Life Of Survival

Chapter 09

"Lyra, we really need to go now" Rex urged as more troopers filed into the area.

"Oh force" I sighed at the sight of men in white armour filling the space quickly. "Come on!" I ran off, leaving him to follow as we ran through the market, jumping over obstacles and loosing the troopers behind us as we reached the survivor. Rushing to the cockpit I swiftly jumped into my seat, lifting us off of the ground and getting us into the air to make our escape back to Alderaan where Senator Organa had reported our house was finally built.

"Never do that again" Rex begged from beside me, fear evident in his voice but muffled by my adrenaline.

"I can't make any promises"

"Why not?"

"Because as a Jedi I swore an oath to protect everyone in the galaxy—"

"But your aren't a Jedi, not anymore" Rex harshly reminded as I was taken aback and quickly lost in thought. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"No, you're right" I nodded back to him before an awkward silence fell over us in the cockpit. "We are heading towards Alderaan now" I announced making the jump through hyperspace but not turning to face the others as I spoke like I normally would. I stood suddenly and walked out, leaving the three troopers behind. Three pairs of eyes followed me with concern at my own isolation from them.

"Is she alright?" Wolffe asked Rex intensely, worried for me.

"I... don't know" Rex trailed, looking in the direction I had stormed off. "I'll go check on her" he decided after a moment. The clone captain followed me towards my room to find books scattered around my room and the holocron sitting in front of me. "Hey" he waved awkwardly to get my attention.

"Oh, Rex, how can I help you?" I quickly asked, hoping to get him to leave sooner.

"May I come in?" He gestured to the inside of the room and I nodded in approval, though I knew this wouldn't be as quick as I would have liked. "Thanks" Rex sat down next to me on my bunk. "Lyra, I know we have been through a lot especially since order 66 and I just wanted to see how you are holding up. You always take care of Wolffe, Gregor and I but we've never really asked how you have been and what I said back there was uncalled for"

"I'm fine" I told him but my voice wobbled slightly at the end and I held my breath, hoping he hadn't caught onto it but being the skilled man he was, he did.

"Oh, Meshla" Rex's voice softened.

"I'm fine, aside from the lack of sleep, the jumpiness, and the everlasting fear that something bad is going to happen" I began to ramble on and on as tears spilled from my eyes and I stuffed my face in my hands in an attempt to hide from the world around me that had a target on my back.

"No one prepared you for that, Lyra" Rex told me with honesty, gently rubbing circles on my back. "No matter how much you had researched it was too well covered up and there was no way for you to know"

"But if I had listened to Fives"

"No, Lyra, I need you to look at me" Rex prompted, tilting my face to look at him, our faces mere inches apart. "This was not you're fault and there was nothing you could have done better than you already have. You saved Ahsoka, me, Wolffe and Gregor and the bad batch, that was all you"

"Thank you, Rex" I sniffled after pulling back some more. "Now, let's get to Alderaan to settle into our home" I started up with the mission again, moving past the darkness and looking towards the light.

"Always thinking about us and the mission" Rex smiled softly. "You can relax, the boys and I will fly us there"

"Okay" I agreed reluctantly, praying to the maker that they wouldn't ruin this ship even more.