Chapter 29 - Echoes From the Past
With her face pressed against it, she could see, if not believe, that on the opposite side of the transparisteel of her third story window, life went on. Her breath fogged a small portion of it as she took notice of the sun losing its firm hold on the afternoon and lazily slipping into early evening.
Across the courtyard, a stand of trees swayed gently in the wind and straight down on the walkway below, several pieces of trash caught up in small whirlwind spun in tight circles, dancing on the vortex of air. She watched it spin uncontrollably, like her life, until the wind calmed and the trash settled once again to the ground.
Staring blankly out at the remains of the day, Toryn Farr drew in a deep breath, followed by a labored exhale, as if it hurt to do so. There was no emotion, no expression and no reserves within to draw from. What day it was she didn’t know, and didn’t really care. She had stopped caring and lost track of what, where and when today and now was.
Tears gathered now, welling along the lower lid as her green eyes stared blankly at the outside world. Nothing held meaning. The wrenching heartache in her chest felt as if it would drain the very life from her, emptying through the gaping hollow in her heart.
So many people had been lost.
In her mind, she pictured her family and friends, going about their business, as the entire planet was suddenly ripped apart in a blinding flash. Everyone and every place she had ever known . . .all vaporized in an instant.
Tears finally fell from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. The only thing surpassing her bottomless ache and despair was the very primal, burning human need to find a way to strike back at the Empire. Through the pain and depression, a vision was coming into focus. She now knew what her direction was, what path had been laid out before her. She would heal herself by seeking out the growing rebel alliance. In the wake of this very public, horrific display, she would not be the only one looking for a way to serve against the Empire.
It was sheer chance that she had been en route to nearby Talasea when Alderaan was destroyed. She wondered why that was. Why had she been spared? Her mind raced with too many thoughts; more than she could listen to all at once. Of them, none had been of suicide, but the attendants monitored her every move and came by to check her regularly. No, she would not take her own life. If her life was to be lost, it would be lost taking as many Imperials as possible with her.
She pulled off the wrap that had been draped around her shoulders, stepped over to the intercom beside the door and pressed the CALL button. A moment passed and a voice came on the line, “Yes Miss Farr?â€
_________________ Terek Deckard
Sandtrooper, 104th Moisture Farm Patrol
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