CANDLE ON THE WATER
A joint effort by DuchessKenobi and Lux's Sister
…
"Cy, are you sure this is the place Fulcrum told us to come to?" Rayala dropped back the hood that covered her montrals. It felt good to be back in the fresh air after the long space flight.
Cybele kept her hood up looking around the spaceport for the contact they had been told would meet them here. "This is the place. Just be patient, sister."
Rayala rolled her eyes. Her sister might as well have told herself to be patient. Ray was just glad to be here with the prospect of doing something good for the poor beings who fled oppression in their own corners of the Galaxy. She freed her lekku from the cloak as well, trying to make herself more comfortable.
"I don't know if you should…" Cybele began but Rayala cut her off.
"Nonsense. How's our contact supposed to know it's us if we're all covered up in cloaks?"
"Eet ees nice to see a smiling face from Ryloth."
Both girls turned at the sound of the voice heavy with a Ryl accent. That was their code phrase. The voice came from a petite Twi'lek who looked to be about the same age as the sisters themselves. Youth seemed to be the only unifying feature of operatives they had met in their work. Perhaps older beings were too fearful to challenge the system.
"A smiling face is always better than a frown," Rayala cheerfully completed the code before her sister had the chance. Cybele gave her an annoyed glance.
The Twi'lek nodded. "Welcome to Onderon. I am Myat. I will zhow you where you will be staying."
This time Cybele forced her way to the front. "It's very nice to meet you Myat. I'm Cybele Vasha. This is my sister Rayala. We're glad to have a place where we can be of some use."
"Refugees trickle een to our zpace port every day. We do our best to get zem supplies and a place to stay until zey can be relocated." Myat explained as she led them down the city street.
Rayala's eyes and ears were full of the new sights and sounds but she made sure to listen to what their guide was telling them as well. "How do you come by your supplies? Are they donated or do you have some way of purchasing food and other items?"
"Zome of each. We do not turn down 'elp when eet ees offered but we are also attempting to develop methods so zat we might become more self sustainable."
"Like farming? Growing crops?" The idea thrilled Rayala. She had always loved growing things.
"Much of zee flora was burned to zee ground by zee Empire." Myat informed them with a bite to her tone. "But we 'ave begun to replant."
"The fires may have added much needed minerals to the soil. There's a good chance that the fields will be even more fruitful than before!" The togruta was already in planning mode. She thought of what tests might be run on the soil and how they could rotate crops to make the most of the given circumstances.
Cybele was even more practical. "What about security for the beings? You said they had a place to stay. Is there someone making sure they aren't being taken advantage of? Do they have access to health care when they arrive or are there allowances being made for beings who might have infections that they bring with them, to keep from spreading possible contagions?"
"Zo far our efforts are rudimentary. Eef you 'ave knowledge of such zings, anyzing you could share wiz us would be greatly appreciated."
"I'll do my best. That's why we're here." Cybele nodded.
They had stopped in front of a nondescript door in a wall in a dark alley.
Rayala frowned and looked back at the sunlit street behind them. "What is this place?"
"Zis ees where we enter zee tunnels." Myat entered a code into the panel beside the door and it swept open.
"Tunnels?" Rayala shivered and her sister put a fortifying hand on her shoulder, knowing her dislike of cramped, dark places.
Myat smiled with compassionate reassurance. "Zee city above ees so full. Eet ees zee only place where we can accommodate so many newcomers. Eet ees not as bad as you zink." She gestured for them to follow her.
The corridor in which they found themselves was actually well lit and surprisingly spacious.
Rayala still prefered the fresh air and the sunshine but she was relieved that they weren't forced negotiate a damp cavern by torchlight.
"Several years ago zere was a cave-in in zee lower levels. Don't worry eet ees all perfectly sound now. Eet was actually a blessing in disguise. We were able to modernize many of zee older tunnel systems and now 'ave an even larger base of operations."
Cybele ran her finger along the wall and nodded when the digit came away dirt free.
"Eet ees a faster method to get from one side of zee city to zee other. But eet ees also easy to get lost so make sure to follow zee signs or go with someone who ees familiar."
Rayala looked down an adjoining corridor and saw a young man with wavy blond hair. He looked up from what he was doing and smiled. She gave him a shy wave.
"Come along. I won't 'ave you lost on your first day." Myat called back to her and Rayala hurried to catch up.
"Can you get to the gardens or orchards or the land where you plan to plant them from the tunnels?" Rayala asked.
"Yes." Myat smiled. "I can show you after you are settled een zee ladies' dorm."
"Is there a boys' dorm, too?" Rayala asked with a smirk.
Her sister glared at her. "We're not here for romance. We're here to work."
"I don't know. I can't think of a better place to find a life partner who believes in the same cause we do."
Cybele rolled her eyes but Rayala knew her sister did want to marry someday and that she wished to find a mate who would be an equal who she could work alongside.
Myat seemed to share Cybele's sentiment. "Zee ladies' ees secure and private. We do not encourage relationships between workers but eet ees not forbidden either."
Rayala elbowed her sister and whispered, "You worry too much, Cy."
"And you my dear sister don't worry enough." Cybele stopped in her tracks looking down another cross tunnel. She smiled shyly and then hurried on forward.
"What was that about?" her sister asked curiously.
"It was nothing." So she said but the stripes on her lekku turned a darker shade of blue that indicated her embarrassment.
Rayala stepped back and looked around the corner. There was another young man, this one dark and serious. She waved at him as well.
"Come on!" her sister hissed quietly.
Before they reached their destination they were stopped once more by an auburn haired gentleman. His beard was neatly trimmed and though he wore the clothes of a commoner his bearing was almost regal. "Are these our new recruits?" He asked Myat with a smile.
"Yes, Master San Tekka." The Twi'lek nodded. "Sent to us by, Fulcrum."
His face brightened at the mention of the operative as if he had just received news of an old friend. He bowed formally to the sisters, a quaint greeting leftover from a more civilized age. "I'm Lor. Welcome to Onderon."
Myat made the introduction. "Zis ees Cybele and Rayala Vasha."
Both Togrutas said hello.
"When you contact Fulcrum you'll pass on the message that you've arrived safely and are getting settled?" He asked.
"We were on our way to do just zat." Myat politely ushered the girls to continue on their way. Then she smiled benignly back at the gentleman. "Ees zere anyzing you would like for us to pass on to Fulcrum when we next make contact?"
"Me?" He looked around as if she couldn't possibly be talking to him. "No. It's just… it's good to know that someone like Fulcrum is out there in the Galaxy sort of… watching out for us." He excused himself quickly after that.
"Nice to meet you, Lor," Cybelle called after him.
"Does he really know the identity of Fulcrum?" Rayala marveled.
Myat shook her head. "Zere could be numerous operatives zat go by zee name of Fulcrum. I believe Master San Tekka suspects zee identity of zee one who works wiz us most closely."
Cybelle mumbled, "Sounded like he'd like to work closer with Fulcrum."
Rayala giggled.
They completed the journey to the ladies dorm and Myat showed them the locking mechanism for the door, assigned them two beds next to each other, and introduced them to the other women who they would be living with.
Then outside the door they heard a skidding squeak of shoes on duraplast and Myat went out to check what it was.
A male voice asked, "Who's the new girl?"
And another with a laugh, added. "I saw her first."
Myat turned back to look at them with a smile.
"They think there's only one of us." Rayala whispered in wonder. "Do we really look that much alike?"
A Tholothian woman on the bunk beside them huffed. "Humans! They cannot tell anyone not of their own species apart."
Cybele grinned evilly. "We could have some fun with this."
Myat gave them a quick nod of solidarity and a wink. "Mz. Vasha 'as only just arrived. You will meet 'er soon enough."
…
"She was Togruta like Ahsoka." Kason stated the obvious as he and his cousin walked back down the hallway together.
"I know. I saw. And maybe I would have got to meet her if you weren't being such a chirn head." Thias grinned at him.
"Who are you calling a chirn head, chirn head? She was pretty though."
Thias raised his eyebrows. "Ah what's this? Has someone other than Miss Dara Rash-Bonteri finally met up to the standards of my dear cousin?"
"Well, I don't know." Kason huffed playfully. "I couldn't meet her because somebody scared her off into the ladies' dorm before I could even say hello."
"Now." Thias sobered a bit. "Please tell me we're not going to let another girl come between us after what happened the last time?"
"Never my dear cousin. We shall let Miss Vasha make her choice and then you can celebrate our happiness."
"Oh my much younger cousin, Kason, allow me with my vastly greater experience of the world explain to you that it is I who will be the one to find happiness with our beautiful new addition."
"You wanna bet?" There was a gleam in the younger cousin's eyes.
"What's the wager?" Thias inquired, sportsmanlike.
"First one to get… " Kason tried to think of a good enough incentive. "... a kiss from the new girl…"
"Sounds like a nice enough reward in itself." Thias grinned.
"Well then." the younger Blackwell cousin reached his hand out "May the best man win."
Thias shook Kason's hand. "It's hardly a contest, cousin, since you are hardly a man."
"Oh ho like I'm going to let an old man like you hold me back. Just you watch. Before salt and light I will have that kiss."
"We'll see."
They grinned at each other again, slightly more mature than the last time they had argued over a girl and determined to stay friendly in their competition.
Lor San Tekka didn't want to interrupt though his heart did clench at the mention of the name Dara Rash even though that wasn't the name he had known her by. He had already decided to let the sisters have their fun and not give the game away. When he judged the boys to be finished he spoke up. "Kason?"
"Aye?" The younger of the Blackwell cousins turned to him.
"I just wanted to ask you to tell your mother not to worry about your Uncle Brem. He was pretty broken up about Frayl's passing but Sky King's mate Duchess laid a clutch of eggs near the cave so he'll have his hands full with the hatchlings in another week or two."
Kason nodded with a smile. "Aye Sir, I'll be sure and tell her."
"Thank you." Lor turned to go but he heard Thias as he went.
"Did you ever figure out why San Tekka took such an interest in Old Kira?"
Kason shrugged. "Just glad somebody did."
…
"Papa?" Lor called out the word in Onderonian as he dismounted from the back of the ruping at the entrance of the cave. His pronunciation of the word was still awkward as was his flying but he was trying, had been trying for five years to live up to her wish. She had asked him to look out for her father and he was doing his best.
"The Blackwell boys say hello."
"Kason and…" Brem tried to recall the other one's name. "Marlon's oldest boy."
"Thias." Lor nodded. "They're in the city for the summer, volunteering at the relocation center."
"Pulling their weight?" He asked as he continued to give the ruping its post flight rubdown. "They didn't just think they were coming down south for a vacation?"
"They're working very hard, a great help to Myat and the others." Lor laughed, "Though they may be a little distracted by the new arrivals."
"Hmm?" Brem had lived for years on his own with no other sentient being to talk to. Now he had grown used listening to this young man prattle on.
"Togruta sisters, though they look very much alike and the boys have only seen one or the other of them, so they've been fooled into thinking that there's only one new female for them to charm."
Brem nodded with smile and then they were both silent for a few minutes before the younger man spoke up again, "They were sent by Fulcrum."
Brem turned and studied the younger man. "Korkie, It might not be her."
Lor San Tekka once known as Korkie Kryze Kenobi turned away from the older man and rung his hands, "I know she's out there and I know she has gone by that name."
Brem patted him on the shoulder in a manner not unlike the way he might attempt to calm one of his beasts. "You heard her say it in one of your dreams?"
"They're not dreams. They're real. She speaks to me." He argued.
"And then she breaks the connection as soon as she realizes it's been made."
Korkie fingered the kyber crystal he wore on a cord around his neck. "That's only because it might be dangerous for her if she were discovered reaching out into the Force." Not to mention it also might bring unwanted notice to Korkie's work searching for artifacts of the ancient Jedi. So far he had been lucky in slipping under the Empire's radar but he knew he wasn't the only one searching for texts and objects belonging to the defunct order.
He had narrowly crossed paths with Saw Gerrera on more than one mission and it was known around the Galaxy that the Empire was on the hunt for Kybers. For what purpose, no one knew.
Bremon Kira ground his teeth together in frustration. "Then perhaps you should let her be to get on with her job so that she might come home to us when she's good and ready."
As much as he hated it Korkie knew that his father-in-law was correct. "Yes, Papa." he agreed obediently in his broken Onderonian. But he would still live for the moments of weakness when his wife came to him in his dreams.
…
We're baaaack!
It may have been a while in the making, but here DuchessKenobi and I are with the long-awaited sequel to Polaris and Some Say I Got Devil. We've got Soniee! We've got Korkie and Bremon and Thias and Kason, and all your old favorites coming up quick. And we've got a bunch of new characters we've been just dying to introduce you to.
But enough about us. What do you think about this adventure so far? Please leave your thoughts in the review box, and come to visit us in our forum as well!