Dedicated to GraveyardSiren

     Because Captain Kyra Kryze's shuttle had landed in Mos Espa, she was forced to take a hovertrain the rest of the way to Anchorhead. At first the city seemed deserted, but she quickly realized that most of the natives were gathered in town square, where a man had been hanged. As Kyra grimaced and turned away, she sensed the darkness that surrounded the town. This was the work of an Inquisitor. Over the past nine years, Darth Vader – once known as Anakin Skywalker – had searched for survivors of the Jedi Purge, converting some to the dark side in the process. Those that had been corrupted were trained by Vader and sent to hunt down other Force-sensitive beings, killing those that did not join the Emperor's cause.

     Because she had scarcely used the Force since joining the Rebellion, the fact that Kyra could feel the dark aura enveloping Anchorhead told her there were at least two Inquisitors on Tatooine. Standing in town square, her eyes downcast, Kyra reached out to the Force, searching for the familiar presence of her father. She scanned the crowd until, to her own surprise, she quickly located the Jedi Master. He was standing a few yards in front of her, wearing a brown shawl over a blue shirt and brown pants. She felt the sadness that coursed through Obi-Wan as he laid eyes upon the lifeless young man, and figured that he, too, had taken refuge on Tatooine to hide from the very people who had killed him.

     After a moment, Obi-Wan made his way to the stables and mounted an eopie, which he rode to a cave on the outskirts of town. Kyra borrowed a speeder and followed her father, finding a second entrance at the back of a cave and making her way into the cavern before Obi-Wan had even dismounted his steed. Even though he had silently entered the cave that served as his home, Kyra turned, knowing her father stood behind her. Despite not having seen each other in a decade, despite the fact that they had both grown and changed during those ten years, Kyra could see that Obi-Wan knew who she was as soon as they locked eyes.

     Obi-Wan's years in the desert had left her father's face creased by wrinkles that had not previously been there, and his auburn hair was now streaked with strands of gray.

     After several long moments, he finally said, "You should not have come."

     "It's good to see you, too," Kyra replied sarcastically, deciding to skip the formalities. "She's headed for Daiyu. The bounty hunters hid their signature behind a freight transport. The ship is on its way there now."

     Obi-Wan started to protest, then stopped, his brow furrowing in confusion, "How do you know about Leia?"

     "I've been living with the Organas for the past nine years," Kyra answered. "They've become like a family to me."

     "I thought Bo-Katan would have taken you in," Obi-Wan replied.

     "We had a conflict of interests," Kyra said bluntly before changing the subject back to Leia. "Now, about my sister—"

     "I will tell you what I told Senator Organa," Obi-Wan interrupted with a sigh. "I can't leave here. My duty is to the boy—It's been ten years. I'm not who I used to be."

     "Neither am I," Kyra replied, standing her ground. "Over the past ten years, I've witnessed my mother's murder, chased down and fought her killer, survived Order Sixty-Six, and faked my death, leading several different lives since then. I've lost count of how many people tried to kill me while I was helping Ahsoka and Bail form the Rebellion. But did I travel to some backwater planet and hide like a bloody coward? No. I joined the Alderaanian military and kicked and clawed my way to the rank of captain. You're the one who taught me to never give up. To be resilient, self-sufficient, quick-witted, and loyal. You taught me how to think my way out of a situation before fighting."

     "I told you...I'm not the man you remember," her father insisted.

     "You're going to have to be!" Kyra shouted, her patience wearing thin.

     "I can't leave the boy," Kenobi reiterated.

     "This isn't about Luke, and you know it!" Kryze retorted, collecting herself for a moment before turning back to her father. "You've made mistakes. We all have. It's the past. Move on. Be done with it. You couldn't save Anakin, but you can help me save her."

     "And what if I can't?" Obi-Wan asked.

     "There's no one Bail trusts more with his daughter than the two of us," Kyra stated quietly. "Please, Master. For my sister. For me. One last fight."

     When Obi-Wan refused to meet his daughter's eyes, Kyra pleaded, "Please, father. I can't do this alone. You're my only hope."

     Despite the heat of the twin suns, Kyra felt a cold sweat running down the back of her neck as she waited for Obi-Wan to answer. He stroked his beard as he considered her offer before finally sighing and nodding.

     "Very well," he agreed quietly. "Stay here. There is something I need if I am to help you. I will be back shortly."

     "How do I know you won't just run away again?" Kyra asked, choosing to ignore the hurt expression in his eyes.

     "I guess you'll just have to trust me," he replied quietly before leaving the cave.

     Kyra began to pace nervously as an hour passed by, but before she could set off in search of the Jedi Master, he appeared at the mouth of the cave holding a small wooden box. He opened the chest and revealed two lightsabers: one belonging to Obi-Wan, the other to Anakin. Kenobi then changed into a white shirt and brown robe similar to the one he had worn as a Jedi before clipping his lightsaber to his utility belt. Then the master and apprentice rode a hovertrain to the spaceport in Mos Espa, where they paid the fare for another shuttle and boarded the large transport that would take them to Daiyu.

                                                                    ...

     The shuttle navigated through the thick, green clouds that covered Daiyu, revealing the city lights below. Once they had disembarked, Kyra led Obi-Wan through the large spaceport, looking for a flight attendant.

     She quickly found one, making her way over to the disgruntled man as she said, "Excuse me. I'm looking for a ship. I was tracking its signature."

     "You're in Daiyu now. All signals in or out are blocked. People like their secrets out here," the man answered before walking away.

     "Looks like we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way," Kyra stated, turning to Obi-Wan as she pulled the hood of her trench coat over her head. "How long has it been since you've used the Force?"

     The look on her father's face answered her question, and Kyra laughed bitterly, "You've cut yourself off from the Force. Of course you have."

     Before Obi-Wan could reply, Kyra marched onto the streets of Daiyu, which reminded her of the seedier portions of Coruscant, what with all the neon, gambling, and street fights.

     "Kyra, you must understand that—" Obi-Wan started, but his daughter cut him off.

     "Save your excuses," she snapped. "And don't call me Kyra. The Empire knows I survived the Purge."

     "What should I call you, then?" Obi-Wan asked.

     "Well, you can't call me by any of my aliases. I wouldn't want to endanger the Organas," Kyra muttered, thinking aloud. "How about Jana?"

     "It's as good a name as any," Obi-Wan replied, both Jedi turning when a voice called out to them.

     They found a homeless clone trooper from the 501st division sitting on the ground behind them, asking for handouts to help buy a warm meal. Kenobi and Kryze stood frozen in shock for a moment – memories of the Clone Wars racing through their minds – until Kyra finally broke out of her trance and handed the trooper several credits before hurrying away. Obi-Wan hurried after his daughter, shrinking away from two stormtroopers as they walked past, the Imperials barking at civilians and ordering them to get out of their way.

     Suddenly, a young woman with pink hair stopped Obi-Wan and asked, "You want some spice, old man? I got Kessel pure, glitterstim, and Felucian. What do you need?"

     "How about some information?" Kyra countered, appearing at Obi-Wan's side. "I'm looking for my sister. She was taken, and she's on this planet."

     "Well, if she's here, you're never gonna see her again. Nobody leaves this place. I was someone's sister once, too," the woman answered grimly, her eyes drifting across the crowd as she slipped a bottle of spice into Kyra's pocket. "Here. That one's free. Couple more of those and you'll forget she ever existed."

     Before Kyra and Obi-Wan could continue down the street, a young boy with dark skin who had been hiding in the shadows said, "You having trouble? There's a Jedi. He helps people."

     When Obi-Wan stated that all of the Jedi were gone, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and offered to take the duo to the Jedi, for the right price. The boy led Obi-Wan and Kyra to a building covered in the same layer of grime and neon as all of the other structures in Daiyu. After paying the child a handful of credits, they waited in the shadows and watched a Jedi with olive skin and black hair lead a woman and her son into the building. The Jedi summoned a comlink with the Force before using a Jedi mind trick on the man he was contacting. When the Jedi instructed the man at the spaceport to prepare for the woman and son he would transport to Corellia, the man agreed without objection.

     The Jedi then stated – with obvious effort – that he was leaving the man's mind before slumping against the table, breathing hard. Kenobi and Kryze shared a glance, both knowing that no physical effort was required when tricking the weak-minded, which meant that this man was only pretending to be Force-sensitive.

     "The Force is so strong with you," the woman said, awestruck by the man's apparent power. "Thank you for helping us, Haja."

     "The Jedi must protect their own," the fraud, Haja, replied. "With your son's abilities, they will come for him. Get him safe."

     When the woman thanked him again, Haja tapped the table impatiently, and the woman realized he was waiting to be paid.

     "Oh, you didn't have to," Haja said as the woman placed the credits on the table.

     "We will never forget you," the woman promised.

     "You must," Haja insisted. "My safety depends upon it. Now, go. Be safe, little one. Be safe."

     As the woman and her son walked out of the room, the blast door closed and the mechanized metal cages opened. Haja picked up his comm and told the man at the spaceport – his partner in the scam – that the pair were on their way before informing him that he was going to take a quick break. After a moment, Kyra and Obi-Wan stepped out of the shadows, the former stating that they were looking for a Jedi.

     "How'd you get in here?" Haja asked.

     Kyra ignored his question and said, "A girl has been kidnapped. We need your help to find her."

     Haja sighed and pretended to close the cages as he stood and introduced himself, "I am Haja Estree, Jedi. I help all who are in need. In return, I ask only a few credits. The shadows are my realm, for the light is an unforgiving place for my kind."

     "Of course. How much?" Obi-Wan asked, deciding to play along.

     "Five hundred to locate the girl, another three hundred to take you to her," Haja answered.

     "Goodness, that light is unforgiving," Kyra replied, lacing her voice with sympathy she did not feel.

     "I mean, that's a really good deal," Haja claimed. "Oh, make it a thousand, I'll even show you some tricks. What do you know of the Force, my friend?"

     Without any warning, Kyra pulled her blaster and pointed it at Haja's chest as she said, "Just that it's a lot of remotes and magnets."

     As she yanked the magnetized gloves off his hands, Haja admitted, "Okay, I know how this looks."

     "It looks like you just took money from that family," Kyra growled, knowing her blue eyes were burning with the intense fire that usually crept into her gaze when she was beginning to lose her patience with someone.

     She attributed this characteristic to the fiery Mandalorian blood that was coursing through her veins.

     "I got them safe," Haja assured her. "Just a little poorer. You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

     "That depends on what you tell us," Kyra replied.

     When Haja asked if they were bounty hunters, Kyra stated, "You're a bottom-feeder, a rat who preys on weakness. But in my experience, rats know more about the sewers than anyone else."

     She crushed the comlink in her hand before dropping it to the floor as Obi-Wan said, "You'll help us find the girl we're looking for."

     Haja nodded emphatically, "All right, if it's the sewers you want, there's only one place to go. But you'll never get in."

                                                                      ...

     Once Haja had told them where to go, Kenobi and Kryze made their way to a makeshift laboratory at the heart of the city. When two lab technicians exited the building, Kyra snuck up behind them and kicked the Tostonian in the stomach before head butting the Rodian. The Rodian fell limply to the floor as the Tostonian struggled to get up. Just as he managed to get to his feet, Kyra leapt into the air and spun around, kicking the alien in the face. Kyra landed lightly on her feet as the Tostonian went out like a light, falling next to his Rodian counterpart. Kryze stripped the two aliens of their uniforms before discarding her trench coat and changing into one as Obi-Wan put on the other.

     Now disguised in gas masks, goggles, and protective clothing, the master and apprentice walked through the rows of chemicals inside the laboratory. Obi-Wan took a red powdery substance and poured it into the nearest beaker, causing the liquid inside to bubble and explode. As the other lab technicians tried to find the source of the explosion, the two Jedi used the shadows and slipped into the hallway at the back of the room, closing the blast door behind them. When they were quickly stopped by a Zabrak and a human male, Obi-Wan claimed that they had lost their way. When the human ordered them to get back to work, Obi-Wan elbowed the man in the nose instead.

     He then turned to face the Zabrak, but before he could land a blow, the Zabrak hit him in the face before punching him in the stomach. As Obi-Wan keeled over, the Zabrak tried to punch Kyra, but she ducked under his swing and grabbed the man's arm as he got back up, spinning him around and pinning his arm behind him. When the Zabrak tried to pull Kyra away from the man, Obi-Wan grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him onto the ground, knocking the Zabrak out. The man kicked Kyra in the left knee and shoved her against the wall, forcing her to let go of his arm. He punched her in the neck, leaving her gasping for breath as he rushed towards Obi-Wan and kicked him in the stomach.

     As the man continued to strike Obi-Wan, Kenobi used his arms to block most of the blows. Obi-Wan grabbed the man's arm and ducked under his attack before wrapping his hands around the man's neck.

     "Where's the girl?" he snarled, surprised to hear such ferocity in his voice.

     "She's in the first cell on the left," the man answered, breathing hard as Obi-Wan let go of his throat.

     As the man backed away from Obi-Wan, Kenobi kneed him in the groin and punched him in the nose.

     "That's for hitting my daughter," Obi-Wan said as the man fell to the ground, cursing vehemently.

     Obi-Wan helped Kyra to her feet, the young woman wincing as she gingerly tried to put weight on her left knee.

     When Obi-Wan asked if Kyra was all right, she nodded, clearing her throat several times before replying in a raspy voice, "I'll just walk it off."

     Kyra attempted to hide the fact that she was limping as they made their way to the cell where Leia was being held, though from the concerned look on her father's face, she was not doing a very good job. When they found Leia's cell, Obi-Wan opened the blast door, revealing a small figure tied to a chair with a hood concealing her face. When Obi-Wan moved towards the figure, Kyra started to voice that something was wrong, but someone clamped a hand over her mouth before she could finish. She kicked and squirmed, trying to free herself as Obi-Wan removed the hood and found that a deactivated droid had been used as a decoy.

     Kyra watched as the two bounty hunters that had chased her and Leia on Alderaan restrained Obi-Wan and held both of them at gunpoint.

     She figured that Nokru must be the one silencing her, and her suspicions were confirmed when he said, "We meet again, Captain."

     Kyra bit Nokru's hand and stepped on his foot before drawing her blaster and aiming it his head as she snarled, "You son of a mudscuffer, what have you done with my sister?"

     Nokru just smiled before rapidly slipping a dagger out of his sleeve and charging at Kyra, stabbing her in the shoulder. Kyra cried out, stumbling backwards as she clutched her shoulder and dropped her blaster. Behind her, Kyra heard Obi-Wan struggling to break free, but his efforts were in vain. When Kyra noticed that Nokru was staring at her side, Kryze looked down and saw that the jacket of her hazmat suit had slipped aside to reveal her lightsaber.

     "I didn't know that Jedi could bleed," Nokru said as he looked down at the dagger, which was dripping with Kyra's blood. "I'm surprised you fell for it. I figured you'd be smarter than to risk everything for a spoiled little brat."

     When Nokru punched Kyra in the stomach, she groaned and keeled over, but the bounty hunter grabbed her injured shoulder and forced her to stand. Kyra gritted her teeth as tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let Nokru see her pain.

     Nokru took both of their lightsabers, admiring the hilts as he said, "The Inquisitor really figured you two out. I have to admit, I was skeptical about her plan. I didn't think she would be able to lure one Jedi into her trap, let alone two. Yet here we are. The Inquisitor will be here soon, and then we'll be rich and you'll both be dead."

     "Where's my sister?" Kyra asked from where she knelt on the ground. "She must be close."

     "Doesn't matter," Nokru snapped. "You're not getting out of here. You're not a Jedi anymore, Captain. And neither is your friend. Now, you're just an injured, scared little girl, accompanied by an old man. And you're bleeding all over my floor."

     "Well, everybody bleeds," Kyra replied, breathing heavily as she smashed the bottle of spice against the hard metal floor.

     Kyra and Obi-Wan quickly lowered the gas masks over their faces as the red power enveloped the room and blinded the bounty hunters. Obi-Wan helped Kyra to her feet and locked the mercenaries in their own cell, trapping them inside the spice-filled room. Kyra slumped against the wall once the blast door had closed and rummaged through her utility belt until she found a roll of gauze. She carefully slipped out of her hazmat suit and pulled her shirt aside, but when she struggled to wrap her shoulder, Obi-Wan offered to help. Kyra handed him the gauze and he set to work, the two remaining in companionable silence as they once had when they served the Jedi Order as master and apprentice.

     Kyra was surprised by how easily they had fallen back into their old routine, but, then again, they were connected by more than just the Force. They were more than a student and teacher. They were flesh and blood. Father and daughter. As Obi-Wan worked, Kyra reached out to her sister through the Force. By the time her father injected a vial of bacta into her arm and knee, Kyra had located Leia. After she led Obi-Wan to the correct cell, he insisted on going in first and drew his blaster as he opened the blast door. When he crossed the threshold, Leia kicked him in the shin and ran out the door, but Kyra managed to stop her with her good arm.

     "Leia, it's me," she quickly said, turning the girl's head and locking eyes with her. "It's all right, I'm here now. Your mum and dad sent me to find you."

     Leia stopped struggling and her breathing slowed, but she eyed Obi-Wan warily, "Who is he?"

     "This is Obi-Wan. He's my biological father," Kyra answered, deciding to be honest with the girl. "Your parents took me in when I was about your age, after the Clone Wars ended. They protected me from the people who wanted to hurt me because of the powers I possess. My real name is Kyra, and I was raised in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. But none of this has to change anything between us."

     "Does that mean we're not really sisters?" Leia asked quietly.

     "No, no, of course not," Kyra replied. "There are two types of family, Leia. The one we're born into, and the ones we choose. You will always be my sister. No matter what happens."

     A small smile appeared on Leia's face, and the young girl hugged Kyra tightly. As they walked through the laboratory – which was now deserted – Kyra grabbed a small, orange jacket and told Leia to put it in. Once she had, Kyra pulled the hood up and over the girl's head before grabbing the trench coat she had discarded earlier.

     "Come on," Kyra urged as she concealed her own face, pushing her way through the crowd and holding onto Leia's hand as Obi-Wan followed close behind. "We don't have much time. Keep your head down, and make sure not to use our real names when getting our attention."

     "What should I call you?" Leia asked.

     "Call me Jana, and call my father Ben," Kyra answered, referring to the nickname her mother had given Obi-Wan.

     "This would've been easier with an army," Leia grumbled.

     "I whole-heartedly agree," Kyra replied. "But I didn't want to risk the lives of my men on a mission I knew could be accomplished with fewer people."

     "You haven't accomplished anything yet," Leia reminded her. "We still haven't made it off Daiyu."

     "Think positive, Princess," Kyra insisted. "Getting you out of your cell was only one part of our mission. Getting you home is another thing entirely."

     When they stopped in an abandoned alcove and stripped out of their brightly colored hazmat suits, Leia spotted Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

     "He's a Jedi, too?" the girl asked, her brow furrowing when Kyra nodded. "It's just...he seems kind of old and beat up."

     Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as Kyra laughed quietly and said, "There's a port across the city. We need to make the last transport."

     "Okay, then let's go," Leia said before turning around and marching into the street, coming face-to-face with a hulking, furry alien that growled at her.

     Leia stopped in her tracks as Obi-Wan crouched in front of her and said, "You have no idea what we're risking being here, Your Highness. From now on, you'll do exactly as you're told, understand?"

     The young girl nodded vigorously, but as Obi-Wan walked away, she turned to Kyra and said, "You're nothing like your dad."

     "I used to be," Kyra replied. "But I think I've spent too much time with you."

     Leia grinned mischievously as she took Kyra's hand, the sisters following Obi-Wan through the throng of people. Shortly after they left the laboratory, holograms began to light up with pictures of Obi-Wan and Kyra. Kenobi and Kryze shared a glance before picking up the pace, both realizing that the Inquisitor had placed a large bounty on their heads. When Obi-Wan led the trio to a clothes stand and suggested that Leia try on a green cloak, she wrinkled her nose and asked if she could try on a vest embroidered with pearls and sequins in every color.

     Obi-Wan looked at the princess as if she had spontaneously grown another head, "Half the city is looking for you. Put this on."

     Leia begrudgingly took the green jacket as Obi-Wan paid for it, along with a pair of yellow gloves that the girl picked up, tried on, and refused to return to the stand.

     Obi-Wan knelt in front of Leia and explained, "Now, if anyone asks, we're farmers from Tawl and you're my daughters."

     "Granddaughter, maybe" Leia muttered as he stood, and when Obi-Wan asked her if she had said something, the princess smiled sweetly and shook her head.

     Obi-Wan continued through the market, quickly working his way around different stands selling food, clothing, jewelry, and other items. Or rather, he tried to move quickly. Leia seemed to stop at every vendor, taking in sights and smells that she had never experienced on Alderaan. Finally – his frustration boiling over – Obi-Wan grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her along behind him, leaving Kyra to make sure that no one was following them.

     "Don't smell anything. Don't look at anything. Don't touch anything," the Jedi Master instructed the princess.

     "You sound like my parents," Leia grumbled as she followed him into an abandoned alley. "Why aren't either of you using your lightsabers?"

     "Because the Jedi have been hunted since the end of the Clone Wars," Kyra explained. "We would be giving ourselves away if we used them."

     "Why did you bring them, then?" the princess inquired.

     "In case of an emergency," Kyra answered. "It's better to have something and not need it, than to need it and not have it."

     "I read that Jedi can make things float. Make me float," Leia requested as she twirled about. "I want to float."

     When Obi-Wan shook his head, Leia asked, "Why? Because you can't?"

     Before Obi-Wan could argue, Leia asked if Kyra would make her float, but her adopted sister also shook her head.

     "Using the Force would draw just as much attention as igniting a lightsaber," Kyra said as they made a wide arc around a pair of stormtroopers.

     When the girl abruptly stopped, Kyra turned, sensing her unease towards Obi-Wan. Kneeling in front of the princess, Kyra assured her that she could trust Kenobi.

     "How can I trust him when I know he's hiding something?" Leia asked, causing Obi-Wan to pause as well. "He thinks the less he says, the less he gives away, but, really, it's the opposite."

     "How old are you?" Obi-Wan questioned, disquieted by the ease with which Leia could read him.

     When she told him that she was ten years old, Obi-Wan mused, "You don't sound like you're ten."

     Leia smiled, taking his statement as a compliment as they ducked behind a food vendor and watched several bounty hunters survey the crowd as they walked by. Entering another quiet alleyway, Obi-Wan turned to make sure that Kyra was still following close behind. When he saw that she was, he turned to face the front again and found himself face-to-face with a human male, his picture projected on the man's comlink. Before the man could utter a single word, Obi-Wan delivered an uppercut punch to the man's lower jaw and knocked him out. As Obi-Wan dragged the mercenary's body out of view of the street, he stated that the trio would rest in the deserted alley for the time being.

     Kyra sat down and massaged her throbbing left knee, stretching her left leg out in front of her as Leia began to fix her damaged droid companion that she had affectionately named Lola.

     When Obi-Wan told Leia to keep her droid quiet, the princess replied, "She won't make any. She's hurt."

     "Good," Obi-Wan replied curtly, sighing when Kyra glared at him.

     After a moment, Obi-Wan crouched next to Leia and tried for a nicer tone, "What happened to her?"

     "She was ripped to pieces by the kidnappers," the girl answered quietly, reminding Obi-Wan that she was, indeed, only a girl. "She'll be all right, though. She's strong."

     "Just like someone else I know," Obi-Wan said as he looked over at Kyra, who was informing Bail and Breha that she had found their daughter.

     Leia looked over at Kyra, then back to Obi-Wan as she asked, "Why did you leave her?"

     "We were separated during the war. Given different missions," Obi-Wan answered after a moment. "After the Clone Wars ended, the Jedi were hunted down, as Kyra has told you. I thought it would be best for us to remain separated, that way it would be harder for the Empire to find us."

     "You shouldn't leave your family just because you think it'll be easier," Leia replied quietly. "Kyra came back for me after I was taken. But you didn't come back for her."

     "No, no I didn't," Obi-Wan admitted, and Kyra squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her emotions in check as she listened to their conversation.

     Taking a deep breath, she walked over to her sister and father as she said, "I let your parents know you're safe. You'll be back in the palace, back to normal, by nightfall."

     "Normal. Great," Leia said glumly, which was the reaction Kyra had expected, although it clearly surprised her father.

     "Now who's hiding something, Princess?" Obi-Wan asked as his brow furrowed in confusion.

     "You don't have to call me that. I'm just Leia," the girl replied instead of answering his question.

     Obi-Wan started to inquire further, but the unconscious bounty hunter's comlink beeped, and he told the girls to stay where they were as he went to investigate. When Leia got up and followed Obi-Wan, Kyra tried to stop her, but the girl squirmed out of her grasp.

     "What is that?" she asked, looking down at the hologram of Obi-Wan. "Why is there a picture of you?"

     Suddenly, the girl sobered, her mouth set in a grim line as she stated, "That's what you were hiding. You're the reason I'm here. They took me to get to you. Did my father even send you?"

     "Of course he did, Leia," Kyra assured her. "Your father sent me to find Obi-Wan because he knew I would need help rescuing you."

     "How do we know he's not the real kidnapper?" Leia asked accusingly as she started to back away from Obi-Wan.

     Obi-Wan tried to walk towards her, but Kyra held up a hand and stopped him. She crouched in front of Leia, positioning herself between the girl and her father.

     "Look at me," Kyra said, holding Leia's chin in her hand and forcing the princess to meet her eyes. "You have to trust him. And if you can't trust him, then trust me. My father has been friends with your father for a very long time, and Bail practically raised me. Please, Leia. We've grown up together. We're sisters, for the Force's sake. I would never do anything to hurt you, or your family, and you know that."

     Leia searched her sister's eyes, and what she saw in Kyra's expression must have validated her words, for she finally relaxed. Kyra pulled Leia into a hug, and the girl allowed herself to be enveloped in Kryze's arms. When Leia tensed, however, Kyra turned and saw the bounty hunter sprinting towards them from the far end of the alley, rapidly drawing nearer. Without having to be asked, Leia took Kyra's hand and followed her sister as Kryze sprinted towards the closer end of the alley. Obi-Wan drew his blaster and fired off a few rounds, one of which hit the mercenary's leg, before following after the girls.

     They entered the marketplace, crawling under stalls and maneuvering around large crowds, the city's nightlife buzzing beneath the neon-covered buildings. The captain and the princess ran through an aisle showcasing several display cases containing a variety of bizarre creatures. As they came out the other end, Leia turned right and ran into the trio of bounty hunters that had been surveying the crowd earlier.

     "It's her. It's the girl," one said as he went to grab Leia. "Just tell us where he is."

     Kyra, who had been several paces behind the princess, drew her blaster and shot the first bounty hunter in the head. A second mercenary rushed towards Kyra and their arms interlocked, the opponents shoving each other back and forth. Finally, Kyra managed to duck under the second hunter's arm and spun the thug around, hitting him in the face as he turned. The bounty hunter hit the ground hard as the third mercenary tried to grab Kyra, but she held fast to Leia's hand and took off running again, causing the remaining hunter to lose his balance. Kyra glanced behind her and made sure that Obi-Wan knew where they were headed before leading Leia into another quiet alley.

     Looking for a way out, Kyra spotted a ladder servicing the rooftops above and told Leia to start climbing. As soon as she had room to ascend, Kyra scampered up the ladder after her sister, reaching the top a moment after Leia despite the pain in her shoulder and knee. Kyra took the girl's hand once more as they leapt across the small gaps in between buildings, both gasping for air but neither stopping because they knew if they paused for even the briefest moment, they would be caught. As they reached the end of the first block, Kyra heard footsteps pounding the pavement behind them, and looked back to find Obi-Wan had caught up with them.

     She turned around just in time to push Leia out of harm's way as another bounty hunter opened fire. Sparks lit up the night sky as Kyra pulled Leia behind a power generator to avoid the plasma bolts. When several shots soared over her head, Kyra turned and saw her father returning fire. Now provided with cover, Kyra waited for a pause in the gunfight, then picked Leia up and ran behind several rows of clotheslines. Obi-Wan shot at the reptilian bounty hunter a few more times before following after Kyra, who was running across a metal platform that acted as a bridge between two buildings.

     When the mercenary continued to fire, Kyra ducked behind another generator and set Leia down. Kyra drew her blaster and pivoted as she fired, only needing one round to defeat the hunter, whom she shot in the head. Once the thug had been taken care of, the captain and the princess sprinted to the next roof, coming to a halt when they realized the two buildings were placed farther apart than the previous structures. Before Kyra could decide how to tackle the problem, a bounty droid – with the designation of 1-JAC – appeared in the place of the reptilian hunter and opened fire. Kyra instructed Obi-Wan to provide her and Leia with cover fire as she picked her sister up and ran towards the ledge.

     She reached out to the Force and jumped as the droid shot a nearby generator, which exploded in a ball of flame. The concussive wave of the blast knocked Kyra out of the air and forced her to grab onto a nearby cable, leaving both her and Leia dangling precariously above the alley below. Unfortunately for Kyra, she was forced to hold onto the wire with her left arm, which had not fully recovered from the blaster wound. She tried to calm her breathing as her fingers started to slip, her injured shoulder burning from the effort. As if sensing her distress, Obi-Wan peered over the ledge and urged her to hold on tight.

     Suddenly – to Kyra's dismay – the cable snapped and sent the girls plummeting towards the side of a building. Kyra tightened her grip on Leia and prepared for impact just before her left side slammed against the wall, almost as if the cable were trying to break free from her iron grip. The cable succeeded; Kyra's vision blurred as pain coursed through her arm and her fingers slipped, causing both her and Leia to fall to the alley below. Kyra frantically reached out for any object that would stop their fall, but the windows were without sills and the hanging wires were just out of her reach. When Kyra looked at her father, he must have seen the plea in her eyes because he closed his eyes and reached out to the Force for the first time in ten years.

     Grunting with effort, sweat dripping off the tip of his nose, Obi-Wan managed to stop the girls' fall just before they hit the ground. After a moment, with Kyra and Leia floating a foot above the street, Obi-Wan lowered them into the alley and slumped against the ledge of the building. People who had been standing nearby sighed with relief, their faces a mix of wonder and shock.

     When Obi-Wan ran into the alley, breathing hard, he asked, "Are you alright?"

     Leia nodded, her eyes wide as Kenobi helped Kyra to her feet, Kryze wincing in pain as she leaned against the brick wall. They stood there for a moment, catching their breath, then Kyra practically tackled Obi-Wan as she pulled him into a hug.

     Then, as they set off for the spaceport – which was just around the corner – the announcer came over the public address system and stated, "All incoming and outgoing travel is canceled. Have identification ready for scanning."

     A squadron of stormtroopers – accompanied by a pair of Inquisitors – led the search for Obi-Wan at the spaceport.

     When Leia asked who the dark figures were, Kyra explained, "Inquisitors. Many were Jedi who turned to the dark side. Now, they hunt their own kind."

     "And this is all for him?" Leia questioned as she looked over her shoulder at Obi-Wan. "Who are you?"

     Before either Obi-Wan or Kyra could answer, the trio heard footsteps approaching and turned to find 1-JAC looming over them. The droid aimed his blaster at Obi-Wan, but was shot from behind by Haja, who then marched towards the fugitives.

     Obi-Wan quickly pulled the girls behind him and said, "The bounty is on me. Let them go."

     "Listen carefully," Haja replied, ignoring the Jedi Master. "The entire city's locked down. It's done. You need another exit. There's a cargo port. It's fully automated. They won't be looking for you there. Go to transport eight. It goes to Mapuzo. They'll be waiting."

     "Who'll be waiting?" Obi-Wan asked.

     "There are people out there who can help you," Haja answered.

     Kyra arched an eyebrow, "You expect us to trust you? You're a criminal."

     "Look, have I made a few bad decisions? Sure," Haja replied impatiently. "Do I feel bad about it? Sometimes. Do I like credits? Yeah. So much stuff you can buy with credits. Anyways, I'm trying to make amends. I got that family safe and I'm gonna do the same for you. If I'd known what you guys were—"

     "It doesn't matter what we are," Obi-Wan interrupted, "We just need to get the girl home."

     "Go to these coordinates," Haja instructed as he handed Kyra a tablet, as well as a key to a shuttle. "They'll help you from there."

     "How do we know this isn't just a trap?" Kyra asked skeptically.

     "What choice do you have?" Haja replied, answering her question with one of his own. "You and Obi-Wan, you're not alone. I'll buy you as much time as I can."

     With that, Haja pulled his hood over his head and disappeared into the shadows, taking advantage of his knack for showmanship and flare.

     The trio quickly made their way to the spaceport, and as they entered, Kyra advised, "We need to be careful. This is a cargo bay. It's not meant for people."

     "Then they won't look for us here," Leia stated with confidence.

     "Well, not unless it's a setup," Obi-Wan said pessimistically.

     "Is it that hard to believe you might have friends?" Leia – ever the optimist –asked, and Kyra's heart twisted a little as she remembered a time when she used to be as hopeful as her sister.

     When Obi-Wan did not answer, Leia stopped and turned to face him, "Look, since I met you, I've been chased, shot at, I almost fell to my death, and now there are Inquisiting people after us. If somebody is offering us help, I think we should take it. Now, come on."

     The young girl turned on her heel and marched across the cargo bay, only coming to a stop when she realized that Kryze and Kenobi were not following. Both father and daughter had been struck by the similarities between Leia and her biological mother, Padmé Amidala, whose funeral Kyra had attended ten years ago before going into hiding.

     When Leia asked why the pair had stopped, Kyra cleared her throat and tried to steady herself before answering, "Nothing. You just remind me of someone. She was fearless, too. And stubborn."

     Leia glared at Kyra, pretending to be offended, then asked, "Was your friend a Jedi, too?"

     Obi-Wan shook his head and covered for Kyra when she found that she could not speak, "No, she was a leader. She died a long time ago."

     Before any of them could say more, the blast doors opened and an Inquisitor strolled into the spaceport. Obi-Wan, Kyra, and Leia ducked behind a stack of crates, the shadows concealing them from the Inquisitor's sight. The agent of evil – a young woman with dark skin – ignited one side of her red, double-bladed lightsaber and moved farther into the cargo bay.

     As the Inquisitor called Obi-Wan's name, Kenobi turned to the girls and said, "Leia, Kyra, get to the shuttle. I'll be right behind you, I promise. Go!"

     Kyra wanted to argue but saw the grim determination in her father's eyes and took Leia's hand before quietly running towards the cargo transport. The door to the shuttle was open, and Kyra took the key from her utility belt, slipping it into the control terminal and activating the transport. After a moment of indecision, Kyra looked down at Leia and saw that they were thinking the same thing.

     Kyra crouched in front of her sister and handed her a comlink as she said, "Stay here. If we don't make it back in time, go. Use this comlink to contact your father."

     When Leia nodded, Kyra turned and sprinted back to the spaceport, where she found her father in the same place she had left him.

     She started to make her way towards Kenobi but stopped when the Inquisitor said, "Obi-Wan...I can feel you. You don't have to worry. You're not going to die...today."

     When Obi-Wan moved, Kyra moved with him, both making a wide circle around the Inquisitor as she roamed through the cargo bay. The master and apprentice grabbed their lightsabers but did not ignite the blade, for the light and sound would give their positions away. Kyra gripped the hilt of her saber tightly as she finally moved to her father's side, Obi-Wan's eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he saw her.

     They both turned their attention back to the Inquisitor as she stated, "I'm just going to take you to him. Lord Vader will be pleased."

     Kyra's heart dropped and her blood ran cold as the Inquisitor mentioned her master. People across the galaxy feared Darth Vader because of the power he wielded as Emperor Palpatine's right-hand man, as well as the cruelty with which he exerted that power. But the fear that slithered its way down Kyra's spine was caused by the realization that her father had not known what his apprentice had become, the monster he had turned into.

     Apparently, the Inquisitor could read Obi-Wan as well as Kyra could, for she said, "You didn't know. He's alive, Obi-Wan. Anakin Skywalker is alive. And he's been looking for you for a long time. And I will be the one to deliver you to him."

     As she spoke, the Inquisitor began to toss shipping containers aside, hoping to locate her elusive prey.

     She knocked over a metal box that was only a few feet away from Kyra, but before she found the Jedi, another voice called out to the Inquisitor, "Third Sister! I can stand the reek of your ambition no longer."

     Kyra peered between a couple of crates and saw that the Grand Inquisitor – Darth Vader's most cherished apprentice – had entered the spaceport. As the Third Sister stated that she had found Obi-Wan, Kyra grabbed her father's hand and tried to pull him towards the shuttle. Because Kyra had already been in tune with Obi-Wan's emotions, taking his hand linked his thoughts to her, and what she saw caused her to stop dead in her tracks. She closed her eyes against the visions, but that only made them clearer:

     After defeating General Grievous on Utapau – using a blaster, no less – Obi-Wan traveled to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with Master Yoda. There, he discovered that his own apprentice had betrayed the Jedi, joined Emperor Palpatine, and savagely murdered the Jedi Initiates. He had then been forced to confront Anakin, the pair engaging in a grueling battle on the volcanic planet of Mustafar. Obi-Wan had ended the fight by slicing off Anakin's legs and one good arm, the other having been replaced by a prosthetic after it was cut off by Count Dooku years earlier. When Anakin's clothes caught fire – due to the heat of the lava river by which they were standing – Obi-Wan left, incapable to watch the death of the man he had come to think of as a brother.

     Now Kyra stood frozen, as did her father, both left stricken and unable to move by the brutality of it all. As she felt her own anguish, fury, and terror mix with Obi-Wan's, Kyra realized that both she and her father had distracted themselves from their sorrows. Neither of them had been able – or willing – to fully process the events that took place during the Clone Wars. The pain was too great. The murder of her mother, the fall of the Republic, the involuntary betrayal of the clone troopers' that had led to the purge of the Jedi, the death of Padmé – who died of a broken heart from Anakin's own death – and the birth of Darth Vader.

     The Grand Inquisitor's voice broke Kyra out of her trance as he said, "And I cannot risk you losing him again. Move aside. Watch and learn."

     The Third Sister reluctantly stepped aside as the Grand Inquisitor extended his arm and reached out to the Force. But before he could reveal Obi-Wan and Kyra, the Third Sister stabbed him in the chest with her lightsaber.

     Kyra quickly slipped into the shadows again as the Third Sister asked, "Really think I'd let you take all the credit?"

     As the Third Sister deactivated her saber and the Grand Inquisitor fell limply to the ground, Kyra turned towards her father and gripped one of his hands in both of her own. Through the Force, she shared the happier moments that they had shared during their time in the Jedi Order. She reminded him of when she had learned to bond with animals through the Force, as well as the times their lessons on diplomacy had turned into a quick-witted, good-natured war, the master and apprentice using words as their weapons. Lastly, she showed her father all of the times he comforted her during a tough mission or after they had narrowly escaped the cold, heartless clutches of Death.

     Kyra watched as Obi-Wan's gaze refocused as he came back to the present. He planted a quick kiss on her forehead before the two ran back to the shuttle, where Leia started the engines of the transport as they ran onboard. As the cargo shuttle took off, Kyra saw the Third Sister running after it, her lightsaber still activated.

     "You can't run, Obi-Wan!" she yelled furiously. "You can't escape him! We will find you! We will destroy you! And your daughter!"

     Kyra inhaled sharply, sensing a disturbance in the Force, and she assumed that her father did as well. Her suspicions were confirmed when Obi-Wan leaned against the side of the transport and slowly slid to the floor.

     Leia saw their distress and asked, "Are you okay? What is it?"

     "Anakin," Obi-Wan answered quietly as he looked at Kyra, his shaky breath the only noise filling the silent transport.

     In his castle on Mustafar, Darth Vader – once known as Anakin Skywalker, a friend and brother – opened his eyes as he sensed the presence of his former master, as well as his master's daughter. His scarred, burned, and badly injured body floated in a bacta tank, the Dark Lord of the Sith having to soak regularly in the healing liquid to stay alive.

                                                                    ...

     Kyra, who had been sleeping on the floor of the shuttle next to her sister, woke when she heard Obi-Wan speaking quietly to himself. When she crouched next to her father and saw that his eyes were closed and his jaw clenched, Kyra realized she was hearing the voices in his head.

     "Master Qui-Gon. Master. Are you there, Master?" her father asked, calling out to his late master, who had been killed by Darth Maul during a duel more than twenty years ago.

     "You didn't know," the Third Sister said. "He's alive, Obi-Wan."

     "Only pain will you find," Master Yoda warned Kenobi as the voices changed once more, the wise master's voice fluidly shifting to that of the Third Sister as she called out to Obi-Wan in a sing-song voice.

     Obi-Wan's hands began to fidget in his lap, and when Kyra placed her hand on top of his, they stilled.

     "Obi-Wan, promise me you will train the boy," Qui-Gon requested with his dying breath.

     "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy," Anakin accused venomously as the hatred he felt towards his master contorted the once familiar face into a monstrous mask, his expression more terrifying than the actual mask he wore now, which was a part of his life support system. "Don't make me kill you. I do not fear the dark side. I see through the lies of the Jedi."

     "Help me, Master Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan pleaded, hoping that his former master would appear before him as a Force ghost and give him the wisdom and insight he needed to face his apprentice. "Give me strength."

     "Anakin Skywalker is alive," the Third Sister declared. "And he's been looking for you for a long time."

     When Obi-Wan called out to Qui-Gon again, Kyra squeezed Kenobi's hand and called out to him, "He's coming, Master."

     Her father's eyes snapped open and he held his daughter's gaze as she continued to crouch in front of him.

     "You can't stop him," Kyra continued quietly. "But if we work together, we may have a chance at fighting back. At surviving."

     Obi-Wan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, finally nodding after a moment.

     He began to say more, but Leia walked over to the pair with Kyra's trench coat wrapped around her and asked, "Are we almost there? Can't you make this thing go any faster?"

     "It's a trade route, Leia. We're not in control of it," Kyra replied patiently.

     "Can't you use the Force on it or something?" Leia questioned.

     Kyra smirked as she told Leia that the Force did not work that way.

     Now intrigued by a different topic, Leia asked, "How does it work? The Force. What does it feel like?"

     Kyra started to answer, then turned to Obi-Wan, "Would you like to explain, Master?"

     Obi-Wan thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you ever been afraid of the dark?"

     When Leia nodded, Obi-Wan inquired, "How does it feel when you turn on the light?"

     "I feel safe," the young girl answered.

     A ghost of a smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face, disappearing in the blink of an eye as he replied, "Yes, it feels like that."

     From a pocket of his robe, Obi-Wan produced Leia's small companion – Lola – whom he had been working on since they boarded the shuttle. Kyra watched as the princess took the small droid, her face lighting up as she thanked Obi-Wan. When the transport shuddered, Obi-Wan advised the girl to hang onto something, knowing that they were approaching their destination.

                                                                   ...

     Mapuzo – a planet under Imperial occupation – showcased rocky canyons and valleys featuring sparse amounts of foliage. On Mapuzo, the color green was more of a suggestion, a glimpse at what could be if the planet were allowed to thrive. Kyra recognized the signs of the Empire's greed for resources, their relentlessness. Every system that the Empire touched would never be the same, even if the Imperial occupation only lasted for a short while. They conquered planet after planet, draining each world of its most precious resources, then abandoned the system – and its people – when they had taken what they needed.

     Once the transport had landed on one of the enormous plateaus, each having once been a mountain top before it was flattened, the trio snuck off the shuttle and passed the droids that were unloading the cargo. They walked along a dirt path through the barren landscape, the road lined with small shrubbery, if it could even be called that.

     "What is this place?" Leia asked, taking in all of the new sights.

     "Mapuzo. It's a mining system," Kyra answered as she looked down at the tablet that Haja had given her. "Coordinates say the meeting point is farther north."

     "That is if our new friend was telling the truth," Obi-Wan added, apparently reluctant to let go of his pessimism.

     "Why would he lie?" the girl wondered.

     "People are not all good, Leia," Obi-Wan answered in a harsh tone, sighing as he shook his head and looked at their surroundings.

     "It wasn't always like this here," Kyra said after a moment. "There were fields and families. Then the Empire came in and ravaged it all."

     "I thought the Empire was supposed to be helping us," Leia replied, her brow furrowing in confusion.

     "Well, there are some, like your father, who are trying to," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Seems like a losing battle these days."

     Suddenly, Obi-Wan stopped and stared at something off in the distance. When Kyra followed his gaze and did not see anything, she knew that whatever her father was seeing was a construct of his own imagination. She tugged on her father's sleeve and called his name several times before he finally broke out of his trance. He looked at her and Leia, then back to the hill in the distance. Apparently, the vision that Obi-Wan had seen was no longer there, for he turned back towards the road and continued on. As they drew closer to the coordinates they had been given, Obi-Wan reminded Leia that they were a family of farmers from Tawl, and that the young girl could not talk.

     "I can't talk, or I don't like to talk?" Leia asked.

     "You don't talk," Obi-Wan answered, and the princess nodded.

     Kyra stopped abruptly, the girl and her father nearly running into her as she stared at the tablet in her hand. She surveyed the landscape around them, which consisted of bleached grass and – shockingly – more parched vegetation.

     "This is where he told us to come," Kyra muttered, more to herself than the others.

     "Maybe they're just late?" Leia suggested as she spun slowly in a circle, seemingly searching for their rescuers.

     "Maybe it was a lie," Obi-Wan grumbled, shaking his head frustratedly. "I knew it! We never should've trusted him."

     "We don't know if—" Kryze started to reason, but Obi-Wan cut her off.

     "No one is coming, Kyra!" he snapped. "You of all people should know there are very few people left who will help Jedi."

     When Kyra flinched, Leia came to her sister's aid and said, "Well, if we're on our own, we're gonna need some help."

     When Obi-Wan saw that Leia was looking past him, he turned around to find an approaching landspeeder and tried to stop the young girl when she started waving down the driver. As the driver – a Condluran with rodent-like features and tentacles framing his mouth – slowed to a stop, Obi-Wan reminded Leia of her role in their deception.

     Being the independent spirit she was, Leia took it upon herself to introduce the trio, "Hi! I'm Luma. This is my sister, Jana, and my father, Orden. We're farmers from Tawl."

     When the Condluran stated his name was Freck, Leia turned to the Jedi and asked, "Father, sister, aren't you going to say hello?"

     Both Kryze and Kenobi nodded their greetings to the Condluran as Leia explained, "We were going on a trip, and we got a little lost in this field."

     Freck's brow furrowed in confusion, "That's a weird story."

     "We got a bit turned around," Kyra admitted, her face flushing with embarrassment. "We're looking for the nearest port. We need to get home."

     When Freck nodded, Kyra could tell he was feeling sorry for the lost travelers, her suspicions being confirmed when the Condluran stated that he was headed for the nearest port and invited the trio to join him. Obi-Wan politely declined the offer and said they only needed directions, but Leia happily climbed into the vessel and told Kenobi that they had walked long enough. As Kyra followed her sister, she saw that a banner sporting the Imperial symbol was tied to the back of the landspeeder. She looked back at Obi-Wan, and from the expression on his face, she knew that he, too, was uneasy about their situation.

     As they drove, Freck asked, "So, where'd you say you're from again?"

     When the trio simultaneously answered that they were from Tawl, Freck replied, "Oh, good people out in Tawl. They pay their way, listen to the Empire."

     Kyra clenched her jaw, trying to maintain a neutral expression as Leia nodded her agreement.

     "Absolutely. We love the Empire," the girl stated proudly.

     "Nice to meet like-minded folk," the Condluran replied as he looked over his shoulder at the trio. "Nothing wrong with a little order, right?"

     After traveling several yards in silence, Freck slowed down and allowed a group of stormtroopers to board the landspeeder.

     "Transport late again?" the Condluran asked as three of the soldiers settled across from the fugitives and one sat next to Kyra on the bench seat.

     "As usual," one trooper grumbled.

     "This is Orden, Jana, and Luma," Freck said to the troopers, introducing his other passengers. "They're hitchin' a ride to the port."

     The troopers nodded their greetings as the Condluran asked where they were coming from.

     "They're movin' us around, looking for a Jedi," the first trooper explained.

     Freck's eyes widened, "A Jedi? Out here? I hope we're not in any danger."

     "Ah, no, we'll find him. We always do," a third Imperial assured the Condluran as the landspeeder headed towards the port once more.

     After riding in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, the second stormtrooper asked Obi-Wan if he was a miner. Obi-Wan shook his head and, once again, explained that he and the girls were farmers from Tawl. When the second Imperial asked why they had come to Mapuzo, Obi-Wan wearily replied that it was a long story.

     "It's a long way," the second trooper stated.

     Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, but Kyra beat him to it, "He brought me and my sister here so we could see the place where he met our mother before she..."

     When Kyra faltered, thinking of her own mother, Obi-Wan quietly finished, "She's not with us anymore. It's been a very difficult time."

     As three of the stormtroopers expressed their condolences, the second Imperial asked, "You have any information about a Jedi?"

     Obi-Wan shook his head, "Wouldn't know one if I saw one."

     "You haven't heard anything?" the second trooper asked dubiously.

     "Nothing," Leia replied. "Are you sure he's even on this planet?"

     "They know what they're doing, Leia," Obi-Wan stated, his heart sinking when he realized that he had accidentally used her real name.

     The stormtroopers shared a glance as the first Imperial said that he thought the girl's name was Luma. This time, when Obi-Wan found that he did not have a suitable justification for his mistake, Kyra stepped in.

     "That was our mother's name," she explained, her voice laced with the grief she felt towards her mother's murder. "You'll have to forgive my father, sometimes he gets confused. Like he said, it hasn't been easy."

     Obi-Wan looked at Kyra, who sat to his left, then turned to Leia and said, "Sometimes, when I look at my girls, I see their mother's face. We all miss her very much."

     As he locked eyes with the young girl and wrapped his arm around Kyra's shoulders, she knew that he was speaking about both of their mothers, Padmé and Satine. After a nerve-racking moment, the second Imperial nodded as he instructed the trio to keep their eyes open and report anything suspicious. Leia, Kyra, and Obi-Wan assured the troopers that they would, sighing in relief as the landspeeder came to a stop and the four stormtroopers disembarked. They traveled quietly for a little while, Leia staring at Kyra and Obi-Wan with a strange expression on her face.

     After a moment, she asked, "You knew her, my real mother, didn't you?"

     "It was just a story," Obi-Wan replied, trying to brush her question off, but Leia did not buy it.

     "The whole time I've known you, you've been hiding something. Lying to me," the princess insisted, pausing for a moment to consider the question she had been mulling over. "Are you my real father?"

     Her inquiry took Obi-Wan by surprise, his eyebrows raising slightly as he answered, "I wish that I could say I was, but no, I'm not."

     Leia slumped into her seat, her voice wistful as she admitted, "Sometimes I try to imagine what he was like."

     "I know that feeling," Obi-Wan replied as he crouched in front of Leia. "As Jedi, we're taken from our families when we're very young. I still have glimpses, flashes really, my mother's shawl, my father's hands. I remember a baby. I think I had a brother. Don't remember him, really. I wished I did."

     Sitting in between the girls once more, Obi-Wan continued, "Then I joined the Jedi, and I got a new family just like you. I was even lucky enough to train my daughter in the ways of the Force. Most Jedi never meet their biological family."

     Obi-Wan smiled and looked over at Kyra, but she was focusing on something ahead of them. When Obi-Wan turned and saw that they were approaching a checkpoint – which was guarded by a squad of stormtroopers – he asked Freck if they could get off before they reached the electron gate.

     "Oh, it's a standard inspection," the Condluran assured them upon hearing the anxiety in Obi-Wan's voice. "Don't worry, won't take long. I know these fellas."

     The trio watched as Freck conversed with the troopers, unable to hear what they were saying due to the wind. When a couple of troopers flanked the landspeeder and made their way towards the trio, Obi-Wan pulled his hood over his head, concealing his face.

     "Not a lot of reasons to be in the outpost today," the first stormtrooper said. "Where are you headed?"

     "Back to Tawl," Kyra answered, her tone friendly and her smile warm. "We have family here we were visiting."

     Unfortunately, her pleasantness did not fool the Imperials, and the first trooper asked them to step out of the vehicle. The trio obediently did as they were told, Kyra helping Leia out of the speeder as an Imperial probe droid floated ominously above their heads. The troopers ordered Obi-Wan to show his face, and when he did not comply, they raised their blasters and repeated the order in a harsher tone. Reluctantly, Obi-Wan pulled back his hood and allowed the probe droid to scan his features. As the droid began to beep frantically, Kyra drew her blaster and shot its red eye before pivoting and gunning down the first stormtrooper.

     She quickly shot a second Imperial and tackled a third trooper to the ground when he tried to grab her weapon. After disabling the third stormtrooper, Kyra pulled Freck towards her and held her blaster against his neck. Using the Condluran as a shield, Kyra shot the fourth and final Imperial, who was bisected when he fell off the parapet and into the electron gate. As she hit Freck with the butt of her blaster, knocking him out, Kyra heard a small cry behind her. She turned to find the trooper she had tackled a moment ago aiming his blaster at the back of Leia's head. The Imperial ordered Kyra to drop her weapon, and she quickly complied as Leia whimpered with fear.

     Just before her blaster touched the ground, Kyra swiftly aimed her weapon at the trooper and fired, shooting him in the chest. Leia ran towards her sister and hugged her fiercely as Obi-Wan shot the gate's control panel, deactivating it. Kyra grabbed Leia's hand and ran after her father, but the trio's progress was quickly halted when a transport carrying three stormtroopers and an Imperial captain intercepted them. The troopers ordered Kryze, Kenobi, and Organa to lie on the ground with their hands behind their heads. As the trio complied, the Imperial captain marched off the transport and proceeded to shoot the three stormtroopers in the back.

     "Come on," the captain – a woman with tan skin and jet-black hair – said as she helped the trio to their feet. "They'll have sent a transmission. We have to hurry. I'll take you the rest of the way."

     After arriving in a nearby settlement, the woman explained, "Haja gave you the right coordinates. I was on my way when the probes arrived, but you'd already gone."

     "I hadn't expected anyone to come," Obi-Wan admitted as they ducked between a pair of buildings to avoid several stormtroopers.

     "The Empire's gone into high alert. They've locked everything down," the woman continued after the troopers had passed. "I can only get you to the port. There's a pilot who's agreed to take you, but he's not scheduled to leave for a few hours, so we need to lay low. Wait here. I'll make sure it's clear."

     The woman glanced in both directions before cautiously crossing a street and disappearing into a nearby building as Leia activated Lola.

     When Kyra saw the haunted expression on the girl's pale face, she sat next to her and said, "Everything will be alright, Leia. We'll make it out."

     "I didn't do it on purpose," Leia replied apologetically. "I didn't mean to run away. I do it all the time. I just—It was just for fun."

     "This isn't your fault, Leia," Kyra replied firmly. "I ran with you. There just happened to be people looking for you this time. If I had been able to stop them..."

     "Don't blame yourself, Kyra. It's not your fault, either. You just wanted to have fun, be a kid for a little while," the princess said as she placed a small hand on her sister's cheek. "I don't blame you, because I can tell there wasn't much time for fun when you were a kid."

     "No, no there wasn't," Kyra replied quietly, still taken off guard by the girl's intuition.

     Kyra sighed as she got to her feet, having seen the woman signal that the coast was clear. The trio quickly crossed the street, keeping their heads down as they walked into a workshop.

     "Droid maintenance. It's all automated. No one ever comes in here," the woman explained, smiling when Leia stared up at a hulking droid meant for moving cargo. "He's on our side. Designation's NED-B."

     "Hi NED-B," Leia said after a moment as she pulled Lola out of her coat pocket. "Lola, say hello."

     The small droid beeped cheerfully, but when NED-B only nodded his head, the woman explained, "He's just a loader. They don't allow them to communicate."

     "But what if he has something to say?" the princess asked as she turned towards the woman.

     "Actions speak louder than words," Kyra answered as NED-B opened a secret door at the back of the workshop.

     As the woman removed her cap and took off her gloves, she said, "We have safehouses like this throughout the galaxy. Trying to link the systems. Some call it the Path. You're not the first Jedi to come through here. It all leads to Jabiim, and from there, we give them new identities and get them out. There's a lot of good people risking their lives out there."

     As Leia activated Lola's flashlight and observed the inscriptions on the wall, she asked, "Are they all Jedi?"

     "Not all," the woman answered. "These days, the Empire hurts anyone who's Force-sensitive. Even children."

     "What happens to them?" the princess questioned, ever thirsty for knowledge.

     "We're not sure. But no one ever sees them again," the woman replied in a grim tone.

     "Quinlan Vos was here?" Obi-Wan asked, amazement lacing his voice as he asked after the Jedi Master that both he and Kyra had served with during the Clone Wars.

     The woman nodded, "Yeah, he helps now and again. Smuggling younglings."

     Leia – who could not read the ancient text of the Jedi – inquired, "What does it say?"

     "'Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see,'" Kyra translated.

     Leia's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she asked what they would be able to see if they closed their eyes.

     "The Way," Obi-Wan answered quietly.

     Before he could elaborate any further, someone knocked on the front door of the workshop. The woman closed and locked the hidden entrance as NED-B allowed the two impatient stormtroopers to enter the workshop. Obi-Wan drew his blaster, looking as if he wanted to intercept the Imperials, but the woman grabbed his arm and stopped him.

     "We need to search the premises," the first trooper stated. "A Jedi was seen entering this camp. You seen anyone?"

     NED-B did not reply, and when the first stormtrooper grew frustrated, the second Imperial explained that the droid did not understand what his partner was saying. The first trooper grumbled frustratedly to himself and marched out of the workshop, the second Imperial following close on his heels as they moved on to the next building. NED-B, who had been holding a mallet behind his back in case it came down to a fight, set the hammer down and closed the blast door behind the stormtroopers.

     Kyra and Obi-Wan sighed with relief as the woman pulled a comlink out of her belt and hailed the pilot, "We've been compromised. We're coming to you right now."

     "We're not ready. We need more—" the pilot protested, but the woman cut him off.

     "I don't care. Get the ship ready, and hurry," she instructed as she pulled off her Imperial uniform, revealing a blue shirt and brown pants underneath. "Someone must have seen us. We're moving up the timeline."

     As the woman shrugged into a rust-colored leather jacket and freed her hair from its tight bun, Leia asked, "Is it scary? Having to pretend?"

     "Yeah, sometimes. But it's worth it if I can help people," the woman replied as she rotated her belt so that her holster hung at her left side.

     When she saw Leia's quizzical look, she explained, "I wear it on the other side. Gives me a faster draw."

     "Can you teach me how to shoot?" the princess asked excitedly.

     Kyra smiled and Obi-Wan wearily rubbed a hand over his face as the woman stated, "She'll make a good fighter one day."

     "Yes, I think you might be right," Kyra agreed before turning to Leia. "I'll give you lessons once we get back to Alderaan. I'm sure your mother and father won't mind."

    When Leia giggled, Kyra was amazed by the fact that the young girl could still laugh, considering all they had been through.

     As Obi-Wan watched the woman fill a backpack with supplies, he asked, "Why do you do this? Risk everything?"

     After a moment of consideration, the woman answered, "I joined up when the Empire stood for something. By the time I realized what they really were, it was too late. I made some mistakes."

     "We all did," the Jedi Master replied quietly.

     "I can't imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi doing anything wrong," the woman countered.

     "It's just Ben these days," Obi-Wan corrected.

     "My name's Tala," the woman stated, introducing herself. "Tala Durith. Come on, this will take us out."

     Shouldering the pack, Tala opened a second secret blast door that led to a series of underground tunnels. As they crossed the threshold, both Obi-Wan and Kyra were sent reeling by a disturbance in the Force. Both Leia and Tala called their names, but neither of the Jedi responded as they leaned against the wall for support. Finally, Obi-Wan made his way towards the front of the workshop and peered through the slats in the door. Kyra, Tala, and Leia quickly joined Obi-Wan and watched as Darth Vader made his way through the settlement, three Inquisitors following close behind but taking care to stay out of his way.

     Obi-Wan turned and gripped Kyra's shoulders as he hastily whispered, "Get back in the room. Go. Now."

     Kyra ushered Leia into the secret chamber before returning to her father's side and asking Tala to watch the girl. Durith hesitated, then nodded and set off towards the back room. Halfway through the settlement, Vader used the Force to pull a man through the window of his home and began choking him. When the man's son ran into the street and yelled for Vader to stop, the Dark Lord of the Sith slammed the boy against the wall of his house and snapped his neck. Both Jedi grimaced but were unable to look away as Vader finished choking the father and dropped his lifeless body on the ground. A woman emerged from the house, sobbing as she cradled her husband and son, but Vader paid her no mind.

     Finally, Kyra broke out of her macabre trance and tugged on Obi-Wan's sleeve as she fiercely whispered, "Come on! We have to go now."

     After hesitating for a moment, Obi-Wan rushed past Kyra and crouched in front of the princess, "Leia, go with Kyra and Tala. I'll be right behind you."

     When Kyra started to protest, Obi-Wan interrupted her, "Get to Alderaan. Promise me."

     "You can't fight him alone," Kyra argued. "We need to stand together."

     Obi-Wan gripped her shoulders almost painfully as he repeated, "Promise me. Promise me that you'll get Leia, and yourself, to Alderaan safely."

     Tears brimmed in Kyra's eyes, but she blinked them away and swallowed the lump in her throat because she knew that Obi-Wan was determined to face his former apprentice on his own. As Kyra nodded, Tala assured Obi-Wan that she would lead the girls away from the enemy forces. Kyra grabbed Leia's hand and pulled her into the tunnel as she followed Tala, looking back until she could no longer see her father. As they ran to the spaceport, a horrible cacophony of screams filled Kyra's head, and she knew that Lord Vader was murdering innocent citizens for no reason other than tormenting her father. And that in itself was why people across the galaxy feared the Emperor's right-hand man.

     He could kill whomever he wanted whenever he wanted – simply because he wanted to – and he was able to get away with it, thanks to the power he wielded. As they ran through the secret passages, Kyra stopped and asked Tala to help Obi-Wan Kenobi.

     "He'll be fine," Tala replied quickly as she continued down the tunnel.

     "No, he won't," Kyra argued stubbornly as she grabbed Tala's arm and brought her to a halt. "We can make it on our own from here. As much as I'd like to help my father, my first priority is to get Leia home."

     Tala hesitated, then sighed and said, "Keep running till you reach the port. A pilot will meet you there."

     Kyra nodded and shook Tala's hand, "Bring him back. And may the Force be with you."

     Leia quickly hugged Tala Durith before taking Kyra's hand and running towards the spaceport with her sister. They ran for several minutes in silence, the only sound coming from their heavy breathing and their feet quietly pounding the sand. Suddenly, Kyra gasped and keeled over, her body feeling as if she had been dragged across a bed of hot coals.

     "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Leia asked, and when she met Kyra's gaze, she knew that her sister was experiencing someone else's pain. "It's Ben, isn't it?"

     Gritting her teeth, Kyra managed to stand as she urged Leia to keep moving, the pair picking up the pace and heading towards the spaceport. And freedom. When they finally reached the port, a woman's voice called out to them from the darkness.

     "Don't be afraid," she said comfortingly. "Come closer."

     Kyra tried to pull Leia behind her, but the girl asked, "Are you the one we're supposed to meet?"

     "Unfortunately, they couldn't make it, but I'll take you from here," the woman answered as she moved into the light.

     The Third Sister tried to block their view, but Kyra saw the pilot's lifeless body sprawled out on the floor behind her. As Kyra Kryze picked Leia Organa up and tried to run, she cursed herself for not having sensed the second dark presence, for having let herself be distracted by her father's fight with Darth Vader.