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Chapter Text

19 BBY

Vaklin

“Her fever has eased and her breathing is regular now. I can’t say for certain, but I believe she will survive.”

The blue hand that had been placed on her forehead lifted. Weakly, she raised her arm in an attempt to pull it back, only for her limb to fall back into place. She felt much better than she had in weeks, she was no longer shivering and burning up, and it no longer felt like her airway was as wide as a straw. But she was still so weak, that even that small movement was taxing, and her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to keep them open.

Her mother leaned down over her and pressed her lips to her forehead. “Rest, sweetie, you’re fine now.”

Very faintly, she was aware of her parents and the visitor leaving her bedroom, but they hovered near the door. In her drained state, her hearing wasn’t much better than her other senses, but she could still hear what was being said, if only just.

“Thank you! Thank you!” She heard her mother sob.

“We don’t have much, but please, t-” Her father began, only to be quickly cut off.

“No, I can’t accept any payment. I simply did what was right, it is my duty, after all.”

“Thank you, Master Jedi, you’ll always have our gratitude. If there’s ever anything you need, we’ll do whatever we can to help!”

“Thank you, my friends, I appreciate your support.”

The voices faded as the three moved away, and she found herself alone again. It was only momentarily, as she heard the faint patter of footsteps approaching her bed, and a second later, she felt a warm hand wrap around her still clammy one.

“Berilyn? Beri? Are you awake?”

“I’m awake, Arani….” Berilyn mumbled to her older sister, her eyes still closed.

“Are…are you better?” The hand squeezed down tightly on hers.

“Think so, feel better.” Her voice was so faint that she wasn’t that Arani had heard her. As each second ticked by, she found herself drifting deeper and deeper into slumber.

She stayed awake just long enough to register Arani climbing into bed with her, before she passed out entirely.

***

Berilyn clung on tightly to Arani, her brown eyes wide with horror. Before her, the man who had saved her life, was dead. She had just seen Jedi Master Cho’na Bene cut down by a stormtrooper’s blaster fire. She had let out a cry that Arani had quickly muffled when she clamped her hand down over her little sister’s mouth. Still, Arani could not stop the tears that flowed down Berilyn’s face.

It had been months since that night when the Jedi Master had come into the Davip family’s home and miraculously healed her, but she thought about it constantly. The memory of the Myneyrsh using the Force to heal her illness was certainly strong in her mind as she stared at his downed form, his limp body still smoking.  

Why was no one doing anything? When Master Bene had staggered and collapsed, they had just stared. When the stormtrooper had shot him, no one had tried to stop him, they just let it happen. He was their hero, he was fighting the Imperials for them. Didn’t that mean anything to them?

He had saved her, and that meant something to Berilyn.

She scrunched her eyes shut, desperately hoping that when she opened them, he would be up again and running to freedom. Get up, get up, get up, get up! She pleaded, again and again in her mind, so scared to open her eyes and see that he’d still be dead. She opened them, and her worst fears were confirmed, fresh tears running down her face and onto Arani’s hands.

“Beri, you have to stop!” Arani hissed into her younger sister’s ear. “If they see you like this, we’ll be in big trouble!”

Berilyn barely registered it, her mind still reeling, sucking in small, panicked breaths through the gaps in Arani’s fingers. She wasn’t thinking when she bit down on Arani’s fingers, the sound of her sister crying out was faint, as if it was far away, and far away was where she wanted to be. She tore herself out of her sister’s arms and ran, vision too blurry to really see where she was even going. Forms flashed by her, but she pushed through them, bumping into them more often than not but still managing to stay on her feet. Soon the crowd thinned out, and Berilyn slumped to the ground, her back to a dusty stone wall, a white blob in her peripheral vision. She hugged her knees to her body and bit down on her fist to try and stifle her sobs, not wanting anyone to hear her. She reached up to wipe at her eye, and from the very corner of her eye, she saw the blob move. Berilyn whipped her head around, seeing clearly for the first time what the blob really was.

A stormtrooper.

Berilyn’s heart froze in her chest and her eyes shot wide open, her tears suddenly drying up very quickly. She opened her mouth, but found her voice caught in her throat, she was too scared to make a peep. She tried to get up, but her legs wouldn’t listen to her, she was stuck fast, like someone had glued her to the wall she was up against. The stormtrooper moved, taking his helmet off. No, not his helmet, her helmet, a mess of brown hair pulled back into a loose bun fell loose as the helmet was tucked under one arm. She raised the other arm up to her mouth, and Berilyn thought it sounded familiar.

“Lord Vader’s plan worked. Cho’na Bene is dead. Must have been two dozen witnesses; they won’t admit it, but they knew exactly who they were seeing.” She half-turned and Berilyn caught a glimpse of her face. It was her, that white-uniformed Imperial officer, the one who had come, demanding that they change their ways.

She was the one who had ordered Northward Park to be burned to the ground.

She had been the one who had ordered the statues of the Jedi to be destroyed so that the plaza could be used to build an Imperial Education Centre.

Berilyn’s eyes flicked down to her back, where the blaster rifle that was slung from it was still gently smoking.

And it had been her who had murdered Master Bene, the man who had saved her life.

The woman was still talking, but Berilyn couldn’t hear her over the ringing in her own ears. All she could see was red and she was very faintly aware of a pain in the palms of her hands, of a wetness flowing down her wrists. She realised she was digging her fingernails deep into the skin, deep enough to draw blood, little rivulets of blood dropping down to the dirt covered alleyway. She started to rise, and took a slow step towards the Imperial, not sure what she planned on doing, but knowing that she would do something.

A hand, small but strong clamped down around her wrist, and before she could cry out, another hand wrapped around her mouth, smothering the cry she was about to let out. She was yanked back, out of the alleyway and whirled around. For a split second, Berilyn thought she would see Arani standing before her, but it wasn’t her sister, it was Djon, the Ryn baker who always had a sweet roll for her.

Well, he was about the same size as her sister at least.

“I’m going to take my hand away and you’re going to keep very, very quiet,” Djon whispered, staring at her very intently. “Nod if you understand.”

 Berilyn hesitated for a second, before she slowly nodded, and the Ryn withdrew his hand. Tears began pricking at her eyes again and she reached up with her blood covered wrist to wipe them away.

“She killed him,” she croaked, her voice strained.

Djon sighed and closed his eyes, looking close to tears himself. “Yes, yes she did. But what do you think you were doing creeping up on Major Namada like that? Huh?”

Berilyn tried to swallow the lump that was blocking her throat and looked down at her feet. “I…I don’t…She killed him…”

Djon grabbed Berilyn by both shoulders and shook hard. “Think, kid, think! You can’t start trouble with these people! You saw what they did to Bene, to the city! You think they won’t hurt you because you’re a child?”

Berilyn yanked herself out of his grip and glowered. “You stood there and watched,” she said in a hushed, angry tone. “You all just stood there and watched!”

Djon stepped back, a hurt look flashing across his face, before his expression hardened. “I did, and I’m alive because of it. The Empire doesn’t tolerate sympathy for the Jedi, Berilyn. I would have been shot right next to Bene if I’d said something, so would anyone who did. You can’t be obvious about how you feel! Not unless you want to be gunned down in the street too!”

The mental image of her body laying there next to Bene’s flashed through Berilyn’s head. Of a horrified Arani standing over her, screaming and instantly her anger evaporated. Her face fell, the tears flowed more freely, and she launched herself at Djon, burying her face in his shoulder.

Djon sighed again, gently wrapping his arms around Berilyn. “Oh, Force, you’re just a child. Human children are so much bigger than Ryn children, I keep forgetting that you’re so young. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

They were careful to take the long way home, avoiding any Imperial patrols, just in case. As soon as they approached the door, Arani had opened it, screaming at Berilyn, shoving her until Djon pulled her away. Berilyn knew she should consider herself lucky that Arani was the only one home, her parents were still working; her mother in the marketplace, her father in the mines. If either of them were around, things would have been so much worse. The crying had started again soon after, with both sisters tearfully embracing and an uncomfortable Djon decided to take his leave.

For the first time since Berilyn had been healed from her illness, the two sisters slept in the same bed.

***

Construction for the Imperial Education Centre progressed very quickly, it was finished in a matter of months, towering over the plaza where the statue of the Jedi heroes of Vaklin had once stood proudly. Berilyn wrinkled her nose as she stared up at it, the grey and red walls sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the other buildings. She had overheard her parents talking to each other in hushed tones about sending her and Arani there, and she scowled at the memory. She scowled even harder as she turned her head and saw Major Namada talking to her mother as she manned her fruit stall. Berilyn didn’t know how her mother could chat so idly with her, like they were friends.

Berilyn huffed, before returning to her little task. Directly in front of the steps of the Centre was a small pile of rubble, all that was left of the statue that had once been there. Berilyn surreptitiously glanced around the plaza, watching out for any more Imperials. Aside from Major Namada, there were only a small crowd of stormtroopers around, and none of them were looking her way. Quickly, Berilyn knelt down, looking for a good-sized chunk of rock, something she could take as a keepsake. To anyone else, it would just be a stone, no different from all the other thousands that lay on the street, but she would know. It would be her own little symbol of the Jedi, of defiance.

There it was, the perfect stone. She picked it up and held it close, cradling it close to her chest, gently, almost as if it were an egg that would break if she gripped it anymore tightly. She smiled faintly down at it, before getting back to her feet and throwing one more cautious glance, to make sure no one had seen her. Seeing that the coast was clear, she cupped the rock to hide it from view and hurried home.

One day, I’ll rebuild that statue and add Master Bene to it, I promise, Berilyn thought as she all but sprinted away.

11 BBY

Berilyn felt the iron-grip of her sister clasp firmly around her arm. She sighed as she turned around to face Arani, this was something she had become very used to in the years since the Empire had come to Vaklin. She had just been about to step outside their home when Arani had grabbed her, the door was still open, the streets outside were a tantalising sight to Berilyn, they called to her. Or rather, what was outside the city called to her…

“Beri, what are you up to?” Arani asked, peering very intently at her little sister.

Berilyn smiled and tried to look as innocent as possible, opening her eyes wide to complete the look. “Up to? I don’t know what you mean, Arani, I’m just going out for a walk.” She turned to stroll off, hoping that Arani would loosen her grip, but no such luck. If anything, she only tightened her hold on Berilyn, roughly yanking her back.

“Don’t play games with me, Beri! You’ve been cagey for the last couple of days and now you’re acting as excited as you used to the night before your birthday! Don’t make me ask again, Beri!” Arani hissed, pushing her face close to Berilyn’s, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Berilyn scoffed and pulled her arm back, this time successfully managing to pull free. “Don’t pretend you’re mama, Arani! You’re not even that much older than me!”

“I’m an adult!” Arani reminded Berilyn, as she so loved to do since she reached her 18^th birthday.  

Berilyn rolled her eyes. “Barely! In another three years, I’ll be one too! So, what?”

“So, you should listen to me! You’re still just a kid!” Arani hissed, reaching out to grab Berilyn again, only for her little sister to swiftly dodge her, putting the couch between her and Arani.

“I haven’t listened to you since we were both kids, Arani, why would I start now?” Berilyn asked, not able to stop the mischievous grin that was pulling at the edges of her mouth.

She really should be taking this whole thing more seriously, she should have been ready to run from Arani if she tried to grab her again, but she was just too excited. She was really going to do it, today was the day! Or at least, it would be, if she could get away from Arani.

“Because I don’t want you to get hurt! Damn it, Beri, I just know you’re going to do something stupid!” Arani stamped her feet in annoyance.

“I’m not doing something stupid; I’m doing something important!” Berilyn protested, getting a childish thrill out of seeing her older sister act so petulantly herself.

“Important, how?” Arani asked, her eyes narrowed again. She gripped the top of the sofa tightly, and Berilyn was wondering if she might attempt to leap over it to get her.

“Very important, extremely, in fact!” Berilyn said, slowly backing towards the open door. She could feel the warm air tickling the back of her neck as she did, hear the distant sounds from the market.

Arani growled, her patience well and truly at an end. “Okay, Berilyn, I give up! What is so kriffing important?!” Her knuckles were now white from the pressure, and Berilyn found herself glad that it was just the sofa she was grabbing and not her wrist.

The smart, rational part of Berilyn knew that she shouldn’t tell Arani anything, that she should just sprint out the door as fast as she could and not look back. However, that part was being mostly drowned out by the excitable part of her personality, that was dying to tell Arani, consequences be damned!

“I’m going to find Master Bene’s lightsabers!” She blurted out, grinning from ear to ear at just the thought of it.

Arani paused at that, her jaw dropping, her eyes popping at Berilyn’s words. For a second, her mouth opened and closed as she silently repeated the words, before her senses returned and she looked the angriest that Berilyn had ever seen her. “You’re going to do WHAT?!” She screamed, her nails now puncturing holes in the couch, not that she seemed to notice.    

Berilyn continued on, half-oblivious to her sister’s rage, so giddy at finally voicing her plans. “His lightsabers weren’t on him when he died, so he must have lost them at some point before he got to town. If I’m lucky, they’re still in the cave where he fought Vader.”

“If you’re lucky?” Arani sputtered, staring at her incredulously. “Berilyn, those caves are full of azetal! Going in there would be suicide!”

Berilyn grinned cheekily at Arani as she held-up a gas mask. “Not if I stole some protection from the mines!”

Arani scowled, incensed at her sister’s apparent disregard for her own life. “Even with that mask, it’s still too dangerous! Damn it, Beri, are you really going to risk your life over something that might not even be there?!”

Berilyn placed a finger over her mouth and pretended to think it over before she nodded. “Yep! Trust me, Arani, this is worth it! These lightsabers…they mean a lot to me. They belonged to him, and that makes them worth it. I can’t just leave them there, forgotten in the dark. They deserve better, just like he deserved better.”

“What do you think the Empire will do if they find out you have them, Berilyn? They’ll execute you, me, mama and papa and then destroy them!” Her face was bright red, and Berilyn noticed that there were tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

Berilyn’s smile faltered, and she suddenly regretted teasing her sister so. She knew that Arani was only looking out for her, trying to keep her safe, but she also knew that retrieving the lightsabers was something that she had to do. But still, the thought that the Imperials wouldn’t just kill her was a sobering one, she had to admit.

“They won’t find out, Arani, I swear, I’ll be very careful! Aside from you, no one will ever know I was in the caves, not even mama and papa!” Berilyn tried to reassure her, although from the expression on Arani’s face, she could tell that she was far from appeased.

“Beri…please,” Arani said, in a small, scared voice that did more to make Berilyn second-guess herself than all the screaming had done.

Berilyn sighed, suddenly feeling very ashamed for putting her older sister through this. “Arani, I’m sorry, I really am, but I have to do this! This means…” Berilyn trailed off, struggling to find the words that would help Arani understand, but none came to mind. “Well, it means more to me than anything else on Vaklin.”

Arani seemed to slump over, her head hung low and her eyes on the floor. She opened her mouth to say something, closed it, opened it again and then trailed off. When she looked up, Berilyn could see that Arani’s eyes were wet, and Berilyn had to look away. She backed away, out the door and out into the street, taking off at full sprint and not looking back, her hair whipping back and forth.

***

Berilyn took a deep breath as she checked her equipment; the headlamp worked fine, the breath-mask fit snugly over her face and the length of rope she had grabbed looked to be in good condition. She was as ready as she would ever be, and she knew she wouldn’t leave until she had found what she was looking for. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she shuffled excitedly back and forth from foot to foot, unable to stop herself from trembling. The ruins of the Temple of Imperfect Repose stood ahead of her, destroyed when the Empire’s ships fired on it. Berilyn’s heart ached at the sight, she remembered how beautiful the temple had been when it was intact, she and her family had visited it many times to leave offerings to the statues of the Jedi who lined the halls. Small baskets of fruit, mainly, surplus from her mama’s stand that Berilyn herself carefully carried, always mindful not to let any of the fruit fall out while Arani lit the candles. Their mother would talk to the kind-faced old woman who attended the temple, and Berilyn and Arani would wander off down the dark halls, hoping to play with the two large but gentle beasts who lived there.

All gone, all dead.

Berilyn wondered if the bodies of the steward and the tuk’ata were still there somewhere, buried under the rubble, or whether someone had come to give them the burial they deserved. She desperately hoped that they had, but vowed to check for herself.

“This is it, too late to back out now,” she muttered to hype herself up for her trip.

Through the wreckage of the temple, she could see the entrance to the cave, blasted into being when the Empire bombarded the temple. This had been where Master Bene had fought that monster, Vader, and where he had most likely lost his lightsabers. It loomed over her, like a gaping maw, seemingly extinguishing any light that came close to it, and Berilyn quickly reached into her pocket to pull out a glowrod, activating it and casting a blue glow over the cave walls. She quickly scanned the ground, hoping that she might get lucky and find the lightsabers quickly, without having to venture further into the cave. No such luck, they weren’t in sight, and Berilyn sighed, accepting that she would indeed have to go in. She checked her mask again, making sure that it fit tightly over her face and there were no cracks or leaks in the visor and seeing none, she took her first, tentative steps into the darkness.

Even with her glowrod, the darkness seemed to press down on her, like it was trying to grab her and might just succeed if not for the meagre protection her light offered her. Berilyn gulped and tried to tell herself that she was just being silly. And yet…Darth Vader had set foot in his caves and beat Master Bene half to death in here. Was it possible that he had left some kind of lingering taint in the caverns when he had visited them? Could he do that? Berilyn wished she knew more about the nature of the Force to be sure.

A sudden, loud beeping sound in her ear caused Berilyn to jump, and she took a moment to catch her breath, suddenly aware that she was sweating, despite how cool it was in the caves. The mask’s in-built gas detectors had gone off, and she knew that she had stepped into the most dangerous part of the cave, where it was thick with deadly azetal gas. She stepped forward, holding up her glowrod to peer ahead of her…

…And almost stepped off a sharp drop into a thick mist of gas. Her stomach lurched as she quickly pulled her foot back onto solid ground. It was impossible to see just how far the hole went, but there was a good chance that it was fall she wouldn’t be able to walk away from. Berilyn leaned back against the cave wall, wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to control her breathing. You’re alright, she tried to reassure herself, but her hands were shaking. She edged her way back to the ledge and tried to get a better look, but there was still no luck, she couldn’t see the bottom. There were a number of pillars that rose up out of the azetal, although one was shattered, the broken tip only just rising out of the gas.

“Oh, please, please be around here,” she muttered under her breath, carefully examining the ground around the cliff’s edge, praying that she would catch sight of the lightsabers. “…Shavit,” she swore when she didn’t see them.  

She would have to go down there, off the drop and into the thick of the gas.

She tied her rope around a stalagmite close to the edge, then double, triple and quadruple checked that the knot was secure before she slowly climbed down the edge, being very careful of her footing with each step. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the hole wasn’t all that deep, perhaps only five meters. A dangerous drop, to be sure, but not quite the bottomless pit she had feared it to be. On the other hand, the azetal was so thick down there that visibility was almost non-existent. Berilyn waved her hand a half-a-meter from her face and could only just see her hand through the fog Anything past that was practically invisible.

“Shavit,” she swore again, getting down on her hands and knees as she blindly groped along the ground.

She would have to move fast, her oxygen supply would only last for so long, but she would also have to search carefully so she wouldn’t miss the lightsabers in the haze. Assuming that they’re here at all, Berilyn thought, her heart racing, She shook her head, as if to dislodge the thoughts, no, they had to be there, they had to! She kept her eyes wide open, not wanting to chance missing a glimpse of them as she combed the ground, her hands sweeping out in wide arcs. Each time she felt a loose stone, she was filled with a surge of excitement, before disappointment set in.

***

“No, no, no!”  Berilyn groaned as another alert went off in her ear, this one warning her that her oxygen reserves were running low.

She had completely lost track of the time as she searched, and she still hadn’t found her precious lightsabers! She bit her lip, sweat flowing down her face as she pondered her predicament. Had she missed the lightsabers? Would she need to come back the next day after smuggling out another canister of air? Or was it possible that Vader had taken the lightsabers back with him when he had beaten Master Bene? Or worse, destroyed them? Her breathing was quick and shallow now at the mere thought, and she had to will herself to calm down, not wanting to waste what little air she had left. She slammed her fists down onto the ground, before getting to her feet. She would look again if she had to, she wasn’t willing to give up yet, but for now, the search was over, she hurried back to her rope and shimmied up it, tucking her glowrod onto her belt.

As she trudged out of the cave, she kept her eyes glued to the ground, hoping that perhaps she had been sloppy on her way in and might catch sight of them on her way out. No such luck, she saw only rocks. Her vision blurred, and Berilyn pulled up her mask to wipe away her tears with her sleeve. Dimly, she was aware that she was back at the entrance of the cave, and was grateful that she was in open air and sunlight again, but the tears kept slowly seeping out.

She was still swiping at her hands when she kicked something with her foot, something that most definitely didn’t feel like a rock. Berilyn froze, hurriedly clearing her vision before looking down to see what her boot had struck.

There, half buried in the rubble, was a long, silver cylinder that was impossible to mistake for anything else.

Berilyn’s heart leapt as she dove down onto her knees, scuffing up the legs of her pants as she picked up the lightsaber and held it inches from her face. Her eyes were wide as she stared at it, examining it closely, not blinking at all, as if it might disappear the second that she did. It was dusty, but otherwise seemed in remarkably good condition, nothing seemed broken, the casing was still intact. But would it work, she wondered? She ran her fingers along the tube, trying to find a button or a switch that might activate blade. There! With a sudden snap-hiss, the lightsaber hummed to life, a beautiful, blue blade coming into existence.

Berilyn stared at it, utterly entranced. She hadn’t seen this since Master Bene had arrived on Vaklin and fought the stormtroopers, alongside the two other Jedi who had accompanied him and the Vaklin Resistance who had fought alongside them.  

And now, it was in her hands! She burst out laughing, knowing now that it had been at the entrance to the cave all along! Her heart leapt, perhaps that meant the other one was too? She began hurriedly picking up chunks of debris and throwing them away, desperate to see if the other lightsabers was somewhere close by. Her breath hitched when a moment later, she saw them! They were both there too! She wrapped her arms around them and held them tightly to her body, careful not to accidentally hit the activation studs and impale herself. She almost giggled at the thought, wouldn’t that be a funny way to end her search? Her heart was racing now, even more than it had been when she started the day and was so excited to set out on her hunt. She found she couldn’t stop smiling too, she felt so light that she thought if she jumped, she might just float away.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, hugging the lightsabers, but eventually she stood up, slipping them into her satchel. With tremendous effort, she managed to wipe the smile from her face, but she had to bite the inside of her cheek to do so. When she made her trek back into town, she had to act like everything was normal, and she didn’t want any suspicious stormtroopers to stop and search her if they saw her so giddy.

Or worse, the Major.

Berilyn scowled at the thought of the woman, who, after all these years, was still on Vaklin. Berilyn had always wished that she would leave and stop poisoning her home, but now…

“One day, I swear I’ll plunge this blade into your heart!” Berilyn snarled, holding up a lightsaber and activating it, the azure beam springing forth. “If you even have a heart, that is!”

Finally, Berilyn hurried home, being very careful not to run into any stormtrooper patrols. When she stepped into her house, the sun was just starting to go down, and she knew her parents would be home soon.

“Arani?” Berilyn called out. “I’m home, and I’m safe! See, nothing happened!”

Silence greeted her, and Berilyn began to get nervous. Surely Arani would have waited for her, right? She couldn’t see her sister leaving the house until she knew that she was safe. Berilyn hurried into Arani’s darkened room, the blinds were drawn. For a moment, she fumbled along the wall for the light switch, before pulling out her glowrod.  There, sleeping on the bed, was Arani, curled up into a ball and facing the wall.

“Arani?” Berilyn whispered, tiptoeing over to her sister.

From the even rhythm of her breathing, Berilyn could tell that Arani was sleeping, and so Berilyn breathed a sigh of relief. Arani was fine, and Berilyn thought it might be better to let her sleep, Force knew she needed the rest after all the worrying she had been doing lately. Berilyn turned to leave, but then stopped, swivelled around and hovered over her sister for a moment. She leaned down and gave Arani a quick peck on the cheek, and Arani mumbled something in her sleep.

“Sleep well, sis,” Berilyn whispered, before hurrying out of the room, as quietly as she could.

Once back in the safety of her room, Berilyn fished out a box she hid under her bed, in the far corner, against the wall. She pulled it out and opened it, seeing that the chunk of stone from the statue was still there. Gently, she pulled her newly acquired lightsabers out, one by one, laying them reverently into the box.

“You’re right where you belong now,” she said, staring down into the box with awe.

She would keep them safe, and only she and Arani would ever, ever know about what she had kept hidden in her room.

Chapter Text

10 BBY

Vaklin

Berilyn drummed her fingers as she stood behind the counter of Djon’s pastry stall, the smell of sweet buns and cakes wafting in through the door behind her, making her mouth water. For the past couple of months, she had taken up a part-time job helping Djon sell his goods. Of course, he wouldn’t let her help in the kitchen, not after that small incident where she had burned the last batch of sweesonberry rolls.

…And almost set the bakery on fire.

Okay, so she wasn’t much of a baker, but she could staff a counter just fine. It was simple enough work, and she liked talking to the customers; they were mostly people she had known for years.

“Good afternoon. Any sweet rolls left?”

Berilyn supressed a grimace. Well, she liked talking to most customers. Major Namada was perhaps the only exception, and to Berilyn’s annoyance, Namada tried to stop by once a day, and always ordered the same thing. Though it practically pained her to do so, Berilyn forced a wide smile to her face, as if Major Namada were her favourite customer.

“Sure thing, Major! Last one, just for you!” Berilyn said as she reached under the counter for the special pastry she had set aside earlier.

Standing behind Major Namada, Berilyn could see the Major’s daughter, looking almost like a miniature version of the woman. Her name was Sarissa, and she had that same olive-skin, same brown hair tied back into a bun, she even had the same intense eyes, it was uncanny. Just about the only thing missing was that bone-white Imperial Security Bureau uniform that always seemed so bizarrely clean in spite of the hot, dusty winds. For a moment, Berilyn couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps the Major had cloned herself a daughter. Sarissa was only a year or so younger than Berilyn, she had seen Sarissa attending the Imperial Education Centre, but Berilyn never made any attempt to talk to the Major’s daughter.   

Namada smiled back at Berilyn as she took the offered sweet roll, before turning back to her daughter. “Sarissa, do you want anything?”

The girl just shook her head, not uttering a peep. Berilyn’s eyes flicked to her momentarily, before they turned back to Namada, watching her expectantly, waiting for her to take a bite. It was petty, she knew, but until Berilyn got her hands on a blaster, she knew it was the most retribution she’d get.

The Major held the roll under her nose and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she relished the smell. It wasn’t oven fresh, but there was still a very slight, residual warmth that was almost as pleasant as the aroma. Namada didn’t notice Berilyn’s hands digging into the countertop as she took a big bite out of the roll.

“Give Djon my regards, the roll is delicious,” Namada said as she continued to tuck into her treat.

I hope you like the taste of spit, you ice-hearted witch, Berilyn thought, that cheerful, pleasant smile never leaving her lips. “Sure thing, Major, I’ll be sure to let him know you liked it!” Her face was beginning to hurt from the forced smiling, and she was thankful when Namada paid and strolled away. Sarissa followed closely behind her, almost like she was a second shadow. Berilyn groaned and massaged her cheeks as she let the façade slip. “Schutta,” she muttered, glowering at the Major’s back.

Behind her, she heard the sound of the doors into the bakery slide open, and Djon shuffled out, holding a fresh tray of pastries. “Busy?” He asked Berilyn as he set the steaming tray down on the countertop.

“About the same as always,” Berilyn said with a shrug. “The Imp was here just now.”

Djon narrowed his eyes at Berilyn. “I hope you haven’t been causing trouble, Berilyn. Because if you get in trouble, I’m liable to be in trouble too, not to mention your family…”

“Oh, relax, I was a holo of civility and politeness!” Berilyn said, her tone one of faux outrage. “What, were you expecting me to reach across the counter and strangle the murdering Imp?”

Djon didn’t say anything for a long while, he simply stood there, looking at Berilyn with his lips pursed. Berilyn winced, fearing she might have gone too far with that last remark, she didn’t want to lose this job. It might not have been much, but it kept her out of the mines and the rust yards…where Arani was working hard, day after day.

The moment passed and Djon sighed, before he took a pastry from the tray. “Here,” Djon said, handing Berilyn a sweet roll, freshly baked by the warmth of it.

She wrinkled her nose as she peered closely at it. “Tok nuts? I hate tok nuts,” she muttered as she began to pick them off.

Djon scoffed and rolled his eyes at the young Human. “You know, it’s funny, but the Major says damn near the exact same thing every time I hand her a sweet roll with tok nuts on it.”

Berilyn blinked and stopped mid-grab, before she began to tear into the sweet roll, wolfing down the tok nut-laden treat. She glowered at Djon as she finished off the roll, her mouth stuffed with the pastry. “‘Ppy nw?” she mumbled through a mouth full of crumbs.

The Ryn rolled his eyes again, his hands on his hips. “You know, sometimes I think you’re still that same little girl you were ten years ago.”

“Ha, not so little anymore, Djon,” Berilyn said as she stood up, smirking as she towered over the diminutive alien. She was rather proud of her height, she was no longer the sickly, frail girl she had once been and now stood at a respectable 172 centimetres. Djon, in contrast, only came up to her chest, if that.

“And yet you still have all the emotional maturity of a child,” Djon shot back, though not without a small smile of his own.

From inside the bakery, Berilyn could hear the faint chimes of Djon’s alarm chrono going off, signifying that her shift was over.  “Another day, another cred chip. You’re paying me in more than just pastries today, right, boss?”

Djon feigned disgruntled mumbling as he dug through his pockets and pulled out a small stack of credits, tossing them to Berilyn’s outstretched hand. “Don’t spend it all in one place now.”

Berilyn chuckled as she tossed the credits up in her palm. It wasn’t much, Djon wasn’t exactly paying her a fortune for her assistance and there was no way she could make a real living out of this kind of wage. Still, the thought of going down into the dark, cramped mines or cutting apart old, rusted wrecks wasn’t appealing at all. It’d do, until…

“You know me, it’ll be all used up on candy in a day or two,” Berilyn said, as images of the blaster rifle she was saving up to buy danced through her head. “You want a hand closing up?”

Djon waved her off, “Ah, get out of here, I can manage on my own. Wouldn’t want you burning the place down again, would we?”

Berilyn barked out a short, unamused laugh. “One time, one time! Alright, same time tomorrow then, huh, boss?” She was already hurrying down the street as Djon raised a hand to wave goodbye. She made off in the direction of her home, just as long as she was in Djon’s sight, before ducking into a back alley and reorienting herself. A moment later, she was off to the local cantina, the Rusty Rycrit. Above the doorway, a neon sign was lit up, depicting the bucking head of a rycrit made out of scrap metal. Berilyn paused outside the doorway, took a deep breath and then entered.

***

“I want in, Kren,” Berilyn said as she leaned over the cantina table, palms flat as she stared into the eyes of the Ryn across from her.

Kren Sallo paused, his bottle of ebla beer raised halfway to his lips. He slowly lowered the bottle and narrowed his eyes at her. “The kriff are you talking about, kid? In what?”

“Cut the shavit, Kren!” Berilyn hissed in as hushed a tone as she could manage. “Everyone in here knows you used to take up collections for the Vaklin Resistance!” It had been years ago, back when Berilyn was still frail and sickly, but she remembered seeing Kren go around town, asking the merchants for their support, to spare whatever they could. He had even plied her mother once or twice, smiling at Berilyn as he asked her mother to do her part. It had all been so open then, the Vaklin Insurgents had no fear of resisting the Empire in broad daylight.

Until Master Bene had been murdered, that was.

Kren glowered at her and raised his hurriedly raised his hand. “Keep your voice down, kid!” He hissed, before leaning in close. “That was years ago! I…I’m not involved with them anymore! I don’t think the Vaklin Resistance exists after all this time! Vader put a pretty definitive end to it!”  Kren shuddered at the thought, drinking deeply from his ebla beer.

For the longest time, Berilyn had thought so too, everyone had just seemed to roll over after Master Bene’s death. Certainly, there hadn’t been any more open attacks on the Imperials, no more blasterfights in the Howling Ruins or raids on the Imperial base. And yet, over time the idea that the Vaklin Insurgency had been totally stamped out just seemed…false, to Berilyn. Surely some members had survived and surely not all of them had been totally demoralised by Bene’s death. Surely.

Berilyn sat down at the table and leaned in close, looking around to make sure that no Imp officers had entered the cantina. “I don’t buy it, Kren, I don’t think an insurrection just goes away after all that brutality, I think it just goes deeper underground. Maybe it bides its time, lets the enemy think there’s no resistance anymore and strikes back when they get complacent?”

Kren paused again as Berilyn let her words sink in, before he rolled his eyes at her. “You watch too many holofilms, girl, this is reality and the Insurgency died years ago. Died when…” he trailed off, his gaze distant.

“When Cho’na Bene was murdered, you mean?” Berilyn hissed, momentarily seeing red as she played back the scene in her head.

“Don’t say his name!” Kren snapped, slamming his bottle down onto the table and spraying his hand with ebla beer. “Kriff, girl, it’s like you’re trying to get us killed!” The Ryn threw a cautious glance over his shoulder, but the cantina was still thankfully Imperial free. Still, the outburst had drawn attention, and a number of patrons were throwing curious looks their way.

Berilyn winced as some of her anger dissipated. “Sorry,” she muttered as she shuffled her seat closer to Kren’s, her eyes glued to the entrance as she did so. “Look, if the Insurgency is still alive, no matter how small, I want in. This is my planet too, and I want to do whatever I can to help free it!” She paused, before whispering. “I was there when he died. I got a front row seat to that Imp witch, Namada, gunning him down.”

Kren shot her a puzzled look. “Major Namada was the one who did it?”

Berilyn nodded enthusiastically, stray locks of hair flying. “She was wearing clone trooper armour, but it was her. I saw her take off the helmet and report it. It was her, no question.” Berilyn’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to speak. “He…he saved my life when I was a kid. I wouldn’t be here right now if not for him, I want…I need to pay him back for that. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.” Her vision was blurry now as tears pricked at her eyes, but she didn’t wipe them away.

Kren sighed, slumping in his seat as he looked into his half-empty bottle of ebla beer. He sat like that for a long time, and Berilyn was beginning to wonder if he’d snap out of it before he spoke up again. “We’re meeting in four days’ time in the backroom at ten o’clock. Password is Ninegun, I’ll vouch for you if you show up.”

Berilyn nodded. “I’ll be there, you can count on it!” She stood up to leave, pausing just before she did. “Thank you, Kren. I’ll do whatever I have to.”

The Ryn didn’t acknowledge her, he just remained seated, taking a deep swig of his beer.

***

Berilyn hurriedly strode down the streets, anxious to get home, almost vibrating with excitement. The Vaklin Insurgency did still exist! She had hoped and hoped, but a small part of her been convinced it might really have been wiped out after all. She was so relieved that her doubts had been proven wrong! So great was her excitement that she almost didn’t hear the muffled cry that came from the alley she walked past. She was in mid-step before the noise registered to her and she cautiously moved back, peering into the narrow alleyway.

There were three beings, a Rodian and an Elomin who were huddled around a third person who Berilyn couldn’t see. The Rodian seemed to be grabbing onto them, and the Elomin was brandishing a vibroknife threateningly. Berilyn bit her lip, it looked like a mugging, pretty common in this part of town, even with the Imperial presence.  She crept closer, her mind whirring as she tried to work out what to do next. She knew she couldn’t just leave that poor victim to their fate, Master Bene certainly wouldn’t have, so neither could she. Neither of the thugs had seen her, they were still focusing all of their attention on their victim, so Berilyn crept closer, hugging the opposite wall. As she got closer, she could start to make out the hissed words of the two muggers.

“Think you can just show your face round here and not expect any problem? Huh?!” The Rodian snarled, spittle flying as he shook the person he was holding, muffled cries escaping from their covered mouth. The two aliens were still crowding the person too much for Berilyn to get a good look, but she saw a flash of brunette hair and one wide, terrified brown eye.

 “Reckon we ought to show her what happens to silly little schuttas who go wandering where they shouldn’t…” The Elomin growled, the vibroknife slowly coming closer and closer to the girl’s tear-filled eye.

Berilyn lunged forward, one arm grabbing the arm holding the vibroknife and yanking it back hard while her other arm wrapped around his neck.

“What the kriff?!” The Elomin shouted as he found himself pulled clear of his victim.

Berilyn knew she had to act quickly, she had managed to get him clear because he wasn’t expecting it, but the Elomin was bigger and stronger than her. With a snarl, she darted her head forward and latched her teeth onto his ear, biting down hard. The alien yelped in pain and Berilyn winced as she felt a splash of warm, salty blood fill her mouth. It was almost enough to gag her from the awful taste, almost enough to make her lose her grip on his mauled ear. With a clatter, the Elomin dropped the vibroknife and tried to reach back with his free hand and punch Berilyn’s head. Berilyn yelped and saw stars as the fist made contact with her head, falling back and landing in a daze.

“Who the kriff is this?!” The Rodian exclaimed, whirling around in shock.

Dimly, trying to blink away the dark spots in her vision, Berilyn saw the girl the Rodian had been attacking surge towards her distracted assailant.  He let out a yelp as he found himself shoved into the alley wall, his head connecting with the ferrocrete with a thud, a splatter of blue blood painting the wall. As he tried to regain his senses, the girl was on him, one hand grabbing the quills on the back of his head and slamming him forward. The Rodian let out a sighing groan as his face once again hit the ferrocrete, leaving an even bigger bloodstain before he collapsed onto the dirt. The Elomin, holding a hand to his bloody ear, widened his eyes in shock, before he ran towards the girl, fists raised.

Berilyn watched in amazement as the girl ducked under his blows, before her own arms lunged out. One went into the Elomin’s gut and he let out a wheezing grunt as the air was knocked out of him, before the second strike hit him right in the nose, a spray of blood flying through the air.

 Lotta blood in this alley tonight, a still semi-dazed Berilyn thought as she watched the Elomin cup a hand to his now drenched face.

“Wha…what…” The Elomin stammered, apparently in disbelief at how wrong things had gotten. He stood where he was for a moment longer, before spinning on his heel and half-ran, half-stumbled away, too dazed to make more of a dignified escape.

The girl was panting and took a moment to catch her breath before turning to Berilyn. Berilyn’s eyes widened in shock as she finally realised just who it was she had saved.

Sarissa Namada, the Major’s daughter.

“Are you okay?” Sarissa asked as she held out a hand to Berilyn.

Berilyn wasn’t quite sure if it was the blow to the head or the surprise of saving Sarissa Namada was what left her speechless. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened. She had just saved the life of an Imperial.

Sarissa frowned, before kneeling down in front of Berilyn and cupping her face in her hands, seemingly uncaring of the Elomin blood that had ran down Berilyn’s face and was now staining her fingers.

“Hey, hey! Look at me! Can you hear me alright?” Sarissa asked, her eyes full of what seemed like concern.

“Y-yeah…” Berilyn said, barely managing to choke out the words.

“Oh, thank goodness, I thought you might be concussed!” Sarissa said, sighing in relief. “Thank you for saving me, they would have…” Sarissa trailed off, turning to see the discarded vibroknife, laying in the dirt.

“You looked like you could handle yourself pretty well,” Berilyn said, her mind playing back how Sarissa had taken out both of the thugs.

Sarissa nodded, “My mum taught me some self-defence moves, but they jumped me as I was walking past the alley. You saved my life.” And then, to Berilyn’s shock, Sarissa pulled the other girl into a tight hug.

Berilyn tensed up, her mind reeling. She had saved Sarissa’s life alright, that fact played over and over again in her head. Faintly, she became aware that Sarissa was pulling back, looking at her with concern.

“Are you okay? How’s your head?” She asked, one hand held out and hovering close to Berilyn’s face, like she might try to cradle her head.

“Oh, uh, all good, don’t worry about it,” Berilyn replied, reaching out to push Sarissa’s hand down. It was true, her vision had cleared, she was probably lucky that the Elomin had punched her from such an awkward angle and with his off hand, it had stunned her but little else.

“I’m so glad to hear that!” For a moment, Berilyn was worried that Sarissa might try and hug her again, but instead she got to her feet and held out her hand for Berilyn. Berilyn glanced at it for a moment, before reluctantly taking it and letting the other girl haul her up. “You saved my life.” Sarissa repeated, a shaky smile lighting up her face.

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Berilyn said, struggling hard to keep her expression neutral.

Sarissa was an Imperial, right? Well, her mother was but did that make Sarissa as bad? Namada had killed Master Bene! But…that had been her, not her daughter. Berilyn’s mind was abuzz as she tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. Had she done the right thing?

“Um, you have some blood on your face,” Sarissa said, motioning to her chin.

Berilyn reached up, her fingers coming back stained with red, drying blood. Kriff, she thought, I must look like some kind of psycho. She reached up and did her best to wipe it away with her forearm, without much luck.

“Oh, here, let me try and…” Sarissa reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, leaning in close to Berilyn.

“No!” Berilyn pulled back, wincing as she saw Sarissa’s surprised expression. “I mean, you don’t have to clean me up or anything, I can just wash it off when I get home.”

That seemed to resonate with Sarissa. “Home! Oh, kriff! My mum will be worried, I’m so late! Oh, how am I going to explain this…” Her eyes darted between the unconscious Rodian, the discarded vibroknife and the blood on her knuckles.   

Berilyn bit her lip as she wondered that herself. On the one hand, she didn’t want scum like the two thugs to get away with what they had tried to do. Berilyn somehow doubted that Sarissa was the only person they had victimised, so she would hardly be sympathetic if they were arrested. But, would Major Namada and the Empire crack down on the rest of Vaklin if she found out that her daughter had been attacked by two locals? An image of Imperial Army troopers patrolling up and down the streets, accompanied by a strutting, chicken-legged All Terrain Defence Pod flashed through her mind. What chance did her dreams of joining the Vaklin Resistance have then?

“Maybe it’d be better not to tell her?” Berilyn said slowly, wondering herself if this was the right call.

Sarissa turned to her, her eyes wide in surprise. “What? Why not?”

“Well, you didn’t get hurt, right? So, why worry her? It’d just create unnecessary stress if you think about it! Mums worry enough as it is, and I bet your mum already has a ton of other stuff to stress her out! I mean, she’s a Major for the Empire! Just imagine all the stuff she has to deal with on a day-to-day basis!” Berilyn said, her words spilling out quickly as she struggled to come up with a justification.

Sarissa looked uncertain, biting her lip in thought. “I mean, I guess that’s true. She’s always busy with her work and I know it’s pretty important…”

“Like I thought!” Berilyn exclaimed. “And look, I don’t think these vac-heads are gonna bother you again. One of them has a broken nose and an ear hanging by a thread,” Berilyn reached up and touched the dried blood on her chin. “And the other one’s probably concussed and gonna be in a world of hurt when he wakes up. Actually…” Berilyn turned and kicked the unconscious Rodian in the ribs as hard as she could. Sarissa let out a surprised gasp as Berilyn turned back to face her. “They’ll know better from now on.”

“I guess that’s true…” Sarissa muttered, biting down on the tip of her finger as she appeared to consider Berilyn’s words. “Well, maybe it would be better if my mum didn’t know about this.” A thought seemed to cross Sarissa’s mind. “Oh! But I should reward you for saving me!” She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a credit chip, holding it out to Berilyn.

Berilyn frowned at that, getting a reward for saving the daughter of an Imp? The thought made her stomach churn! “Oh, uh, you don’t have to do that, I was just doing the right thing after all, anyone would have done it!”  

Now it was Sarissa’s turn to frown. “But I have to do something for you! They would have killed me if you hadn’t saved me!”

Please, stop saying that, Berilyn thought. She was about to open her mouth to protest again when an idea crossed her mind. “Well…I can’t take your money, but I do have another idea in mind…” She said, slowly, a part of her very unsure of what she was about to say.

“Anything you want, I’ll do it! I really do owe you!” Sarissa exclaimed, smiling at Berilyn.

“Could you…Could you teach me how to fight like you did?” Berilyn asked, the words heavy in her mouth. She was conflicted to say the least. One the one hand, Sarissa’s techniques would be incredible to learn, she really knew how to take care of herself. On the other though, it would mean having to spend more time with the Imp’s daughter.

Sarissa seemed taken aback by the question, blinking rapidly. After a moment, she regained her composure. “Of course I can do that! I’d be happy to teach you what I can! I mean, I’m not like a proper instructor or anything, but my mum showed me lots of self-defence moves that I think I can walk you through!”

And in spite of herself, Berilyn had to admit that there was a part of her that was very excited by that. To be a member of the Vaklin Insurgency, she had to know how to handle herself in a fight, right? And there was a certain sense of irony there that she liked, that the daughter of an Imperial would be training a soon-to-be insurgent on how to fight.

“Great! I would really, really love that, Sarissa!” Berilyn exclaimed, gripping the other girl’s hands tightly.

Sarissa’s face flushed at that and she looked away for a moment. “Oh, uh, you’re Berilyn, right? I’m sorry, my mum and I stop by the bakery you work at every day, but I’ve never been sure if that was right or not…” She went redder at that, looking down at her feet.

“Yep, that’s me, Berilyn Davip.” She almost offered to let Sarissa call her “Beri”, but she bit her tongue at the last moment. She would reserve that right for people who weren’t related to Imperials.

“Alright, so are you free tomorrow? I can start you off after I’m done at the Education Centre for the day, does that work for you?”

Berilyn nodded, she didn’t have a shift at Djon’s that day, so she could make it. “I can do that! I’m looking forward to learning what I can from you!”

Sarissa blushed again, standing there for a moment before she pulled away. “Oh, uh, I guess I better get going. I’m late enough as it is, my mum will be worried sick!”

“Same with my parents now that you mention it,” Berilyn replied, wondering if she could sneak into the refresher and wash the blood off her face without anyone noticing.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Sarissa asked, her voice sounding almost hopeful.

“You got it, wouldn’t miss it!” Berilyn cried as she turned on her feet and began to run down the road.

She was really going to let Sarissa Namada teach her how to fight. A manic chuckle bubbled up to her lips at the thought and she found herself laughing the whole way home. She was aware the sight that must have been for anyone looking out their windows, a bloody faced girl laughing her head off as she ran down the streets, but at that point, she was beyond caring, she was too excited.

***

Berilyn paused as she stood outside her home, peering cautiously into the front window. The lights were on, and her family was certainly home by that point, the sun had dipped over the horizon and the streetlights were on. Berilyn had cleaned her face as best she could, but she knew that there were undoubtedly still traces of blood on her face. She would have to be very, very careful here. She opened the front door, wincing at the sound of it sliding open as she darted inside. So far, the coast was clear. She could hear something bubbling on the stove in the kitchen and no one was in the hallway, so Berilyn crept as quietly as she could, praying that no one would see her slip past the archway into the kitchen. She held her breath as she walked past, and to her relief, there was no cry of alarm, just the sound of something simmering away. Berilyn had made it to the refresher, the door opening…

…And Berilyn found herself face-to-face with Arani, apparently fresh from the shower judging by the traces of moisture on her skin and the steam that was wafting through the open door. For a split second, the sisters stood there in stunned silence, Arani’s jaw dropping as she saw the blood on Berilyn’s face. Just as she was about to say something, Berilyn slapped her hand over her mouth and yanked her into the refresher.

“Don’t yell out, okay?” Berilyn whispered as she looked her sister dead in the eye.

Arani was glowering at Berilyn, but nodded and Berilyn slowly removed her hand. “What the kriff happened to you, Beri? Are you hurt? Why are you covered in blood?!” Arani asked in a hushed tone.

“It’s okay, its not my blood,” Berilyn said, going over to the basin to splash some water on her face.

“Then who’s blood is it?!” Arani hissed, grabbing onto Berilyn’s arm and whirling her around as she was about to clean herself up.

Berilyn grimaced, and not just because Arani was so upset. Working in the rust yards for over a year had left Arani with a strong, lean body, and her hold on Berilyn’s arm was less than gentle. If not for the fact that Arani was always so tired after a hard day’s work, Berilyn would have happily asked her for assistance in getting stronger instead of Sarissa.

“Some mugger who’s now missing half an ear,” Berilyn muttered, hoping that she wouldn’t find bits of Elomin ear in her teeth later.

Arani’s eyes widened and she frowned, loosening her death grip on her sister’s arm. “Someone tried to mug you?! Kriff! Are you okay, Beri?”

“I’m fine, I didn’t get hurt or nothing, I wasn’t even the one getting attacked, it was…” Berilyn cut herself off, immediately aware that she had said too much.

Berilyn groaned as Arani grabbed both of her arms, that familiar crushing grip coming down on them. “Who was getting mugged?” Arani asked, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Sarissa Namada,” Berilyn muttered, her eyes staring at her feet.

Arani stepped back, her jaw dropping in shock. “The Major’s daughter?!” She exclaimed and Berilyn flinched, hoping desperately that their parents hadn’t overheard that.

“Sssh! Yes, her! You know any other Sarissa Namada’s?” Berilyn hissed.

“You, of all people saved Sarissa from getting mugged? You?” Arani asked, incredulously.

“Well, I didn’t know it was her at the time! I just saw these two sleemos attacking someone in an alley, so I pulled them off of her! I didn’t even get a good look at her until afterwards!”

Arani raised an eyebrow as she frowned at her sister. “Kriff me,” she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t figure out if this is a good thing or a bad thing…is she going to tell the Major about this? Because the last thing we need is for you to get noticed by her.”

Berilyn shook her head. “No, I convinced her not to tell her mum; I think she’ll listen to me.”

Arani sighed in relief. “Okay, that’s good, hopefully nothing more will come of this.”

“Yep, I’m sure outside of work, I’ll never have to deal with them at all,” Berilyn said, deciding it would probably be better not to tell her sister the deal she had made with Sarissa.

Of course, it always was hard to keep secrets from Arani, she knew Berilyn too well. Arani narrowed her eyes at her younger sibling, scrutinising her closely. “This is the end of it, right? You didn’t attack Sarissa or anything, did you?”

“What? No! Give me some credit here, Arani, I’m not a total blaster-brain!” Berilyn exclaimed, glaring at Arani.

The older girl snorted and shot Berilyn a smirk. “Could have fooled me, sometimes I think you have all the smarts of a mynock!”

“A mynock?!” Berilyn snapped, throwing a washcloth at Arani’s face, only for her to catch it easily.

“Girls! Dinner’s ready!” Their mother called from the kitchen.

“Here, I think you need this more than I do!” Arani said as she tossed the washcloth right back at Berilyn. “Make sure you’re thorough!” Arani said as she left the refresher.

“Yeah, yeah,” Berilyn muttered as she turned on the sink, steam rising up as the hot water flowed. For the next two minutes Berilyn made sure her face was spotless.

She even checked her teeth for any traces of Elomin ear.