Chapter Nine: Out Of Mind

From the first moment I set foot aboard the Chu'unthor, I knew that I would not die on that ship.

It didn't matter that I'd resolved to spend the remainder of my days working with Djinn and the Altisians...despite all evidence to the contrary I knew with absolute certainty that my life would not end there, though I had no idea what direction my steps were supposed to take. So in the meantime, I decided to try and be content, as there was much work to do; for a while I was able to set aside my own discomfort and offer what time I did have to those less fortunate than myself.

And then the Force, which – despite my deepest longings – had been so absent from my life, spoke to me in the mention of a distant planet that one of Djinn's students had come upon by chance. The moment I heard its name I was struck with an inconsolable urge to visit this place and unlock its mysteries. So I spoke to Djinn, who agreed, though I could see the doubt in his eyes. He didn't like the thought of me going off on my own. But I didn't care, and threw myself into research anyway.

Stonewall had only caught a trace of misgiving from his wife while he'd spoken to Weave over the comlinks, but it was enough to cause him concern. When he'd tried to reach her through the Force, it was a little harder than it should have been, but not as if she wasn't there; it was almost as if her own consciousness had turned away from his own, though the feeling faded quickly. But he didn't like it, and as he helped the lads set up a folding table on which everyone could eat, he wondered if she was angry with him.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid...I don't think I've done anything to bother her. He gave a mental shrug and wiped off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. Everyone was dressed in light clothing that still stuck to one's skin with damp and he longed for a shower. But until they had a new source of clean water, the 'freshers were limited to sonic-only; judging from the amount of humidity and plant life, he figured that fresh water would not be too difficult to come by once they had a chance to look for it. While they intended on staying on the ships for the time being, he had hopes that the buildings on Mundali could be converted into a habitable space, and was looking forward to Kali and Weave's report.

"Never thought all that survival training would come in so handy," Crest said as he gathered the beginnings of their dinner, swatting away another insect as he opened a packet of dehydrated nerf strips. "Of course, we did spend those years running around various jungles with Kalinda, so this isn't that different. Less droids, though. That's pretty nice, I guess."

"Would you like some help?" Sita's voice was quiet and Crest looked up at her as she stood before the table, arms behind her back, face tilted up to him.

Stonewall noted that his brother held very still for a moment before nodding and handing her the plate as well as a knife, hilt first. "Cut these up, please?" She took the objects and moved to a free area on the table. Neither one spoke after that and their movements were polite, but the Force told Stonewall a different story.

Patience, Crest, he thought. From what I can tell, she cares for you too, but you both need time to adjust. Neither one of you is the same person that you were two years ago.

None of us are, actually. He glanced around at the others: Traxis and Ares were finishing what looked to be something of a tarp-fortress; they had circled the open space between the ships with tarps, leaving open patches for a breeze to slip through, and provided cover as well, as it would probably rain at some point, given the thick clouds that were starting to amass in the upper levels of the air. The boys were off collecting firewood, with instructions not to wander too far.

It was oddly domestic, and Stonewall wished that Kali were there to share the moment.

His wish was granted several minutes later when he sensed her approach, along with Honi, Weave and the kids. The former captain moved to the tree-line to meet them, smiling when his eyes fell on his wife. She was sweaty and had dirt smudges on her arms, but she met his gaze with a grin and he felt his concerns slipping out of his mind as he reached for her hand, pulling her towards him so that he could kiss her. "Welcome back."

She leaned into him and returned the action in kind, albeit with a bit more energy than he would have imagined after half a day of trekking through the forest. On that note he pulled back and looked down at her knee, covered by the leggings she normally wore. "How is it?"

"It's still there," she replied in a light voice. Seeing his frown she sighed and put her arm around his waist. "It's a little sore, but not awful."

He nodded. "I'll try to help you with it, later. Unless you want Honi to take a look?" At the mention of her name, the red-haired Jedi glanced up, but Kalinda shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said, meeting his eyes. The thought occurred to him that he would never get tired of her gaze on him, and he kissed her cheek with an affection that made her grin. "A little hungry...and we have some exciting news."

"Oh?"

Weave had been watching the boys, who were returning from the jungle loaded with firewood. Levy rushed to meet them and the group began conversing with a mixture of hand gestures and hushed voices. After a moment he glanced over at Kalinda. "There are generators here. Not operational now, obviously, but with a little hard work..." He trailed off and Stonewall chuckled to himself at his brother's expression, which showed that he was lost to his own thoughts.

"And the condition of the buildings seems to be adequate," Honi added, glancing from Weave to Kalinda. "There's quite a bit of space, actually. More so than we could ever hope to fill."

Zara's gaze was on the younger clones, but she looked up at the adults. "There's a well and a garden or something, and the most beautiful view I've ever seen." Her voice was slightly breathless.

"A garden?" Sita had been handing a plate to Crest, but she looked up at the word, her eyes wide and her voice eager. "How large? In what condition?"

Kalinda held up her free hand, as the other one was still wrapped around Stonewall's waist. "All in good time, okay? Let's discuss this over dinner."

"Suffice it to say that we'll all be very busy for the foreseeable future," Weave added, his gaze still on the clone lads. "Get ready to work, adi'ke." They looked perturbed – except for Levy – and Stonewall chuckled to himself.

"You Jedi have perfect timing," Crest added, lifting the pan he'd been holding over the small stove. "Soup's on."

From his seat beside Ares, Traxis listened to all the talk of the others with only part of his attention. Illuminated by the glow-lamps they'd set up around the perimeter once dusk had fallen, an animated Weave was describing some old generators or something that he'd found while Honi and Kalinda talked about the rest of the settlement they'd come across. There was something about the dark-haired Jedi playing a joke on the others that he didn't catch; however, most of the talk turned to the settlement, and the possibility of turning it into someplace habitable for the duration of their stay. That was when his attention had started to drift.

At the mention of staying, possibly for a length of time – the term months was bandied about – Ares shifted in his seat and his expression tightened. He's a traveler, Trax thought. He's told me so before. Will he want to hang around here that long? Whatever it was that was between them felt so new at times, Trax didn't know what kind of reaction he was supposed to have to the unpleasant thought. Anger didn't seem logical, neither did frustration, and he didn't like sorrow or remorse.

So he shrugged them all away and swatted at another mosquito that had found its way towards him, glancing at Weave as he did so. "I don't suppose anyone remembered insect repellent?"

His brother's eyes lit up the way they did when he had the answer to something, but he shook his head. "In a manner of speaking." He looked at Levy, seated beside him and bent over a datapad that he'd set his empty plate aside for. "You remember the present that Altis gave you, right?"

The boy looked up with a grin; minutes later he'd darted off to the Wayfarer, trotting back with an odd, cylindrical-shaped device, about a third of a meter tall and half as wide. He flicked an unseen switch and a clear, violet-colored light blossomed in the interior of the object.

Crest leaned forward as Levy set it down on top of a stack of crates. "What's that, Lev?" A if to answer his question, there was a buzzing sound as an insect flew past the clone boy, directly into the light, where it met its end with a satisfying snap. Several more followed in its wake and Traxis chuckled.

"I haven't seen one of those old things in ages," Ares replied from beside him, smiling at the boy. "That's certainly going to come in handy."

"Remind me to thank Master Altis when I see him again," Zara added, though her words were cut off by the device again as more insects darted to the deadly light. There was more convivial chatter as plans for their settlement turned speculative, then veered into ridiculous. At some point, Keo and Finn started imitating Trax and Crest's sparring sessions aboard the Raven, and even Traxis had to laugh at his younger brothers' rendition.

It feels good to be like this, Trax thought as he glanced around him at the others. Nice...like how a family should feel, I suppose. This thought put the memory of Milo at the forefront of his mind, and he found his smile fading. I've lost countless brothers, but none like him. It's different...he was a brother, but more, too. He was more than that to all of us.

Among clones, there was a thing known as brothers-by-choice, which was the strongest bond that troopers could have. While all clones were essentially brothers, this was a deeper connection that was often difficult to explain to outsiders.

Across the table, Stonewall caught his eye and Traxis figured that the other man had picked up on his thoughts; the former captain gave a small nod as if in understanding, then looked up at Kalinda, who was laughing at something that Crest was saying. "Care to break out the dulcimer?"

"I can do better than that," she replied, glancing at Levy, who had sat up at the mention of the instrument. "Lev, will you help me?" The clone boy nodded eagerly and followed the Jedi to the Wayfarer, where they disappeared into the hold.

Ares cast Traxis a curious look. "Another impromptu concert?"

"It happens if you stick around long enough," the scarred clone replied with a wry grin. Indeed, several minutes later they had returned and were passing out various instruments, and Traxis found that he had missed his bes'bev, a Mandalorian flute, as it had been some time since he'd picked it up. Stonewall had his ion steel guitar, Kalinda had her viol; Weave had been teaching Levy the dulcimer and was showing the lad a few chords; Crest had given away his Nautolan harmonica some time ago, but Kalinda had managed to acquire a new one, with which he was experimenting; the only remaining item was the small set of dual-sided drums – tablas – that Milo had always played.

Everyone looked at the instrument for a moment before Sita lifted her eyes to each of the adult clones in turn, clearly unaware of their significance. "Those are from Aruna...may I?"

"You can't," Traxis said, the words leaving his mouth before he knew what was happening. "Those are Milo's."

For a moment it was silent, save the erratic snap of the insect-killer. Then Kalinda spoke, her tone gentle. "Trax..."

Milo's gone. I know. It was still raw, at times, so he took a breath and nodded. Suddenly there was a warm hand on his shoulder, and he glanced at Ares, who was watching him with concern. "Right," he said at last, nodding to the drums. "Go for it."

Crest cleared his throat and handed the drums to the Arunai woman, who did not meet his gaze. "Here you go," the bald clone said in a quiet voice. She took them with a nod and ran her fingers across the taut skein of the surface, still hesitant.

The abrupt sound of the dulcimer made everyone start, and all eyes fell on Levy, who was grinning over the instrument. It seemed to draw the adults out of their haze, and within a few moments some true music began to emerge from the group; Traxis was pleased to discover that he had not forgotten how to play, after all.

Later that night, Kali thought that she was dreaming, but it was unlike any dream that she'd ever experienced. Where the murky depths of sleep would normally make her dream-self confused and muddled, she felt clear-headed. Lucid. She knew that she was still on Mundali, but everything felt...different. There was no heat, no humidity, not even the remotest feeling of being uncomfortable or tired in any way. He knee didn't even hurt. In fact she felt nothing.

Nothing.

The realization made her uneasy.

In her dream, she saw the ancient temple, climbed the steps and entered the massive room, but it was not empty as it had been earlier that day. The space was filled with people – Near-Humans that she did not recognize – dressed in strange clothes and speaking in a language that she couldn't name, even though it sounded familiar.

After a moment of concentration, she realized where she had come across it before: in the Jedi Archives, when she'd first discovered the shield technique that had proved so useful for her the past few years. My shield is related to this planet? I don't remember reading about it in my mother's journal, but that seems to consist mostly of personal notes. She did mention that she collected much research, though...I wonder if it was her research that I studied at the Temple – there wasn't a name attached to any of it, but that's not too unusual for the Archives.

It was a dizzying line of inquiry, but before she could ruminate further she realized that the room was filling with more and more people, all of whom seemed to be clustering around something in the center of the room that she could not make out through the press of bodies. None of them paid her any mind, and she wondered if they could see her at all. She considered using the Force to urge them to the side, but decided against it, as there was a solemnity to the air that reminded her of a funeral rite.

In fact, as the people shifted around, she could make out what appeared to be a young woman stretched out on a stone altar; after a few moments the sound of rhythmic chanting began to ease up from the throats of those gathered, and Kali thought that the sound would have made the hairs on her arm stand up had she been awake. Who are these people? Whose death are they mourning?

Then a new voice sounded, familiar but strange as well as it stuck out among the others. "Kali? Kali...where are you?"

She turned but saw only the jungle and the stairs that lead to the bottom of the temple. Was it just a trick of my mind? In the center of the room, the chanting grew louder and more urgent, and she could practically see the shimmer of Force-energy in the air surrounding the body at the center of the crowd, as if everyone in the room was directing their focus towards the same place. Forgetting the odd voice for a moment, Kali tried to get a better look, and realized with a start that the figure that she'd thought was deceased was actually alive; an young, woman with sleek hair and pale skin. Her eyes were fixed above her, at something that Kali figured only she could see.

The chanting rose again, the timber of voices soaring higher and higher. It was overwhelming and Kalinda took a step back as if to separate herself from the raw, humming energy that the group was emanating. Are they all Force-sensitive? It certainly feels that way.

"Kalinda. There you are." It was the same voice – a woman's – and again Kali was struck by the familiarity of it. It kind of reminds me of my voice...that can't be good.

Her eyes narrowed and she reached out with the Force. "Who are you?" Despite the presence of the crowd there was nothing. Not a flicker of life and she shook her head.

The familiar-but-not voice was directly to her left, but when Kali looked, she saw only empty air.

"Kalinda...you have to leave this place at once. It's too dangerous for you to be here, now. Please..."

"Who are you?" Kali stepped towards the sound, noting how the people in the temple continued not to notice her, as if she were a ghost. "What are you talking about?"

But there was no answer.

The chanting had risen to a fever pitch at this point, and she could now sense the intent of those gathered as clearly as if someone was shouting in her ear: you will live forever...you will conquer death...whatever it takes.

Upon her sudden awakening she was gasping, as if she'd been drowning and was just managing to breach the surface of the water. A hand flew to her forehead as if to catch the dream, but it was already fading into oblivion. Even though she'd had a sonic shower before bed, her entire body was coated with sweat and for several moments she had no idea where she was, until she felt Stone's hand on her back and heard his voice, hazy with sleep. "Kali'ka?"

"Stone..." She looked beside her and exhaled with relief when she saw that his eyes were open and he was leaning towards her. They were on the Wayfarer, in the cabin that they'd shared during their army days, and she realized that her legs were tangled in the sheets, almost binding her in place.

His palm was warm against her cheek and she knew that he was completely awake now when he spoke again. "Are you okay?" She considered the question, then nodded, though she was unable to find her voice for a moment.

"I am...I just had a strange dream."

Seeing her hesitation, Stonewall gave her a knowing look. "You're sure?"

Kali nodded and gave him a smile as she tried to mentally shake the images out of her head. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. The words echoed in her mind as her heartbeat evened out, steadied. It was still rapid, but it was not with fear or agitation, and when he kissed her, she was able to push away the last remnants of the dream to focus on her reality.

Dawn was not so bright on Mundali, given the prevalent cover of the jungle. Light from the sun gradually filtered its way through the canopy until it reached the clearing, glinting off of the ships as Honi moved to Crest's station to prepare some caf. It only took her a few minutes until she had a steaming mug in her hand, the rich scent filling her nostrils and bringing her a semblance of calm as she sat at the edge of the table and faced the jungle.

There was no sugar out, but she didn't mind the caf black and she sipped it idly, wincing as it was still too hot to drink, and considered the events of the previous day. What happened at those ruins? It's not like Kalinda to wander off without at least mentioning it to someone. I know it may not seem like much, but it bothers me, anyway. Especially since I couldn't feel her through the Force.

The thoughts were unsettling; Honi frowned at the caf for a moment before resting the mug on her knee, watching the jungle steam as the dew was already being burnt away by the rising sun, and thinking that she should have put her hair up before she'd stepped outside.

"Morning."

She looked down at her mug as she answered. "Good morning, Weave." The clone stepped to the cook-station and reached for a cup of his own, pouring a measure of caf before he began rooting around for sugar. After he'd found some, he added several packets before coming to stand near her, sipping and looking at the forest as well, even though she could tell that his thoughts were elsewhere.

Neither one attempted conversation until she cast a sideways glance at him. "Is it okay?"

At his perplexed look she nodded to the caf and he lifted the mug and gave her a smile. "Perfect. Thanks for making it." He seemed to consider something, then looked at the forest again. "Zara was right...it is pretty here."

"Something's not right." She couldn't stop the words from coming out and he gave her an odd look but did not urge her to elaborate. After a moment she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't like that Kalinda disappeared yesterday."

He nodded. "She didn't seem overly concerned about it, did she?"

Honi frowned and stared down at her mug, her eyes unseeing as she cast her memory back. "No, she didn't."

Weave cleared his throat and looked at the forest again, his eyes squinting as he worked his implant – or at least, that's what she assumed he was doing – before he spoke. "Perhaps it's this planet. There seem to be a few unusual aspects to the place."

"I thought you didn't care for speculation unless you had all the facts?"

Oddly enough, she felt her cheeks flush pink when he smiled at her. "Usually. But I'm only Human."

Honi was silent a moment more before speaking again. "I've been thinking about Levy and the nanogene droids. I think I'd like to try again, if he'll let me."

"Do you really think you can manage to get them to...let go?" Weave's voice was curious but a little wary, as it always was whenever someone talked about his younger brother.

She sipped the caf and took a breath before meeting his eyes, tinted a rich gold by the morning light. "I hope so..." Her words trailed off as she watched Zara step out of the ship, blinking. The clone boys were all sleeping on the Raven, but Honi was mindful that her Padawan's thoughts were drifting more and more to Drake of late. The Nautolan girl smiled at her and nodded to Weave as she approached, eyes on the caf as she opening her mouth. Honi beat her to the punch. "No. It will stunt your growth. Why don't you make some tea?"

Zara gave a sigh and shook her head, her lekku swaying. "I'm fourteen, you know. That's practically an adult."

Since when is a fourteen year-old considered an adult? Honi looked at her apprentice. "You have a long way to go before you'll reach that point, Zara. Come on," she said as she drained the rest of her caf before setting the mug down. "It's time to meditate, anyway." Her apprentice sighed but nodded and they stepped into the woods. For a while they walked in silence and Honi took a moment to study her Padawan through the Force, noting with dismay that the girl's thoughts were on Drake, yet again.

"That's a nice spot," Zara said, pointing towards a copse of flowering trees whose sweet scent coated the morning air. A few minutes later they were seated at the center of the group, legs crossed, backs straight. But while Zara seemed to relax into the familiar practice with ease, Honi was hesitant. Finally she cleared her throat, causing her Padawan's eyes to open as she spoke. "What is it, Master?"

"You need to be careful, Zara," Honi said without preamble. "You're young, but already I can sense your attraction to Drake growing quite strong. You should be aware of your thoughts because they'll influence your actions."

Zara's forehead creased and she studied her left knee. "I am."

"You're not," Honi replied, shaking her head. "I know that you care for all of the boys, but I also know that how you feel about Drake goes beyond friendship. You need to be careful around him, Zara."

The Nautolan girl took a breath and glanced away from her master for a moment before turning back, her lekku shifting with the abrupt motion. "We're just friends. I'm allowed to think about my friends, aren't I?" Her voice held an edge that the Jedi hadn't heard from her before, and Honi immediately wished that Kalinda was there.

She's better at this kind of talk than I am. I suppose experience helps in that regard. So Honi just looked at her apprentice with the most stern gaze she could manage. "Be mindful of your emotions, Zara. They will betray you." With that, she straightened her back, closed her eyes, and tried to empty her own mind.

Weave watched the Jedi slip into the jungle and sipped his caf for a few more minutes, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning. After a moment he looked at the mug that Honi had abandoned and picked it up, brought it to the camp station to set it in the compact steamer that sanitized their dishes.

He glanced back at the trees once more before shaking his head. Speculation is useless, you know that. Besides, there are other things to occupy your time. With this thought, he recalled the generators and decided that he was eager to set them working again, so he swallowed the rest of his caf, set the mug with the others, then moved to the Stark Raven to wake the kids and get to work.

Of course the lads were still asleep in the crew quarters aboard the transport ship. A few minutes and some loud throat clearing later, they were sitting up in their sleeping bags, blinking at him in irritation, Levy included. Ignoring the glowering of five identical faces, Weave smiled at them. "Good morning, guys. Who's ready to work?"

Keo gave an audible yawn that made the others chuckle. Risky glanced at the elder clone. "Do you want us to help with the generators?"

"Don't worry about that," Weave replied. "There's more than enough to do. Come on...get ready. We have a busy day ahead of us." With that he turned and left their room, pausing at Crest's door to rap lightly and rouse his brother, who emerged a moment later. He looked wide awake, and Weave wondered if he'd gotten any sleep at all.

"Is it morning already?" The bald clone's voice was light but Weave could see faint shadows under his eyes.

He nodded, then thumbed towards their camp. "Caf's made. It's still early, yet, but I want to get a move on before it gets too hot." Crest nodded as well, then rubbed at his eyes with his palms. "Are you okay?"

These words elicited a short flare of laughter before Crest replied in a wry tone. "Sure. Why not?" He slapped Weave's shoulder. "Let's get to work."

So, now it's Kali's turn to have crazy dreams? What's up with that? In the words of Peter Tosh: "Time will tell."

The planet of Mundali is loosely based on my home state, deep in the South. This fic was drafted in July, so a lot of "summertime" sensations made their way within the narrative. Hopefully it's "visceral" enough for ya. :P

Also, if you've read both of my timelines, Mundali is featured in the fic Awakening, though with a very different sequence of events occurring. However, I did try to "echo" some things that happened in that story.

[shameless plug alert] Speaking of other stories...there's a new Interlude up, if you're so inclined. ;-)

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! I'm happy that it's being enjoyed!