Saga - Legends “And death shall have no dominion", story about Krennic's daughter (canon & legends mix), 27 Ch. FIN

Great musings on the 'beneveloent' Emperor and wonderful encountering Ezra b-) Hattie sounds like a very friendly and capable guide.

 

I think I can sympathise there, wonder if there was some real world inspiration for that bit?

Wow, somehow I'd have expected more humans too - but, at least Ezra Bridger (nicely put in there, in what I assume are still a bit more innocent times for him, for now!), and Lothal does seem to have feature non-humans as part of its society than some other places in the empire; maybe due to the mining coming to the planet?

Heh, yeah, 'not that kind of Director at least' might require a tad too much explanation. Though the slip out (thanks to Bethesda maybe?) - only now realise that Ezra, being strong in the Force, and with his strong connection with animals would be the one to note her and spot the bond between Cassie and her, well done - about Kyber stuff might also lead to questions, even if the man asking wasn't Father Bridger (not sure we know his name?), who's surely already starting to think about his Radio efforts. Which reminds me, we are still some 10 years off SW Rebels 1st season, right?

 

the emperor benevolent? No way

 

Kind greetings from the snowy Harz Mountains to everybody.

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: I knew you would love Ezra showing up. And his parents, too.

@earlybird-obi-wan: This is what his spin doctors do via Imperial propaganda.

Okay, @DarthUncle and I will bake some Christmas cookies in the kitchen of the ski club house soon. So I better hurry with this update!


"And death shall have no dominion", Chapter 25:

“Ephraim!” a female voice scolds behind the three of us. It displays no real anger, just has a mild sweetness to it.

A beautiful lady, donned in pastel colours, approaches. She wears a headdress that completely covers her hair. Her eyes are of the same energetic blue like Ezra's.

“Leave the kids alone!” she moves on, her cheeks slightly ablaze. I recognize this as a sign of shame.

Abashed, the tall man scratches the back of his head. “Mira, I...”

“This is a playground. Not a political gathering of the worker's union. Whatever has gotten into you!”

I get off the bench. “Mistress Bridger, no harm is done!” I decide.

She sighs.

“When Daddy and I visited Gramps on Chandrilla a couple of weeks ago, an Imperial officer called me bad names. Just because I am slightly handicapped.” Once again, I have no clue where the words come from. But I let them be. “Your husband did not make any mockery of me. Please don't be cross!”

A gaze is exchanged between the spouses. It is a familiar sight for me. Daddy and Uncle Alex act like that all the time, when trying to keep me safe. The look of love, I call it.

“Might we offer you an ice cream anyway?” Mistress Bridger offers with a sweet smile.

I think of Daddy and his most recent speech about sugar. Plus blue milk. “Oh, I would love too, but I am slightly allergic against milk products.”

“That sucks!” Ezra looks at me in big sympathy. “How can you live with that?”

“It's okay.” It pains me to openly lie to him, but somehow sentences are piling up on my tongue while I go along. “There are worse things.”

“Like what?”

“Electro shocks.”

I can see three pairs of eyes widen at that.

“Oh, they are part of my medical treatment. I have a muscle weakness.”

Relief steals into their eyes. Plus their feelings for me change enormously. I can feel that very clear.

“It's okay, Cassandra!” I hear a voice at the back of my mind say. “The Force is with you. As much as it is with young Bridger here.”

To look around for Qui-Gon would be a foolish thing to do. He is not really here with me in person, but he is omnipresent. And I know that he will always be, now that he introduced himself as my biological father.

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When Hattie returns with the two water cups not much later on, she finds me sitting on the seesaw with Ezra.

I need to be off any time soon. To find me in the company of another Force-sensitive child, it will not make Daddy very cheerful. Yet I feel compelled to leave my new acquaintance behind with a pinch of knowledge.

“The strongest stars have hearts of kyper.”

While Ezra looks overtaxed, his mother Mira grants me a bitter-sweet smile. “What would you know about kyper crystals, Cassandra?”

I take the easy way out. “As I said, my father is a geologist. His special field is kyper.” Lying is like breathing really. I am getting used to it. “While at work, he says the funniest things at times.”

Mira nods to that. “Your father is a wise man. Of course, what makes someone extraordinary is subjective, and so...”

I catch up on her train of thought immediately. “So, you can follow your own path to strength,” I conclude. “No matter what the odds are!”

Pride and love shine in her beautiful eyes. “Shlama!” she whispers. Peace be with you!

I do not question why I understand the ancient language she speaks. The Force works in mysterious ways.

“Your Midi-chlorians enhance your past, your presence and the future, Cassandra,” Qui-Gon explains to me while a mild breeze hugs me gently.

I almost wish the deceased Jedi master would stop doing that. Almost. But then again, he seems eager to redeem himself. Well, I will not stand in his path. If it makes him happy in the afterlife, so be it.

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(To be continued!)

 

I love Cassie's tact and assurances to the Bridgers, as well as her insightfulness, as exemplified here:

A gaze is exchanged between the spouses. It is a familiar sight for me. Daddy and Uncle Alex act like that all the time, when trying to keep me safe. The look of love, I call it.



This is lovely.
Of course, what makes someone extraordinary is subjective, and so...”
I catch up on her train of thought immediately. “So, you can follow your own path to strength,” I conclude. “No matter what the odds are!”

 

"The strongest stars have hearts of khyber."

I saw that Rogue One quote!

 

That was nice of the Bridges to get Cassie ice cream. I can’t believe I missed the update! Great chapters!


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Catching up slowly. Awesome to see Qui-Gon and the struggles that seemed to follow him to netherworld of the Force.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Thanks, dear Ny. I always try my best.

@Cowgirl Jedi 1701: You always catch me with my fingers in the cookie jar!

@Nehru_Amidala: I have become very irregular with my updates, because RL matters usually barr my way to the internet these days.

@Darth_Furio: Trouble related to House Palpatine dies very hard, it seems.


Okay, here a quick update from the Neitherlands, ups the Netherlands on Holy Eve. (Too much binge-watching with library DVDs recently! There is this series called "The Magicians"... blush, blush! @DarthUncle got me hooked up as well.)

Well, merry Christmas to everybody. Not sure if and how I can be online from my brother-in-law, when we are in the CZ Republic soon, so I wish everybody a happy, new year in advance, too.

Here we go:


(Still Chapter 25!!!)

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When Daddy picks me up from the zoo one hour later, donned in his greenish cape for outside missions, he looks pretty worn out. There are deep lines of fatigue all over his otherwise handsome face. Even though he walks with pride, there is a certain tenseness around his shoulders.

“Cassie, dear!” he addresses me with a curd nod when he comes to stand right in front of me.

I understand immediately, this is Director Krennic in public. So I am not mad when he exchanges no fatherly affection with me. There will be more private occasions.

With a firm handshake and some kind words Daddy thanks an anxious Hattie for granting me a nice day at the zoo.

“You are very welcome, Sir!” Her fear of him is overcome by the joy we had with one another. “Cassandra is a very pleasant child to be around.”

So much praise makes me uncomfortable. Especially since I lied non-stop while having been with the Bridger family. I am so glad that they already went home. Of course they gave me their address, but I will not visit them. It just does not feel right. As nice as they are, something gives me the impression that they do not support the course of our Empire a hundred percent.

I wonder if there are more Force-sensitives out there, hiding. The downfall of the Jedi order must have unsettled them. I do understand their fear, their uncertainty. The Emperor gave out the wrong signal and it leaves a permanent bad impression. Which is so unbelievingly sad. We should be all on the same side.

While Daddy puts me in front of him on his speeder bike, an Aratech 74-Z, I cannot stop thinking about the harm done on the day of the assassination attempt.

“Why so serious?” Daddy inquires and hugs me from behind.

“Oh, I just thought of...” My mind races feverish through the options that I have. “The animals in the zoo. They are not free to go anywhere.”

“But they are nicely kept and cared for by people like… what was her name again?”

“Hattie,” I offer.

“Yeah, that Gotal has the right attitude. Live and serve the community.”

I frown. “Some people in this galaxy are not free, Daddy.”

“This is why each of us must give his best for our Empire.” His voice is as sweet as honey. “To add to its glory. To make life worth living for everybody. Gothals, Kowalski-monkey lizards, humans.”

I love him so unbelievingly much.

“And now lets have a ride!” Daddy suggests. “Just because we can.”

“What about Boomer?” I ask anxiously.

“I left him with Alex at the training centre.”

“What training?”

He grins. “You'll see.”

********************************************************************

To race over the semi-arid savannas and prairies of Lothal, safe in Daddy's arms, is fun. He has lent a helmet for me from the Academy of Young Imperials. Which is very kind of them. I am not even enlisted there.

I wish people would be that helpful towards one another all the time. This is what our Empire should stand for. Generosity, kindness, solidarity.

But then again I should not ask myself what our state should do for us. It is essential that I live to serve just as Daddy stressed earlier on.

I swear to myself to be a more useful member of the Empire in future. Even I, at my young age, can contribute a lot. I should, must not, hold back.

********************************************************************

After an hour, we make a break at one of the bizarre, yet beautiful stone formations. This one over-towers all of the others. Something tells me that Mother Nature did not create it herself. This is the work of someone else.

“Do you think the Kind created this megalithic structure?” I ask Daddy and point at the object in question.

“Who?” he frowns, our lunch box still in his hands.

“The Killik. Also known as," I pause dramatically, "the Kind.”

There is no recognition in him whatsoever.

It makes me slightly cross that Daddy does not remember our outing to the Coruscant Intergalactic Art Gallery. But then again he sees the universe through the microscope lenses of science. Art is not his calling, just a side interest like music. And history is lost on him.

Reconciled I add, “I am talking about the ancient insectoid race that also build their hives on Alderaan.”

He wrinkles his nose. “I am neither a geologist like Galen or an historian like...”

Suddenly, Daddy pales and shuts his mouth.

“Like whom?” I probe, wondering why he is avoiding Lor San Tekka even by name.

A series of chirps sounds high above us.

I raise my chin upwards and behold Bathseba immediately. Her feathers glitter in the sunlight like the snow flakes of Ando Prime. But there are also molten gold sprinkles and dark dots.

“May I open fire on her?” Daddy comments dryly, without even looking up.

“Of course not,” I protest. “Don't you dare!”

“Anger does not suit you, Cassie,” he muses. “It was a more rhetorical question. Besides, this one is sort of an old friend.”

“You do threaten Uncle Alex a lot! And much worse at times,” I argue.

He stretches out his left arm to welcome Bathseba. “Here, pretty birdie pie!”

An instant later, the convor comes down from the sky like white lightning. After cleaning her plumage for some instants, she looks Daddy straight into the eyes and begins to hold a little speech.

“It's like owning a model of the R2 astromec series. All those whistles and beeps. Do you also need to recharge?”

Bathseba gives him a dark stare.

“Just askin'!” Daddy does not look as sorry as he is supposed to. “Anyway, what do we owe the pleasure? You came out here all the way from the city centre.”

A strong gale blows over the surrounding grass land.

“Oh, madam comes with an inbuilt storm warning!” Daddy clicks with his tongue. “That is handy. Can you also warn us ahead when anomalies occur in space? Like space whales. Or the Kessel monster.”

The wind builds up.

He frowns. “Strange, that was not part of the local weather forecast.”

“What is the next settlement?” I ask. “Perhaps, we should seek shelter there.”

Daddy's gloved hand is at the avians' throat in no time. “Tell me that this is not your doing!”

“You are hurting her!” I whine and try to get hold of his abusive hand.

“Oh, I have not even started.” Scary determination is written all over his face. “I only asked her a freckin'...!”

He never comes to finish his sentence. For a little rock comes loose and crashes against the back of his head.

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(To be continued!)

 

Very exciting with Bathseba and the ride after the zoo excursion

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Orson also loves a speeder bike excursion. But the greater speed junky is the old Sheevster, who used to take out his secret niece Nagina a lot before Order 66.

And because it´s Christmas and @DarthUncle looks very cuddly in his seat, you all get another update.

I hope @Kahara, @Cowgirl Jedi 1701, @earlybird-obi-wan & @Nehru_Amidala are still with me.


(Still Chapter 25!!!)

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Wide-eyed and with the fingers of my left hand buried in my mouth, I gaze at Daddy's unconscious form.

“He won't be permanently damaged,” I hear Qui-Gon say, while Bathseba rubs her feathery face against Daddy's cheeks.

“But all that blood!” I shriek, my voice so thin and lost in the rising storm.

“Sometimes blood is the best of sacrifices!” answers my biological father ever so calmly.

“What?” I get out, sure that I have misunderstood him.

“The letting of blood, however, is neither the only end nor the only mode of sacrifice.”

A rumble goes through the big stone formation that sheltered until now. Its spire rise in a corkscrew, counter-clockwise motion.

“Normally, it takes a Jedi master and his padawan to open the temple gate.” Qui-Gon sounds rather satisfied with himself. “But you are blood of my blood.”

His words pierce straight into my heart for some weird reason. It is like having a déjà vu.

I force my thoughts into a different direction. “Is this an occult place?”

“I hope not. But it sure is sacred to the Jedi order.”

I point out the obvious. “You sound like you try to distance yourself from your own people.”

“Am I?”

I get the impression that each of my questions is meet with one of his own. That is a bit unnerving.

I stare at the stone structure that has made an opening for me. Well, for us, because I am pretty sure Qui-Gon is going to accompany me.

“What will we find, when we go inside?” I ask in a shaky voice and hope I get a real answer this time.

“Just what we take inside,” is the bland reply.

“Erm, a healthy portion of fear, Daddy's blaster, a Force ghost and perhaps Bathseba, if she really wants to,” I summon up eagerly.

There is crackling laughter. “Leave the blaster with Orson! He might need it more than you do.”

I consider my options as the figure of a man, whom I know so little about, forms in the entrance area.

“Hi there again!”

His eyes give nothing away but true joy, while Qui-Gon greets me thus.

Carefully, I come closer, but stop right at the threshold. “This is a portal into another realm, right? This is why you can show up with the body that once was yours. You are in-between worlds now.”

“The bright mind of a youngling,” he praises me, “Contains more wisdom than that of the former Jedi Council.”

Gingerly, I come closer. “I am about to pee into my pants,” I warn him.

“Understandable, but unnecessary, Cassandra. This place means you no harm. Nor do I.”

The hair on my neck stands up within the blink of an eye. That makes me turn around to the spot of grass, where Daddy is lying. His wound has stopped bleeding and he looks less lost. But there is more. A pack of extremely large canine animals surrounds him, but they do not look like they wish to devour him. They seem more keen to have their eyes on him.

I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Are these the guardians of this holy place?”

Qui-Gon nods. “Loth-wolves are spirit guides.”

I make a face. “Are you sure that you are a Jedi?”

“Why, Cassandra?”

“Because you sound more like a shaman.”

His laughter flows over the hills and far away. “You are truly unique,” he manages to say. “And always close to grasp the true nature of events.”

“No,” I admit. “Today I did a lot of lying. More than ever before in my entire life.”

“Since you are so very young, there is not much damage done, I suppose.”

I begin to shake violently. “Not much damage done?” Rage kicks in. “I am raised to be truthful.”

Once more, he has a benevolent smile for me. “I find you very upright in the things that you say, Cassandra.”

Tears fill my eyes. “But do you really, really know me?”

“I cannot say that I do.” Real regret steals into his gaze. “But I would like to, if you would allow me that privilege. Your point of view is always interesting. And your actions are always driven by compassion.”

I feel like taking a short cut. “Why are we here? Why is any of us? Daddy, Bathseba, the wolves, you and me? Just because it is the will of the Force?”

He winks at me. “Let's find out!”

I take his offered hand. It feels solid and warm. Just like the last time.

Shamans are wanders between the worlds, but have no real place in neither of them. I am not sure if I really want all of this. Of course I am grateful for my intuition and the knowledge that I carry inside me. I am just not prepared to pay a price. Or even worse, chose for one side of an ancient conflict.

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(To be continued!)

 

You create such fascinating scenes and conversations full of insight!

 

Geez Qui-Gon, stop talking in riddles! Great chapter, as always.


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@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha & @Nehru_Amidala: Then let us finish this chapter before I hit the (rail) road with @DarthUncle again.


(Still Chapter 25!!!)

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The upper entrance hall is simple and, what astonishes me most, unadorned. It leads straight into a small stone chamber with a single door.

“Let's meditate together!” Qui-Gon suggests. “At least for a while!”

Being brought up by a man who has issues with meditation sessions, I am not sure what to say. The kind offer makes me uncomfortable.

“Orson's former babysitter was very fond of relaxation techniques,” he offers.

Here we go again. Mistress Nagina. There is no way to escape her.

“Pardon me for saying so, but why should I be interested what that woman liked or disliked? Daddy was a big fan of hers. Not I.”

He gives me a glance that seems to melt the skin from my bones. But I never break the eye contact with him. “You are a hard case to crack, Cassandra.”

I make my back straighter. “I am not a case. Nor am I a Jedi student, Qui-Gon. I am but a little girl who loves books, history lessons and plant life.”

A smile rushes over his lips. “Are you interested to learn how to coax flowers to grow quicker? Or to open their blossoms?”

I shake my head. “There is an order to everything in life. Why going against all that is right?”

If Qui-Gon is upset with me, his face does not show. “Do you never feel the need to take a short cut? To take a different approach to reach your goal quicker?”

“If a flower wants to grow, then by all means, the flower should go for it. It is not my business to manipulate it.”

He slightly bows. “But what about learning techniques to refresh your tired mind? To gain new strength?”

“There is this invention called a nap. You usually take it around noon. But you can also choose to go for it at any time you feel tired and worn out.”

Now he rolls his blue eyes. “To stick to the rules is very important to you, is it not?”

“This is exactly what Daddy taught me.” Quickly, I add, “No offence here.”

“None taken.” He sighs deeply. “I've worked with more difficult padawans before.”

“I am not a paravan. Or do I look like one?” I probe, a bit on the sulky side now.

“Padawan,” he snickers. “Not paravan. A padawan is a learner or an apprentice.”

I make a face. “Listen, I have this condition. This is why I will never be able to visit a public school. Stop taunting me!”

Glee spreads over his bearded features. “Now we are talking, Cassandra. Please have a seat! It is about time for an essential lesson about yourself.”

Confused, I take in his inviting gesture. “There is just stone floor.”

“You know how to sit on your heels, don't you?”

I do not want to make the impression of a total idiot, so I show him that I am more than capable to sit on my heels.

 

Great back and forth; Cassie isn't fazed a bit by Jinn in serious Master mode

 

*De-lurks* Good stuff. Me likey.

 

lovely and witty conversations

 

Slowwwwly catching up to this---this is such a unique and interesting story! I love that this is from Cassandra's point of view and includes all the different characters we know well that she encounters which makes for a good mix. So many twists---was totally not expecting Qui-Gon here either but your characterization of him is really good as are your descriptions of scenes and clever conversations

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: It´s fun to write them.

@Cowgirl Jedi 1701: That is good to know.

@earlybird-obi-wan: I knew you would appreciate that as much as we did appreciate your Christmas card. Van harte bedankt!

@gizkaspice: Thanks a lot for the praise. I am happy to present you with another update now that my Christmas holidays with @DarthUncle (first in the Netherlands and then in the CZ Republic are over).



"And death shall have no dominion", Chapter 26:

I am sure that I don't need to meditate to achieve mindfulness or stress reduction. But it seems to make Qui-Gon happy to be a teacher again. So I do him the favour and listen to all that he has to say. Besides, his persistence makes me curious.

And so we sit.

After a while, I even forget that I have legs. Or that the man who raises me like a real father is guarded by a wolf pack.

There is just me and the spirit of the dead Jedi master.

I search for features that we share with one another, but apart from our long hair I find so little. That makes me wonder how much I look like my mother. The woman who craved her daily drug portion more than her own child.

“Why do I have the impression that your keen mind wanders off?” Qui-Gon cuts in.

“It was your idea to meditate with me,” I defend myself spot on. “I am doing my best here.”

“Not sure about that,” he clips out. “Plus you keep reminding me of another student of mine.”

“Don't say Mistress Nagina now!” I warn him.

“Now you sound exactly like your cousin.” For some reason he looks very sad and lost.

“I have a cousin?”

Qui-Gon nods. “He is way older than you, but your lineage cannot be denied.”

Not pondering on the strange word 'lineage' I demand to know, “What's his name?” Then it occurs to me, that I am not in this cave for fun. “We are here because of him, right? Because of my cousin.”

There it is again, the sadness in his blue eyes that clenches my heart together. “He was such a talented boy. But others took over. Trained him instead of me. They meant well, I am sure of it, but they made things worse for him.”

I narrow my eyes. “Let me guess, my cousin is about two meters in hight and imprisoned in a mostly black life-support suit.”

“Your intuition serves you mighty fine,” he praises me.

The wheels in my mind take on a life of their own. “Because Lord Vader cannot control his anger, you want me to master my own body and mind?”

Qui-Gon leans over to me, putting his big hands on my shoulders. “That is the plan, yes. The Jedi order left him in complete darkness. He needs a tiny light that glows for him.”

My eyes narrow even more. “What gives me the impression to fit the job description?”

“He has a weakness for you. Your blood calls out to his, calms it and enriches it at the same time.”

I bite my lips. Then I state, “Will his darkness not swallow me?”

“Oh, Cassandra, you were born in darkness and are raised in it. Yet you know the light and all the shades of grey in between.”

I am not sure we are talking about the same me, because Daddy has eye-friendly light sources all over his Coruscant flat. Just for me.

“The best thing about you is though, that you are not afraid. You learned to manoeuvre in the dark, ride its currents.”

He makes it sound like I am some kind of Tusken Raider on a very quick bantha during a sand storm. “I hate to interrupt your ideas of salvation, but how can I achieve the things you want me to do?”

“Simply be yourself!”

His belief in me scares me more than the task ahead. “Are you sure you got the right little girl enlisted?”

“His own daughter could never achieve what you can.”

I recall something essential. “He believes that his entire family is lost. That all are dead.”

“To him, yes. But you are not. You are all that he has left and the only link he is likely to accept.”

My chin drops and I stare at my knees. “What if I fail him? Or worse, you?”

Ghostly fingers start lifting my head upwards again. “You are neither of the dark side nor of the light side of the Force. That is your strength, your gift. You can bring balance to him. Like you already did with Orson.”

To be honest, Daddy has very bad fits and mostly, when it is up to my safety. And I do not want to know what my cousin, the Emperor's dark knight, is capable of. In the gallery, he had swung his red light sabre for educational purposes. What if it should ever occur to him to discipline me the hard way?

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(To be continued!!!)

 

Terrific installments! Loved Qui-Gon being a Dutch uncle, and who knew Vader was Cass’s cousin?


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Actually, Nagina, the secret niece of old Sheev Palpatine, was Vader´s cousin, @Nehru_Amidala.

Here is the link to a one-shot I wrote about it. For that one I used an idea George Lucas wanted to put into RotS. There text that the Emperor was to say to Anakin when trying to turn him. Watch out in the actual story for it:

“I have waited all these years for you to fulfil your destiny. I arranged for your conception. I used the power of the Force to will the midi-chlorians to start cell divisions that created you.” - “I don’t believe you.” - “Ahhh, but you know it’s true. When you open your mind, you will sense that it is truth. You could almost think of me as your father.” - “That’s impossible.” - “Nevertheless, you must decide...”

Since Cassandra is her clone copy that possesses Nagina´s soul, Cassandra is Vader´s cousin in a twisted way.

The Palpatine bloodline is a matter many would find very unnaturally.

 

Thanks for the explanation. How was your holiday with Darth Uncle?


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@Nehru_Amidala: Nice, but stressful here and there. Especially the time in CZ Republic. It was shorter than our time in the NL, but definitely more packed with activities.

 

Wonderful talk about Vader - I do believe Cassandra is the only one who could reach him.

 

Lovely talk here--a lot of revelations and I assume even more to come! “Oh, Cassandra, you were born in darkness and are raised in it. Yet you know the light and all the shades of grey in between.” Love that part! She is truly something special...