Forever Loved (Shadya's Back story)
Chapter 1: Arrival
Part 1: Gilden Quadlo
"Vroooooo-vroooooom! Krrrsh! Oh no, we're under attack!"
Little human hands guided two small ship models through the air in a make-believe dog fight, while the little boy provided improvised sound effects. The little eight year old was sitting in the empty common room of a Corellian cargo ship, playing by himself as the lights above him flickered occasionally. Narrowing his eyes and combining the flickering lights with his imagination, he lightly smacked one ship into the other.
"Kwroooo! 'I dun think she can take much morre, Captain!' Vroooooooo-Die Krick!-ooooooom! Ptew, ptew!"
Suddenly the lights went off, swallowing the room in complete darkness. The boy went quiet nervously, looking around absently. Maybe the lights went out for good this time. On his rump, he shuffled to where he felt was a safe corner of the room and huddled slightly. He wasn't afraid of the dark, but being in a dark place in a fairly small cargo ship made him as uneasy as can be. It took a few more minutes and the boy started making tiny whimpering noises before lights flickered back on in full force and stayed on. He shielded his eyes slightly before they adjusted, then he looked at the model of the Mon Calamari cruiser in his hand. He smiled at it, and held it up to help it fly in the space above his head.
"Jedi Master Gilden wins! Whoo hoo!" And as though nothing happened, zipped the ship around him absently. He started to wonder how his parents were doing in the cockpit when the duel beeps of the intercom came on.
"Hey, buddy!" called a friendly male voice from the speaker. "Come up here and see this!"
Gilden jumped up and zipped out of the room and through the small corridors in the direction of the cockpit. His excitement couldn't be contained now.
"We're here! We're here! We're here!"
Slamming the entrance button to the cockpit hatch, he sailed right into his waiting father's arms laughing happily. His mother sat in the co-pilot chair watching with a big smile.
"Dad, dad, we're finally home, right?"
"Almost, kiddo." The father assured, mussing the little boy's thick black hair with one hand. "We're coming out of hyperspace for a quick stop, and then we'll be on our way to Eraos."
"Where are we stopping?" Gilden asked, hopping into his mother's lap where he was greeted with a tight hug.
"It's the Mieri system." she answered, some of her long blond hair tumbled over her son's shoulders as she rested her chin on his head. "We're going to a planet called Ginko to drop a few things off."
"The stuff in the cargo hold?"
"That's right." his father nodded, taking his seat back into the pilot's chair and flicking a few switches on his control panel. "I wanted you to see Ginko from above. It's breathtaking."
Gilden slouched with a pout. His family was moving to the planet Eraos, a planet just on the border of the Inner and Outer Rims. He was going to miss living in the condominium on Coruscant, but he was promised a huge house, all the toys and goodies he could possibly want, and a backyard. His father had called it "the largest backyard in the galaxy", but Gilden would believe it after he saw it.
Gilden's father eased the hyperdrive off with a giant lever and the ship lurched slightly as it popped out of hyperspace and began to sail towards the closest planet to it. The entire surface of the planet was a deep blue with wispy white lines as thin clouds. The little boy glanced the planet's surface over and slumped slightly in disappointment.
"What's so neat about it? It's a water planet..."
"Nope." his father grinned. "That's all trees. All the trees here have thick canopies of blue leaves. Don't tell me you've seen trees with blue leaves before, heh?"
He hadn't, but now his mind was starting to boggle. Gilden couldn't tell the difference between the "forest" below and any body of water.
"Where's the ocean?"
"There isn't one. All the water is underground. The trees suck it up and then shower it down on the ground to water their seeds in the winter months. Everyone on this planet gets water from the trees. Fascinating, right honey?"
"Fascinating." she replied dryly. Little was more annoying than a husband who sat in front of the holo-vision watching documentaries then parading the facts he learned around others.
"Where are we going to land?" Gilden asked, still peering at the planet's surface. "I don't see any cities..."
"There's a space port on the western side of the planet." his father replied, steering the ship towards that area. "This is just a quick stop, and shouldn't take long." While he steered the ship towards the western horizon of the blue planet, his wife pressed several buttons on the console in front of her, starting to make contact with the space port.
"Contact, contact," she called into the speaker, "this is the Green Pilko contacting Ginko Port. Can you read me?"
Gilden looked up at his mother's face after she quieted and put the transmitter on receive for the response. She started to gently bite on her bottom lip, the clear sign she was suddenly growing nervous. The boy was going to ask his mother what was wrong, but was beaten to it.
"Tarri, what is it?" her husband asked.
"Nothing." she insisted, noticing that she wasn't getting a response so she tried again. "Green Pilko to Ginko Port, requesting to dock. Come in, please."
"Well, if you insist there's nothing wrong." the pilot shrugged. "Don't worry, we'll be in and out. A few minutes tops."
"Yes..." she agreed, but sounded distant. Gilden watched the radio with her, noticing that they weren't even getting static from the other line.
"How come no one's calling you back, mom?" the boy asked innocently.
"I'm not sure..." She started sounding more and more distant, and Gilden noticed her hands twitching slightly. She was growing more and more tense. The boy couldn't understand what would be going wrong.
A beacon started flashing on the middle panel, making Gilden's father sit up in alarm then grab the throttle controls tightly.
"Someone's shooting a missile at us! Hold on!"
"WHAT?!" Mother and son cried in surprise just as an explosion rocked the back of the ship. Gilden was thrown into the front controls with his mother on top of him. His father harshly steered the ship with the nose pointing up to push them back into their seats.
"Strap in!" he shouted to his family in urgency. "I'll try to lose them planetside."
"But we don't have clearance to land!" Tarri exclaimed, strapping herself and Gilden into the co-pilot's seat.
"That probably won't matter in a moment. Try calling the space port again, maybe they can give us back up."
"What is going on?!" Gilden cried, but was soothingly shushed by his mother before she tried the transmitter again.
"Ginko Port, this is the Green Pilko calling in! We need support! We're under attack! Come in please!"
The moment she pushed the receive button, static burst in from the speakers. She and Gilden sat up in anticipation; they finally got a signal. Then, came an answer.
"Quadlo! Leif Quadlo!" called back a voice warped by a deep vocoder. "I thought you'd be coming, you no-good spice smuggler!"
"Great." Leif, the pilot, groaned. "Bounty hunters..."
"I knew it..." Tarri whimpered, her finger hovering over the transceiver as if turning it off would make the situation go away.
"That's Gardulla's spice, you little thief!" the voice called back. "If you think you're going to make a fortune with it, think again. Give it up now, and I promise to only kill you."
"Tarri..." Leif kept calm in the face of the impending danger, turning to his wife. "Do a quick scan around us, look for any ships in the area."
"Okay..." she agreed, her voice shaking worse than her hands, and her fingers danced around her side of the control panel. Gilden just looked around the viewport, but only saw the blue planet before him. No ships were in sight... which meant whoever shot a missile at them was probably flying right behind them!
"We have shields, right dad?" Gilden asked nervously.
"Yep." Leif confirmed, also pushing buttons and clacking a couple levers up and down. "That's why we're not a giant fireball right now. Keep a lookout, son, tell me if you see anything."
"Okay..."
"I'm picking up a small ship behind us." Tarri reported. "It's a one-man fighter... or maybe another smuggler ship like ours..."
"One with missiles and laser cannons?" Leif guessed, guiding the ship towards the planet's surface. "So much for our quick stop..."
"What's the plan?"
Leif looked into his wife's worried eyes and let his gaze linger there as the ship started to drift into the upper atmosphere. He then looked at his boy, who turned his watchful eyes to his father. Leif patted his boy's head a couple of times in assurance before turning his attention back to the controls.
"We're gonna run."
"Run where?!" Tarri asked.
"Anywhere but here." Leif decided, continuing his descent towards Ginko. Just as the navigation controls confirmed the ship entered the atmosphere, Leif furiously started warming up the hyperdrive. Tarri recognized his hand movements and panicked.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WE'RE TOO CLOSE TO A GRAVITY WELL!"
"We'll be okay." Leif insisted.
"YOU COULD KILL US!"
"We'll be okay."
"Dad?" Gilden squeaked.
"Don't worry, we're going to be okay." As he talked, he scrambled to plot a course for an Outer Rim system far from their location.
"You'd have to be crazy to jump into hyperspace in the atmosphere of a planet!" Tarri's tone went from frightened to enraged.
"It'd be crazy to follow us the same way." Leif's calm determination didn't waver. Unfortunately, his hunter behind him was also picking up his strategy.
"Warming up your hyperdrive, Quadlo?" the warped voice came from over the transceiver. "That is the last mistake you'll ever make."
The targeting beacon flashed and blared once again, warning of one more incoming missile. Leif didn't flinch; the worst that could happen was that the shields would be taken out. He waited as the course was plotted, steering his ship closer and closer towards the wide blue planet below him.
"Dad..." Gilden called nervously. He wasn't answered. The ship then lurched once again as the missile struck from behind. Warning lights started to flash, showing that power for the shields was completely gone. Tarri started transferring what was left of the shield power to the engines. Leif then got the signal from the navicomputer that they the course was plotted successfully, but they weren't clear to jump. He ignored the warning.
"Here we go!" He called, pushing a critical lever up and activating the hyperdrive. The ship lurched as it bounced off the lower atmosphere and into hyperspace. Just as they made the jump, the transceiver made one last transmission before the jump cut it off into eternal static:
"You idiot..."
The plotted course Leif decided on would take ten parsecs, which gave him and his wife enough time to assess the damage to the ship and determine what the next step would be. Gilden sat at the common room's table, staring blankly at his toys while he listened to his parents talking down the hall. They were trying to repair what damage they could.
"The gravity pulled the antenna and the landing gears off the ship belly, and the stress on the engine nearly shot the environmental controls." Tarri listed to her husband as she poked around the underbelly of the ship from the inside. "As for the rest of the damage... oh, what I wouldn't give for a droid to help me figure this out... The hyperdrive wouldn't be able to make another jump without further repairs. Hopefully, where we're going has ship mechanics or a cheap hyperdrive."
"We should be alright." Leif theorized. "The spice in the cargo hold can pay for any new parts we need, or we can trade it for a new hyperdrive. We're heading towards the Kadok system, and nearby is a spaceport that's crawling with smugglers like us. Someone should be able to help us out."
"But first," Tarri climbed up to her husband's level in the hallway, "we need to be able to land! Our landing gear is gone!"
"Then we better get ready to crash." This earned him a groan from his wife, which he responded to by kissing the top of her head. "We're going to be just fine, honey."
"That's all you've been saying since we finalized this plan, and hardly anything has been going 'just fine.'" she complained.
"Have some faith. I love you and Gilden too much to let anything bad happen to either of you."
Gilden looked up from his toy staring to ask his father something, but the question stuck in his throat. He just stared, silently. Leif noticed and looked up at his boy. A brief look of concern went to the boy before Leif kissed the top of his wife's head again then walked over to the common room. Gilden looked back at his toys as his father sat beside him.
"You okay, buddy?" Leif asked, putting an arm around Gilden's shoulders and rubbing the boy's arm in playful assurance.
"We're not going to Eraos, are we?" the boy muttered, still stunned by the attack over Ginko.
"Not right now, no." his father answered. "We ran into a problem. So, we're going to fix this problem, get our money, then go live in that big beautiful house in Eraos. I promised you that backyard and we're gonna get it."
"...dad?"
"Yeah, son?"
"Did you steal something from someone?"
Leif went quiet and nervously flipped a few strands of hair away from his brow.
"Well... yeah, I did. In the cargo hold is ten million credits worth of spice. With money like that, your mom and I wouldn't have to work ever again... And there's a prestigious academy on Eraos that we could easily get you into when you're older. We'd be living the high life we deserve..."
"I thought we lived the high life on Coruscant..."
"Well... yeah. With your mother's job as a Senate transcriber and me working in the droid factories, we did have a nice condo and you went to a nice school... But did you notice something, Gilden? Your mother and I were hardly ever home because we both have demanding jobs. We hardly even had time for each other. So, starting a new life with a lot of money in Eraos is so that we can start living as a family again. It'd be nice if your mom and I made dinner in the evening when you came home from school instead of you coming in home alone to reheat leftovers and tuck yourself in."
"Well..." Gilden paused. Life wasn't bad, but his father had a point. It would be nice if they could spend more time together. Since the boy didn't respond, Leif hugged him in reassurance.
"Relax. Once we fix the ship up, we'll go straight to Eraos and move in."
"But what if those bounty hunters find us there?"
"They won't." Leif promised. "We'll sell this ship to throw them off. Some extra money will come in handy. Maybe for a scholarship at the academy?"
"Maybe..." Gilden sighed. Life on Eraos did sound nice, but if the price was stealing from crime lords and outrunning bounty hunters... Was it truly worth it? But before he could ask that question, a loud and rapid beeping echoed from the cockpit. Leif turned his head to it urgently.
"We've arrived." He gave Gilden an assuring pat on the shoulder before standing up and walking down the hall. Tarri jumped out from the hatch in the floor and sealed it before following him. Gilden got up to follow them, and held his mother's hand tightly.
"Mom, what if there's bounty hunters waiting for us here?" he asked, trying to hide his nervousness. Tarri squeezed his hand, and he could sense that she too was hiding her own anxiousness.
"Your father plotted something of a random course for who's-sure-where. I don't think anyone knows we're here."
Leif and Tarri took their seats in the cockpit, Gilden stood in the space between them and watched with anticipation. Leif closed his hand around the hyperdrive's throttle, and with a muttered prayer pulled it back into place. The ship rocked violently as it popped out of hyperspace, then lurched foreword so hard that Gilden was thrown into the controls. His mother grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him towards her, and the boy got a full view of the planet directly under them before the entire viewport began to glow orange.
"We've jumped right into another planet's atmosphere!" Tarri cried.
"I know, I know! Take it easy!" Leif cried back, working at his side of the controls furiously. "Keep the nose of the ship up, and try to steer us in."
"Okay..." Tarri nodded, grabbing the throttles on her side and pulling up with all her might. The ship leveled out as a blast of fire filled the view port and the ship shook as it glided further into the planet's atmosphere, pulled by the gravity. As Tarri managed the ship's position, Leif jumped up from his seat and grabbed Gilden by his arms, pulling him back down the hallway.
"Dad!" Gilden cried out in alarm, now not knowing what his own father was doing. Leif pushed Gilden into the common room's main chair and strapped him in.
"I need you to stay here, Gilden." Leif rushed, tightening the thick leather straps around his son's waist and shoulders. "We're gonna crash and this is the only seat I can put you in."
"Dad..." Gilden started to shake as he was secured. Leif gave his boy a half-hearted tuss in his hair and attempted a reassuring smile.
"We're gonna be okay." Leif promised. "Just sit tight." He then rushed back to the cockpit, while Gilden's shaking continued as he watched Leif disappear down the hall. Leif secured himself into his own chair and took over the throttle as his wife did the same. The flames around the ship were becoming more intense and the warning beacons were flashing desperately. Tarri frantically pushed at buttons and pulled levers to combat whatever problems the beacons claimed was going on as Leif tried to keep the ship level as it fell.
After a few minutes, the flames gave off a sudden burst and snuffed themselves out, leaving a dark view of a large forest along the surface and above the ship were dark clouds that poured rain heavily. The extra pressure from the falling rain aided the ship's fast decent, and the canopy of the trees came closer and closer.
"Leif..." Tarri nervously cried
"It's okay!" Leif insisted, piloting the ship to run foreword with the momentum. The nose of the ship plowed through several trees and then slammed into ground harshly.
The cockpit was crushed on impact.
Before Gilden opened his eyes, he heard the soft sound of rain tapping on the ship's roof and walls. He craned his head and looked around, noting that he was hanging by the safety harness of his seat and quickly came to his senses. Struggling and squirming, he finally fell out of the complicated harness to the cold floor and clambered to his feet, heading for the cockpit. Small details he didn't notice before started to register with his mind: the lights were off, it was cold, the hallways to the cockpit seemed to slant down and tilt to the side as he walked. The conclusion then registered that something wasn't right.
The doors to the cockpit were buckled shut, and Gilden didn't see any way to physically open them, but that didn't stop him from pounding on the doors and trying to open them himself.
"MOM!" he cried, his voice cracking from the shock. "DAD!" There was no response to his banging fists and screams, which made him bang and scream louder. "MOM! DAD! PLEASE BE OKAY! COME OUT! DAD!"
A loud crack from outside startled the boy into a whimper and he hid in the darkest corner next to the door for a moment. Then, all he heard was the rain outside, and he gathered an idea. He stood up and made for the exit hatch, and when he reached it found the door had already sprung open upon crash landing and was letting in the cold rain. Gilden went outside and walked to the cockpit.
The nose and cockpit of the ship was smashed into the ground near two giant trees who's canopy partially shielded the roots from the rain. Gilden climbed up the ship to look through the broken viewport, but found there was still no way to get in. He also found dripping from one end of the viewport glass was something red...
...he didn't want to think about what it was...
His mind went numb from further shock, he fell off the ship to the ground a short distance away. Absently, he started moving away from the ship on his elbows and feet. Fear clouded his mind; it was the fear that his parents were very dead, and gone forever. Suddenly, he stopped moving, and gave out a scream. The cry echoed into the air, scaring a few birds in the surrounding trees, and Gilden curled into himself. The sudden feeling of loss and hopelessness took over any thought or reasoning he had.
Another crack echoed through the sky, followed by a shrilled whistle sound and ended in a deafening blast. The three sounds startled Gilden out of his ball, and had him wander into the thick underbrush of the jungle foliage around him. Still in shocked fashion, he continued to take in small details around him: the giant trees, the gray colored mud, the many plants that gathered around the tree's thick roots, the thick humid air that would make him sweat if not for the rain... He must be on a jungle planet. He crawled on his hands and knees through the brush until he came to a clearing. The sight before him stopped him in his hiding place in fear:
Before the small human boy was a large battlefield littered with bodies. Some were giant bugs with long clawed arms and triangle heads, the rest were clothed reptiles clutching their weapons to their bodies. The warriors still standing fought each other brutally. Gilden watched in horror as the bugs would rip through their smaller opponents easily with their claws, or gun them down with blasters. The smaller fighters had spears and primitive guns that shot bullets, and looked to be out gunned and outmatched. The fighting raged on until there was only one of the reptilian fighters, and he slumped over in exhaustion from the fight, leaning on his rifle to support himself. The bugs surrounded him, training their blasters on him. It looked grim for the soldier, until he threw back his head and called into the air.
More of the cracking sounds pierced the air, followed by the whistles. The bugs looked around in confusion, and some of the smarter ones started to flee. Gilden then saw the source of the noise: launched grenades! As the small bombs fell, they exploded on impact, throwing several of the bugs to their feet and some were torn to shreds immediately by the blasts. After the bombs did their damage, more of the reptilian soldiers flooded into the scene and fought the surviving bugs. Gilden couldn't tear his eyes away from the brutality of the reinforcements as they swarmed their opponents and stabbed them with knives and spears, or shot them in close range with their rifles. The violence was almost over as soon as it began... the smaller fighters obviously winning.
Gilden started to inch away as the reinforcements collected the dead, digging holes to bury their comrades, and setting fire to the bodies of the bugs. As he moved away, more details retained in his head: this is a violent planet. The bugs and the reptiles were fierce fighters and didn't look friendly. He was on a hostile world with primitive technology. And with the ship stuck, there looked to be no way off. He tried to stay hidden as he made his way back to the ship.
When Gilden made it back to the ship, he stood up and started to walk again, now able to focus a little better. But just as he got his senses around him, he saw something that made him nearly go into shock again: his mother had managed to climb out of the cockpit. Tarri lay on her stomach inches from the wreckage, and was trying to crawl foreword. Gilden raced to her, tears spilling from his eyes. "MOM! MOMMY!"
"Gil...den..." Tarri struggled, her eyes washed over in blood. Gilden went to her side and gave her a very tight hug. He felt her arms struggle around his sides, not sure what they were supposed to do. "Get... help..."
"Mom, we have to get out of here!" Gilden cried. "This planet isn't safe! We have to find another ship!"
"Get... help... Gilden..." His mother's voice became fainter, and her hands suddenly relaxed and fell to the ground. "Gil...den..."
"Mom?" Gilden turned his mother over to find that the front half of her was also drenched in blood. Her eyes had closed and her chest fell still. Gilden backed away in fear at first, then panicked. Not knowing what to do, his eyes darted in every direction in fear. He was scared, shaking and now he was completely alone.
"MOMMY!" the little boy shrieked, clutching his mother's body and crying into her blouse. It was all he could think of now, just being by his mother. He cried and cried for what felt like an eternity, until he could cry no more. The emptiness then set in, then did the notion that now he was on an unknown planet with no other ships or technology that he was as good as dead. The brief thought to give up and let death take him flashed by one or twice, and Gilden felt an odd sense of peace come across him. Perhaps it was best that way...
A loud rustling nearby caused his head to shoot up. Then the thought occurred to him: maybe one of the savages followed him! He held his mother tightly and watched as something came into the clearing and stopped to look at him. It was one of the savages, but it looked female. She lifted the bone mask and slowly started to approach Gilden, then looked around at the scene.
"Ruut?" she suddenly said, looking at him with her own slitted eyes. "Ruut? Hapkat?" Gilden looked at her in fear as she came even closer. "Hapkat nii wyska, ruut?"
"GO AWAY!" Gilden cried, scared that she had come to kill him. She fell silent, and looked at him for several moments before removing the cloak she wore and wrapping Gilden in it. Before he realized it, she picked him up and started to carry him away. He was in a full panic and tried to squirm away, but she was too strong. "STOP IT! PUT ME DOWN! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
His screams for help masked the strange woman's sobs as she carried him away.
Part 2: Saatii nik Vu'Loru
The Ipara Jungles of Kalee were being washed with a fierce rainstorm, the animals were chased into their dens and trees for shelter. On the border of the jungle was a long cliff face covered in moss, but upon closer look one would find hand and foot holds to climb into a hidden home in the rock. The home belonged to a warlord and her family, and normally it would be bustling with activity. But such happiness has not been seen in the home for many moons.
In the farthest of the cave home, the female warlord sits in the middle of the Mourning Chamber in her sorrows. Such chambers were carved with many names of ancestors long past, but this was a new house with the warlord as its only owner. There was only one name on the wall, and she stared at it in forlorn. Her back hurt from being hunched over in sadness for so long, but she would not straighten. Her neck was tense from the bad posture but she would not correct herself. Her mumuu war mask sat in her lap where it did not belong, and her eyes were worn to red hues from crying.
A faint memory passed through her head of being disturbed from her mourning. Her two husbands had entered the chamber for the first in a long time, and they ordered her to get out...
"You can't do this, Saatii. We miss him, but we must move on or we will die too."
"...He was my son. My only child..."
"He was my son, too. I am hurting just as much as you, but what good will sitting in the Mourning Chamber for Gods know how long do anyone any good? He wouldn't want you to sit in here and starve yourself to death..."
"I can't face another day... without my little boy..."
"Saatii... We can't wait for you to come out any longer. The Huk are on the move, and we should be too. If you don't starve, you will be captured or killed... just like little T'Caro."
"..."
"...then, we're leaving. Goodbye, Saatii."
How long ago was that? Days? Weeks? Moons? It somehow didn't matter to her. As much as she wanted to die, a part of her wanted to hold on. All she could bring herself to do was stare at the name written on the wall, and the number that marked his age:
T'Caro kai Pawtoa – 7
Saatii's clawed hand moved through the shallow carving as if to write it yet again. Little T'Caro was captured by the Huk along with his uncle, who was a brother of Saatii's first husband. They both tried to make a break for freedom at their first opportunity, but the Huk ripped them both apart with their claws. Saatii was in another battlefield far from her son... and hadn't received the news until days later when she came home. There were no words to describe her devastation or despair. She screamed and cried for days... until she could no more.
Her stomach growled strongly, causing Saatii to focus away from the name on the wall. Her hand went to her abdomen as if doing that would quiet her body. After a few moments, her stomach rumbled again. Saatii closed her eyes and sighed; she couldn't ignore her needs forever... not even to continue mourning her long dead son. She slowly picked herself up off the ground, finding that her own grief had starved her and made her weak. Gathering what little strength was left, she turned from the name on the wall and walked through the home to find food.
She shouldn't have been surprised that her small home was empty of all life but herself, but having no one around made her shake in nervousness. Seeing no harm in it, she tried calling to her husbands.
"Viiro? Naiganai?"
Of course there was no answer. No miracle caused them to return.
Saatii made her way to the food storage, and found all the meat was gone... which made her frown. Of course, her lousy men took it with them. She growled at the revelation as she turned away and headed for her old bedroom.
"Curse you, bastards! Curse you, Viiro! Curse you, Naiganai! Curse... Curse me." She muttered the last words quietly, knowing that she had brought this on herself. She hadn't paid attention to her husbands, it was not their fault they decided to leave. And if they weren't loyal enough to her to stay, then they didn't love her. Even though she was the one at fault, she didn't feel any harm in leaving fault with them as well. With thoughts of blame on her husbands, she grabbed her shoni spear from her bed chamber and placed her war mask on her face.
She had to hunt for food... or join her son in the afterlife.
The pouring rain soaked her cloak and tunic heavily, and the mud of the forest floor was caking her feet but Saatii pressed on in hungry desperation. She had traveled a good mile from her home, and found nothing bigger than twig birds. When had hunting for food become this challenging? There were normally meaty swigg, or packs of uparos, or even a whole mumuu if she was desperate enough... Perhaps the Huk had taken anything worth hunting...
Her thoughts were interrupted by a foul oder that wafted nearby. She knew that smell; the burning of Huk bodies. There was a battle nearby, and Saatii wasn't sure if she should get involved. Her home was close to the Paqyw tribe's territory, and an Opani woman like herself certainly wouldn't be welcome at any of their war camps. But if nearby Opani troops were fighting that battle, it would be seen as an act of cowardice to not go and assist. She looked at the spear in her hand, the only weapon she brought, and thought a moment.
Well, I'm hunting... Perhaps if I catch something, I can offer it to the troops before I can assist.
Yes, that was best. Making up her mind to try and hunt something large for the troops, she started walking away from the sounds of battle to find large game. But just as she started to make her way deeper into the forest, a flash of light above her caught her eye and she shot her head up to look. Something in the distance sailed through the sky, and hit the ground in a large crash.
"...what in..." she gasped in her native tongue. She wasn't sure if it was a "heaven's rock" or a Huk ship. But it was fairly close by, and maybe it's crash had flushed some animals out of hiding. Deciding it was best to discover what it was, she began dashing through the trees to the fallen object.
After a long distance of running past trees and through underbrush, she came across a very startling sight. It was a ship, but it didn't look like one that belonged to the Huk. The front had been smashed into the thick trees and ground, and blood was trailing from the cockpit. Whoever piloted the ship was crushed on impact. Saatii's eyes shifted towards some moment just below the ship, and what she saw startled her. A little alien boy was holding onto one of the female crew members of the ship, and she didn't look like she was moving. Saatii lowered her spear and carefully approached. Her movement in the underbrush was heard by the boy and he looked up with a gasp.
Saatii was struck by the boy's appearance... a tuff of black hair on his head, pale skin with small eyes and a tiny nose... She wasn't sure what he was... She lifted up her bone mask to get a better look, and slowly walked foreword.
"Little boy?" she called softly, stopping when she was right next to him. She looked right into his wide blue eyes and saw that he had cried until he couldn't cry any more. "Little boy? Are you hurt?" He didn't respond, probably because he couldn't understand her. She tried to speak gently to him, to show that she wouldn't hurt him. "Did you get hurt in the crash, little boy?"
The child screamed something at her, but she couldn't understand him. Saatii's eyes looked to the body next to the boy, and realized she was dead. The situation started to sink in... This boy was in the ship with his family, and for whatever reason, the ship had crashed. This body must have been his mother, or someone dear to him, and his entire family was gone. She looked back at the small boy, who looked very frightened. There was no blaming him, any child would be in this situation. Was there any way she could make him see that she was trying to help him?
Then, the situation dawned on her. She was a mother who had lost her son... This child was a boy who lost his mother and family. Both were very different, but now had something in common... It was clear to Saatii that if nothing was done for this boy, he would die here. If the Huk didn't find him, he would die. Any of the more unforgiving Kaleesh warriors seeing this situation would kill the boy as well. There were also many predators in the forests as well as lethal parasites. And even if he was lucky enough to avoid those dangers, he would still starve to death or dehydrate under Kalee's hot sun. Saatii knew what she had to do, but there was no way she could communicate her intentions to the boy.
The only thing she could think of was to just take him home.
Her cloak was wet from the rain, but the inside was still dry and warm and it would keep him secure. She lifted the cloak off her shoulders and covered the boy in it, and before he realized what was going on, Saatii lifted him up and started to carry him away. She clutched him tightly as she made her way back home, and the boy struggled and screamed. Of course, not a word of his cries made sense to her, but she wondered...
Was he crying out to his mother?
The thought made her sob to herself, which was masked by his screaming. She was a mother who lost her child... He was a child who lost his mother...
Thank you, Gods... she prayed silently in her head. Thank you...
"Hold still..." Saatii groaned as she started climbing up the cliff to her house, the boy still screaming and struggling against her. "Please stop moving like that, we'll both fall..." She knew the boy couldn't understand her, but she hoped her soft and comforting tone would show him that he wasn't going to be harmed. But the child was too frightened to even hear her and was still squirming hard to get away. Saatii just alternated her hands to hold him while climbing and finally reached the entryway of her home. The heavy rain and lack of exercise had drained almost all of her energy, but she kept her grip on the small boy in her arms.
Mustering the rest of her strength, she carried him to the bed chamber of her son T'Caro. Saatii noted that the boy had quieted somewhat, and was looking all around him with wide, frightened eyes. All he would have been able to see of the small room was the bed in the middle of the room: several fur pelts that stacked on each other for comfort. It was the only thing that remained of the room.
"Please, don't be scared." Saatii tried to soothe by the tone of her voice. "You will be safe here. I won't let anything hurt you." The boy looked at her, and she smiled her warmest at him. The small boy hid his face from her in fear, which made her smile drop. Was there any way to make him understand?
When they reached the bed chamber, she set him on the ground on his feet to see if he could move on his own. Move he did, the child darted straight to the farthest corner and curled into a ball defensively. Saatii watched helplessly as he sat there and shivered, and again started crying. The Kaleesh woman stood in the open doorway of the room, watching the frightened child doing the only thing he could. She felt just as helpless as he was. Was there nothing she could do?
Giving him food would probably work, but she had none and couldn't hunt on the way home with a screaming alien child in her arms. And she couldn't go out and hunt now; she couldn't just leave the boy alone. What if he ran away, or what if Huk or unfriendly Kaleesh soldiers came in and found him? She would once again find life not worth living if something happened to this boy. All she could do at the moment was watch the small boy in the corner until his crying quieted, and he slumped into sleep from exhaustion.
Saatii rubbed at the temples of her now aching head. She still had no food for herself or the child, and little provisions for the child at all. And he spoke a completely different language than herself...
...then the idea dawned on her... There is someone on Kalee who could understand his language. If she could fetch him and bring him here, she could probably communicate with the boy! And if those nearby troops were Opani, they could save her the long trip to Kaleela herself!
She took a fur from the bed and carefully draped it over the boy so that he wouldn't wake, then headed back outside into the rain. The cliff face had gotten more slippery after the rain, and Saatii took careful steps down and clung cautiously to the hand holds in the rock. After a safe climb down, she took off at a run in the direction of the battle earlier, and as she ran started to take into the account that it may have been a fight between the Kaleesh and the Huk, and the Huk might have won!
Well, she thought to herself, I'm heading there anyway. I must take that risk, for the boy. She fitted her bone mask back onto her face as she ran, keeping to the thick foliage for cover. She ran a good mile or so until she heard voices, and hid in the brush to catch her breath and listen. Hearing they were too faint, she crept quietly on her hands and feet towards the voices and recognized them as Kaleesh.
She dared to raise her head higher for a better look, and her eyes were greeted to a Kaleesh war camp and the soldiers were tending to their wounded. One of the father soldiers was stringing a necklace of Huk barbs together while his leg was being mended, which meant this battle was won by the Kaleesh. The warlord was nearby, and a quick look at his cape displayed his loyalty to the Opani tribe, Saatii's tribe. She was in friendly company, and with that she stood up from her hiding place and approached the camp.
One soldier quickly spotted her and raised his slug rifle instantly. "Stop!" he shouted. Saatii quickly stopped and followed protocol: bringing her arms out away from her chest and displaying her arms just over her elbows, palms foreword. She was not armed, and her unwavering gaze showed that she was a warlord.
"I am Saatii nik Vu'Loru, Opani." she introduced. "Where is your general?"
"What is going on?" As if to answer her, the general came foreword. He was hobbling on a long walking stick to support a newly broken leg, and the entire left side of his traditional robes were stained in blood. His left eye was swollen shut as he looked at the fellow warlord before him. "Saatii... It has been a while. What brings you here?"
Saatii recognized the general as an older acquaintance.
"Hurahn, I'm glad to see you. I have an emergency back home, and I must fetch the elder Raiitoh. Is it possible to send one of your men back to Kaleela?"
The request surprised Hurahn, as his swollen eye opened slightly as his better one widened.
"Raiitoh? Whatever do you need him for out here?"
"I said it is an emergency. I know it is sudden and your men are now recovering from battle, but... I am in desperate and immediate need of his wisdom. I..." She paused. Losing track of time was becoming a horrible habit. How long did it take her to get here. "I don't know if I have time to explain... did anyone see a ship crashing just now?"
The entire camp went into a buzzing of unsure whispers and inquires. No one spoke up, so Hurahn shook his head.
"We were in the middle of battle. I only looked up to call down grenades on our enemies, and went unconscious from the blasts. What did you see, Saatii?"
"I was out hunting when I saw a ship... a space ship crash not too far from here. I found someone who needs help, but speaks another language. I need elder Raiitoh, because..." She had to be sure. She had to be absolutely sure she was wording this right. "...I believe the survivor speaks Basi."
"I see." Hurahn nodded. "I'll send men to look for this ship. As for the survivor..."
"...a child..."
Saatii's blurt of information halted Hurahn's words. His soft spot was struck, and he fell silent for a few moments before speaking again.
"Then, when we are able, my troops and I will go to Kaleela and fetch Raiitoh ourselves. We are heading back there to heal anyway. Go back to your home and care for the child as best you can."
Remembering that she had no food, and didn't trust the boy alone in her house while awake, she bowed her head low as she made a request.
"I have another favor to ask, forgive me for imposing. My husbands left me, and they took my food and provisions. I have nothing to give the child... or myself."
"I see." Hurahn nodded again. "We'll give you two supplies day of food, it is what we can spare. Raiitoh should be here tomorrow evening, providing the weather improves. Is your home where I remember it is?"
"The rock face cavern in southern Ipara, yes." Saatii nodded.
"I will bring Raiitoh to you. Wait for our return." He then smiled behind his mask. "I am glad you finally came out of your home, Saatii. The tribe has worried for you, but feared your wrath if disturbed. Forgive my lateness..." The warlord bowed his head with a hand resting in the center of his chest, "But you have my condolences for your son."
"I... Thank you, Hurahn." Saatii bowed her head not out of protocol or tradition, but of being reminded of her loss. "I must be going. The child is asleep in my home and I must watch over him."
"Yes, of course." Hurahn then turned to two of his healthier soldiers and instructed them to bring some of the food supply from the storage tent. "These two will accompany you to store your meat and herbs, then I will return with the elder. Stay safe and in good health, Saatii."
"I thank you greatly, Gijya, and I leave in peace." Saatii then bowed completely over for her closing statement, then raised her head to see the two soldiers earlier bringing large bags of tanned leathers that were filled to the brim with raw, salted meat and separate leather skin bags filled with different plant herbs that were safe to eat. They quietly followed her back to her home, climbed up the hand holds behind her and placed the bags of food in the storage chamber. As they began to leave, one of the soldiers turned to Saatii.
"Do you have water?" he asked.
"I can find water, but thank you." Saatii graciously answered. "A safe journey to you and your squad, and thank the general for me again for his generosity." The soldier just nodded, and exited the caves with his partner. Saatii watched them leave from the entrance, and didn't move until they were completely out of sight. Then, she rushed back to the food storage, forced open one of the sacks with herbs, and stuffed her mouth hungrily. She was going to need her strength to take care of the alien child.
Saatii then began opening the bags to look through the food she was left, and quickly decided on a quick stew for herself and the child. There was more than enough for both of them.
Hopefully we can both keep up our strength, she thought to herself, picking up a hunk of raw mumuu meat. I'll do everything I can to at least see him through to adulthood...
...He's now all I have to live for...
Part 3: Raiitoh
The rain had ceased by morning, and by evening a low mist hung in the air around the trees. It was a perfect shroud for a caravan of four traveling through the Ipara jungle and to the southern cliffs that served as Saatii's home. The leading male of the group, the Kaleesh warlord Hurahn, climbed up the hand and foot holds first. A young female scaled up after him, paving the way for an older Kaleesh man covered in a black cloak to climb after her. Behind the elder was another young female, making sure the old man didn't fall from his climb. All four entered the cave successfully, but there was no one to greet them upon entry. The elder continued ahead of the group, his short walking cane clacking the stone floors as he walked foreword with its support.
"Gijya?" the old man called into the caves. "Gijya Vu'Loru?"
"Here in the back, elder Raiitoh!" a female voice called from the caves. Raiitoh nodded and made his way to the smaller bed chambers, Hurahn by his side. As the old man walked into the cave, his old eyes caught the sight of Saatii, frail and lanky from starvation, sitting on the bed in the middle of the room. Her head was turned to the furthest corner of the room where the small alien boy huddled. Raiitoh watched as the little boy's head turned to him, and his little eyes widened in fear. The elder Kaleesh studied the boy's face and one of his hands, then chuckled upon realizing what the boy was.
"Human." Raiitoh announced to himself, then took two steps towards the boy. The little human shrieked as the elder came closer. Raiitoh stopped and lifted the robe of his hood so the child could see him. "Boy." the elder called in Basic. "Boy, can you understand me?"
The child stopped crying to look at him in surprise. There must have been some relief as the young one relaxed slightly from his tightly curled posture.
"Y... Yes, I understand." the boy croaked, his voice strained from either screaming so much or not talking at all. "H... How do you Basic?"
"I am among few that has left my homeworld of Kalee and learned Basic... but I am not here to tell that story." Raiitoh risked walking closer to the boy, and there was no screams. The child watched as Raiitoh stopped walking right next to him, and knelt to be at eye level. "I am here to learn your story. What is your name?"
The boy paused, as if he had forgotten it. He avoided Raiitoh's eyes.
"M... My name is Gilden. Gilden Quadlo. I... I, I, I'm from Coruscant."
"Ah." Raiitoh smiled. "The city planet. You are a very long way from home."
"...yes..."
"My name is Raiitoh suu Graznatsu, but call me by Raiitoh." the elder introduced. He then pointed around the room to the others. "Sitting there is the one who brought you here, Saatii. And at the door is my escort, Hurahn. Please do not feel threatened. Saatii called me here to help you."
Gilden's eyes wandered to Saatii on the bed, and there seemed to be a change of expression in the boy. He didn't seem afraid, but now he looked confused. Gilden looked at Hurahn for a moment and tensed a little. Noticing the boy was growing uncomfortable, Raiitoh turned to the others.
"I need time alone with this boy. All of you must wait elsewhere."
"But!" Saatii objected, standing up from the bed. "But there's much I need to tell him! To ask him!"
"I will ask him for you." Raiitoh insisted. "Please leave, Saatii."
Saatii hesitated, so Hurahn gently took her by the arm and pulled her up before escorting her out. The other two women with Raiitoh accompanied them further into the caves, and Raiitoh turned back to the boy to continue.
"Does Saatii frighten you? She wants to help."
"..." Gilden hesitated again before speaking. "I didn't know what she wanted with me. She just took me... and..." The boy was growing increasingly tense, so Raiitoh took the gamble of placing a hand on Gilden's shoulder. Gilden's tension eased slightly, and he looked back at Raiitoh with concern. "What's going to happen to me here?"
"That is what I will find out soon." Raiitoh promised. "But tell me about yourself, Gilden Quadlo. Can you tell me how you came to be here?"
The boy fell quiet for a moment, then sensed again with a shiver. Raiitoh tried to make the boy more comfortable by taking a fur from the bed and placing it over the boy. Gilden clutched it around him, and as if he drew strength from the fur, he began to speak.
"My family and I were going to move to the planet Eraos. It's a planet of wide meadows, giant trees, and large houses for the rich. My dad... I think my dad stole something valuable from a Hutt... um, that's a crime lord... and we were chased by bounty hunters. Something went wrong when we fled, and our ship crashed here... My mom and dad... They're... They died, didn't they...?"
"You were the only one Saatii found at the crash. I am sorry, little one."
"Then... I saw a battle... Between your kind and these... bugs... Your kind won, but... It was so terrible..."
Raiitoh closed his eyes for a moment as he replied to Gilden's observations.
"The planet of Kalee is at war with the nearby planet Huk. The Huk are stealing our people and selling them to slavery. We are fighting them back, to drive them off our lands, and we will do so by any means necessary. We are keener to war than humans; I'm very sorry your young eyes had to see our battle."
"The man that was here... Who-Hr-Hran?"
"Hurahn. Who-Ra-Han." Raiitoh corrected. "Was he at the battle?"
"He was leading it. He called grenades down on top of himself and the Huk."
"Ah, yes. And he's very lucky to be alive. He will not be fighting battles for a long time." Raiitoh nodded at the brave but thoughtless action of the Kaleesh warlord. "I am tutoring his son back in the city, and the boy will have to scold his own father when Hurahn returns home."
"..."
"Sorry. Anyway. What happened after you saw the battle?"
"I went back to the ship... and then that woman found me... she just picked me up and brought me here."
"Forgive her, I'm sure she tried to tell you that she wanted to help. Saatii has a place in her heart for children, seeing you as you were that night earned her sympathy. ...Ah, that's right..." Raiitoh then remembered what it was about Saatii that made this request strange. "Saatii lost her son two moons ago. She had a little boy your height and age who was her only child. He was captured by the Huk, and when he tried to escape they killed him. Saatii shut herself away in her home in her grief. Her husbands abandoned her at the first sight of Huk advancements, and her own tribe didn't bother to contact her."
"..."
"How has she treated you? Well?"
"Uh... Well... I didn't know if she was going to hurt me... or eat me... or..."
"Heh heh heh..." Raiitoh had to chuckle. "We only eat animals, not other sentients. Has she fed you?"
"Um..." Gilden's eyes turned to the next corner. Raiitoh looked to see two cold bowls of a meat stew. "...She really was trying to feed me, huh?"
"What have you two done since then? Sat here in this room?"
"Yeah..." Gilden admitted, now feeling guilty for his own behavior. "I didn't want her to hurt me, so I just screamed when she came close."
"Please understand that she easily saw your situation and wanted to help you. She even gave you food, which is quickly becoming a precious commodity among our people. You understand this now?"
"Yes, I... Well..."
"What's wrong, Gilden?"
Again, Gilden was quiet, but this time he looked like he was in deep thought. Raiitoh stayed quiet as well, seeing as the boy was facing himself with a decision. It was some time before Gilden spoke again.
"I wish I could go home... Is there a ship I could take to get home?"
Raiitoh shook his head with a sad look.
"We have no ships. We have no technology like on Coruscant. Kalee is very remote in the Outer Rim; one human even called us 'backwater.' If there was a way to get you back to your home, believe us child, we would do everything we could to help you."
"And even if I could go home, I don't have a family anymore."
"This is true..."
"And those bounty hunters might still be looking for dad... I don't know what they'd do to me..."
"So what is it you'd like to do, Gilden Quadlo?"
Again, the boy feel silent, but instead of deep in thought he was in agony. The memories of his parents and home were obviously making him homesick. He gripped the fur blanket around him tightly, and held back his sobs to try and not cry. He had no idea what to do. Raiitoh stayed patiently quiet until Gilden calmed himself down. Then, the elder spoke again.
"You could stay here with Saatii. She cannot replace your parents, but I assure you she will take care of you. She is a good mother, and can raise you well."
Gilden's agony went to complete disbelief.
"But... But I don't speak her language... And she doesn't..."
"I will teach you Kaleesh myself." Raiitoh interrupted. "If Saatii will have me, I can live here with my escort and give you the education you need." He then smiled. "Was that your only complaint, young one?"
"I... Well..." Of course it wasn't, but the boy was too shocked and confused to list all of them, but Raiitoh could guess. "We don't have the technology or conveniences of Coruscant, but we make do with what we have, and home is home. It will take time to adjust, but if you will have us as your new people we will accept you."
"...Must I?" Gilden squeaked, shrinking into his blanket.
"Your other option is to live here on your own, and I don't think you will do so well without proper training. We have many predators, illnesses and parasites... like the bloodtakers that live in the forest outside." Raiitoh lifted up one of his sleeves to show several rigid scars from where the gooey parasites had latched onto him in the past, and there were many scars. "And then, there is the Huk, and I dare not think of what those monsters would do to a boy like you."
".................."
"Consider this, Gilden. You are a boy who has lost his mother and father. Saatii is a mother who has lost her little boy. Perhaps it is the will of the Gods that you are here, and that it was her who found you. Or perhaps it was something more. Perhaps it was meant to be that you would come here of all places in the wide galaxy, to this planet, to this woman."
"..."
"Saatii is your best chance of survival here on Kalee. Hurahn might have given you a thought, but even that wasn't likely. Other warlords would probably kill you to put you out of any misery. Again, I will teach you our language and customs and what else you need to know. Understand, please... There is no other way to live."
"........." Gilden stayed quiet as Raiitoh spoke, but listened to every word. He wished he could think about it, but Raiitoh was right. There was no other way. And Saatii did seem like a nice person.
"Raiitoh?" Gilden started speaking softly, but raised his voice to a proper volume as he made a request. "Can you teach me to say something in Kaleesh really quick?"
"Unbelievable!" Hurahn roared at Saatii in the food storage. "I gave you food, why didn't you eat it?!"
"I tried to feed the boy, but he wouldn't eat!" Saatii defended, shouting at Hurahn just as loud as he was. "So I didn't eat either! What would you do if your own son wouldn't eat?"
"I'd shove it down his throat! Food is getting harder and harder to come by, Saatii! If you won't eat, then I'll take it back!"
"You gave that food to me, it is mine to do with what I want!"
"It wasn't a gift, it was a request! A request I should have turned down if I knew you would just let good food sit here!"
Sharp raps of a wooden cane on the stone floor stung both the warlord's ears and stopped their argument. They turned to the hall to see that Raiitoh had banged his cane on the floor to get their attention.
"My escorts will make us all dinner, if that is alright with you, Gijya Vu'Loru." he proposed. Shocked to silence, Saatii only nodded her head. "Good. Now then, our guest has something he would like to say." He parted back his sleeve to reveal Gilden was hiding behind him, and let the boy peek out. The little human then timidly made his way to Saatii, and with caution he took her hand into his and cleared his throat.
"Mumma..." He began, trying not to be nervous. "Oukara nah dara, zai to mumma dara." Mommy? I will be your son, if you will be my mommy.
Saatii knelt to look the boy in his eyes, and she felt tears well in her own. She was so surprised and at the same time so full of joy, that she didn't know what to feel. Her hand gripped the boy's, and with a whimper she pulled Gilden to her and hugged him tightly.
"Zai dara oukara! Zai dara oukara!" she proclaimed, crying as she did so. You will be my son! You will be my son!
Gilden hugged her back, tightly holding onto his new mother and trying not to cry himself. Both Raiitoh and Hurahn smiled at the scene, before the elder spoke up in the moment.
"I will stay here and teach this boy our language and everything else he needs to know." Raiitoh announced. "Would it be possible for me to stay here with you, Gijya Vu'Loru?"
"Of course." she accepted, wiping a tear away. "Stay as long as you like, Elder."
"What's the boy's name?" Hurahn wondered.
"Gilden Quadlo." Raiitoh introduced. "He is from a very far away planet called Coruscant." The elder chuckled at the confused faces Hurahn and Saatii were making. "A very strange name for you, yes?"
"He will need a new name if the Opani tribe is going to accept him." Hurahn suggested. "No one will be able to pronounce it, let alone remember..."
"I have just the name!" Saatii announced, holding Gilden out of her hug. "Elder, tell him we're giving him a new name."
"What's going on?" Gilden asked Raiitoh, looking back at him in confusion. Raiitoh chuckled.
"Your name doesn't roll well on Kaleesh tongues. We would like to give you a Kaleesh name, if that is alright."
"Well... Okay, I guess..." Gilden nodded. "If I'm living here now, I guess I should have a new name."
"He consents." Raiitoh acknowledged to Saatii. "But personally, you shouldn't name him after your son." Saatii shook her head with a smile.
"I want to name him Shadya. Shadya nad Heswah."
"Ah..." Raiitoh smiled. "A strong name." And then to Gilden: "She wants to name you Shadya nad Heswah." He couldn't help but laugh at the confusion on Gilden's face. "A very strange name for you, yes?"
"It's a little long..." the boy worried.
"It is a full name, and you will be called Shadya for short."
"Shadya..." The boy tried the name out for himself. "Shadya... Okay!" Saatii took his smile as approval, and hugged him tightly again. Raiitoh smiled and bowed his head to the boy.
"On behalf of the Opani tribe of Kalee, I welcome you to our world... Shadya nad Heswah... The Son Forever Loved..."
End of Chapter 1