Interludes

[Lord_S_Gray]

Well, that was interesting!  Sort of a Chiss version of Jonestown...  Or was it?

I liked the play on the Revelation passage.  :-)  Nice touch!  Though you might want to be careful of the curse...  ;-)

But seriously, very interesting.  i like the peek into Valen's mind, especially his contempt for the way Chiss society tosses the bottom end of its society, as it were.  Considering how some Aethans treat other people I find it an odd sort f blind spot.   but the Kiraea is not typical either so...   :-)

Indeed who poisoned the Chalice?

Hmmm yeah a bit of a blind spot...or its that he can't understand how Chiss treat their own badly...he could accept Chiss killing other species as logical...but not being mean to their own - put another way In-group ostracism confuses and appals him, but no level of out-group violence ever would.

[Karmack]

Yeah, that's actually totally consistent.  :-)  Getting them to understand that other people are ... people ... will be the hard part, I think.  :-)

[Taegin Roan]

Great interludes guys.

Karm, really liked the two training scenes. Like TD, I am a sucker for those training montages like that. But also getting a glimpse into other parts of the universe such as Odjina was great. Plus its always fun to see two powerful warriors such as Karm and Zearic sparring.

LSG, you interludes are always a great look into different characters, and seeing characters like Cha, who despises Rowahn and Gaetana because they are so much higher in rank and power than him was great. But this last one with Valens. . . wow. Scary stuff. I mean, the Chiss are scary enough as it is, but mix them with a cult, that's almost too much. Still great writing.

[TheDutchman]

You're right LSG: that Interlude WAS a departure from your normal installments; I like it. 

Karm said exactly what I was thinking when I read it: a Chiss analogy to Jonestown.  Clearly Valens did...something.  But how much and what, exactly did he do?  And as these Chiss do not subscribe to Ascendency norms, would we even know as to how much Valens needed to do in order to facilitate such?

Oh: and the computer interchange between Valens and Sofa=priceless 

[Illyiss]

So we see behind so many screens here; how Sofa is the intimately aggressive one, and how so, that Valens does have a deeper compassion, even though he will do terrible things for his people.  I wonder, given his thoughts here, if part of what drives them to such violence and anger isn't the absence of that communal connection.  By being in a community, culture, where everyone can feel what the others are going through, and give communal support, I wonder if it tempers the potential to such cruelty and malice, and by not having it, the suffering, pain, longing, and loss the Aethans experience just continue to echo and grow within them...

[Lord_S_Gray]

Friends Part 2

This Story occurs approximately two months after the events in Karmacks Zealots Series.
The show was bright and jovial…her mood was dim and sullen.  As the final applause in the small room died down and the singer gestured to the band, she noted the breezy smiles on the women’s faces on the table beside her…so flighty and free…the true form of the part she had played on Lyran IV…

Taking on the role of the eye candy had annoyed Illian…he hadn’t said anything…but she felt it…a smudge in the memory of their last days together she couldn’t clean off….there had been no time to discuss it…to resolve it…before…

Before her world had fallen apart.

Again…

She went through the motions of heading out of the room back into the main bar…Koawan Tores had suggested she get out more and had recommended the band playing out of a mid-sized hotel in Sierra’s unofficial tourist sector. 

She plonked down on one of the stools…she was thirsty…and the array of cocktails looked tempting…

But she knew…if she started trying to dull the pain that way…she wouldn’t be able to stop at just one…

Sighing she absently ordered a berry juice from the brightly painted serving droid.

She was so tired…not physically…just…emotionally…of losing…of being lost and used…first by the conmen who had lured her off her home, then by the Emperor who had dominated her mind and body….It had seemed so perfect…meeting Karmack and Arnor…meeting Illian…moving to M’Tzigon…yet like everything else in her life it was turning to garbage…

“So did he cheat or leave without a word in the morning?” came a sweet voice beside her,

She hadn’t even noticed the woman had taken the next stool she was so lost in her own thoughts.

“What…” she replied looking into the striking blue eyes of the woman beside her…she was a little taller than Talia, dark hair and cool white skin, a subtle citrus perfume he couldn’t quite pick.

“Man troubles…what did the bastard do to get you so down sweetie?”

Talia shook her head in slight confusion…but of course…this woman couldn’t possibly know…and Talia was a sad looking young woman alone at a bar…

“Nothing like that he…” it seemed to get harder each time she had to say it…as though each time the words came she took another step further from him,

“He passed away recently,”

She looked instantly apologetic,

“Oh…I’m sorry for your loss…I…” she tapped on the bar,

“Droid, whatever she wants is on me,” the yellow diodes blinked in acknowledgment

“Sorry if I upset you…I just assumed…”

“It’s fine” Talia replied in spite of her true feelings.

The droid brought over their drinks, and the woman ordered a small bowl of various spiced legumes as well after Talia declined anything larger to eat,

“Well…this is awkward…” she finally said, “My friends call me Vesi it’s nice to meet you…”

“Talia,” she replied indifferently staring into the deep purples of the juice

“Talia…what a beautiful name! Taleea…Talaayaa…” she sounded out for no reason other than perhaps to fill the silence. 

“So I’m guessing someone told you to go out on the town to get over it…and it just isn’t working is it?” Vesi went on

She had to chuckle “True…”

“Well look…umm this place gets a bit rough later in the night…lots of Hutt spits looking to score…so I wouldn’t stick around much longer…anyway…like  I said anything you want here is on me…but look I’ve had my share of loss…and one thing I hate is how everyone you know treats you differently, they try not to but they do…so if you want to get away from the folks for a bit…”  she slid a small piece of flimsy across the bar with a room and comm number on it.

“I’m staying at the M’H’ron Ski Lodge with some girlfriends on a holiday…if you want to hang out for a few days…some skiing, ice skating…pillow fights…just call.”
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She had never been to the Ski lodge before…whilst she’d hiked in the mountains a few times with Illian, Karm and Arnor they hadn’t visited the Ski lodges…perhaps a trip for anniversaries that would never come…

She had decided to take Vesi up on her offer…Arnor had recommended it to get her mind off things, meet new people and spend some time away from her usual haunts.

It was well laid out, tastefully high class in its furnishings, suited for the wealthy few, M’Tzigon didn’t exactly actively promote tourism, but it didn’t dissuade it either and it provided good jobs for younger adults in between study, and credits from outside helped the economy tick over.

The turbo lift slid open to the 38th floor to her surprise Vesi was waiting for her,

“Glad you came,” she beamed “Come on I’ll introduce you…do you have ski’s…no you don’t that’s ok we’ll buy you some…we love skiing…so much fun…too dangerous at home…not enough soft peaks…”

Talia was swept through the doors into a large lounge room behind, at the far end of the room was a stunning view of the ski slopes to the west and the trees that peaked along the mountains east side.

The chatter she had heard before suddenly stopped as she came in and the five other girls all turned to stare at her. 

“Everyone this is Talia, Talia this is Sophi and Mari, Lysi, Kari and Yara,”

“All the good ones end with Isk!” Mari (?) blurted,

“Shut up! Aureks rule!” Yara replied playing on the fact everyone else’s name ended with Isk,

Following a memory tune Karm had taught her to always use when meeting new people she took note of the faces…Vesi, Sophi and Mari all had darker hair, blue grey eyes with more pointed features, the others brown with aqua eyes and more rounded…all exceptionally beautiful…their skin so clear and white…not even a freckle or spot...it was almost…supernatural…despite the slight differences between the two sets of three they still might all be sisters,

“Are you related?” she asked

“Ha she found out our secret! We have to kill her!” bounded the same one from before

“MARI!” Sophi, who had a more serious look about her than the rest scolded

“Don’t threaten our guests…You’re right, I’m the oldest then Vesi and Mari…our cousins Lysi, Kari and Yara are sisters.”

“Lots of kid’s small gene pool….” Mari mused “but it’s OK, incest is only bad if you get pregnant!”

“MARI!”
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The day passed so quickly, they headed up to the slopes and tackled all the runs, the cool early snows soft and white, the girls were all very nice and friendly, Mari the standout saying in appropriate things and teasing her sisters, although she noted Kari…or was it Yara…they were hard to tell apart…was just as bad if less obvious about it.

After a morning skiing they returned to the Lodge for lunch, she felt ravenous after so much physical activity…and the girls must’ve been as well…they demolished several main courses each then attacked the desserts like psychotic killers…it was actually quite frightening to watch. 

She discovered they were all from a wealthy family from the core, destined to be in the family business, exactly which company they didn’t say, but Talia guessed it must be some conglomerate of some kind given they had studied all kinds of topics from Astrophysics to Xeno-biology.

“So what do you do?” Kari asked her between huge mouthfuls of cream cake

“I work…at the Mountain with the Men at Arms,”

“Rifle Polisher?” Yara interjected

“With her tongue!” Mari went on

“Mari…” Sophi warned,

“She started it…Sorry…are you in the military?” Mari apologised

“Yeah…on a…sabbatical at the moment,”

“Oh…do you like it?” Kari went on

“It’s…difficult at times…but worth it…” she only then realised she hadn’t really thought about Illian at all that day…was that a sign of betrayal…or just moving on?
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The afternoon was spent on the ice rinks, all of the girls were exceptionally talented skaters, fast and fluid...almost too fast to track against the white of the ice.   But they really took off once the early evening began and the coloured lights and DJ came on.

Vesi grabbed her hand and guided her through the dance for a few beats, but soon a rhythm developed between them, their movements in perfect unison as the danced like professional skaters…spinning and twirling in flurries of grace and passion, she felt so free and yet connected, her body relishing the movement.

Vesi’s hand pushed against the small of Talia’s back pulling her into a close embrace as they spun like lovers upon the ice, the cool of the mountain winds lost against the heat of their bodies…it was so cool…yet so warm…

She began to feel…things…she never imagined she would again…certainly never imagined she would feel for another woman…

Illian…

She stopped dead almost causing Vesi to tumble as their momentum was broken, but she steadied them both,

“You all right?” she said so close to her ear…the last person whose lips had blown such a cool breathe on her ear….

“Yeah…just…maybe we should head off to dinner,” Talia recovered,

“Good idea,” without a signal the other girls stopped and headed out with them.
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“How long are you on holidays for,” she asked Vesi as they headed back,

“Another fortnight…then back home…but Sophi and Yara have some business around the place,”

“Perhaps I could show you the sights of Sierra,” Talia offered

“I’d love that!” she beamed, “Such rich history here,”

“Is that why you came here…M’Tzigon’s not exactly a huge tourist destination…”

Vesi shrugged,

“That’s what makes it appealing…not big crowds…and much nicer people here…no pushy trinket sellers or people trying to rip you off…all you Maker lovers are so honest and decent…”

Talia had to chuckle, thinking of Karm and Arnor…and how quickly the culture here had rubbed off on Julwynn and Balnard…

“I suppose they are like that aren’t they…”

“You’re not originally from here?” Vesi probed

“No I…moved here with my late husband…”

“Sorry…touchy subject?”

“Well…”

“It’s fine,” Vesi slid her arms around her shoulder and gave her a supportive squeeze

“Let’s just keep enjoying ourselves in the now!”
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Once more she and the others tore through all the food on offer…it must be costing them a fortune…Talia wondered if she should offer to pay for her share.

They talked about all kinds of things as they demolished everything on offer…the latest episodes of the Histo-holo-Drama The Daring and the Devious…”I’d snookle her” Sophi had quietly noted about the leading lady Nemi Solsar to Mari’s great amusement…

“Ha…Talia who would you snookle!”

She couldn’t help but blush…a small trickle of sweat down her back

“Talia doesn’t snookle and tell like you do,” Vesi intervened, her hand giving Talias a squeeze under the table.

They talked of what new dresses from Core Fashion Week they liked the most and would buy…Talia had blanched at the prices….It was so refreshingly normal and light…as much as she loved things at the Mountain…they were so preoccupied with the Civil War…chasing down dark siders, spying on abolitionists…

Here she could just be Talia…a young woman and not have to think about all that…gunk to worry about…

“Wow…what a day…Thank you so much for inviting me Vesi…it was just what I needed,” Talia said as the meal wound down, she check the clock in the corner

“I really have to head back though…”

“Oh please stay…it’s too dangerous to be flying at this hour…” Lysi replied,

“Yeah, we have the whole floor booked, more beds than we need,” Yara added,

“Yeah we just sleep naked on the floor after our debauchery,” Mari chimed in

Talia couldn’t tell if Mari was joking or being serious sometimes…but then that was the essence of her humour.

“I…thank you…but I really prefer my own bed…” they all looked so disappointed

“You don’t even want to stay to watch some vids, talk about girls – or boys or whatever you’re into getting hot with – do each other hair and nails?” Kari asked

“I…” she was tempted…these girls were just so…normal…just young women having a good time…cutting loose, cracking jokes that would probably be inappropriate back home…letting their hair down…

After everything she had been through she needed some more normal…

“I can’t tonight…but if you don’t mind me coming around tomorrow…” she offered,

“We’d love you to!” Vesi replied instantly, “Sophi have you got the…”

The elder girl…although they all looked around the same age pulled a small black box from her hand bag,

“This is for you!” Vesi said offering it to her,

“For our new Friend Talia!”

She was overwhelmed…surprised…but flattered…lifting the lid she peeked inside…

It was a small three pointed star made of a rich almost blood red stone attached to a golden necklace. 

“I…I can’t accept this…it’s too much,”

“Of course you can we like to give our friends gifts!”

“No really this is too…”

“Not it isn’t you have to take it…it’s our tradition every guest has to be given a gift!”

She lifted the red star…it was unusually weighty,

“I guess I have to accept,” Talia replied to the beaming smiles of the six girls.
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[Illyiss]

Well if that doesn't ring ominous...

[Taegin Roan]

I agree with Illyiss. Something is off about these girls. I can only assume they are Aethan, but we have no true indication other than that they are from the Core. Still some interesting things going on here. And I am not sure that I should trust the little star the girls have Talia. But it is good to see something from Talia's perspective after loosing Illian.

[Karmack]

Illian, I love it!  Like other have said, I'm not sure I trust that pendant, but I do like the idea.  And if they are Aethans...  

Interesting.  Very interesting.  :-)

And in all honesty, I LOVE the idea of there being a tourist trade on M'Tzigon, complete with ski resorts!  But you must know: the premiere resort is Boyne Mountain.  ;-)  (google it!  LOL)

[Lord_S_Gray]

Schisms - The Vhal'Dan Civil War Interlude

[/b]

Introductions - Part 1

This occurs between Chapters 2 and 3 - Thanks to Dutchman for pooling our continuities so much in his amazing series

[135,258]
“Hrmmm…” she grunted at the result…
>>Enter search Parameters
[Satellites > 12
Star Age> UNKNOWN
Coruscant Standard Habitable Planets> 1+
Location> Core Inne]
>>>Searching>>>>Searching>>>>
[17,892]

She blew out…no luck…if she knew how many moons each planet in her system had…but she’d learned gas giants could have dozens that wouldn’t be visible without radio-telescopes…none of which they had at home…
She’d be here for a while then…at least it was more interesting than the Saani called Yavin. And if she was going to be staying in the land of Galtea…planet...planet of Galtea…she reminded herself… she had better ask permission.

She slid out of the desk and headed to Saani and Kazics room past the large windows that overlooked the artificial yellow and white lights of the towers, their false energy drowning out the true lights of the stars.  For people who made such clever things she thought, they were not very wise.

She entered the sequence to open the door to their room,

“Saani I need to go to where the earth and water is, away from the buildings and pavement,”

“ugghhh…not again…” Kazic groaned half awake

“Ari…” Saani said groggily…”You can’t keep coming in here without knocking first…shouldn’t you be asleep…”

“oh…” she hung her head down a little in apology, “Sorry I forgot,”

“It’s fine…just…think about it a bit first…” Saani sat up, “Earth…so somewhere natural…I can take you to the Stryka Annix Memorial Botanic Gardens tomorrow,”

“Thank you Saani” she merrily replied then skipped off into the darkened apartment

“How does she keep working out the door code?” Saani asked,

“If I knew that….” Kazic replied his face buried in the pillow “I’d make a fortune selling security systems…”

“or breaking them” she laughed rubbing his shoulders.
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It had such a long face and tusks on the end…She recalled the entry on page 456 of the Catalogue of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy 8th Edition…this was a Whiphid from the snowy world of Toola…

 “Ari…you shouldn’t stare like that…” Saani cautioned,

“Oh…alright…” she said following along but still glancing behind to watch how the furred thing moved

It was very confusing all the strange creatures…and even more confusing was they weren’t all one people…Saani was a Twi’lek…but some of the evil people who attacked the village had been Twi’leks…but they weren’t all the same…but they were the same species…but they didn’t all live together…and some even had red, or green, or pale skin…and did different things and lived in different places…very strange.

The Botanic Gardens were toward the centre of the city, filled with red-orange leaved trees and blue grasses situated about a ring of twelve small lakes connected by winding streams that pooled into a larger feature in the centre of the vast grounds.  Around the grasses and benches were all kinds, people coming in before work, or after late shifts, Vhal’Dan meditating alone or in small groups on the grasses, a few food carts selling various confectionaries and breakfast sticks.

“I should’ve anticipated you’d feel a bit trapped in city after so long in the jungle,” Saani noted,

Aresaea shrugged, “That’s alright, it’s all just a different kind of jungle,”

“Ha…out of the mouth of babe…” Saani laughed,

Aresaea glanced around one of the pools that lapped against a blocky border to the blue grasses…that should do…earth, water, air...one of them would surely hear her from there.

“Do the Gods on Galtea have names? Or are their names secret?” she asked

Saani looked slightly stunned,

“I…I’m not sure what you mean?” Some of the questions Ari came up with were…quite random…the first founders had a set of basic agrarian belief in spirits…but she couldn’t recall any details off the top of her head.

“That’s alright, most of them prefer their names to be secret anyway…I have to go talk to them,”

Saani was about to say something but the determined intensity of Aresaea’s mood gave her pause…this might be something better left for her to do alone.

She left Saani to sit on the rocks, pulling off the boots Kazic had bought her to dangle her feet in the lake, taking in a deep breath she spoke to the earth, air and water about her.

“I’m Aresaea, my Goddesses are Aethenaea, Aertemisaea and Aephrodaea, they’re from a long way away…but I’ll be visiting here for a while…I’m not sure how long…so I thought I should introduce myself…”

She looked around but nothing seemed to have changed much…maybe they were shy

“Well my Goddesses are very nice, if you’re friendly to them they’ll be friendly to you…and if you are nice to me I think they would like that, and they’ll be nice to your People if you visit us,”

The wind picked up a little…maybe it was them replying but she couldn’t tell…she supposed the Gods here were as strange as the different species…but given there were so many different species on Galtea they mustn’t mind visitors…not like the Gods on Yavin.

After they had crashed the blue thing…which she now knew was an Umbaran’s…ship she and her uncle had explored looking for another flying cart, or portal back home…but there weren’t any…so he asked her to talk to the Gods there to ask if they could stay and apologies for crashing the flying cart.

There were two groups there…the Green one of the Jungles was the bigger one, it didn’t seemed to mind them being there…it soon sent different animals that were called by Saani’s people Runyip’s, Stintrails and Whisper birds for them to hunt and make things from, and Woolamanders with funny long arms good for swinging from trees showed them what fruits were good to eat.

The other God was black and spoke with many tongues…some called themselves Sith, some Massassi…they lived in the big stone temples and buildings, they talked a lot, but her uncle told her not to listen to them too much, and to keep away from the one called Exar Kun…still she would watch them sometimes, she liked Naga Sadow the best, he was the most clever one…but his spirit was very old and fading away.

But the Green Goddess of the Jungle didn’t like the Black spirits…they did strange things to the animals and plants, made them twisted and thorny if they got too close, so it was trying to get rid of the big temples by having plants grow roots between the blocks to pull them down over time….one day it would win…but it would take a long time.

She looked around again for any signs…none so far…well she had announced herself…to the Gods that lived near Saani’s apartment…so that was enough for now…another day she could visit a mountain to see if there were more talkative Gods there.  

“Well…I guess your shy…or maybe busy…so I’ll just leave you this…” she took a small totem she had made out of the metal they called durasteel out and put it in amongst the rocks

“Now you know what my Goddesses look like if they come here looking for me,” she wasn’t sure how Gods talked to each other but it couldn’t hurt.

Ari wandered back after about fifteen minutes…Saani wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing but it seemed fairly innocuous…likely some kind of ritualistic welcoming ritual.

“Everything alright,” she asked as the girl returned,

She shrugged, “They don’t talk much…or maybe they don’t speak in a way I can understand…but they don’t seem to mind me being here,”

Something about that struck Saani…had she ever thought to ask a planets permission to just be there before? It seemed silly in a way…yet in another she felt slightly rude at having trampled across the dirt of dozens of planets without a thought as to what the planet itself might think…

“I’m hungry…can we get some of those things,” Ari pointed at a cart manned by a Bith behind a series of steaming pots,

“Sure,” she pulled out her credit chit, “Why don’t you pay for it,”  Ari needed the practice the concept of money still seemed to throw her off…she had so much to learn…still as she watched the girl sprint off Saani couldn’t help but wonder if it was her that needed to be learning from Ari instead.
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[Lord_S_Gray]

Schisms - The Vhal'Dan Civil War Interlude

[/b]

Introductions - Part 2

[/b]

“You haven’t said much since you came back,” Kazic noted for perhaps the fourth time since he had met him at the spaceport. It was true, the tip to Coruscant had left him…speechless was too strong a word…he just needed time to consider how best to communicate what he had…not just seen and heard but Felt there to the Council…

“You can be sure I will…but for now I’m more interested in the souvenir you found on Yavin,” Anson flicked the small wooden totem of three deities around in his hand, but was referring to the foundling who had made it.  Kazic was waiting for him on his return and had invited him to dinner with Saani to introduce him to the unusual girl who was apparently also preparing the meal.

“Well you’ll see soon enough…I’m sure I don’t need to but remember she is rather sensitive about talking about her past…and,”  Kazic paused briefly glancing to the side of the turbo lift as it rose trying to work out how to put something

“Something I didn’t mention is she is quite strong in the force and...has a tendency to try and delve ones minds…I’m not sure she is aware of it sometimes so just be cautious,”

His eyes narrowed.

“She delves people?”

“It seems instinctive to her…whilst she looks human I assure you she isn’t,”

Meta-humans were not uncommon, indeed many species shared a common homo-sapiens ancestry at some point and were vastly different now – the Chiss as case in point - but this sounded unusual

“Have you discerned her species?”

“Not yet…I must admit I’ve been busier with the cataloguing of the artefacts we found on Yavin,”

“hrmm…well…” the turbo lift slowed dampeners preventing any more than minor discomfort as it slowed from its mag acceleration

“Enjoy it while you can my friend…I fear we won’t have the luxury for such pursuits for much longer.”

“Anson!” Saani beamed as he stepped in but paused as they greeted,

“You seem a little tense, come sit down, K’ompo can you check on Ari, she’s set up on the balcony,”

“Balcony?”

“Wood fire cooking…a traditional dish,” Saani noted,

“Of course,” he smiled and headed off leaving Ansosn and Saani to chat, of course wood fire would also be the only method of cooking based on the little Ari had revealed about her home.

She stood over a large new metal cooking pot above the unlit kindling and logs which Saani must’ve bought for the occasion beside a little table where she had a startling array of vegetables, fruits and meats, white, red, even grey, all chopped up into rough cubes.

Ari picked up a pack of glucose crystals, sniffed it, then promptly dumped the whole thing in the pot, followed by everything else she had prepared plopping as it hit the water.

“Everything going well,”

“Yes…just working out how to get the flavour right…all the foods here are so strange…” she picked up a whole canister of a mustard paste, again sniffed it and poured it all in.

“I don’t like that I can’t meet the animals or look at the plants the food is from…” she said bluntly inspecting the kindling,

“Well perhaps we can visit the agricultural districts another day and you can have a look,”

She shook her head,

“No Saani will be busy with what Anson has to tell you,”

He hadn’t even mentioned he was here yet…and even he didn’t know what Anson had to tell them yet…still now was a good a time as any,

“Make sure to remember Ari, no delving without asking…”

She nodded,

“I Know…”

“Alright, now here is the lighter,” he reached over to hand it to her,

“The what?”

“Lighter to start the fire,”

She crooked her neck as she often did when they told her something that confused her,

“Why do you need that?”

She flicked a quick glance to the kindling as he felt the force around it ripple…the kindling made of baking papers began to vibrate at what he could only imagine was the molecular level as the heat rose to the point it combusted, the white then yellow flash of a spark briefly fixing in his unprepared eyes.

It was followed more unusually by a churning on the pot itself as she used the force to mix all the ingredients together and cycle them through the pot to evenly cook,

“Do you always lit fires and cook like that,” he probed

She shrugged, “Doesn’t everybody?”
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Anson was a human…she wasn’t human Kazic had told her…they didn’t seem to have a label for her People…and she’d never thought about it…there were People and Others…it was much more complicated here.

He was called an Arbiter…which was some kind of rank like a Guardian…but even that was confusing…they all seemed to need strange titles on their normal names to tell who was who…it must be because they kept themselves so closed off…at home it was obvious who was wisest who was strongest who was kindest, everyone could feel it off of them from across the valley.

“Well this looks…delicious…” Saani said as Ari served her first as was proper

“It’s not the same as at home…you don’t have Gormin’s,”

“Gormin?” Anson queried,

“oh…I looked at the catalogue of species…it’s like a small Barneffa,” she explained plopping more on Saani’s plate…she needed to have the most after all,

“Bantha,” Kazic corrected for Anson, they all spoke funny and different, Sociolinguists she had read about said it derived from regional variation and the non-standard capacity of different humanoids vocal cords to replicate sounds, it was very interesting…but seemed - like so much here - so confusing.

She went around serving the others in turn, Anson as the guest, then her own plate then Kazic

Ansosn looked down at the chucky pile of steaming stew, its aroma very strong…well here goes,

He took a chunk on his fork, blew a little then ate it…his mouth exploded in flavours…sweet, sour, fatty and bitter…It tasted like she had dumped a Rodian spice merchants entire wares into her pot, and the Rodian with it.

He cast a quick glance to Kazic who seemed to not overtly mind its strength, Saani fared less well copiously sipping at the water, the girl Aresaea herself demolished the food before her as though she might never eat again…although given her experience he could appreciate that.

Still she was an oddity... how could a child survive so long on such a hostile world...where were the others of her kind...Kazic had said they were pre-spaceflight and most likely were all dead of enslaved...yet if a teenager could get away surely a few of the adults...

She suddenly looked up at him sensing his attention on her, she gave a slight smile.  Anson reminded her of Old Andis...strong and staid on the outside but kind and generous beneath that…at any rate if Saani trusted him he must be trustworthy.

“hmmm…not very flavourful…” she mused out loud…
“The animals here have much lower protein density levels than at home…”
“I think it was rather nice…” Kazic soothed, “a dish for special occasions perhaps,” he noted Saani reaching or more water,
“Oh no we eat it all the time, its keeps really well if you add lots of salt to it,”
Anson nearly vomited at the thought of having it more than a day old.
“You don’t like it….”
“Oh…oh no it’s just quite…strong…”
“No you don’t like it,” she looked down at her empty plate then across at his barely touched one,
“That’s alright…everyone has different taste receptors!” she said cheerfully dispelling any discomfort.
“I can eat it all,” he could well imagine that…how she stayed so lithe he couldn’t fathom…her metabolism must be well beyond human standard – yet what was all that energy used for?
“So how do you like Galtea Aresaea,” he changed the subject

“mmm…its fairly nice…there are lots of strange things to learn about…but too many fake lights and people thinking”

“People thinking,”

She nodded furiously

“It’s very loud…so many Vhal Danians using the Ae…Force all over the place…”

He had to smile at the idea of being termed a Vhal Danian
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After dinner they settled about the lounges as Ari took out the carving laser…it was important every guest got a gift.

Ansosn watched on as she took two medallion sized durasteel discs with a bronze tinge and worked one of them rapidly into a carved relief of a three pointed star whose tips touched the circles edges, in the gap between the stars arms were portraits similar to the faces on the totem Kazic had shown him…the distributing this was she did this seated on a cushion on the floor with no magnifying glasses or steadying vices.

“That looks…amazing Ari,” Saani said walking past to bring Anson a cup of caf, apparently this was how her people would entertain themselves in the evening as well as signing songs and telling stories.

“It’s alright…but this is the slow way,” she flipped the medallions around in her fingers blowing off the last flecks of metal.

“The slow way?” Anson queried

“You have to know how to do it the slow the way or you don’t understand how much-pressure-to-put-on-the-metal-and-the-exact-angles-of-the-grooves-you-carve-in-to-make-the-relief-of-the-face-stand-out-and-perfect-the-angles-of-the-star.” She rapidly toddled out of her mouth

“So what is the fast way?” Kazic leaned forward interested

She took the blank medallion and looked over the carved one picking up the lines she had just made, working out where she had gotten it wrong to fix it for the real gift for Anson.

Going back to the blank one Anson sensed something he had not felt for a while…a flow of the force he knew better than most from his Master Varel’Zo…

The force hammered down on the medallion…it shifted to show a carved relief…Aresaea murmured annoyance then it turned back to blank…again the force hammered down on it…again she merrily mumbled and it went back to blank…

Finally the Force hammered it a final time…what was a flat circle of durasteel became a carved medallion in an instant as she used the force to carve it in the blink of an eye…but before realising in the real world she had used Flow-sight…a variation of flow walking…to see how it would turn out and adjust it to make it better.

His mouth dropped open

“Here you go Anson, a gift,” she proffered the force forged medallion toward him.

Kazic and Saani looked utterly stunned…but they only saw the creation…they hadn’t even sensed her using techniques to twist time, to gaze into possible futures that had taken his own Aang Ti master years to teach him….

“That…that is fast…” Saani said a slight murmur of shock in her voice.

Aresaea nodded,

“But you have to work it the normal way first or you won’t understand the metal…but it’s the only way you can mould blackstone…” she paused catching herself from saying something she wasn’t sure she should

“I hope you like it,”

He took the small medallion…it wasn’t a copy of the one she had done by hand it was an improvement upon it…every line sharper, every curve smoother for not using rough physical tools.

He could barely hold back his emotions…this was insane…a teenager who had mastered techniques that most Vhal Dan couldn’t dream of…and used them without any sense of restraint…

“It’s…ah very nice…very interesting technique,”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hadn’t heard what Kazic and Anson said before he left…but she felt it…

“Why doesn’t he like me?” she asked Saani,

“Anson will like you…he just doesn’t know you very well yet…remember it took you a while to get to know Kazic,”

Ari nodded, but still felt unsure…it seemed deeper than that…if only people here were more open…then he could really see what she was like…they were so closed off all the time.

“Maybe…it would just be so much better if everyone was like at home…everyone was more…honest and did what you told them Saani…then they wouldn’t argue so much…”

Saani was taken aback,

“I don’t think everyone should do what I tell them, they have their own opinions…”

“But you’re…hrmmm…you’re the….there isn’t a word for it…” she sighed

“Everyone here has titles and ranks…but at home we don’t everyone just knows…it’s just…so obvious…I don’t understand….”

Saani leapt to her side and cradled the girl against her…she could feel the pain of dislocation…taken from a deeply open and communal society and placed into one far more circumspect…she couldn’t imagine what it must be like for her.

“It’s alright Ari…I know it’s hard…but we’re here to help you…no one’s arguing about you or upset with you…we understand,”

“Not yet they’re not…” she whispered quietly.
***************************************************************************************

[TheDutchman]

SUPERLATIVE LSG!!

I am in awe; these Interludes were SO enjoyable to read!  I really love the insight into Ari's mind.  Poor thing, she really is "Stranger in a Strange Land."  Hmmm...

I literally Lol'd with Ari's propensities for just doing things (unlocking Saani and Kazic's room is such a wonderful scene!) but it also shows a deeper, even philosophical context of how society installs social norms, and one so very different from Ari's.  It's not a context of "good/bad" just different cultures and the accident of birth.

Another scene that really resonated was Ari's communing with the Galtean gods.  Saani's kind of right: maybe the rest of them are doing it wrong.  That's one of the reasons that I like Ari so much: fresh--innocent even--eyes.  And LSG REALLY shows that here!  Like Ari stated: how simple it would be if people weren't so closed off... Good thing that Saani and Kazic have a ritual for such  .  Well, soon...

Thanks again LSG for this; truly an improvement of the narrative between our stories and thoroughly enjoyable!

[Karmack]

Let me echo Dutchman: These are great to read.  I love the interactions and the innocence of Ari.

One thing I am FINALLY starting to grasp is the view of the Aether.  Time and again the Aethans are puzzled by and dismissive of how those around them have restraint on how they use the force/aether.  In essence, this is because they ALL have it and use it.  Sure, they're not all Guardians or Elders, but they ALL have it.  It reminds me of how one of my favorite authors (David Weber, if you're interested, specifically the Honor Harrington universe) has described the treecats.  They're telepathic/tel-empathetic sentient creatures that interact with the main characters, but live in a tribal society on their home planet.  They find the morays of human society, especially all of the polite non-truths we tell, to be silly.  They are very ... direct creatures.

More and more the  Aethans remind me of telepaths.  They just do NOT understand the restrictions society has placed on force users, that force users place on the THEMSELVES, because they've never been a very small minority within a massively larger force-blind majority.  Much of the struggle the Aethans are going through in LSG's story has to do with the survivor's struggle to simply understand the greater universe, but they are not equipped with the morays that would allow them to truly integrate.  Hence the drive to return to isolation.

Whoo!  Sorry, didn't meant to delve quite that deep!  But Ari kinda pulled that one out into the open for me.  Wonderful writing LSG!  And Dutchman, great initiation and integration!  :-)

[Illyiss]

This is such a refreshing view of an Aethan not molded by pain and anger, bent on a violent mission, and beyond curiosity or compassion for others.  If the galaxy had met the Aethans on peaceful terms...

[Karmack]

This is such a refreshing view of an Aethan not molded by pain and anger, bent on a violent mission, and beyond curiosity or compassion for others.  If the galaxy had met the Aethans on peaceful terms...

Agreed.  I think under the right 'first contact' process there could have been a good relationship.  Instead they're first taste of the larger galaxy was a slaver raiding party.  Great first impression!  :-/