Starfire: Return to Tamaran

Scene 4: Uncertain Choices

Present Day. . .

"Koriand'r! Koriand'r, can you hear me?"

"Mother?"

"You must listen. You must return home to Tamaran. The time has come for it to be free again, and only you can break the shackles that have enslaved our people and stop a terrible evil. Your chances for victory may not be high, but if you are successful, you save more lives than you know."

"I do not understand."

"Perhaps not, but it is important that you do soon. I know you are young, and I know there will be much for you to fear, but I know you will make me proud."

"Mother, wait! Do not leave me!"

"Do not delay much longer. You must act soon, or the Citadel will never be defeated. Hurry, while there is still time! I believe in you."

***

This was the dream that Starfire, princess of her people the Tamaranians and fugitive of the Citadel, had just woken up from. She had woken up in a flash, with a starbolt in each hand and her heart beating more loudly than rounds fired from a machine gun. Tears were in her eyes. She had had this same dream before. In the dream, her mother had, like she had moments before, told Starfire to return to Tamaran and release it from the Citadel's grip on it.

Like she had done on the previous nights, Starfire flew through her open window, still in her pajamas, and came to sit on the roof. There she sat, trying to gain control of her breathing. Hopefully, like the nights before, the cold air would take her mind off of things. But no matter what she did, she could never get her mind off her mother, who had been murdered before her eyes.

"I had feeling you'd be up here again," said a voice, which startled Starfire. Turning around she saw Jennifer Hawkins, who had been more of a sister than Starfire had ever known. "I heard you fly through your window last night."

Starfire stared at Jennifer as she slid down beside her. She too was dressed up like she had woken up from bed. She was wearing blue pajama bottoms and a black bra. Unlike Starfire, though, she wasn't hugging her chest, so it looked like she was more used to the cold air.

"Jennifer, why are up?"

"I think I should be asking you that," replied Jennifer, though not unkindly. "I know you've been having trouble sleeping these last few nights. So can you tell me what's wrong?"

Starfire hesitated. It would be difficult for her to talk about her dream. Yet Jennifer had been through a lot with her ever since she and her father had taken her in. Also, Jennifer had never given her reason not to trust her, and she was a very good listener.

"Well, I have been having this. . .dream."

"And?"

"Well. . .I. . ." Starfire lost the thread of what she was saying and turned away from Jennifer. A second later, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Star, if it's too hard to talk about," said Jennifer soothingly, "you don't have to tell me now."

Starfire shook her head. "It is not that. I. . .I. . .in my dream, I saw my mother. She. . .she told me I must do something I know to be impossible."

As she took a few deep breaths to regain control of her heart rate, Jennifer asked her, "What's that?"

Starfire hesitated again, but finally replied, "She told me I must return to Tamaran, but I know I cannot do this."

Jennifer seemed taken aback by this. "What do you mean by that? I know you told me your planet is under occupation by your sister. But wouldn't you be giving your people hope by returning home to save them?"

Starfire shook her head. "Jennifer, I truly wish that were so. But so many of my people were killed when the Citadel took control of the planet. The survivors. . .well, my sister knew how to break their hope by making me her slave."

"Still," said Jennifer hesitantly, "it has to be terrible knowing that they're suffering without you."

"It is," said Starfire, and now there were tears in her eyes. "Every day, I have thought about my people, trying to believe what must be happening to them. Even worse, I always fear I will only make things worse if I return."

"How?" asked Jennifer tentatively.

"When Tamaran was conquered," said Starfire slowly, "my father was forced into a peace treaty with the Citadel. Part of it was handing me over to my sister as a slave, but there was more to it than that. The treaty went on to say that I was never allowed to return home, or more of people would die."

Jennifer gently turned Starfire around so they were face-to-face. Starfire was so sad, she did little to resist her. When she finally looked up at Jennifer, she watched as she wiped her tears away.

"I'm really sorry, Kori. I really am," she told her. Her eyes narrowed. "Listen, from what you said your mother told you in your dream, it sounds like something serious is about to happen soon."

Starfire looked up at the moon. She was afraid Jennifer would say this. All this time, though, she had been hoping the subject of her mother would not be discussed. It was simply too painful to talk about.

Shaking her head and avoiding Jennifer's eyes, she said sadly, "It was not her. The woman in my dream was only a construct of my mind. My mother is dead, so how can I possibly know what she would wish for me to do? Sometimes, I feel like my time as a slave has made me forgetful. I feel I have forgotten what my mother was truly like. How can I trust what she says in a dream?"

"But that doesn't mean you should ignore what she says," said Jennifer slowly, "dream or no dream."

Starfire shook her head. "But there is nothing I can do for my people," she replied sadly. "I truly wish I could do something, and I always feel like a coward for not doing anything. Unfortunately, staying here is the only way I can help my people. It is not that I love the idea of my home planet under subjugation, but I do not wish to be responsible for any more death. If I return, and people die, it will be my fault."

Starfire was all set to fly back to her room, but Jennifer grabbed her arm, though with no pressure. "I'm not going to pressure you about this," she promised, "but there is something I want you to hear. I didn't always pay attention in my ancient history class, but there is one thing I learned. No civilization stays under occupation forever. You were a symbol of for your people, right?" Starfire nodded. "And I'm sure your people still have hope. I doubt Blackfire will be able to cover up the fact that you escaped her and she failed to enslave you again. If that's true, then I feel the Citadel won't be in Tamaran forever."

Despite her sad mood, Starfire still managed to smile. Even with all that was happening to her, it was always good to have someone like Jennifer, someone who could say anything was possible. It was her words that allowed her to sleep better, that allowed her feel more hopeful than she had several nights before.