The Amersu tribe had been at war with the Syndulla for as long as any Twi'lek could remember. How it started, none but the oldest leaders could recall. Only the best warriors would fight against the Syndulla, and only the best warriors would ever return to share another meal of cooked Mokmok bird with their clan mates.
It was an honor to have killed a Syndulla warrior in the Amersu clan, and it was the same for those in the Syndulla clan. Hate fueled the deaths of many warriors.
Some clans, such as the Fenn and Jela clan, took sides and helped win in small battles. But others, such as the Krayt and Vuren, stayed out of the war and would fight for themselves if they ever needed to.
It wasn't always this way.
Ryloth, a planet in the Outer Rim, was once where peace and solstice could be found. Dry, arid mesas and tall, jutting rocks made up for most of Ryloth's surface. Jurrt, a kind of exotic badger, could be found skittering underneath rocks and into caverns whenever a star ship from elsewhere would fly overhead. Gutkurrs, a large, carnivorous breed of sand termite, found food and shelter before the war broke out in fields of uninhabited sand.
The truth was that all of the Twi'lek's that stayed on Ryloth were nervous. Large, strange mai'tlo ships were coming and landing on their land. And then Twi'leks would disappear, without a trace. Some leaders such as Sia Amersu, a tall, tan Twi'lek, would suggest that maybe the ships made the Gutkuurs nervous. Then others such as Orr Syndulla, spun tall tales of slavers stealing and then selling twi'leks for money.
There were rumors of the war being put to a halt until the missing t'da (friends) were found. Sia appeared before her clan in a meeting one night to put those rumors to rest.
"Fellow Amersu," She addressed the crowd of warriors. "I tell you with great joy that the war against the Syndulla clan is over."
The crowd was unsure of how to react to her proclamation. Some asharha'ad (children) cheered, but some of the older, more experienced warriors were outraged. "How are we to end this war without blood?" Bavaan, a young male yelled at her.
"The war was put down because I saw in Tane Syndulla the same hurt that I have." Sia answered him. "The hurt of death, and pain in loss of family. We wrote a pact and sealed it. There will be no return."
"You sealed it without our consent!" Bavaan jeered at her. "You were to ask of us before moves such as this!"
"And what would have happened if I asked?" Sia shook her head at him. "More war and pain, twice over the first."
Seku, Sia's half sister, stood up from the circle around the fire where everyone sat. "Her move was justified by her love for her clan." Seku explained. "Inside, deep into our being, we all know that what she has done is right. Those missing were for a reason." She turned to face Bavaan, pulling a large, shimmering red rock out of her pocket. "You should be blind not to see it."
Bavaan clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes at her. "Better choice, maybe. But what of those who have died at the hands of Syndulla warriors? How to avenge their blood if this war is abandoned?"
Sia stiffened, visibly. She had known that this question would come. "The Syndulla have lost many warriors as well, Bavaan."
"That doesn't answer my question." Bavaan's lekku tips turned a bright red, sharply contrasting his deep blue coloring. "And what of the missing t'da?" Seku was still holding the crimson stone. It glowed, beautifully.
"This rare 'Heart of Fire' rock will not be moved until everyone is satisfied with Sia Amersu's decision." She put it on top of a high shelf, where its glow dimmed a bit.
"Peace often brings some changes that we find hard to adapt to, Bavaan." Sia tried to explain. "Those missing will soon be found. I promise all of you." Seku turned to face Bavaan, her deep green eyes flashing dangerously.
"Promises are made to keep." She stroked the red stone again. "This one will be no different."
With that, the meeting was over. Bavaan's problem remained unaddressed. Depressed, he traveled up to a rock called Kotir, and sat down to think. He pulled off a long necklace that he kept around his neck. Fingering the Koti (good luck charm) pendant of a Jurrt, he gazed at it knowingly.
"Maybe sometimes we can't accept changes." He smiled at the metal figure. Then, standing up, he threw it out into the desert sand. "For you, Troya."
Bavaan had lost his sister in the first battle against the Syndulla. Since then, almost 3 months had passed, and he still had not had the chance to kill a Syndulla to avenge Troya. She had carved the Koti Jurrt for him when she turned 12, the passing age to start training as a warrior.
"Saleukai." He spoke to himself as the time drew closer to midnight. He climbed down, and then ran back to the camp and went to sleep.
The next day Sia woke up bright and early for the morning hunt. It was around 3:30 am when the first set of Blurrg-riding warriors set off into the night. Each had a partner and a set of bows and arrows.
Their target was to down as many Mokmok's as possible for tonight's dinner. Sia partnered with Equi, and Bavaan with Nerra, a fellow warrior. They sent out eight teams, one with an extra warrior. As Bavaan saddled up his Blurrg, Nerra ran up to him.
"What happened to your Koti!" She noticed the missing pendant immediately. Bavaan smiled, squeamishly. It was no secret that he and Nerra were engaged.
"Well, um…" He didn't know how to respond. "I lost it?" He looked her up and down. She wore the usual tight fitted sandy-blonde pants that every accomplished warrior chose and a shirt made of dark blue Jalavash silk. She had a belt made of Jurrt hide that was tied around her waist with a short dagger stuck into the side. Her feet were wrapped with tan sashes to keep sand away.
"Liar." She smiled as she swung herself into her Blurrg's saddle. They were both blue, Lethian and Lethian, which made them an instant and easy match for Sia, who usually set up marriages. "Chupchup!" She kneed her Blurrg in the side.
Bavaan took off after her on his animal. The sun caught the edge of her Koti, the image of a Cha'juyo, an exotic cactus flower that bloomed in the rainy season on Ryloth. Bavaan sighed.
"Wish us Cha'urva!" (good luck) She waved to the other warriors that were still saddling up the Blurrgs. They all waved at the pair as they rode off into the distance.
"Where's our heading?" She asked him as soon as they were far away from the Blurrg pens. "I think we should head for the Devil's Prada, and then spin ca'ara. (left) We could travel for a mile or two past there. I know that there is a large rock just beyond that point."
"Right," He trotted beside her. "Let's get moving before the Gutkurr's do." Usually, a Gutkurr would wake up and hunt as soon as the light rose up. It was getting clearer and clearer as they neared the Prada.
Nerra, out of the corner of her eye, saw a snarling Gutkurr sneak behind a rock. "Get your arrows ready, Bavaan." She warned him.
He pulled a delicately feathered arrow from the quiver that hung at his side and slipped It onto his bow string. She did the same as they rounded a corner. The light had just peeked around a cloud when she saw a Gutkurr chewing on something around another rock.
"Oh, Bavaan!" She shouted. "That's horrible!"
The Gutkurr, obviously startled, ran the other direction. "Oh." He grimaced as they examined the gnarled carcass of another Twi'lek. "I guess that explains Quann's disappearance."
"Bavaan!" She yelled at him as he dismounted his Blurrg with her.
"Sorry." He pulled off a sash that he had on his waist and pulled it over what, he thought, was Quann's face. "Looks like we have to leave him here."
It was silent for a moment. It was a tradition that when a Twi'lek died, they would be silent for awhile. "Okay, Nerra. Let's get to the top of that mountain." Bavaan interrupted as he stooped down to scatter some crumbs onto the sand.
Nerra climbed, ahead of Bavaan, up the side of the huge rock. Once they both got to the top, they unloaded their bows and arrows and waited for birds to come. Three hens and a male flew out of the sky and landed onto the ground. Nerra loaded her bowstring as they started to peck at the ground.
THPWIIINNG!
Bavaan and Nerra shot at two birds but downed three, as Nerra's arrow hit two hens. "Cha'urva fye, t'da!" (good shot, friend.) he congratulated her.
"Thanks." They waited awhile longer until the sun rose up, over the clouds. More birds landed, and more Mokmok's fell under their arrows. As it neared lunchtime, Bavaan and Nerra picked up all of their dead game, and then saddled up and headed back to their camp.
"That was a nice hunt." Nerra commented as they were saddling up the Blurrgs. "Wonderful job."
Bavaan smiled at her. He turned to leave, but ran straight into Mait'a Amersu, another warrior in their tribe. "Saleukai." He greeted her.
"Saleukai, yourself asharha'ad." Mait'a insulted him. Dask, Mait'a's counterpart, stepped out from behind her. "What did you catch?"
"Mokmok bird. And we found Quann." Nerra replied and took a step backwards. Its wasn't that Dask and Mait'a were threatening her, but they were well known for their skills with a rod and looked almost scary. Dask had a scar running down the side of his face, and Mait'a, whose name meant 'foreigner' in Ryl, carried her pole in her belt sheathe.
"You left him out there, didn't you?" Dask asked her.
"Not as though we could bring him back." Bavaan answered for her, stepping in between Mait'a and Nerra. "He was dead. Killed by a Gutkurr."
"What!" Dask shrunk back. "Have you reported to Sia yet?"
"We haven't had a chance to. She isn't back from her hunt yet." Nerra retorted, angrily right as Sia rode into the pen on her Blurrg.
Bavaan nudged her. "Here's your chance."
"Sia!" Nerra walked over to where she was standing. "I have news!"
"Cha'urvanai, I hope?" (Of good) Sia dusted herself off and pulled a twig from her boot sole.
"We found Quann." Nerra paled and then looked away from Sia. "He's dead."
"I had my hopes…" Sia began, and then shook her head. "Gutkurr?"
Bavaan nodded as Dask and Mait'a walked away. Quann, an older Rutian Twi'lek with three lekku, often led them into battle and even comforted and trained Bavaan when he was young.
Nerra and Bavaan walked off together, still holding their dead birds. "Let's go skin these." Nerra suggested as they entered a small hut made out of hide. She unsheathed her small, nimble dagger and cut deep into the flesh of the dead bird. Digging her hands into the mess, she pulled out two small, white eggs.
"Look, Bavaan!" She smiled and held up the pure white eggs. "Good Cha'urva!" Twi'leks in the Amersu clan believed in Cha'urva and Du'urva, two forms of luck. It was commonly believed that if you built up enough good Cha'urva that it would repay you at some point in your life.
However, if you built up a life of stealing, killing, and evil, Du'urva could repay you too. Some twi'leks would even call down Du'urva onto an enemy as a form of cursing. Nerra did not believe in cursing just as Bavaan did not believe in Cha'urva.
"Wonderful." Bavaan rolled his eyes. Pulling out his knife, he began to skin the birds.
A young twi'lek girl came up to him, holding a bowl of water. "For you!" She held it out to him.
"Set it on the floor." He told her.
Nerra had skinned and cleaned off all of her birds before he did. She had caught more than him, but she had done this skinning part a hundred times before, and was a lot faster than him.
She got up and walked over to the bowl of fresh water, and then stuck her hands in to rinse them off. "I ca'nt believe Quann is dead." She mused to herself as she rinsed off her bloodied hands.
"I know. It sure was rather abrupt." Bavaan stripped the meat off of his dead male. "I feel bad for him."
"But what about Taya and Fyen? Are they dead too?" She named off two other warriors that had gone missing a few days before the peace treaty.
"Possibly." Bavaan pulled another bird in front of him and dug his dagger into it.
"It seems too harsh to assume the worst of both of them." She stood up. "Taya was a good fighter."
"Maybe slavers came and took them." Bavaan shrugged and then wiped some sweat off of his brow, smearing blood all over his fore head.
"What could we do against slavers?" Nerra asked, using her sash to wipe the red dye off of his head. Her lekku twitched and twisted, nervously.
Bavaan could read her emotions like an open book. It wasn't hard to when she was speaking Ryl with her lekku to show her emotions. She was scared, nervous, and missing her friends. "Fight them, I guess."
"We would have to find them first." She got up and walked out of the tent. It was nighttime on Ryloth. Darkness reigned outside, and the distant shrieks of unknown animals sounded from across the desert. It was cold.
Suddenly, a large bird swooped over the tent, and Bavaan heard Nerra running straight for him. "Bavaan! Help!"
He jumped up and rinsed his hands off. As swiftly as he could, he shot out of the tent and towards her. She was laying in the middle of the desert, a large lion-like bird had its hand on her neck, pinning her down.
"Tchichay!" A demanding voice called from on top of the bird. It let go of her and took a few steps backwards. Nerra got up, immediately and rubbed her neck.
A slender, agile body hopped off of the bird and onto the sand. Her face was wrapped with a light, breathable brown sash and her eyes were a piercing yellow. "Ju'ak mann teli cha nit ho." She demanded in Ryl, her lekku moving at the same time.
From what Bavaan could see of her nose bridge, she seemed to be a pink color. "Saleukai, t'da." He was fluent in Ryl and answered her as a friend.
She straightened up and Bavaan studied her. She was wearing tight fitted pants that were a light brown, like Nerra's . A red band was tied around her thigh. She wore feet wrappings made out of white sashes and a Twi'lek ceremonial headset, with a large pendant hanging from her neck. Bavaan could not make out what her Koti was.
It looked like a crushed flower. She spoke again in Ryl something that sounded very strict. Three other bird-lions hit the sand from behind her. "Fleft-waufs." Nerra echoed as three more warriors hopped onto the sand. The pink warrior pulled off her head sash to show her face.
Even though there was not enough light out, Bavaan could tell that she was a bright pink color, almost neon. He was perplexed. "Do you speak Aurebesh?" He asked in their normal tongue.
She shook her head and pointed to her ear cone. "Ryl."
"Nerra, go to Sia and tell her we have an important visitor." He explained.
Nerra ran off as fast as she could to get to Sia with the interesting news. Bavaan stared as three more warriors hopped off of their Fleft-waufs. One was large, husky, and a neon blue color. Another was bright yellow, and another was a deep purple.
One thing that they all had in common was their unusual coloring. The yellow one slipped off her face wrapping and tapped her leader on the shoulder. The pink one turned around and the yellow girl slumped abruptly to her knees and pressed her face into the sand.
"I am Bavaan." He introduced himself and walked closer to her.
She narrowed her eyes at him and then walked around him. "M c'a Siola." (I am Siola) He understood perfectly. He smiled at her, realizing that her name meant 'hash leader' in Ryl.
The yellow one stood up and walked over to where they stood. "Caia." She introduced herself.
Her outfit seemed similar to Siola's and Nerra's, excepting that she wore a short skirt instead of tights. Her lekku were wrapped with black tape. She winked at him and then added, "I understand Aurebesh well enough, t'da."
"Tchiunne!" Siola snapped her slender fingers at the rest of the warriors. They all ran over to where she stood and sat on their knees. "Caia," She pointed to the yellow one, "Acel," she pointed at the purple one, "Saurr." She pointed at the blue one.
The purple one pulled off her face wrapping so that it hung around her chin. She stared at Bavaan, thoughtfully. Siola whacked her on the lekku. "Nyapress, asharha'ad." She put her head down.
Bavaan winced. "Would you like to come inside of our cave?" He motioned to the large rock as Sia, the Amersu leader, came out with Nerra.
"Saleukai, t'da." Sia greeted her.
Siola did not respond. She shifted her weight to her hip and folded her arms across her chest. Bavaan went over and stood next to Nerra, putting his arm around her shoulder. She put her hand on his.
"Hyain myaku ri cha no a pey Amersu?" Sia twitched her lekku and spoke to Siola. She had asked where they had come from and what they wanted with her tribe.
"Assayla mayin, Ziveri." Siola motioned to her three warriors.
Bavaan followed the conversation perfectly. She had introduced herself and her clan as the Ziveri. Which means 'scorched by fire' in Ryl.
Siola motioned to Caia, the yellow warrior, and she stood up. "Siola says that she is tired from our long travel. She wishes to lay down."
"Of course, friend." Sia showed Siola inside of their large cave. Siola followed her but left Caia, Saurr, and Acel in the sand.
"Would you all like to come inside?" Nerra asked Caia and the rest. "We have plenty of room…"
"Sure." Acel stood up as Saurr pulled off the brown sash he had used to wrap his face.
Bavaan noticed the long sword that she had hanging from her side. "Is that yours?" He asked Acel, the purple Twi'lek.
"Of course." She put her palm on the handle, lovingly as Bavaan admired the golden hilt.
"That's quite a weapon." He smiled as they stepped inside of the cave. Saurr stepped in front of Acel and Caia as Dask approached them.
"Look at these mai'tlo." (foreigners) He insulted them. "Lost your way?"
"No, of course not." Saurr respectfully explained. "We are here with Siola Ziveri."
"Never heard of her, tobi dalla." (weirdo, dumb person.) Mait'a walked over from behind Dask. She pulled her metal pole out of it's sheathe on her sash. "Now get out before I serve you to the Gutkurr's for dinner."
"Sia said that they could come in." Bavaan countered.
Mait'a held up her pole menacingly. "Let them try." Caia took a few steps backwards and Acel drew her sword.
Mait'a flung her metal pole at Acel's light weight rapier. A loud crash echoed in the stone cavern. "I accept your premature challenge, Amersu warrior." Acel smiled.
Mait'a spun her pole in two large circles around her head, flipped it under her arm, and then clashed it with Acel's weapon.
This wasn't just a fight, Bavaan realized, this was an acrobatic display. They spun, flipped, and hit blades. (if Mait'a's pole could be called a blade.) Suddenly, Acel whipped her blade around her head and cut Mait'a on the back side of her sensitive chun. (her left brain tail)
Mait'a screamed and put her hand to the back of her lek to stop the bleeding. Dask led her away after giving Caia and Acel a look that could kill them. "This isn't over yet, Ziveri."
Bavaan was surprised that he didn't tag a curse on the end of that. He led them into the large, spacious room. Several children were playing Sa'ay board in the corner, quietly while a few young girls and mothers were mending their children's garments.
A few young boys that were standing by where they were playing ran over to where the Ziveri stood with Bavaan and Nerra. "Why are you yellow?" A young, green Lethian male ran up to Caia and asked her. He looked between 5 and 6 years old.
Caia smiled at Nerra and then went down on one knee to answer him. "Because I was born that way. Just as my friend, here." She motioned to Acel.
"Why are you all purpley?" He asked Acel.
"Because," She rolled her eyes. "I was born that way too." Acel fingered her long sword.
"Woah! That be a long sword for you to crashen Mait'a with!" His Tchin-chun twitched, anxiously.
"Yes, it is." She unsheathed it and held it up for everyone to see. "This sword will always protect my leader, Siola Ziveri, and it will fight anyone who dares to oppose her." She announced. The long, shimmering blade reflected Saurr's neon blue skin.
Saurr hadn't said a word since Bavaan had seen him. "So, Saurr, where exactly do you all come from?"
Saurr looked at him and blinked. No one had ever spoken to Saurr that way before. "We come from the Bright Lands." He was a tall, muscular Twi'lek with only one lekku that he kept wrapped around his open chest. A bright red band, similar to the one that Siola wore, was tied around his thigh in the same place, over his long, brown pants.
"That's not possible." Nerra countered. "No one can live in the Bright Lands."
"We do." Saurr motioned to the others that stood around him. "We have for many years."
"How can you live in the Bright Lands?" Bavaan asked, scoffing at the very idea. "That's ridiculous."
The Bright Lands, on the other side of Ryloth, was continually baked in sunlight because of the fact that Ryloth did not spin such as other planets do. The Dark Side of Ryloth was home to beautiful crystal caves while the middle land was the place of the wonderful Hanging Rock Gardens.
"We survive." Caia stepped into the conversation.
"That's insane." Nerra gave her an odd look. Right then, a young girl came up and tugged on her arm.
"Dinner is ready." She beamed at the warrior.
"Thank you, young one." She turned to face the rest of them as the young girl flounced off. "Come and eat with us."
Bavaan and Nerra lead them into a huge room in the cave with an open chimney. A large, burning fire was in the center of the room, while a few young girls and mothers ran around, serving all of the people that were there. Nerra and Bavaan sat next to each other, while Caia and the rest of the Ziveri walked to the other side of the fire and sat with their leader, Siola.
A young girl served Bavaan and Nerra as they gazed into the fire. "Do you remember the fire dances we used to do when we were young?" Nerra asked him in between mouthfuls.
"Yeah," Bavaan's lekku suddenly took him back to a time long ago. He saw Nerra dancing in front of a blazing fire, her wrapped feet barely touching the ground in a beautiful display of tapping. She flipped into the air and landed on her knees. Someone tossed her a tambourine-like instrument and she caught it in her left hand. She clashed the cymbals against her wrist and continued on in a rhythmic dance of exotic beauty….
"Why don't we do that sort of thing nowadays?" She stuffed the last of the cooked bird into her mouth.
"Don't have the time, I guess." Bavaan shrugged and shook his head.
"More like we don't light a fire that often." She smiled at him. "I am going to go and join her." She pointed to a young girl, less than 6 years of age, shuffling around in front of the fire.
"I love the fire…but my feet are hot…" The young girl mumbled to herself as she hopped around on the stony floor.
"Asharha'ad have such a way into my heart." She stood up and then leaped in front of the fire. "Welcome!" She called to the audience who were still sitting around the blaze, "to night time on Ryloth!"
Everyone turned to look at her. She leaped up in the air and landed on her knees. "Anyone want to join me?"
Bavaan smiled and shook his head at her. She was so childish sometimes. Dask, a green Lethian, stood up. "I wouldn't mind dancing with you."
A wandering minstrel, Gaina Glie, pulled out her strummer and started to play a jaunty tune. Nerra took Dask's hand and then spun herself around it. "Let's fly." She asked him.
He gave her an odd look. "How do you-"
She cut him off by turning away from him and hitting him in the face with her Tchin while tapping to the music. The young girl who started it all went and sat down with her mother.
Gaina was playing an old, tribal dance that was invented a long time ago. Nerra recognized the ancient tune and changed he style into an old, rhythmic twist that seemed to flow to the music. She spun, flipped, and then slipped her hand into Dask's again. "That's how."
He smiled at her. "I like your style."
Siola stood up from where she was sitting with Sia and walked into the ring of dancers. "Cha mi on rhi acs me taow."
"She wants to dance with you." Nerra told Dask.