01/04/2016 04:49 PM  The final battle The final battle Darth Malgus. There he was standing. Right in front of her. The man that destroyed the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and was responsible of the death of hundreds of Jedis.  Her dark orbs locked on him while her blue hand wrapped around the hilt of her lightsaber. A tight grip. This man was evil. She could feel the hate, the rage which were burning in his insides and fueling the dark side. A shiver ran down her spine, her lekku twitched nervously. The last time she had met something evil like him was the day, when her master died in the battle. Fear. Fear suddenly filled her insides and her mind, squeezed her heart painfully together. She wanted to scream. Run away, Ma`Khina. Run as long as you still can! But her feet didn`t want to move. Why couldn`t she move? ``Ma`Khina.. so we finally meet, young Jedi`` ``Darth Malgus..`` her voice trembled slightly when she spoke. His name was well known in the galaxy. In this and every galaxy she has ever visited. The grip around her hilt tightened, slim knuckles shown up whitely on her blue skin. What did he want on Corellia? Why was he here? And what.. did he want from Ma`Khina. All the nightmares..the voice from the shadow..the feelings, the worries, the doubts into herself in the last weeks.. that all has been him. All the time! Slowly she unlinked the hilt from her belt, her left hand now wandering to her other lightsaber. ``No, Ma`Khina! He will kill you without remorse. Leave!`` ``No.. I can`t run away anymore.. I`m done with the running.. it`s time to face my demons, Master!`` The glimmering silhouette of Master Jemrin suddenly stood right in front of her, only inches away, and broke the eye contact to Darth Malgus. Gently he laid a hand onto her shoulder. Though he was just a ghost, she could feel the touch. Could feel this familiar warmth of him. Her eyes locked with his. How could he be here but also be dead? Confusion filled her head and she looked at him in disbelief. ``My young Padawan.. you`re not ready for this.. run! Run as long as you still can! Don`t make the same mistake I did! These people here need you!`` ``Master..but..`` A single tear slowly ran down her cheek. THERE IS NO EMOTION; THERE IS PEACE! No.. there were emotions. There were so many emotions. Right now in this moment she was almost exploding from all those emotions in her chest. It ripped her mind apart. Ripped apart who she was. Sadness, anger, the wish for revenge and.. understanding. ``Master..I..`` The sound of a lightsaber. Suddenly the silhouette of Master Jemrin was gone and right in front of her stood Darth Malgus, his lightsaber drawn and activated. Did he kill her Master again? Was that possible? Dying two times? ��NOOOOO!!`` A loud scream ran over her lips. In one fast movement the Twi`lek stepped forward and blocked his saber with hers, forced him to step backwards with all her might. She gave in to her emotions. Tears running down her cheeks. She was mad in rage.. and it was burning in her insides. ``Good, good, Padawan! You feel rage. You feel pain! Give in to those emotions. Let go and let it flow, my dear!`` His voice only fueled her anger. It wasn`t fair. It just wasn`t fair! How could this man.. this spawn of pure evil live while her Master was dead? Her left hand got a tight hold onto her second lightsaber and with one click she unlinked it from her belt. Only a few Younglings and Padawans did have the heart to learn the skills in fighting with two lightsabers. Though, it wasn`t just fighting. The use of two lightsabers was like a dance. A dance with yourself while always facing the death. Each movement, each turn and every small breathe was studied and trained in hours and hours of training. But Ma`Khina has never finished her training. Master Jemrin died much too early and so the Twi`lek could only resort to two forms. The Shii-Cho, the oldest form of lightsaber combat, and Makashi. But Malgus was much better trained and better skilled. She had no chance against him and a small voice in the back her mind told her right that again and again. But she ignored it. Instead she opened her mind more for the force, let it flow through her body and mind. And it fed on her rage. Still forcing the Sith backwards she got a better grip of her left saber and moved it in a wide stroke forward. Her first attack. ``Good try, but you still don`t listen to the force. Open your mind for the Dark Side`` he said and blocked the stroke easily, kicking his foot into her stomach with all his might. Too late. In her rage she had forgotten to shield herself with the force. The kick hit her with all its power and threw her a few meters through the air. With a groan she landed on her back, the air pressed out of her lungs. In a gasp she breathed and rolled onto her side, coughing. Drops of midnight blue blood sprinkled the ground as she tried to catch her breath. Slowly turning her head Ma`Khina looked at Malgus. Why wasn`t he attacking her? This was his chance.. he could just end her easily now. Another cough shook her and she spit more blood onto the street. Trembling fingers curled tight around her sabers and slowly she forced her body up onto her feet again, facing her opponent. A scornful laughter reached her ears. ``You are strong, Ma`Khina. I`m an old man, you could strike me down with ease but you`re still holding back. Come with me. Become my apprentice, open yourself for the Dark Side and I`ll make you the mightiest Twi`lek that has ever existed.`` ``Becoming mighty, following the way of a Sith and killing the innocents? No! That`s not my way, Malgus!`` ``Good, Ma`Khina! Lock out the rage and the anger. Don`t get touched by the Dark Side. She is alluring but also a liar. She can`t give you peace, my Padawan.`` Master Jemrin was right. The rage in her heart made her movements clumsy and filled her mind with distracting thoughts. Peace was the key for getting out of this alive. Slowly she inhaled a deep breath, calmed her racing heart and the storm of emotions in her soul. For a short moment - not longer as a heartbeat - she closed her eyes. Gone with the rage, the madness and everything that befouled her thoughts. With this she quietly repeated the code of the Jedi, cleaned her soul with those words. Words that had always gave her freedom and peace. The storm in her faded. She was ready. Slowly she opened her eyes again, locking her gaze right with Darth Malgus'. Moving her right foot a step back she got into a sideway stand. Lifting her left lightsaber in front of her, she shifted her weight onto her right leg. `Remember your training, Ma`Khina. One saber for the strikes, one for the blocks. Open your mind for the force` she reminded herself of her training. Finally the storm in her was over and she resembled a calm sea again. ``It ends here, Malgus!`` ``Indeed.. it ends here.. my apprentice!`` Another scornful laughter left the Sithlord`s lips and sent a cold shiver down Ma`Khina`s spine. No.. she would never become his apprentice. One of them will die tonight. Suddenly the man jumped forward, his lightsaber lifted up high. A trick. No.. Malgus wasn`t stupid enough for a plump attack like that one. A smirk curled up on her lips. Shifting her weight, she made a step backwards and leaned back, letting his red blade fly over her, only inches away from her blue skin. As Malgus turned around himself to use the drive of his attack for his next, Ma`Khina rose up into a correct stand again. Her left arm raised she blocked his next attack. A loud fizzling filled the air as their blades hit together. Ma`Khina had to review her strategy. In this moment it was nothing more than just blocking his attack. The Sithlord turned again and attacked her from the other side. Again she just blocked him. ``Absurd.. You can`t block me for forever, young one! Sooner or later you`ll have to attack me!`` A smirk curled up on her lips. Oh she knew that. She knew that very well and this was her advantage. For Malgus she was just a Padawan who has never finished her training as a Jedi. But she was more. All those years as a smuggler, as a pirate in the galaxy, have taught her a few things. No matter how desperate a situation looked like, there was always a way, a chance, to get out of it. If you had the right plan. Malgus did another turn around for his next attack, but this time he stepped back a little. He needed a new drive for that one. Ma`Khina deactivated her right saber. Slowly the blue glowing blade faded back into the hilt. Taking one step back, she shifted her weight onto her other foot. Keeping an onto the Sithlords movements she moved her right arm back and concentrated. She opened her hand, held the hilt just her thumb in her palm. During the dance between attacking and blocking she had called out for the force. Had collected it. Now she had enough energy together for a counterattack. Malgus turned, ready for his attack, while the Twi`lek concentrated the collected energy in her hand. Then, as he stepped forward to attack her, she pressed all the energy forward in a fast movement. The collected energy hit the man hard and threw him a few meters back. Attacks like this were exhausting. Breathing fast the Twi`lek stood there and collected her strength back together. She rarely used this kind of attacks. It just cost too much energy. Opening her heart she felt the force flooding back into her cells, refilling them with energy, while Malgus jumped back up onto his feet. Ma`Khina though chased forward, reactivating her right saber again, before Malgus could even think of a new attack again. Her right arm lifted up, she attacked him with the left. A fast stroke over his chest, followed by another one with the right. Stepping back he could avoid any damage. Turning around herself, she used the drive of her attack to get into her next one. A tingle in the left lekku, a warning by the force. In her turn around she jumped up, twisted in the air and flew over his attacking lightsaber. Gracefully she landed onto her feet again, turned and blocked his coming attack with her lightsaber. Breathing fast she stared into his red glowing eyes. So much hate. So many feelings she couldn`t even describe. And pain. Sadness. A shiver ran down her spine as she sensed those feelings. Feelings she had never expected within a Sithlord. A surprised gasp rolled over her lips. ``This is the end, Ma`Khina!`` Before the Twi`lek could think further more about his words she got suddenly hit by an invisible energy. Flying through the air she built a shield around her body, before she hardly hit against a wall. Without this shield, her bones would probably be scrunched. Slowly she opened her eyes, noticing that she was still hanging on this wall, unable to move. Held there by the force. She could feel the dark side flowing within it. ``Come on! Kill me now, Malgus! You`d do me a favor`` she exclaimed, her voice trembling. Another scornful laughter filled the air. Oh, she couldn`t feel hate, but if she could, she would really hate this laughter. In a try to move she lost the hold of her lightsabers. With a clangor they landed on the ground. ``Not yet, my dear.. not yet. I`ll make you mine, my dear beauty. You`ll be my apprentice and soon the queen by my side. Together we will rule over the planets and crush the republic!`` Gently he brushed a gloved finger over her cheek, admiring her beauty. ``No.. I will never.. never kneel down for you`` she muttered, her voice nothing more than a weak whisper. ``Of course, my dear.. let the innocents kneel down for you.... my queen`` That was the last she heard. Suddenly everything around her faded into a deep darkness. She fell. Fell into a black hole and darkness wrapped around her mind and her soul like a blanket. A blanket as cold as fear itself. What was happening with her? As Ma`Khina passed out, Darth Malgus gently freed her from his strong grip with the force. Slowly she slid down the wall and fell into the Sithlord`s arms. In admiration he looked down into the face of the blue beauty in his arms. ``No worries, my dear.. I will take care of you! I will protect you and train you.. and I swear that by my life``  0 Comments

01/04/2016 04:42 PM  Rebellion on Corellia - Part II Rebellion on Corellia - Part II Twelve men. Twelve of Major Julan Tr�s best men and Ma`Khina against an amount of imperial soldiers. Two.. maybe three hundred of soldiers. The Twi`lek still couldn`t believe that she accepted the command over this, but sometimes hope was everything that kept someone up. The Major has given her her lightsabers back. Those swords had been lost in the `Lost Hope` just like T7. If they could salvage her swords, then maybe they also could find T7. That was her thought behind this. Her hope behind this suicide command. This and the fact that she didn`t want to leave one man behind. It was past midnight when the small troop finally arrived at Coronet City. Cowering down behind a small rock formations the studied the city and its guards. Just like their spies have reported it. Six soldiers on the main entrance and two gun turrets on each side. Ma`Khina sighed deeply. The force was tingling in the back of her mind. Warned her and caused her heart to race. There was more behind this fence. More than just a few hundred men with blasters and some gun turrets. There was a bigger menace waiting for them and the force tried to warn her. ``Ma`Khina.. sometimes it`s better to get away alive than dying in the try`` ``I can`t leave now..`` her voice was just a soft whisper, a reminder to herself. She couldn`t leave anymore. They went so far. They came here to save Coronet and Bela Vistal. Another deep breath was taken. `Calm down, Ma`Khina. Your thoughts are like a storm right now and you can`t sail a ship in a storm` she thought by herself. Turning her head the blue skinned Twi`lek looked at the man right next to her - Commander Jonathan Larsen, her right hand during this mission. A soft nod was exchanged between the two of them. The plan was clear. They had spoken about it more than a hundred times before starting off for this mission. Larsen and his men would cause some chaos and break the gun turrets. They are the distraction. While Ma`Khina would free the citizens of Corellia. Information was given that those were captured in the warehouses. They had to be fast if they wanted to free them all. Gently the young woman laid a hand on the Commander`s shoulder, a soft smile on her lips as she looked into his eyes. ``Be careful, Commander�� she said in a soft tone, knowing that this could be the last time they talk. The human just smirked and nodded. ``I`m more worried about you, Captain. Your job is the hard part in this so.. good luck!�� With a soft smile on her lips the Twi`lek nodded at the commander. ``I`ll be fine, no worries, Commander. May the force be with you!`` For a moment the Twi`lek closed her eyes and inhaled a slow deep breath, opening her mind for the force. Five years.. five years did she reject the force but now she opened herself for it again. For this special mission she would need any help. A soft tingle and a warm feeling suddenly filled her mind and her cells. The force was gently spreading and entering each part of her body. Refilled her muscles with energy and cleared up her mind. Slowly she lifted her head and opened her eyes, looking straight at the gate in front of them. 200 meters maybe. In one fast and graceful move Ma`Khina jumped over the rocks and ran towards the entrance. The darkness was her friend, the force her shadow. Just as she was about ran into the spotlights which were built up around the gate and lightening the ways, two of the soldiers from her team shot them off. Before anyone could see or sense her, she was through the gate. But two soldiers recognized her presence and aimed their blasters at her. Her left lekku twitched nervously. A warning. Cowering down she made a fast turn, slamming her right fist into one`s jaw. With a weak groan the male fell onto the floor. Shaking her aching hand she looked around for her other attacker, but the soldier was already distracted again. Her team started the attack. `The distraction.. do your job, Ma`Khina` Using the force to cover her presence she ran as fast as even possible towards the warehouses. The streets were full with soldiers and she had to stay in the shadows which meant some detours, but nobody attacked her by far. Ma`Khina reached the first warehouses as the sound of an explosion reached her ears. The first gun turret was not existent anymore. There were two soldiers standing guard at the door. Blasters would make too much noises and the chance was big enough that the blasterfire wouldn`t hit through their armor. Running towards them she drew her right lightsaber. Though, she hadn`t felt the weight of her own saber in years, it still felt familiar. Like an extension of her arm. Only inches away from the soldiers, she finally activated the light blue blade. Two fast strokes and the soldiers laid on the ground. Twirling the saber in her right hand she looked around. No other soldiers around. No one has recognized her attack. Good.. this meant she could open the doors and free the first civilians without any risk. After activating the control panel the doors slid open with a hiss and the blue skinned woman slipped inside. Seeing that no other guard was inside she stepped forward to a group of people, linking the hilt of her lightsaber back on her belt. ``I am here to free you. The doors are open, the guard is eliminated. Run towards the gates, my team will await you there. Pick up weapons wherever you can and fight if necessary. I go and open the other warehouses!`` ``Wait! What about you?`` ``I`ll come to the gates with the last group. Now go!`` Ignoring any other protest she ran towards the doors, her hand on the hilt of her sword again, but no one was around. With a wave she signed, that the coast was clear then turned to the right. Those people were on their own now while Ma`Khina was on her way to open the next warehouse. ``Ma`Khina. I knew you would come!`` The Captain stopped. Breathing fast she looked in panic into the distance. This voice. This dark voice was so clear in her head suddenly. He must be close. Breathing deeply she looked around. Nothing. No soldiers. No imperial officers. No one. Where did this voice come from. With a surprised gasp she suddenly closed her eyes. Images of an office not far away from her filling her mind suddenly. ``Meet me here and I`ll let all the people go. Corellia isn`t from much interest for me anyway. But you.. you are indeed!`` `` Don`t go, Ma`Khina! This is a trap. He will kill you if you go!`` Shaking her head she tried to ignore those voices in her head. This wasn`t the right time for hallucinations. The folk of Corellia needed her and she would do anything to free them all. Another explosion pulled her out of her thoughts and finally she fell back into a fast running. But still.. who was that voice in her head? Why did he know her name? What did he want from her? Ma`Khina reached the other warehouses and freed the rest of the citizens of Coronet city without any problems. It was like someone has ordered the soldiers to ignore her. Why? What was going on? This all was going much too smooth. It was weird. The tingle in the back her mind grew stronger and nervously the blue skinned woman bit on her lower lip. Maybe it was time to find out the truth. After sending the last citizens to the gates she slowly wandered along the streets. They were empty. There weren`t any guards or soldiers. One hand hovered over the hilt of her lightsaber. The tingle in the back of her mind grew stronger and became a steady and painful prickle. Her lekku twitched nervously. ``So, we finally meet, young Jedi`` Ma`Khina stopped in her tracks and activated her saber, the blue blade glowing only inches away from her face. Her eyes looking right over it to the tall figure in front of her. She knew who this was. She had met him before.. or better.. his voice. ``Darth Malgus...`` 0 Comments

01/04/2016 04:37 PM  Rebellion on Corellia - Part I  Rebellion on Corellia - Part I Two months have passed since the day Ma`Khina was crashed on Corellia. Two months has she been stucked on this planet already. Her ship was almost totally destroyed and there wasn`t much of a chance she would ever be able to fly it again. But she didn`t give up. She didn't want to. In every free minute she got, she worked on it. Gladly she got some help from the corellian civilization and military, like food and supplies. The supreme chancellor Dorian Janarus has offered her a new ship. A newer version of the Corellian Freighter, but she denied this great offer. Between her and the ``Lost Hope`` was something like a connection. Together they had been through more impossible situations than anyone could imagine. It was her obligation to repair it. Besides.. T7. Her little friend was still missed. There hadn`t been any kind of `Life sign` from the astromech in the past two months. No try to get into contact with her. Not even any knock signs when she had been working on the ship. This worried her a lot and only fueled the will to work harder on the ship. She had to find a way inside somehow and find her friend. She just had to Sitting alone at a table in the army cantina in Bela Vistal and slowly chewing on something, that looked like mashed potatoes but tasted suspiciously like some huttese snail delicacy, she studied the plans of the `Lost Hope`. The cockpit was totally destroyed. After her rescue a gigantic tree was crashed right into it. It was a wonder that it didn`t fall earlier. The Twi`lek had to admit it. Looking at the wreck of her ship and the circumstances.. all in all she still survived so.. the force might really have been with her. No. She slowly shook her head, her lekku lightly twitching. Why should she believe it? Why should the force suddenly rescue her but when she wanted to save Master Jemrin it deserted her. Why? ``It wasn`t you or the force who killed me, Ma`Khina.`` There was this familiar voice again. The voice that was haunting her for a few months already. Ma`Khina shook her head. She didn`t want to hear that. The dead couldn`t speak. Ignoring the clear voice she just took another spoonful of whatever she was eating in that moment. Her mind fully concentrated onto the blueprints in front of her. T7 had been in the rear of the ship when they crashed. There weren`t any bigger holes in the frame so he couldn`t be thrown out. So..he was still inside. But where? And how should she..- The Twi`lek jerked back suddenly, letting out a soft scream of surprised. Her gaze still fixed onto the blueprints, she tried to breathe deeply. Calm down, Ma`Khina. Her eyes widened she slowly looked up, unable to believe it. There.. in a clear white glimmer, stood Master Jemrin. Her Jedi Master. Smiling at her his typical smile and pointing onto a spot on the map. ``You should open yourself for the force again, Ma`Khina. This way you would see, where our friend is, my young Padawan`` ``No..you are dead. You`re nothing but a hallucination. You don`t exist`` The glimmering figure moved, settled itself right next to her, like it was sitting on a chair. ``You still have so much to learn, my young Padawan and it is my fault that you are alone with the burden now. A burden you imposed on yourself. It was my fault. This fight was nothing for a Master and his Padawan and I apologize for my stubbornness. Ma`Khina, you need to go back to the order. They can still teach you so much. Besides.. I`m worried about you`` His words sent a shiver over her spine, causing her lekku to twitch nervously. Moving her head to both sides, she looked around if anyone was overhearing their conversation as suddenly another voice joined into the conversation. ``The order of the Jedi..the Republic is lost!`` Her eyes widened. She knew that voice. She knew it much too good. It was the voice she heard in her nightmares. The voice that whispered her name in the shadows since the day she broke through the barricade. Shivering slightly she turned her head back, but only saw Master Jemrin. His face concerned suddenly. ``Ma`Khina? Did you listen to what I said?`` ``Why should you, young Twi`lek? He is nothing than a hallucination. But I am reality. You can hear my voice in your mind, am I right? I knew you`re not dead. `` Slowly Ma`Khina rose up from her chair, grabbing the blueprints of her ship and the tablet with the rest of her food. She hadn`t eaten even the half of it. But well.. you just lose your appetite when you`re terrorized by two voices which shouldn`t be there. Without saying another word she walked away. Hopefully leaving Master Jemrin`s ghost and the dark voice only she could hear. Just as she wanted to look back for the ghost and the darkness she heard another deep voice calling her name. ``Captain Ma`Khina, I was searching you everywhere. I have some things to talk with you about.`` ``No way, Major. I`m on my way to the `Lost Hope`. I`ve wasted more than enough time on this planet..`` Ma`Khina wanted to leave. Run away from those voices and shadows which seem to chase her wherever she was. But Major Julan Tr�s grabbed her arm, forcing her to look into his face. The pain was written clearly in the eyes of the young soldier. Still, that was no reason to be so rough to her. She was a Twi`lek but no slave. Gladly she still had her emotions under control and didn`t say anything. But with one fast move she pulled her arm back and stepped away from him. ``What happened, Major?`` ``Darth Malgus.. he`s on the way to Bela Vistal, together with a battalion of troopers. He has like 20.000 men while we.. just lost another hundred of men. We can`t protect the city anymore. Or you.`` That was a clear word. She nodded softly, totally understanding what he was trying to say. Her gaze fell back to the table, where she had sat only moments earlier. Jemrin`s ghost was gone. She sighed. Like usual.. when she needed advise the most, no one was there to give her one. Ma`Khina looked back at the soldier in front of her. A nod was given. ``You think he`s after me?" ``Indeed. But I also talked for a very long time with my soldiers and the chancellor and we all share the opinion that we won`t hand you over, Captain. Still.. we need help..`` ``What can I do?`` ``We need supplies, soldiers and weapons. There are still some men in Coronet who are able to fight. But the city is surrounded. No one gets out or inside the city. But..`` ``I need a ship. But no freighter. A freighter can take like 30 men, if they sit on each other maybe 50. That will never be enough.`` ``Indeed and we didn`t think of bringing them out with a ship, Captain. We want to break the barricade.`` Ma`Khina froze, the tablet still in one hand, the blue prints in the other she just stared at him. A tingle in the back of her mind. The force trying to communicate with her. It cost her a lot of concentration to just ignore it and the bad feeling that came with it. This wasn`t a good plan and she knew that already. She didn`t need the force to tell her about it. ``You`re kidding, right? You want to break another barricade with the rest of your men and abandon this city here while Darth Malgus is on his way? You will lose more men and you will lose Bela Vistal. Don`t be stupid, Major!`` ``I won`t send just anyone, Captain. I want to send just one woman and a small troop of my best men! Twelve men to be more precise.`` Ma'Khina frowned at his words. One woman and a small troop. Slowly she placed lowered the tablet in her hand and put it on the table next to them. Her gaze went nowhere for seconds while she thought about a proper answer. This was a suicide command. ``Captain.. no matter if you lead my men or not, I will send them. Just.. with you they`d have a chance, Ma`Khina!`` Dark orbs shifted as the Major placed a little metallic box on the table right next to the tablet. A shiver ran down her spine. ``We know what you`re capable about... Lead my men.. give them hope and a chance!`` Slowly lifting her head she looked into the Major`s eyes. ``I`m not this person anymore, Major! But fine.. I will take the command of this stupidity!`` Said this she grabbed the small box and turned to leave. ``And when I`m back, you better tell me how you got my lightsabers, Major!`` To be continued 0 Comments

09/09/2015 09:36 PM  White Walls White Walls Darkness. Not just a darkness like someone has forgotten to switch on the lights. Or the darkness of space. It`s a gentle, a warm darkness. It feels like home. So soft. Warm. Draped around her thoughts and her being like a thick and heavy blanket. It felt like a place where she was welcomed and loved. Peaceful. Quiet. Here.. she was alone with her thoughts. Alone with herself. Ma`Khina enjoyed this place. It was calm there. There weren`t the permanent sounds of machines around her. No astromech that surrounded her like an always worried nanny. No broken machine parts. No worries.. Only her and the darkness A darkness totally different to what she normally saw. There weren`t any whispers. No creepy shadows which were trying to pull her slender frame into their arms. Arms of fear and anger. Since the day she had killed those two Siths those arms and whispers were following her. Tried to wrap around her heart and mind. To poison her with darkness. No matter how much she meditated or tried to ignore it. The darkness became stronger. That was why she had to do what she has done. That was why she broke through the barricade around Corellia. She had to assure herself that she was still doing the right things. That she still had control over her own mind. So this darkness.. did it mean she was dead? The Twi`lek felt save here. She wanted to stay. For an eternity. No more worries anymore. No fear. ``Are you still trying to hide, my young Padawan?`` A deep manly voice spoke. Gentle and friendly from far away. There was no face to the voice. But somehow, she knew that voice. It felt familiar. Warmed her heart and her soul. Someone she had known very well for the longest time of her life yet. Someone who had been closer to her than anyone else. ``You need to wake up, Ma`Khina. This is not the end yet!`` Slowly the blue skinned Twi`lek opened her eyes. Light. It burned and her eyelids moved down automatically again. She gave herself a short moment. A deep breath was taken. Slowly her lungs filled with fresh air. She was still alive. A good feeling. The fact that she could breathe without feeling any pain made her clear, that no ribs were harmed. Good. After the first burning in her eyes vanished she carefully opened her eyes again. Step by step. Blinking several times to give her eyes the chance to adjust to the light. White walls They were the first thing Ma`Khina could identify. White walls. Why white? Her room, her ship.. the walls there were grey. Which must mean that this wasn`t her room. Confused she slowly inhaled another deep breath. Feeling her heart beating and pumping her cerulean blood through her veins while she stared at that wall. What has happened? Why was she laying in the bed of a stranger? And.. ``T7?`` Her voice was raspy and nothing more than a weak whisper. Just speaking out that little name has been painful. She tried to swallow, to wet her throat and her voice, but there were no saliva in her mouth. Thirsty. But no matter how hushed she whispered his name.. he should be able to hear it. He was an astromech. Programmed to her voice and he would never leave her alone when she wasn`t feeling well. The past year Ma`Khina had a heavy form of the Balmorran flu. Her fever had been very high and she hadn`t been able to leave her bed for six days. T7 had done anything to make her feel better. He had given her medicine. Fed her with soup. And when the fever was still climbing he had contacted a doctor and brought her to him. T7 was often a feisty little dustbin towards Ma`Khina and loved to argue with her about the most silliest things but..he was her friend. Her best friend and since the day Master Jemrin died, he had become much more for her. A protector.  So.. where was he now? Slowly remembering what has happened, the cruelest thoughts suddenly filled her mind. Thoughts about T7-O1`s destroyed body. Panic made her heart beating faster and she finally found the strength to move. Soft white sheets covered her body and rustled as she carefully turned onto her back. Her left arm and shoulder hurt heavily and she clenched her teeth to bare it. A short glance showed her that her arm was bandaged. Same with her right hand. Did she have any more injuries? She couldn`t tell it right now. The main worry was her best friend now. The sound of an opening door caught her attention and she looked into the direction, finding two men stepping into her room. Corellian. So, she made it to Corellia. That was reassuring. One of the men was wearing a uniform and the insignias of a Major. The other one was obviously a doctor. ``Captain, we`re so glad you finally woke up. You caused us a lot of worries the last days. A few times it looked really bad and-`` the doctor tried to explain to her but she interrupted him. ``Where is my astromech? There was a T7-O1 unit on my ship! Where is he?`` The two men changed a worried look before the Major stepped forward. ``Captain..`` ``No! I don`t..agh..`` while speaking Ma`Khina tried to sit up, causing even more pain in her body. Bandages were covering her abdomen as well, but she didn`t care. Instead she tried to stand up and to get out of the bed, not noticing that she was pulling on an infusion which was connected with her right arm. The doctor instantly jumped forward to push her gently back into her bed, but she resisted him. ``Take your hands off of me, doc! I wanna know what happened to my friend and to my ship!`` Her breath grew heavy and short and she clenched her teeth. Pain and anger were a bad mix. Her heart pumped adrenaline through her veins and gave her the power to sit up like this against them, although her entire body was in pain. The Major sighed weakly and gave the doctor a short nod. A sign he understood very well and he let go of Ma`Khina and stepped back a little. ``You`re ship is almost completely destroyed. The cockpit does almost not exist anymore. You are lucky that you survived, young Twi`lek. We haven`t been able to repair your ship but our minister offers you a new one`` he explained in a serious voice, looking straight into her eyes. That was an answer, but not what she wanted to hear. ``And T7?`` she looked straight into the Major`s eyes, already having a very bad feeling about his next words. ``We couldn`t find him in the chaos.`` Ma`Khina remained silence for a moment. Her ship destroyed. T7-O1 missing. Was this mission really worth all that? For a long felt moment she just stared down onto her hands. Then, suddenly she bunked off the infusion out of her right arm and rose up on her feet. Her knees were shaky. Her head dizzy. She wavered and the doctor jumped forward to steady her, but the Major gave him another sign. He froze. Taking a deep breath she looked straight at the Major. ``My freight?`` ``We could retrieve the most of it. The people of Corellia are grateful and deep in your debt, Captain.`` She gave a short nod and turned her gaze to the doctor. ``Doctor, my clothes please.`` ``Ma`am, with all due respect, I still think that you should lay down. Your injuries have almost cost your life. An astromech isn`t worth-`` ``You are right! An astromech isn`t worth it to risk my life..`` she slowly stepped forward towards him. ``But my friend is it! And I will get him out of the ruins of my ship and repair him and nobody and nothing will stop me!`` She turned and looked at the Major. ``I appreciate the offer of your minister, Major. But I will repair my ship. We both.. have a past together.``  0 Comments

08/22/2015 09:36 PM  The Smuggler - Corellia CHAPTER ONE  The Smuggler Corellia - Part I Four years later. After leaving the Order of the Jedi, Ma'Khina had sold Master Jemrin`s ship and bought a new one - a light freighter of the XS Stock-Class. A perfect ship for a smuggler, with hidden compartments and a few weapons. But the most important fact on this ship was, how fast and maneuverable it was. She replaced her lightsabers with a blaster and lived now the life of a criminal - still keeping the Jedi code in mind, following it. But life wasn`t just black or white. Someone couldn`t always just decide out of the fact to do what is right. Often enough the young Twi`lek had to do things, which followed her in her nightmares in order to survive or in order to do what she thought was right. Was it right to bring the life of hundreds of soldiers into danger, just for saving the life of maybe twenty? `Sometimes doing the wrong thing brings us back to the right way` did Master Jemrin say whenever his Padawan has done any mistakes. Now, that she was sitting in the cockpit of the `Lost Hope`, on her way to Corellia, she remembered those wise words again. Life wasn`t always just black or right. It was grey in many situations and too often it was covered in red.   Sitting in the cockpit of the ``Lost Hope`` a deep sigh escaped the young Twi`lek, her gaze wandering over the consoles which showed the actual sensor data. This didn`t look good. ``T7, two minutes before we jump out of the hyperdrive. Prepare the weapons`` she was serious and the tone in her words made clear, that she didn`t accept any ifs and buts. The small astromech whistled nervously and rolled to the back of the ship. Was he nervous? Frightened? Maybe he was. To be honest, Ma'Khina was nervous herself. But this wasn`t the right moment for feelings or worries. Each second they would arrive at Corellia.. and fly directly into a wall of imperial starfighters. Corellia, the capital planet in the Corellian System, was under imperial siege, no ship got in or out. With this in mind, Ma`Khina was trying the impossible. But her freight was important. Medical supplies and food for the poor souls, who were trying to survive in the middle of this war. And some weapons for those who wanted to fight back the Empire. The last time she had visited Corellia had been in her time as a Padawan and the Twi`lek still remembered some of the faces she had met in her time there. Knowing that they lived a life in pain and suffer since the Empire was there, was just cruel and Ma`Khina needed to do anything to change that. There is no emotion.. There is peace! Another deep breath was inhaled and the blue skinned woman straightened her back, rolling her shoulders to wake up her muscles. Her gaze wandered from her sensor data up to the big window in front of her. Each moment they would jump out of the hyperdrive. A soft tingle in the back of her mind tried to attract her attention. The force. Was it a warning? Was it a sign, how stupid her idea was at all? Or was it an offer to help her through this rough situation? Whatever it was, Ma`Khina ignored it. Instead she just shoved the tingle away and turned her full concentration into the situation. Her hands gripped tightly the helm of the freighter. From the back of the ship came the soft whistle of a scared astromech, telling her that he was in position and that the weapons were activated. ``Don`t worry, T7.. no one of us will die today..`` at least.. that was what she hoped. The ``Lost Hope`` jumped out of the hyperdrive - a bit too close to the enemy. Three gigantic Dreadnoughts of the Harrower-class filled her window. No time for some staring. Without any hesitation she jerked the helm to the side and the light freighter flew a curve to the right, avoiding to fly into one of the much bigger starships. ``Unidentified spaceship, stop your engines and identify yourself!`` ``How about `No`?`` keeping her communication system still offline, Ma`Khina only spoke to herself. Giving more thrust into the engines she jerked the helm back to the other side, flying directly back towards the Dreadnoughts. Of course they wouldn`t just draw aside. This wasn`t a game about who was the bravest. If Ma`Khina crashed into one of those colossus, the `Lost Hope` would just explode and the starfighter wouldn`t even care about it. Some scratches in the paint maybe, that would be all.  `Let`s hope that the shields work` That thought just crossed her mind as the imperial ship started to fire. Pushing the helm from one side to the other she was able to swerve most of the shots. But each shot that hit the freighter hurt Ma`Khina literally. ``Why does they always have to shoot?`` asking herself through clenched teeth she pulled the helm back, tilting the nose of her freighter upwards to guide the freighter over the starfighter. It was one thing when they shot at the freighter, but another thing when they shot at their own ship. Navigating her spaceship over the body of the Dreadnought she flew a dipsy-doodle to swerve the steady fire on her ship. ``You could start shooting finally, T7!`` the Twi`lek shouted over her shoulder, keeping her concentration onto her systems and the flying. The eyes of the Twi'lek widened as a half dozen of S 12 Blackbolts flew directly towards her ship, all of them faster and more agile as Ma`Khina's ship. Sweat pearled on her forehead as she collected her concentration. A tingle in her right hand and she jerked the helm to the left. The spaceship flew a sharp curve, only a few parsecs away of the fighters. Of course, they followed her. ``T7, six scouts right behind us! Show them how tough we really are!`` There came a whistle from the back of the ship and Ma`Khina couldn`t resist but smiled. Sometimes.. just sometimes.. this small astromech sounded exactly like Master Jemrin. He would have said the same to her. More imperial scouts crossed her way and with a deep sigh the blue female pushed some buttons on the console in front of her. ``Sure.. why not. Every time you think it can`t be worst, it becomes worst`` she cursed under her breath and activated the front weapons and gave more energy into the shields. With her thumbs she pushed the buttons on the helm. Luckily she could shoot two of the scouts into a bright explosion.   ``Unidentified ship. Here speaks Darth Malgus. The fun is over. Turn off your engines and give up finally!`` An ice cold shiver ran down the spine of the young Twi'lek as she heard the muffled voice through the speakers in her cockpit. Darth Malgus. She knew that name. She knew it much better as she wanted to know it. Only ten years ago he was rushed over Coruscant like a hurricane. In one big attack he had destroyed the Jedi Temple and killed hundreds of Jedis and citizens of the Republic, including six members of the Jedi High Council and the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Ma`Khina was ten years old when it happened and had just started her education as a Padawan. On the day when the Jedi Temple had been attacked, she had been on Ryloth with Master Jemrin. Lightyears had been between them and the Jedis who died on that day, but they felt each of their deaths painfully strong in their minds. The Twi`lek still remembered how much she had cried in that night, letting her feelings flow for the first time in her life. Most of the Jedis and the Younglings, had been her friends. One of them.. a Togruta in her age.. had been her best friend. The girl she had shared her room with. Andrana. A wonderful young girl, so lively and funny. A bit clumsy with the use of the force but still.. the best friend Ma`Khina could have imagined in her life. The young face of that lovely Togruta suddenly appeared before Ma`Khina`s inner eye. Always a gentle smile on her lips. No matter what had happened. This girl couldn`t move a rock with the force, but she could move someone`s heart just with her smile. The soft tingle in the back of her mind grew suddenly stronger and pulled the blue skinned Twi`lek out of her memories and back into reality. She gasped surprised as she saw those 15 scouts flying straight towards her. ``Karabast!`` A loud curse escaped her soft reddish lips and she moved the helm of the freighter to the right. Flying a big loop she tried to avoid a crash into even one of the S 12 Blackbolts. The console in front of her gave a long alerting bleep and with panic she turned her gaze onto it. ``No.. No no no no!!``The tingle in the back of her mind grew stronger and almost tugged on her nerves. ``T7, stop firing back! We have problems with the-`` A loud explosion right next to her broke her sentence. Throwing her arms up, she covered her head from flying fragments. A fire broke out at the console, but Ma`Khina had no hand free to douse it. Feeling the heat of the fire against the soft skin of her left arm, she concentrated on flying her freighter. ``I need a bigger crew or more droids..`` she muttered to herself, swerving her spaceship between all those laser-shots while the fire grew bigger. ``T7!! I have problems here! Stop shooting and come into the cockpit!`` the Twi`lek shouted over her shoulder, in hope her little friend was still there. Her sensors showed that the `Lost Hope` was already pretty damaged, but they still had a chance to get to Corellia. Maybe not in one piece, but at least they would bring their freight to those who need it the most. With a whistle the small astromech rolled into the cockpit and started to douse the fire. A deep sigh of relief escaped her and a soft smile curled up on Ma`Khina`s lips. Her friend was still alive and took care about the systems. But there were still twelve S 12 Blackbolts on their rear. No need to mention, that the Dreadnoughts were also firing onto the little freighter. Bluish blood ran slowly down her left arm. Fragments from the explosion had cut into her arm and caused wounds of different sizes. The Twi`lek ignored the pain in her arm and activated the communication system. ``Here speaks the unidentified ship: shut your mouth!`` she didn`t wait for an answer. Instead she deactivated the communication system and the speakers. Taking a deep breath she gave more thrust into the engines and the freighter jumped forward. Knowing her starship by heart she didn`t even need to look down as she pushed a few buttons on her console and programmed the control of the rear weapons to her console. But when her finger slipped off a button she looked surprised down. Surprise covered her face as she found her own blue blood on the console. ``..we all have to pay our prize for freedom..`` she muttered thoughtfully. Words her Master had told her a very long time ago. Only a few days before his death. Slowly she lifted her gaze up to the window again. Corellia. No Dreadnoughts or Scouts ahead of them. Just the blue planet. They were close. They still had a chance to get out of this alive. But they couldn`t land as long those scouts were still behind them. A heavy jerk ran through the ship suddenly as something in the back exploded. ``..ugh..STOP SHOOTING! YOU'RE DESTROYING MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP!`` Of course nobody except of her astromech could hear her, no matter how loud she screamed. But she just had to let her frustration out for a moment. With a few deep beeps did T7 rolled out of the cockpit again and to the back of the ship. Obviously wanting to take care of whatever just exploded. Ma`Khina didn`t look down onto her console anymore. There were more red lights and bad news than anything else at the moment. ``I hate doing this..but you guys don`t give me any other choice`` saying this she sighed again. With the push on a few buttons on the console to her right she opened one of her cargo areas and her old hyperdrive floated out into space together with a few other ship parts she had replaced before this mission. Her eyes were glued onto the sensor data her computer spitted out. The hyperdrive hit one of the  S 12 Blackbolts and damaged it. This was the moment when she shot, aiming at her old propulsion system. Next she saw was a big explosion. A sigh of relief escaped her. Eight of the scouts were down. Four would be easily to handle. Giving full speed she navigated directly to Corellia and activated the communication system again. ``Here speaks Captain Ma`Khina from the Lost Hope. I`m through the barricade and head towards Bela Vistal. Four S 12 Blackbolts are still right behind me. I request help at the landing!`` ``Major Julan Tr�s here. I can hear you, Captain Ma`Khina. Help will come as requested. It is good to hear you, Captain!`` Those were great news and a soft smile curled up on Ma`Khina`s soft lips. Now she just needed to enter the atmosphere of Corellia and help would show up directly. Another explosion vibrated through the small ship. Those scouts had some really good pilots. Some who could actually aim before they shoot. Finally the nose of the `Lost Hope` broke through the atmosphere of Corellia, but the freighter didn`t become slower. Sweat ran down into her eyes and her breath grew faster. A slight dizziness filled her mind suddenly. Was it relief? Or was it just the loss of her blood? She didn`t care. Just a few more moments and they would be safe and the freight would be in good hands. Who cared what happened afterwards? She would just take a long bath in a bacta tank to regain energy for the flight back. The high houses of Bela Vistal appeared on her window and she smiled. Three corellian scouts passed by and next the Twi`lek saw on her sensors was, how the last four S 12 Blackbolts exploded in the blue sky. ``..safe..I can`t believe it!`` she muttered and tried to slow down the engines. The systems didn`t react. ``T7! We can`t land with that speed!`` she listened into the back but didn`t got any answer. ``T7??!!!`` No reaction. And no time for any worries. The ground of the planet became closer much too fast. ``Lost Hope, you`re much too fast. Take back some speed!`` ``What do you think I`m trying here?` Ma`Khina muttered. No matter what she did, the systems didn`t react anymore. Ma`Khina took a deep breath. Filling her lungs with life one more time. Maybe her last time. Lifting her right hand she checked if the belt was holding her tightly. The ground grew closer. The Twi`lek closed her eyes. A heavy jolt ran through the ship as the nose of the `Lost Hope` crashed into the ground. Trees fell down. Brown earth welled up and exploded into all directions. The Twi`lek jerked forward and hit her head against the helm. And lost consciousness. 0 Comments

08/10/2015 12:24 PM  Chapter one - The Smuggler - Corellia CHAPTER ONE  The Smuggler Corellia - Part I Four years later. After leaving the Order of the Jedi, Ma'Khina had sold Master Jemrin`s ship and bought a new one - a light freighter of the XS Stock-Class. A perfect ship for a smuggler, with hidden compartments and a few weapons. But the most important fact on this ship was, how fast and maneuverable it was. She replaced her lightsabers with a blaster and lived now the life of a criminal - still keeping the Jedi code in mind, following it. But life wasn`t just black or white. Someone couldn`t always just decide out of the fact to do what is right. Often enough the young Twi`lek had to do things, which followed her in her nightmares in order to survive or in order to do what she thought was right. Was it right to bring the life of hundreds of soldiers into danger, just for saving the life of maybe twenty? `Sometimes doing the wrong thing brings us back to the right way` did Master Jemrin say whenever his Padawan has done any mistakes. Now, that she was sitting in the cockpit of the `Lost Hope`, on her way to Corellia, she remembered those wise words again. Life wasn`t always just black or right. It was grey in many situations and too often it was covered in red.   Sitting in the cockpit of the ``Lost Hope`` a deep sigh escaped the young Twi`lek, her gaze wandering over the consoles which showed the actual sensor data. This didn`t look good. ``T7, two minutes before we jump out of the hyperdrive. Prepare the weapons`` she was serious and the tone in her words made clear, that she didn`t accept any ifs and buts. The small astromech whistled nervously and rolled to the back of the ship. Was he nervous? Frightened? Maybe he was. To be honest, Ma'Khina was nervous herself. But this wasn`t the right moment for feelings or worries. Each second they would arrive at Corellia.. and fly directly into a wall of imperial starfighters. Corellia, the capital planet in the Corellian System, was under imperial siege, no ship got in or out. With this in mind, Ma`Khina was trying the impossible. But her freight was important. Medical supplies and food for the poor souls, who were trying to survive in the middle of this war. And some weapons for those who wanted to fight back the Empire. The last time she had visited Corellia had been in her time as a Padawan and the Twi`lek still remembered some of the faces she had met in her time there. Knowing that they lived a life in pain and suffer since the Empire was there, was just cruel and Ma`Khina needed to do anything to change that. There is no emotion.. There is peace! Another deep breath was inhaled and the blue skinned woman straightened her back, rolling her shoulders to wake up her muscles. Her gaze wandered from her sensor data up to the big window in front of her. Each moment they would jump out of the hyperdrive. A soft tingle in the back of her mind tried to attract her attention. The force. Was it a warning? Was it a sign, how stupid her idea was at all? Or was it an offer to help her through this rough situation? Whatever it was, Ma`Khina ignored it. Instead she just shoved the tingle away and turned her full concentration into the situation. Her hands gripped tightly the helm of the freighter. From the back of the ship came the soft whistle of a scared astromech, telling her that he was in position and that the weapons were activated. ``Don`t worry, T7.. no one of us will die today..`` at least.. that was what she hoped. The ``Lost Hope`` jumped out of the hyperdrive - a bit too close to the enemy. Three gigantic Dreadnoughts of the Harrower-class filled her window. No time for some staring. Without any hesitation she jerked the helm to the side and the light freighter flew a curve to the right, avoiding to fly into one of the much bigger starships. ``Unidentified spaceship, stop your engines and identify yourself!`` ``How about `No`?`` keeping her communication system still offline, Ma`Khina only spoke to herself. Giving more thrust into the engines she jerked the helm back to the other side, flying directly back towards the Dreadnoughts. Of course they wouldn`t just draw aside. This wasn`t a game about who was the bravest. If Ma`Khina crashed into one of those colossus, the `Lost Hope` would just explode and the starfighter wouldn`t even care about it. Some scratches in the paint maybe, that would be all.  `Let`s hope that the shields work` That thought just crossed her mind as the imperial ship started to fire. Pushing the helm from one side to the other she was able to swerve most of the shots. But each shot that hit the freighter hurt Ma`Khina literally. ``Why does they always have to shoot?`` asking herself through clenched teeth she pulled the helm back, tilting the nose of her freighter upwards to guide the freighter over the starfighter. It was one thing when they shot at the freighter, but another thing when they shot at their own ship. Navigating her spaceship over the body of the Dreadnought she flew a dipsy-doodle to swerve the steady fire on her ship. ``You could start shooting finally, T7!`` the Twi`lek shouted over her shoulder, keeping her concentration onto her systems and the flying. The eyes of the Twi'lek widened as a half dozen of S 12 Blackbolts flew directly towards her ship, all of them faster and more agile as Ma`Khina's ship. Sweat pearled on her forehead as she collected her concentration. A tingle in her right hand and she jerked the helm to the left. The spaceship flew a sharp curve, only a few parsecs away of the fighters. Of course, they followed her. ``T7, six scouts right behind us! Show them how tough we really are!`` There came a whistle from the back of the ship and Ma`Khina couldn`t resist but smiled. Sometimes.. just sometimes.. this small astromech sounded exactly like Master Jemrin. He would have said the same to her. More imperial scouts crossed her way and with a deep sigh the blue female pushed some buttons on the console in front of her. ``Sure.. why not. Every time you think it can`t be worst, it becomes worst`` she cursed under her breath and activated the front weapons and gave more energy into the shields. With her thumbs she pushed the buttons on the helm. Luckily she could shoot two of the scouts into a bright explosion.  ``Unidentified ship. Here speaks Darth Malgus. The fun is over. Turn off your engines and give up finally!`` An ice cold shiver ran down the spine of the young Twi'lek as she heard the muffled voice through the speakers in her cockpit. Darth Malgus. She knew that name. She knew it much better as she wanted to know it. Only ten years ago he was rushed over Coruscant like a hurricane. In one big attack he had destroyed the Jedi Temple and killed hundreds of Jedis and citizens of the Republic, including six members of the Jedi High Council and the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Ma`Khina was ten years old when it happened and had just started her education as a Padawan. On the day when the Jedi Temple had been attacked, she had been on Ryloth with Master Jemrin. Lightyears had been between them and the Jedis who died on that day, but they felt each of their deaths painfully strong in their minds. The Twi`lek still remembered how much she had cried in that night, letting her feelings flow for the first time in her life. Most of the Jedis and the Younglings, had been her friends. One of them.. a Togruta in her age.. had been her best friend. The girl she had shared her room with. Andrana. A wonderful young girl, so lively and funny. A bit clumsy with the use of the force but still.. the best friend Ma`Khina could have imagined in her life. The young face of that lovely Togruta suddenly appeared before Ma`Khina`s inner eye. Always a gentle smile on her lips. No matter what had happened. This girl couldn`t move a rock with the force, but she could move someone`s heart just with her smile. The soft tingle in the back of her mind grew suddenly stronger and pulled the blue skinned Twi`lek out of her memories and back into reality. She gasped surprised as she saw those 15 scouts flying straight towards her. ``Karabast!`` A loud curse escaped her soft reddish lips and she moved the helm of the freighter to the right. Flying a big loop she tried to avoid a crash into even one of the S 12 Blackbolts. The console in front of her gave a long alerting bleep and with panic she turned her gaze onto it. ``No.. No no no no!!``The tingle in the back of her mind grew stronger and almost tugged on her nerves. ``T7, stop firing back! We have problems with the-`` A loud explosion right next to her broke her sentence. Throwing her arms up, she covered her head from flying fragments. A fire broke out at the console, but Ma`Khina had no hand free to douse it. Feeling the heat of the fire against the soft skin of her left arm, she concentrated on flying her freighter. ``I need a bigger crew or more droids..`` she muttered to herself, swerving her spaceship between all those laser-shots while the fire grew bigger. ``T7!! I have problems here! Stop shooting and come into the cockpit!`` the Twi`lek shouted over her shoulder, in hope her little friend was still there. Her sensors showed that the `Lost Hope` was already pretty damaged, but they still had a chance to get to Corellia. Maybe not in one piece, but at least they would bring their freight to those who need it the most. With a whistle the small astromech rolled into the cockpit and started to douse the fire. A deep sigh of relief escaped her and a soft smile curled up on Ma`Khina`s lips. Her friend was still alive and took care about the systems. But there were still twelve S 12 Blackbolts on their rear. No need to mention, that the Dreadnoughts were also firing onto the little freighter. Bluish blood ran slowly down her left arm. Fragments from the explosion had cut into her arm and caused wounds of different sizes. The Twi`lek ignored the pain in her arm and activated the communication system. ``Here speaks the unidentified ship: shut your mouth!`` she didn`t wait for an answer. Instead she deactivated the communication system and the speakers. Taking a deep breath she gave more thrust into the engines and the freighter jumped forward. Knowing her starship by heart she didn`t even need to look down as she pushed a few buttons on her console and programmed the control of the rear weapons to her console. But when her finger slipped off a button she looked surprised down. Surprise covered her face as she found her own blue blood on the console. ``..we all have to pay our prize for freedom..`` she muttered thoughtfully. Words her Master had told her a very long time ago. Only a few days before his death. Slowly she lifted her gaze up to the window again. Corellia. No Dreadnoughts or Scouts ahead of them. Just the blue planet. They were close. They still had a chance to get out of this alive. But they couldn`t land as long those scouts were still behind them. A heavy jerk ran through the ship suddenly as something in the back exploded. ``..ugh..STOP SHOOTING! YOU'RE DESTROYING MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP!`` Of course nobody except of her astromech could hear her, no matter how loud she screamed. But she just had to let her frustration out for a moment. With a few deep beeps did T7 rolled out of the cockpit again and to the back of the ship. Obviously wanting to take care of whatever just exploded. Ma`Khina didn`t look down onto her console anymore. There were more red lights and bad news than anything else at the moment. ``I hate doing this..but you guys don`t give me any other choice`` saying this she sighed again. With the push on a few buttons on the console to her right she opened one of her cargo areas and her old hyperdrive floated out into space together with a few other ship parts she had replaced before this mission. Her eyes were glued onto the sensor data her computer spitted out. The hyperdrive hit one of the S 12 Blackbolts and damaged it. This was the moment when she shot, aiming at her old propulsion system. Next she saw was a big explosion. A sigh of relief escaped her. Eight of the scouts were down. Four would be easily to handle. Giving full speed she navigated directly to Corellia and activated the communication system again. ``Here speaks Captain Ma`Khina from the Lost Hope. I`m through the barricade and head towards Bela Vistal. Four S 12 Blackbolts are still right behind me. I request help at the landing!`` Major Julan Tr�s here. I can hear you, Captain Ma`Khina. Help will come as requested. It is good to hear you, Captain!`` Those were great news and a soft smile curled up on Ma`Khina`s soft lips. Now she just needed to enter the atmosphere of Corellia and help would show up directly. Another explosion vibrated through the small ship. Those scouts had some really good pilots. Some who could actually aim before they shoot. Finally the nose of the `Lost Hope` broke through the atmosphere of Corellia, but the freighter didn`t become slower. Sweat ran down into her eyes and her breath grew faster. A slight dizziness filled her mind suddenly. Was it relief? Or was it just the loss of her blood? She didn`t care. Just a few more moments and they would be safe and the freight would be in good hands. Who cared what happened afterwards? She would just take a long bath in a bacta tank to regain energy for the flight back. The high houses of Bela Vistal appeared on her window and she smiled. Three corellian scouts passed by and next the Twi`lek saw on her sensors was, how the last four S 12 Blackbolts exploded in the blue sky. ``..safe..I can`t believe it!`` she muttered and tried to slow down the engines. The systems didn`t react. ``T7! We can`t land with that speed!`` she listened into the back but didn`t got any answer. ``T7??!!!`` No reaction. And no time for any worries. The ground of the planet became closer much too fast. ``Lost Hope, you`re much too fast. Take back some speed!`` ``What do you think I`m trying here?` Ma`Khina muttered. No matter what she did, the systems didn`t react anymore. Ma`Khina took a deep breath. Filling her lungs with life one more time. Maybe her last time. Lifting her right hand she checked if the belt was holding her tightly. The ground grew closer. The Twi`lek closed her eyes. A heavy jolt ran through the ship as the nose of the `Lost Hope` crashed into the ground. Trees fell down. Brown earth welled up and exploded into all directions. The Twi`lek jerked forward and hit her head against the helm. And lost consciousness.   0 Comments

07/19/2015 08:43 PM  Prologue Part II - Saying adieu always hurts Prologue Part II: Saying adieu always hurts After Master Jemrin`s death and Ma`Khinas outburst in which she had killed two Siths and three imperial soldiers, the Twi`lek left the planet. Master Jemrin`s ship, a defender-class light corvette, was not stationed far away from the battle but the padawan still needed hours to reach it. Her left leg was badly injured from the cut the Sith-apprentice had caused her. It was not bleeding. Gladly lightsabers cauterized the wound directly after causing it. But there was still the pain and the feeling as something big was missing on her thigh now which was the reason why she could only hobble to the ship. Her two lightsabers dangled on her belt. They felt heavier as normally. But well.. in this moment, everything felt heavier, like carrying an extra burden. As she reached Master Jemrin`s ship a small astromech rolled down the ramp, greeting Ma`Khina with some happy whistles. But the happiness soon disappeared as the droid recognized that Master Jemrin was not with her. Slowly the Twi`lek hobbled up the ramp passing her friend who was looking out for the older Jedi. ``Come in, T7.. he won`t come.`` Her voice was as weak as her body felt. Some appalled peeps from the astromech as he slowly rolled back into the ship. Ignoring the pain in her leg Ma`Khina went down on one knee, gently laying a hand on T7's head. ``My friend.. Master Jemrin left us and.. and he won`t come back.`` Tears welled up in her eyes. Holding her breath she tried to fight them back but they were stronger. While the astromech gave some low long sounds, similar with human sighs, the Twi`lek cried in front of him. <br><br> A short time later, the light corvette lifted up and left the planet. Ma`Khina sat in the medic bay, pressing a Kolto-pack onto her thigh. The blue healing liquid was already working on her wound. Looking at all those bruises, cuts and other injuries covering her body she would rather need a bath in a Kolto-tank but for now this should be just enough. T7 was in the cockpit, controlling the navigation system and for the moment, the Twi`lek had some time for herself. Laying back on the sickbed she finally found some rest. Each muscle in her slim body ached and for the first time she felt the exhaustion of the battle. But she could not sleep. Her thoughts spin around the fights and the death of her Jedi Master. He had been everything to her. He had always been there since the day she could hold a lightsaber in her small hands. Normally, when a Jedi died, he became one with the force and his body vanished. But Master Jemrin`s corpse still laid on the ground of this planet, when Ma`Khina had left him.   That gnawed at her conscience even more. Ma`Khina and T7 spend the next days in silence. It was soon clear, that the Padawan did not want to go back to Tython or Coruscant. So, the astromech programmed a course to Voss, a neutral world in the war between empire and republic and a perfect place to hide for some time. Three days have passed since Master Jemrin`s death. The wound on Ma`Khina`s leg healed perfectly and, thanks to the Kolto-pack, there was not even a scar left.  She just sat with T7 in the cockpit to check their route as she suddenly felt it. A soft tingle in the back of her mind. The force tried to speak to her. Something warm gently brushed over her naked shoulder and she looked confused at it - but there was nothing. `Just my imagination.. nothing more or less` she thought sadly. But something in the back of her mind told her, that it wasn`t just her imagination. There was more behind it. The touch on her shoulder has felt familiar. ``T7.. I`m in my room. Please call me if anything is wrong, okay?`` said this the young Twi`lek raised up and left the cockpit. After all those days filled with sadness and tears it was now time for her to say goodbye and make a cut. In her room she lightened up a few candles and turned off the lights. Although her thigh hurt sometimes she still knelt down on the floor, ignoring the pain. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. Over the last days the pictures of the battle have haunted her like a curse. Now she wanted to lock those images away, those memories. Clean her heart and her mind. Taking a deep breath she concentrated and slowly she wandered back to the day of the battle. Repeating the fights in her mind. Each spoken word clearly in her ears again. Each move she had made. The shock when she saw Master Jemrin laying dead on the ground. She went through it all again. But this time she was stronger. She had her feelings under control and with this she was able to put all those memories into a small chest. Lock it. And hide it far far away in the back of her mind. As soon as she had finished the procedure she sighed a deep breath of relief. Slowly she opened her eyes again, tears running down her cheeks. <br><br> Swallowing down the lump in her throat she removed her two lightsabers off her belt. ``With this.. I do not just only lock away those memories.. I also lock away my past.. a part of myself`` she muttered with a weak voice while staring down on the hilts in her hands. Did she really want to give it all up? ``Yes.. I have never been ready for this fight or for the force. I was not strong enough to save my Master. All in all I am a shame as a Jedi!`` said this Ma`Khina placed the hilts in a small box, gently stroking over the metallic frame. Then she put a holo-photography of Master Jemrin in the box. ``Master, you have always been there for me. You were an inspiration, a mentor and a teacher for me. But most of all.. you were my best friend. A family. It..`` her voice shook. Sighing deeply she collected some new strength for this what she wanted to say. ``.. nothing last forever. . .  It was my fault that you had to die. If I had been stronger. . . you would still be alive.`` With shaking hands Ma`Khina closed the little box and locked it. Then she shoved it under her bed and hid it behind a metal frame. ``I will keep in mind, what you taught me, Master. I will respect your lessons and the code but. . . I will never trust or use the force again.`` With this, she wiped away those tears which were running down her cheeks. The Twi'lek ignored the gently touch on her shoulder. For her, it all ended here. This was a cut in her life. She would leave her past behind. This was a new beginning 0 Comments

05/26/2015 05:14 PM  Prologue - The fall of a Jedi Prologue: The fall of a Jedi <br><br><b>Four years ago in a world far far away</b> <br><br><i>~ There is no emotion - there is peace ~</i> <br> Panting fast, sweat glistening on her blue skin, the young Twi'lek raised her two lightsabers to block the coming strike of the Sith in front of her. He was just an apprentice but his strength was a lot bigger than hers. His red glowing lightsaber flew down on her - too fast - too powerful. With her own two sabers raised, she could block the strike, only inches away from her face and redirect it into another direction while she rolled to the side. <br> For a moment she cowered on the dirty ground and tried to catch her breath. Involuntarily her eyes wandered over the battlefield. For how long were they fighting already? The ground was covered in red and green blood, corpses of different species - empire and republic- laying everywhere. Some soldiers were still fighting. A shiver ran down her spine. So much pain. So much death. For what? <br> <i>~ There is no death - there is the force ~</i> <br> Remembering those words the young girl looked up again, her concentration now fully recovered again. The red skinned Sith ran towards her, following his rage and ready for his next attack. Sith. How silly to trust into your feelings and be led by your own rage. His movements were ungraceful although he was following some kind of a fighting style. Ma'Khina waited. Collecting her strength and calling for the force. Her grip around the hilts of her blue lightsabers tightened while she concentrated her thoughts on the next attack. Just as he was only a meter away from her, the Twi'lek jumped. With a nice push through the force she flew up and turned a somersault in the air right above the Sith. Landing on her feet again she used his confusion and stroke with her right handed blade over the broad back of her enemy. The dark scream of pain thrilled the air.  But Ma'Khina didn't waste a thought for satisfaction or anything. Instead she raised her left lightsaber - just in time - to block the counterattack of her opponent. 'By all Hutts... he's really fast for his broad figure'. Thinking this she already pulled her right hand back to brush the blue saber along his stomach. Too bad. He jumped aside and attacked her again. <br> A fast fight between those both apprentices. Attacks and counterattacks. Blocks and attacks again.  It was like a fast dance in which those blue and red glowing lightsabers met and parted, just to meet again. The fizzling of burned air was the only sound that rushed through the hot air. Sweat glistened on the Twi'leks forehead but she didn't feel exhausted yet. The force was strong in her and flowing in her veins. Strengthening her body and giving her the power she needed for this fight. <br> Suddenly an ice cold hand wrapped around her heart and she gasped. Confused she lost her balance for a moment and stumbled, landing hard on her back. Her left lightsaber slowly rolling out of her hand. The Sith saw his chance and raised his blade to give her the last strike. Looking around she saw what had brought her out of balance. Master Jemrin. Kneeling in front of the other Sith. Exhausted and weak and fighting with the last amount of his power. He was expecting his end already. "No..." As the Sith Lord moved his arms to strike against the Jedi Masters head, she threw her right saber against him. The sudden push against his strike caused that he lost his lightsaber which was now flying towards the ground. Sighing in relief she laid back again, just to see her opponent running towards her now. <br> Fear. For the first time in her life she felt fear filling her heart. There he was - a three feet bigger man with red glowing eyes and red shining skin, surrounded by smoke and anger - just running towards her. Reaching her hand out she tried to reach the hilt of her sword, but it was too far. A loud groan cut the silence as he was now standing right in front of, ready to ram that red lightsaber right into her internals. Turning her head away she saw the hilt - so close... and still too far away. Finally she was able to push the fear away and call the force for help, wanting to drag the hilt right into her hand. <br> <br> <b> But it didn't move!</b> <br><br> Confusion. Why wasn't the force reacting on her anymore? Looking up she could see the red glow of her opponent's lightsaber. Reflexes. Rolling towards the hilt on the ground she could barely escape the attack. But the hot blade brushed over her leg, leaving a broad cut on her thigh. A painful scream filled the air for a moment. Finally she grabbed the hilt of her lightsaber. The familiar fizzling when the blue shining blade grew out of the hilt caused her a small sigh of relief. <br> The Sith apprentice walked slowly towards her, ready for a new attack. Of course he was proud about the wound he had brought on her.  Gritting her teeth in pain the Twi'lek slowly rose up on her feet, unable to give some weight onto her injured leg. But she wouldn't give up. Not yet. If she had to die than she would die in a battle with her lightsaber in her hand. <br><br> <i>And then she saw it. Right behind her opponent who was slowly approaching her with an evil grin on his face. Her Master. Her teacher. The only person she had ever trusted in her life. The red blade went through his strong body easily like a sharp knife through warm butter. Her heart was wrapped into that cold hand again while she watched how Master Jemrin died. His weak and lifeless body fell slowly onto the ground, between all those other corpses. Between all that blood. This wasn't the right place for a Jedi like him. </i> <br><b>And then there was nothing anymore</b> <br><br> Panting fast the Twi'lek slowly turned back to herself. Confused. Scared. Her body trembling. In her right hand she held the red lightsaber of the Sith apprentice she had fought with only moments ago. Wondering about what just had happened Ma'Khina slowly looked around and found herself standing between three dead men. Her blue body was covered in red blood. Was it her own? Slowly she raised her left hand to brush a finger over those red marks. No pain. It wasn't her blood. A deep sigh escaped her. She hadn't even noticed that she had held her breath but now the urge for fresh air was burning strong in her lungs. Her gaze slowly wandered over all those corpses on the ground. <br><b>The battle was over. She was alone...</b> <br><br> Did she kill all those people? The last thing she could remember was her fighting against a Sith apprentice and now she was holding his weapon in her hand. A weapon which has always been controlled by the dark side. She could still feel the presence of its last owner in the hilt. Suddenly her gaze fell on a certain body laying on the ground. "Master!" Throwing the lightsaber away she ran towards the dead Jedi and crouched down next to him. Carefully she pulled the body up into her arms, tears suddenly running down her cheeks. "I wasn't strong enough... I wasn't strong enough... It is all my fault... Only my fault! Please forgive me, Master!" <br><br><i> ~ There is no death.... Only the force ~ </i> <br><br> Those words from the Jedi code suddenly popped up in her mind. But they meant nothing. Nothing. For Ma'Khina there was no force anymore. Where has the force been when she called it to reach her lightsaber? Where has it been when Master Jemrin had needed it the most? Where? <br><br> She didn't know for how long she had cried. At some point she just stood up and moved her exhausted and aching body slowly back to their ship. She cut all connections to the Order of the Jedi and left the planet as a new woman.  0 Comments

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