The bantha gave an obstinate snort and plodded away from the unique smelling biped. It did not smell like a Tusken Raider, and therefore should not be followed. Not even for fodder.
Q'ren gritted his teeth and once more waved the food in the stubborn animal's face. He was so close to finding the Star Map and the blasted creature would not follow him. Mission Vao lay belly down on the sand with her hands holding her chin up. She lazily swung her legs and could not keep the wide grin from taking over her features. Q'ren had been trying to lead the bantha to the krayt dragon's cave for over half an hour and nothing had happened. Even Juhani was getting agitated.
Q'ren eventually lost his patience and lunged at the unsuspecting bantha. He grabbed the twisting horns and began pulling the beast in the direction of the cave. It finally relented and followed.
"There's your bait Komad. This had better work."
"[It will. Just be patient.]"
Q'ren took a deep breath and tried to recover his calm. Juhani beamed at the sight, he was letting his emotions go and focusing on the task at hand. 'A true example to follow.' He'd changed so much over the past two weeks, ever since Bastila's "run-in" on Dantooine. However, he still took every chance he could to shower Bastila with cheesy compliments. Something Juhani found quite amusing.
A roar tore Juhani from her musing and she defiantly kept her head up at the sight of the dragon breaking loose from the dark coolness of the cave. 'There is no emotion. There is no emotion. There is no emotion.'
Mission was not as successful. When she finally ripped her eyes open, she found herself in a fetal position half buried in the dry sand. Komad's wistful sigh broke the silence and after a short speech about the unfairness of the kill, headed back to Ancorhead.
The cave was a mess. Corpses were strewn throughout the rocky floor and most were undistinguishable. Q'ren took his time sifting through the pockets and bags of the unfortunates. Juhani picked her way through the cave and opened up the Star Map. Mission stayed near the entrance, wary for anymore Tusken Raiders.
Q'ren remembered that Bastila's father was killed by a Krayt Dragon, and was taking his time, hoping to find her father's holocron among the bodies. He rolled another body over on its back and bit back the yelp that leaped from his lungs. Most of the body was missing, but half of the face was vividly distinguishable. 'That face…Bastila looks just like her father.' He quickly rummaged through the pockets, and found what he was looking for. He turned the body back over, and stood up.
"Mission, get Carth on the horn and have him fly over here."
"Uhh, ok."
Mission walked out into the blinding sunlight and called Carth.
Juhani finished downloading the information from the Star Map and looked up to Q'ren. 'What did he find? He looks different.'
"Q'ren? Is something wrong?"
Q'ren's eyes widened, and he shook his head.
"I…found Bastila's father."
Juhani lowered her head and they both stayed silent out of respect for the dead.
A lonely woman stood over the pit containing her father's remains as both of Tatooine's suns set over the sand dunes. Q'ren had pulled a Czerka marker out of the sand earlier, and said it would be used at the burial site. Bastila whispered a few words to her father and spiked the marker into the ground. She felt like a lake that had been emptied. 'This is the Jedi Council's fault. If they had let me keep in contact with my family, I would have at least been able to say goodbye to Father.' She stared down into the grains of sand, begging it for a reason to why it had consumed her father. When no answer came, she left out a shaky sigh and slowly worked her way back to the ship.
It had been two days since Bastila's father had been found. Q'ren was stumped, Bastila had become entirely disconnected from everything. Her eyes stared forward at nothing, and she never listened to the words directed to her. He wanted to snap her out of it, but he didn't want to disrupt her mourning. What bothered him most was the fact that she had given up on trying to leave the ship. He had refused to let her leave after the ordeal with the kath hounds on Dantooine, and she had complained the whole time. He knew she could take care of herself, but he was still too shaken up to risk it.
Q'ren slowly walked up to Bastila's room and softly opened the door. Bastila sat on the floor in a meditation position with her eyes shut tight. He quietly stepped in and sat down in front of her. He closed his eyes and let silence permeate the room.
"Why?"
That single word asked so much. Q'ren glanced up and looked into Bastila's open eyes. He wasn't sure what to say, he'd never heard Bastila speak with so much emotion.
"I…"
Bastila interrupted, "If I had been able to at least speak to him throughout my time with the Jedi, would I feel any better?"
Q'ren mulled over her words, she was questioning the council. He personally had always thought that the rule against emotional attachments was a mistake, but he had never spoken of his disagreement to Bastila or anyone else. He was surprised that Bastila would even think about the council in a negative light. Words finally found their way to his tongue and stumbled out of his mouth.
"I can't say what would've happened one way or another. But I know, that if you're father had seen you now, he would be proud."
She closed her eyes, and a stuttering sigh echoed through the room. 'How can emotional attachments be bad? Q'ren is here to comfort me, and any Jedi would say that I should shrug it off… For once I am going to be human.' Her resolve hardened and she opened her eyes. Q'ren was staring into her features, concern etched into his face. She leaned forward and pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you."
After a minute, they let go of each other and Q'ren headed for the door.
But not without quipping, "You should do that more often."
Bastila cracked a smile and walked to her bed.
"Where are we headed next?"
Q'ren paused, his hand on the door panel.
"I'm thinking Kashyyyk."
He closed the door and Bastila lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes and let her worries and dreams slip away into blissful sleep.
