It was right there. Nek reached for it, fingers alternating between spreading wide and clenching

shut as if that would make a difference. The brightly colored fruit was his favorite, and it

seemed that way because they grew so far out of reach.

"Almost, Shi!" He half giggled and half made an over-exaggerated straining sound. "Higher!"

His legs were already held tight to his brother's chest. They had grown like weeds in his fourth

winter, a gap of pale skin between the bottom of his pants and the tops of his shoes. His

brother lifted him further, shin to his face as he lifted him a few more inches. Shi was the

bigger brother, he kept reminding him. So of course he was the one to lift and not the one to be

lifted.

"'Member the deal, Nek!" Shi strained under the weight, wobbly legs trying to correct as Nek

reached ever further.

"I 'member, I 'member!" They'd share the fruit, then go spit the seeds at the fish. It was

Nek's favorite, watching the wide mouthed creatures, always hungry enough to thrash about the

water over each other at whatever they would throw at them. Seeds, bread, grains, even bugs.

They'd swarm the spot and writhe beneath the surface, mouths working the air. If they had a

voice, Shi imagined they'd be screaming 'more!'. Father would come and grab them out of the lake

with a net. He remembered him lifting one out of the net, it's mouth caught on his finger as he

howled in mock agony that the fish was eating him. They laughed until their ears went red, until

they coughed so hard that mother told him to stop.

"Quit wobbling!" Shi groaned, trying to lift him ever higher, pulling Nek's shoes to his

shoulders. "I'll drop you!"

"You won't let me fall." Nek bit his lip and lunged an arm forward. Fingers closed around the

bottom of the crimson shape, the cool skin twisting in his grasp as he twisted it, trying to pick

it from the branch that held it. With a snap it came loose, and he dropped it, watching it

bounce on the green grass below. "Got it!"

Shi reached up to grab his legs, half toppling over as he dragged his little brother down to his

level. They fell to their backsides in the grass, breathing heavy for a moment as they felt the

sunshine. Nek scrambled over on all fours, grabbing the fruit and taking a big bite. Clear

juice ran down his chin as he chewed and smiled at the same time. "See?" He handed the fruit to

Shi. "You didn't drop."

"I know." Shi took a bite, then wiped his lips with his sleeve. "Mother would be mad." It was

sweet, the first of the season. He let the sun warm his face, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the

taste. He could feel little fingers grabbing the fruit away from him, the wet crunch of his next

bite. He forgot what Father called these, but he'd cut slices off and eat them, and sometimes,

mother would bake them for putting on rice. There were so many names to remember. Everything

had one. The river, the fish, the singing birds and the mountain. Even the big old house had a

name. Father worked there with hammers and other tools. He said his father, and even his father

had lived there so very long ago. Someday they would live there. And even have their own rooms.

He lay back, smiling as he reclined. He wasn't sure that he wanted his own room. It would be too

far away from Nek, from Mother and Father.

Nek laughed, and Shi opened his eyes, seeing one of the brown tree-mice scamper down, chattering

at them. Nek cackled back, then laughed even louder as the tree-mouse tilted it's head and

scratched its chest. The snap of another bite flitted through the laughter, then a weird noise,

like the fish when they spat the seeds at them.

The laughter stopped.

Shi turned to look, saw his brother looking at him with a weird expression. It was like he was

hurt. He scrambled to his knees, turning over and making the grass stain his pants as he moved

over to his little brother, the fruit still clutched in his hands. "Nek!" His eyes went wide,

wet along the edges. Shi's mind froze, watching Nek's face change color. "Nek, what's wrong?"

He worked his mouth like the fish, but no sound came out, just the strange smacking of lips

coated in sticky juice. "Say something!" Nek flailed his arms, the fruit going sailing as the

color in his skin deepened. He pointed at his mouth, fingers reaching in frantically, clasping

like he was reaching for the fruit.

"Mother!" Shi batted his brother's hands away, reaching in with his own fingers, trying to see

past the teeth, the tongue that twitched as it tried to help. A few fingers went in , reaching

past the slimy back of the tongue and his brother twisted below him, convulsing in a soundless

wretch. He drew fingers back, teeth scraping against flesh as he did. He tried smacking him on

the back, like Mother did when he was a baby, trying to make him burp. Nothing changed, Nek's

silence making his own eyes water.

He went to Nek's side again, sliding fingers into his mouth, trying in vain to reach the chunk as

he screamed for Mother again. He felt his own ears grow hot, his heart racing. It was out of

his reach, fingers searching. The birds seemed to stop chirping as he saw his mother running

toward them in slow motion, the hem of her dress torn by her movement. He could hear his own

breathing louder than what she screamed, ragged as he strained. It was probably for Father.

"You won't let me fall."

Nek's words echoed from recent memory. He felt something snap in the back of his head, pain

blossoming like he had just taken a fall as he felt the edges of the fruit. He closed his

fingers and felt only flesh, but pulled back anyway. The air was thick around him as he yanked,

the white flesh of the fruit following a few moments after, wreathed in quiet thunder.

"Nekura!" She wailed as she slid into him, grabbing Nek up and clutching him to her as she turned

his face to look at him, fear on her face as plain as the tears. Ragged breaths flew from him,

hoarse coughs and cries as he grabbed onto his mother. She drew him in closer, nestling him

against her as she looked at Shi, sitting in the grass, violet eyes locked on a piece of fruit as

it hovered above his fingertips.

"Musashi?"

Caerbannog valley, Kushibah.

It was nine years ago, in 16 ABY, when Wenet first experienced the Force. She had only just turned six a week prior, making her an adolescent for her kind and she was proud of it, as were her parents.
It was late in the afternoon, they were just returning home from the market..

“Look at our Wenet, growing up so fast” Nun said to Unas as they pulled the wagon along the narrow path that led to their land. They watched their eldest daughter walking ahead of them with her siblings. She was holding hands with the twins, Tomna and Dashan, singing a song they had heard in town that day. Their brother hopped next to them, singing as well. “Few more years and she'll start a family of her own” Unas replied, but the way he said it made it sound sarcastic just as he intended. Nun looked at her husband “I do hope so. It is time she let go of those ridiculous dreams” she replied. According to them, Wenet was a dreamer, she had her head in the clouds, thinking about what else was out there in the galaxy. But Kushiban rarely left their home world, it just wasn't their way. So hearing their daughter talk about becoming a pilot was a shock, they even felt a little embarrassed about it, “I heard them talk in town, whispering when they saw her” Nun said softly, “I don't want her to get upset” she added. “Don't worry, we're still here” Unas replied and squeezed his wife's hand.

The sun stood low on the horizon, “we better hurry, It's going to be dark soon” Unas said as they continued their walk home. It was then when they heard a screech in the distance. All of them immediately stopped in their tracks, their ears stood straight on the top of their heads as they listened. Again, a loud screech that echoed across the valley. “Xinkras” Nun said, “kids, quiet.. we have to get home fast!” She didn't have to say it twice, they all knew the drill.

The children let go of each other's hands and began to run on all fours, they were faster that way. Wenet looked over her shoulder to her parents. They weren't as fast as they were pulling the wagon with supplies. She had a bad feeling but knew she had to get her brothers and sister back to their home. The sound of screeching became louder, the Xinkra were getting closer.

It took only a couple of minutes until they reached the farm. Unas and Nun brought the kids inside. The twins immediately jumped into bed, hiding themselves under their blanket. Wenet and her brother, Lochtay, stood at the window, looking outside. “Get away from that window” Nun pulled them away just before a large pack of Xinkras appeared. Screeching loudly they moved around the house, the ground trembled as they were searching for their prey hiding inside the house. Unas looked out of the window, “we have to scare them off, they are destroying our crops” he told his wives. In a few weeks the harvest would start, they couldn't afford losing everything now. He grabbed the scythe and walked to the door “there's too many Unas” Nun told him, hoping he would stay. “Listen” he replied, they could hear the bells in town “the people are coming, we just need to hold them off for a few minutes. Or we'll have no crops left” he added and opened the door. “Then I'm coming with you!” Nun replied and grabbed a burning torch, fire often scared them off. “Mommy!” The twins cried when they saw their mom leave. “Watch your brothers and sister, Wenet. Don't come outside.” The door closed behind her.

At once Wenet and her brother returned to the window, watching their parents trying to scare the Xinkras off. At first they seemed to succeed but then all of a sudden another beast appeared out of nowhere. The Alpha, it was bigger than any of the others in the pack and with ease It scooped their father up with its massive jaw. “NOOO!!!!” Lochtay yelled and hugged his sister, burying his face in her fur. Wenet kept looking, she saw how the beast threw their father up in the air and swallowed him whole “Dad!.. no.”

Wenet peeled her brother's arms off her. “Stay here!” she said as she rushed to the door. “Wenet! You can't” but she was already outside and had picked up her father's scythe. Her mother was still trying to fight off the beasts with fire, but the alpha wasn't afraid at all. With its tail it hit the burning torch out of her hands, causing her to fall. The towering beast stepped on her, crushing her to death.

“NOOOOOOO!!!” seeing it happen, Wenet was filled with rage. She began to sprint toward her mom, feeling a burst of energy that made her unnaturally fast. Just as the alpha picked up Nun, Wenet launched herself at him and struck him with the scythe across its head. The beast roared and slammed Wenet with its claw to the ground.

*boom!*

The last thing she saw was the beast running off with the lifeless body of her mom between its jaws. It was chased away by a mob of townspeople carrying torches and primitive weapons.

Not until much later, Wenet finally learned it was Force that she had felt that awful night. Sparked by the raw emotions she felt, anger, fear and love. It made her faster and stronger and it gave her courage to do what she did. Unfortunately without training or experience even she never stood a chance. She was left with an ugly scar across her face, to remind her every single day of that dreadful night when she lost both her parents...

In case it's not clear in the context, Hiten was Reiden's birth name.

A harsh light filtered into his eyes awoke Hector Von Ricmore from slumber. His limbs ached and his head pounded. Anything beyond breathing was a struggle.

The Kiffar forced himself, inch by agonizing inch, to move his head and analyze the situation. He lay on a rocky surface, somewhere on Zsoldos if his memory was correct. His armor lay in tatters. Burns littered exposed flesh. His body lay in the remains of an escape pod. The vessels IFF listed it as a pod from Korvis‘ ship.

Korvis.

Hector remembered now. He had been speaking with his consul aboard his ship when everything had gone wrong.

The group had gone to inspect the Vizsla shipyards refusing to respond to any communication. And then the reactor went critical. Korvis stayed aboard the vessel, delaying the reactor long enough for Hector to escape.

And now he was dead.

Hector couldn‘t believe it. Korvis was indomitable. Willful. Sturdy. He had been a constant presence in Clan Vizsla for the last few years. In a mere moment he was wiped away.

Tears rolled down Hector‘s face as his battered body shook with sadness and rage. He took heaving breaths; trying in vain to calm himself.

He burned with shame.

Shame at his own weakness. Once again unable to save someone close to him.

There would be a reckoning. He would find who was behind the sabotage; it was impossible that the Clan Vizsla mechanics would keep Korvis ship in such a poor state where a reactor meltdown was a natural occurrence.

Lost in his thoughts and feelings he missed the signs of a solitary figure approaching.

The woman wore robes of deep crimson with a pointed hood; the garb of a Nightsister Mother.

She announced her presence, twin voices overlapping, one high and one deep. “You seek vengeance?“

Hector eyed the being warily. He had no idea how the sentient had appeared before him. And Force users could have a variety of motivations.

“We share a common enemy, you and I. As thanks for liberating my temple on Dathomir I now offer you a proposition. Swear yourself to me, and swear that you shall not turn your blade upon me and cause me harm. And in return I shall teach you Magick, the secrets of the Nightsisters.”

The deal had the potential to be lucrative but there was certainly something that Hector was missing. But in his current state, mind clouded by injury and anger, he agreed to the deal.

The Nightsister mother wielded her magick with expertise; sealing his wounds and fixing his armor. Then, as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished.

The Dark Jedi stood and slowly made his way to the spaceport. He boarded his ship and requested aid from the Vizsla military. 24 members of Frostwolf Company responded to his call, armed with blaster rifles and explosives.

The strike team flew aboard Raven Requiem to the planet of Kant. Approaching the planets orbit, the ship landed aboard the Respite repair yard.

The team saw no signs of life. No forced entry but none of the repair yard workers were present. The team collected the jamming devices and proceeded further into the station. They entered the structure’s control room. The station’s cameras had been disabled in the attack and the data gathered had been corrupted. With enough time, hopefully a skilled slicer could fix the data and learn more.