He followed her quickly. The climbing was physical exertion but nothing he had not done before. It came with relative ease to his wired nerves and his hardened muscles. It was not an impossible task. But when he reached the top, with the cat like creature in front of him, a surprise awaited his eyes. SOmething he had not expected, but something he could deal with.

"Leave us."

With that he raised a hand and sent the Ewoks flying off of their homes and onto the ground far below. The dull thuds of their bodies hitting the floor ended the excrutiating noise from their mouths as they screamed on the way down. The cat like creature seemed to cry as he walked past her and into the home beyond.

Magaia couldn't quite understand why the man behind her had commanded a batch of Ewok to leave. No Ewok in their right mind would obey anyone outside of their clan.

Something entirely unexpected happened. The man moved his hand, and waves of furry bodies flew from their possitions, their verbal screams echoing painfully as loud whispers in her head, making her calapse unsteadily as she screamed in pain, covering her ears to try to shut them out, then sobbed as the whispers subsided.

Why such drastic measures? Why? There had to be another way! Eventhough the Ewoks had treated her badly, they were the only family that she had.

Where do I go now? she asked, not knowing wether or not either of the strangers had heard her whisper.

___________________

Raven's eyes snapped open, wincing as she heard the screams from the tiny bear-like creatures, knowing no other person could be capable of a drastic measure, when it was obvious that other ways could've been used instead.

She said not a word for a few moments, trying to clear the fogginess in her vission, but unable to do so as she slowly sat up. A familiar man's frame darkened the doorway, and Raven couldn't help but smile.

"Zerxes, only you could be so bold." she mumured, " What took you so long?"

Seeing the feline cautiously peek her head in the door with her emerald eyes glassy with brimming tears, Raven nodded, seeing the girl rush in, given Raven a hug as she sobbed into her shoulders.

"Me heard them scream in me head." the girl murmured, shuddering at the what seemed to be a painful memory, and all Raven could do was to simply rock her, gently stroking her back as if the girl was a child of her own.

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"She, the blasted Ewoks, and a bunch of dead leads got in my way. I wouldn't have though you to come here."

He walked over and scratched the cat things back lightly. His animal affinity wouldn't let him kill her. The Ewok's were just stupid little creatures in his way. She had helped him in a way of her own. And she had the Force. It was in her stronger than he had thought.

"She's Force sensitive."

He lifted the girl off of Raven and held her for some reason. Some instinct told him that it was the right thing to do and he had no choice but to do it. Even hardened Sith had some weakness. His just happened to be his wife and this cat, and maybe that other Ewok.

To emphasize he wasn't going to hurt her, he rocked her lightly in his arms. Maybe he had been wrong about her before. Maybe she was just a misunderstood little girl of a race he did not now. Whatever it was, he had a soft spot, and he didn't like it.

"Can you walk, Raven?"

Magaia was puzzled in the way he spoke with the woman, when he was so rough to her only moments earlier. She was even more surprised when she felt him scratch her back, making her look up at him with her puzzled, yet curious green eyes.

He was rough one minute, and gentle the next. Magaia just couldn't place both behaviors were appart of the same person.

And what is this Force he's talking about?

_____________

"She certainly is special." Raven replied, smiling as Zerxes gently pulled the little feline out of her arms.

The little one was confused at first, then slowly relaxed as he rocked her in his arms, her own tail twitching instinctively in rhythm.

This poor little girl. The tribe of Ewoks was all she had till her husband destroyed them. There was nowhere else for her to go now, and Raven couldn't bare the thought of leaving her behind.

The feline, now cuddling up as close as she could get to Zerxes, was probably trying to stay warm as she started to get drowsy, her tail's twitching gradually slowing down as well.

Hearing her husband ask if she could walk, Raven slowly pulled herself to her feet, her entire body aching as if it were one entire bruise. Her head swam for a moment as she took a step forward, and Raven leaned against the wall till the spinning stopped.

"If we go slow, I think I could manage." Raven managed to murmur, slowly walking across to room to scratch the little feline's head.

"What is your name, little one?" she asked, seeing the little one's eyes look up for a moment.

"Magaia." she managed to murmur in reply, instantly hidding her face back into Zerxes's chest.

Looking back up to her husband's eyes, she smiled.

"I have quite a long story to tell, but it'll wait till we're on our way." chuckling when she heard a muffled meow.

Sweet force, she would hate to leave Magaia alone now. She was so innocent, with a gift that she probably couldn't begin to understand.

"Alright. But I'll help you along."

He held onto Magaia with one arm and took his wife's hand in the other. The girl was starting to fall aslepe in his arms and it made him think back to when he'd been the child and his father was helping him. But a cold hatred swept over him and almost made him drop her. He'd killed those pathetic fools of parents when he was only ten. They had been weak.

"We aren't leaving her here."

He was referring to Magaia and he knew Raven knew that. The girls only family was dead by his hand now. Even the women and children lay smashed on the ground below. THey had been weak, false. The other Ewok had purpose. Was important. These had not been.

"Don't ask why."

Raven nodded, her fingers intertwinning with his, a little uncertain as to how he perceived her now, since she had changed since the last time they were together.

For a brief instant, she caught a dark snippet from her husband, watching as he almost dropped Magaia. The little girl snuggled in even closer, wrapping her tail around him. She really seemed to be comfortable with him, and it would be painful to have the girl go through rejection on top of going through the loss of her so-called family.

Hearing her husband announce that they weren't leaving her, she have him a puzzled look, and was about to say something till he cut her off, telling her to not ask why.

"Alright then." Raven smiled, giving him a nod," Shall we be going then? I'm sure you have millions of questions to ask."

"Many questions that can be answered with many more."

He didn't look at her as they left the tree home behind. The climb down the ladder had been slow because Raven was in poor condition for it. But they eventually made it to the ground and Zerxes dropped down next to her. They began to walk in the direction he was leading her. The direction towards his ship.

"For starters, why are you here?"

Hearing his question, she gave him a sad smile.

"If one is always questioning things, they are forever searching for answers. I have a long story to tell, but, answer me one question honestly. Have you ever loved anyone prior to me and never had the chance to tell them how you felt?"

He thought for a moment.

"No. I used to love my parents but I told them how I felt. Then I killed them and left my brother with Tholatin. He had throne rights anyways."

They walked on, he holding the little cat-like girl in one arm and holding Raven's and with the other. They were heading back towards his ship, back towards home.