Disclaimer – all original Star Wars characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Lucasfilm and Disney.
Chapter 7 "The Alliance of the Ancients"
29 BBY - Unkown Regions, Planet Lehon.
"Master Zai, are you sure this is the right planet ?" Deiven asked tentatively. "There is nothing here but water, old spaceships wreckages, water, some islands and... oh, look, more water."
"Trust my vision Deiven," said Zai'shira.
"You know I do," assured Deiven. "But we just landed on a planet placed at the other side of the galaxy. You have to understand my precariousness."
Zai'shira laughed and put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, be happy that it's not Dagobah or some other nasty swamp planet. Then you would have reason to complain."
Deiven nodded concededly, admiring the sunny, tropical world. The planet was mostly covered with oceans dotted by exotic islands and destroyed starships sticking out of the depths. There were worse places to visit in the galaxy. Plus, he always loved exploring new planets and meeting new races.
"Soooo, what now ?" He asked. "We can't just leave the shuttle here. If there really are sentient beings on this planet, I don't want them to hijack it."
"Don't worry I've pulled out the power fuse from the main shuttle controls. Without it, the shuttle won't start," she smiled cockily. "So we can explore this planet without any problems."
"Oh, well then lead the way," said Deiven, following his master through the sunny beach. "So what are we exactly looking for ?
"The Rakata," she replied, "an ancient, technologically advanced race. They've used their potent Force-powered technologies to conquer and enslave every other species they came across throughout their known galaxy. During the reign of their Infinite Empire, they were characterized by their cruelty, savagery, and arrogance. It is popularly believed that they are extinct, but in my vision, I saw them on this planet and I want them to join our cause."
"If they were so evil, why do you want them to join us ?" Asked Deiven catching up to the Togruta, so that he walked alongside her. "They don't appear to be a very friendly race. If we help them repopulate this planet, they may try to enslave the galaxy once again."
"Not all of the Rakata were evil," replied Zai'shira. "They were those among them, who wanted to live in peace with the rest of the world. Still, they were powerful warriors and had a talent for developing technology. They would've been a powerful asset."
Deiven nodded understandingly, gazing at something in the distance. "What are those ?" He asked pointing his finger at the strange small, reptilian creatures hoping on the sand. Slightly lifting his head up, he started to sniff in their direction, trying to catch a scent.
"Gizka, heh... I had a hunch they will be here," Zai'shira replied casting an eye over her pupil. She noticed that recently he was acquiring more wild tendencies. All thanks to his genetic modifications.
"Come on Deiven, we have work to do," she reminded him. "You can hunt some Gizka after we're done."
The boy laughed cheerfully. "I'll take your word for it," he said with a smile.
With a festive mood, they headed inland, straight into the dense jungle. Deiven really liked this mysterious and slightly predatory place. In a small way, it resembled him his home – Shili. He always liked planets imbued with natural wildlife much more than the ones with technological marvels and the concrete jungle.
Zai'shira's sense was catching movement all over the jungle, but mostly it was just a curious Gizkas. After a long travel, to their amazement, the found what looked like a small, abandoned village.
"Hmmm... I think nobody's home," commented Deiven, keeping a sharp lookout. "I mean it would've been too easy to just walk straight into a village fully inhabited with them right ?"
"Let's take a look around," suggested Zai'shira. "Maybe we'll find some clues on where their might moved on."
Deiven really didn't know what to look for, but he did as Zai'shira asked. Despite his best effort, he failed to find anything useful. The whole place was ransacked and empty, but he managed to sniff something out.
"Master Zai !" he called.
"Did you find something ?" She asked leaning out from behind one of the shacks.
"No, but I smell a lot of blood. Maybe I can track them down with my senses ?" He asked with a sly smile.
Zai'shira stroked her chin, thinking about it for a second. Deiven did have his Firrerreo species ability, their eyes were able to see into the ultraviolet range of the spectrum. That meant he could spot not only dried blood but all body fluids. If the Rakata were attacked by something and one of them was injured, Deiven was able to find him effortlessly.
"That's a very good idea," she praised him.
Not wasting any time, the little tracker proceeded with his task, guiding them further into the jungle. For a normal human, dried blood was barely visible on the dark ground, but for Deiven, it beamed like stars on the midnight sky. Zai'shira didn't know how much deep in the jungle the were already, but she was certain that sooner or later Deiven will find the wounded Rakata... dead or alive.
"The scent is getting stronger, but..." Deiven stated, crouching and sniffing the ground "...it's blending with another one."
Deiven started not only to hear but also feel footsteps. Something big was rushing towards them. Just when the bushes and trees before them started to move, Zai'shira sensed a movement with her montrals. From the dense jungle, emerged a large, brown-skinned Rancor. With a loud roar, he leered at them. After a few seconds the ground beneath his gigantic maw, filled with long, sharp teeth, was covered with his drool.
"That's a big Rancor !" Deiven exclaimed, assuming a ready stance and growling at the massive predator. His vertical pupils widened and his primal instincts urged him to lunge at the large beast.
Zai'shira activated her lightsaber, ready to fight. Before they've begun, she sensed another movement coming from behind the rancor. A first she thought it's the second one of those beasts, but then, with a lightning speed, a humanoid figure jumped on the rancor's head. From the side came another figure, and another, and another. All equipped with vibroblades and spears.
Deiven took a few steps backward and so did Zai'shira. They both came to the conclusion that the rancor wasn't attacking, he was running away. After taking a closer look Togruta recognized the species from the books. "Rakata !" she exclaimed.
The Rancor was being attacked from all angles, unsuccessfully trying to catch far faster and nimbler Rakata warriors. Ultimately, one of them thrust his long spear through the rancor's eye and into his brain, killing it in the process. The large beast fell over on the ground, his body overcame by postmortem spasms.
The Rakata warrior, who delivered the killing blow, started to cheer in his native language. Other immediately joined him, cheering as loud as they could. One of them pointed at Deiven and Zai'shira, forcing the other Rakata to turn their heads and gaze at them.
"They are friends or foes ?" Asked Deiven, looking at Zai'shira.
"Were about to find out," she replied, lowering, yet not deactivating her lightsaber.
Deiven took a good at the ancient race. In appearance, Rakata were grey-skinned amphibian-like humanoids that had tall craniums along with eyes that protruded from each side of their heads on short stalks. They had three digit hands that were tipped with claws. When the Rakata approached them cagily, Deiven noticed that all of them looked very similarly, making it very hard, if not impossible, to distinguish one from another.
The Rakata were also eyeing them up, especially Deiven, who was attracting their attention. Speaking with their native language among themselves and pointing at the boy, they've appeared to be excited by his presence.
One of the warriors gestured Deiven and Zai'shira to follow them. The two exchanged glances and decided to comply, at least for now.
After approximately thirty minutes of walking through the jungle, they reached a small, ancient Rakata temple. Covered by the green moss, it was indistinguishable between the dense vegetation of the jungle, making it impossible to be spotted out from the sky. The moment they passed through the archway, Zai'shira sensed a lot of force signatures. Turning her head back and looking at the blue symbols engraved above the entrance, she guessed that those must be some kind of force-concealing Rakata technology.
"I hope that they are not planning to sacrifice us on some altar," Deiven said seriocomically, keeping a wary eye on the Rakata.
"Don't worry Deiven," she said reassuringly. "If things get dangerous, we won't pull any punches."
When they've reached the large main hall, a Rakata clad in red cape approached them. To their surprise, he spoke basic very fluently. "Welcome to our home, I'm Cem'lul, the leader and the spiritual guide of the Rakata. We've been expecting you."
His words awakened Zai'shira's curiosity. "What do mean ?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "You knew we will land on your planet ?"
The Rakata replied solemnly. "The Force promised us redemption for our ancestor, who enslaved the galaxy. We are meant to be this boy's shields and weapons. The galaxy will tremble under our army and our technological marvels, and..."
"Okay, slow down just for one minute," interrupted Deiven, "we're not planning to conquer the galaxy. That's not the will of the force. The Force wants only the balance and that all force-sensitives, which use their power, will live accordingly to the... " he reached for his gloves taking them off and showing the priest his birthmarks, "...all four aspects of the force."
"Plus I don't think your bunch of warriors and force adepts is enough to subdue a small city, much less a planet," Zai'shira added raising an eyebrow. "You need an army for that."
"Then we will build an army," retorted Cem'lul. "After all, we are the builders."
"How ?" Asked Zai'shira. "I know your species have the knowledge and the will, but do you have the resources ? Our planet doesn't have any technology at your level to help."
"The Star Forge will give us everything we need, we just need to rebuild it," Cem'lul stated, making Zai'shira frown.
"That's out of the question !" she exclaimed.
"What is this Star Forge ?" Deiven asked, feeling a little out of topic here. The technology was never really his thing.
"The technological marvel, a giant automated shipyard, designed to create the most powerful army of all time," Cem'lul replied proudly.
"And it corrupts those who use it," added Zai'shira. "Most of all, it drew the energy and matter from the stars in order to construct and built, like a giant mechanical parasite. I read about it in the Jedi archives. There is no way that we will rebuild this blasted thing !"
"Then rebuild it a way that it will no longer need to draw matter," suggested Deiven with a shrug. "The Force is limitless, you could draw from it instead."
"Drew from the Force itself ?" Cem'lul asked with a shocked expression. "Will the Force allow it ?"
"If you use it to restore the balance, and not for personal gain, then yes," Deiven assured.
Zai'shira stroked her chin, thinking about it. It was... an original idea. Suddenly one of the Rakata warriors ran up to them and started to speak and vigorously pointing at the archway. "What's wrong ?" Asked Zai'shira not understanding his language.
"A giant fleet has appeared," replied Cem'lul. "Did you were followed by someone ?"
"No," both Zai'shira and Deiven replied at the same time.
All of them rushed to the temple's entrance in a flash. The word 'giant' was an understatement.
Never before in her life Zai'shira saw so many large ships at once. Every one of them cast a shadow that could cover the entire capital of Shili. Judging by the design and shapes, Zai'shira knew this was some kind of rare, technologically advanced fraction.
"Gree !?" Cem'lul spoke. Deiven and Zai'shira turned their heads in his direction. The Togruta only heard stories about the oldest and most advanced race in the galaxy, but she never imagined that she would meet them in her life. Even the Rakata weren't so advanced as the Gree species.
Before Deiven could ask one of his many questions, a ray of blue sparkling lights appeared before them. Sparkles started to bind together, forming a strange grey-skinned cephalopod creature with six tentacles, a tall forehead with a tattoo on it and large sad-looking eyes set on an oversized head. Deiven also noticed that the alien had his face covered with some kind of strange device, presumably a breath mask.
Cem'lul walked over to the Gree and started to speak in some strange language. Zai'shira surmised that was the native language of the Gree race. After a few minutes of conversation, Cem'lul beckoned Deiven and Zai'shira to come closer. The two complied and bowed their head, greeting the foreign alien.
"This is Tober'k, a Gree researcher," introduced Cem'lul. "Their A.I. navigation started to malfunction as if it was hacked by some strange... Force..." he accentuated the word, attracting Zai'shira's gaze, "...and because of that, they want to learn more about it."
"Didn't the Gree visit the republic in the past ?" asked Zai'shira. "They should already know much about the Force."
"If what he says it's true, then that'd be the first time the Force actually proved it's power to the Gree, acting on its own accord," said Cem'lul. "They love to research and it's the first time that they are interested in the Force itself."
Zai'shira's eyes widened with a thought. "Maybe they can give you the tech you need ? If the Gree and the Rakata will join forces, we would have an army and the tech needed to win the upcoming war, and in exchange," she put her hand on the boy's shoulder, "Deiven can teach the Gree about the Force."
"Hmm..." Cem'lul stroked his chin, "this could work. We had no problems working with the Gree far back in the past. I will translate your suggestion."
Tober'k listened closely to the proposition and started to communicate with someone through his device located on the side of his head. It was a big decision so it was normal for him to talk this over with the rest of the Gree. Moments later the alien shambled to the boy and stretched out his tentacle.
"Eee..." Deiven looked precariously at the Rakata, "is that a 'handshake' ?"
"The Gree agreed !" Cem'lul said with excitement.
Deiven stared into the alien's eyes and with a smile he grabbed the tentacle, sealing the deal. Zai'shira was also very excited, now two of the most ancient and technologically advanced races will help them. This simple trip proved to be very fruitful and she had a hunch that the Force helped them once again.
When Deiven and Zai'shira came back to the shuttle, it was already nightfall. They had to keep this whole alliance in secret, at least until the war, which will not be easy. But thanks to the advance technology of the Gree it will be doable. Thanks to the Gree's technology, the Rakata will be regularly transported to Zulio, the third moon of Shili, where they will build the temple and the robotic army.
"What a crazy day," Deiven commented. "The Rakata and the Gree, heh... now we can really do something."
"Yes we can," Zai'shira agreed. "It turned out far better than I could've imagined."
"But I'm sad about one thing," muttered Deiven looking at the floor downcasted.
"About that ?" Zai'shira asked.
"I didn't get to taste those Gizka," he replied with a grin.
They both burst out laughing, which was interrupted by an incoming transmission.
"It's from Shili," stated Deiven. "I'll put it through."
The holographic image of Aven appeared on the display, looking a bit uneasy. "How did your mission go ?" He asked.
"Perfect !" Deiven exclaimed.
"You won't believe my love, the Rakata, and the Gree will help us, we just cannot lose now," Zai'shira said with a grin, which faded when she took a closer look at the expression on her husband's face. "What's wrong Aven ?"
The king sighed and looked at his wife. "She was here Zai."
"Who ?" Asked Deiven.
"Ahsoka..." answered Aven. "Ahsoka was on Shili, to hunt one of the Akuls. The Jedi that took her away from us now brought her here, letting her hunt all alone."
"How is she ?" Zai'shira asked quickly her heart beating hard.
"She did great, killed the Akul perfectly and make her headdress from its teeth. She looked so pretty." Aven smiled softly, but Deiven could see the pain in his eyes. "They've left the planet shortly after."
"All that matter is that she is alive and well," said Deiven. "I didn't forget my promise."
"I know Deiven," said Aven taking a deep breath. "Okay, head to Shili and you will explain everything to me in detail, Aven out." The holographic image of Togruta vanished.
Zai'shira leaned back on a pilot seat, breathing a sigh of relief. She was very proud of her daughter. "Ahsoka," she whispered.
Deiven put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Everything will be alright," he said with a warm smile. "Now let's head home, I'm famished because of those Gizka."
Zai'shira chuckled and started the shuttle engines. After today, they deserved and good rest, and a good, hot meal.
Please R&R ;)
