Chapter 10-

As they entered the main dinning hall, Natalya could shake the feeling she had been here before. It wasn't like greatly detailed memories, but vague impressions of the rooms. It was like revisiting someplace you had been to as a child, but she knew her family had never really travelled much. In fact she could count on one hand the number of planets she had visited as a child, and none where this far from the core.

Never the less, the memory was there.

Sodan pulled out a seat for her and motioned for her to sit. Even in private he was overly cordual. It was so strange to Natalya when she considered what she knew of her husbands background, that he even gave consideration to manners. She took her seat and waited for him to sit as well before she pulled her chair forward.

"Thank you for being so kind as to join us." Jiang commented while everyone was being served a covered dish. "I have explained to my fellow councilors the situation. Not everyone is in agreement as of yet regarding your request for asylum, but we all have agreed that until a decision is reached you may stay at the Jashire."

"Jashire? I recall a guard speaking of this place, is it a temple?" Sodan inquisitively questioned.

"It is a prison." Councilor Tollus informed bluntly.

"It was built twelve years ago." Jiang ellaborated. "The idea was that it could protect its inhabitants, with out allowing them to harm anyone outside. In a way you could veiw it as a prison i suppose but it was intended as a quarenteen zone."

"We will gladly accept what ever accomidations you offer, we dont want to cause trouble." Natalya responded.

"We appreciate your words" Jes finally spoke. "For now we simply ask that you not interfere with us. Perhaps in time when you have earned our trust, but not yet."

An attendant lifted the covers of the dishes, revealing entres neither Sodan or Natalya were familiar with. Polite conversation halted as the councilors and the guests ate their meals. Apparently it was considered a faux pas to speak while someone ate. Sodan and Natalya never needed to speak though. They were quite adept at comunicating through the force. Sodan was still taking in everything about the Fumessi making mental notes on their culture as well as well as trying to determine who of the councilors they could trust. Natalya on tue other hand was becoming quite anoyed by the persistant sence of deja vu. She racked her brain several times over again, but neither she nor Sodan could figure it out. The only thing he could figure is that it was somehow linked to the powerful concentration of force energy on this world.

When Sodan suggested this she recalled something, a word. Xiol'shi. Jiang had used the word to identify her. Perhaps this word was more then an honorary title. Perhaps this word, the concentration of force energy, and the deja vu were all conected.

Entres finished, servants gathered the dishes and conversation resumed. The first to speak was Xain.

"I find it curious that you are able to communicate in our language so fluently, apart from an odd accent and bad gramar that is, yet you claim to have no prior knowlege of our culture?" Xain said with a suspicious tone. "How is this accomplished? More sith magic?"

"Nothing so clandestine I assure you." Sodan said with a slight chuckle. "As a Jedi I was trained in many disciplines. Linguistics was a sort of hobby of mine so I became fairly adept at it. Your language resebles a trade language called sybisti, that is the language my wife and I use to communicate with you there are a few words you have used that I am unsertain of but overall I understand most of what you are saying." Sodan explained. Though Natalya felt that he was too detailed and probably lost the councilors.

"I believe I understand." Jiang said contemplatively. "You have used words we are unfamiliar with as well. Perhaps an education of these could benifit us both."

"Why not. You may go first." Sodan said respectfully. He was enjoying this conversation a bit too much.

"What is a 'Je-di'?" Jes asked immediatly.

"Well, that is quite the question. I suppose it depends on your point of veiw. Some would say the jedi are powerful wariors, others would call them guardians of peace. Myself, on the other hand, I beleive a jedi is supposed to simply protect the source of their power; that is, life. In all of its forms. You might mistake them as being sith but in reality sith and jedi are exact opposites."

"So it is a philisophical order?" Tollus simplified.

Realizing his error in over complicating his answer, Sodan simply replied. "Yes."

"So our turn now. What is a Xiol'shi?" Natalya asked almost sounding demanding. She couldnt help it though it was a question eating at her since the conversation resumed.

"It is an old story." Jiang began to explain. "It predates the sith oppression by over a thousand years. Most believe it to be a fairy tale. We, on the other hand, believe that it has foundation in truth."

"Most stories do." Sodan agreed. "Would you care to enlighten us?"

"It would be an honour." Jes said with a bow. "I am called the chronicler, this means it is my duty to know and record all the history of the Fumessi people. I would first draw your attention to the tapestries behind you."

Sodan and Natalya both turned around. They had paid little attention to the artwork in this room, mainly due to the sheer volume of it. All of it equally majestic. The tapestries were like nothing else, as they seemed to be the sole work that was given the honor of a solitary display. While the rest of the decorations in the dining hall were crowded together these two tapestries were aloted an entire space to themselves.

They both depicted solitary figures. The one on the left, behind Natalya, was a female figure. She was humanoid, definitely not Fumessi, she was crouched by a river playing a bizarre instrument. The one on the right depicted a large armored figure. He was standing on the opposite bank of the same river, his eyes were sharp, alert. He too held an instrument, but didn't appear to be playing it.

"The woman is the Xiol'shi, the great healer." Jes explained. "Her companion on the right is the Kaa'dos, or guardian servant. They visit at times of need to cause great change among the Fumessi. The first time they visited was the time of the nomads. Xiol'shi taught the people unity, and Kaa'dos taught them honour. It is believed they only stayed for a single lunar cycle, but in that time they braught order and peace to the Fumessi people. Thousands of years passed and they were never again seen. Then the sith came. From the Sith Fumessi learned fear and oppression, it was a dark time for our people. It was nearly a hundred years, then Kaa'dos returned. This time teaching the Fumessi discipline and deception. These aided the Fumessi in overthrowing the sith. Kaa'dos again departed, leaving the Fumessi again free. Then just over forty years ago, the Xiol'shi returned. She had disguised herself as Kaa'dos but we were not decieved. The great plague had nearly destroyed us, but Xiol'shi taught us medicine. When he departed we were healed. Now today we find the Xiol'shi and Kaa'dos have reunited. The wandering stars are again one."

"Wait. You think we are reincarnated deities?" Natalya asked in shock.

"No. Of course not." Jiang explained. "It is our belief that you have enherited their title. You are simply the latest to take the mantel as it were."

"I guess I don't disagree." Sodan said in introspection. "That doesn't quite explain the powerful concentration of the force on this planet."

Xain was quick to answer. "The Xiol'shi taught us of an energy of life, and that there are some who feel this energy as an extention of themselves. Perhaps this is your...'force energy'? "

"Perhaps." Natalya replied. Xain was obviously hiding something. She decided to let it slide.

Conversation again halted as desert was served. This would be a long meal.