Chapter 43 - Two Choices
3rd Person
Compassion is the envoy of balance... love without condition, without ownership.
An unshakable tenant of the Jedi code.
Compassion is a sturdy shelter... a tender refuge, cradling all who seek solace from the galaxy's storms of cruelty.
And much like shelter... even Jedi need it.
Zevon
We flew through the atmosphere, and I laid eyes on a free galaxy.
Distant stars urging me to go farther...
Astral staircases demanding that I climb higher...
The cosmic force enveloping me, brushing over the surface of my skin...
'May the force be with you.'
For so long I despised ever hearing or saying that phrase, my distaste for it having only simmered recently.
Others heard 'good luck' or 'safe travels,' while I heard 'do better.'
It almost felt like a personal insult sent from the force itself. A taunt directed at my weakness.
Like dangling s treat above an infant Tooka cat, its mangy fur sullied by Coruscant's soot-coated innards, but never allowing it to sink its teeth into the morsel.
"Mmmmmmmmmmm..."
Our cruiser hummed as its arrowhead-shaped bow peeked out of the atmosphere, the specters of millions of stars settling contently around the hull.
The Absolute rose into higher orbit, and Coruscant's chains of gravity fell away one by one.
Master Gallia, Burst, and I each took a moment to watch the departure from a hangar, all while occupied with our own activities.
I naturally took to the floor to train, and was soon sweating furiously through a grueling session of calisthenics.
Meanwhile, Burst sat in a metal chair, his white-armored arms resting on the blue, ghostly surface of a holotable as he fixated on the projection hovering above. Once I finished my workout, he was prepared to give me another lesson in blaster marksmanship.
And Master Gallia...? She was polishing her ship as usual, her eyes fixated on the galaxy outside, their oceans reflecting starlight back onto deep space.
"VmmmmmMMMMMMMMMSSSHHEW!"
Ahead and to the right, a Jedi starfighter locked into a hyperspace ring, blitzing into space-time shortly after.
"Hehe."
Master Gallia snorted under her breath as she watched the blue ship depart, a book in her lap as she sat back atop the hull of her vessel... the scarlet, white-striped aethersprite dubbed the Red Comet.
I glanced up from my pushups, exchanging smirks with Burst.
"Oh, what a poor shmuck... using hyperspace rings? What, can they not afford a personal hyperdrive?" the clone lieutenant snickered.
In retaliation, Master Gallia flung a side-eye Burst's way.
"The cost is well worth the benefits... and ultimately, not more than what the Senate can provide."
"I'll believe it when I see the breakdown." Burst remarked stubbornly. "But I guess it's fitting, isn't it... Jedi never asking for more than what's given to them."
"Call it an inevitable weakness..."
"But... even then, shouldn't an aethersprite... only manage... one or two jumps?" I huffed, clapping between pushups. "I mean, with-"
"Such meager fuel storage? Perhaps, but in emergencies..." my master mused, finishing the thought. "I will confess that the research isn't mine. There's an excellent paper on it in Coruscant University's archives... simply search for Professor Heyen Knotwood. Attaining the power for a jump with the smallest possible propulsion unit is a great achievement sought after by the galaxy's engineering scholars."
Her eagerness was practically tattooed on her face.
"Hm, I think I'm fine with the bullet points for now. Can't learn everything all at once." I murmured, brushing the sweat on my brow and my curiosity aside. "But anyway, you figured out how to apply the technology to your ship?"
"Indeed, and my tinkering doesn't only amount to a compact hyperdrive. I've also added cloaking technology, even automatic evasive maneuvers powered by some of the most advanced starfighter algorithms ever developed."
I snickered lightly.
"Are you just trying to make me feel guilty for wrecking it?"
Burst snorted alongside me.
"All those mods, but I bet you still need a piss bucket for the jump."
Master Gallia sighed.
"Comfort is a secondary concern."
"It's all cool stuff, I won't deny it... or pretend I understand any of it..." I continued. "But c'mon, you know why those 'algorithms' are a waste: your pride will never let you use them."
"Hrm."
Master Gallia grunted at the slight, but though she attempted to maintain her fortress of stoicism, a few smirks crept over the wall before she could neutralize them.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
"You should thank the cosmos I have disciplined my tongue." she muttered, fidgeting with a communication device on her waist as a transmission crackled through.
An eyebrow twitched, and she stood up, Burst and I still chortling amongst ourselves.
"The council requests another meeting, your briefing will have to wait."
A slight quiver seeped into her step.
"I'll call you to the bridge when I'm done."
She paused, her brow lifting as she opened up for a moment...
"Oh, and both of you..."
Turning around, she gave us a grateful look... her thin eyebrows raising, ripening into distant horizons that shadowed the warm oceans in her gaze.
"Thank you for being here... at my shatterpoint."
A diplomatic mission.
Neither of those words strung together very well, at least according to what I had learned them to mean.
After all, as carriers of a mission, we had a goal... but that goal wasn't galactic peace. Not now, not yet.
Maybe my view of diplomacy was too naive. At the end of the day, it was just another tool to further someone else's ambition.
Eager to study with Burst, I pushed the pondering aside.
Once I grasped the clone's DH-17 blaster pistol, the lesson began. The instruction was simple, far more intuitive than any lightsaber technique.
"First, purge your head of any distractions. Since you're a Jedi, I don't think I need to elaborate on that, right? Focus, concentrate... always keep your blade sharp, and your blaster hot."
As I aimed the weapon at a set of chrome-plated targets, I tensed up my core, flexing my right shoulder...
"Oh? There isn't really any sharpness to this blade though, is there?"
"Second... don't be a smartass, kid."
"Pew! Pew!"
Two red blasts emitted from the barrel, two shots hit their target.
A grin leapt out of Burst's solemn face.
"See? It's simple, really. A blaster only demands a strong stance, and focus."
Before long, we'd assembled at the bridge per my master's request, along with the entirety of Clone Force Ninety Nine.
The bad batch...
Their ranks were composed of huge brute of a clone... a shrewd, tall clone with a hefty sniper rifle... a clone with long hair and a tattoo casting a shadow over half his face... and a skinny clone with goggles, easily confused for a scientist.
Most of them were clad in blackened armor with red highlights. Wrecker, Crosshair, Hunter, Tech... their unique physiques and fitting names made them easily distinguishable from other clones.
"There should be no need for reminders, but this is a strictly diplomatic mission." Master Gallia announced, pacing back and forth in front of us.
Her sight then settled on Wrecker, who deflected the stern look with a casual whistle.
"Not a single blaster fires without my order." she reiterated. "Is that understood?"
Instinctually, all five clones saluted in unison.
"Yes Sir!"
Stopping before The Bad Batch, my master's gaze darted between the four elite soldiers.
"Clone Force Ninety Nine... you were chosen because this diplomatic mission requires only a small, elite guard. Your combat prowess needs no explanation."
Her gaze then shifted to the odd clone out.
"As for Lieutenant Burst... his skills are more than adequate, but the reason he is present lies squarely in the fact that he has my trust. In the absence of my input, follow him."
Crosshair raised an eyebrow, whereas Hunter gave a serious nod.
"Oh, and there is one more thing..." my master uttered. "The deadly bounty hunter called Embo will join the guard as well."
Upon hearing the outlaw's moniker, Hunter raised an eyebrow.
"General..."
Master Gallia lifted a palm, silencing him.
"I see wary faces... save your misgivings, he is no stranger to working with the Republic."
Crosshair looked like he wanted to jump in as well, fiddling with the toothpick in his mouth so much to the point it became excessive. My master, however, shut each of them down.
"We will rendezvous with Embo shortly when the Absolute arrives at Nugoll, at which point both he and Clone Force 99 will be briefed on the mission by Master Shaak Ti from Kamino."
Each of us nodded, though Burst and I exchanged inquisitive glances. However, our curiosity was immediately quenched by Master Gallia's next declaration.
She frowned, mentally deliberating a bit more before revealing her thoughts.
"Additionally, once we arrive, I will promptly depart to the surface... to speak with the locals and investigate the state of the colony. I will be accompanied by Commander Boltreaver, Lieutenant Burst, and no others."
"Tssk!" Crosshair snorted, the toothpick snapping between his teeth.
Hunter shrugged, remaining calm.
Wrecker didn't even appear to grasp what she stated.
"General, may I ask why?" Tech pried, raising a hand.
While more measured in his response than Crosshair, he seemed similarly opposed to the idea.
"I believe this to be the best course of action." Master Gallia maintained, forcing her eyes shut.
As if fortifying a barricade... preventing all inner conflict from leaking out.
"Dismissed."
Burst
When we arrived, the kid and the General took a moment to observe the planet from the observation deck.
But I didn't stop to marvel Nugoll from orbit. I didn't absorb the colors, meld them together in my mind to imagine what the surface looked like...
No.
One glance, and I knew it was no different than any of the other worlds where I'd marched over sands and stone. The surface was blank, bland...
Muddy.
Once you saw the galaxy, all its dirty truths, everything melded together.
Just as we were boarding the shuttle, a heaviness latched onto my shoulders.
My joints froze up, growing rigid... and I stood at the foot of the landing ramp... petrified within my pale armor.
Zevon, noticing, waved his metal-encoffined hand with concern.
"Wait a second, Master. Hey Burst, something wrong?"
The general glanced back, her all-seeing azure eyes settling on my visor.
"What troubles your mind?"
"General... it's just a friendly stroll through town, right?" I reiterated cautiously, gesturing down at my attire. "You mind I leave the gear behind?"
Her blue irises briefly battled the black brim of my helmet... still, dead calm.
"Perfectly acceptable." she finally nodded, vanishing into the shuttle cabin as her voice echoed behind her. "Though I assume you will keep a concealed blaster on you."
"Oh..." I trailed off, my left hand aching as it impulsively flicked toward the DH-17 on my belt. "Sure, of course."
"Ahhh..."
Zevon, whose gaze had been scanning back and forth between Adi and I, sighed heavily.
"I can carry it for you if you want." he offered, extending a hand.
After I shed the white armor shackling me, the three of us flew off for the surface, sailing past Embo's Guillotine on the way.
Even as we entered the upper atmosphere, the planet retained its blandness. Even as I spotted the thick layer of clouds shielding the surface from view, I knew better than to expect a pretty sight. We pierced through the sky, and my hunch reared its ugly head... as truth.
Nugoll, well... Nugoll was nothing more than a canvas whose artist had shat pinkish brown all over it.
Sitting in solitude at the pilot chair, no copilot to speak of, Master Gallia spoke up.
"Before I lose my chance, I should explain the origins of this colony."
After a moment with no response, she peered back at us, apparently miffed.
"Since I know you both have been dying to know."
"Please, go ahead." the kid interjected, attempting to pacify her.
"The tale begins on Tholoth, the home of my people... and to many of them, their first ancestor.
The Originator.
"Tholoth is regarded as a delicate, sacred place to be carefully guarded. In other words, a tall building to Tholoth is an old tree to Coruscant....
Even after integrating with the Republic and joining the galactic race to industrialization, the old ways of Tholoth remained intact. To preserve the nature on their home planet, the Tholothians isolated resource collection and industrial facilities to other planets adjacent to the Tholoth system...
All to keep the natural beauty of Tholoth alive."
"I'm sure they had to fight off plenty of opportunists." Zevon spoke up.
The general nodded.
"Of course, as always happens with interplanetary relations... on Tholoth, a distaste for offworlders isn't exactly unheard of.
Regardless, over the decades... bureaucracy and bribery stewed within the Senate Building, and eventually, even Tholoth was swept up in it.
The dealings were discreet, the methodology was delicate... but the moment they extracted even a scrap of The Originator's skeleton, his most devout followers had seen enough.
A radical faction took matters into their own hands, freeing the plundered hunks of ore and mantle in an act of piracy that killed two republic officials.
All conspirators were promptly exiled, and those who evaded capture fled into the mid rim... to Nugoll.
Here, a new haven was founded... absent of the Republic's governmental authority. Over the years, other settlers arrived... carrying their own complaints."
Zevon
"It's clearly not absent of our authority anymore." I eventually inserted, curious. "What changed?"
"The war changed." Burst remarked plainly.
Master Gallia nodded somberly in return.
"It changed everything. All the worlds that defected... any validity of their grievances has always been overshadowed by the opportunistic nature of their leadership."
"So what, Nugoll..." I paused, sensing the direction of the dialogue shift. "Nugoll became ammunition for them? ...The Feds, Corps, Dooku...?"
"A powerful emblem for their cause." my master reluctantly agreed, fiddling with the shuttle's controls as we prepared for a landing. "External pressure, from what I know, is the primary cause of Nugoll joining the Separatists. Then, early on in the war, the Republic claimed the planet from them."
"Oh, and the locals aren't too happy?" Burst sighed, shrugging. " So same story as ever."
"Krrrunk..."
As the shuttle touched down, Master Gallia turned to face us directly, the gravity of seriousness pulling her brow into a frown.
"Correct. And, I might add, they were especially unhappy after Republic forces took control of Nugoll for the fourth time."
Nugoll's scenery was a bit more interesting than Master Gallia had given it credit for.
Entire lakes of mud... singed with a pink mineral of some kind,
To top it off, a dense layer of clouds blotting out a dim sky.
It was already getting late.
My master's story was still processing.
So similarly to other mid rim planets, for the past few years... Nugoll had been trapped in a perpetual game of tug of war.
That's what it sounded like.
Separatists... Republic... Separatists... Republic...
But it seemed that now, finally, that game was about to end.
'Good.' I thought to myself, my shoulders relaxing.
It probably was the right thing to leave Nugoll to the CIS, considering the circumstances surrounding the colony's formation.
'So not much for us to do...'
Having landed in the colony's main hub, I took a moment to observe the settlement itself.
Hundreds of pinkish huts, built sturdily with ceramic...
A marina bordering the largest expanse of mud I'd spotted so far. Two dozen skiffs populating the docks.
Patches of moist ground even in the town's center.
A small pavilion, no... a miniature, ceramic cathedral at the very edge of the settlement.
"The elected emissary, Pyaka, she's approaching now." Master Gallia suddenly spoke, derailing my thoughts.
The Tholothian representative approached us with five guards and two aides, her light brown skin and forest-green eyes faint with stress.
"Jedi Master Gallia, welcome." she expressed, her tone formal with a hint of relief.
"Emissary Pyaka... thank you for your hospitality." Master Gallia responded blankly.
Upon seeing us, the emissary had immediately scrutinized the area, her head tendrils flipping back and forth as she searched for something.
"Where are your troops?" she finally demanded.
"I thought it best not to bring all my forces." my master answered simply.
"Ah well... two Jedi should be enough to quell any unrest if need be." Pyaka huffed, straightening a bejeweled pendant that rested on her chest.
Above us, daylight continued to dim.
Suddenly, I noticed one of the emissary's two aides, a young man of darker skin than his leader, staring at my master a little too long. Not an inquisitive, curious stare either... a knowing, resentful glare.
"It's rather late to go any further... allow me to lead you to your lodgings." the representative insisted, gesturing to her other aide. "I trust your inspection will be brief? I'd like to depart for Serenno as soon as possible."
'Serenno...?' I thought, my surprise muted with a slight excitement.
Had Master Gallia withheld that information from her earlier meeting?
Regardless, the emissary's following question raised eyebrows from all of us.
Master Gallia, Burst, and I formed a trio of apprehensive glances before our resident general responded with a curt declaration.
"We will see."
The emissary's aide promptly guided us to a guest house only a few huts down from the cathedral. It was medium-sized, larger than most of the huts, constructed with the same rose-tinted ceramic
As I waited for sleep to take me, a faint, ethereal wail of musical keys diffused through the ceramic walls.
It persisted into the night.
Adi
Morning arrived slowly, what with clouds choking the day.
Even as light flowed through cracks in the wall, a strange, fluttery feeling in my gut persisted.
I prepared my things, woke up Burst from his slumber...
Today.
Nervous...
My movements less accurate, my fingers growing rigid...
Today.
Today was the day my wonders evolved into revelations.
"Clap!" "Clap!" "Clap!"
The sounds of advanced pushups.
I found Zevon in the kitchen. Naturally, it was the only space large enough to accommodate his morning routine.
"Padawan..."
I spoke up quietly, but he failed to hear.
His mind was drenched in focus, no... his mind was focus.
So far from where I found him.
And now... perhaps too far to bring him back.
"Zevon!" I called sternly.
He paused his training, peering up with a miffed expression.
"Master...?"
"I planned to visit my... them today." I muttered, stumbling over my words.
He stared back, resolute.
"I really need to finish this first."
"I would prefer to leave now."
He chuckled, shaking his head slightly.
"You don't need me there. It might be better that way, actually."
...
A haunting regret washed over me, but I fortified my expression in stone.
"Very well."
I motioned for Burst to follow, and we left the lodgings absent my apprentice.
Gusts of mist gliding over my robes...
Hot, humid air entwining with my skin...
The clouds encroaching on the horizon, and an illusory isle hanging over my head, straining every strand of volition within me.
"Tap..."
"Tap..."
"Tap..."
I trudged through the ceramic settlement, each meeting of boot and moist clay producing a muffled thump. And yet, none of the footfalls reached my ears, what with me still laying in a field of mental oblivion...
Suddenly, a sharp poke brought me out of my thoughts.
I blinked, and Burst nudged my shoulder again, jutting his thumb at a shuttle service to our right.
"Speeder taxi's right there." he grunted. "Way faster than walking..."
"True..."
Hesitant, I glanced up to an orange, overcast sky. High up in the atmosphere, a mining freighter dragged itself through the clouds, splitting the ether in two.
My gaze returned to earth.
"But then I wouldn't have time to collect my thoughts."
The clone snorted, his bushy pair of eyebrows shrugging with sarcasm.
"So that's why you do this."
He let out a final sigh before setting judgment aside, tagging alongside me on a morning stroll through the streets.
Each of us caught our fair share of stray stares, of whispers... insults.
"Arthagepps!"
Foul tongues turned mist to miasma.
The waves of fog reminded me of Mooga, transporting me back to my first reading of that ancient, cryptic text...
'Legend...'
Every thought returned to the tale, wondering... questioning... how to interpret it, how to apply it...
A stranger with white hair, a red mantle... and their choice.
...But their choice was simple, was it not? Was this war so easily compartmentalized? Reduced to simple folklore?
Was there truly any merit in fighting it? ...Continuing to rationalize rallying behind a 'lesser evil?'
Shivering, I glanced down at my belt.
Was my lightsaber always so heavy?
"S-stop!"
A high-pitched cry momentarily dragged me out of the fog.
I turned to the right, and gazed through a small hut's open doorway.
A fist rose up, and then fell...
"Thump!" "Thump!"
"Aaugh!"
A yelp...
A father, raising a hand to his son.
Within seconds, my gaze settled back onto the ground.
Burst, perhaps sensing discomfort on my end, threw out a question.
"They ever... discipline you at the temple?"
"I was never struck, no." I remarked quickly, frowning.
"Huh. I guess everyone has their own approach. The Kaminoans were like that too." Burst commented. "Clammy, cold liquid boring into your skin, hunger clawing at your insides... a fist just can't replicate that pain."
"Enough." I sighed, wincing the slightest bit.
"Struck a nerve?" the Lieutenant huffed, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think you had any."
The minutes trickled by, and we approached a food cart in the street, a billowing green banner stitched to the top.
"Well, if we're taking the long way, I'm getting a snack." the soldier insisted, shoving an open palm in front of my face. "Lend me some credits?"
After a begrudging donation on my part, the plain-clothes soldier approached the seller, a Tholothian looking to be around Burst's age.
Or rather, his physical age.
"Hi Sir, and Master Jedi... what's the occasion?" the man asked politely, his fist clenched. "I have all my permits."
"Oh, trust me... if you faked them, I wouldn't even be able to tell." the clone chuckled, waving down the young man's concern. "Just need something to chew on for the road."
Witnessing the soldier's lax attitude, the vendor's guard lowered slightly, yet the exchange was still quick.
"C'mon, have at least a bite or two."
At Burst's request, I sampled the purchase... a chewy, dried meat with a burst of tangy flavor akin to the krakana sauce of Mon Cala.
We bumped into more locals along our journey, and although the initial hostilities remained the same, Burst handled the interactions similarly to the seller.
"Really? You've got mud boots over there? Mmmm, maybe we'll stop by on the way back."
His lax, easygoing attitude softened stone hearts into the wet clay beneath our feet.
Within the fog, a small smile graced my face.
His fascination with the world around him, his deep seated desire to understand and coexist with those around him... it certainly wasn't part of his conditioning on Kamino.
It gave me hope.
Hope that even I could change.
Each of us submerged in the mist, side by side...
"I think..." I uttered. "...I think I think too much."
"And act too little." the clone chuckled. "Or maybe you just think on the wrong things."
"Burst, if given the choice... the chance to take back all the time that was stolen from you..." I furthered, curious. "But at the expense of everything you did, everyone you met along the way... would you do it? Turn back the clock?"
His reply was swift and serious, albeit muffled by a mouthful of dried meat.
"Instantly."
"That is... not reassuring."
"Then don't ask me mudscuffed questions, General." Burst shot back, shaking his head. "You know that was never an option... for either of us."
"As you know... the Jedi do not believe in unworthy questions."
"The Jedi are wrong, clearly." he laughed.
"Not on that... in my view." I sighed, frowning. "But the possibility... it exists."
"Took you that long to figure out, huh?" he shrugged, grinning slightly. "Ah, I knew it would click eventually."
"You must think nothing of my intelligence."
"It's got nothing to do with smarts, and everything to do with upbringing. Hm, how to put it..." he trailed off, growing serious. "Who's the smartest person you know?"
"Too broad of a question... knowledge, connection, intuition... so many branches to brush through. But, if I must choose... " I pondered. "Probably you."
"Oh...? Damn." Burst remarked, genuine surprise palpable on his face. "Then I've already made my point."
The shock had already eroded, collapsing into cynicism.
I sighed.
"You must think nothing of yourself."
"What's there think?" the Lieutenant scoffed, shrugging my comment off as if it was a foregone conclusion. "...Here's one for you. Look within, and ask... what place does a clone have in the grand design of the Force?"
"A unique one." I smirked back.
A moment of silence passed as I contemplated a thought. Then, another gust of mist swallowed us, enshrouding my mouth as I opened it again...
"The day when I took Zevon as my padawan... I simply could not understand why... until now.
I saw a frustrated youth, an unattainable goal... and a budding pride desperate to justify itself.
I kept that pride alive, refused to let it die, to let him fail... because I wanted to believe in it, in him.
...And because I wanted to prove that the council could be wrong.
But did I really do that, through feeding his ambition?
I taught him how to swing his saber... but not how to carry it.
...All this to say... his teacher in life... should be you."
The fog ebbed, and a soft expression revealed itself, etched upon the soldier's face.
"You're not... mind-tricking me, are you?" he laughed weakly. "Didn't know you could get sentimental."
"I have something else, if you would allow me." I responded quietly. "It pains me, realizing how long it took me to tell you this... I... I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Slipstream. May he rest well... in the vast basin of cosmic energy."
"I was gonna jump down your throat whenever you finally said it." Burst snorted gruffly, having collected himself. "But you somehow outlasted the grief. Clever, General."
"Sorry for being so late." I expressed further, averting eye contact. "I am responsible, after all."
"Why's it always all or nothing with you, General?" he sighed. "Do I still blame you? Partially, but you can't take full responsibility.... you gave him a choice."
I blinked twice.
"You thought I didn't know?" he reiterated.
"Zevon." I nodded, the epiphany striking my temple.
"And you did the same for me." Burst continued. "That's what I like about you."
The fog yet hung over us, clouding our destinies.
"Whether or not I threw it away, you gave me a choice, so I'm grateful." Burst continued, his eyes dampening the slightest bit. "In a way that can't ever be repaid."
"Look after Zevon." I reiterated. "I ask nothing more of you."
Burst nodded.
Silence fell, and the two of us marched on under the smothered sky.
Thinking...
Pondering...
As always, my footfalls outpaced my mind, and I carried my swirling thoughts up the steps to my family's home...
The ceramic door looming over me.
...An eternity passed before I turned to Burst.
"Could you..."
...
"Burst, could you knock for me?"
Burst
"Rap. Rap. Rap."
Upon my knocking, the sound of small feet shuffling about reverberated through the door, as well as a child's happy yelps.
"Raffie! Raffie!"
Glancing to the side, I witnessed General Gallia's expression shift, degrading from muted excitement to a sick apprehension.
"Rafael?"
The entrance scraped open, and an older Tholothian woman called out a name.
"Not quite." the general denied, turning away. "My... apologies for the intrusion."
"Sorry, she's a bit..." I started, giving the woman an apologetic glance as the general attempted to escape the situation.
The woman appeared startled as she noticed my lack of head tendrils, but that was swiftly dwarfed by the shock that followed when she laid eyes on Adi's long, flowing robes.
".......Adi?" she called shortly, preserving a breath of hope within her chest. "...Are you Adi?"
The general froze, taking a moment to pick up her chin before facing the woman.
"Jedi Master Adi Gallia, sitting member of the Jedi High Council." she introduced quietly. "At your service......
......Mother."
"I heard things from the capital, but I wasn't sure..." her mother muttered, wincing as she spoke. "So you did make a name for yourself."
"The best I could." Master Gallia whispered. "To... all to..."
She failed to push the remaining syllables out.
The pauses between them were the sorrow of eons.
Where the beach had once broken bread with the ocean, conversed eye to eye even... the pearly sands had washed away, eroded into nothingness.
Leaving an impassable cliff between them.
"Are you... doing well?" her mother continued, unable to meet her child's eyes for more than a moment.
...
"Yes, yourself?"
...
"Did the emissary not inform you of our visit?"
...
"No. I don't... work with her anymore. ...My duties have been passed on."
...
The general let the silence simmer before taking a deep breath.
"I... I only want to know." she started. "Why did... why did you do it? Why give me up?"
herwinced, her face breaking for a split second before the grief vanished.
"You... wish that I hadn't?"
"No, it's not that." the General denied.
The woman brightened a bit.
"A life spent building this colony, working with the emissary to create a home free from Republic influence... I could never understand why you would so freely part with your child." Adi continued further.
"The galaxy takes you places you never expected to go. At that time in my life, I made a choice..." she sighed, burying her regrets. "Have you traversed the stars, seen the galaxy's wonders, helped many people...?"
"I prefer to think so." Adi answered halfheartedly.
"It was either that... or hold you within our meager means. And though it was difficult - mustering the courage to decide - the right choice was obvious-"
"Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...!"
A wave of dust washed over us, kicked up by the hasteful stopping of a speeder.
"Mother...?!"
"Rafael."
That aide from the day before, a young man about my physical age...
Just like before, he didn't even make the effort to hide his disdain for the general.
"Breakfast almost ready?" Rafael pried, peeking through the hut's window.
"Just about..." Adi's mother responded, looking at something behind her. "Oh, Milo's eating the stew again..."
She hurried inside, but not before gracing us with one last look of wary kindness.
"You're both welcome to join."
With her mother gone, the general stared down this 'Rafael.'
Her assumed younger brother.
"I assume you have heard of me." Adi spoke suddenly.
"Oh, I've heard of you. More than I ever wanted to." he scoffed back. "So it wasn't enough?"
I squinted at the open-ended question, but held back. It didn't really feel like my place to inject myself into any of this.
"Enlighten me." the general stated frankly.
"First you attack our freedoms, then our livelihoods..." he rattled on angrily. "And now our hearts."
"Let me be clear, I chose to come here." the general insisted. "And the Jedi Order did not influence my decision. In fact, they would almost certainly disapprove if made aware."
She paused, her emotion overtaking her briefly.
"I only wanted to meet her, to know. To validate a memory."
"Fine. Well, whatever your reasons..." Rafael shrugged, tired. "If you treasure that memory, you'll leave."
"And why is that?"
"Because you remember how much it hurt her."
The man trudged past us, standing firmly in the doorway before glaring at Adi one last time.
"Be a Jedi, not her daughter... for her sake."
Silence fell, persisting for a minute or two.
"So...?" I trailed off, attempting to read the general's expression. "We going in-?"
I stopped when I saw her peering through the windowed wall, staring at the cozy family meal, bearing a look I knew all too well.
A look of realization. A cold realization... of how thick the window was.
The vastness of the barrier between.
"We return to our duties." she murmured, collecting whatever emotion had started seeping through the cracks. "...Now that my curiosities are satiated."
Zevon
I had just finished showering and dressing myself when Master Gallia entered the lodgings, dirtying the rug with her downward stare.
"Well, how did it go?" I pried.
"My family... I couldn't find them." she responded plainly. "Are you prepared now?"
"Yeah." I confirmed, slipping into my brown boots. "Huh, I thought you said they lived here. The info was outdated?"
Burst nudged me, gesturing to not push further as he muttered under his breath.
"That's not what she means."
The first group we visited was a band of stubborn young adults, Nugoll's self-proclaimed 'Nu Blood.'
Our reception was less than stellar.
We were first turned away at the entrance to their headquarters before the treasurer, a young woman, agreed to speak with us.
"She just can't make up her mind." she groaned regarding the emissary. "She'll malign the CIS or the Republic whenever it suits her, but she doesn't have any real stances on the issues that matter to us."
"Those issues... can you speak on them?" I requested, trying to sound polite.
"You mean you don't know?" she sputtered, anger boiling up within her tone. "How about medical access? You promised us a new hospital...! My dad certainly needs it with how badly the mines have destroyed his back, now you're just going to send us back?"
"Apologies, he's my apprentice, he doesn't know the full extent of your plight." Master Gallia interjected.
"Why bring him?!" the woman spat back, throwing up her hands. "We stuck out our necks so much for you, propping you up over the Separatists, now I'm starting to think that was a mistake."
...
After venturing to the cathedral, we gazed upon the famous fragment of Tholoth's mantle in front of it.
It was bathing in a crystal clear pool, fresh foliage flourishing around it.
A myriad of shiny trinkets were submerged in the depths of the pond, resting beside the hunk of rock.
There we met an elder who hosted a broadcast, telling grand stories to his listeners about Tholoth's rich history. He often transmitted the signal right there, with The Originator's body next to him.
"She's never worked a day in her life, except when those gray, clammy walkers pay her to spit out a speech or two."
Though critical of the Separatists, and spiteful toward the emissary, when we poked his brain regarding Nu Blood, he had nothing but ire.
"They haven't lived under the Republic long enough... hrmph, they haven't lived long enough at all!" he grumbled, pointing a gnarled finger over at the coin-filled pool. "I've seen them, hmph... tossing their junk into The Originator's lifeblood... respect is all but gone here."
The more I experienced the colony's indignation, even experienced it myself, the more I became confused.
Nugoll...
United...
Yet divided.
Despite a few loyalists, it was hard to find even a speck of support for not just the Republic... but the Separatists as well.
Master Gallia and Burst hardly seemed to find any solace in the state of the public, though they appeared less surprised by it.
As night returned, I dispelled my thoughts... prepared for my necessary rest.
...
...
...
Just as I nearly achieved slumber, I heard a faint wail.
The keys had returned.
Leaving the lodgings, I sought out the source of the sounds... my disapproving master following in my wake.
Based on our earlier explorations, I was fairly sure that the music was coming from that mud-colored cathedral in the town square.
Nugoll's night was a lightless one, a forever clouded sky... shielding the planet from all glowing outlooks and bright futures.
The force guided us through the darkness, all while the melody persisted, each high note poking the foggy membrane like a finger on glass.
"No unhindered night sky for us, I'm afraid." Master Gallia sighed, peering up for a moment.
"Agh, and I could've experienced it back on Jedha..." I recalled, smacking my forehead. "Guess it slipped my mind."
The song transitioned to a soft, somber refrain, and my mind conjured a lovely picture of Ahsoka.
Suddenly, another mass of fog washed over the two of us.
...
"Hm, were you distracted?"
...
Master Gallia's accusation dispelled the thought quicker than a podracer's safety inspection.
"Huh... by what?" I sputtered, feigning calm.
My master smirked.
"Your training of course."
When my master passed me in the fog, that smirk had already morphed into a frown.
Even in the midst of mist, the melody maintained its cosmic trilling.
The wind sang the song of a dead comet, every note absent of either the polished egoism of core world pianos or the rustic self preservation of outer rim organs.
Eerie, droning tones ungrounded in reality. The rhythms of shooting stars.
Finally ascending the cathedral's ceramic steps, I spotted the young culprit still absorbed in his music. Only now did I realize that he wasn't just playing... he was chanting something as well.
A spectacle during midday, but infuriating at midnight. At least to me.
"Hey, you. Can you maybe... call it a night with that?" I spoke after clearing my throat. "People are trying to sleep."
The boy's murmurings stopped.
"Hmph. It actually helps some of the little ones drift off." he grunted, sparing a glance over his shoulder. "Of course you prefer silence."
Master Gallia shook her head and stepped in front of me.
"Forgive my pupil's rudeness." she stated, gracing the youth with a slight wave. "I dabbled in the keys earlier in life. Your playing, it's rather unique... I can't even pinpoint the key, is it a minor? Major?"
"Neither. I'm experimenting." he scoffed, turning back to the odd keyboard. "With, hrm... microtones."
..................................................................
Silence abruptly fell, my master eventually picking up the dialogue once more.
"Well, if it was not already obvious, the two of us are Jedi."
"It was obvious."
...................................................................
Silence again, stretched thinner this time.
"Then is there anything you wish to relay to us? Thoughts or opinions on the coming change?" Master Gallia pried cautiously. "We wish to help..."
"Stop, I'm too old for this lesson. If you're really a Jedi, that should be obvious."
"If you could elaborate..."
"Same as ever. The old are too jaded, the young are too angry... I guess I'm the latter. Only the youngest still have it.... unshattered hope that someone will somehow make everything right..."
The boy glanced back again, darkness hollowing out his pupils.
"...Because they've never met a Jedi."
"We do want to help!" I began, peeved. '...You angsty, ungrateful little-'
"No." he reiterated, his fingers sliding back onto the keyboard. "You're here to smooth things over."
The cosmic melody returned. This time, his chanting was audible, every word of his verse clear to the ear.
"Three scouts, should've learned how to lie better."
"Injustice is quieter, never hear out a rioter."
"Helped 'em govern more, until dawn of the war..."
"I see no knights, only pawns of the core."
Any further attempts to communicate with the Tholothian youth failed.
As Master Gallia and I moved to exit, she attempted one last appeal to reason.
"Keeping the peace is a colossal task. ...I myself do not agree with the Senate's every decree... still, we have to operate under some semblance of legitimacy."
Our footfalls gradually gained distance from the wails of keys, but not before the boy sniped us with several parting words.
"Beasts in the bowl musing about the fish food."
"Force your way, force our smiles, force the issue."
"Cast away from the table, all our tongues bit through."
"Sit down Jedi, may the force be with you."
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