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  XZARA TOOK OFF DOWN the long halls of the palace, ignoring the calls of her brothers. Her boots slammed against the tile floor as she hurried to her father's office, where the only way of contacting the Jedi Council was held. The door to the office was open, her father nowhere to be seen. She barged in, heading straight for the desk and began to rummage. Pulling out drawer after drawer, Xzara grew more and more frustrated the longer it took to find the transponder.

Her breathing became fast and shallow, lower and lower she sunk to the floor in search. Pulling out the final drawer, the small, round and silver transponder. She hastily grabbed at it and placed it on top of her father's desk, tapping in a few numbers and letters, contacting the Jedi Council directly. "Hello?" She called once the single had connected. "This is Xzara Ardmore of Aquilae! We are under the threat of war! We don't have enough troops and are in dire need of support! I am asking for your help, Jedi!" She took a long and deep breath, trying not to shudder. "I am calling for General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker with the hopes of their aid and their Clone battalions. Please, great Jedi Council, please help us!"

Now her breathing had turned heavy, and she felt sharp tears prickling behind her eyes. She stared at the empty hologram, waiting, hoping, for anyone to answer her distress call. "Please..." She called out weakly, staring, unblinking. There was a whoosh and blue light ignited as Obi-Wan appeared on the hologram. Xzara couldn't help the bright smile that crossed her face. "Obi-Wan!" She exclaimed with relief.

"Lady Ardmore," He greeted her calmly, but Xzara could see the panic in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Always the gentleman. "Yes," She breathed. "But we won't be for long. My brothers got word that Vala and her army are coming tonight. It is late, our troops are not ready and we don't have enough supplies. Even with my powers and my brother's strength, we will not last long."

Obi-Wan lowered his head sadly. "What do you require?"

"Clones. As many as you can spare," She pleaded. "And some Jedi would be a great help, as well."

Xzara could hear voices in the background. Obi-Wan bowed out and a small, green Master stepped forward. "Lady Ardmore, Master Yoda, I am." He bowed to her.

She returned the gesture. "It's a pleasure to speak with you, Master." She tried her best to be kind and cordial, but it was hard to hide her worry as she sped through her words.

"Aquilae is not of the Republic, difficult it is to send aid," Yoda explained sadly.

"Yes, I know," Xzara huffed, shaking her head. "But you have sent aid to us once before, to keep me safe from exactly this. I implore you to consider sending troops. Our planet will not survive this attack."

"Master Yoda, I think that it is wise to help," She heard Obi-Wan but could not see him.

"As do I," A voice Xzara did not recognize chimed in. Much to her surprise, many other voices called out in agreement. Her chest swelled and she felt a small tear run down her cheek.

Master Yoda nodded, a small smile on his face. "Decided, it is. Aid you will get, Lady Ardmore."

She let out her relief in a large sigh. A few more rogue tears slipped past her eyes. "Thank you, Master Yoda. Thank you..." The hologram disconnected and she let out a loud and scratchy yell, so grateful and happy. She rushed out into the hallway, running towards her brothers who were running to her. "The Jedi are coming! They're bringing Clones!"

Kennex's jaw dropped as they all met in the middle of the corridor. "How did you manage that? I thought the Jedi Council wanted no part in our war?"

"I became rather close to Master Kenobi and General Skywalker in their time here," Xzara shrugged. "I'm sure they spoke to the Council about our issues and me asking was the push needed to send aid."

Magnus pushed past the twins, grabbing her softly with his metal arm and wrapping her in a hug. "You have saved us," He sighed into her hair.

Xzara chuckled and pushed him back. "We must make haste, brother," She looked to her other siblings. "Gather your armour and prepare for war! There's no time to waste!"

They all took off in different directions. Still clutching the Sabre of Light in her hand, Xzara wasted no time in getting to the training room. Her armour was kept there, not in her quarters, being deemed unladylike by her father for a princess to keep such things in her personal bedroom.

Xzara wasted no time in removing the large crate stuffed with her battle gear from the weapons closet. She cracked open the top, peering in at the silver armour that sat atop. She pulled out the pieces, lining them up on the matted floor below. She had only worn this armour once before and it was when she was fitted for it. Though her father disapproved that she should even have armour, he eventually caved into her pleas. Xzara look down at the pieces of silver beskar and took a deep breath. It felt surreal putting the pieces over top of her blacks, it was the moment she had been training for all her life. And once everything was on and in place, it almost felt less real, like a dream.

Xzara moved to the small mirror, giving herself a once over. She didn't look like herself, but that wasn't a bad thing. Still clutching her lightsaber, she shakily clipped it to her belt and shuddered. The time had finally arrived. Grabbing a blaster just in case, she hurried down the halls, which were now filled with panicking staff and castle guard.

She caught up to Trent and Juro at the northwest entrance, where they watched the soldiers march into formation. The lanterns around the grounds had been lit, casting an eerie golden glow over the battalion. "When will reinforcements arrive?" Trent asked as soon as Xzara was at his side. He couldn't help his small smile, seeing her in her armour, more than ready to defend her home.

"Not a clue," She shook her head with a huff, unable to take her eyes off of the infantry in front of her. "But they will be here, I guarantee."

"I have the utmost faith in you, sister," Trent nodded, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. Xzara's heart swelled. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Vala and her army will be here any second," Juro updated them. They both turned to him. "Jeevan is keeping watch in the guard tower. He can see them."

A chill ran through Xzara's entire body. "How many soldiers?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Juro shook his head. "More than us," His eyes closed for a moment. "Jeevan estimates about five hundred."

Xzara felt sick to her stomach. "Five hundred? Are you sure?" They were nowhere near that number of soldiers, not until the Jedi arrived. Juro nodded. Xzara sighed, shaking her head. "We'll need to hold them off as long as we can until Republic aid arrives."

"We might be dead by then, sister!" The large and booming voice of Kennex interrupted their quiet conversation. He stomped over to them, his clunky armour clanging. A few of the soldiers looked their way.

"Keep up that enthusiasm, Ken!" Magnus was right behind him. His smile was surprisingly bright given the circumstances. "We'll do it. We can hold them off."

Xzara sent him a grateful smile. She nodded. "That's right. We're Ardmores. It's not in our nature to give up, no matter what," Her brothers nodded. "Now, Trent, you take a quarter of our soldiers and sneak them behind Vala. Kennex, I want you leading the first assault with Seth. Magnus and I will flank you from behind and Juro, go join Jeevan in the watchtower and protect us from above. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Her brothers called out. She smiled at them, ignoring her swelling emotions.

"Then go! To your stations!" She called. Trent and Juro took off while Kennex headed towards the battalion. Xzara turned to Magnus. "Where's Seth?"

"He's barricading the throne room, in case we need to retreat inside. Father is with him," Magnus rushed. He could see the worry in Xzara's eyes. "Hey, he'll be here. You don't need to worry."

Xzara sighed deeply, looking back at the battalion. "I know...but I can't help it," She shook her head, trying to shake the feeling of dread from her mind. "We should go. Kennex is readying the troops."

"Right," Magnus nodded. He fixed his sword and sheath and took a deep breath.

Xzara saw the change in his face as he took his first step forward. "You haven't been to battle since...that, have you?" She pointed to his metal arm.

Magnus shook his head tightly, keeping his eyes forward. "No...I-I haven't. Forgive me for being a tad nervous."

"Don't apologize, Magnus," Xzara told him sternly. "You're the best warrior on Aquilae and a fearsome fighter. You will be fine."

"I appreciate the kind words, sister," Magnus smiled softly, nudging her side.

They stepped outside into the cool night, a sense of dread filled the air. The troops stood nervously, gripping their swords and blasters in anticipation. Kennex stood at the front of the courtyard, staring forward at the woods beyond. Xzara and Magnus walked up behind him. "They're in those woods. They could be here any second."

"And we'll be ready for them," Magnus placed his flesh hand on his brother's shoulder.

Kennex looked over at him. "Your optimism is foolish, brother. You of all people should know that this is hopeless."

"I have faith in us and our sister," Magnus let go of Kennex and stepped back, puffing his chest. "This may be a hopeless situation but that doesn't me we shouldn't fight for our home. What would you have us do, Ken? Turn and run? Leave our people behind?"

"I- no...I-" Kennex was at a loss for words. He settled for shaking his head before changing the subject. "Where's Seth? He should be here by now."

"I'm right here!" As if on queue, Seth jogged out of the parlance towards them. "Father is...angry," He huffed. "It was hard to get away but I'm ready."

Xzara smiled at him. "I'm glad you're here." She didn't say, but she needed him there. No matter how capable she was on her own, without Seth, all would feel lost to her.

Seth nodded. "Me too."

Kennex groaned. "Seth, we need to prepare."

"Oh! Right," His eyes widened. "Let's go," He turned to Xzara before following Kennex. "See you on the other side of the war."

Xzara smiled. "I'll see you on the other side of the war." She watched him leave with a pit in her stomach. They would have to hold off for an hour before Republic forces arrived. Odds are, most of them would be dead before then. Xzara only hoped it would not be her family.

Then, an explosion. Xzara immediately grabbed her lightsaber. "They're here!" She called out. "Be ready!" 

"Battalion, on me!" Kennex called. 

Xzara rushed to Magnus's side. "Are you ready for this?" She asked him softly as they hurried to follow the battalion.

Magnus nodded stiffly. "I have to be..." 

Cries could be heard from the forest, along with more explosions. Xzara watched as birds fled the falling trees, their home being destroyed and soon, hers would be next. Igniting the yellow blade, Xzara kept steady behind the battalion. 

As they drew closer to Vala's army, it suddenly dawned on Xzara that she had no idea how to use a lightsaber, not really. Sure, it was a blade, she knew how to use a sword, but the lightsaber was not a sword. It could cut through anything with ease, it could deflect blaster fire, it could do things a normal sword couldn't. Obi-Wan never taught her how to use the sabre, only how to use the Force and that would have to do until the Jedi arrived. 

Xzara ducked behind a tree as an explosion landed closer to the battalion. Magnus was across from her, behind another tree. "We won't stand a second against them in combat!" He yelled over blaster fire. 

"We need to! We have to hold on until the Jedi arrive!" Xzara pressed, gritting her teeth. She needed to believe in what she was saying for the sake of her family, but Xzara couldn't help the thoughts that plagued the back of her mind telling her that it was hopeless, that she should just give up and surrender herself to Vala. "Push forward!" She yelled, moving from her spot behind the tree. If she was going to do this, she would have to lead the men, she couldn't give herself a chance to run away.

"What are you doing?!" Kennex called as Xzara ran past him to the front of the battalion.

She planted her feet on the ground and her lightsaber in front of her, eyes narrowing. It was the first time she was seeing Vala's forces and she would be lying to herself if she said they weren't terrifying. They were triple the size of her battalion with midnight black armour that made them nearly impossible to see in the dark, the only thing making them stand out were their gunships and silver blasters. Xzara gulped, her throat drying. She would stop them, whether or not she made it out alive. Vala would not take her home. "I'll draw Vala out," Xzara looked over her shoulder at Kennex and Seth. "Without her leadership, the army should be easier to split."

"No," Seth shut her down. "No. I am not letting you go on a suicide mission."

"Seth..." Xzara side, looking back at the oncoming army. "This war is my fault and I'm going to finish it," She looked back at him for only a moment. "And you can't stop me." She took a step forward and waited to see if Seth would stop her, but he didn't. Xzara was glad he listened to her. Letting out a long sigh, she closed her eyes, drowning out the noise of the war around her. She called to her mother's spirit to give her strength and guidance before opening her eyes and taking another step.

She kept walking leaving her brother behind. Blasters fired all around her, yet they miraculously seemed to miss. She held her sabre steady, keeping forward, never once faltering. As she neared Vala's army, she could hear the familiar shrill voice of the young girl, screaming at her men to kill me. "She's right there! Just hit her, scug!"

"Vala!" Xzara stopped in front of the middle gunship. "I know you want to kill me yourself. I'm here. Come and get me!" 

The hatch on the top of the gunship swung open and Vala popped out, a scowl on her face. Xzara was surprised at how much older she looked, despite it only being a year since her ex-husband and Vala's brother was killed. "You are foolish, Xzara Ardmore," She pushed herself out of the hatch, towering over Xzara on top of the gunship. "And you will perish for your insolence." 

"Then what are you waiting for?" Xzara opened her arms, switching off the lightsaber and allowing the light to descend back into the hilt. "I'm unarmed. You can kill me," She tilted her head, watching Vala's hands tremble, shaking the blaster she held. "Are you...frightened? Have you ever killed someone before?" Taunting wasn't Xzara's normal tactic, but the moment felt right. 

"Shut up!" Vala screamed. Xzara took a step back as the young girl jumped down from the gunship to face her. 

"If you really are the cold-blooded killer the galaxy says you are, why haven't you killed me yet?" Xzara continued. "You don't seem to have trouble killing innocent soldiers, but why am I different? I killed your brother, didn't I? Oh, what would Darren say?" 

"Don't say his name!" Vala roared. She raised her blaster and shot. Xzara put out her hand and pushed, the laser deflecting into the empty woods. "H-How?" Vala's eyes widened. 

But Xzara didn't get to answer her question. Shouts and yells rang out from the other side of the field, where her brothers and battalion were. At first, Xzara panicked, thinking they were ambushed, but as she looked up in the sky, she realized they were cheers of joy. Republic gunships flew overhead, dropping Clones. And that's when she caught sight of them. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka landed in the middle of the field. "Sorry, no time to chat!" Xzara stuck out her hand and careful not to kill her, Force pushed Vala back into a tree before running off to her saviours.

"Xzara!" Ahsoka met her halfway, the two of them embracing. 

"Snips, let the princess breath," The voice of Anakin Skywalker sent joy through Xzara. It even masked the annoyance of being called princess. Ahsoka let go shyly and Anakin stepped forward. "Are you alright? We got here as soon as we could." 

"I'm fine," Xzara nodded, smiling breathlessly. "Better, now that you're all here." 

"I'm glad you're safe," Obi-Wan stepped forward, smiling softly. 

Xzara's heart clenched. "Thank you for coming," 

Obi-Wan nodded. "Of course..." He trailed off as he noticed her attire, a smirk appearing on his rugged features. 

"Master, is this the princess that you won't stop talking about?" A new, youngest voice interrupted the moment. Xzara glanced behind Obi-Wan to see a young girl no older than twelve in tan robes and with an obvious padawan braid in her hair. They looked at each other curiously. 

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he turned. "Myria! This is Lady Ardmore and...yes she is,"

"Who's this?" Xzara smiled.

Obi-Wan looked back at her bashfully. "My Padawan, Myria Sonne."

"Padawan?" Xzara tilted her head. It must've just happened, Obi-Wan would've mentioned it to her otherwise. 

"Sister!" Magnus's voice interrupted their reunion. They all turned to see him running alongside Kennex, Seth, and two Clones. Magnus and Seth scooped her up in their arms and cheered. "I can't believe it! I thought we were done for!"

They placed her back down and Xzara chuckled. "I told you they were on their way!"

"It's good to see you again, Generals," Seth bowed towards the Jedi. "Thank you for saving us."

"The night's not over yet. We still have a battle to win," Anakin smirked. "Come on, Snips,"  Ahsoka smiled excitedly up at him. "Rex, you take the 501st to help Prince Trent's assault." 

"On it, sir," The Clone in blue nodded and took off jogging. 

"I'll go with them," Magnus said before following behind Rex. 

That left Obi-Wan, Myria, Seth, Xzara, and the Clone in orange. "Commander Cody," Obi-Wan turned to the Clone. "Take Myria, protect the palace."

"Yes, sir," Commander Cody saluted. He held out his hand to the young Padawan and they ran off in the direction of the palace. 

Xzara watched them go, blasters and explosions firing off all around her. She felt Obi-Wan near her but did not turn around. She clutched the hilt of her lightsaber tightly, trying to steady her quickening breath. "How would you feel about...learning on the spot?" He asked her. 

Xzara raised her brow and turned. "What?"

"The lightsaber. I never taught you how to use one," He smirked. 

"Oh," Xzara looked down at the golden hilt in her hand. 

"Just follow my lead," Obi-Wan removed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. 

Xzara furrowed her brow, but followed his actions and let the yellow blade of her sabre extend. She watched as Obi-Wan marvelled at it, at her. But there would be time to talk later. Right now, they were at war. "I'll flank from behind, maybe we can take Vala by surprise," Seth stepped forward, pulling his blaster out. Her family rarely used blasters, preferring to use swords like their ancestors, but desperate times called for desperate measures. 

"I think we already have," Xzara chuckled dryly. She looked to Obi-Wan. "Ready?" 

He nodded. "Let's save your home," 

They surged forward through the battlefield, slicing off the ends of blasters and using the Force to push Vala's soldiers back. Xzara did exactly as Obi-Wan did, moving gracefully with her lightsaber as if it were an extension of herself. Seth stayed behind them, firing off the odd blaster shot to keep any stragglers away. Finally, they had made it to Vala, who huddled against a tree, trapped and cornered, her forces fleeing. Her only defence was a blaster in her shaky hand. 

Xzara held up her sabre as she and Obi-Wan approached, taking careful steps towards the fearful girl. Now, Vala didn't look so old. She looked like a scared little girl, like how she was the day her brother died. "There's nowhere left to go, Vala. You're surrounded. Drop the blaster and come peacefully." 

"Do you really think I'll fall for that?" Her voice shook just as much as her hands. She raised the blaster, pointing at Xzara's chest, which was blocked by the lightsaber. "I'm not stupid. I know I'll be executed."

"That's not true," Obi-Wan spoke up. "The Republic is willing to give you a fair trial." 

"Trial?" Vala scoffed. Her finger moved ever so slightly on the trigger. "That's a joke," She sneered. "I'd rather die than be locked in a Republic prison for the rest of my life."

"It doesn't have to be like that," Xzara's voice was surprisingly soft. Was that pity for the young girl that trembled before her? Or merely a ruse? "You could clear your name, rebuild your planet." 

Vala's eyes narrowed as Xzara spoke. The gears inside the girl's head were turning, they could all see that. But they couldn't predict what would happen next. "You ruined my life, Xzara Ardmore. And now, I will ruin yours."

In the blink of an eye, Vala moved her arms, pointing the blaster just past Xzara's shoulder and fired, the shot ringing out. By the time Xzara had realized what had happened, it was too late. Two Clones jumped on Vala as Xzara turned just in time to see Seth's body crumple to the ground, a blaster wound directly through his heart. Xzara screamed his name, her lightsaber dropping from her hands as she dove to him. 

"No, no, no..." She muttered shakily as she knelt at his head, hands shaking as she touched his blond hair. He was already gone. There were no goodbye's, no final words. The shot went clean through his heart. It was then, that Xzara's world crumbled. She fell into a heap over her brother's lifeless body and screamed. 

AUTHORS NOTE
well...here's the end of act one. I hope the chapter wasn't too long for you guys, but I had sm fun writing it! thank you for sticking with me through my inconsistent schedule and I hope to see you in act two!