Anakin
}-(I)-{ }-(I)-{
The journey through the void between galaxies was a long one, a difficult one that even the most experienced spacers would have trouble with. Hyperspace lanes were nearly non-existent, and those that did exist were prone to collapse without warning. With the many trillions in the galaxy still wanting revenge, this void was also a natural defense for the Yuuzhan Vong and Zonama Sekot. Yuuzhan Vong transports and supply ships were only able to traverse the void because of routes embedded in the living ships' memories. It was not saying that travel was impossible, just highly un-recommended and near-suicidal without a proper guide.
The trip was nearly a month in length, even in a fast hybrid ship like the Veila; which allowed the Veila's occupants plenty of time of reflection. It was also a daring adventure for the two young girls aboard. They had only heard of the galaxy their parents had called home through stories and holo-recordings, could only imagine what life would be like in that swirling blue mass in the night's sky. Despite the fact that the Veila was relatively cramped for two children used to running through the vast fields of people-high grass and lambent fields, they were kept more than occupied by both Tekli and Danni. The former, when not helping Tahiri care for the newborn Jayce, passed down kid-tailored lessons on the shaping and healing arts to Cassa and Jedis'sei. The latter filled in for Shaeri and acted as their teacher for all things teachable. 'Nights' were reserved for cuddling, Jedi lessons, and playtime, in no particular order.
Tucking in the two young girls for the end of another 'day,' a time unit the Veila helped with by dimming the lights within the ship at appropriate intervals, the young parents let the membrane door slide shut.
"We're almost there," Anakin murmured, wrapping his arms around his wife. "Two more weeks."
"Nervous, Anakin?"
"Yeah," Anakin breathed. "I have to be insane, dragging all of you back there and..."
Tahiri placed a finger over his lips. "You're not dragging us anywhere, Hero Boy. Did you really think I'd let you face that big scary galaxy all on your own? You're mine, and Cassa's, and Jayce's. And we'll face everything as a family, just like you used to do with Jaina and Jacen and your parents." She leaned into him, resting her head against his broad chest. "I'm right where I want to be, Solo. And I'm not going anywhere, ever."
Anakin sighed softly, burying his nose into her hair and hugging her tightly. "You really are amazing, you know that, right?"
"Of course, you tell me that every day you can," Tahiri murmured contently.
"And you know that I love you?"
Tahiri made a small nod against his chest as he gently rubbed her back. "Feeling very loved. Always do in your arms, Anakin."
Someone clearing their throat almost delicately caused both parents to glance at the source.
"Forgive the interruption," Tekli said contritely. "But I must talk to you about something my studies have uncovered."
"Studies?" Tahiri spun around so that her back was pressed against Anakin.
"Yes," Tekli held up a small qahsa. "I was concerned about what effects leaving Zonama Sekot's sizable Force-presence would have on the little ones. As you know, most Sekotian life begins to die almost immediately if away from the planet for too long. It is why Sekotian ships were only useful for local travel."
"Go on," Anakin said. Tekli didn't sound fearful or worried, but then again, Tekli was an experienced healer, capable of keeping her patients very calm even when delivering the worst of news. "Are you saying that there has been some sort of negative reaction from Cassa, Jedis'sei and Jayce?"
"Not so much with Jayce, and I wouldn't exactly call it a 'negative' reaction," Tekli led Anakin and Tahiri into the main chamber and they all took a seat on the comfortable couches that ringed the room. "As you know, a part of the Sekotian life is bonded to Zonama Sekot herself through the Force. It is that Force bond which allows the ships to find their way back, which allowed the Yuuzhan Vong to continue to find Sekot even if they didn't realize they were searching for it. Both Cassa and Jedis'sei have a similar bond to the planet. Both were born into a world where every cell was literally infused with Force energy. It is why they have always been so powerful and adept at manipulating the Force, manipulating even the Yuuzhan Vong through the Force, despite their young ages."
"As we grew further out from Zonama Sekot, I noticed that they've become a little more quiet, more withdrawn," Anakin said worriedly. "I just thought that they were homesick or apprehensive about the new galaxy we're approaching."
"Those conditions probably factor in as well," Tekli nodded patiently. "But the primary cause is that they feel their link to Sekot dimming. It will not be a fatal reaction, like normal Sekotian life, but more as if they had lost their safety-blanket or stuffed toy. They will both thrive and be stronger in a place with powerful in the Force, so Ossus should help to make them feel better. But in places relatively absent in the Force, such as this void between galaxies…"
"They'll probably have the same Force abilities as me," Danni Quee joined in. "Sorry I was late, those two left the grutchin pen open and I had to herd those little things back in. Anyways, the little ones are like sponges when it comes to the Force. They can soak it up and use their surroundings to their advantage, but if there's nothing to soak up, they'll be nothing for them to use. You guys probably realized how much easier it was to connect to the Force, to use the Force, on Zonama, than most anywhere else in the galaxy, right?"
Tahiri nodded. "I always thought it was because we were at peace, no running for our lives or ships shooting at us."
"I'm just hypothesizing here, but a part of that ease was due to the high amount of Force energies on that planet. The best equivalent I can think of is that the kiddos have been bouncing around on a low-grav planet and are suddenly being subjected to gravitational forces several times what they're used to. Both are naturally strong in the Force, but never have had to use their own potential because they were always drawing on what Sekot offered them."
"So you're saying that they'll basically have to learn how to use the Force all over again?" Anakin asked.
"Should be easy given their young ages, but yes," Tekli confirmed. "Even I have taken to reviewing the lessons Master Cilghal once taught me. Without Sekot bolstering my own abilities, some of the healing techniques I developed won't work quite as I had intended."
"That's strange, how come we haven't felt anything off?" Tahiri tilted her head.
"You're seriously asking that?" Danni said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes?" Tahiri was confused by the amusement flowing from the blond scientist.
"Tahiri," Danni said patiently, as if explaining things to a little girl. "You and Anakin are powerful enough without Sekot. Especially with the bond you share. You probably didn't realize any difference because your bond allows the both of you to stay at unfairly high levels of Force potential."
Tekli did a Chadra Fan's best approximation of a smile. "That bond is also what's probably sustaining Cassa, and by extension, Jedis'sei as we travel this void. Otherwise they shouldn't be able to use the Force at all. I am not sure of the repercussions as I have yet to encounter a similar case, but if you could dim the bond between yourself and your daughter when teaching her Jedi abilities, you might slowly force her to draw upon her own potential instead of yours."
"We'll try that next lesson," Tahiri said. "Thanks Tekli, Danni."
"Really paid off to travel with two of the smartest doctors in the galaxy," Anakin chimed, likewise indicating his gratefulness.
"Please, your charm is wasted on us," Tekli mock scoffed. "I know full well just how skilled I am. You would have been a fool not to take Danni and I."
"I think your deification has made you touched by Rhysode," Tahiri giggled.
"Yes, Yun-Tekli. Don't forget you're a minor goddess subordinate to Yun-Ne'shel," Danni poked fun.
"I'm still divine," Tekli tilted her head up and held the position for a long second, before breaking down and laughing. "Force, you all have been a bad influence on me."
"Hey, they dedicate the first Yuuzhan Vong hospital to you. Even invented the Yuuzhan Vong word and concept for 'hospital' just for that occasion," Tahiri beamed, leaning into her husband. "You have a right to enjoy your godliness."
"For now."
"Don't worry Danni. I'm sure you'll become a minor god too. The crazy scientist who blends Yun-Ne'shel's work with inanimate metals and tech," Anakin said consoling.
"Great, that'd be the pinnacle of my career, to be called a goddess," Danni deadpanned.
"See, we made the right decision, tagging along with the Avatars of Yun-Ne'shel and Yun-Shuno," Tekli chimed in, her Yuuzhan Vong pronunciation of the two names flawless.
Tahiri exhaled. "It really was a relief when they stopped calling us that for those public ceremonies. Still a shame they wouldn't stop bowing low every time Cassa passed them."
"I wonder how the Yuuzhan Vong in the galaxy will react to you guys' return," Danni said soberly. "I mean, it's been seven years since they have seen the rest of their people. Sure the Supreme Council keeps tabs on them, but most of them are more used to following Galactic Alliance law and whatever cultures they settled around than Yuuzhan Vong."
"That reminds me," Anakin gestured to the room's qahsa. "Did you see the report about the Yuuzhan Vong who stayed behind on Mandalore?"
"No," Danni replied, shaking her head once. "Must have missed that one."
"Let's just say those Death Watch guys have an all-Yuuzhan Vong unit working with them," Anakin said.
"Yuuzhan Vong in those suits of armor," Danni shuddered. "They were scary enough with the vonduun shells, no need to add flamethrowers and missile launchers."
"They managed to get over the blasphemy of using metal technology?" Tekli said curiously.
"The way the report read, they figured that if they get their butts kicked by a force many times smaller than their own, then the gods really didn't care what happens to Yuuzhan Vong. From what I could gather, most of those who joined the Death Watch had a crisis of faith and decided that the gods must not exist after all."
"I definitely hope the Mandos stay on our side then," Tahiri shook her head. "I fought with them and they were scary good. Who knows how much better they'll be after absorbing the best aspects of Yuuzhan Vong culture and practices?"
"Wait, the Yuuzhan Vong only joined Death Watch?" Danni said, her mind reviewing the information.
"Yes. For some reason, they didn't get involved with the supercommandos or the rest of the Mandalorian groups."
"Strange. The Death Watch were all for pure Mandalorian culture…why would they…?" Danni scratched her head. "The galaxy must really have changed."
"Seven years is a long time to be away," Tekli commented softly. "I wonder how Master Cilghal is doing."
"Wonder if the galaxy got any better or learned anything from the war," Danni echoed.
The quartet fell silent, their musings getting the better of them. They knew first hand, from working with the Yuuzhan Vong, just how much could change in so little an amount of time. Knew that governments had formed and collapsed in an even shorter period. They thought of their friends, their families, acquaintances left behind. Where would all of them be now? How were they doing?
"Eager to see the rest of your family again, Anakin?" Danni asked gently.
"Something like that," Anakin whispered, looking away. "We weren't exactly a regular family in any way. Mom and dad raised us, if you could say that, to be independent. We learned pretty quickly that neither of them had the power to protect us from those shadows in the night, were not all knowing or perfect. I was never too close to Jacen, regardless of how many times we came to agree to disagree. During the war, he internalized everything, rarely letting those close to him in. And Jaya, she's always marched to the beat of her own drum, and then ran if feelings got in the way of that beat. Jace tried to bury his feelings, she ran away from them. And mom and dad just trusted us all to survive regardless of how many near-death experiences we faced. Sure I love them all, am grateful for them. But miss them? I don't know. I mean, now I have Tahiri, Cassa, and Jayce now, had a life that didn't involve killing, running, and solving problems leading to certain death for one party or another. A life separate and away from Jaina, Jace, mom, and dad. Would that life still be possible if I had stayed in the galaxy? Stayed close to them? It doesn't matter now anyways. I'll take things as they come, but I don't really have any expectations one way or another."
"I have tried telling him that he's lucky enough to have a brother, sister, mother, and father who are all alive after a war that killed trillions. Especially since they were all on the front lines," Tahiri added, subdued yet sounding mildly annoyed at the same time. "Even tried to get this dummy to visit them on more than one occasion. But every time I'd convince him to, some other problem would pop up for Taan and the others and we'd have to cancel. Then, when the crisis was over, he'd argue that it was better we stayed."
"Well, you've gotten your wish anyways," Anakin said. "We're going back, this time because of some problem that popped up for Taan."
"The Force really does have a warped sense of humor," Tahiri agreed wryly. "Let's hope its humor doesn't continue to when we drop out of hyperspace. For all we know we'll be walking into a galactic civil war and a failed government, in addition to our Bothan problem."
"Way to think positive, Tahiri," Danni breathed in exasperation. "Stop hanging around your husband."
"Hey, I was thinking positive."
"See the second half of my statement," Danni retorted.
"Well, we won't be in range of the nearest HoloNet buoy for at least another week, so no new news until then," Tekli commented. "We'll have to rely on those three-month old reports from the last convoy that returned."
"Right, like the galaxy will change any more in those three months," Anakin said sarcastically.
"I hate traveling with you two, you know that?" Danni sighed.
"What? Is the girl who believes in all things science-y, superstitious?" Anakin raised an eyebrow.
"Hey I believe in the Force, and for some reason, things always become a bigger problem than it was when you two get involved."
"Not true!"
"Case in point, during the war. You went to Yavin Four to rescue Tahiri and the other Jedi there from the Yuuzhan Vong attack. Ended up creating a counter-culture that grew into a full-fledged resistant movement that changed the tide of the war," Danni said flatly.
"Or that time shortly after the war's end; the two of you were investigating the group of warriors who refused to lay down their arms." Tekli spoke in a similarly clinically dry tone. "They turned out to be a large sect of Shimrra followers, who eventually became the Shimrraists."
"Or the time you called in Tekli to investigate flu-like symptoms in one of the villages."
"And it turned out to be a highly contagious and lethal virus that spread to thirteen-percent of the entire population of Yuuzhan Vong," Tekli finished dully.
"Or the time you were celebrating his birthday," Danni began.
"And ended up getting pregnant with Cassa?" Tekli deadpanned
"All right! All right, we get the idea," Anakin and Tahiri beamed at each other with silly grins. "Maybe the Force just likes us or something."
Danni and Tekli exchanged incredulous glances, and as one, turned to the young couple. After a measured beat, in their driest of tones, they said in unison. "Anakin, Tahiri, with you two, it's definitely 'or something.'"
}-(II)-{ }-(II)-{
"Attention passenger-peoples, we will be re-entering the galaxy in five, four, three, two, one," the Veila announced cheerily over the intercom. The ship's inertial dampeners and dovin basal prevented the crew from feeling the reversion, but the star-spangled view outside the few windows gave testament to the fact that they were no longer in the cold void between galaxies or in the blue tunnel of hyperspace. "Those who want to see something more than black matter can now put on cognition hoods or stare out the nearest viewport. I will be maintaining this position for the next ten minutes to re-chart hyperspace lanes and plot our next jump."
Both Cassa and Jedis'sei, who had been playing a memory game with Danni in the central room, perked up at the announcement and twisted around excitedly towards Anakin and Tahiri.
"Use the cognition hoods, you'll get a better view," Anakin advised with a broad grin, an arm around his smiling wife.
The two little girls quickly abandoned their position by the dejarik board and crawled into the large nooks. Once comfy, they crammed a cognition hood over their small heads. They were soon completely immersed in their first 'up-close' look of a galaxy they had only seen in the skies of Zonama Sekot.
"There's so many stars," Jedis'sei said wonderingly.
"They're everywhere," Cassa agreed, twisting herself left and right in the chair to change the angle she was viewing.
"Oooo, look! Over there. That's a nebula, right?!" Jedis'sei momentarily looked over her shoulder for confirmation as she pointed out a cloud of blue and purple off in the distance.
"And over there! That sun is red!" It was a unique sight to the girls used to feeling the warmth of the two yellow suns that warmed Zonama.
"Veila, how long until we reach Ossus?" Tahiri asked.
"Using the most direct hyperspace route, we are approximately three days out. We have emerged on the Triellus Trade Route, several dozen parsecs away from the Rinn system. Would you like me to tap into the local HoloNet to get an update on the news?"
"You'd do it anyways," Danni called out teasingly, looking up from the datapad she was reading. The light fixture above her suddenly dimmed, and the cooling unit next to it went on at full blast. "Hey! Nothing wrong about being curious."
"Anything interesting, or more of the same?" Tekli sighed.
"Scanning, one moment please," the slightly more mature voice of the Veila's thinking personality chimed. As if powered by a real brain, the Veila's mind was separated into two pieces. There was the logical, computational half in the form of a specially designed droid brain, and the more creative, emotional side in the form of a Yuuzhan Vong ship-mind. The Veila's personality used both 'sides' to process the emotional and logical problems it encountered. For great influxes of data, or powerful emotional moments, one side or the other took over completely. It was still the Veila, just a Veila focused on one specific task. "There is one event of note. From two hours ago, feeds from the Bothawui system suggest a major development in galactic politics."
"I thought Bothawui was in the Mid Rim," Danni blinked. "Aren't we still in the Outer Rim?"
"My apologies. I meant feeds from Bothan colonies established in what was once demarcated as Hutt Space. HoloNet receivers are beaming a broadcast across all Bothan claimed space, and as we are near Hutt Space, we are capable of receiving the broadcast."
"Put it on the main projector," Tahiri directed.
An image of the Bothan ruling body, the Combined Clans, and their meeting chamber appeared over the holoprojector in the middle of the room. Nearly a thousand Bothans filled the chamber, their fur and distinguishing markings varying from clan to clan. A lone Bothan with crisply pressed clothing and immaculately combed fur, stood at a central dais, gazing up at the crowd.
"Bothans!" Despite his apparent age, his deep voice carried power, strength, and an undeniable charisma. "The time has come for all of us to choose! Are we to stay true to what it means to be Bothan? Stay true to The Way and the superiority of our race? Or are we to accept a pale imitation of victory, accept that our ar'krai end with our enemies still breathing? Are we to become the working dogs of the Galactic Alliance? Sacrificing our ships and resources for one ill-fated venture after another. Or are we to rise up and carve out our own destiny in this galaxy? The Way states that the Bothans should be above all other races, equal to no one. I look at our great people today and weep. How does Bothawui benefit by bleeding credits to a government that can't even control its own people? What is the benefit for us by staying with the Galactic Alliance, when we can easily care for all our clans without them? What does it mean to be Bothan today if we're giving away our livelihood for nothing in return? It is time, time to decide whether or not to stay with the Galactic Alliance and the inept leadership that guides them to ruin. I say that it is also time to remember what it is to be Bothan, to be the best race in this galaxy!"
Applause was picked up by the holo-cameras recording the event, nearly all the room standing at the male Bothan's speech. The Bothan smirked at the crowd and bowed his head in a show of humility, before leaving the dais and taking his seat. In his place, a female Bothan stepped forward, her clothing appearing to indicate that she was not quite as well off as her predecessor.
"The floor recognizes Clan Leader Asyr Sei'lar and will hear her rebuttal to the words of the True Victory party."
Asyr didn't take the dais, but instead began to pace around it, glaring up at the crowd with baleful violet eyes. "I cannot believe that the Bothans are so stupid as to fall for pretty words. Have we not learned our lessons from the Yuuzhan Vong War? Have we not seen where that type of thinking will get us? The hubris of the Bothan race will be our downfall, just as it was the downfall of the Hutts, the Yuuzhan Vong, and the Empire before us. We cannot close our doors to the rest of the galaxy, or use our resources to lord over those less fortunate than us. I take pride in calling myself Bothan, but if we vote to continue this genocidal war, to separate from the Galactic Alliance, I will seriously question our ability to think about the long-term well-being of our people. You all saw it during the war. The Yuuzhan Vong picked off those who were isolated, who believed themselves to be better than everyone else. The Yuuzhan Vong came, and no one answered the cries for help that soon followed. We are setting ourselves up to become targets."
"Targets of the envy and greed of the lesser races," the older Bothan who had spoken before her scoffed. "There is no other fleet in this galaxy capable of matching our armada of assault cruisers. Even the Galactic Alliance's fleets are spread thin across this galaxy. Why should we help others if we can use this opportunity to increase the influence and power of Bothawui?"
"Elders, I believe the True Victory emissary has already had his allotted time," Asyr said with a hint of venom in her voice.
"The emissary for the True Victory party will refrain from further interruptions."
"As I was saying. We are setting ourselves up to be targets. This galaxy is a big place, a lonely place to those who do not have friends. Even if Bothawui were to construct our own treaties with other governments, anyone of note is still a part of the Galactic Alliance. What does it mean to be a Bothan? There is The Way, of course. But even tradition can be flawed. How many clans and family members turned on each other all in the name of success and power? How many Bothans have died at the hands of another Bothan because they followed The Way? If we continue ar'krai, I can guarantee that it will be our race that is wiped out. I beg of all of you, on behalf of our people, do what you think is right and best for our people. I have said my part and only time will tell if we Bothans can truly learn from our mistakes. That is all."
Asyr returned to her seat in deafening silence, not a whisper could be heard in the room. A group of older Bothans rose from their seats. "We will now take a vote. To secede from the Galactic Alliance, more than seventy percent of Bothans everywhere must agree. So those on Bothawui, on our far-flung colonies, in ships throughout the galaxy, we say to you now, vote. Vote for the future of Bothawui, vote on the future of the Bothan race."
The Veila minimized the rest of the broadcast, allowing those who had watched it time to gather their thoughts.
"Veila, what do you have on this 'True Victory' party?" Danni asked.
"According to their HoloNet site, the True Victory party is a right-wing political party made up of a conglomerate of peoples and businesses who are not satisfied on how the Yuuzhan Vong War was ended. Though the extent the group will go to vary from region to region, they believe that the Yuuzhan Vong escaped adequate punishment at the end of the war. There are True Victory affiliates scattered mostly through Outer Rim and Mid Rim worlds heavily damaged by the warring. In relation to the Bothans, it could be argued that Bothawui is the birth place of the True Victory movement. They represent the most extreme view of the pan-galactic political party in that they wish to continue ar'krai down to the very last Yuuzhan Vong, regardless of what it will cost them. The current leader of the Bothan True Victory party is Bothan Senator Reh'mwa, a man with great support from traditionalists and those hurt greatly by the war and its consequences. I have sent the rest of the information to your datapads."
"Great, nothing like cultural obligations to condone a genocide," Danni groaned.
"Or angering a people who have been allies to the Galactic Alliance since it was in its Rebel Alliance days," Tekli added with closed eyes. She stood from her chair. "For Force sake I'm a doctor, not a politician. Tahiri, would you mind if I looked after Jayce for a little bit? Human biology is much less complicated than matters of galactic politics."
"Go ahead," Tahiri laughed. "Can't fix political problems with bandages and bacta."
"If it were that easy, the galaxy wouldn't need the two of you," Tekli joked, shaking her head. "By the way, Veila, hasn't ten minutes elapsed by now? Shouldn't we be on our way?"
"I was staying in regular space so the little people would focus on the stars and planets, and not on the adult conversations you big people are having," The Veila replied, her 'emotional' mind once again taking control. The group glanced at where Cassa and Jedis'sei were still engrossed in the sights they were seeing through the cognition hoods. The Veila was evidently having a conversation with them through the hood, evoking giggles, 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' at appropriate intervals. "They can worry about saving the galaxy when they're older."
"Thanks Veila," Tahiri said sincerely, resting a hand on the organic wall of the hybrid-ship.
"Veila, you said that the broadcast was two hours old. Do we know the result of the vote?" Anakin asked.
"Yes. The Bothans voted to secede from the Galactic Alliance as of thirty minutes ago. The corresponding declaration was just made in the Galactic Alliance Senate, making it official."
"It's beginning to look more and more like the entire Bothan government was behind the attack on Zonama Sekot," Tahiri said darkly.
"Being the relative newcomers to this galaxy, we're going to have to figure out a lot more before we can move against them though," Anakin reasoned. "The Bothans were always a political heavy-weight, and I doubt they'd sever all ties."
"Then the sooner we get to Ossus the better," Danni concluded. "The masters there can fill us in on what we have to do to avert a second Yuuzhan Vong War."
}-(III)-{ }-(III)-{
After a solemn three days of hyperspace travel, the crew of the Veila felt their spirits lifted as they emerged into the Adega system. Wanting to be silly, if only for a little bit, the crew opted for a rather fun-filled re-entry to Ossus. The occupants of the Veila studiously minimized their Force presences as the world of Ossus took shape, exchanging mischievous grins as they did so. After all, who wouldn't pass up a chance to play a prank on their old teachers?
"Now entering the Adega system, home system to the planet Ossus," the Veila announced cheerily. "If you'll look out the viewport you can see Adega Prime and Adega Besh. Sunshields are raised so it's safe to look at the suns directly."
"Ooo, this system has two suns, just like home!" Cassa smiled eagerly at her parents.
Like a tour guide, the Veila began to go into an informational spiel about the Adega system and angled them towards Ossus in a lazy arc.
"Receiving transmission from Ossus," Danni called out mirthfully from the cockpit. "Anakin, Tahiri, either of you want to take it?"
"I'll look after the little ones," Tekli said, a smile of her own appearing as she once again detected presences she hadn't felt for seven years.
The young couple left the central room and joined Danni.
"They don't recognize us yet?" Anakin said with his father's trademark smirk. He could feel both Kam and Tionne reach out towards them in an attempt to discern their intentions.
"Nope," Danni settled into the passenger seat and let Tahiri take her place.
Tahiri flicked a switch, and the stern voice of Kyp Durron filled the room. "Repeat, unidentified Yuuzhan Vong vessel. This is the Ossus Praxeum. State your domain and purpose immediately."
"How rude, I'm not a Yuuzhan Vong vessel," the Veila protested to its occupants. "I'm a one-of-a-kind, advanced, hybrid ship."
"It's okay, Veila. Master Durron doesn't know any better," Anakin sympathized. "You can scold and educate him about the many differences once we land."
Smiling wryly, Tahiri activated the comm-unit. "Hello Master Durron. This is Tahiri Solo in the Veila, requesting permission to land."
The stunned silence felt by the crew of the Veila had them grin to one and other. Seconds passed, and the planet of Ossus loomed ever larger before them. Eventually, it was not Kyp who replied, but Jedi Master Kam Solusar.
"Welcome back, Tahiri, Anakin," Kam sounded both genuinely glad to hear them, but also genuinely sarcastic at the same time. "You'll excuse the delay but Kyp was recruited by my wife to gather up the students, and they're currently rushing to the landing pad. Please warn me before you make my wife shriek in joy like that again."
"Will do, Master Solusar," Tahiri giggled.
"So I take it we have permission to land then," Anakin couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course, Anakin. Bad timing though, you just missed the Masters Skywalker and your parents. They left for Hapes two days ago."
"Oh?"
"Not sure if you heard, but the Queen Mother of the Hapan Consortium is giving birth to her first child. Your parents and aunt and uncle won't be back for at least a couple of weeks, and I have a feeling you haven't decided to just drop in for a social visit."
"We'll explain more when we land," Anakin sobered. "But you're right, I don't think we'll be able to stick around and wait for their return."
"If my wife has her way, you'll definitely be staying for a few days though," Kam said dryly. "So, who else do you have up there with you? I recognize Tekli and Danni, but there are three others…two seem oddly familiar but…"
"Well Master Solusar," Tahiri took over playfully. "You'll just have to join Tionne and Master Durron on the landing pad, won't you?"
"You haven't even landed yet, why I am now dreading your return?"
"Please excuse these crazy Jedi," Danni said drolly, glaring at the young couple. "They're blissfully in love and still like to drag everyone around them into the many schemes of theirs."
"Good to hear you too, Danni. Alright, Mrs. Solo. I'll see you all at the landing pad. Ossus Control, out."
Patting Danni's arm fondly, both Anakin and Tahiri moved back towards the central chamber. Tahiri gently took Jayce into her arms to feed him, while Anakin plopped Cassa onto his lap. The youngest blond girl in the ship still had her head buried in the cognition hood, absorbing everything her young mind could register.
The sky above the Ossus Praxeum was a dazzling blue, cloudless and bright. The glowing light of the binary stars reflected off the wave-like curves of the gleaming white arches of the praxeum like a shining beacon. A small oasis of trees, flowering plants, and grass ringed the praxeum, the blooming life made all the more apparent by the rocky landscape that surrounded the patch of green and brown.
The air was calm as the Veila pushed through the upper atmosphere, the planet enfolding the hybrid vessel in a pleasant and eventless welcome.
"Ossus is so warm," Cassa cooed, her eyes squeezing shut and a wide smile appearing on her face. After traveling for so long in the void of space, to feel a planet so strong in the Force was a welcomed change.
Anakin affectionately rubbed her back as he felt her tap into the Force presence of Ossus. Her own Force presence went from a flickering flame to a roaring fireplace in a heartbeat; her joy and happiness at finding the warmth of the planet felt clearly not just by those in the ship but those on the ground below as well. "Control, Cassa," Anakin coached tenderly. "Your mom and I are glad you're so happy, but you don't need to broadcast it so strongly."
Cassa, head still in the overly large cognition hood, looked over her shoulder, seeing her father only through the Force. With a single nod, the Force energy she was emitting was pulled back into her small form; a seemingly impossible feat given how much energy she had been emitting.
"Are all the people down there Jedi?" Jedis'sei asked, tugging on one of Anakin's sleeves.
"Most of them," Anakin nodded. Without needing to touch his lambent saber, he closed his eyes for a moment. "I think there are about a dozen or so Yuuzhan Vong down there too."
"Fourteen, daddy," Cassa supplied, her cognition hood-covered head turning this way and that as she continued to use the ship's senses to scan the planet in conjunction with her own unique Force abilities.
"Fourteen it is," Anakin said, sharing a smile with Tahiri. "Can you tell which Domain?"
"We're still too high up," Cassa shook her head. She stopped when the Veila deliberately increased their downward velocity. "Oh, thanks Veila. Let's see, Domain Phaath. No, Hool. Wait, Yim. It has to be Yim. They have the same markings as Master Shaper Nen Yim."
"Absolutely sure?" Anakin said with amusement.
"Absolutely sure." Cassa then seemed to have a thought and frowned. She took off the cognition hood and looked over to Tahiri. "Mommy, these shapers won't act weird and bow to me like the others on Zonama, will they?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure," Tahiri replied tenderly. "The Yuuzhan Vong who stayed behind in this galaxy are a lot less traditional than those that lived with us. Since they're from Domain Yim, they should listen to you once you tell them not to bow or call you a goddess."
"Oh, okay," Cassa crammed the cognition hood back on her head.
Anakin, however, peeled it back off. "Okay, you've let your eyes do the seeing, now see this planet only with the Force. You too, Jedis'sei. We're about to land, so take in everything you can"
Both little girls closed their eyes and attuned themselves to the life forces on the planet before them. Both could sense the many Jedi awaiting them, the trees, birds, small rodents, and more. They could feel the planet itself, a massive presence compared to their own tiny forms, all around them, warm and welcoming. Jedis'sei and Cassa took the time to send a 'hello' to each of the lives they felt, and being the good big sisters they were, also made sure to share some of the welcoming replies to a sleeping Jayce. They were still in a quasi-trance when the Veila finally shuddered as its landing struts made contact with the dirt platform of Ossus' landing pad.
"Time to meet everyone," Anakin whispered, patting the backs of the two little girls.
The blond human and red Twi'lek stirred, sleepily rubbing their eyes as they refocused on their immediate surroundings. With grins directed at Anakin and Tahiri, they leaped off their couches, barely able to contain their excitement. Fortunately, Danni emerged back from the cockpit and joined Tekli in corralling the younger two budding Jedi towards the landing ramp. In the meantime, Anakin draped an arm around Tahiri's waist while she lovingly carried Jayce between the two of them.
"Ready to see Ossus with your own eyes?" Tekli asked Cassa.
"Uh huh," the blond girl nodded. The ramp before them lowered, and a whole new world was revealed to the wide-eyed young five year old.
}-(IV)-{ }-(IV)-{
Cassa Solo took in the towering hallways of the Ossus Praxeum with the same innocent curiosity she had had on Zonama Sekot. Her mommy and daddy were off with the other adults talking about serious, adult matters. Cassa still didn't know why the two insisted on being silly by trying to shield her from what they were feeling when she could easily sense all of their emotions. She could feel sorrow, surprise, happiness, anger, and a whole host of other feelings she didn't know the names for. But then, as if sensing she was listening in, she felt her mommy's Force presence gently guide her attention back to the present.
With a small pout, Cassa obeyed, but with some amount of apprehension. Though Ossus was warm in the Force and welcoming in general, there were so many differences that reminded her of just how this planet was so unlike home.
Just the buildings alone caused her some trepidation. It had taken some getting used to the fact that the walls were not alive at all, that she couldn't just reach out with the Force and feel its beating presence all around her. Instead of the usual coral and Sekotian life that she had grown up with, the walls were a cold, unfeeling metal that had her looking askance as she ran her hands along its many surfaces. Sure on Zonama, she had seen prefab shelters brought in by the aid groups, but those had been tiny domes made of flimsy cloth-like materials. The praxeum around her was many, many, many times bigger.
Even more were the equally lifeless droids that roamed the halls, carrying about one duty or another. Yellow optical sensors and expressionless faces of protocol droids had scared her, as had her inability to feel anything remotely living about them.
Fortunately, she wasn't alone. She was traveling with Jedis'sei and a group of the other Jedi children led by a nine-year old girl named Cappricia. Next to them, a Jedi girl around her age, Ryza Durron, would explain one thing or another in a hushed voice.
"And these are the kitchens," Ryza continued on, seemingly unaware of just how distracted Cassa was. "For smaller meals the Masters Solusar cook it for us. But if everyone's here, we have Cookie and his helpers make it." She gestured to several culinary droids going about preparing lunch. The droids were slender metal pillars on tread-like wheels with multiple arms emerging from the pillars at different angles. Each arm was going about a different task, cooking eggs, flipping meats, timing bread in an oven; and one even waved at her.
For Cassa, it seemed extremely unnerving to see these headless limbs twirl about, and she involuntarily gripped Jedis'sei's hand just a bit tighter.
"Can we go outside?" Cassa asked in a whisper, eyeing the cooking droids with distrust.
"Okay, I'll ask Ricia," Ryza nodded, and she promptly pushed her way through the small group of young Jedi in training to get to the Melodie initiate.
The 'tour' took a detour out a side door, and once she was in the bright rays of Ossus' two suns, Cassa managed to take a small breath of relief. From the matching sigh emitted by Jedis'sei, she knew that she hadn't been the only one scared of the lifeless machines.
Finding the fresh air and abundance of life in the surrounding greenery relaxing, Cassa allowed a hesitant smile to appear on her face. Jedis'sei matched her expression and the two couldn't help but giggle. They knew they were being completely ridiculous. How in the world could they be in any danger at a school for other Jedi? After all, the others seemed to be just fine, so there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with the droids that roamed the hallways and rooms.
"Are you okay?" Cappricia asked, moving to the two younger ones and trying to assess them with the Force.
"We'll be fine," Cassa nodded in turn. "We just needed some fresh air."
"Well," Cappricia looked slightly lost. "Is there any part of the praxeum that you want to see? If I get Master Sitra's permission, we can go to the Old Jedi Library."
Cassa shook her head, casting about for an answer of her own. It came to her when she saw one of the Yuuzhan Vong shapers in the distance. The Yuuzhan Vong was surrounded by flowering bushes and was in the process of planting another one. Brightening, she looked to Cappricia with an eager grin. "Can we go talk to the Yuuzhan Vong?"
"Why do you want to do that?" One of the other children said in a combination of revulsion and horror.
Cassa's smile faltered. "Why not?"
"They're scary," another one of the children said softly.
"My daddy said their people killed many people," Jesmin Sarkin-Tainer, another young initiate, added almost fearfully.
"Plus they're all weird in the Force, like emptiness."
Cassa blinked repeatedly, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Between the strange metal building and the odd planet and people, she had had enough. She stomped her foot once and tilted her chin in the air. "Well Jedis'sei and I can sense them just fine! It's all of you who are weird and strange!"
Tugging on Jedis'sei's hand, Cassa broke away from the rest of the Jedi children and towards the one thing that seemed familiar to her. Why couldn't they sense the Yuuzhan Vong? It was so easy for her. They were like glimmering lanterns in the Force, different than other species, yet so obviously present.
She was half way to the Yuuzhan Vong shaper when she realized that several of the children were following her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Cappricia, a red-haired human boy, and a slightly older than her cat-like boy, walking quickly to catch up. After a brief moment of confusion, Cassa recalled that the cat-like people were called 'Cathar'.
Exchanging a shrug with Jedis'sei, Cassa was about to continue her fast sprint away from the rest of the Jedi children, when her pursuers began to call out.
"Wait!" The red-haired boy called out.
"Wait for us!" The Cathar added.
Cassa and Jedis'sei waited for the trio to catch up.
"Why?" Cassa pouted, folding her small arms in front of her chest as she glowered at the trio. "Going to be mean to the Yuuzhan Vong some more?"
"No," the red-haired boy shook his head. He looked like he was eight or nine, but Cassa couldn't really tell. Everyone older than her just looked bigger. "We don't all hate them. Hi, I'm Josat. My mom and dad work with Yuuzhan Vong to make planets safe again. I thought I was the only person who thought they were okay people."
"And I'm Jun, Jun Rasi Tuum," the Cathar boy said in a friendly, out-of-breath growl. "Josat's friend."
"Are you okay?" Jedis'sei asked, frowning as Jun continued to breath heavily.
The young Cathar nodded. "My home got Vong-shaped when I was in my mom's tummy. My lungs never fully developed. The shapers here are working on a way to fix them, but they said that I'd have to wait until I grew older before they could completely make me better."
"Oh, okay," Cassa said, not quite understanding but not wanting to look stupid in front of the bigger kids.
"Yeah, I was the lucky one, being born with the Force," Jun said, getting his breathing under control. "The rest of my littermates all died as babies."
Cassa blinked slowly. Then nodded and made a decision. "Okay, you can come with Jedis'sei and I."
The young blond girl and the Twi'lek then looked to the Melodie, as if asking 'what's your story?' The rest of the Jedi children had disappeared back into the praxeum, too scared to be near a Yuuzhan Vong.
But the young Melodie was not like the rest. Meeting Cassa and Jedis'sei's distrusting stares, Cappricia didn't respond to them, but instead walked right past them to the shaper behind them. The Yuuzhan Vong had been watching the exchange in silent amusement, his face becoming emotionless as all eyes turned towards him.
"Hi! Is that the flower bush you told me about yesterday? Is it doing well?" Cappricia said conversationally. "You said that it was going to be different colors under different types of light, right?"
The shaper nodded mutely and produced a small light fixture from one of the pouches on his living belt. Waving it over a nearby bush, the gathered children could see the green leaves turn blue under black light, then purple under another spectrum.
"Neat!" Cappricia exclaimed.
Cassa, deciding that the trio that had joined her and Jedis'sei weren't all that bad, bounded up to the shaper. "Nikk pryozz Cassa Solo! Ne pryozz Jedis'sei. Gadma, vong al'Ne-shel. Zhal sos yam?"
"You can speak their language?" Josat said, awe, not incrimination, in his voice. "Can you teach me?"
Cassa beamed and nodded, looking back to the startled shaper for her answer.
"I can speak the toneless tongue, Solo-child," the shaper said slowly. "And I am doing well, thank you for asking. I can definitely see your mother in you, child. That is a blessing in itself. She-Who-Was-Shaped was a gift from the gods when we most needed one."
"You're not going to bow or anything, are you?" Cassa said warily.
At that, the shaper let out a barking laugh, a grin stretching his skull-like face. "Not unless you command it. Master Shaper Nen Yim has already used the emergency villip to order all of us to treat you like we would any other. The punishment for doing otherwise is most severe."
"Great, then we'll get along just fine," Cassa said with a brilliant smile.
With the introductions over, the shaper soon had his hands full with five inquisitive children. Questions, answers, jokes, all were shared. Some of the other shapers, hearing the light-hearted talk and giggling of children, likewise gravitated over to the small garden. And once more, all was right for the young blond girl.
}-(V)-{ }-(V)-{
Getting caught up on seven years of history in a couple of hours was hard work. Fortunately, Anakin, Tahiri, Danni, and Tekli had remained somewhat informed about the state of the galaxy through HoloNet reports recorded by the supply convoys that made the trek out from Zonama Sekot and back. Even then, it was hard to believe that the galaxy they had left had changed so greatly.
The intricacies of galaxy politics, most of which had been set aside in the face of the threat the Yuuzhan Vong had posed, had returned full force. Some might argue things were even worse than before. It was as if every lesson learned during the war was set aside now that certain annihilation had been avoided; which didn't bode well for anyone. The galaxy was even more divided than before, and in a panic, everyone was turning to their own people to save themselves. The Imperials, Bothans, Corellians, even the Bakurans, were all isolating themselves in an attempt to minimize whatever tidal wave of damage was caused when the Galactic Alliance collapsed. Yet, as isolated as they all were, they were still connected in more ways than one, making the current situation one he wouldn't wish on anybody.
And just as the galaxy had changed, not necessarily for the better, so too had the Jedi Order. Luke Skywalker may have been the Grandmaster, but the title had become one of ceremonial importance instead of actually meaning a 'leader' of the Order. And without a clear leader, the Jedi Order was foundering, sorely needing direction. The galaxy was looking to the Order to fix things, but the Order couldn't even help itself as problems and pressures mounted and politics took its toll. Jacen's attempts to change the mindset of the Jedi Order High Council members had the potential to be very successful, but the galaxy simply did not have that time to spare. Change needed to happen immediately, and change in a direction far opposite of the one both the galaxy and Order were headed.
"Still trying to sort things out," Anakin responded to an unasked question, feeling Tahiri behind him. He was standing on the balcony at the apex of one of the magnificent white arches of the praxeum, just taking in the sweeping view before him. The two suns bombarded the balcony with afternoon light and warmth, but a brisk breeze kept everything bearable. "I asked Kyp and Master Solusar to get me more information on a few things I wanted to look into."
"It's all one giant puzzle for you, isn't it?" Tahiri said wanly, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his shoulder blade. "A politician here, a solar system or two there, pirates and refugees somewhere in between. All you have to do is organize the pieces."
"Actually, that's the easy part," Anakin brought Tahiri around to his front and gave her a brief kiss. "The hard part is deciding what picture I want as an end result. Scratch that, the hard part is getting everyone on board for the picture I'll create with all the little pieces."
"You'll figure it out somehow," Tahiri said with confidence. "You hate leaving puzzles undone."
Anakin sighed, focusing on the barren mountains in the distance. "I just wonder what Jacen and Jaina are up to though, what they'd think of my little solution. I know I expected it, but it's strange to hear about how spread out my family's become."
"Not so strange," Tahiri said softly. "You were the main thing that held them together. Jaina wanted to protect you above all else, Jacen wanted to compete with you. Mara wanted to train you, Master Skywalker wanted to prepare you. And your mom and dad, well, they were just proud that all three of you were doing well despite everything. With you not in the picture, Jaina had no one to worry about and she went her own way. Jacen could focus on being Jacen instead of being in your shadow. And your mom and dad, with their children so far apart, returned to their saving-the-galaxy selves to distract themselves. But you're back now, so everything's going to change again."
"Is that good or bad?" Anakin joked.
"Can't have one without the other," Tahiri shrugged simply.
"I know we have the Yuuzhan Vong-Bothan crisis to deal with, but we're going to need help," Anakin began hesitantly. "With the galaxy the way it is now, I can't tug on one strand without unraveling a whole ball of yarn."
"So we'll be staying here for a little bit then?"
"At least until Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara get back. I want to run some ideas by them, understand how they see the galaxy as it is. The last time we were here, I planned things, but didn't take the time to truly think about what would happen. I'm a different person now, I won't be making the same mistakes."
Tahiri's eyes opened and closed slowly. "I know you won't. You'll think about the big picture and how this galaxy all fits together. But what about the little picture? How are we going to fit, Anakin? Are we going to be staying in this galaxy after this or returning to Zonama Sekot? Be a family or be heroes? My home is where you are, but it won't be fair to Cassa if we keep taking her away from all of her friends and the life she knows. It won't be fair to either Jayce or Cassa if one of us is killed trying to make this galaxy a safer place. Can we truly be a family, still have what we had on Zonama if we're running around the galaxy worrying about whether or not we'll be alive at the end of the next day? We probably should have talked about this before we left Zonama Sekot. But like you, I thought all we'd have to do is come here, straighten out a few things and return. If we step into the spotlight again, we'll have a very hard time stepping out of it, and Cassa and Jayce will become targets. Just like what it was for you and your siblings and parents."
Anakin released a long breath, trying to focus on the distant peaks of barren mountains. He knew Tahiri was right. But their only other option was hide somewhere and hope everything passed them by. If they did nothing, the Yuuzhan Vong would return looking for vengeance, and war would be unavoidable. But if they got involved in the galactic politics again, their lives, the lives of their children, could never be the same. Neither choice was palatable. He was no longer making decisions for himself, but for his family as well. A family he wanted to protect from everything he had had to go through as a child and teenager.
"It was just something to think about," Tahiri whispered softly, caressing his face with one hand. "I'll be with you no matter what you decide."
He knew that she knew what he would choose. As a teenager, she'd already followed him into suicide missions and enemy-held territory. Had already known what he was thinking before the thoughts registered in his head. As his best friend of fourteen years, his wife of seven years, and mother of their children, their bond was so powerful that she could sense all of his doubts, his hopes, his fears, and his dreams no matter how hard he tried to keep them from her. And the reverse was also true.
He could sense her reluctant acceptance of the situation; a determination not to leave their children parentless like she had been. A desire to make sure they had as 'normal' a life as possible despite everything. He could feel her love for him and their children, the sorrow that the family they were was about to be disrupted by events far outside their control. After all, how does one fight off a galaxy of problems? Rising above all her other emotions, however, was her trust in their bond; in their ability to get through these latest obstacles together like they had in the past.
"I love you," Anakin whispered, kissing the top of Tahiri's head as he fought back against the guilt his decision was causing him. "So much, Tahiri."
"Back at you, Hero Boy," Tahiri replied, hugging him tightly. Then jokingly, she looked up at him. "We haven't saved the galaxy in a while, this should be fun."
"Let me know if you decide to make some sort of resistance group out of dissident pirates," Anakin said wryly.
"Hey, the Freed Ones weren't my idea, they were yours!" She poked at his chest. "Well, technically, they were Taan's. I just went along with it. You let me know if you're planning some crazy mission with minimal support and a high chance of death."
"Won't be doing that ever again," Anakin shook his head with a regretful smile.
"Wishful thinking if I ever heard it."
"Trying to stay positive here. Cassa doesn't like my negatude either."
"Speaking of Cassa," Tahiri murmured. Both parents could sense their eldest child happily skipping through the hallway with a small group of kids. "Looks like she's found some friends already."
"Making friends quickly, another thing she got from you."
"Definitely."
Only a couple of seconds later, Cassa rounded the doorway with her new group of friends in tow. "Mommy! Daddy!"
She sprinted towards them as fast as her legs could carry them and leaped into Anakin's arms first to give him a tight hug, then switched parents. Jedis'sei wasn't far behind, hugging Anakin the moment Cassa moved to Tahiri.
"Hey you two," Anakin said stroking one of Jedis'sei's lekku affectionately and mussing Cassa's hair. "Your friends?"
"Uh huh," Cassa took a deep breath and then launched into an information-filled spiel aided with gestures and bright-eyed laughter.
Half-listening, Anakin exchanged an amused glance with Tahiri. He raised an eyebrow and mouthed 'remind you of anyone?' Tahiri promptly gave him a playful nudge.
"…And Jedi Tekli said that she'd look into Jun's condition and work with the shapers to make him better, and Josat wanted to help out so Tekli might make him her apprentice when he gets older. When I get bigger, am I going to have Ryza's daddy as my master? He said the Force just might have the sense of humor to make things that way, and Ryza's daddy's really funny…" Cassa continued on, seemingly oblivious to the wide-eyed stares of her newfound friends. "Did you know that when she gets bigger, Cappricia is going to become a fish and speak fish-people. Maybe I can learn how to speak their language and then I can talk with other fish…"
Jedis'sei simply sighed and tapped on Cassa's shoulder. "Huh?"
"{You're doing it again. Cassa.}"
"Wha…oh," Cassa blushed. She looked to her new friends sheepishly. "Sorry. I do that sometimes. Talking's fun. I like learning other languages too. I know Huttese and Basic and Yuuzhan Vong…." Then as if realizing what she was doing, she took another big breath and clamped her mouth shut with an impish smile.
"That's neat," Josat finally managed once he could get a word in. When they all turned to him to see if he was going to say any more, he shrugged helplessly.
This caused everyone to laugh.
"Don't worry, her mom does that to me sometimes too," Anakin said empathically.
"So the two of you really are the Anakin and Tahiri from Master Tionne's stories and the holocron?" Jun asked almost worshipfully.
"And did you really help free the Yuuzhan Vong and help end the war?" Josat added.
"We had a small part in it, yes," Anakin said with a patient smile. So much for staying out of the spotlight. If Tionne's been telling tales, he doubted there wouldn't be many Jedi who didn't know his and Tahiri's name. So much for trying to fight fate. As if sensing his thoughts, Tahiri rubbed his arm.
Cassa was having none of it though. "They don't like talking about it, so leave them alone!"
"But Master Solusar says that we shouldn't forget the past," Cappricia looked almost horrified that heroes from the stories she had grown up with were off-limits even if they were standing right in front of her. "That what your mommy and daddy did shaped the Order of today."
"It's okay, Cassa," Tahiri gently lifted her daughter off the ground and into a reassuring hug. "Your daddy and I kind of expected this when we returned."
"You won't get sad or sorry?" Cassa said in a little voice, small hands gripping the fabric of Tahiri's robes. "I don't like it when you and daddy feel sad and not happy."
"I know Cassa," Tahiri murmured, patting her back. She exchanged a significant look with her significant other, both feeling each other's worries and aiding the other in hiding it from their very sensitive daughter. But how long would they be able to shield her and Jayce? Worse, what would happen when there was finally a situation that they couldn't think their way out of? What would happen then? Holding Anakin's gaze and still rubbing Cassa's back, Tahiri inclined her head and whispered a bit more softly. "I know."
}-(VI)-{ }-(VI)-{
The three days thus far spent at the Ossus Praxeum was oddly disconcerting for Anakin's branch of the Solo clan and Tekli and Danni. There was so much that was familiar, yet different. So much the same, yet with one or two things not like before. Like a picture slightly off-centered, the time was hardly the relaxing reintroduction to the galaxy the crew of the Veila thought it would be. Nevertheless, they did their best to adjust to the unfamiliar facets of a galaxy they had been away from for nearly seven years.
Cassa and Jedis'sei, however, were having a blast interacting with children with abilities like theirs. To them, they were on a fun and adventure filled vacation, learning sights and sounds they had only seen in qahsa and computer databanks or heard of in the stories of those told on Zonama. The wide variety of different species on Ossus also enabled the two young Jedi-in-training to get used to the galaxy a little at a time.
"Anakin, Anakin, Anakin."
Anakin opened his eyes from his meditation and saw an older, red and gray-haired Jedi settling onto the flagstones of the courtyard before him. She had her eyes closed, but her attention was no doubt focused on him. "Master Esterhazy."
"Just Scout," the Jedi of the Republic era answered simply. "It is strange how two Anakins could be so different, yet so alike."
"For someone of your time, recent events must seem frighteningly familiar," Anakin said in answer, delving further into the Force. The world around him took on hues of gray as he observed the world not with his eyes, but with the Force. Life was shaded in blues and reds; serenity and aggression spiking depending on the situation and who the person was.
"Indeed. Your return was more than a bit unsettling as well. Considering what happened the last time an Anakin got involved in a galaxy as twisted as this one has become. The chaos, the thirst for power, for knowledge, they were his undoing. Are what led to the dark side."
He didn't need the Force to know that Scout was viewing him through the Force much like he was viewing the surroundings. He focused his gaze on her. The cool blue of serenity and peace shrouded her, but at her core was a burning red blaze of determination, of anger, of regret. He also knew what her unasked question was by the way she fell silent at her last words.
"Fearing the dark side would be fearing a part of who you are," Anakin said simply. "From what Tionne taught me as a child, even the Jedi of your time believed fear was a bad thing. If you were afraid of yourself, that's a whole lot worse."
"You don't believe your grandfather fell?"
"Oh he fell, but I don't think it was for the reasons you stated," Anakin said simply. "I once had a very long talk with a sentient planet about him. Granted, Sekot only knew him as an eleven-year old boy, but still…Most of what Sekot said made sense. He was afraid of losing those he loved, plain and simple. Yet because the Order of his time frowned upon such feelings, love and fear, he internalized both. When everyone around you seemed to be the perfect Jedi, following orders and purging yourself of emotion, who would you talk to? Who do you think would understand these feelings you aren't supposed to have? He was lost to the Jedi Order long before he himself even realized it."
The red flame that flickered at Scout's core flared out for a fraction, before being forced back into its little corner. "You are saying that the fall of your grandfather was the fault of the Order of my time?"
"The fault of its philosophies, not the Order itself. No Order is perfect, why do you think the Jedi Order keeps falling?" Anakin reasoned. "I'm sure you already noticed the fault of the current order."
"Yes, there is no unity, only discord."
"No peace, only chaos," Anakin paraphrased the Jedi Code.
"Your masters sought to have a diverse array of Jedi and experiences to better care for the galaxy. Unlike the Order of my time, yours is highly decentralized. Both its greatest strength, but also its greatest weakness."
"So I'm not the only one who thinks so," Anakin sighed, returning his vision to normal.
"If my memory serves, young Solo, you had a large hand in the current shape of this Order."
"Not that it excuses anything, but would you have let a frightened teenager with more burdens than even an adult could bear, help create the next generation of Jedi?"
"Probably not. That is the difference between you and your grandfather, though. You recognize that you are being used, by others, by the Force. You know who your friends are and who your enemies are. But the minute you lose sight of that…"
"I become little more than a weapon, a symbol whose meaning can change on the whim of the people viewing it," Anakin finished. "I know. Like I said earlier, seven years is a long time to reflect on what didn't go quite so well during the war."
"The others of my time are wary of the recent turns of events," Scout said. "The parallels, the clouding of the Force, they are too great to ignore. You know full well that coincidence is not something the Jedi should believe in. Something is on the horizon. Something great, yet dark."
Anakin opened his mouth to respond, then closed it and smiled as he glanced up to the sky. "Then it's a good thing my uncle and most of my family have returned. We can talk about battling great dark things to our hearts content when they land."
Scout raised an eyebrow as the familiar shapes of the Falcon and Jade Shadow cut through the blue sky. "They are early, but I suppose the Force knows what it is doing."
"Don't worry, Master Esterhazy," Anakin said with a small wink. "This Jedi Order won't go the way of the first one, and you'll get to live a nice long life teaching the little ones."
Scout smiled wanly. "I could only hope so, young Anakin. I would not like to contemplate the alternative."
}-(Chapter End)-{
A\N: Next chapter, Zekk =) I was planning on posting this on Saturday, but real life has thrown me a real curve ball. Hoping to have the next chapter up on Tuesday, but no promises.
