A new sketch I'm working on ^^ :)

I am not enough.

I pulled my suitcase from the closet, throwing it on the bed and pulling it open. Not enough. I threw whatever I could grasp into it, clothes, notepads, papers and books. All thudded on the surface and almost instantly fell back to the ground. Not enough. There was another hour until dawn, an hour until I had to leave the planet I'd grown to love.

Another hour before I was to be locked up again like some wild animal, all because he was afraid history would repeat itself.

I am not her! My own mind seemed to taunt me with the words. No, no you're not. His voice had been so full of spite, of pure hatred. I'd never heard him speak like that before, especially not to me. Even now they echoed through my head and tortured me endlessly.

When it became too much I leaned my hands on the cabinet, nails digging into the wood and leaving scratches on the surface. Teeth clenched together and eyes pressed chut, I tried my hardest to suppress the scream that was trying to reach the surface. Tears slid down my cheek but no sound could slip out. There was a storm raging within me and I was afraid to let it go free.

I am not enough, never had been. Looking up I stared into the mirror, noting my bloodshot eyes and the dark coal running down my cheeks. I had changed into this, this broken doctor following that damned jedi everywhere he went, following orders like some damned pup. I'd gladly accepted his request in aiding him in a mission, thinking it was some kind of favour he did me, while it had been his fault I'd been locked up in the first place. And still, he'd sent me away like garbage because of one lie.

Just one. I had given up my whole kingdom, left my world and my status, and he couldn't even see past one goddamned lie.

Suddenly, that scream did escape. The entire building seemed to roar with it, the foundation groaning with the force as objects fell to the ground. It was a storm of rage, fury. It resonated through my entire body as I lashed out with my arm, throwing the suitcase to the ground and watching the contents scatter over the surface.

There I stood in the end, seething, trying to will my breathing to calm. In the mirror I could see my skin lighting up with flames, glowing currents like tiny veins dancing over my skin. That fire was raging within me but I couldn't let it out. Or else, else I'd only confirm that I was indeed a monster.

I closed my eyes, focussing. I could hear the commander and his trooper outside, shuffling on their feet, trying to decide whether they should enter. In the distance there were more people, all going about their business, oblivious to the storm that was raging within me. Slowly but surely my body calmed down until it could hear but 4 words.

I am not enough. Somehow, I accepted it as a simple truth and shut down any emotion that came with that realization. There was nothing else I could do, anyways, not without tearing apart at the seams. My heart hardened and a feeling as cold as ice ran through me. My mouth pulled into a thin line as my eyes opened, going over the mess I'd made.

There, on the floor, they spotted the black shoulder guards adorned with the golden phoenix. Its wings were spread wide, shining golden in the sunlight. Scattered around it were the other pieces of the ancient Fireheart armor, the scales and the belt, the red and golden cape. I had brought the armor with me but had never worn it since that hearing. No, this whole time it had been there, hidden on the bottom of my suitcase.

It hadn't seen the sun in more than 6 months. Yet, lying there, it awoke a fire within me. A growing urge, a resistance that simply told me no. It had been enough; I'd bowed enough to men that didn't deserve it. I was not going to let them drag me into another ship. Maybe it was pride that drove me but I didn't care. All I knew that they had crossed a line, and I was not about to follow them blindly.

I am the phoenix. My back straightened, eyes narrowing. And I will not be locked away again.

There was no longer any room for sadness or grief in my heart. Instead, I focussed on that familair fire, that enormous lava pit inside of me that was ready to erupt into a blazing glory. I let everything else go, for there was no use in dwelling on the past. Wrath was the only thing I held onto. 

"Arthas." It was a summon, a clear command. He'd stayed away when I'd dismissed him before. In the corner of my vision, I saw him stepping out of the shadows, his gaze assessing as he waited. It took a few moments for me to glance his way, my eyes void of any emotion. It was only cold determination that resided there. He lowered his head in acknowledgement, almost bowing.

He didn't try to tell me he'd told me what would happen and I was glad of it. He only waited.

I walked forward, kneeling and reaching for the sword that had fallen to the ground. As I grasped it I admired the pommel, the golden phoenix that adorned the hilt and the two red rubies they had placed there as its eyes. In the light they almost seemed to be aflame, representing both the fury and the resilience of the family it represented.

"There is a sith on this planet I'd very much like to kill." My voice sounded numb to my ears.

The dark Valerian lifted one single brow as he crossed his arms before his chest. Then, my gaze darted towards the sword itself as I righted myself, the silver metal that glinted in the sun and the razor-sharp edges that could cut through almost anything. A thrill went through my body at the prospect of using it again.

My eyes connected with his. "Are you in for a hunt?"

A smile grew on his face until he was full on grinning, eyes darkening. "I thought you would never ask."

~

"All right then, I will send out Rex and a few of his men to track down the lost patrol." Obi Wan listened with only half an ear as Anakin talked. He hadn't been able to focus ever since he'd spotted Maul on that hologram. His heart was racing, his mind a chaos. He knew it was fear that drove him but he also couldn't shut it out.

The jedi sighed as he lifted his gaze, finding all other eyes in the room focussed on him. For a moment his body froze, trying to recall what they had been discussing. The lost patrol, right. Obi Wan cleared his throat. They'd gotten word right before the meeting had concluded that a patrol had gone missing on the eastern side of their fortress. It was highly unusual and probably not a coincidence. Maul was closing in and he had to act, now.

"Very well." The master jedi nodded. "You all know what to do." With that, he finally ended the meeting that had gone on hours after he'd send her away. His blue eyes darted towards the window as everyone cleared out of the room silently, noting that the sun had already risen halfway. It meant that her ship had already left and that she was already halfway across the galaxy.

Good. He could feel some of the fear fading. At the same time, it was quickly replaced by a growing sadness. He wasn't proud of the way he'd treated her, but he also knew it had been necessary, to make sure she'd stay away this time. Hurting her was the only way to reassure she was safe. At least, he hoped it would, for it had been the only option he thought he had left at his disposal.

"Master?" Anakin's voice shook him out of his thoughts. Slowly Obi Wan turned towards him, the bags under his eyes showing. "Are you all right?" The younger jedi's brows knotted together as sympathy filled his eyes.

Obi Wan balled his fists and leaned them on the table, drawing out a deep breath. "I'm fine, Anakin." He sneered unintentionally, flinching at his own tone.

"Look, -" Anakin immediately called his bluff. "we'll have him in custody soon enough. With the two of us, he doesn't stand a chance." He waited for his former master to respond but when only a thoughtful, far-away look remained in his eyes, he dared to continue. "And maybe, if you talk to her, you can, -"

"I have no intention to speak to her again, Anakin."

Anakin blew out a frustrated breath. "While her actions may not be entirely reasonable, she did have a point when, -"

"Doctor Fireheart is no longer our concern." Obi Wan shot him a deep glare, willing his words to be true in his own heart. Yet, it seemed to break at his own statements. His whole body was trying to tell him no while his mind kept on driving further.

"Lyanna." Anakin interjected. "Her name is Lyanna, master, and we know her better than that. You know her better."

That, he did. Yet lately he'd been wondering if the Lyanna he'd grown to love on Valeria had changed into someone else entirely. He even wondered if maybe he'd been the one to rid her of the warmth and joy she'd glowed with.

Obi Wan scoffed and turned his back towards his former apprentice to hide the emotions that were evident on his face. There, he paced, his hand venturing up and tangling in his beard. He'd almost dragged her into the same mess as before. In loving her, he brought her into danger he couldn't always defend her from.

In the end, the rules he followed yet again proved to be true. He'd made the same mistake again, and now history had almost repeated itself. The jedi sighed, halting in his tracks. "Jedi mustn't form attachments, Anakin, you know that."

He turned around and examined the eyes of his former apprentice, watching anger and sadness flash within his eyes. Padmé came to mind, and Obi Wan knew he'd struck another sensitive chord. He'd almost spoken up again when the door opened, revealing a panting clone trooper. "Yes, Fives?" He felt the shift in the force even before the man spoke.

"It's the ship, general. They haven't left yet." The trooper tried to catch his breath. "They haven't left because the doctor hasn't boarded."

"Cody?" Heart hammering, he stepped towards the trooper with big strides. "Have you heard from Cody, trooper?!"

"I tried reaching him, but he wasn't answering, sir." Fives breathed out.

"Blast everything to, -" Before he knew it Obi Wan was dashing through the hallways, his vision becoming a blurred image.

"Master, wait!" Anakin's voice faded to the background. He'd sent Cody with her, his most trusted commander to stay with her until she'd left, to make sure she wouldn't get hurt. Now, it seemed even that hadn't been enough.

No, no, no, not already, not again.

His feet carried him more swiftly than ever before. He cursed the universe, the force, everything and anything he knew for placing her room so far away. Still, he arrived within but a few minutes but when he did his heart sunk in his chest and his stomach twisted.

There, right at her doorstep the two clones he'd sent to escort her were lying on the ground. Unconscious, it seemed, with no visible wounds. "Cody!" He sprinted towards his commander and knelt, his finger instinctively searching for his pulse. Ironically, it was something that she had taught him.

When he'd found the reassuring thumb of a heartbeat his eyes scanned his surroundings for signs of a fight but finding a single device lying on the ground instead. "What in the, -" His brows furrowed. It was an air dispenser and judging by the deep snoring of the other clone trooper it'd probably contained a deep sedative.

The jedi cursed in multiple languages as he jumped on his feet and barged through the doorway, the door almost flying off its hinges and banging against the wall. He took a moment to take in a deep breath as he scanned the room. There were objects scattered all over the ground, her suitcase lying in the far corner. Papers rustled as air blew in through an opened window, the curtains swaying eerily in the wind.

She isn't here. As his heart hammered and his breathing fastened he darted for the opened window, eyes searching the grounds he could spot from there. Yet, he knew in the bottom of his heart that she had already ventured far away.

Dammit, Lyanna! He cursed in his mind, turning from the window and towards her room. Just mere hours ago he'd been with her there, on her bed, kissing her like his life had depended on it. He'd wanted her so badly his heart had almost combusted. He'd spent months missing her, spent nights dreaming of her voice and wit while she'd been but a few doors away from him. Last night had been a dream come true.

So, the more it hurt when he learned of her treachery.

Obi Wan ran his hands through his hair as he exhaled, trying to regain his senses. When his breathing had somewhat normalized he studied her room more closely. Maybe he could find a glue at least as to where she had gone, even though his mind already told him the answer. These weren't signs of a fight. She'd left on her own accord and hadn't been taken like he'd previously thought.

Still, his heart seemed to stop when he spotted the familiar lightsaber placed neatly on her bed. Subconsciously his feet carried him towards it and his hand lifted it from the sheets, eyes going over the details. It was Lightbringer, the exact same saber he'd gifted her before. Underneath it a simple, hastily drawn note was placed reading but a single sentence.

"I am not who you want me to be, and I am tired of trying."

Obi Wan's breath quivered as his chest caved in. No. He clutched the note in his hand, crumpling it. No. A single person burst through the door, saber at the ready. No.

This was it, Obi Wan realized, his worst fears had come true. And in the end, even through all his efforts to the contrary it had been he himself that'd caused it. He realized his mistake the moment he couldn't reverse it.

"Master?" Anakin spoke hesitantly.

Obi Wan slowly lifted his gaze towards his former apprentice, a single tear running down his cheek while his jaw clenched. "We need to find her." He could barely suppress the lump in his throat, the need to cry out. "Now."

~

In the woods there prowled a foreign hunter. One that was dressed entirely in black scales, safe for the red drapes covering her bare back that dragged behind her like blood would a predator. Her black warpaint covered face was hidden from view by a dragonscale mask that was fashioned to look like a great eagle, covering her face from her nose to her forehead. The red flaming hair was bound back in tight braids to her nape where they cascaded down in thick waves.

Her footsteps were as quiet as a mouse, her eyes cunning as she spotted every single track of the prey she was hunting. It almost seemed as if she was drifting over the ground, not even a rustle of leaves coming from her steps. Behind her trailed a whisp of shadows, one that obscured her from any prying eyes of those that would try to stop her.

She arrived at sundown. She'd tracked a path of blood and crumpled leaves like she had been taught back on her home planet. It had taken her hours and hours to do so but finally she arrived at her destination, the temple. She crawled behind one of the rocks there, assessing the area.

It was stationed on a cliff, its black stone contrasted against the soft curves of the landscape behind it. It was shaped like a pyramid and had but a single entrance. The moment she saw the temple her heart sunk in her chest and started beating faster. Not because of the single corpse that laid before it.

She'd seen it before. It was the same temple she'd seen in her vision after they'd put together the two holocrons. It'd answered with the image of that exact same temple when she'd asked how to find the Aether, an ancient Valerian artifact that was supposed to be able to heal any curse.

A sense of destiny fell over her but was quickly accompanied by dread. If that vision had come true, what could be said of her nightmares? If fate was truly this steadfast and unaltering, could she ever escape it? Lyanna sighed deeply, eyes narrowing. It was the temple she'd been searching for ever since that vision. Aside from Maul, it had been the only lead to finding the Aether. Its location however had remained a mystery up till that moment.

Now, it seemed even those two leads had been connected all along. She had the relentless feeling that she was on a path of destruction she couldn't stray away from, no matter how hard she tried. In any case, there wasn't any going back. Not now that she had tracked him this far and was but a few steps away from exacting revenge.

The queen emerged from her hiding place and followed his footprints up to the entrance. A corpse of a trooper laid on the ground, the dried bloody hole in his chest telling her enough about his condition. She didn't even spare him another glance before she continued her hunt. There, she examined the stone, noticing two handprints engraved into the otherwise smooth glittering dark mass.

She gently laid her hand against it but nothing happened after. She felt a faint tingling sensation at her fingertips but something seemed to faint away, disappointed. Even then she concentrated, closing her eyes and letting herself sink into time. She saw flashes of those that had come before, sith lords with their apprentices, travellers that couldn't gain entry, and other stragglers including Maul.

Hissing as she felt his cold touch placed on the stone, she watched how he forced a wounded trooper to place his hand on the other. Only then did the door open for him. After, he killed the clone with a single, precise strike to the chest. So, that's why you brought him.

"This was your plan?" Opening her eyes, she glared at the door as she mumbled. He'd wanted her to bring him, the man he'd been searching for, because only then could she have opened that door. It took two, like all the sith legends claimed.

Too bad I have another trick up my sleeve.

Lyanna grinned in victory. "Arthas." Her hand remained on the first impression as she glanced aside, watching him appear from the shadows and take on a more corporal form. The darkness danced around his features as he followed her example and placed his hand against the stone.

Something clicked inside the wall and soon the two doors slid open, revealing a dark hallway covered in mist. A cold, dusty draft came from it, waving through her hair and smelling like something she could only describe as death.

She stood there, blinking, taking it all in. "Here goes nothing." Lyanna mumbled as she clenched her jaw, gathering all her courage as she took another step into the building. When she was but a few paces further the doors slid shut behind her, shutting out any light.

Luckily, she had something to fight against that darkness. Soon a flame danced in the palm of her hand as she lifted it to her level, watching the light dance over the obsidian walls. Aside from the crackling of the fire it was dead silent. An iciness hit her, one that crawled all the way up her spine and made goosebumps appear. The air she breathed out instantly damped and created tiny clouds as she walked.

It was death, she realized. This temple contained only death and pain. She should not have come alone, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Arthas?" She looked around, trying to find either the whisp of darkness or his human form but found only cold hard stone. Even the shadow that had accompanied her all the way here had disappeared into the mist of the temple.

No matter. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she made her way further into the hallway, her rage being the only thing that drove her. I'll do it alone.

The man she was looking for was there, she was sure. She could feel his hatred growing stronger with each step she took. It was like a weight that pressed down on her, pressing the air from her lungs and making it hard to breathe. She was drowning in his fury, feeling herself slip away from reality with each passing second.

That was what it was. Pure madness, echoing through the halls and intensifying a hundredfold each moment.

She reached the great chamber of the temple, one that was covered in red light coming from the thin crimson windows that extended from the ground all the way up to the ceiling. They bathed the obsidian stone in its eery colour, focussed solely on the dais at the end of the hall. An altar resided there.

I know this. It was the exact same altar she'd seen in her vision. Only then, it contained a powerful sith holocron. The Aether. Maybe she could still find a clue.

With her eyes narrowed, she made her way over, noting an empty space where something important should have resided. The decorations around it showed images of an ancient war, warriors clashing against each other in what could only have been a bloodbath.

When she arrived, her hand reached out to the dais, hovering above the space where the holocron should have been. Just like in her vision she reached out but found only cold space there. Not even memories of that what had come before, only plain darkness and the lingering scent of something ancient and powerful.

Another dead end. She cursed softly and turned around to face the great hall. Only then did she realize it looked strangely... Valerian. With an eyebrow lifted, she slowly made her way down the steps. Raising her fire further into the air she cast the chamber into more of the light, revealing the corpses lying on the floor.

They had withered to mere bones but some of the armor had remained intact. Valerian armor. There, in the middle of all of it, remained a single insignia. She knelt before it, picked it up and blew the thick layer of dust off it before examining it more closely. It was a hellhound, an enormous wolf with the blackest of fur that looked and glowed like the smouldering coals of hell.

Before she could truly understand what it meant a footstep sounded on her right. She stilled, frozen to the bone, concentrated. A predatory instinct came over her while her hand inched towards the sword tied to her belt, her feet shuffling over the ground and into a battle position as she pushed herself to her feet.

Nothing came after. Breathing out deeply, she closed her eyes and focused. Soon the darkness of the temple overwhelmed her, dragging her into its deepest pits. Strangely enough it almost felt familiar. She welcomed it with open arms, unafraid of the consequences. Then, it didn't seem as scary anymore. Through the dark she felt his maleficent eyes focussed on her through the shadows.

"The doctor." Maul chuckled, the mad sound echoing through the halls and sending chills up her spine. Her fingers instinctively tightened around her sword while she focussed, eyes shut, the title making her snarl in response. "You haven't been entirely honest with me, queen Fireheart." His voice was low and threatening, barely above a growl.

Lyanna opened her eyes when she'd found him, focussing on the figure that was hiding in the darkness. "Show yourself." She could see nothing but two yellow orbs, like the eyes of a predator, prowling through the mist.

"I was hoping you would bring Kenobi." Maul stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glaring at her from afar. The red casted eery shadows on his dark face, his yellow orbs flaring with pure hatred as he snarled.

"I'll have to bring him your corpse, instead."

Lyanna smiled darkly as she bent through her knees, unsheathing her sword and holding it up before her. "I would like to see you try."

Badass Lyanna is back, bitches.

Let's get ready to ruuumblleeeeeee

And then for some bonding, perhaps. Hehehehe. We will see.