Hello my favorite little readers...

I've brought something truly special to the table for you.

At last... I release the sequel, prequel, and companion piece to Guardian

Now, step into my newest craftwork in this universe.. Echoes, for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy!

~Talicor

"What is this place?" A young man whispers, craning his neck and gazing in awe at the natural cathedral. Towering trees made up the vaulted ceilings, verdant leaves creating a beautiful latticework of greens and yellows above them, for they had just begun to turn with the season.

"Someplace we shouldn't be," A gruff voice supplies, the stocky owner crossing his arms, and nodding his head toward the robed figure in the center of the clearing. "And by the looks of it, we run the risk of disturbing that fellow."

Attention drawn back to his companions, the younger one simply shrugs, feet carrying him closer to the center.

"Zev…" A woman's voice carries softly to his ear, her eyes widening as he continues into the glen, "What are you doing?"

Trying to see if he can help us. The young spacer thinks, rolling his eyes at Rhya's inquiry.

Pausing in his movements, Zev turns back and holds a finger to his lips, short brown hair barely rippling in the breeze, his dark spacer's outfit a harsh contrast to the cascading light around them. His companions backing down, he returns his attention to the kneeling figure in the center, forever unmoving.

"Hey," the young man begins, voice carrying almost eerily through the quiet as he picked up his pace, feet carrying him across the grassy expanse, and to the cloaked figure's side. "Are you…"

Upon reaching the being, the young spacer falls silent. For now, he can see the sable robes — that had appeared rich from afar — were shriveled with age, color warped by the sun, and edges shredded, from what exactly, Zev could only guess.

Something isn't right about this…

Swallowing thickly, he places a bare hand on the covered shoulder, finding it hard, and unforgiving in its stiffness… Like death…

Gasping at the thought, the human springs back from the still unmoving form, suppressing a shudder.

"Zev!" Rhya's voice carries over to him through the breeze, laced with concern at his reaction, "What's going on?"

In response, the young man only manages to motion numbly for them to approach.

"Rorsk…" He whispers as they come to his side, voice strained, "Rhya…" Simply shaking his head, words leave him.

The elder spacer quirking his eyebrow, Rorsk kneels down, placing a gloved hand on the frozen figure's shoulder, shaking him gently.

No sooner does his hand shift against the fabric, does the cloak practically disintegrate, exposing the form beneath. Long warped by the elements, once smooth and supple synthskin splits open, revealing harsh metal lines beneath, ancient circuitry surprisingly well preserved.

"A machine…" The trio breathes in unison, eyes glued to the shining metal reflecting through the gash in what had so cleverly passed as flesh. Meeting eyes in a shared moment of surprise, several moments pass before Zev lifts a hand, pushing back the brittle hood, obscuring the rest of the figure.

Only to meet a human face.

Mouth and nose covered by a decaying silken wrap, only the shadows of human features can be seen through the delicate fabric by the wanderers.

That is not what sends them into further shocked silence though.

It was the creation's eyes.

Long dim from deactivation in ages past, the time-scoured orbs flash an icy blue at the young man's touch.

'Greetings, traveler.'

The voice echoes through Zev's mind, soft and languid in it's deliverance… Yet empty at the same time.

Stumbling back in surprise, he is met with curious glances from the other two, Rorsk now standing amidst the long grass.

"What is it, kid?" The gruff spacer inquires, quirking an eyebrow at the odd behavior.

"I…" Zev stammers, gesturing at the form, eyes dull once more as his touch leaves, "He… It-it spoke to me."

Rolling her eyes, Rhya takes her friend by the shoulder.

"It's long dead, Zev… Come on… Let's go."

Before she could drag him off though, the human wrenched himself free of the older woman's grasp.

"Rhya.. It talked to me!" He repeats firmly, back to the frozen figure as he gestures back at it, "Don't you want to know what it is? Why it's here?" Again, his fingertips brush the ancient and decaying figure, eyes sparking to life once more.

'I am the protector.'

Still denying, the raven-haired spacer turns her back, motioning for him to follow.

"Zev.. I know you're a little different than Rorsk and I, but that doesn't mean we have to listen to you when you sound like an idiot."

Frustrated at the strange pull towards the abandoned figure, and the draw of his friends, the young man lowers his eyes, running a hand through his short hair.

"Rhya… Rorsk… Please…" He begins, trying his best not to flat out beg, "We know so little about the galaxy before… Can't we… Can't we at least try to learn from this…" He pauses, searching for an apt description of the forlorn metal specter. "Person? Machine? I-I don't know…" Shaking his head, he looks up at his fellows, "But it obviously has a story to tell… Even if I'm the only one who will listen."

Laying a hand on the machine's shoulder, more fully than before, a frozen light bursts forth from the once-dim eyes, pooling into an image on the lush grass.

"Holy Sith…" The stocky Rorsk swears under his breath, eyes widening along with Rhya and Zev's as the hologram formed into a humanoid shape, slowly clarifying into that of a man. Dressed in what appeared to be a mixture of dark armor and anciently styled robes, not a single being could deny the uncanny similarity to the huddled figure now broadcasting the image.

Stunned, the youngest of the three could only remain frozen in his position next to the time-worn being, hand still lying on the stiff shoulder. Finally solidifying into a slightly flickering blue-tinged personage, the foot-tall specter raises his gaze to that of Zev's.

"Long have I awaited the arrival of one such as yourself, youngling." The hologram speaks in that same echoing voice, just as soft in the audible world as it was in his mind.

"W-Who are you?" Zev replies, his companions frozen in shock as their eyes fall upon the mysterious spectral figure conversing with their friend.

A soft, empty chuckle escapes the projection.

"I am the gatekeeper of the knowledge you seek… I hold the 'story' you wish to know…"

"Are you a droid of some sort?" Rorsk interjects, coming up beside Zev and tapping the metal frame of the decaying humanoid creation, "What is this place? Why are you here?"

The hologram turns to face the gruff spacer.

"I am not a droid, spacer… I reside within the holocron inside this metal frame," The translucent figure pauses, as if making sure they understand his words before continuing, "I am Echoes… For I am but an imprint of the man that came before. Left to teach and to guide where he could not."

"So…" Rhya begins, curiosity burning silently behind her dark eyes, "You're a teacher? Who was this man who came before?"

Flickering slightly, a slight creasing of the silken covering about his face betrays a soft smile on the gatekeeper's lips.

"In answer to that, Milady… I have quite the story for you all."