The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Thrawn's Campaign Of Fire

Imperial Palace,March 5 2016
Shawn went back to his room unsure of why Vader had made him throw knives at Mara but knew it had to do with him yelling at him. Suddenly there was a whoosh and Malgus appeared "what has transpired? I've been away far too long" Malgus asked, Shawn sighed angrily "will you just leave me alone!" He yelled slamming his gloves on his desk, "oh so defiant all the sudden" Malgus remarked disdainfully. "Very well then I will head on now" Malgus said vanishing. Glad to be alone Shawn leaned on the window frame staring at the city, I can't stay around these people forever, he thought but didn't want to leave Mara and everyone else behind they all got along well like a big group of friends, most of his friends had stopped talking to him since the Empire occupied Toronto and it did bug him.

There was a knock "yeah?" Shawn asked, "it's me" Mara said "come in" he replied, the door slid open and Mara walked in. "That was scary" she said, Shawn turned facing her "I said I'd never hurt you never" he said with a expression of slight sadness "I've just got a lot on my mind" he said, Mara replied "well you can tell me" grabbing his arm "Vader said if I didn't do my job he'd destroy my home" Shawn confessed. Mara had a look of slight shock "that's awful" she said, "I'll return the favor, I don't remember my own parents" Mara said. That surprised Shawn "you don't?" He asked a prominent look of confusion across his face, Mara shook her head "only bits and pieces, just remember an Inquisitor showing up and that's about it", "I wouldn't be able to track them down anyway they might not recognize me if they're alive" she said. "I don't think I could've dealt with being taken away without you around" Shawn added, "Really? I thought you hated me at first" Mara said, "no I didn't" Shawn said having wanted to say that for quite a long time. Mara smiled which seemed to light her face up "thank you" then kissed him on the cheek then heading out,

In the nightmare Shawn was running down a forest but didn't know what, he stopped seeing lights crisscross "Shawn! Shawn Mendes!" People were yelling out his name, then had sheriffs badges and gear. Suddenly it donned on him, he was witnessing one of the search parties from when he went missing, several Humvees stopped and men in company fatigues exited one with a Geiger counter. "Who're you?" A sheriff asked "we're with the Air Force sheriff this area is under lockdown immediately" the officer explained "well sir I got a missing kid we gotta get home the sheriff said "sheriff my orders come from Washington, we will need all evidence its now military property" the officer retorted. The sheriff trudged off "take everything back to Paradise Ranch, they've come back it looks like" the officer whispered to another,

Shawn then saw a light from behind and turned around to see a human body frozen in a preservation tank of some kind along with a Rodian and Chiss, "these ended up in Roswell in '47" a man in a lab coat explained to a group of military personnel. "The human remains astonished us beyond belief just as much as their technology" the man in the lab coat said, "so these people from above our heads took this kid?" A man asked, "based on the radiation levels in the area and footprints most likely" the man in the lab coat replied. "The body of the driver was found having a large hole burned through his upper body by condensed plasma we've concluded" the doctor said, "if they ever bring the kid back we'll need to monitor him find out why they took him, doesn't look like they came back for dead people" a man said. Shawn backed up falling off a ledge until landing on the floor which grew hotter and hotter accompanied by a rumble sound before suddenly stopping.

Shawn snapped awake but realized it was only the sun shining on him, he laid there for a minute trying to put the pieces together on what he'd just seen. The door opened and he pretended to be asleep still, "uh Shawn" Mara said resting a hand on his back feel cool against his skin, "you kinda need to get up" she said nudging him. "Don't wanna" he said groggily, "ok I'll just get some ice then" Mara said, playing along Shawn sat up "I'm awake no ice please", Mara smiled "ok no ice but don't make Thrawn wait he isn't very patient" before kissing him and heading out. Rubbing his eyes Shawn stood up looking in the mirror and saw the various bruises covering his upper body but didn't mind them, after he got dressed he headed out,