Chapter 8: Pax

Alpheridies

Pax was well enough to leave the hospital and venture back into Fospolis if he wanted. However, he still needed to make use of his doctor-patient confidentiality.

After receiving a holomessage that instructed him to send further communications to a Murkhana number, Pax was now dictating his third message through the medical droid.

"I agree that de-escalation is the best thing. I will not do anything for the Separatists that escalates the conflict further. And no, tell the Commerce Guild there is no way I am joining the Republic Navy as a double agent. I would sooner turn myself in and rot in jail than put myself through that. This morning I already declined my offer to serve as a Captain in the Republic Navy. My decision is absolutely final."

"Very well patient Zuro Pax, I am glad you sound so much more lucid today. Is there anything you want to add in your message to your family?" the medical droid asked.

"No, I think that is it doc. Oh wait…" Pax gasped, before put his thumb on his chin attempting to remember something he had forgotten. "Yeah, I got one more thing. Add this: I am shipping back to Coruscant tomorrow evening, Federal District Time. I have a secure Wookiee-built HoloNet terminal in my apartment and will call you back from there."

"Finished. Playing back the recording now," the droid said in a matter of fact tone.

o.o.o.o.o

"Need to know Pax? That's a shabload of nonsense," Carver groaned. "I know you were telling the truth about Yarua now. Why don't you just tell me?"

Carver and Pax were the only ones in the hospital cafeteria.

The kitchen was closed, and Pax was eating a frozen meat pie from a vending machine that he heated up in the public oven. He was also, once again, wearing his wide-brimmed Duros hat that clashed with his white hospital gown.

"Honestly, I don't have anything solid from them yet," Pax sighed. "I have told them that I want to be involved in de-escalation."

"De-escalation? De-escalation, Pax! That doesn't sound like it will pay much!" Carver yelled.

Pax laughed. "Really? You think the business interests of the Galaxy want the Republic kicking down their doors?"

"Yeah but how could someone like me help with de-escalation? And will it pay enough?"

"I have no idea," the Duros said simply, taking another bite of the spicy but stale crust. "Yarua pays well," he mumbled with food in his mouth.

"Kriff Yarua—"

"—I hear he is looking for a Coruscanti human to marry one of his granddaughters. If you don't mind her having sharp teeth and being a whole meter taller than you—"

"—that's not funny Pax," Carver said sternly.

"I'm serious. If you lose your tattoos, you could become a rich Wookiee househusband," Pax tried saying with a straight face, but broke down laughing. "Hey, when Yarua croaks, maybe she'll inherit the Senate seat. You could even be on your own HoloNet show: Desperate House Husband of Kachirho."

Carver started laughing a bit.

"I don't think you understand though," Pax said, returning to a serious tone. "I want out. I don't want in deeper than I already am. I want a big windfall and maybe a cushy corporate desk job. Hell, maybe you should be there next time I talk to the Koorivar. Maybe you could get a separate deal. You also need to understand, there is a chance they will never offer anything reasonable. In that case, I'll just quit without a windfall, and end up hauling freight or something—who knows."

"Pax—" Carver started angrily with clenched teeth, a vein visibly pulsing on his forehead.

"—Carver, this never was a guarantee. You caught me, I'm corrupt, wohoo," Pax said cynically, raising his hands in mock surrender. "It doesn't mean the universe is gonna hand me something, and then you will be able to be in on it for money."

Carver cautiously looked around the hospital dining room again, checking to see if anyone had entered.

"I will try to get you… Something," Pax promised vaguely.

Carver sighed and said nothing.

Pax's datapad began ringing. He looked around the room cautiously. It was an Alpheridies number, but as he had discovered before, it could be anyone. It was an audio-only call.

Carver glared at Pax. "ANSWER IT!" he yelled.

Pax sighed and accepted the call.
"Hey Pax," Oc'nel's baritone Bothan growl came through. "How are things at the hospital? Jazal said you are doing better."

Pax nearly gasped in shock. He expected anyone else. "Hey Oc'nel. Yeah. I am doing much better, thanks for asking. How is the hike?"

"Hike?" Carver asked.

Jazal could be heard sighing in the background.

"Oh, hey Carver!" Oc'nel said with a nervous laugh. "It's great. I met some Miralukas today. One was a lawyer. We talked to them for an hour and have no idea what they look like."

Pax laughed.

"I haven't seen anything all day except for once, when I saw lightning," Oc'nel said.

"Sounds… very boring," Carver muttered bluntly with a smirk, looking down at the datapad.

"No Carver, it's really exciting!" the Bothan insisted. "It's like being in a dark room with no light, except there are plant-analogs, beings to talk to, and you can walk for kilometres. A few minutes ago, I pet a Meekash. It turned out I was accidentally petting its buttocks, but Jazal guided me to its head."

Carver and Pax started roaring with laughter. Oc'nel laughed along.

"What the kriff is a Meekash?!" Carver asked.

"It's a type of Alpheridies mammal that eats ground insects. Smells musky and has fur—I have no idea if it has anything else going for it."

"All right Oc'nel, on the serious front," Pax started, "have you gotten your GRL-6-7-1?"

"I don't know Pax, I can't see."

"Well, I did, and I am going to turn down my offer to commission in the Republic Navy," Pax sighed.

"All right, sorry to hear that," Oc'nel said.

Oc'nel sounded far less sad than Pax would have predicted. I am giving up on my career. Where's the bitchy Bothan whiny growl?! He wanted to scream: Beg me to stay, you kriffing asshole! Adjusting his hat uncomfortably, the Duros frowned.

Carver sounded like he was curious to gauge Oc'nel's reaction. "I think I am quitting too," he said.

"Oh no! Not you too," Oc'nel yelled insincerely.

Pax rolled his eyes and Carver frowned. They could both hear his excited smile. Oc'nel is the worst liar in the entire galaxy.

o.o.o.o.o

Jazal

Jazal could remember Master Poof's voice: "Stay out of the business of others. While scientific curiosity is sometimes a difficult thing to ignore, if you intrude on other's business, you build distrust." She had violated that teaching throughout her life and at least a hundred times since meeting Oc'nel.

Now that she knew how to read his fur, even when she was not intentionally reaching out to the Bothan, it was nonstop bombardment of emotional information. Unless he was soaked or relatively calm, that is. Not only was Oc'nel a bad liar, but during the call with Pax, his fur danced excitedly then relaxed and flopped down after Pax said he was quitting.

"Itoll, I know it's none of my business, but you seem relieved at the prospect of Pax and Carver quitting."

Oc'nel sighed. "I like Pax—"

—he is telling the truth.

"—I think Carver's an asshole. I care about him and don't want him to get hurt but I don't like him very much—"

—still telling the truth.

"—I just think Pax needs to find a different career. He really is bad at this. He won't be cut out for the Navy," Oc'nel's fur swirled nervously.

He's lying.

"Why are you lying?"

Oc'nel gulped. "Jazal…"

"I know it's none of my business, but now that I understand your… Fur, it makes me uncomfortable being with you if you are dishonest," she explained in a frank tone. "You and I well… I want to trust you implicitly."

She heard Oc'nel roll over in his sleeping bag to face her.

"Okay, I feel guilty about the reason why I want Pax to quit, that's all," Oc'nel sighed.

He's telling the truth. His nervous swirls slowed to guilt.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's all right then," Jazal consolingly and scooted her sleeping bag closer to his. "In any case, I promise I won't judge you. In case you didn't notice, I have a very open mind."

"Okay," Oc'nel said slowly, his fur relaxed. "I feel that… Well… I feel guilty and stressed when I go through long periods without getting a promotion."

"That's all right," Jazal said as she touched the top of his head and began scratching his fur. "So, you think Pax was preventing you from being promoted?"

"Maybe," he replied, fur swirling, now conveying suspicion. "Also, if he quits, that's another leadership opening for me in the Navy," he said with a bright smile.

Oc'nel's Bothan smile, in this context, seemed rather savage to Jazal and took her aback. I said I wasn't going to judge, she reminded herself. Although… "Itoll, would you like to try to another mind-probe?"

"Sure!" He rolled onto his stomach and waited expectantly. The fur on his neck stood up and then flopped down with excitement. "Can I try probing you back this time?"

"That was the idea," Jazal said.

o.o.o.o.o

"Jazal?" Oc'nel whined. "Why do we keep looking at memories of my accomplishments?"

Jazal held her right hand firmly on the side of his head. "To be honest, your reaction to Pax earlier made me a bit… concerned."

"I thought you weren't going to judge me!" Oc'nel growled.

"I'm not. I just want to see well… how you balance loyalty, respect, and ambition as a Bothan," Jazal said in her most consoling voice.

"All right," Oc'nel breathed in an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, is there anyone in the whole Galaxy you look up to now, that you've left Bothan Space?"

Jazal saw images of herself; memories of her smashing ships with asteroids, memories of her saying complicated-sounding things Oc'nel did not actually remember correctly, but him being impressed; memories of her navigating the Jedi political field and ending up exactly where she is now.

"ME?!" Jazal yelled.

"Yeah," Oc'nel smiled. "Congratulations, you win first prize. It's also why I don't like it when you well… Seem unimpressed with me."

Jazal nuzzled his wet nose with her nose then pulled back and wiped her nose dry. Yuck. "I am not unimpressed—"

"—Airheaded?!" Oc'nel growled cautiously.

"There are impressive guys who are airheaded," Jazal said with a chuckle.

Oc'nel's fur swirled with embarrassment.

"I really am flattered though, Itoll," Jazal sighed. "Back on topic though… I am actually not sure if beings who can reverse a mind-probe are necessarily force-sensitive, or if some non-force sensitives can do it."

"Reverse a mind-probe?" Oc'nel asked curiously.

"Yep. What I want you to do is feel my presence, then push back."

"AAAHHHH! OUCH!" Oc'nel's winced in pain.

"NO! Itoll, I didn't say resist and fight me, I said push back. I mean, that might work, but it'll feel unpleasant. Bothan, just relax again," Jazal said soothingly. "Do you feel my presence?"

"Yeah…" Oc'nel said in a croak.

"Push back, gently. The goal is not to force me out of your mind but to move our connection to within my brain. If it doesn't work, it's—"

Jazal gasped and involuntarily experienced a memory of one of the Jedi rules. Use the Force to satisfy the will of the Force—not to satisfy your own curiosity.

"Hey," Oc'nel said, "you aren't supposed to use the Force to satisfy your curiosity!"

"Yeah," Jazal said slyly. "You caught me. How did we end up in this memory though? I guess perhaps I am feeling guilty and this is dominating my subconscious thoughts," she thought aloud.

"I dunno what I'm doing at all," Oc'nel said, his fur swirling with embarrassment.

"You are doing good Itoll," Jazal winced as she felt his clumsy presence poking around her frontal lobe. "What I wanted you to experience though is the force and force sight since I've seen with your Bothan eyes. Perhaps we could at least find memories of me using—"

Oc'nel's growly baritone voice echoed in her mind. What other Jedi rules are we breaking Master?

A memory of another Jedi Rule: I wear my robe so that I am warm, I carry my lightsaber so that I am safe, and I keep enough credits for my next meal so that I am not hungry. If the Force wants me to have more, it finds a way of letting me know. Jazal realised, in alarm, the Bothan could discover everything.

"Bothan!" Jazal yelled, letting go of Oc'nel's head. "You are in my mind at my leisure. I searched your memories with your consent and cooperation. I expect the same curtesy from you. This is supposed to be consensual, not an interrogation."

"Sorry," Oc'nel growled nevously, his fur swirling with guilt. "I am sorry. I didn't realise what I was doing. I was curious, but I did not know that well… I was compelling you to show me things."

"It's all right. Itoll, let's take a break."

"If you don't mind my asking, how is it that you are violating the second Jedi—"

"—DO YOU…" Jazal interrupted.

"Jazal, I am just trying to ask a question," Oc'nel sighed and laid his head on his pillow. "I just want to know how you break that rule because I am curious. You don't have to be—"

"—do you want to have sex?" Jazal interrupted again, this time more certain as to how to make Oc'nel forget what he saw in her memories.

"Outside! Really?" Oc'nel asked, lifting his head from the pillow. His fur swirled nervously and danced excitedly.

All right, the Bothan is a bit of an airhead. Good! "Yep, that's what I mean," Jazal said with a triumphant smirk.

o.o.o.o.o

It had been several hours since they had woken up and crossed the Yasek river. The temperature increased the closer to Fospolis they walked. Jazal could sense the flatter landscape, and without the rain obscuring Oc'nel's sense of hearing, he could now walk carefully behind Jazal without her constantly holding his hand.

"Don't worry Itoll, I don't sense any obstructions on the path," Jazal said confidently as Oc'nel slowed down slightly.

A breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the tree-analogs overhead. Oc'nel slowed to a stop and Jazal took his hand.

"Sorry Jazal, I can't hear my echoes when that happens."

"It's all right," Jazal replied. "You've only been doing this for a day. Are you still feeling all right?"

"I do feel like I am missing… Being able to see things, but—" Jazal felt Itoll clench her hand a bit tighter as he accidentally scraped his boot on the dirt, "—I think I can definitely go a few more hours. Honestly, I think I could go days," he said more confidently.

"Well, we don't have days," Jazal chuckled. "Do you feel any claustrophobia at all Itoll?"

"Claustrophobia? No, not really," he said.

"Why I ask is, some sighted sentients get claustrophobic when they can't see anything for a while. Even if there is space around them, they don't feel like there is," Jazal explained.

"I used to get agoraphobia… Pretty much the opposite, as you know. This darkness though really doesn't scare me at all," Oc'nel's fur was blowing slightly in the breeze, but was otherwise still.

"Hmm I wonder if your people had a bit of natural selection away from claustrophobia from generations of living indoors and under domes…" Jazal thought aloud. "Anyways, it is definitely reassuring. I actually packed you a set of HoloGoggles in case you got a bit stir crazy."

"That was thoughtful," Oc'nel said with a smile.

The breeze slowed down and Oc'nel let go of Jazal's hand.

"On another topic," Oc'nel growled cautiously, "Jedi Rules…"

The Miraluka froze and Oc'nel walked into her.

"Oooof!"

"Sorry," Oc'nel winced.

I thought he forgot! Damn. "It's all right, I just don't want you in my personal business."

"Oh no, that wasn't what I was going to ask about," he said, following Jazal's footsteps when she began walking again. "Although, for your future information, sex is not an 'off' button for my brain," he chuckled.

Jazal sighed, "I am sorry about—"

"—It's fine," Oc'nel interrupted. Jazal sensed, an annoying cocky toothy grin form on his face. "But I wanted to ask for a while… I get that Averross embarrassed the Jedi Order, committed vandalism, and negligently used his weapon injuring people. I get the legal reasons for why Averross was in the wrong, and you explained to me that Jedi don't usually get drunk." He paused for a moment searching for how to phrase his next question. "What specific Jedi Code rules did he break? What rules are there forbidding a Jedi from… Well… getting in a bar fight in a cantina, with a lightsaber?"

Good question, Jazal thought. "Specifically, there is a rule 'If Jedi ignite their lightsabers, they must be ready to take a life.' Obviously, it does not apply to training situations, emergency uses as a tool, and a few other exceptions like that. I gather that Averross, however, was using his lightsaber to show off. There is also a whole chapter with quotes about 'conquering recklessness' Itoll."

"You are still really angry at Averross," Oc'nel noted.

"A Jedi controls their anger," Jazal said sternly. "I am upset with him sure. I am upset that the council even put him in charge of this mission."

Conquer recklessness. Ironic that the Jedi Council itself makes such reckless decisions, Jazal mused to herself. Even keeping Averross around… ugh. Focus on the path.

o.o.o.o.o

Oc'nel had been panting non-stop for the last hour. They still had two hours to go until they crossed back into Fospolis. The trail was still relatively smooth, the terrain was flat, but the temperature was ten degrees hotter than when they had first landed.

"I wish it would rain again," he panted.

"I sense that you still have two canteens full of water, and I have three," Jazal said sternly.

"Oh that's not what I mean. I mean—"

Jazal ignored what he was saying and unclipped her third canteen from a carabiner on her belt. She unscrewed the lid and tipped it over the hot Bothan's head interrupting him. The funky smell of wet Bothan filled the air.

"Hey!" the Bothan began snarling angily, then changed his mind. "Oh, thanks," he smiled.

"No problem," Jazal replied. "We will be passing over the Yasek river again."

"Swimming?" Oc'nel asked. His fur danced with excitement.

"Nope, but you can splash your head and refill your canteens again," Jazal explained. "I want to get to Fospolis on time."

"On time for what?" Oc'nel asked.

"On time for when I promised everyone we would be there," Jazal said sternly. "Also, being early would allow us to prepare better for any unexpected happenings. We have lots of people on this planet right now and some of them may have gotten lost or—"

"—Caught in other bar fights," Oc'nel agreed. "Yeah I understand."

"Do you really think anyone else is going to get into a bar fight?" Jazal asked in a slightly worried voice.

"No, but as you said… We can prepare for the unexpected."

Jazal sensed a few large boulders ahead, the only obstruction between where they stood and the horizon. The path weaved to the right and around them.

"Follow me, the path is turning—"

"—HEY!" Oc'nel yelled suddenly.

"You startled me," Jazal admitted.

"Sorry, I just… I can see something!" Oc'nel pointed excitedly in the direction of Fospolis.

"I suspect it's the space elevator," Jazal said calmly. "I cannot sense it yet myself. What does it look like?"

"Yeah, it's probably the space elevator," Oc'nel breathed in a panty but excited voice. "It has flashing lights going up from the horizon and disappearing into the clouds."

"See Bothan, we are nearly there… just a little under two standard hours." After more than a day on the trail, two hours would be nothing.

"How did Miraluka used to tell time?" Oc'nel asked curiously into the darkness.

"We didn't."

"Oh."