02

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2



As if it were unavoidable, three years after he was born, fate saw fit to submerge toddler Thrills in the murky depths of his destiny prematurely once more. This time, the shadows of war were cast by massive mechanical monstrosities invading Coruscanti airspace manned--not manned--by the SEPARATIST DROID ARMY. Courtesy of General Grievous, the BATTLE OF CORUSCANT would be the first conflict to change Sawyer's life, though certainly not the last...



Sitting in the middle of the playroom, Sawyer was starting to develop his logical reasoning. His steps toward learning were focused on a toy puzzle that projected a three dimensional holographic shape each time he pushed a button on top of the toy. He then had to match the shape with the corresponding button that shared the same look of the holographic image. The first shape was a triangle and he'd matched it wrong the first time, but got it right on his second attempt. Before he could move on to the next shape, he was distracted by a boy chasing a Mon Cal girl around the perimeter of the room pretending his right hand was a finger-gun. Pointing it at her back as he chased her round and round, shouting PEW PEW PEW as though he were shooting at her. Looking down at his own hands, Sawyer manipulated them into a set of finger-guns. Standing up, he waited for them to make their next pass. When they got close enough, he jumped between them and pointed his finger-guns double aimed squarely at the boy pursuer and fired back.

"PEW PEW PEW, PEW PEW PEW!" He shouted, causing the boy to come to a screeching halt.

Had he not stopped the boy in his tracks, what happened next would have done so anyway. Parents started to pour into the daycare panicked, retrieving their younglings and carrying them off earlier than usual. Sawyer, unawares to their urgency, eagerly anticipated the arrival of his own mother who would normally have picked him up at the end of the day. Minutes passed, then an hour, he was the only one remaining. As if he were in some sort of danger, his caretaker scooped him up and carried him off to safety. He was scared now, even at the age of three he knew something wasn't right. He started crying, begging for his mommy, as he was escorted to the back of the facility behind a barred door with the rest of the daycare staff.



Her hurried foot steps clapped against the elegant floors of the SENATE BUILDING. She'd descended from the upper levels of the OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR, seated at her cultivated--albeit modest--desk where she'd been analyzing fiscal data streaming from all sectors of the galaxy that had joined the Republic. Several Jedi, a handful of officers from the CORUSCANT SECURITY FORCE, and half a dozen clone troopers were shepherding everyone out. The evacuation was unnerving, it was as though a toxin of hysteria had been pumped through the ventilation shafts--causing everyone to breath the airs of trepidation. The masses were being funneled to various exits to expedite the process. The pace had been set to ensure timely escape whilst maintaining some degree of accountability for everyone inside. This didn't sit well with her, she needed to get to her son. No doubt, by now, parents were starting to flock to their young and carry them off to safety.

Ann felt trapped--every ounce of her wanted to explode into a full sprint--shackled by the gait that had been set for her by her escorts. This wouldn't do, she'd worked in the plaza long enough to know a few exits that weren't routinely used. Coming to terms with this realization, she darted out of the line towards a passageway at her left. The area had already been evacuated. Good. She dashed through the maze like structure with overriding purpose. The reverb of her heels clacking down the hallway was finally quieted as she slowed her pace and veered to the right to discover a single door that served as a fire escape. At last. She would escape the SENATE BUILDING and retrieve her cub from daycare.

As the door slid open, E-5 blaster fire peppered the egress from outside. She plummeted out of the exit, crashing on her knees before falling flat on her face. The clanking of metal footsteps approached her scored body.

"ERR, TARGET NEUTRALIZED." The B1 battle droid gave its report.

"ROGER, ROGER." She faintly heard another unit.

Her son was all she could think about as she felt the excruciating pain fade into numbness. She whispered the name of her son faintly, willing herself to get up. But nothing worked, she couldn't feel her arms or legs--only her beating heart trying to burst out of her chest toward the assurance of her dearest child's safety. On that note, she would feel no satisfaction. She would feel nothing but fear, remorse, and sorrow until she felt nothing at all. And that's what came next. Wolfed down by nothingness, Ann Thrills vanished, only her body remained.

Author's Note

If you have questions, critiques, comments...by all means. Otherwise, hope you enjoy the read.

Thanks.