Blaire Sal-Soren
Character
“How is she?” Blaire asked, cautiously crossing the threshold. She was glowing with sweat and still dressed in the leotard and tights she wore for rehearsal.
She knew the answer well before asking but could think of nothing else to say.
“There has been no change, Mistress.” Answered the silver protocol droid that busied about the room, watering flowers, smoothing out blankets, disposing of any rubbish to be found.
Blaire thanked the droid curtly, her displeasure at having to hear an update from the droid was not well hidden. She looked first at one sister and then the other. Briana sat in a chair next to the bed, in her left hand was a wad of tissue and in her right she was holding on to Breha who lay motionless in her bed as she had the last time Blaire had seen her, when she was first brought to Hapes several weeks ago.
Can’t speak to me. Can’t even look at me. She thought of Briana, her sister, older than her by mere minutes, only a few steps from one another and it might as well be a thousand lightyears.
Blaire sat on the edge of the bed at Breha’s feet.
“Breha,” Blaire began before her voice broke with a weak crack. “Breha, I brought a book. Someone at the academy said it might help to hear something positive.”
She made a noticeable effort to not look at either of her sisters as she reached into her bag and pulled out an honest to goodness, bound in leather book. It was not every day or every place you could get your hands on something like this.
She began to read:
“The sun rose above the field of red grass. There in the looming shadow of the broken tower, a knight stood ready to do her duty.
And what a grim duty it was. thought the knight as she looked upon her foe.
Hugely tall, the creature before her was ten foot if it were an inch and clad in thick heavy ebon plate that drank the light of the sun, on his head was a great helm in the fashion of some snarling monster, the sight of which stole from the knight nearly all her courage. In one great black mailed fist was the enemy’s weapon of choice, a mace forged of the same black metal as his armor, so large and so heavy it would have taken ten of her to lift it and yet her foe would wield it with the ease of a rolled up parchment used to shoo a fly and cruel evil spikes covered it’s every inch. This however was not the last of what the foe brought for serving death and intimidation, in his free hand was a kite shield larger than the knight by half. It too was black as midnight and on its face was the sigil of the knight of the broken tower. The field was blood red and upon it marked in black stood a giant looming over a fallen foe with a greatsword pointed skyward, another foe impaled on its point.
What foolish desire or design brought me here? The knight lamented for she thought herself mightily overmatched and saw no hope of leaving this glade alive. She stood far from being ten feet tall and in fact was hardly taller than five if she stretched her neck out. Her armor while being freshly minted and of exceedingly good quality was nothing more than plain steel, her shield bore no standard, was made of no metal kite or t’other, but was round made from oak and bound with simple iron. Her sword had no name, was not crafted of magic, nor forged by some fair famed smith of whom songs were sung. It was steel, solid and sure and she raised it in front of her now, searching desperate for her courage as she stood rooted in the shadow of the broken tower and its master. It was at this moment that the sun rose ever higher above the ruin of the tower, the light no longer fed the shadow and instead shone down on the knight.
Her armor did not greedily drink up the sunlight, it bathed in it, reflecting the purity and warmth back to the world so strongly she seemed to shine with the glow of gold. The light too touched upon her sword, reflecting and refracting as the seven colors of the rainbow ran down the blade from point to pommel. Her courage was no longer lost and the knight’s heart was full of a faith that would never again leave her. She took to a knee and said these words.
Father, know my soul and see I act only of duty
Mother, guide me and shield my purpose from anger or hate.
Daughter, preserve my heart to know not the touch of evil.
Lightbearer, Son of The Father, shine your light unto me and all who would walk the righteous path.
Warrior, bless my blade so it may strike true and make a quick end to this most dark of deeds.
Builder, stand with me and know this as the first blow of the hammer to begin a new foundation.
And to The Last we do not pray but know this day your work is to be done one way or t’other.
In the glow of the morning sun, the field of red grass beneath their feet, they met in a great clamor and clanging as the song of swords rang out in the once peaceful glade. The enemy’s black steel shrieked, turning away every slash of her sword, he spat and snarled, speaking a savage speech that shot shivers down her spine and swung his spiked mace with malice. The knight could not match the monster for strength, no gap could be found in his armor, and his attack was ceaseless as he never seemed to tire. It was by some measure of fortune then that she were when compared to her foe such a tiny thing. His immense size gave all advantage of strength and shield but she made for a small target and was ever light in her feet and quick to step from danger. The nimble young knight avoided deadly blows with the grace and beauty of a dance until he back lay pressed against the wall of the broken tower.
The giant struck toward her and growled a laugh in that foul tongue of his, raised his weapon and came down with a mighty blow. The knight however had seen this coming and at the very last moment threw herself from harm. The vicious strike smashed the wall of the tower and with a crash that shook the earth, the broken tower came crashing down on top of its master.
The knight stared full blinking into the sun, bathed in the warmth and gave praise to the seven. This field of red grass and all the lands surrounding were now safe, no longer in the shadow.”
The shadow has fallen over us now. She thought.
She closed the book softly and looked up at Briana.
“Why weren’t you there?” She asked softly, sounding like a child. “They needed you. Breha, Lu-Lu…daddy. You ran away to…to what…be a Jedi?! Don't the Jedi protect people?”
Briana Sal-Soren
