."// Kestry frowned. "I do. That's the problem. I will not send them to face that monster again. Not unless we have no other choice. We're not that far gone, not yet." //"Who, then?"// Kibecca questioned with a woof. //"You know the Masters will not approve. They believe the holocrons are gone. Destroyed, lost, forgotten. You heard Master Fyeak. They will send no one."// Kibecca was right. The Council would not respond until they had been shown solid evidence that Tardin had indeed found one of the lost Sith holocrons. By then it would be too late. That left only one option. "I will go." Kibecca's eyes widened. //"No! That would be suicide!"// she roared. //"Kianna and Truen still need you. The Order needs you. You cannot go!"// "You would rather the Council send our students?" Kestry countered. "They've underestimated Tardin in the past, and I have little faith that they've learned from the experience. The Order doesn't need me, Kibecca." She laughed dryly, "The Council doesn't want me." The Wookiee fell silent and avoided Kestry's gaze, focusing instead on the constant traffic streams above the city. "Kibecca. You know I'm right." //"Yes,"// Kibecca growled at last. //"You must go."// Kestry smiled, reaching for the Wookiee's furred paw. "Thank you. I knew you would--" //"I will go with you."// Kestry blinked and withdrew her hand. "What? No. No, you won't. This is something I have to do myself. You stay. I know Sky will want you here at the celebration. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on the kids." //"I am going with you!"// Kibecca woofed. She stood, sternly gazing down at Kestry. //"We will deal with this Dark Lord together."// Kestry exhaled sharply and looked away from the Wookiee's intense gaze. She should have known what Kibecca would say. After all, Kibecca was a Wookiee. A reluctant smile touched Kestry's lips and she bowed her head. ”œFine. We'll both go.”

LOL! Nicely done.

Thank you, everybody. Here's the next part, at last. I had a bit of trouble with it; I know these guys so well it's sometimes hard to tell if I'm being clear in my descriptions and stuff. Let me know if something seems wonky and I'll see what I can do. This chapter is mostly a stepping-stone with friendship stuff. More coming soon(ish, hopefully). Thanks again for your feedback! =) ---- "Do you think she suspects anything?" Kianna asked, leaning forward across the table and keeping her voice low so only her brother and fellow Knight could hear her. He sat opposite her, holding a tall glass of ice water. His brown hair was in need of a haircut again, but she doubted he would get it cut until after both she and Kestry had nagged him for several weeks. Frowning, Truen scratched his ear. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything." Kianna sighed. "Maybe we should ask Master Kibecca." "Sounds like a good idea,”

Thank you both. Yes, I'll be honest...this story has it's depressing moments. In fact, I quit writing last time because I was depressed and it was SO not helping. Heh. I won't promise any happy endings, because...well, that would be spoilers and I don't know how the whole thing ends yet anyway. With how much of this stuff is living in my head, I could be writing this for a long...long...time. Anyway, here's more. It's short too, but I'm thinking the next part will be longer. I'm doing some rewrites on it atm, but it should be up soon. ----- //”

I'm not really writing right now; writer's block and work, among other things, have been stealing all my focus. But I really want to finish this, so I figured I'd put it up. Maybe you guys will be able to help cheer me on (and beat the evil block to a bloody pulp). This is the...prequel of sorts to Born to Kill. It's supposed to be a whole heck of a lot longer, though. Which, for me, means that there's a 90% chance I won't finish it. I've never finished anything, but I WANT this one to be the first. I'm hoping that if I have people pestering me about it, I'll get somewhere. *crosses fingers* Anyway. I'm rambling. I'll shut up now. Here's the first part, shorter than what I usually prefer to post, but I think that's probably better for here...? It may not be much to go on, and I know there's a LOT of backstory here that I need to expound on, but I'm hoping it's clear. If not...feel free to ask questions and I'll do my very best to clarify everything in upcoming chaps. I'd give it a PG-PG13 rating, if you're wondering. Okay. NOW I'm shutting up. ---------- Wind whistled through the city, sweeping across the roof tops and balconies, lifting a faint cloud of dust and exhaust fumes that swirled around the lone Jedi Knight. She stood with her back to the setting sun, watching the shadows grow and deepen below in the streets of Coruscant. Ships and people scrambled about as usual, happily unaware of the growing storm the Jedi sensed, an ever-present doom in the back of her mind. The galaxy was changing. Where the Jedi had once maintained peace and order, the Sith now rampaged, spreading corruption and violating all that was once pure. They had even managed to tamper with the Jedi's connection with the Force, with their ability to sense and perceive the future. The Jedi archives told of a time when the Sith had done much the same thing. It had all ended with the horrible deaths of hundreds of Jedi when Palpatine's Order 66 had ushered in the end of the Old Republic Jedi. Now, over two hundred years later, the Order had grown and evolved; it was no longer the Order the legendary Jedi had known. Sometimes I wonder if it's still the same Order I knew as a youngling. "Master?" Skynia Drego turned, smiling gently at her young Padawan. "What is it, Jaia?" With her hands folded behind her back, Jaia stepped up beside her Master. Her eyes swept the city, just as Skynia's had done only moments ago, though now the sun had sunk beneath the horizon. "It's coming, isn't it? Another war, I mean." Skynia nodded slowly. "It's been coming for a long time." "Do you think the Council's wrong?" Skynia glanced down at her Padawan, frowning softly. The Jedi High Council had ruled against deploying more Jedi in a military posture across the galaxy, despite the obvious threat posed by the Sith and the rebellion they led against Galactic government. Skynia knew she wasn't the only one in opposition to the Council's decision. Just that morning, she had spoken to her friend and fellow Knight, Kianna Starflight, about what the spreading darkness could mean for the Jedi. If the Council refused to acknowledge the threat of the Sith, they could lose everything. "I think that the Council has a difficult decision to make,”

At the order from his CO, Adam and his wingmate brought their fighters around and returned to the Justicar with the rest of the Rebel pilots. He set his E-Wing down among the other crafts and put into its shutdown cycle. Then, with a hiss of air, the hatch popped open and he tiredly climbed out. It had been a long, hard battle and he was incredibly glad it was over. As the Alliance ships jumped into hyperspace, Adam sat beside his E-Wing, surrounded by his gear, and let out a long sigh. His first real space battle was over. He'd shot down several enemy fighters, and though he'd failed to do any real damage to the enemy, he'd survived. And he'd learned something about how the Alliance worked in a great space battle. All in all...it had been a pretty good day. But Adam was still glad it was over.

Thanks. Now that I've written this, I'd love to write more in this sort of era. I can imagine young Luke getting into all sorts of trouble as a kid. Especially with how boring Tatooine would have to be for a kid. Besides, with Anakin as his dad, I don't see how he could avoid it.

Thanks. I'm not sure myself, actually. Maybe six?

Response to May's challenge #6. (The title may change, as I hate titling things and that's just there 'cuz it's the first thing that came to mind.) ((Edited and changed. Not much better, methinks, but...it'll do.)) ----- The first time I saw him, I thought he might've been a Tusken Raider. He stood alone on a dune, his back to the twin suns. He didn't move or make any attempt to attack me, though. He just”¦stood there. I watched him for the longest time, squinting against the bright glare of the suns. He was dressed in loose tan robes””which was what had reminded me of the Tuskens at first. But the longer I watched him, the surer I was that he wasn't a threat. There was something very important about him; I knew that much right away. As the suns slipped beneath the horizon, he stepped down the side of the dune and vanished out of my sight. I ran back to the house before I got yelled at for being out after dark. The man and I repeated the same routine for the next several nights. And then one night he didn't show up. That's when I mentioned him to Uncle Owen. My uncle didn't seem to like what he heard and sent me straight to bed. And though I know they tried to be quiet, I heard him and Aunt Beru arguing for a long time. After that, I didn't see the man again for months. I thought he'd abandoned our homestead for something more interesting. And then, I had this dream. It was kind of crazy and I really don't remember too much, but I do remember seeing that man. I think he wanted to tell me something, but Uncle Owen woke me before I could figure out what it was. That's when I started wondering. After all my chores were finished and I had my chance to run off and play, I'd go to my secret hideout and pull out my toys. But most of the time I didn't even play with them. I just stared at the little model ships and tried to imagine what my parents had been like. Usually I pictured them strong and proud, looking nothing like the beaten-down citizens of Tatooine. Sometimes, I almost felt like I knew them. I almost felt like a real kid was supposed to feel””loved and happy. And then it all faded away to sand and heat and sweat, and I was a nothing but poor farmboy again. Just when I thought the man wasn't ever coming back, I saw his figure outlined against the sky. This time I ran to the base of the dune, not caring if Uncle Owen got mad at me again. The man stood atop the peak for the longest moment, then slid down to join me. His hair was wild and his beard dusted with gray, but he had a gentle smile. ”œWell, hello there,”

Stupid Council. Interesting idea, though. Sounds just like Anakin. Nice work.

I don't know, I guess I just hadn't gotten around to it. lol

Heh. I was aiming for satirical, but I was tired and couldn't think, so honestly this was the worst I could come up with. I'm glad you...um...hate it.

Ooooh. Me like that one. I'll see if I can come up with something. I like this idea of going back and writing the old ones too. Somehow it feels like there's not so much pressure.