Disclaimer: I own Nothing
Ezra eased up on the speeders controls, slowing it to a halt in the middle of the canyon. Resting on the control sticks he looked at the sandy rock outcroppings on either side, and tried to spot any sign of the life he could sense all around him.
After leaving the Chimaera behind, Ezra had followed his instincts and struck out for a mountain range in the distance, the only thing in sight other than rolling dunes of sand. He'd sped on through the surprisingly cold desert night and on into the morning, stopping only briefly to ditch the scout armor other than the utility belt and helmet. The size of the mountains tricked him, and what he thought would be a short trip dragged on hour after hour. The flatness of the horizon concealed an unending series of dips and rises, and were it not for his jedi techniques he might have gotten something like sea sickness as he sped on. Strong winds nipped at him in the chilling dark, spraying him with gusts of sand and threatening to buffet him off course.
Ezra kept his mind fixed on his target throughout the tedious and tiring journey. In the total natural darkness the sky overhead was a endless sea of stars, with four moons of varying sizes swimming between them. With nothing else to focus on, he had a rare moment to simply watch the sunrise when it came. It slowly rose over the dunes, turning the clear sky and golden sands a brilliant red. He found himself appreciating the moment, but it only took an hour or two before he was cursing it. As the rising sun chased the night away it replaced the mildly uncomfortable chill with a brutal heat.
After hours of watching the mountain range refuse to get any bigger in the distance, Ezra was absentmindedly caught off guard when he finally began to reach it. The tall flat-topped peak was the beginning of a narrow range of shorter cliffs that rose up behind it, trailing off in the distance like a natural wall, that later spread out on either side.
It was in the shadow of the first peek that he found the canyon, a gently sloping divide running down the center of the range like a surprisingly smooth road. Ezra barely hesitated before motoring slowly down it; he felt a faint pull in the Force leading him there.
It had been a very weak and ill-defined feeling, but as soon as he had cliffs on either side it hit him. Life. There was life all around him now, as much as he had ever felt during the busiest hours of Lothal's main streets. He just couldn't see any sign of it.
"HELLO," his call echoed down the canyon. "ANYBODY HOME?" The feeling around him didn't seem to react at all to his calling out. "I COME IN PEACE."
Ezra had never felt something quite like this before. He seemed to be surrounded by living, moving things, but he didn't sense individuals. Instead of many different creatures, it almost felt like one mind and one will, but with a thousand different heads. The closest thing he could think of was the Bendu; the beings presence in the Force had seemed far larger than his actual body. Not in the way of most Force users, where one could sense the greater power they had in the Force, but as if he occupied the space all around him. Still, this was different, a much more solid feeling, and Ezra expected to see a physical cause for it pretty soon.
When he stopped, right where the mountain range widened and more paths opened up on either side, it was because a greater feeling hit him. Immediately in front of him was a large flat bowl hemmed in by the cliffs, occupied by conical stone mounds. They looked a lot like the rock formations on Lothal, with upward running grooves cut into the side. But there was something a little too neat about them, the still imperfect shape of the rocks just didn't seem as irregular as anything natural should be. And their seemed to be a pattern to their place in the little valley, they looked vaguely as if they formed irregular, intersecting circles.
Ezra got up off the bike and shed the scout-trooper helmet. He walked slowly toward the center of the valley, trying to ignore the feeling of being surrounded, or how loud his footfalls seemed to echo. He paused for a moment closing his eyes as he tried yet again to focus his mind well enough to get a read on the alien life all around him.
He opened his eyes again and stepped forward-only to jump back in surprise "AAH!"
They had suddenly appeared maybe one hundred feet in front of him. Insects of some kind, the biggest he had ever seen. Each stood on two hind legs, with long thin thoraxes that bent of from large abdomens at almost a forty-five degree angle. Large arms sat on thin shoulders, and a second pair of smaller arms sprouted from each mid-rift. The digits on each limb ended in wicked looking claws, and the thick carapaces looked like natural armor. They were about four feet tall at the head, but a pair of thin waving antenna, feathery looking at the ends, added at least another foot to each. There were six of them, standing in the shadow of one of the larger rock features in the valley.
"Hey," Ezra raised both hands partway in a gesture that he hoped they recognized as meaning 'I come in peace.' "I take it you're the welcoming committee?"
The bugs didn't respond, other than to wave their antenna in what might have been communication Their red, hexagon covered eyes stair straight and unblinking at him.
Then with no apparent prompt, one of the middle bugs started to walk toward him, and all the others followed a moment later. Their bodies unbent as they all got down on four limbs (the middle arms were too short to reach the ground), walking along as easily as they had stood on two.
Ezra didn't want to give any offense, but he couldn't help a few steps back as the alien bugs came at him. He had never had a problem with aliens, or animals; but these creatures were entirely unknown, and he didn't know for sure which category they belonged in.
When the bugs were just getting a little too close for comfort they stopped, halting in a straight line and standing back up on their hind legs. The one directly in front clacked a couple sets of mandibles around its mouth; extending its first set of arms as if in a hug, then retracting them. It was obviously trying to communicate, and Ezra tentatively raised one hand in greeting, doing his best to smile sincerely.
Without moving any other part of its body, the bug swiveled his antennae forward and rubbed them up and down the raised hand. "Aaaah, um, hello there." Ezra forced down the instinct to snatch his hand back, and only because his jedi senses detected no danger. "I'm Ezra, Ezra Bridger. I'm a . . . visitor, from off world and . . . I don't suppose you can understand me can you?"
Greetings Ezrabridger
"Woah," As amazing as that was, Ezra barely reacted besides an astounded smile. The most bizarre thing about hearing the creature speak in his mind was that it felt . . . natural. As if he had another pair of ears that had been closed until now. "What . . . who are you?"
Turut, the bugs mandibles had stopped moving, but its antennas twitched as its head cocked at him. And we are of the Kind.
"That's, that's a pretty neat trick," Ezra looked over the creatures with amazement. He'd long ago learned to feel the meaning of languages he couldn't understand, but this: this bug was speaking directly to his mind, and he understood every word
Most take much longer to learn to speak to the kind, Turut commented, though it didn't sound very surprised. If you will follow, the nest wants to meet you. It pointed to the rock form the bugs had appeared next to.
"Uh, sure. Lead the way."
Without further comment, it and all the other bugs turned and began scurrying on all fours back the way they had come. They didn't bother looking to see if Ezra actually followed, and he had to take off at a jog to keep up with them. "So, you guys are the, um, natives of this planet.
No, Turut replied. We came to Karrasi at the beginning of the age, escaping when the old empires died.
"Okaaaay," Ezra had no clue what they were talking about.
Hidden under its shadow, there was a crack into the side of the rock formation. The bugs slipped through in single file. Here Ezra finally hesitated; and his senses began to feel danger. There was something menacing about the nest, but it didn't seem to come from the bugs. Often there was at least a little resistance when a jedi tried to read another beings thoughts, but when Ezra reached out to them the bugs were like an open book. And he didn't sense anything from them that seemed even remotely malicious If anything, he expected to get a very warm welcome. So were was the danger coming from?
He had been hesitating for just a moment, until the last bug, who was apparently waiting for him, clacked its mandibles and nodded to the hole, as if to say 'come on.'
Alert for any signs of danger, Ezra stooped low and eased into the cave, squinting into the sudden dimness. The first sight inside was not particularly impressive; there was just one large room taking up the entire space within the rock walls, with nothing in it but a hole in the center of the floor big enough for several lasats to climb through at once. The feeling of it, now that was impressive. The bugs were doing something to insulate their caves because the temperature was too perfectly mild to be natural. It was such a relief from the scorching heat of the desert that Ezra finally noticed how sticky and soiled his clothes were, clinging to him with sweat. Hope they're not very sensitive to smells.
The bugs who had greeted him outside were now flanking him, and a new one standing in front of him stepped forward. After traveling across the desert, you should not be distressed about your appearance
Ezra grimaced when he realized that comment had been a response to his thought, he was making his mind a little too open to his surroundings. "Oh uh, thanks I guess.
The bug lifted one hand, offering him a large clay bowl filled with water. Ezra hesitated for a moment, but he couldn't sense any danger, so he excepted it with a grateful sort of half bow. The water tasted clean enough, and he drank it all down in several deep gulps.
The next thing they offered him was a plant, one with large stocky stems that became ferns halfway along. You feel hungry, was the only explanation
With a bit more hesitation, Ezra excepted the plant. It looked about as appetizing as the grass on Lothal, but he hadn't eaten anything since the night before, and now that his focus on reaching his destination was over, he really felt like it. He broke off one stem and forced himself to bite off a few fern leaves and tried chewing them, hoping he wouldn't offend his new hosts as his face scrunched at the bitter taste. It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever eaten, between scrounging through trash on Lothal and experimenting with weird alien foods in cantinas and restaurants throughout the outer rim (he'd learned quickly that Zeb made recommendations for his own amusement). Still, it had to be up there.
No, the stems.
"Oh," feeling rather foolish, Ezra spit out the ferns and took a crunchy bite out of the stock. It tasted surprisingly good, though kind of raw, and he began biting them with the eagerness of a Lothhare
Most offworlders find it agreeable.
Ezra choked on a mouthful of food. "Ouo ave," gulp "you have visitors here!?"
Yes. The bug said simply. Many come from other worlds too ask us for the planets stones. We are curious why your people have not made an offer?
It took Ezra a moment to realize the bug was talking about the Imperials. "You, you guys know about the star destr- uh, the ship out there?"
It is a very large ship. Somehow, this reply contained no sarcasm.
"Those aren't my people!" Ezra's voice was firm. "They're Imperials, servants of an evil ruler from far, far away. My people fought them as they spread throughout the galaxy; conquering worlds, and enslaving the people who live on them!"
Is that why they came here? To conquer the Nest? Ezra sensed the bugs around him take this news very seriously, but the one he spoke to didn't sound alarmed or worried. Maybe they just didn't express emotions the same way.
"Well, no; they came here by accident."
And what will they do?
"I'm not sure," Ezra was feeling rather helpless at the moment. "Once their ship is repaired they may just try to leave."
We watch them, the bug explained, giving no explanation of how. If they try to subjugate us, we will fight. If they leave, we will not hinder them. If they choose to join the Kind, we will welcome them.
Ezra was beginning to wonder if what he was trying to explain to these creatures was getting confused. "These people, they're never going to join you. Not in any peaceful way.
The Nest welcomes all, though for many years few have come to join, the bug insisted. Just as we welcome you.
"Well, thank you." Ezra nodded to the bug. "Oh, by the way, what's your name?"
Turut.
Ezra blinked in confusion. "I thought he was named Turut?"
That is right, the bug replied, we are.
"Wait, do you all have the same name?"
We are of the nest.
"Okay, I think we misunderstood each other," Ezra prompted. "I didn't mean the name of your species, I meant you individually?"
We have no outsiders here, the bug replied with the same monotonous tone. All are the nest.
"So . . . you're just all called Turut," Ezra had heard of some large insects, even intelligent ones, being connected by a hive mind. Apparently that' was what he had found. That would explain why through the Force he sensed one being, but the idea that he was surrounded by thousands of creatures with no individual conscious was scary in a way he could not quite explain.
But we linger here, Ezrabridger, the bug he now considered Turut Two (even if that wasn't accurate). You are invited to receive the hospitality of the Nest while you stay on this world. If you desire you may remain and live in the Kind. With that, the bug turned and scuttled toward the hole behind it, and all the others joined it.
Not sure what else to do Ezra followed, still munching on the cave plant they had given him. There was no ladder or staircase, the bugs climbed right down the vertical side of the wall. Ezra had no choice but to follow, pocketing his remaining lunch and easing his way down the rock wall. He was quick enough for a human, but still slower than the bugs, some of whom politely fell behind to keep him company. The little tunnel ended by opening into the ceiling of the next cave, some two stories above the floor. The bugs simply continued to crawl along the rock, going upside down with no apparent difficulty. Ezra didn't think he could pull that off and just dropped to the floor, cushioning himself with the force.
It was even darker in here, as they seemed to be out of the reach of any natural daylight. Ezra pulled out a glowrod from his trooper belt, twisting it on as he peered around. Now he was in the main part of the hive (nest? Colony?) and completely surrounded by the insects. This chamber was apparently just a hallway, with many tunnels branching off in every direction. A steady stream of bugs passed through, most taking little notice of him. But those near by swarmed around, rubbing their antenna over him lightly enough to only just be felt. "Aaaah hhhey," He lifted his arms apprehensively, forcing himself not to shoo them away. "Your guys are, uh, really friendly, aren't you."
They are learning to recognize your presence, one bug was standing patiently a few feet away, as if waiting for him. He thought it might have been one of those that met him, but he couldn't be certain. They mean no harm.
Ezra was pretty sure that was true, but the sensation was just so uncomfortable. A few bugs began waving their antennae a bit harder, brushing away sand from his clothes. At this he closed his eyes, and sent out a message through the Force, back up!
Immediately, the bugs around him all took a step back, now gazing at him a little more intently. A few that had only been passing by now stopped, and turned their gazes at him too. He got the feeling they were confused, maybe even a little hurt. Ezra didn't feel very bad for not wanting to be swarmed, but he tried to send out an apology of sorts. Once again he opened his mind to the bugs all around; if they wanted to recognize him, maybe they would settle for his mental presence.
This seemed to satisfy them. Almost as one, the crowd dispersed, and all the bugs gave him at least a few feet of space as they scattered to wherever it was they needed to go. All except the one who had been waiting for him, which now came closer. If you will follow, it would be best if you washed soon.
So, Ezra followed it through the series of winding tunnels and chambers that the bugs called home. It was rather like the krykna spider nest on Attalon; only it was far bigger, and nothing seemed to want to kill him. There was much more variation in the tunnels though, the size and shape of them changed frequently. Ezra duck his head in low passages and squeezed his way through narrow cracks; hurrying after his guide across floors of stone, gravel, and sand, and threading through mazes of stalagmites. Over the persistent patter of moving bugs, he heard distant noises, falling rocks, the steady drip of water, and surprising gusts of wind, some strong enough to ruffle his hair. There didn't seem to be a straight path to anywhere, they took a confusing series of turns and scaled up and down tunnels so steeply inclined he had to half crawl.
The bugs also seemed to forget his request for space, and many times he had to push through crowds of the smaller creatures. At least they didn't seem to be trying to examine him anymore, they just didn't understand the concept of privacy. It didn't help that they traveled over floors, walls, and ceilings interchangeably; a few times he had to walk bent over to avoid coming face to face with bugs moving around over head.
He was also keeping his mind open, far longer than he did with most any other creatures. It was surprisingly easy, since the bugs had some kind of telepathy of their own it took only a little effort to maintain a link. The tingling sense of it was constant; in his own mind he could hear hundreds more, like the background chatter of a large crowd. His hesitation and discomfort started to slip as he got used to it surprisingly quickly. Besides, they might get suspicious if he tried to hide himself.
"So um, how often do you get offworlders here?" Ezra bent over and braced on hand against a sanding incline as he slid down it. If he talked to the bug leading him, it made it easier to recognize it in the crowd. They all looked pretty much the same, except that some were smaller, and a few had nicks and bruises, even some missing limbs and antennae
Often, the bug didn't even look back at him, but he felt it was giving him its full attention, but not regularly They come only when they need to purchase more stones, and it has long been known that they may arrive at anytime that is convenient The next may come in two days, or in two months.
"You said they buy stones from you," Ezra thought perhaps they had a miscommunication again. Considering the simple lifestyle these creatures seemed to live by, he wasn't sure what money would be worth to them. "What do they pay you with?"
Treasure, was the simple reply. They create treasures for the joy of the nest, for which we give them stones. Offworlders use them, it seemed to anticipate his next question, to power their ships through the stars.
The planet must have some kind of natural power source then, Ezra thought as they finally reached their destination A cave larger than most they'd seen, with water running through the middle of it. It fell out a hole in the far wall and trickled into a little stream, that opened up, into several small pools before it disappeared into the next wall. The room felt comfortably hot, and there was an odd, mineral smell in it.
The spring comes from deeper in the rock, his guide informed hi- No, actually it was a different bug, it just looked and sounded completely identical! It is perfectly safe, and you may take as long as you want.
Ezra approached it skeptically. He watched as a steady stream of bugs scampered in, submerged themselves totally several times, and then walked right out again. Sensing no danger from the Force, and finding it hard to believe the Kind would lie to him, he dipped one hand in. It was definitely different from normal water; thicker, with a strange viscosity to it. When he pulled his hand out however, the fluid did not stick to it.
Would you like us to take your cloths?
"Um, do you have anything I could change into?"
No.
"Yah," Ezra looked down at his dirty, sweat-stained outfit. "I think I'll just hold on to them, thanks anyway."
An awkward pause dragged on for several moments, while Ezra's guide just starred at him expectantly as the other bugs went back and forth taking no notice. Forcing down his hesitation Ezra started to disrobe, trying to ignore the dozens of being all around him. It was actually rather easy; the Kind didn't wear clothes after all, so why should they have any reaction to him undressing. And no point trying to have secrets in a hive full of creatures that could read your mind, it would be easier just to be open with them.
With that settled, Ezra dipped one toe into the slightly syrupy water, before wading in all the way. After a couple days in a cell and a jaunt across the desert, the warm spring felt like heaven. He lay down against the bank to submerge himself up to the neck, closing his eyes to bask in the glory of it. Looks like I might be here a while, Ezra thought. He still had no idea what his vision had been about, but the sense of urgency was slowly slipping away. He didn't know what he could do other than wait around to meet some of these offworlders, if they ever showed up. And if any other trouble appeared before then, he could deal with it. In the mean time, the young jedi was pretty sure he deserved a little break from carrying the weight of the galaxy around.
The many gears and rotors of the power generators began to whirl to life, with a steady drone that built into a mighty roar. Throughout the deeper parts of the ship a quiet hum could be heard, and a subtle vibration of healthy engines could be felt through deck plating. With an order from the bridge, the star destroyers main repulsors were activated, and after days of immobility the huge starship began to rise from the planets surface.
A whirlwind of sand billowed out from beneath the Chimaera and rose in all directions around it, forming a cloud that could probably be seen for miles. A slight pressure could now be felt pushing one to the floor, as the ship forced its way up against the planets gravity. It was an unfamiliar sensation for crewmen of a craft designed to move freely through open space; but because it emphasized their much anticipated escape, it was actual a great relief to feel.
And the landscape through the spotless new viewport lost its slight tilt as the ship finally leveled out off the ground. Even though Captain Pellaeon knew it was completely immaterial, looking at the unbalanced image had been a persistent irritation for him.
Quite applause broke out around the bridge, sincere but properly composed, and he could imagine more raucous cheering going on in other parts of the ship. Even he failed to hide the wide smile that broke under his mustache, and the captain looked over his shoulder to give a congratulatory nod to the admiral.
Thrawn projected the perfect image of calm, almost untroubled satisfaction. But he returned the gesture with a hint of gravity in his gaze, reminding his second-in-command that their celebrations may be entirely premature.
Having now freed themselves from the planet, there was no longer anyway to ignore their bigger problem; they were trapped in the middle of uncharted space, countless lightyears from civilization. The ships top brass was putting up its best front to appear calm and undaunted, though the day before had seen a series of long meetings produce only the most basic plan to get home. It had even been suggested that they sabotage the repairs slightly to prolong the relaunch; but most worried that they would not be able to hide the signs of tampering well enough, and if exposed they could cause the very kind of panic they hoped to avoid.
Upon rising more than a hundred feet from the surface, the Chimaera began to leave the dust clouds behind and proceeded through clear open skies. Turning away from the viewport, Thrawn brought the bridge crew back to attention. "Are we receiving the ordered reports?"
"Yes sir," the quiet excited chatter in the left crewpitt dissolved in an instant, as ensigns turned back to their stations. "We have received a red-flag from engineering," this brought total seriousness back to the bridge. "They report fluctuations in the power feed for the primary generators. Recommend decreasing the strain until they can isolate the problem."
"Cease ascent," the admiral replied. "Hold vertical position and begin cruising forward at one-half standard orbital speed, heading north by northeast."
The opposite way, Pellaeon thought, of where the jedi apparently escaped to yesterday.
Thrawn took the comlink from his jacket pocket and keyed it on. "Commander Bas."
"Receiving!"
"Your pilots are to begin a survey of the planet as soon as they can launch," Thrawn ordered. "Standard eight point pattern in all directions. Launch standard TIE/LNs only, no defenders." The hangar of the Chimaera had been loaded with the first batch of the admiral's precious fighters, meant to be properly debut in mass in the next confrontation with rebel forces. "The priority is on natural water sources and any signs of life. If they encounter anything believed to be sentient, they are to avoid interaction until ordered otherwise."
"Right away sir!"
"You have the ship captain," Thrawn nodded to him and turned to stroll toward his office. "Inform me as soon as the generators are fully operational, or there are any other developments."
As Thrawn departed, Pellaeon descended into the crewpitt bearing the navigators station, waving away crewmen who stood to attention. This was something he knew the admiral would have preferred to do himself, but such a breach in fleet norm as a flag officer directly supervising grunt work might push the crew toward drawing an accurate conclusion about the direness of their situation. "Is everything in readiness Lieutenant?"
Lieutenant Lomar sat back into the chair at a spare sensor consul and resumed typing programs into the ships computer..
"Very nearly sir," the hard-used communications officer was looking lean and baggy eyed from almost a week of constant work. The sensor relays should now be sufficient to begin sending out hyperwave resonance signals, and to take in the feedback. We are still having trouble setting up the ships computer with the algorithms to analyze them, but we can begin sending immediately and record the data until its ready." Such was the most modern way of mapping new hyperspace routes, using sonar like hyperwave signals to detect a clear path through space.
"With all the fine tuning you can do, how close to standard imperial scouting can you get," Pellaeon pressed?
Lomar hesitated, before replying honestly. "We won't achieve the standard of sensors that were specifically made for exploration. And the computer may have more trouble than we predict in analyzing while it must also run basic ship systems. Our margin of error will likely be between fifteen and twenty, possible twenty-five."
Conscious of the sidelong glances of the other crewman, the captain suppressed a grimace By the standards of space travel, those that was an uncomfortably large margin.
"We will also have less than half the standard range," Lomar plowed on. "Readings may only reach two systems away at any one time."
"We'll have to leapfrog then," Pellaeon finished for him, making sure his frustration didn't show. It's only a couple thousand parsecs after all, how long could it take? He realized there was a certain amount of irony in that thought. They actually made journeys of that length many times, and took it for granted. Just the return to Lothal after the last summons from Coruscant had been at least two hundred thousand parsecs, probably more. But that was in 'civilized' space; well charted thoroughly traveled, with long routes established from one critical world to another. Now they were deprived of such luxuries, in circumstances not seen since the ancient wars of the Republic.
"Well, do what you can," he told the sorry looking lieutenant. "Once the final problems with the generators are fixed we're going to leave the planets atmosphere, then make a series of micro jumps toward the outer edges of the system. We should be able to begin mapping procedures within a day, unless we're hit by another alien attack."
Hands extended, Ezra willed a stone at the top of the pile to rise off the ground. Carefully, it moved from its place in the heap of newly fallen rock and slowly lowered to the floor at the foot of the pile. Another followed, then another, and still more until a pair of twitching antennae emerged from the debris. A bug fought to crawl its way free of the rocks, followed by a dozen more.
Ezra heard someone laughing and realized it was himself. After he finished his mineral bath the Kind had taken him to see the farm-like caverns were they cultivated a surprising array of strange cavern plants, like the one he had eaten. Partway through the tour, his senses had been buzzed with a feeling of shock and dismay near by. He felt it through his link with the mind of the hive, which seemed to grow stronger every hour. An entire new community, a new race of beings that he could live with, and he could know them all in an instant just by opening his mind. After so many days in almost isolation, with no one to talk to but his most hated enemies, it was like a wish being granted.
All the other Kind around him must have felt it too, but they gave no sign of worry. It will be dealt with, was their only response.
Unsatisfied, Ezra had taken off through the colony, following his senses until he found the source of the disturbance. A section of rock ceiling, which the Kind new was being slowly dissolved by a stream of water, had collapsed far sooner than they anticipated. Several members of the colony had been caught under the resulting rock shower, and were now buried alive. To his shock, the bugs around were actually debating whether or not it would be worth it to make a rescue attempt. There seemed to be some more concern over quickly digging a new tunnel to end the block in traffic.
So Ezra had stepped forward to act, and for the first time in a long time he felt almost giddy with happiness. The mind of every bug for one hundred yards radiated delight and gratitude, and it felt so real in his own mind it made him feel it too. And it seemed like the first time in years that he had helped someone without having to risk death or personal misery to do it.
The jubilant bugs had gathered around him, physically fawning over him with their antenna to match the telepathic fawning. It suddenly turned to a gentle pushing, as the swarm of bugs began to eagerly herd him down the corridors
"Woah, whoa hey guys," Ezra stumbled forward, making no effort to try and resist the bugs. "Whats the rush?"
You are ready to meet the Kind, came the reply.
"I thought I already did," he laughed back. Still, he joined in the quick walk through the maze of caves. He had given up trying to keep his sense of direction about anything; there was no where he really needed to go anyway, and if there was, he could just ask Kind to guide him. They moved along at a brisk pace, alternating between runs down tunnels and scaling up the sides of vertical shafts. They moved steadily upward, and even though he had not seen daylight for several hour, Ezra somehow knew they were rising above the ground. Their destination must be in one of the tunnels the cut inside the mountain range on the surface.
Gradually the tunnels became taller and wider, the surfaces more smooth and manicured A faint light was somehow spreading through the passageways, and it made Ezra realize that he had switched off his glowrod several hours ago, and had been relying on his other senses without noticing.
Finally, they reached the biggest cavern he had seen yet. Several Ghosts could have been parked down its length end to end, and a few more probably stacked on top of those Its walls were covered in carvings; some clear representation of the Kind, with varying degrees of artistic skill, others a menagerie of strange symbols and patterns that could mean anything to Ezra.
At the far end was another wide entrance. In front of it, two large pits had been dug into the floor on either side of it, and bugs attendants moved gently among the writhing mass inside. As he watched, a bug stepped through the door and handed something squirming in its arms to one of the workers in the pit. A larva.
The hatchery, one of his guides explained. That is where offworlder treasures are kept, for the pleasure of the Kind.
By now Ezra was beginning to feel that the meaning of kind was sort of fluid in the bugs collective mind, but he had a pretty good guess what it meant this time. The only other feature in the room was a razed slab of flat stone, tucked into an alcove. It didn't actually have a chair, but somehow he knew it could only be one thing, the throne.
Sure enough, what could only have been a queen bug came scuttling out of the far entrance as his party walked closer to that end of the room. She looked pretty much like all the other bugs, only bigger. Two pairs of hind legs supported a bloated, distended abdomen in stead of one. While all the other bugs in attendance went down on all fours when they walked, she did so upright, and her claws and mandibles were stunted and shrunken. On either side, six large bugs followed her, each bearing a kind of staff that was tipped at both ends in wickedly curved and hooked blades. Their thick, tough looking skins came to sharp points in numerous places. They were the tallest bugs he had seen yet, at least six feet when they stopped and stood upright, but they were dwarfed by the queen they guarded.
Climbing up the rock platform, and sitting her body down on top of it, the Queen fixed her gaze on Ezra. Greetings, joiner of the Kind.
For the first time, it seemed that this was a voice different from all the other bugs. He couldn't quite tell what was different about it, it just seemed . . . musical, somehow. Just the sound of it was comforting. It reminded him, vaguely, of his mothers voice.
We are glad to welcome you.
Unsure of the protocol, Ezra made a half bow in respect. "I, um, I am very grateful for it." Something was wrong. In the back of his mind, a little voice, a very faint sense, seemed to be trying to say something he couldn't hear. It had been there for a while; having grown gradually quieter, but more intense. In spite of all the good fortune that seemed to have suddenly come to him, Ezra felt that somewhere around him was a definite, serious danger; but he couldn't see it! "You people are probably the friendliest beings I have ever met," he continued, and he was being completely, sincerely honest.
It is good that such a gentle voice has come to the Kind, the Queen answered. After so many years since any being joined, one such as you will help bring us strength and wisdom. It shall be a long and happy life you know.
It was then that Ezra realized two things. The first, that he had never suggested he wanted to join this hive, these people, permanently. The second, was that he was being given an open chance for a new life.
The Kind was welcoming him to stay with them forever, as much a member of the hive as any one of them. It was the only real option that lay in front of him, every other path seemed to offer isolation, more of the loneliness that he'd been trying to ignore since coming to this world, a life too similar to the one he'd had on Lothal, before Kanan and the others found him.
But that thought brought up something else. A purpose, he had come to this place for a reason. To Ezra's growing surprise, he was finding it hard to remember what it was.
Forget the distractions of the world, the voice of the Kind instructed him. The only true purpose is to live for the Hive.
Ezra was trying very hard to remember now, chasing the shadow of an idea as he had trouble picking through his own mind. The words of the hive were tripping him, calling his thoughts away from finding the answers, so he tried to tune them out. It was only then that he realized he couldn't! Ezra was losing himself now, not just to the Kind but to panic That voice; he'd let that friendly, innocent voice into his mind with little thought and no protection, and was only now starting to realize that it may have been a huge mistake!
They were speaking to him again, but he couldn't understand it anymore; as he fought the voices became garbled, reverting back to an insectoid chattering. And once again he felt the warning, the signal from the Force like a cold wind on the back of his neck; danger. He'd ignored it when he first entered the hive, and the longer he stayed among them the weaker it had grown. But now he felt the full force of it, like a mighty wind buffeting him from all sides. RESIST. He all ready had a people, an Order. He could not be taken away from his mission, or it might all-
The room had grown dark, as the boundary between it and his minds eye grew weaker, and filled with the deafening chatter of the hive. Now a light pierced it, and the young jedi, suddenly on his knees, saw again the burning weapon in front of him. The evil snarl of the fyrnocks was there again, the defiant screech of the Lothcat answering it, and with a roar like a hyperspace engine the light grew blinding!
And suddenly Ezra was back in the throne room of the hive, down on hands and knees as he took in deep, frantic breaths. All was just as it had been before, except that the voices of the Kind were silent.
A bug had approached him, moving to help him back up, but Ezra bolted to his feet before it could. "Your Highness!" He shouted, fearing that if they had the chance to speak first the voices may get him again. "I . . . I am very grateful for the offer but . . . but the answer is no!"
He wasn't sure what he expected after that; anger, offense, being denied the choice. Instead the insects around him simply seemed confused. He did not hear their thoughts anymore, but could still feel a weaker, general sense that they did not understand his response, as if it were an alien behavior they had not seen before. Stretching out a bit more, now with a firm hold on his own mind against any compulsion, he picked up their thoughts. There was no malice, no desire to harm him. And they wouldn't, he somehow knew the Kind would not hurt a single hair on his head, whether he joined or not. It was just that their nature, the being of their very existence, would eventually destroy him. The body might go on as healthy as any member of the colony, but Ezra Bridger would be dead.
Are you certain of this, the queen probed him, cocking her head in curiosity
"YES," he said, perhaps a little to harshly. "I am very, very certain!"
It may take time, she replied, as if his joining were inevitable regardless of what he wanted. You are still welcome to share the Hive, whatever you decide.
"Can I leave," he pressed. "Leave the colony?"
At anytime, you are free to go as you choose, she said simply, and he actually believed that was the truth. And likewise return at anytime.
"Thank you, for um majesty. I will have to think about it." Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room, walking as fast as he could without launching into a dead sprint. The little crowd dispersed behind him, the bugs going back to their work as the queen dismounted he throne, to return to the hatchery with her guards.
As soon as he was out the door, Ezra turned and stalked down the first hallway he could find. Gently pushing through bug traffic he turned down another, and another, heedless of were he was going until at last he felt far enough away to stop and sit down, back to the wall of another featureless room. Well away from the hives activities he spent what might have been an hour with hands on knees and head in arms as he did nothing but concentrate on the feeling of his own mind, and the current of his thought free from any outside control. At some point he switched to sitting cross legged, letting himself slide into a deep meditation.
He could not join the Kind, that much was clear. He would never find the mission the Force had been calling him to, something it needed him to do. And if there was any chance of ever seeing his home, and his family, ever again, he would never find it while trapped on this planet. He had to stay free, keep focused on finding the path ahead, no matter what he found lurking out here on the edge of the galaxy.
He spent several hours meditating on this, or maybe it was just a few minutes. As he pondered what to do next, Ezra became aware that a bug was coming toward him. It stopped just three feet away, and with no preamble at all informed him, You have been invited to attend the audience.
Ezra looked up at it, suspicion being replaced by a wary curiosity "Audience?"
Offworlders are arriving, it said. They will meet with the Kind shortly.
I really need to move this story along. I'm already mentally planning out far ahead, and I haven't even introduced all the characters yet. But this time I'm going to really try to write more and update quicker!