Cyrus Quinn sat at the table, watching his daughter sleep peacefully. The steady rise and fall of her chest served to calm his nerves to an extent, drawing his attention from his worries of their next destination. He smiled, remembering her mother and how much the little girl resembled her.

Valara was only six years old, and yet, she was more like her mother than he could ever imagine. While she had his face, she had her mother's presence. She was kind, and giving, and oddly wise for a small child. Nothing like him.

No, Cyrus was an awful man. He knew that. He had done terrible things, awful things, just for the sake of power. But after Valara was born, he'd changed. At least, he tried.

Cyrus did his best as a father, despite his cruel past and standoffish nature. Every so often, dark thoughts relapsed in his mind, but even a glimpse of his daughter washed them away. He wanted to be a better man for her. She deserved it.

One of the panels near the front of the ship began beeping. Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows but went to check nonetheless.

A hologram flickered to life. It displayed a cloaked figure, wearing a hood that obscured his face.

"Cyrus Quinn," drawled a nasally voice through the communication system.

He paled. He knew that voice, he would always know that voice. It was the voice that haunted his dreams, his every waking moment. It was the voice of all those who used dark side of the force. His former master, Darth Sidious.

Cyrus knew what was coming for him. He knew that Sidious would kill him first, and make it painful. There were a myriad of things he could do to Valara if he knew about her and her bloodline, all of them making him sick to his stomach.

He would not let his daughter suffer such a fate.

He glanced anxiously at Valara, before sitting in the pilot's seat, turning off the auto-pilot setting.

Before he could even move the ship, another one opened fire. Cyrus cursed, swerving to avoid getting hit.

"Papa?" Valara asked groggily, stepping out from the back of the ship.

"Valara," Cyrus took a sharp breath. "Sit down. Buckle up."

"Ooh, are we going on an adventure?" she asked innocently, taking a seat in the chair beside her father.

"Not quite," Cyrus answered, picking up the speed. He caught a glimpse of Valara sitting in the seat with a tired look. "Val, put on the seatbelt."

"I don't want to."

"Valara Quinn, buckle your seatbelt, now!" He ordered, maneuvering through a field of space debris.

Valara hastily listened to her father, buckling the belt around her waist, still not understanding why he was so stressed.

The ship rocked as a laser hit it, throwing it out of its path.

"Are you okay?" Cyrus asked worriedly, shifting the steering to avoid getting hit again.

"Yes," Valara answered, settling back in her seat. "Papa, what was that?"

"We just..." he searched for the best thing to tell her. "Hit some debris."

"Why did you do that, silly?" the little girl laughed.

"It was an accident." Cyrus tried to give her the most reassuring smile he could.

The ship entered the Tatoo star system, with its pursuers still close behind. Suddenly, another line of fire opened on the other side, catching Cyrus by surprise and striking one of the ship's thrusters.

He cursed, realizing that he'd have to crash land or they'd get blown to bits.

He steered the ship into the atmosphere of the closest body; a hot desert planet called Tatooine. He had been there a few times before to make deals with the Huts and other outlaws that could only thrive on the outskirts of the Republic. Once they landed, he could find a contact and get a new ship, and eventually go into hiding somewhere.

The two ships fired again, this time hitting the other thruster, causing the Quinns' ship to begin falling to the ground.

Cyrus realized what was coming.

He turned to Valara, unbuckling her seat belt and picking her up, taking her to the tightest space on the ship. He hugged his daughter tight, tears escaping his eyes.

"Papa, what's happening?" Valara asked in confusion. "Why are you crying?"

"Val, listen to me," Cyrus said seriously, staring into his daughter's eyes. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too, papa," Valara kissed his cheek.

"Valara, promise me you'll be a good person. Promise me you'll never fall to the dark."

"I...I promise," Valara said, eyes tearing up as well. She didn't understand why her father looked at her so sadly. Her stomach churned in guilt. She felt as though she had done something to make him cry.

Cyrus placed a hand on the back of her head and held her close, bracing for impact.

There was no other way. The only way to keep Valara safe was to make Sidious believe that he and his daughter were dead. But the only way Valara could survive a crash like this was if he used the force.

He thought of her mother, who would have been proud of the man he'd become. He thought of how he'd given Valara the best life he could, and that he'd always stay with her in the force.

With thoughts of how much he loved his daughter, and his arms around her, he used the force one last time to ensure that no harm befell his greatest legacy.

And then Cyrus Quinn was no more.