Checkmate

                                    

                                          



Silence. That was what Kara craved the most. Just complete silence. She couldn't hear Euphoria and Naz cry themselves to sleep another night. So she didn't return to her bed and instead roamed the hallways of the barracks of the 501st.
                          
She had done that a few times always being silent and always alone. She couldn't watch her sisters pine away but she also didn't know what to do. So she did nothing.
                          
At first she had drank her sorrow away but after a few incidents with some civilians Woffle had banished her from the bar. He had kept a closer eye on her, watching every move. 
                          
Everybody thought she didn't speak because Leal's death had traumatized her but that was just a small part of the truth. Kara didn't speak because Leal and her were always sparring with words. Kara was the impulsive one and Leal the one who deliberated. The two girls were like fire and water. One burnt everything down and the other extinguished. 
                          
And to be fully honest Kara only swore because Leal had always looked at her knowingly, a smile playing on her lips before chastising her. Kara knew that no matter what she did or said that Leal listened and managed to help her get through. But now nobody was there to help her and Kara was actually scared to open her mouth. For the first time in her life she refused to tell her truth. Because no one was there to stop her. And even if they tried they weren't Leal. 
                          
Leal saw Kara as she was and didn't try to change her. She let Kara do her thing and worked the world around her. She loved all of them unconditionally and even protected them to her last breath. Leal always saw the world in all its tainted glory and still loved. But Kara couldn't love a world where her big sister wasn't going to be in it.
                          
It had been a long night and her tired eyes scanned the area. She had made it a habit on coming out of the barracks and stared at the horizon. She followed the sun rising and falling always waiting. She couldn't understand why the world kept on evolving around them and time went by. She was stuck while everything got on. And in that moment she realized that Kara never really knew pain until she craved to see and talk to Leal.
                          
"Kara!" Woffle stepped next to her and both of them stared at the sun rising. Since he noticed that Kara always stood there, he had stayed with her. She didn't know why. Both of them weren't always on the same page, hell they weren't even in the same library but right in this moment she appreciated that he cared. The commander and his soldier waited together for something only Kara knew they waited for. And that was Leal walking up to her.  And she knew that couldn't happen but still she waited.
                          
In the distance the mighty Jedi temple stood as always illuminated by the sun. Kara hadn't heard from neither her nor Leal's general. The Jedi were awfully quiet about the incident. And it got Kara even more angry. Leal adored the Jedi making it her purpose to serve them to the best of her abilities but now Kara hated the fact that they didn't seem to care.
                          
She had thought that at least Ahsoka would come and visit them but nothing. It pained her because she thought they were friends. Sisters actually. 
                          
"Are you going to join the training today?" Woffle asked and Kara watched as a patrol crossed their paths. She nodded and crossed her arms before her body. "Then we should leave." He nodded as well and started walking towards the barracks. Kara followed after watching the temple in the distance before turning away and following her commander.
                          
---
                          
"You promised!" There was this voice again. In the complete darkness Cub emerged before me. I crouched down to look at him. In that moment I realized that my wounds were gone and I didn't wore my armor. "You promised." Cub says again and I focus back on the little boy.
                          
"Where are we?" I whisper and he shakes his head. "In your head, silly." He giggled and took my hand. His soft skin felt odd against my hand. Suddenly the darkness disappeared and instead I stood in some kind of woods. It reminded me of Kashyyyk.
Cub balanced over a fallen tree and sat down. He smiles as he stares at me. "What are we doing here?" I ask him and he giggles a little more.