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~~~(POV: Nella Opal)~~~
~~~(Location: Tessare Village, Dantooine)~~~
Nate walks past me and into a cantina. I decide to stay out here and take a look around. He'll search for clues his way, and I'll do it mine. I close my eyes and take a breath. Letting The Force fill me up, and a calming wave goes through me.
As I open my eyes, all my senses in The Force pick up a survivor. My rushing feet take me to where I sensed the person, and I'm all met with a pile of corpses.
"It's okay; you can come out of there. I won't hurt you."
My voice is as soft as I can make it. Taking a knee and getting a closer look at the individual bodies. After a second, they move and fall over. What I see is just a frightened little Twi'lek girl.
She looks at me with fear. The emotions she's feeling are terror and agony. The body of her mother is what she hid under... It's hard to believe she's alive, considering everyone in the village is dead. Garlan will pay for this.
"Please... Don't hurt me..."
The weakness and thirst in her voice are almost heartbreaking.
"I won't hurt you. I'm here to help. Would you like some water? It sounds like you could use some?"
She's quick to nod her head accepting my offer. The trust this girl has is shaky, but she's opening up to me. I can sense it.
I instantly pull a water container from my belt and hand it to her. She doesn't hesitate at all. Leaving behind the idea I'm someone that'd hurt her. My eyes drift to her passed Mother, and her eyes are still open.
With a wave of my hand, the eyes of the deceased close with ease. Only looking as if she's asleep. The little Twi'lek girl doesn't notice. She's too busy catching up on her need for water.
"What's your name, little one?"
It'd be good to know who I'm talking to. She stops drinking and wipes some of the water from her lips and chin. Her eyes have hesitation, but I sense she's about to tell me.
"Dayla..."
What an unusual name for a Twi'lek; most of the time, they're ancestral or in their native tongue. That's almost the same name a human would give their child... Now that I'm getting a good look at her, she's got some inconsistencies.
Most of her body is the same blue color as her mother, but her shoulders, hands, and face are a paler white. Adorned with freckles. That's when it clicks.
She's a half-breed. My attention drifts to the human man that's next to her passed Twi'lek Mother. The man has the same freckles. Seems both her parents gave their lives for their daughter. She's all alone.
"That's a very pretty name. Did your Dad give it to you?"
Based on her features and development. She's around ten years old. At my question, she looks to the side and at the man that's dead. Tears start to form in her eyes.
Instead of saying anything else, I wrap my arms around the girl as she starts to cry. There is no fight from her, and she hugs me tighter instead.
Garlen is dying for this.
~~~(POV: Nathen Opal)~~~
~~~(Location: Tessare Village, Dantooine)~~~
She's struggling with her emotions... Watching her comfort the little Twi'lek shows how much compassion and love. My arms are folded over my chest as I think about how she'll handle this. Knowing Nella, she'll want to take the girl with us.
Not that we have much choice. She's the only survivor in this small village. The cantina was filled with bodies, but I sensed Garlen had been through there. Looking for Wendy and doing so by torturing and harming everyone in this village.
Wendy was here too. In fact, she was hiding on the roof. The imprint of her pain and sadness in The Force is easily picked out. She stayed hidden and let these people die.
Not sure if that's what a Republic soldier does, but it's not my place to say. I'm not in the same boat.
The trail leads into another nearby village ahead of this one. I wouldn't doubt there is a battle going on there too. Hopefully, the people there are having a better time than the ones here.