Entry 15
I survived my Rancor ride. It was probably the most jarring form of transportation in the galaxy. My backside hurt so much I wouldn't be surprised if I broke something.
When we arrived at the village I noticed the astonished faces of the menfolk and more than one witch gave me an appraising look as they gathered together and talked in hushed tones. Jedi Har'shi had a smug air about her as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a grin. I guess putting up a brave front helped her justify working with males. I'm glad to help, but I just wished it didn't have to be such a painful performance of male fearlessness. I quickly climbed down from the rancor wanting to put some distance between us. The monster glared at me menacingly before it bared its teeth and roared sending spittle everywhere. Wonderful. I probably have a broken tailbone and now I got a saliva shower. Vornskrs are looking better and better every minute.
My fellow Jedi Knight brought me to a small dining area located within the Singing Mountain caverns. She motioned for me to sit as she flagged down one of the male slaves…or should I say 'male family members' to bring us some food. After a few minutes a small man scurried into our chamber carrying bowls of meat and steamed vegetables.
As Har'shi and I ate our meal I noticed a number of witches stopping by and glancing into the dining chamber. After the sixth or seventh woman stopped by I asked my companion what was going on.
She looked over to the entrance where her sister-witches stood watching us. When Har'shi made eye contact with one of the witches, the woman in the doorway pointed to me and then said something in their native language of Paecian.
"No!" Har'shi responded in basic. She made a shooing motion with her hand and then continued conversing in Paecian. The women in the hall laughed and wandered away.
I gave her a curious look. "What was that all about?"
She blew out a frustrated breath. "I might have exaggerated the capabilities of male Jedi to impress my sisters." She paused for a moment. "Exaggerate is not the right word. I told my clan sisters some of the Grand Master's astounding capabilities and now they believe all male Jedi have the same extraordinary talents…and I haven't done anything to correct that assumption." She smirked. "So now the sisters probably believe you can not only do psychometric divinations but you can walk on lava, slay Sith Lords, levitate objects, do telekinesis, mind tricks, heal the sick, detoxify poison, go into a hibernation trance, mind-speak to animals, sense a person's intentions, merge your senses with other Jedi, and control the weather."
I broke out in laughter. "Is that all?" I shook my head in disbelief. "I never walked on Lava, controlled the weather or slayed a Sith Lord, but I do have plenty of combat experience and I am capable of performing most of the other skills to some degree. But, with the exception of psychometrics, I am fairly average. I'm definitely no Luke Skywalker." I looked over to another group of women taking a peek through the door. "So are they expecting me to levitate something?"
Jedi Har'shi laughed, nearly choking on her food. When she composed herself she said. "They want something to rise up."
I gazed at my fellow Jedi waiting for an explanation that was obviously not forthcoming. "What do you mean?"
A hot blush crawled across the Jedi's face. "You are considered a male witch…and that is a prized commodity here on Dathomir. The woman that spoke to me earlier was asking me if I am willing to share." She coughed nervously and averted her eyes. "They are hoping to breed with you."
"What?" I looked over to the growing number of women gathering in the hallway. I laughed with a shake of my head. "If I wasn't married, that might be a tempting offer, but I have to decline. My wife definitely doesn't share."
The Jedi laughed. "Don't worry, once Skywalker gets here they will forget all about you."
The smile slipped from my face. "What?"
Har'shi's jaw dropped in mortification. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm not saying he's more attractive than you. It's just…the Skywalker reputation precedes him and he is a redhead and redheads are perceived as very exotic on the planet. A male witch with fiery red hair is something found only in folklore."
I rolled my eyes. "It figures. Do Dathomiri witches also find pale skin and freckles alluring."
She gave me a knowing look. "You're jealous."
I leaned back in my chair ready to deny the charge but instead grinned. "Maybe a little. Ben has always bested me, but I am lucky to have him as a friend."
I turned when I heard a commotion in the outside corridor. There was the murmuring of women and then laughter, followed by Ben poking his head through the doorway. "Hey guys." He jumped when one of the women ran a hand over his shoulders. "The women are very friendly here," he said while warding off more wandering hands.
"What do you expect?" I said with a grin. "You're their version of a mythical, crimson haired, baby-making god."
"What?"
Jedi Har'shi motioned him over to the table while throwing an evil glance toward any witches lingering at the doorway. "I was telling Jedi Tantiss that the women in my clan find male witches appealing. They sire Force-strong children."
Ben blushed as he sat down across from me. "Oh. I just thought this was a very touchy-feely culture." He grabbed a steamed vegetable off a plate and popped it in his mouth before he pointed in the direction of the abandoned ship. "I landed near your StealthX. The women were removing the prisoners from the freighter cargo bay and leading them somewhere. Why are they naked?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is I can't see who abducted them. My visions have gaps. It's like the people who did this were invisible."
Ben's eyes went wide. "Could it be a Force-cloak?"
I shook my head. "The only person I know that can do that is your father. So unless he is abducting and stripping slavers…I would guess it is something else."
"How about a mimetic suit?" Jedi Har'shi offered.
I nodded in thought. A mimetic suit can render a person invisible and I remember the Chief-of-State's mysterious encounter with a mimetic suit clad individual. "Maybe...,but I would think I'd be able to sense them through the Force, even if they were physically invisible."
"Maybe they were only invisible in the Force?" Ben offered.
I knew he was referring to the Vong shamed one. "That could be it."
Har'shi looked between Ben and I waiting for us to expand on that comment. I wasn't sure who knew about the Vong, so I decided to stay silent.
"You mean they may have ysalamiri?" Har'shi asked.
Ben nodded his head, allowing the young Jedi to make that assumption. "It is a possibility."
I decided to change the subject. "Did they make you ride a rancor to the village?"
Ben's brow rose. "No, did you?"
"Yep," I said somewhat sarcastically. "I had to prove to the village women how awesomely brave male Jedi are." I smirked. "I guess the ladies didn't want to risk their fiery-haired male witch getting eaten before he could father some children."
"Knock it off." Ben shook his head in irritation as he stood. "Let's go interrogate some of the men. I'd like to find out more about who captured them."
