Star Wars: Tears of Fire (Book II)

Chapter 16 - Limitless

"Where's Hepka!?"

Zekiel frantically paced back and forth beside the operating table. Unable to assist with what Kyriss was doing, he originally tried his best to keep her calm after her medical device had gone missing. Now, Kyriss was calmly working on her patient as Zekiel's patience wore thin.

"What's taking him so long?"

Kyriss, although doing everything she knew to do, ignored Zekiel and she focused intently on Shayla who was on the operating table. Kyriss was—at this point—only delaying what she felt was now the inevitable.

She had done everything she knew how to do. As seconds ticked by, so too did the subtle sound she was monitoring in Shayla.

Zekiel's heavy boots thudding in the background as he paced seemed to be tuned out as Kyriss felt her ears become boxed in. Placing her hand on the neck of the young Shayla, Kyriss suddenly let go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding onto.

After a moment, she slowly let her head drop.

"Zekiel..."

"He's not one to wander," said Zekiel, more so to himself. "Did he not find the tool?"

"Zekiel..."

"Maybe he can't find Vess. Should I go after him?"

"Zekiel!"

Kyriss' shout caused the Zabrak to stop in his tracks and turn towards her as she whispered.

"She's...gone."

Zekiel felt himself nearly becoming sick as he heard the words from Kyriss but didn't fully comprehend them.

"Did you just say..."

Kyriss let out a sob as she spoke again, this time more clearly.

"Zekiel, Shayla's dead."

* * *

Sharply inhaling as if he'd been held underwater, Jolis breathed rapidly as he found that he was back in the chamber; the Sun'ari at his feet as it seemingly gazed upon his face.

Covered in a cold sweat, a chill rose up through Jolis' spine as memories of the previous vision replayed through his mind. There was so much to comprehend while so much that would also remain a mystery to him.

He saw balance; a galaxy at peace with itself. But he also saw incredible pain; extreme pulls of the Force in faraway lands but there was also something else. A vision which continued to play in his mind over and over of a world shrouded in flames.

As Jolis peered down and looked upon the Sun'ari closer, he was shocked to see that the crystal had somehow split in two equal sized halves. Its power, however, remained intact with each piece.

Reaching for the crystals, Jolis immediately sensed something greater as he grabbed hold of them. It was not just all around him but within him as well. His connection to the Force seemed immensely stronger. What immediately stood out, however, was something much more physical.

Slowly reaching his hands up, Jolis rubbed both of his eyes as they adjusted to the light being projected by the crystals.

He could see. Not just though the Force but also the world around him with his eyes.

Somehow, the connection he'd made between himself and the Sun'ari had healed his vision!

It started small but with each passing second, Jolis' laughter echoed throughout the large chamber as tears of joy fell from his eyes.