The purple flower

--Mos Entha, Tatooine, ten years after the fall of the Empire--

Eight years ago, on the middle of Vesper Square they’d put down this big stone desert colored pillar.

Seven years old Umanda was passing it twice every day, on her way to and from school. For her it looked like another standard thing, a thing that she’d seen every day and maybe for that reason never really noticed it. But one day she decided to have a better look at it.

On the pillar a lot of names were carved in the stone. Above all these names there was this text:

They lived as rebels

They died as heroes

On one special part there were some kind of ‘drawings’, of suffering people, well at least it looked like that to her. And other people, in armor, which were shooting at them. And some sort of walking tanks, and buildings on fire. The overall picture seemed to be one big fight. Under it there was a date, accompanied by the words:

In memory of the Vesper Square Revolt

Under it there were some more dates, accompanied with names: the rebels that had been executed on the stairs. Shuddering she stared at the stairs of the building in front of her, and then back at the pillar. Mostly it had been one person at a time that had been killed there, but sometimes it also had been two.

With some date, about seventeen years ago –almost exactly a year before the Vesper Square Revolt-, there were the most names together: five! It must have been a family, because they all had the same last name..

Jason Silverstar

Lolita Silverstar

Janine Silverstar

Emmanuel Silverstar

The last name was accompanied with another date: the date of the revolt, the date of the death of many people.

Aaricia Silverstar

On top of the pillar there was a big flower. It was the only part that really had a color: the color purple.

Umanda thought it was beautiful.

The Twi’lek child had never experienced the Empire, born three years after the liberation of Tatooine. She wondered how it would have been.. in her head she imagined what might have happened on this square.. sixteen years ago..

--Hoth, Echo Base, years earlier--

A little girl dressed in a beautiful snow white dress, was sitting on the snow white sheets of a big bed. There was one room in the snow white walls, for the rest there were some lights, attached to the walls. Some sun rays shone into the room. Outside only snow was to be seen, and the blue of a cloudless sky.

With tears in her eyes the child stared at her hands, formed into a cup.

There was something brown in the little cup, a brown cookie. Her favorite, which only one person had known.

I’ve always loved you but you have to let go of me now. Never stop fighting for your own future because they’ve killed me!

She remembered the nice man’s words in the spaceship: eat the cookie when you are ready, then let go of her. Keep looking into the future, don’t let yourself be blinded by the past.

She couldn’t really understand it. Maybe she was still too young for all of this.

--Tatooine, vicinity of Mos Entha--

The purple flower Aaricia gave to Xanado. She liked the color purple. Lolita had an orange one, Emmanuel yellow, Janine blue and Jason red.

With tears in his eyes he took it out of the palm of her right hand.

“Get Mathilda out of there.”

“I promise it from my heart. She will be my main responsibility.”

“Xanado.. promise me to keep her feeling.. I don’t know what happened with her in that prison. Don’t ever let her stop feeling.. don’t let her become just like me.”

Sadly he stared into her eyes.

From another pocket she got the small package, with the ten chocolate cookies. Mathilda’s favorite.

“Give them to some friends of mine. Together with a hug from me. Tell them to eat the cookie while thinking of me, and after having eaten it letting go of me. Life goes on.” She said calmly while handing him the package.

Slowly he nodded.

“I may die tonight.. but the Rebellion will live Xanado.”

“Yes I know, but still..”

“They may take my body, but not my mind. I’ll die as a free person.. Xanado promise me one thing.”

“Anything Aaricia..”

“Let the Rebellion live as furiously as they’ve never lived before.. I don’t wanna die for nothing!”

With a sad smile he nodded. In his eyes was a fanatic glance.

“I will take care that your death will be compensated richly!”

“Tonight the people will revolt. I know that. It will be an example for them.. a shame that I won’t be witness of it anymore..” She stared at the sand that was being scorched by the two Tatooinian suns. “Somehow I have the feeling that I will live on.. but I feel scared to death Xanado.. at one side I feel very calm and at peace.. but the same time..”

“Death is only the beginning Aaricia.” He put a hand on her right shoulder. “Don’t be afraid of it. Just let it happen.”

She nodded.

“As you said yourself.. it is only fear of the unknown.”

“Yeah..”

A bit absentminded she turned to him, reaching her right hand to him.

“It was an honor to have fought with you.” With a smile she looked into his eyes.

“The honor was mine.” With a smile he shook her hand, then took her in a tight hug.

This made her cry again.

“I.. I better meditate some more at that hill. It is a nice spot.. you have a big view from it. I like big views.. it gives me a sense of surveyability.”

He nodded at her.

“Goodbye friend.”

Without looking at him again she jumped on her swoop and raced away.

It was hard to let go of it all.. of her friends and soon her very life too.

I’m not afraid to die anymore mum.. not anymore.

Not anymore..

Today was the day. Today Mathilda would get adopted.. and she could even choose the family herself!

Today she would finally get out of this cell, for good. She already knew what she would do. Escape from the family to find her mum!

“I’ll be with you soon again mum..” She mumbled quietly while fiddling with her hair, bouncing with excitement. “No matter how but I’ll find you!”

Footsteps approached the cell. Mathilda stepped in front of the forcefield.. the watery looking field, the transparent wall that had kept her inside this little room for almost two months. One of the two stormtroopers de-activated the field. The other entered the cell. Mathilda smiled at him.

“Am I getting adopted now?” She asked hopefully.

“Against the wall prisoner!” The trooper barked.

Suddenly it felt as if a dark cloud had moved in front of the sun. She shuddered. Why did he act like that? Bewildered she stared at him.

“NOW!”

Quickly she leaned to the wall.

“Hands on the wall!”

Her fingers touched the cold metal.

“Will I get adopted?”

“Silence!”

Biting her lip she heard some metallic sound and then her hands got grabbed and cuffed behind her back.

“Why am I cuffed..?”

“Turn around.”

She turned around staring into the black lenses of the trooper, shuddering again. She felt a lot of coldness and stepped back a bit. Tears formed in her eyes. The trooper grabbed her right arm and in a rude way he dragged her out of the cell, into the big hall. In a mist of tears she was kinda aware of the surroundings, but also of the presences of the people. She felt a lot of fear and sadness, shuddering and sniffing she stared at the ceiling. Now she wasn’t sure anymore about this adoption. This felt.. terrifying.

“Out.” The mechanical sounding voice behind her continued.

Outside the suns made her blink a lot, she hadn’t seen them for ages. The heat immediately made her sweat.

“On your knees, prisoner.”

She tried to gently sit on them, but a hand put her down rudely. Her knees hurt, she winced.

“Am I really going to-“

“Silent!”

She felt the aggressive vibration, scared she closed her mouth.

On one hand she had a very bad feeling. A feeling that made her stomach turn.. a feeling as if they were going to kill her. But on the other hand.. as she also sensed their real personalities of the Imperials, it just.. felt totally unrealistic. If these people were really themselves then they would never do this. But they weren’t.

There was calmness everywhere. It was as if the universe itself consisted of it.. as if every molecule resonated with this frequency of peace.

Why were people at war? Why did they fight each other? Why was there oppression? It felt all so futile, even pretty ridiculous.

Goodbye beautiful world filled with crazy people.

Grinning she dangled her legs over the edge of the rock, a big gaping precipice in front of her.

From her pocket she took the bottle of water again. Soon she wouldn’t need this fluid anymore, as she would have left this body. A shudder moved through it.

Several times Aaricia had stood on the edge of the precipice of death. But this time it felt different. This time it find natural, as it she was ready for it.

Sighing she glanced at the chrono that was around her left wrist. Twenty five minutes left.

It is time.

Mathilda blinked because of the little piece of sand that was in her eye. She couldn’t wipe it out of it with her hands because they were cuffed.

“My eyes hurt.” She complained.

Nobody reacted.

“Move it.”

She had to keep herself from crying. Instantly she forgot her hurting eye when they arrived at some big square.. with a lot of people. Nervously she peered at them.

“Onto the stairs prisoner.. into the building.”

“Y.. yes.” She bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes. “Where are the families?”

Maybe they were in the building? But inside there only was a bare room with a couple of chairs.

“Sit on the chair.”

Mathilda glanced at the trooper, at the emotionless black lenses. Although she knew that a human being was under it. That was the saddest thing.. she felt.. as if they were nice from the inside. But somehow they were not connected to themselves, their real selves.

There was another man, dressed in some green uniform. She had never seen him before.

“When are the families coming..?” She asked while staring at him.

Or will you adopt me?

“My hands hurt.”

“They will come, child. Just be patient.” The man replied, and then turned his back to her.

She wished that this man was still there, with the beard and long hair. He had been nice to her. She wished that he would have adopted her, but he was not here now. She felt lonely and scared, tears coming out of her eyes. No, she had to be strong, keep herself tough. Soon she would get out of here.

Footsteps approached, two troopers entered the room. Mathilda stared at them with big scared eyes.

“Get up. Follow me.” One of them said to the child.

“Ok.” She said calmly, then followed him, back outside.

Outside she blinked in the light. There was the woman in black, she glanced at the child without expressing any emotion.

“Put her in front.” She ordered the troopers.

There were so many people.. it made Mathilda confused. What were they watching for? Where were the families?

She got put in front and asked this question again, but nobody said something back.

Grinning Aaricia glanced at the troopers from underneath the hood of her cloak.

Around her the tension was obvious. People were mumbling things like ‘they cannot do this!’.. there was a lot of indignation.

Perfect.

Stormtroopers were standing perfectly symmetrical in front of the building that Aaricia hated so much. The precinct.. were she had stood herself years ago, and where her family had died. But also many more people..
If the war would ever end there would probably be put some monument on this square. Vesper Square.. the place where so many people, and rebels, lost their lives. With a sigh she leaned with her back on the wall. A wookie said something to her, but she ignored him.

She knew that there would be quite some people that she knew, right now on the same square. But even looking at them would make it only harder.

White slaves..

Suddenly these words popped up in her mind, while looking at the troopers again. She remembered these words that that Nightsister had mentioned, a long time ago in Dathomir prison. Now she finally understood it. All those troopers were actually slaves, property of the Emperor. She remembered that day of her own execution, when that officer, later known as Zamar, had given her a last shower. That had been the first time that she had actually be able to really talk with somebody from the enemy. Emotionless the man had told her that he was property of the Emperor.. but he was part of a group. At that moment she would have never realized that months later, she would be under that shower again, but this time also as an Imperial trooper, thinking just like him. Thinking that the rebels were her enemy, instead of Imperials. Being property of the Emperor herself.. they were actually nothing but slaves.. slaves in white armor: white slaves! Wasn’t that the worst form of slavery, even worse than be a slave according to their definition? Slaves that thought they were free.. slaves in body and soul.

A little green-yellow colored silhouette exiting the building awaked her from her thoughts. Gasping she stared at her daughter, biting her lip. She had to keep herself from running towards her, from trying to hug her.. and then almost certainly immediately getting shot by the troopers. This was the hardest part, to let go of Mathilda. 

While inhaling deeply, a tear came out of one of her eyes. Mathilda, cuffed on her back, was being put aside from the troopers. The officer, a woman, started to talk with a loud voice. Aaricia recognized the voice, but couldn’t see the face very well. Without feeling any emotion, except for calmness –she had already accepted her death two days ago-, she listened to the woman while peering at her face.

“Today the child Mathilda Silverstar will get executed.. unless the traitor and terrorist Aaricia Silverstar will come forward!”

Terrorist..

Aaricia smirked, while finally recognizing the face of the woman. This made her feel a bit sad. She had liked Corporal Duke when she had been in the Imperial army herself. It seemed that she had raised in rank, as she was leading the execution now. Maybe in another time they could have become friends..

On the left she saw Mathilda getting panicked.

“What? Am I getting killed.. are you killing me?!?” The child started screaming, while one of the troopers grabbed her arm tightly.

In the crowd there was more and more unrest.

Perfect.

“NO, don’t kill me!” Mathilda screamed in utter panic, crying loudly, trying to lose herself from the tight grip.

“Mathilda they won’t kill you!” Aaricia shouted firmly.

Resolutely she stepped forward, and within seconds she found herself standing right in front of Duke. Duke raised an eyebrow at her, while Aaricia threw off her cloak and wiped the blackness off her face.

“It is me that you want! So here I am! Let the child live, as you promised!”

“MUM!” Mathilda screamed.

The officer stared at Aaricia, showing a very brief cold smile.

“Aaricia Silverstar..”

The troopers all aimed at her.

“I’m unarmed!”

Raising her hands in the air she waited, without moving an inch. Her body trembled a bit, yet she still felt quite calm.

There she was, standing between the crowd and the Empire. Caught between the two opposites. Somehow it felt like some deja-vu..

“You have no idea of the time I have invested looking for you.” Duke spoke, giving a brief gesture to some of the troopers. “So you do care for your daughter.. you do care for people?”

“Yes I do.” Aaricia said calmly.

Two troopers approached her, one of them slammed his rifle in her back.

“Move it rebel scum.. you know the way!”

Aaricia managed to keep standing, wincing from the pain in her back she slowly walked towards the stairs. Just in front of them she stopped, looking into her child’s eyes, eyes full of tears.

“Mathilda, I’ve always loved you but you have to let go of me now..” She shouted emotionally, fighting her own tears. “Never stop fighting for your own future because they’ve killed me!”

“NOOOO!” The child screamed.

If only I could hug you.. for a few seconds..

“Move it!” Another slam with the butt of a rifle made her fall on her knees.

She got up and continued ascending the stairs.

“Don’t kill my mum!” Mathilda hysterically screamed. “NOOOO!”

“Turn around, rebel.”

There she was standing again, on top of the stairs, in front of a big crowd.

Just like that Rodian, just like herself years ago, just like her family..

Mathilda’s screaming brought her back to the moment. With tears in her eyes she saw the child trying to get out of the grip of a stormtrooper, kicking his legs, staring into Aaricia’s eyes with eyes full of tears. A slam with the butt of his rifle made the child fall onto the ground. Aaricia clenched her fists. She remembered how she had had to witness the death of her family.. now Mathilda shared the same fate.

Goodbye beautiful child.. I’ve always loved you.

Inhaling deeply she closed her eyes, with a sigh she let the air flow out of her lungs.

Behind her there were two stormtroopers. Duke stepped in front of her, with a glance that made Aaricia shudder from the inside. A glance as if she was a disgusting bug that had to be squashed as soon as possible. Calmly she stared into the officer’s eyes.

“You are a rebel, murdering people.” She said disgusted.

“You don’t?” Aaricia replied calmly. “Maybe we should shake hands.”

A hit with the butt of a rifle made her fall onto her knees again. Wincing she kept staring into the officer’s eyes, as calm as possible.

“You are just a bug, like all the other rebels.. a disgusting bug.. with only one purpose: getting squashed under the Emperor’s boots.”

Aaricia gasped as she got another slam, falling on her side. Coughing she struggled to get back onto her knees. A bit of blood came out of her mouth.

She didn’t see Mathilda anymore in the background, they must have taken her away..

“You don’t care for other people.”

“How can you say that?” Aaricia yelled painfully. “Because I’m a rebel..?”

Dizzy she leaned on her painful knees, staring at the woman, only to find a hard, emotionless glance in that other pair of eyes.

“The Empire gives you one last glance, rebel.” The officer continued speaking with an emotionless voice. “Repent, repent for the people in front of you for the crimes that you have committed.. terrorist!”

“Never!” Aaricia shouted, which made her receive another hit with the butt of a rifle.

Coughing blood she struggled up again, laughing at Duke.

“I may die now but I don’t regret it.. as I’ve followed my heart! I’m not afraid to die!” Aaricia shouted fanatically.

Some metal got put against the back of Aaricia’s head.

“You have three seconds..” The hate in Duke’s eyes pierced Aaricia’s body. “Three.. repent.”

“Two..”

For less than a second, but enough to notice, it was as if there was a spark of sadness in the officer’s eyes. It was as if she was saw a glimpse of the real Haki Duke, the real Haki, that wasn’t like this.

“One..”

Above the square she saw a black bird circling.. was it the same bird she had seen yesterday, above her families grave?

“I’ll fly with you..” She mumbled, staring at the creature.

Suddenly the world got ripped apart in a bright red light. It felt as if her skull was being torn apart. Her body fell on it’s back on the stairs. She didn’t feel any pain. In the distance a lot of, receding, sounds echoed. It was as if she was pulled out of her body, into some black void.

Goodbye beautiful world filled with crazy people.

“Put the child to the side.” The woman in black commanded with an emotionless voice.

Mathilda, scared as she felt, tried to get eye contact with her, but the woman didn’t look into her direction.

“Move, prisoner.”

“Where are the families?” She asked again, with a trembling voice. Something felt really wrong, with the second she felt more and more terrified.

A trooper grabbed one of her arms and dragged her to the right corner. She felt the glances of the many strange people that were standing in front of her.

Tears formed in the child’s eyes, biting her lip she stared at the ground, at the brown shiny looking stones partly covered with sand from the desert.

“Today there will be an execution.. of the child of traitor and terrorist Aaricia Silverstar: Mathilda Silverstar!”

These words widened Mathilda’s eyes, gasping she stared at the woman in black.

“A.. am I getting killed..??”

“But if she turns herself in, we will spare the child’s life..”

Feeling panicked Mathilda kept staring at the woman. Suddenly it was as the child noticed another presence also in the woman’s body and it was very sad. This woman was really sad. And now she was killing the child, making herself even more sad. She was killing herself.

“Even children of traitors are traitors themselves.. being raised and brainwashed by them! But the Empire, again, is being very lenient.. if the mother decides to care about the child.”

The woman stared at something on her wrist, then made a gesture to the troopers that were keeping Mathilda in a corner. One of them grabbed the child’s arm.

“NO, don’t kill me!” Mathilda screamed in utter panic, crying loudly, trying to lose herself from the tight grip.

“Mathilda they won’t kill you!” A voice suddenly shouted firmly.

Through a veil of tears, panting, the child stared into the direction of the crowd.

Somebody in a black cloak had stepped forward.

“Mum..?” She mumbled quietly. New tears formed in her eyes.

The person was standing right in front of the woman in black, then threw off the cloak and wiped black stuff from her face.

“It is me that you want! So here I am! Let the child live, as you promised!”

“MUM!” Mathilda screamed.

She saw her mother staring at the woman in black.

The troopers aimed their weapons at her.

“No.. no don’t shoot her.” She whispered, crying in fear.

“Aaricia Silverstar..”

What could she have done?

She remembered the sound of the blasts as if she was still there. Although she couldn’t see it, because the troopers had dragged her around the corner, she knew that it was her mum.

Everything went so fast.. as she hysterically started kicking the trooper, hell broke lose.

There was chaos everywhere. Somebody, a man, wearing a black cloak, grabbed the child. The troopers were lying next to her on the ground, shot.

She remembered how she screamed, as she saw her mum’s body lying on the stairs.

MUM NOOO.. LET ME GO.. MUM!!

“Mathilda you have to come with me!”

At that moment she didn’t want to, but if he had let her go she would probably be dead too.

In the chaos this man, together with some other people, dragged her in the direction of some small alley.

She remembered the bright light, how she fell onto the ground, her arm hurting badly. Troopers were shooting at her.

The people pulled weapons and fired back, while one of them took Mathilda’s wounded body into his arms: the man in the black cloak.

She woke up in the darkness of some cellar, lying on some old couch.

“Lay still.” A voice spoke.

With difficulty she opened her eyes. A red skinned woman Twi’lek showed her a friendly smile. She was bandaging her arm, it didn’t hurt much anymore although it still itched like hell. Her hands were still cuffed on her back though. There was also a big Wookie, she couldn’t understand what he was saying. It sounded like some growling.

“W.. where am I?”

“You are safe.” The woman showed another smile.

She remembered the Twi’lek doctor that had visited her in that Imperial prison, just after she had been captured.. it felt like a long time ago.

She knew that this woman had tried to get her out of there, but they hadn’t listened to her. After that time she had never come back, which had made Mathilda feel pretty sad. Had she forgotten, or had they kept her from coming back? Maybe they hadn’t believed the doctor.. maybe they had put her in prison also!

“We are freeing you of the cuffs now Mathilda. Don’t be afraid we won’t hurt you. Lie on your belly please.” The words of the red colored Twi’lek took her back into the here and now.

“O.. ok.” She spoke a bit nervous.

The wookie started fiddling with the cuffs, growling now and then.

“I cannot understand him.” She frowned.

“It’s ok.”

She heard some high pitched voice, then her hands got freed. Wincing she rubbed her wrists.

“We have to leave soon.. hell is breaking lose all over the city..!” A firm voice said. It was the man in black, entering the room. This time not a black uniform, but casual clothes. And this man had a friendly glance in his eyes; Mathilda felt comfortable as he looked into her eyes.

The Twi’lek woman helped her up.

“Can you stand?”

She nodded, then stared at the man.

“Are you a friend of mum?” She asked.

With a sad glance he nodded.

“I’m Xanado. And you are..?”

“Mathilda.”

“Ah.. then I have rescued the right child.” With a smile he winked at her.

She smiled back.

“I have some other clothes for you. Do you think you can put them on?”

Nodding Mathilda took the package from his arms.

“Ok, we will wait outside.” He winked again, then left the room together with the Wookie and Twi’lek.

Carefully for her arm, still feeling a bit dizzy and a headache, she undressed herself and then put on the other clothes, wincing.

A bit stumbling she walked out of the room, onto the stairs, leaning against the wall.

The Twi’lek helped her up.

“Here Mathilda, drink some.”

There were several strange people in the room. In the middle of the room there was something covered in a black blanket. Xanado’s eyes were red, he was crying. As he noticed Mathilda, he wiped the tear off his cheek and showed her a smile.

Everybody looked at Mathilda. She took the glass of blue milk from the Wookie and quickly, thirsty she felt, she gulped down the whole contents of the glass.

Wiping off the milk-moustache from just above her upper lip she stared at the thing that was covered in the black blanket. It looked like a person.

“Is that a person..?” She asked.

A funny looking man, with some big tattoo on his face, nodded at her.

“He is my friend, he is sleeping.” He said with a strange voice.

“It is nothing you have to worry about my dear.” Xanado said to her.

“O.. ok.. but why is he sleeping on the ground?”

“There are no beds here, and he was really tired.” The man with the tattoo answered.

This was funny: a person sleeping on the ground, wrapped completely in a blanket. She wouldn’t be able to sleep like that. Not without a mattress, and how would she be able to breathe well if she was fully covered in a blanket? He would have to be extremely tired!

She giggled.

“Let’s put him somewhere else, so that he can rest better.”

“The cellar.” Somebody else said.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go guys.” Xanado spoke. “Cover me and the kid.. we have to keep her safe.”

“Back outside..?” Mathilda asked.

“Yes. We will take you out of the city. It is not safe here.”

The walked towards another door.

Outside there were a lot of sounds: footsteps, explosions, laserblasts.. it made her shudder.

“I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. You are safe with me.” Xanado offered her a hand. “Let’s go!”

The door went open and they ran outside the house. Wincing from her arm, still feeling a bit dizzy, Mathilda blinked in the bright sunlight. They ran towards a small corner. In several directions there were clouds of smoke to be seen above the buildings. Another explosion sounded, not so far from them. Mathilda’s heart pounded loudly in her chest. People were shouting.

“Run RUN!”

“Come Mathilda..” Xanado grabbed her hand again and started running.

Dizzy she tripped and fell on the ground, everything span around her.

Xanado helped her up. “Lean on me. Don’t be afraid.”

“FREEZE!”

He pulled her into some dark corner as a big firefight started.

“Don’t leave me please!” Mathilda shouted in panic, as she saw him drawing a blaster.

“Never!”

“Go go go!”

Her arm got grabbed again and as a puppet she let herself be dragged around alleys and sometimes a bigger street, sometimes being put on the ground, covered by Xanado, or pulled into some little hiding place. There were troopers everywhere, but they were in not so big groups. Mathilda heard a very slow low-pitched pounding sound.. as if some giant was approaching. Every time another pound sounded, everything shook a little bit and her stomach turned.

“What is that sound?” She asked Xanado, feeling terrified.

“Hurry people, an AT-AT is approaching!” Somebody shouted.

“What is that?”

“No time.. come now!” He took her into his arms and started running, just like the rest.

They approached a little shuttleport. There were stormtroopers lying on the ground, a group of armed people were kneeling on the ground. One of them was shouting in some thing that he was holding in his hand.

On the shuttleport a little ship was waiting.

“Hurry you two.. we don’t have much time!”

Afraid but also a bit curious Mathilda stared at the people. Were they all rebels.. were they all friends of mum? A woman smiled at her. A bit shy she smiled back.

The footsteps of the giant had become pretty loud.

Xanado put the child back onto her feet, running towards the small ship, holding Mathilda’s left hand.

“Get in. Fasten your seatbelt.”

Outside the people were shouting and then they ran away. The loud pounding footsteps of the giant felt really close. Mathilda felt more and more terrified. Xanado looked a bit hurried, for the first time she felt some nervousness in the man. The door of the ship closed with a hiss while he continued tapping buttons and the like.

She thought back at when she had been flying with mum, in particular that moment when they had left Aurea and mum had to steer really well to make it out of there. Later she had told Mathilda that there had been black holes everywhere, and if they would have gotten too close to one of them they would have been sucked into it.

 “Come-on, take off.. not now.. why WHY!?”

Cursing Xanado slammed the panel in front of him.

Outside the window Mathilda saw a few stormtroopers approaching around the corner. She gasped.

“O no they are coming!” She shouted, ducking as they started firing their weapons at the ship.

But then suddenly the ship launched into the air. Mathilda got pushed with her back against the chair forcefully; the air got sucked out of her lungs so fast this all went.

“Jiiiiiihaaaaa!” Xanado yelled. “We made it!”

Mathilda looked down through the window. The city, consisting of many buildings, became smaller and smaller as they left it. There was smoke everywhere, little figures were running all around it. They made a turn with the shuttle. Now Mathilda saw some giant metallic thing on four legs. It was firing a huge laser at some building.. was that the shuttleport they had just taken off from?

Still blaster sounds sounded all around them. Outside in the blue sky of Tatooine Mathilda saw some ship in the form of an H, a ship from the Empire? It exploded into tiny pieces and some other ship in the form of an X took it’s place. Xanado was talking in some radio all the time, metallic voices sounded.

“Thanks!” He spoke.

Her stomach turned again as the ship seemed to go down again. With a hiss it came back onto the ground. The door went open while Mathilda struggled to free herself from the seatbelt.

“Ok we have to walk a bit now Mathilda. But we are a lot safer here. Don’t be afraid.”

“Ok.”

“Here is some water.”

She took the bottle and gulped from it.

Outside there was only desert, except for two small buildings.

Sweating profusely, feeling pretty tired, she followed Xanado.

“Is it still far?”

“No not far anymore.”

“How far?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“I feel thirsty.”

“Here, take some more water.”

“I have to pee!”

“Euh.. can you do it in that trench?”

“How long do we still have to walk?”

“Only a few minutes.”

“I feel warm!”

“We are almost there.”

*frown* “Ok.” *sigh*

Finally they arrived at some huge building. Mathilda had never seen such a big building before, it made her gasp in amazement. It looked like some huge castle, and it had almost the same color as the desert.. like so many buildings on this planet. In front of the building, in the shades of it, there were some smaller buildings. They entered one of them. Inside there were a few people, who seemed to know Xanado as they greeted him. They smiled sadly at Mathilda.

“Hello Mathilda.”

“Hi.”

One of the people, a long man with blonde hairs wearing a long grey coat, was holding an unconscious, wounded woman in his arms.

“Let’s go.” He spoke with a bitter voice.

They walked out of the other door of the building, where there was a small shipyard. Here and there, there were strange aliens walking around, some of them looked like pigs. Mathilda held Xanado’s hand into hers tightly. They entered a bigger looking ship. Inside it was huge, Mathilda had never been in such a big ship. There seemed to be lots of rooms.

Silently the ship took off, it didn’t shake as much as the ship she had been in with Xanado while taking off from Mos Entha.

Mathilda walked around, feeling anxious and sad.. and pretty confused.

There seemed to be a little medbay in the ship. The blonde man had put the wounded woman onto some bed, and he was pinking away a tear. Mathilda gasped.. had this woman died also?

Feeling pretty exhausted Mathilda let herself fall onto one of the other beds in the room. Biting her lip she stared at the ceiling. What happened today still had to get through her.. it all felt unreal, like some dream.

**to be continued**