Into the Purge

Chapter Five: A Changed Path

Chapter Five: A Changed Path

It had only been a few days since Lieleon had crashed on Endor, for the past few days she had recovered from her slight injuries, and made some effort to repair her ship...But not a lot of effort. 

She really didn't find herself  having the urge to return to the temple, so many things were seeming to go wrong there... Here she felt at peace, and the mysterious child gave her much to contemplate on.

She sensed the child had many questions, but was waiting until she had time to recover. It surprised Lieleon that a child that was so harshly treated in this universe, could be so careful, and kind. 

Finally the third night, Lieleon called Sheema over, the child happily scooted next to her, still taking ravenous pleasure in the presence of another being. 

"Sheema,  you have many questions. I can sense them, now is the time to ask." She said gently, carefully encouraging the child. 

Sheema scrunched up her nose, which by now Lieleon knew it meant she was thinking hard. 

"You are a Jedi, are there many like you?" She finally asked, looking up at the twi'lek with trust in her eyes.

"Many, there are hundreds of Jedi, all spread out over the galaxy keeping peace and justice in the Republic." Lieleon replied, her tone slightly off as she spoke. 

"You say that like it's not true." Sheema commented, watching the other's expression in the firelight. 

Lieleon sighed, a small smile coming to her face. She was going to have to get used to a person seeing right though her. 

"It's not that I don't think it is true, I just see that the peace is getting harder and harder to keep. Many systems are rising up with complaints that never bothered them before. Something dark is causing this unrest Sheema. I just don't like the idea of just waiting for it to show itself."

Sheema's expression became serious, as she listened to the woman's words. 

"I have felt darkness, I have seen it to. It won't show itself, It will suddenly come up and swallow you whole. There is no time to react." She said somberly, Lieleon started at this, the child spoke with deep knowledge on the subject. How could such a young child know such deep thoughts?

"Do you have any family?" Sheema asked next, seeming to shake off her thoughts. 

"Well I had parents, but it was so long ago its hard to remember them. I do have a twin sister though, she and I both became Jedi together. Her name is Aayla." Lieleon explained, smiling at the mention of her sister. 

Sheema frowned again, fingering her necklace for a moment before speaking again. 

"I had a family, but they've all disappeared... My Momma and Pappa left me, I don't know why, but they had to.  And I don't even know my Jedi brother..." She says finally, her voice soft. 

Lieleon sat up straighter at this.

"You have a brother in the Order? What is his name, and why aren't you with him?" She demanded, frowning at the thought of a Jedi abandoning a child.  

Sheema shrugged, it was starting to bother her less, and less now. 

"His name is Obi, and I never knew him, the Jedi took him away even before Momman married Pappa. This is all I have of him" She explained, showing the Jedi the charm on her necklace.

"So he is your step-brother then, so he would not have the name Obi Canva?" Lieleon asked, thinking hard.

"He is my brother,  I don't know what he would be called. I didn't even know Momma was married before Pappa." Sheema replied, her tone short, at the mention of step-brother.

Lieleon heard the message behind the tone and allowed the matter to drop.

" I don't know any Jedi by the name of Obi, but I did make an acquaintance with a young Jedi Knight called Obi-Wan." She explained, leaning back against the trunk of a tree.  Sheema looked intrested and crawled into Lieleon's lap.

"What was he like?" She asked curiously, settling in between the woman's crossed legs.

"He was very polite, the last time I saw him he had just been named Jedi Knight, as his old master had died during a brief, but terrible occupation of the planet Naboo."  Lieleon explained, methodically rubbing circles into the  child's back as she spoke. 

Sheema yawned and rested her head against Lieleon's chest. It was almost as good as having Momma back again. Tough as she was, she was still a child and needed attention...

The next day Sheema finally found the courage to ask Lieleion the question that had been festering in her mind since the night before. 

"Lieleon?" She asked hesitantly, watching as the woman rooted through the broken cockpit.

"What is it Shey?" She called over her shoulder, still rooting around intently. 

"Are you going to leave me too?" She asked, trying to control the little quiver in her voice. Lieleon stopped at that, those words hitting a cord. Sheema was basically asking her, 'Are you going to abandon me like everyone else already has?'

Slowly Lieleon turned around looking the little girl in the eyes.

"Remember how I told you there are many Jedi?" She asked, the child nodded her head, usure where this conversation was going. 

"How do you think there came to be so many Jedi?" Lieleon persisted, letting the child think it through. 

"Older Jedi taught little Jedi?" Sheema guessed, frowning slightly at the old questions. Lieleon nodded her head in approval. 

"Very good, that's exactly what happens, Older Jedi Masters teach smaller force sensitive children known as younglings. THen when they are old enough they are given to Jedi Knights to be trained, that is when they are called Padawans." Lieleon explained, waiting to see if the child would reach the connection. 

Suddenly Sheema's eyes brightened as she happened on a thought. 

"Do Masters go very far when their training their Padawans?"  She asked quickly, excitement beginning to grown in her face. 

Lieleon nodded, smiling slightly.

"Or if they go anywhere they take their apprentices with them... To tell you the very truth Sheema I don't believe in where the Jedi Order is going, What I was raised on I will always believe, but I don't like the direction we're headed in." She said seriously, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought of the incident that had brought her to this world. 

"Can you still be a Jedi anyway?" Sheema asked, disappointment coming into her voice. 

"Out here yes..." Lieleon replied, with that she pulled something from behind her back, it turned out to be a lightsaber, it looked a little older than the one she had clipped to her old belt, but as the pressed the switch the green blade came to life. 

"Sheema, would you like to become my apprentice? You are so strong in the force, your powers could be used for so much good... Together you and I can learn again, we can make our own order right here." She explained, her eyes lighting up at the thought. 

As she looked at Sheema, she saw her eyes were also glowing with excitement. A big smile suddenly came over her face. She gently took the lightsaber, the nearly crushed the Jedi in a powerful hug. 

Upon breaking free from her embrace the little girl looked back up at the twi'lek, her face struggling to be serious. 

"Master Secura, I would be honored to become your apprentice." She replied, her expression caused Lieleon to laugh, scooping the child up, and bringing her close to her face. 

"We'll do it together Master, won't we?" Sheema asked anxiously, carefully turning the lightsaber over in her hands. 

"Of course my Padawan, the force brought us together, and together we shall remain." Lieleon replied with a smile, though her eyes were serious. 

This was the will of the force, she was sure of it. She would strive to teach this child everything she had every learned, maybe by the time she had done so the Jedi Order would have awakened from it's blundering, and then she and Sheema could return home, together.