A/N: Sometimes in this story, the characters will talk underwater. I know people can't really do that without a diver's helmet, but the "Water War" story arc portrayed Fisto, the Calamari, the Quarren, and Riff Tamson talking underwater without helmets, so I figured it would be forgivable here.
"If this world is all you ever think about, you're going to be limited to things of this world." - Carl Sagan
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan
"Are you ready to start, Zatt?" Master Kit Fisto asked the tech savvy Nautolan boy.
"Yes, Master Fisto," said Zatt.
"Please, Zatt," said Kit, "We're not on duty at the Jedi Temple or on an assignment. For now, call me Kit."
"Sure, Kit," replied Zatt. "This is sure going to be a great little excursion. But are you sure that it's all right to bring Zinn Toa along, too? He's still a baby, and from what you and the Calamari told me, these waters can be dangerous."
"As long as we both keep an eye on him, with the Force as well as our own eyes, he'll be all right," Kit assured him. "All Nautolans start life in a tadpole stage, so Zinn already knows how to swim and how to breathe underwater."
"Okay, Mast- I mean, Kit," said Zatt.
At this time, there was a lull in the Clone Wars in the star system where Dac, or Mon Calamari, could be found, and Kit Fisto had been given the task of taking Zatt, the tech savvy Jedi kid, and baby Zinn Toa, both Nautolans like him, to Dac, where Zatt would learn a lesson in reverence for ocean-based life and nature, and teach him that there was more to being a Jedi than admiration for technology. Zinn was there, too, in order to give him a taste of what the ocean and ocean-life were like.
It had taken a little bit of convincing to make Zatt comply with this lesson, because he believed in the saying "To each his own," and thought that his affinity for machinery and connection with the Force were enough for him. Kit and Master Yoda had replied that his interest in tech was fine, but that a Jedi, particularly one belonging to a species that was physically and culturally predisposed towards nature, should also embrace the natural order of life itself, and Kit had learned that a long time ago when he was just a youngling himself.
Zatt finally decided to give way when he heard that Kit was personally going to take him on an underwater safari on Dac. He couldn't pass up an opportunity to swim in the ocean with a half-water-based person like Kit Fisto, especially since he and Kit were of the same species.
A Mon Calamari guide and her Quarren assistant led Kit, Zatt, and Zinn to a section of the Calamari ocean ten miles off the western shore of Coral Depths City, a popular floating city on the planet's surface where Captain Ackbar was born. Kit signed some paperwork where he agreed that if anything unfortunate happened to the wildlife they encountered, he would take full responsibility for it. After everything was cleared with the Mon Calamari and Quarren, Kit, Zatt, and Zinn dived into the water, dressed only in swimming trunks, and their little safari began.
Kit swam with the grace of a shark under the water, making skillful moves and maneuvers as the various fish in the sea swarmed around and past them. It was obvious that he had had a lot of practice at this sort of thing, because he swam like a real pro.
Zatt was less used to swimming. He had the natural Nautolan instincts of a swimming creature, but he had spent most of his life inside the Jedi Temple, where most of the surfaces were made of marble, metal, or stone. His swimming was more like that of a modestly good human swimmer, but if this proved to be as great as he hoped it would be, then he wanted to become better at it, soon.
Zinn was a toddler, but having lived beyond his tadpole stage, he knew how to swim, and did it surprisingly well. He looked like a cute little baby fish as he puttered through the water.
All three of them were able to breathe underwater, because the Nautolan species could breathe in both air and water. This was due to their having gills as well as lungs, so they had no problem swimming under the surface for prolonged amounts of time.
"Observe the sea life all around you, Zatt," said Kit, "You too, Zinn. Look at the diversity of the fish, and search for creatures that are not fish, as well. Feel their Force signatures in the Force. What can you sense?"
Zatt, remembering to trust in himself and his instincts, reached out in the Force with his eyes shut, and when he had sensed the feelings of the ocean life, he opened his big, black eyes, and looked over the fish. He saw lots of different bony fish swimming about, ranging from tuna and barracudas to jellyfish and sea horses. Zinn reached out to a barracuda, and it swam up to bite at his tiny hand. Zatt almost drew his lightsaber, but before the barracuda could bite, Zinn apparently had used a little Force persuasion to convince the fish to leave him unharmed. The barracuda swam away.
"Be mindful, young Zatt," said Kit, "These fish do not deserve to be killed in an off-worlder's panic. Zinn had everything under control. He is stronger in the Force than even I had at first thought, and he knows how to befriend animals with his innocence as well as his power."
"Yeah, right, sorry, Kit," said Zatt. "But I was starting to sense some of their feelings before that barracuda made its move."
"Then how do they feel, young Jedi?" Kit asked him.
"I believe that they are living in harmony with each other for the most part," reported Zatt, "They don't altogether appreciate strangers like us in their waters, but now it seems they know we don't mean them any harm, even after I almost ignited my lightsaber."
"Excellent," said Kit, "Then let's move on and see more the sea has to offer us. Let's go a little deeper, to where the Quarren prefer to live. There are some unique life forms down there, though we should proceed with caution, for some of them are a little dangerous."
"We can handle it, Master," said Zatt. "Can't we, Zinn?"
Zinn squeaked like the baby he was and swam between Kit and Zatt as they went on.
They swam about one hundred and fifty feet deeper, which didn't hurt them, because Nautolans could withstand a lot of underwater pressure, but they couldn't go much deeper than that. Besides, it started to get dark, and they could not afford to lose each other there, not even with the Force to guide them. There was a magnificent landscape down on the bottom level where they swam, full of coral reefs, crabs, and lobsters. Kit told Zatt that at the polar caps of Dac, there were a species of lobster called the ice-lobster, which had adapted to the icy cold climate at the poles.
Suddenly, Zatt and Kit noticed Zinn become very alert and tense. They looked around, and there was a giant squid-like creature nearby, that looked like it was interested in eating them. Another one followed it, and it looked as formidable as the first one.
"What's that, Kit?" Zatt asked in surprise.
"That is a demonsquid, Zatt," replied Kit. "Quick! We must not let either of them have us, or Zinn, for dinner! Prepare your lightsaber!" Kit ignited his saber.
Zatt drew his own blade, which, like Kit's, had a kaibuir crystal that could make the saber operate underwater. "Zinn, buddy, swim away!" he urged the baby youngling. "Don't let those things eat you!"
Zinn darted for cover with amazing speed, hiding in a coral reef. Kit and Zatt wasted no time in swimming around, trying to make the demonsquids leave them alone, but the beasts wouldn't do so. Zatt slashed at the tentacles of the smaller one, and that convinced it to leave. Kit struck down the other one by piercing it through the eye.
"It's all right for you to come out now, Zinn," said Kit. "Zatt, that was very brave of you, playing the proper role of a soon-to-be Jedi Knight, a protector. But don't let it get to your head, because you can't afford to get reckless with the wildlife on this planet."
"I will, Kit," Zatt promised him. "Good to see you're okay, Zinn."
"We should be extra careful in these waters," Kit admonished the two kids, "There are other dangerous monsters down here, too, and the most dangerous of them all is the krakana. It has tentacles tipped with deadly pincers, it can swim at high speeds, and it has several rows of sharp teeth. No known life form on Dac is more dangerous."
"Whoa," remarked Zatt, "It sure sounds more like a demon of the deep than those demonsquids did. By the way, I don't suppose the demonsquid actually is a demon?"
"No, of course not," Kit said, grinning. "There are no known demons on Mon Calamari, although an uncommon frog-like species called the Amphi-Hydrus could be similar to demons, because they often harness the dark side of the Force and have expressed desire to take over the world."
"Sounds pretty heavy," said Zatt, "Can we have a little more fun on this safari, Kit? I don't want to worry about the dark side right now unless I absolutely have to."
"The dark side can present itself anywhere, young one," said Kit, "But you have my word that I will not lead us into any unnecessary danger. No Amphi-Hydrus will come across our path unless they come looking specifically for us, and the Force tells me that is not likely today."
"Well, good," said Zatt. "Did you hear that, Zinn? The rest of this should be relatively safe."
Zinn nodded cutely.
"Be careful with those animals there, though," said Kit, pointing in one direction, "They are electric eels, very dangerous things. I wouldn't want you or Zinn to get shocked to death by them. Separatist commander Riff Tamson once used them to torture Anakin Skywalker and I under interrogation during the Second Battle of Mon Calamari."
"Yes sir!" Zatt said, giving the Jedi Master his own big grin. "So, where to next?"
"I can feel something in the Force that I remember feeling before," said Kit. "It is the moappa, the delicate sentient organisms of the ocean who once complained about the way the Mon Calamari seemed to own this planet when it belongs to all life that lives on it."
"The moappa?" Zatt said, "I remember reading about them in the Jedi Archives after the First Battle of Mon Calamari, which you and the Republic won."
"Indeed," replied Kit. "Look, over there!" he continued, "There are some moappa now!"
Zatt looked over, and there were indeed many tiny organisms that looked a little like little, pink blobs, a kind of invertebrate, gathered together into a mass, with others spreading out around it like strings.
He and Zinn swam over cautiously, observing the strange little things as they moved. They moved with the elegance of a school of krill, and the Jedi knew that individually, the moappa were insignificant, but put together, they made a super-genius.
Zinn curiously reached out and poked one soft moappa, and then it sprang away from his touch. The moappa announced that they were now at peace with the Mon Calamari as well as the Quarren, and that they now had their own territory to live on, which they didn't appreciate a few Nautolans disrupting their harmony. This was because, after Zinn touched one moappa, Zatt used his inherent Force Water Orb power to pull them apart, wondering what it would be like to see them separate from each other.
Kit quickly apologized to the moappa and said that it would never happen again whenever he was around. The moappa pardoned them, but then they floated away to find another private spot.
"What exactly happened with these things, Kit?" Zatt asked. "It felt like they were talking within my mind, or something."
"The moappa are telepathic, Zatt," explained Kit, "And they once had a bond with the Quarren Isolation League, giving them orders in the Clone Wars, because they agreed with the QIL that they should separate from the Calamari. But they have changed their opinion now, and there is peace between them again."
Zinn clapped his hands in happiness.
"It's great down here, Kit," said Zatt, "but I'm not sure if I want to stay in the deeps much longer. They seem to be the favorite hunting ground for the more monstrous beasts of Dac's oceans."
"All right, then, we will," said Kit, "because I am starting to agree with you. Besides, there are a few more things I'd like you to see, and they are found in another part of the ocean."
"Are you sure we'll be able to finish all this before we get too tired to swim anymore?" inquired Zatt. "Zinn may be as strong as a tadpole, and you may have long endurance, but remember, I'm not used to swimming. Eventually, I might get too tired to go any farther."
"It won't be too much farther, my boy," Kit reassured Zatt. "I want you to see a few more of the especially beautiful life this world has to offer people, visitors and inhabitants alike."
So they swam a little bit further out and back towards the surface, keeping their eyes, ears, and Force senses open for more danger. The swim took them to a bay not far from one of the little islands that dotted the ocean of Dac, where they encountered an animal Zatt had never seen before.
"They are dolphins," Kit said in answer to his inquiring look. "They are highly intelligent for animals. These creatures are graceful swimmers that enjoy to leap out of the water, possibly for enjoyment, and they take good care of their families. They also communicate over long distances by sending signals. They are mammals, too, not fish. Remember that, as well."
Zatt and Zinn watched the dolphins with fascination as they jumped, played, and generally swam around in the waves. Zinn squeaked a little, probably trying to attract the dolphins' attention, and they came over to the Nautolan visitors.
Zatt dived under the water and, after discovering that he could communicate with the creatures, opted to play a game of "tag" with them. The young males and the non-breeding females joined in with joy. Zinn stayed with the nursing mothers and made good friends with the little dolphin calves, which then started to play a smaller game of "tag" with him.
Kit Fisto laughed and grinned his trademark smile as Zatt enjoyed every moment of roughhousing with the dolphins, and Zinn Toa giggled like the baby he was while the equally squeaky baby dolphins responded similarly. The fun and games lasted about a half hour, but time didn't matter to the young. Zatt and Zinn would have played forever if they could have.
Finally, Kit called them over to him, and said that they needed a little more time to see one more thing that made the planet Mon Calamari special.
One more time, they traveled out to a wide area where the sea looked right for giant creatures to swim in. Zatt was afraid at first that they were going to encounter the demonsquid again, or maybe the krakana. But he wasn't expecting what did happen.
As he, Kit, and Zinn floated on the water, they were suddenly joined by an animal, the likes of which, you may never see outside of Mon Calamari. It was a blue-gray cetacean, with long, bumpy fins, a head that was ridged on top, a blowhole, a long, flat tail, and a giant mouth made for eating plankton.
"What is that?" Zatt asked in quiet awe.
"That's a Whaladon," replied Kit. "They are perhaps the most beautiful, intelligent non-bipedal creatures in Dac's oceans. They sing songs to each other both as a means of communication, like the dolphin signals, and for enjoyment, and always teach those songs to their younglings. They live in a separate culture from the Mon Calamari and the Quarren, and do not appreciate trespassers in their territory, but are otherwise very peaceful creatures, and their songs come in a variety of forms: folk songs, classic songs, ballets, and operas. On special occasions, they may perform these songs for the Calamari and the Quarren, with whom they can communicate, too.
"I can sense that this one has strong feelings about something," he continued. "Zatt, Zinn, I want both of you to swim up to this Whaladon, and feel its feelings with the Force. I wish to see if you can communicate with life forms besides the conventional bipedals, particularly underwater creatures of high intelligence. If you can, I believe you are on the road to understanding the worth of nature and its gifts."
"Are you sure he won't attack us?" asked Zatt. "He looks like he could do some pretty big damage to us."
"Worry not," replied Kit. "He does not sense that something is amiss with us. I will calm him a little with the Force if necessary, and it will be safe to approach him."
Zatt hesitated for a moment longer, but Zinn, who wasn't shy, swam straight up to the Whaladon and squeaked next to his face, in the area where his ear presumably was. Finally, Zatt joined Zinn with the Whaladon, and used his instincts and head-tentacles to understand what the creature was feeling and singing. It was well known that Nautolans were able to sense the feelings and emotions of those around them with the sensitive tips of the tentacles, which enhanced their skills with their relationships with people, as well as giving them an advantage on the battlefield. Zatt's tentacle-sensitivity wasn't quite as good as that of Kit, but he was improving, and he hoped that his ability would work here, because he didn't want to fail himself as a Jedi.
The Whaladon's eye met Zatt and Zinn, and sang a song that seemed to be "hello" in Whaladon language. Zatt patted the side of the beast's face in an assurance of peace, and he listened carefully to the pattern and the tone of the song, gradually starting to understand him. The whiz kid who used to regard only technology and the Force, began to feel a sense of wonder at how well he could understand this Whaladon's tongue, and was now fully convinced that he could love nature as much as tech.
When he and Zinn returned to Kit, Zatt explained what he felt. "He is very glad to see that another bipedal sentient in the galaxy is willing to learn how to harmonize himself with the natural order of the galaxy, and he has high hopes for his family's future. He doesn't like these Clone Wars, though, and hopes that Dac will not be attacked yet again, although he does appreciate what you have done to help his world, Master Fisto. His instincts tell him, though, that the worst is yet to come, and fears for the galaxy as well as his planetary neighbors, but he lives his life one day at a time, saying that that's the only way he can come through his life without excessive worry about what tomorrow will bring." Zinn nodded the whole time Zatt said this.
"Hmm," said Kit, "Very interesting to hear. It's always a shame about this foolish war, but I'm glad he holds no ill will against us. He doesn't, does he, Zatt?"
"No, he doesn't," said Zatt. "He likes Zinn and me a lot, and he sees you as almost as much a hero as Captain Ackbar of the Mon Calamari."
"Well, I would say that overall, today was a great success for you, young one," Kit congratulated Zatt. "You're starting to get in touch with your natural side as well as your technological one. And Zinn, you did very good, too. I'm sure you'll have beautiful dreams tonight. Now let's head to the rendezvous point where our guides agreed to meet us."
"I guess this was worth it after all, Kit," said Zatt. "I didn't think the outer world looked so colorful and diverse before. I'll gladly take more lessons in learning about nature, but I hope I don't have to give up my interest in technology."
Kit chuckled. "No, worry not, Zatt. A Jedi can interact with both technology and nature if he so wishes. Just do not let either preoccupy your mind so much that you lose your connection to the Force."
"Yes, Master," said Zatt. Zinn voiced his agreement.