Special thanks to LSG for the dialogue assist
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Chapter 1: Chance Encounters“…Do you think she’s indigenous, Master?” The teidowan human asked anxiously, her cheeks still round with youth.
Kazic didn’t speak for a moment, distracted by the presence of the
daen nosi. He wondered what it could mean but he at least knew that it was centered around…her. Crossing his arms, the dark gray sleeves of his robes rustled slightly in the breeze, the surrounding jungle’s heat momentarily relaxing its grip. Kazic began to stroke his black mustache and beard, completely ignoring the sun beating down upon him.
“…No, Teidowan Fayar. Not unless she’s a resurrected Massassi Sith slave.” The tall Anzati turned to his apprentice, a grin playing upon his gray lips. “…Unless, Kasah, you’re telling me she went into the Temple and walked through the wall, disappearing.” Hearing the levity in her Master’s voice, Kasah relaxed as she smiled. Winking at the short, blonde teenage human, he turned his attention back to the girl in the distance, her red hair distinctive against the jungle’s backdrop of moist greenery.
The girl.
Kazic and his small team of Gray Jedi had arrived a little more than a week ago, focusing their search on the Temple of Exar Kun. Mistakenly assuming that the disturbance that he’d felt in the Force had originated from the Temple, Kazic was adamant that the team remain in contact at all times. They searched the enormous Temple grounds, the rich, blue water causeways in stark contrast to the black obsidian megalithic constructs, often times obfuscating now submerged entrances. Nevertheless, soon their exploring and patience yielded some surprising results: a primordial Massassi artifact and, amazingly, two ancient Jedi relics. Still, Kazic wondered just where were all of the Force-related objects that the Kage had intimated about? But even as they continued to search for the small cache, the disturbance in the Force remained…elusive.
And then the
daen nosi had appeared. At first Kazic had assumed it was the proximity of the ancient Sith Lord’s Temple but he was soon disabused of that. During the third night of the expedition, one of the koawans had noticed that his food locker had been ransacked, the day’s rations gone. The next night, some of the robes that Kasah had hung to dry as a result of a plunge into one of the causeways had been absconded with. Even as these unsettling events continued, each time one of the younger Gray Jedi would whisper about “Exar Kun’s shade,” Kazic would flatly remind them that a dead person—Sith or not—would have no need for food and clothing.
But it was when Maenowan Jorol Qui-Xot noticed that his vibroblade was missing that Kazic finally put forth the personal effort to get to the bottom of the “Temple ghost” as the younger Jedi called it. Besides: as Kazic concentrated on the disturbance that he’d felt and the
daen nosi, he noticed that in fact, the foci converged into a single point. Kazic knew that virtually no one alive could equal his mental ability, much less surpass it. And the
daen nosi were never wrong. Ever.
And with that in mind, he decided that he would spend the 6th night on Yavin 4 on watch, his potent Force Detection flowing outward as it blanketed the entire area. As bait, Kazic had left a large package of foodstuffs along the camp perimeter. Using but a fraction of his attention, he was able to discern every disparate life-sign, along with its location and range. Sitting comfortably surrounded by his dark robes in complete darkness, his multiple senses were completely alert, his awareness operating on a metaphysical level as well as physical. Even as his senses collected the overabundance of information from his surroundings, Kazic was able to appreciate the purity of the jungle ecosphere, the myriad night-sounds intermingling with the almost absolute darkness of the night.
…Beautiful… Soon, he was rewarded by his persistence. Sensing a being far different than any of the local beasts, he opened his red eyes that were now adjusted to the darkness, his ability to see in the infrared active. Careful to shield his eyes from the ambient light of the camp, Kazic remained motionless, his vantage perfect to witness just who—or what—the culprit could be.
Against the jungle canopy, the being’s heat signature was immediately distinguishable.
…Small…Bipedal, bisymmetrical…but not human… Kazic thought.
…The circulatory system is far too effective… The being crept into the perimeter of the camp, careful not to touch any constructed material almost as if…afraid to do so. Making virtually no sound at all, the being suddenly stopped, head up and alert, cocked to side as if listening for something.
Kazic knew that he hadn’t made a sound nor had he moved, yet the being looked
directly at him. Quickly making a decision, he slowly rose from his crouched position, palms outward, as he adopted a non-threatening posture. Part of him wanted to laugh: how “non-threatening” could a 191 centimeter, 99 kilogram shadow be? Expectantly, the being stepped back on the verge of fleeing, their wiry frame tight like a coiled spring. Grimacing, the Anzat stopped, careful not to startle the being. This close, Kazic could see that the being was short and thin.
…A…girl…? Unhurriedly, he removed his hooded robe, folding it carefully before slowly placing it at his feet. Then he withdrew, backing away from the girl. Finally, with deliberate, careful movement, Kazic sat upon the ground and crossed his legs, folding his arms atop his knees.
For a long time, the girl did not move. As Kazic waited, he could hear her soft breathing almost as slow as his own. In the dark, the Anzat arched his eyebrow in interest.
…Fascinating… He wondered what kind of creature would have such a respiratory biology so similar to his own.
And just as he thought the girl would bolt, fleeing deep into the tropical underbrush, she instead advanced, one tentative foot in front of the other. Making no movement whatsoever, Kazic just stared, his gaze never wavering. As the girl finally came upon his discarded robes, she finally stopped. A minute passed and she slowly sank to her knees, reaching out with her left hand to clutch at the robes, standing as soon as she had them in hand. But instead of immediately running, she again stared straight at Kazic. And just as silently as she came, she retreated back into the jungle.
Left to his own thoughts, Kazic’s introspection was all-consuming, so much so that he neglected to notice when the reflected light of the Yavin gas-giant shone upon him. Even more amazing, he could see as the
daen nosi collected around the area that the girl had been, churning around the ground creating eddies that only he could see.
Slowly, Kazic rose to his feet wondering just what this portended.
<<<<< >>>>>
The next night, Kazic sat just past the perimeter, the light of camp casting its illumination upon him. Even so, the Gray Master calmly meditated, his lidded eyes still seeing clearly into the dark surrounding environment. As with the previous evening, the girl silently approached, careful of where she stepped.
But unlike the previous night, she responded to Kazic immediately. Heading straight for him, she stopped several meters away from where the Anzat was seated. And again, she slowly crouched, resting upon her heels. Instead of a robe, this time she grabbed a package of foodstuffs with a water filter. As she looked at him, Kazic gave a disarming smile. Gesturing to the food, the Anzat then made offering motions to the girl. And finally Kazic saw her face clearly in the light from the camp. Youthful, she must have been five or so years younger than Kasah.
…So, a human preteen… he deduced. She had shrewd light eyes and vivid red hair, her skin tanned on her face and arms but Kazic could see from her neck that she had alabaster skin.
And she did likewise to Kazic, her eyes perceptive but still full of controlled fear. Silently she looked him up and down before snatching the food package. Even as she did so, her eyes never left his, and a…an itch began to form on his nose. Controlling his hands, he remained motionless, his face impassive save for the small smile that was reflected within his eyes. And a moment later she left, swallowed by the jungle, the night-sounds uninterrupted from her passing.
But it was the next morning that Kazic got another surprise: waiting outside the constructed tent that he slept in, a collection of delicious berries had been artfully arranged on a bark bowl. As Kazic ate the fruit, he casually felt around with the Force, scanning the jungle with his eyes. Sure enough, he found her just beyond the jungle’s edge. Smiling knowingly, he made plans for tonight’s “exchange…”
<<<<< >>>>>
For the next three nights, Kazic and the girl conducted their ritual trades: foodstuffs for local exotic fruit, clothes for cleverly crafted utensils, and—on the last night—a leather belt for a finely crafted wood totem, one that had three women carved in low relief. Its craftsmanship was exquisite, Kazic noticed, each woman signifying a different aspect. One had a bow and arrow in her hands, the woman standing in front of a crescent moon. Another woman held a mirror in one hand and a flower in another, her bare breasts exposed. The third stood in front of an olive tree, a snake hanging from one of the branches while she held what looked like an…owl? Kazic was amazed; he’d heard of such creatures having lived in days passed but, aside from holovids, he’d never
seen one. The Anzat shook his head; the totem was clearly indicative of an ancient pantheon. The fact that the girl had such knowledge… Kazic wondered just where she’d gained such; he’d been alive over 400 years but he had never come across a system—much less a planet—that had such a theology as the one represented on the carved iconography of the wooden talisman.
Truly, it was a mystery that perplexed Kazic. But he knew what he could do to help assuage his curiosity.
On the fourth night, he prepared a meal in front of a comfortable fire, two place settings evident so as to make his intentions plain. He was not disappointed; the girl soon appeared for their nightly ritual, her intelligent eyes inquisitive and clearly pleased at the sight. Sitting on the opposite side of the fire, Kazic smiled and offered for her to sit. Hesitating only briefly, she slowly sat on her heels, tentatively picking at the assorted food that was laid out before her. Soon, she was contently eating and drinking, her demeanor more relaxed compared to what the Anzat had previously witnessed.
…Now… Kazic thought.
“Thank you for your gifts.” He spoke softly, sincerely. The sound of his deep voice startled her, her chewing halting. But only for a moment; it was as if she was unused to hearing speech but she evidently knew what it was. And, more importantly, she understood. A small smile appeared upon her lips, her aqua-colored eyes reflecting her good mood.
Emboldened, Kazic continued, venturing a guess. “You are not from…around here?” His red eyes were soft, kind, his tone was gentle and compassionate. Kazic reclined on his elbow, crossing his black boots while he stretched out his long legs.
The girl’s smile disappeared, her eyes lowering as sadness began to radiate from her. “…no.” Her voice was just above a whisper, soft and timid. She was silent for so long, Kazic was about to ask another question when she suddenly spoke. “…the night here is odd…that big, red moon… home doesn’t look that way…darker here…” Her voice trailed off as her red hair obscured her face.
Kazic felt her fear but writhing below that, a sense of loss beyond expression. “…Darker? You mean…the stars…by your home…they were…brighter than here?” He sat up, intently looking at the girl.
She gave a slight nod, her head still bowed. “Brighter…much brighter…”
…So…closer to the Core… “How did you get here?” Kazic’s gentle voice softly hung in the air, the girl finally looking at him as tears began to fall down her cheeks. Her lips trembling, she again whispered.
“…The…evil things came…in carts of metal…that could fly. They…took my entire village…” Even as horrified as she was, the wonder in her voice was evident as she spoke in hushed tones concerning the prospect of flight. Almost immediately, Kazic knew what that signified.
…Her family enslaved…poor girl… he thought as he ran his big hands through his black hair, the leather ends of his
statim coarse against his palm. Mistaking his gesture, the girl’s voice became shrill. “I…I’m not lying! They could fly! And they had sticks that could spit lightning!” She was getting upset, her fists balled as if she expected an altercation.
Holding his hands up in what he hoped was a calming gesture, Kazic quickly spoke. “I believe you, Little One. Please, worry not…” Again he spoke very gently as he attempted to placate her. Sitting back down, her breathing somewhat ragged, the girl seemed to accept Kazic at his word. When he was sure that she had calmed down, Kazic continued, “Your people have no ships, no machines…no ‘metal carts,’ of your own?”
She thought for a moment, her face scowling as she tried to best interpret Kazic’s question. "We had forty blacksmiths…and I helped make the scaffolds and pump for a mine one summer!" She smiled triumphantly, pride radiating from her, her posture straightening.
“I see…” Kazic said as gently as possible, the girl was obviously clever…but through no fault of her own completely ignorant of the nature of the galaxy in which she found herself.
He sighed inwardly…saddened to imagine what they must’ve suffered…a pre-spaceflight species set upon by these so called "evil things," most likely slavers or pirates…they would’ve had no way of fighting back and no understanding of what was happening to them…he closed his red eyes, ashamed that these things still occurred. He balled his fists, his anger rising.
…Damned slavers… Even after 400 years, Kazic could not countenance any society that dealt in that retched institution.
It was both ironic and tragic: being stranded on this moon was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to this girl…as hard as life here must be…had she remained in slavery….his heart broke for those of her kind that had not been so fortunate.
Before he knew that he’d made up his mind, Kazic spoke, his voice full of conviction and empathy. “Little One…we’re staying here for another month…then we’ll be returning home…our home. Until then, please feel free to visit us any time you wish, use it as an opportunity to learn from us…” Kazic paused, again surprised at the realization that he’d already knew what he intended to ask before tonight’s trade. “…And consider whether you would like to come with us when we go.” He gave a fatherly smile as she continued to stare at him.
He felt a sudden brush against him in the Force, rapid and probing…strong…unusually strong… Shocked, Kazic kept his face impassive while deciding what to do: block the Force Probe or…lower his defenses… Unmoving, he chose the latter, siting patiently as the girl Delved into the depths of his mind, seeing his thoughts, reading his intentions…
All the while, as Kazic patiently endured, a thought percolated from the depths of his mind.
…Perhaps it was not simply luck that brought us together… The girl smiled, her eyes alight with newfound hope. Kazic felt her presence within his mind withdraw, a not altogether uncomfortable feeling considering.
Red eyes met aqua as they both looked at one another, a bond having formed of trust.
“Thank you, Kazic.” Her voice shook with gratitude and relief. She was no longer alone.
And Kazic realized that—somehow—she’d…left a part of that yearning, that worry of being lonely within his mind, indelibly now a part of himself.
…Incredible… He thought, again marveling at how strong she was in the Force.
“And what is your name, Little One?” Kazic wondered again just what agency had brought them together.
“Aresaea.” The girl replied, her face full of wonder. Kazic could empathize. He could feel it as well: the
daen nosi rested upon them both, converging as they did so. He knew that they belonged together, like family.
And the
daen nosi were never wrong.
