_Coruscant_

Sweat was beading down her forehead. Her eyes moved wildly beneath her eyelids and her breath increased abnormally. Reetha gripped tighter on the sheets as she muttered things under her breath. 

"Run child, run" someone screamed at her. The unforgiving forest blocking her path of escape. Twigs and branches catch the sleeves of her robes. A blood curdling scream comes from behind her as hears the voice of her master calling out to her. 

"Don't look back Reetha!" he urges her. "GO". Reetha turns her head back and calls out. "MASTER! MASTER PLEASE, COME WITH ME!" she pleads into the darkness. The forest closed in on her and so does the darkness. 

"REETHA, YOU NEED TO GO. NOW!" her master replied and this time the pain in his voice evident as his choked breaths echo through the forest. Reetha's eyes widened, she could feel her master's life slip away, but she willed herself to turn tail and run. 

The ship is in the distance, she could see it. She ran as fast as she could, but a tree root made her loose her footing and she was sent stumbling into a darkened void. "You failed me...You failed...."

---

"Master no!" Reetha sat up with a start. She shivered as sweat evaporated from her skin. 'Another nightmare' she thought to herself. Rumbling from her stomach told her that it was time for lunch. Half heartedly she dragged herself to the fresher and tried to wash off the memories from her nightmare.

"You failed me...You failed...." Those words lingered in her mind. Although it was just a dream, it felt real to the young padawan. Deep down she knew her master was always proud of her, yet the nightmare said otherwise. 

This made her gingerly poke into her food. After hearing her masters voice calling out to her on Sorgan, she started having nightmares.  At first, they were nothing much, just short series of unpleasant dreams, but for a month and almost every night meant something else.

The sound of a plate landing in front of her drew Reetha out of her day dream. "Hey there pup!" Anakin Skywalker took a seat. "How's lunch?" Reetha smiled up to her new master "Not bad for slop" she shrugged. I

t's been sometime since Reetha joined the 501st and learned the ways of the Jedi under her new master. General Skywalker was never ones traditional Jedi. After several training sessions, with him and Ahsoka, Reetha felt more comfortable around him and grew to respect him, as Anakin would always encourage Reetha to train in her force projection. "I'm glad your enjoying lunch, pup."

Reetha smirked at her nickname. "Snips and I are going out for a drink later. Join us?" Anakin asked sweetly. The thought of hanging out with her master and and Ahsoka was tempting, but her mind was in the clouds. Reetha had to much to think about. "It's alright master." Reetha replied. "I have to fix my bunk bead.." she lied.

 Anakin had a quizzical look on his face. "What happened to your bunk bed?" Reetha shook her head and lied her way through then politely declined Anakin's offer. She tried to sound as convincing as possible, but Anakin senses her distress. Still, he didn't want to pressure his padawan, so he mentally noted to ask her about later.

After lunch, Anakin went of to finish his duties then join Ahsoka for a drink. The fact that he extended his invite to Reetha before he left only made her feel blessed to have found a master like him. Except, that she didn't want to have such connections with anyone. Reetha placed her dishes away and made her way to attend to her duties.

~Jesse~

I was fixing up my armour in the hangar when I saw Commander Khan make her way out of the Resolute. I wouldn't have thought much about it, but by the way she crept out of the cruiser made me a little inquisitive.

"So, planning to run off somewhere?" I smirked, catching her quietly trying to starting the engine of a speeder bike. She look at me and stuttered "Uhm, well... Calamar's Diner?" She gave me her best innocent eyes. "Yeah, well try to convince me when you get better at convincing." She held her hands up in defeat.

"Where did you plan to go anyways? And don't tell me lunch, because I saw you at the mess with General Skywalker." I said, leaning against the hangar walls. The commander looked as me and stayed silent for a moment, as is contemplating whether she should tell me her plans. 

I knew she was not a big chatter and she has been trying to open up and was about to tell her that she didn't need to explain herself but then she spoke.

"I just have a lot on my mind." She replied and gave her a thoughtful look, encouraging her to speak her mind. "It's just, nightmares and memories, you know. I don't get it much but lately its been increasing. Makes me think a lot." She crouched down to start up the speeder, failing at the attempt. I sighed to myself and started the speeder for her.

When it started she looked at me with clear confusion on her face. I simple nodded towards the bike. "You need to release the exhaust port to properly start the bike." She looked at me quizzically, taking a small step back. "Your letting me leave?" I nodded.

"Why?" "People need time to themselves to think things over. Take things at their own pace. I recon you need just that." Reetha didn't reply but she gave a look that said she was quite surprised I allowed her to leave. "Go on kid. I'm not gonna tell anyone." I chuckled and nodded to the bike.
A smile slowly graced her face "Not even Rex?" She asked. I smiled and nodded.

Now having my blessings the leave she quickly grabbed her bike and made it down the ship. She was about to get on the bike but stopped and turned to look at me. I raised a brow as she walked back and stopped in front of me. "Thank you." She said and immediately tackled me with a hug that caught me out of surprise. I swore my heart melted.

She was relatively shorter than I, standing at 5 feet. I couldn't help but laugh softly and hug her back, resting my chin on her head and patted her back comfortingly. She pulled away from the hug, smiling ,and began towards the bike. 

"Reetha!" I called out before she left and jogged next to her. "Yeah Jess?" "I just wanted to remind you, that sometimes its alright to cry and find comfort in others. You don't have to carry your burdens alone, alright. All in your own time." I could here her suck in a breath. "Thanks Jesse." I smiled and gave her a side hug, then stepped back as she revved the bikes engine and began to drive away.

"Don't be back to late alright. Rex would kill me if he found out I let you leave. And stay safe alright!" I shouted before she was to far to hear me. "I will Jess!" She shouted back before disappearing around a corner. I'm going to die by Rex's hand tonight.

~Reetha~

I was more that happy that Jess let me off. I could sense that he understood what I was going through. I stopped my bike at a secluded garden near the Jedi temple. When I was younger and visited Coruscant, my master and I always came here to take break. When he passed, I always came back here because it reminded me of the good old days  but it also helped me to meditate.

I folded my legs and sat down in the peace the garden could offer. I was far away from the transport lanes not to hear the engines. The temple guards hardly patrol this area so I had all to myself. I focused on the force and began to calm my breaths. I had only one thing on my mind, and that was to figure out how to calm the storm that raged within me.

The sounds around me drown out, as I begin to walk in a grassy plain. I know this place. In front of me, I see two figures, a man and a child. The child was a girl, not older than the age of ten and the man well in his early thirties. I had a gut feeling I knew this man, well, I know him. 

"Reetha, come along." He calls out to a younger version of me. I remember this day. 'Three' I counted silently. The younger version of myself got out of a pool of mud, a failed attempt at force jumping. I smiled to memory. Warmth seeping into my cheeks. 

"I fell again." The younger version of me speaks. "I can see." Master laughs. 

"You have the positioning right, but you use to much energy when pushing yourself of the ground. You need to balance the force. Use just what you need to lift off, then when you get closer to the ground, you won't be to tired to use the force to slow your fall. Now give it another try. I believe in you, young one." Young Reetha nodded. 

After several tries, my younger self finally got a hold of force jumping. I managed to force jump and land perfectly and my master ran up to me and swooped me up in a hug. "That's my girl." he laughed. 

The happy memory, vision, then dissolved and soon I was standing in a cave. We were on Dantooine. Once again, I saw the younger version of myself training with my master. "Being force sensitive, does not mean hindering our instincts and other natural senses." My master spoke with a stern yet gentle voice. 

"Reetha, you must learn to enhance your natural senses. When your in your wolf form, your hearing, sight, smell and other senses are just as sharp as any other loth wolf." young me nodded. 'Two' A realization hit me and I thought to myself as I watched the memory unfold. 

"Today you will hunt our dinner. This planet is strong in force, you need to learn to rely on it as much as usual. I trust you, Reetha." As the small loth wolf pup ran off, the memory faded and my vision was replaced with a thundering night sky. 

'One'. Sorgan, South West Grass Plains. Lightning flashed in the sky, deafening sound of thunder boomed and shock the land beneath it. Wind howled wildly and I found myself standing in the storm, watching a heated battle. 

This was a memory I dreaded. Just ahead of me, a white loth wolf was thrown back by force lightning. Knocked unconscious, a hooded being walked towards me, a double bladed lightsaber at the ready. It charged at me but was stopped by my master. 

He forced his own blade against the attacker and kicked them in their chest. "Reetha! Wake up!" Master shouted as he blocked an incoming blow from the attacker. The assailant laughed and shouted something inaudible, what ever it was it infuriated my master. He started to strike the opponents blade recklessly. 

Although I was aware that I was visiting old memories through the force, the situation felt so real. I could feel the pain from the heavy raindrops that fell on my face. I felt the wind sweeping up my hair, I felt the way my bones rattled when the thunder sounded. 

I felt my legs moving, I felt the way the soft mud sank beneath my feet as I ran to my master. The conversations between my master and the assailant echoed loudly. I felt my throat sore from shouting for master, and I felt the tears sting my eyes. 

The hooded figure lunged at my master, pushing him off balance. Young Reetha was just gaining consciousness, but still dazed. The assailant kept on striking my masters blade, not stopping even for a breath. 

"YOU THINK YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR PRECIOUS PET?" he laughed out as his blow knocked my masters saber out of his hand, the hooded man deactivated his lightsaber. "ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, DANTE!" he walked towards my master and punched him in the stomach. 

I was still running, but I could never get close. The distance between the raging battle and I was growing. Every step I took, the further away the battle drifted from me, but I kept running anyways, eager to help my master. 

"You... will never touch her." my master groaned as he absorbed another punch from the dark sider. "Your to soft on her, my friend. The dog will never learn. She needs a proper master." the dark sider spoke in an odd calmness. My master looked the man in the eye. "Don't ever talk lowly of my daughter." he threatened. The dark sider's mouth turned into a snarl and he clenched his fist, about to beat up my master when a voice cut through. 

"STOP!" young me shouted, now in human form. "Don't hurt my master!" The dark sider laughed and taunted me. "Reetha... no.." my master whimpered. 

The dark sider dropped my master to the ground and slowly made his way towards me, but I stood my ground. He took out his lightsaber and started spinning it, taunting me, before breaking into a run and charged at me. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my lightsaber in front of me, waiting for my end. It never came. 

"Run child, run"  Master shouted as he used the force to hold back the attacker. "Don't look back Reetha!" he urges her. "GO". The young me stood there frozen in fear as I looked on to my master. "NOW REETHA!" my master's shout broke me out of my fear and I stumbled into a run, but turned around. 

"MASTER! MASTER PLEASE, COME WITH ME!" I sobbed, walking backwards in small steps to the jungle behind me. "REETHA, YOU NEED TO GO. NOW!" my master grunted, as the dark sider was breaking out of his hold. "Please, daughter." He pleaded, soft old eyes meeting my young ones.

 I knew his word was final. Suddenly, I heard my master gasp. Horrid squelching of a wound rang in my ears. In the brief moment when my master reduced his force grip, the dark sider had managed to slip out and run his saber right through my master's chest. 

My scream blended in with the scream of from the younger version of me, as I watched my master choke out painful breaths, but his eyes never left my young ones. I broke from my run and crumbled into my knees. The storm raged on. Lightning streaked across the sky. The flashes of light bouncing of the dark sider and my master only seared the image in my brain. 

My chest heaved painfully and I choked in my own sobs. I buried my head into my hands crying my heart out, as the painful gasps of air from my master could be heard. I raised my head from my hands only to see little me hesitating before running of quickly into the jungle. The hooded man retracted his lightsaber, allowing my master's body to crumble into a lifeless heap. 

"NO! NO NO!" I wailed. I collected myself and tried to run to get to my master. Maybe if i got to him in time I could save him, but deep down, I knew I could not. Not anymore. The muddy ground made me fall. I used my hand to brace me, but I didn't get back up. I was broken all over again. I raised my head to look at the dark sider. He turned, and his golden eyes met mine. 

For a moment, I was stunned. The golden eyes peering into my soul, paralyzing me. He didn't move but I heard him call my name. "Reetha" he said and held my gaze. I chocked back a sob and then gagged. I could not breathe. The longer he held my gaze, the more I could not breathe. I was writhing in the ground, trying to suck air desperately. 

"Reetha..." he cooded sickeningly. I began clawing at my neck, my eyes had a burning sensation behind them and I felt light headed. "I will find you Reetha" he spoke quietly. My body went limp, my hand cold. I looked ahead, I saw my master on the ground, eyes towards the sky. I started at him, hoping he could come back alive. 

His fingers twitched lightly, still clinging on to his final breaths and he turned his head so his eyes met mine. I was gasping for air, my vision going blurry. The last things I see, are the warm eyes of my master looking at me, a tear fell down his eye. "I'm...s-sorry. I'm sorry....father..." 

A red light cast itself over my master, and the sith brought down his lightsaber directly into my father's chest once again. When my master's eyes closed, so did mine and I fell back into a black void. Dead and forgotten.

-----

I gasped and fell backwards on the grass. My body shivered because the meditation drained away my energy. My hands at my neck as I drew in harsh ragged breaths. I felt tears pour down my face. My vision blurry as I cried and cried and cried. I mumbled to myself curling up into a ball and running my fingers through my hands.

 I sat up on my knees and began rocking back and forth. I sobbed into my hand as cold winds blew on my skin. The sky up ahead had darkened and the first few drops of rain fell onto my hand. I looked up to the sky, completely dazed after reliving the painful memory. 'I'm sorry, Father. I failed.' 

The rain poured down on my face, the drizzle was so gentle, it lulled my eyes closed. I sat on my knees welcoming the cold water dampening my robes and hair. It was so quiet, so silent, so cold and so lonely. 

" I'm sorry..."  I whisper.