Fallen Remnants (A Jedi: Fallen Order Story)

Chapter 1

*1st Person POV*

"Run."

That was all I could think of as I fled through the streets of Inner Coruscant. I wasn't sure where I was going, but anywhere would be better than where I was running from. Eventually, I ducked into an alleyway to catch my breath. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed onto my knees and the horrors of what I had witnessed flooded my thoughts. The sounds of screams, blaster fire, and the smell of smoke plagued my mind. The Clones, once my friends, had chased me and my master like a predator to its prey.

"What do I do now?" I ask myself, not sure if there was even an answer. I was separated from my master in an unfamiliar level of the city. He had said he would come and find me, but I had been down here for hours, unsure if he was even alive. Should I stay here and wait for the Clones to find me so they can finish the job? No, I wasn't going to give up; I wasn't going to die today. I regained my composure and stood up. I needed to find a way off the world, but first, I needed a change of clothes and some credits.

Leaving the alley, I kept my lightsaber out of sight and searched for a vendor willing to trade. After about five minutes of walking, I stumbled upon something peculiar: an E-5 blaster rifle. What was a droid blaster doing on Coruscant? It could've been dropped by an arms dealer or one of the more unsavory types lurking about, but this would be less conspicuous in public than carrying a laser sword, so I strapped it to my belt and moved on.

Eventually, I came upon a small shop, most likely a black-market dealer and frustration bubbled within me. As much as I hated those kinds of people, I had no time or luxury of being picky, so I strolled up to the vendor, a Salenga.

"Hello, young miss, what can I do you for?" The pink vendor lady smiled at me, showing her death-stix-stained teeth and yellow, vertical eyes. I tried not to grimace as her rancid breath hit my face before I started speaking.

"I need a spare change of clothes and some credits."

"Hmmm," she said, holding her wrinkled hand up to her chin and slowly leaning toward me. "Interesting. If I didn't know better, I would say you are on the run." I tense up. What was I thinking?! A black-market dealer could quickly turn me in for a hefty reward or do something worse. But my thoughts are snapped out when the Salenga chuckles and returns to a standing position. "Don't worry, my dear; we all have secrets." I let go of the breath I didn't know was stuck in my chest. "As for your request, I may consider if you can offer me something of value."

"I will trade my belt and robe for a shirt, cloak, and 4000 credits." Having already stored the food capsules in my boots, I unstrapped my utility belt and placed it on the table. The lady let out a scoff, but I kept a straight face.

"I'm sorry, child, I can only offer a strapped top and a cloak; that's about what your items are worth. Unless you have something else that might be valuable?"

My eyes shifted to the ground in sadness as I reached up to my Padawan braid, the only other piece of the Jedi Order I possessed. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I had no other choice. I gestured to my braid and asked, "Will this suffice?"

She eyed my braid with fascination before sighing and giving a sharp nod, handing me a knife. I eyed the blade with dread as I slowly brought it closer to my head and quickly sliced off the braid, feeling a part of me leaving with it. I turned it over with my fingers, feeling every bead and strand; as short of a time I wore it, it still held the part of me that belonged to the Order, a painful reminder of what I had lost. Reluctantly, I placed the braid and knife on the counter, and Salenga turned to walk through the tarp behind her. After waiting for what seemed like forever, she returned and placed the items on the counter: a dark grey tank top, a hooded cloak with tears in the cape, and a small leather pouch that clinked as it hit the surface.

"All yours, dearie," She says sweetly, almost too sweet. "I will let you change behind the tarp, and then you can continue with your evening."

As I walked past the vendor and entered the tent, I felt something was wrong. It kept nagging at me as I changed. I couldn't resist using my abilities to sense the vendor's thoughts. Money, death sticks, and the fear of getting caught crossed my mind, but I shook my head to clear my thoughts. My conscience told me I needed to stop using the force, or I'd get caught. Eventually, I finished adjusting the cloak to my shoulders, the blaster to my hip, and my saber to my back. Afterward, I emerged from the tent, leaving the robe neatly folded on the floor, grabbed the pouch, and started walking away when the vendor said something that made my breath hitch.

"You Jedi must be extremely valuable if the clones are looking for you. I wonder what price a young padawan would fetch for."

I turned to face her only to see a menacing grin curl on her face and realize what she had done. Without a second thought, I took off running with my arm glued to the blaster, bobbing and weaving through alleyways as I heard comm chatter and multiple pairs of feet running behind me, gradually getting closer. I kept pushing myself until I suddenly stopped; I reached an Underworld portal. I looked around in awe, seeing how ships and speeders could float up and down without colliding, and then my gaze fell upon a cargo ship being loaded.

"Thank the Force!" I breathed, "I can get out of here."

But then, I saw the workers slowly start to move away from the ship, which meant it was preparing to take off. I must get on that shuttle; it's now or never. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me, and my stomach dropped.

"There she is! SHOOT TO KILL!"

The clones had caught up to me. I reached for the blaster around my waist and started running towards the ship, firing blindly behind me as the clones advanced, firing hundreds of laser bolts at my back. The closer I got to the ship, the faster it seemed to rise, and the door along with it, but I kept running toward it. When I got close enough, I jumped and used the force to carry me to the barely open door. I was going to make it, then amid all the blaster fire, a single laser bolt managed to graze my right shoulder through the cloak and..."

I jolted awake, my breathing erratic and a cold sweat clinging to my face and neck as my left hand clung to my right arm. As my heart rate slowed, I tried to take in my surroundings and realized I was still in my room. The dim light filtering through my window indicated that it wasn't yet morning. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose, trying to calm myself down.

The memories of the "Decimation," as I preferred to call it, haunted me even after five and a half years. I let out a sigh as my mind relived the memories of that fateful day, which manifested into a nightmare yet again. I lay back down on my bed, the sheets tangled around my legs and tried to steady my breathing.

"Come on," I whispered, "you have to get a hold of yourself, Samena!

Hey there, lovely readers! I might have gone a bit overboard with the Star Wars terminology in this chapter, but please know it's only because I'm a massive fan of this fantastic story and universe. I hope you enjoyed getting to know my character, and I can't wait to share more of her adventures with you soon! Have a fantastic day, you awesome people!