Welcome to Chapter 12 of my story.
In this chapter, Zilku learns about how her parents first met and fires an outland rifle for the first time.
As always, I only own Zilku and Nemka. Ronderu and Qymaen belong to George Lucas, Abel G. Peña, Disney and LucasArts.
Without further ado, please enjoy Chapter 12 of Zilku: Daughter of Grievous.
Chapter 12 – Weaknesses and mistakes
The next morning, Zilku awoke very excited to learn more about how to use a sword, just like her mother. The youngling looked outside her window to see the sunlight shining high in the sky and illuminating the as-yet quiet village. She took a deep breath, smiled happily and ran to her parents' room to wake them. She had tried this before at first light but was sent back to bed and was told to wake them when the sun had fully risen.
Running into her parents' room, Zilku jumped on the bed and yelled "Mama, Papa! Wake up, wake up! We need to train! Come on, you promised you'd train me! Wake up!" Both parents woke up from all the commotion and Qymaen was the first to speak. "Alright, Zilku, alright. We're both awake" he said tiredly, still half asleep.
"So, did you actually manage to sleep when we sent you back to bed, my daughter?" Ronderu asked as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "A little." Zilku admitted sheepishly. Qymaen sat up, yawned and said "Well, since all three of us are up, why don't we all get up and prepare ourselves for this training?" Hearing this, Zilku jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. Qymaen and Ronderu looked at their daughter as she left, then at each other and they thought the exact same thing; this was going to be a long day.
Once the family had gotten themselves ready for the day ahead, they collected their weapons and left the hut. They then made their way to the training grounds with Zilku leading the way as she was eager to learn any new techniques that would help her in any future battles.
Once they had arrived, Zilku went straight for the sparing arena but was stopped by Qymaen, who redirected her to Ronderu, who was standing by one of the huts that made up the Kolkpravis' base, waiting for her daughter. Zilku went to her mother and sat down in front of her. Ronderu sighed.
"Never be so eager to rush into battle. Remember Zilku, Patience is the key to victory. You must know when to strike, when to take advantage of your enemy's weaknesses. Only then may you truly gain the upper hand in combat." She explained. "I understand, Mama. I'm sorry." Zilku replied, trying her best to understand what her mother was trying to teach her. "It's alright, child. We all make mistakes, even in battle. It is how we improve ourselves for the future." Her mother said patiently.
Zilku looked at her mother, confused. "But you and Papa never make mistakes." She said, a concerned look on her face. Ronderu looked at her child thoughtfully for a moment and then asked "Did you know that your father and I met because he made a mistake during hunting?" Zilku shook her head.
"Technically, it was not a mistake." Qymaen interjected, "The mumuu moved just as I was about to strike and I lost my weapon. However, it was my first time using a sword and if your mother had not come across me, Zilku, I would have died that day. Thankfully, we were able to defeat the creature together. I am forever grateful of that day as not only was my life saved but also because that day provided me with the greatest gifts the gods could have bestowed upon me; your mother and, later, you." Ronderu looked at her husband warmly and said "Thank you, my love."
Zilku tilted her head to one side, not fully understanding what her father meant or what her mother was so happy about. The sound of a throat clearing shook the child from her thoughts as Ronderu brought her focus back to the lesson for today, starting as it always did; with a recap of her previous lessons.
"Now," Ronderu began "what is the weakness of a mumuu?" Zilku sat up straight and answered "One or both of it's hearts and it's neck." "And a karabbac?" Ronderu prompted. "Back of it's neck and it's stomach." Zilku replied, very pleased with herself. "How would you successfully hunt a shoni swordfish?" her mother requested. "Take it out of the water and stab it in it's stomach or keep it out of the sea so no water passes it's gills." Zilku responded. "Excellent," said Ronderu "You have learned well, my daughter." In response, the child crossed her arms and held her head up high. "Thank you, Mama." Zilku replied, smiling proudly.
"You're very welcome, child. However, it is now time for you to learn the weaknesses for those you fight in battle rather than the beasts you hunt. Today, you will discover the weaknesses of the Huk." Ronderu told her daughter. Zilku's eyes widened in wonder and excitement. She had always wanted to learn the weaknesses of the soulless insectoids since she first started training for hunting and battle but her parents had insisted that she must learn to exploit the weaknesses of the wild beasts first.
"Huks are cowardly insectoid scum who seek to enslave others to carry out the most disgraceful of tasks and they would not think to use underhanded tactics to become victorious once the tides turn against them. They would tell many lies to use any allies they had at their disposal or form new alliances." Ronderu explained.
Zilku nodded in understanding, focusing on every word her mother was saying. "If you do encounter a Huk, they will not think twice to kill or capture you before you can defeat them. In order to prevent this and be victorious against them, my child, you must know a Huk's weaknesses and how to exploit them." Ronderu told her daughter.
A determined expression grew upon the youngling's face as she had finally come to the information she wanted to know. "Being an insect species, the body of a Huk is in different segments with every limb connected by joints. If you can severe any of these joints, then you can control their movements and therefore gain an advantage should you encounter one of these soulless bugs." her mother instructed her carefully. The child focused on this particular lesson, taking in as much information as she could. "Another weakness is their eyes. If they cannot see you, they cannot track your movements." Ronderu explained.
"Are there any other weaknesses, Mama?" Zilku queried. "Yes, child," Her mother replied, "their exoskeleton. It is weak and therefore, a blade, a spear or a bullet from a rifle can pierce through it and straight through what they claim to be a heart. That is how you truly achieve victory." The young Kaleesh stared at Ronderu in complete fascination, amazed at the many ways she could gain the upper hand over such monstrous beings.
"Come now, child. Let us spar." Ronderu said as they made their way to the sparing arena. They stopped for a moment when she paused to observe her husband, who was looking up into one of the trees near the arena intently. Zilku also observed Qymaen, wondering what had caught her father's attention. Slowly, Qymaen lifted his rifle and aimed for the tree, staring carefully down the sights.
"For a moment, all was silent until Qymaen pulled the trigger. A loud bang broke the air and the bullet headed straight into the trees. Seconds later, the body of a bird fell from the trees and hit the ground with a small thud. Zilku looked from the bird to her father and back again, highly impressed with her father's skills.
"Qymaen walked over to the sparing arena and grabbed the dead bird by it's legs. Ronderu just shook her head and gave a small chuckle. "I suppose that's our supper for tonight decided." She said. "Of course." Qymaen replied smugly.
"Impressed by her father's skill, Zilku gently tugged the edge of her mother's cape and asked "Mama, can I try that?" Ronderu bent down to her daughter's level and said "Maybe later. For now, let's continue on to the sparing arena. You'll be no good as a swordswoman if you don't continue to practise your skills." Mother and daughter walked over to meet Qymaen as he walked to the edge of the arena to allow them to begin their sparing session.
Zilku and Ronderu went to either end of the arena and drew their swords, both positioning themselves so that they were ready to strike. For a minute, mother and daughter stood as they waited to see who would strike first.
Suddenly, Zilku ran up to her mother and brought her sword up to slash her mother across the leg but Ronderu easily blocked it and shoved her daughter back so that she landed flat on her back. She then brought both of her blades down in order to stab the child but Zilku rolled away before jumping up and swiping one of her swords upward, aiming for her mother's side.
Ronderu quickly dodged and swiftly moved behind the child. Zilku quickly turned around and went to slash her mother with her other sword but it was met by one of Ronderu's own blades. Ronderu then pushed her daughter back so that Zilku fell back down to the ground again before pointing her other sword just below the two small tusks on the child's chin. Zilku just lay on the ground, frustrated that she had once again been defeated. Her mother put her blades behind her back and walked over to her daughter.
Kneeling down beside Zilku, Ronderu said "Do not be disappointed, my child. No one has ever been able to defeat me. It is through me and your father working together and combining our power that the Huk have been kept at bay. One day, when you are ready, you shall join us and show those wretched insects that the Kaleesh are not to be enslaved or subjugated. They shall learn their mistake through the might of our forces."
Zilku looked up at her mother and asked "Can I do all this if I continue to train?" "Yes, my daughter." Ronderu replied, standing up and offering her hand to her daughter. Zilku smiled and grabbed her mother's hand. Ronderu pulled her daughter up and they walked to Qymaen, who had seen his wife telling their child about the importance of the training and why they needed to continue fighting this war.
"Are you alright now, Zilku?" Qymaen asked his daughter when she and Ronderu reached the edge of the arena. "Yes, Papa. Thank you." Zilku replied. "Do you understand now, why we must continue to fight?" Qymaen inquired. "Yes." the girl answered simply. "Excellent. Now, do you still wish to try firing an outland rifle?" Qymaen asked.
Zilku looked at her father hopefully and asked "Would you still be willing to teach me?" "Of course, child." he answered and before either parent could speak any further, Zilku ran to the shooting range as fast as her small legs would carry her. Thankfully, both parents could outrun their young daughter and managed to stop her entering the field before she could put herself in harm's way.
"I strongly advise you not to run blindly into a targeting range, unless you fully intend on becoming a moving target. It would not be good for a warrior to be brought down by their own foolishness." Qymaen lightly scolded. Zilku looked up at her father, a little embarrassed, and said "I understand. Sorry, Papa." Qymaen sighed. "It's alright, Zilku. As long as you were not harmed, that is all your mother and I care about." he said before leading his wife and daughter to a target to start practising.
When they reached the target, Ronderu stood to one side while he and Zilku stood in front of the target. Taking his rifle from over his shoulder, Qymaen carefully positioned Zilku's hands so that she was holding the weapon correctly then began to instruct her on how to fire it. "First, you must aim at your target. The next thing you must do is mentally block out all distractions. All sounds, all smells, all sights." he said carefully, making sure that his instructions were clear so that the youngling could understand. Zilku nodded understandingly and aimed for the target.
Qymaen quickly spotted that she was pointing the rifle a little too low and corrected her. "You might want to aim a little higher, unless you prefer to shoot the ground." he cautioned, lifting the barrel so that it was pointed directly at the target. Zilku held the rifle firmly in her hands and looked straight at the target. "Now, look through the sights, hold the gun tight," Qymaen continued, taking the rifle's safety off, "be careful of the force of the weapon kicking back and, whenever you're ready, you may take a shot." Having heard that, Zilku pulled the trigger and fired a shot, hitting the edge of the target.
Qymaen saw where his child had hit and it was safe for anyone present to assume, he was impressed. As much as he hated to admit it, the child was a better shot than her mother was on her first attempt. "Very good, child. Not the best marksmanship I've ever seen but I suppose it could have been worse." He told Zilku.
"The child rubbed her now sore shoulder and complained "That hurt my shoulder a little, Papa." Qymaen laughed a little and replied "Well, I warned you that the rifle would push back. Do not worry yourself, Zilku. That happened to me when I first started learning how to use it." The child quickly cheered up upon hearing these words and said "Thank you, Papa."
Ronderu looked into the horizon, noticing that it was starting to get dark. Have we really been training for that long? she thought to herself. Turning back to her husband and child, Ronderu said "Dusk is approaching; we had better head back home before we risk an attack from a wild beast or a Huk?" With that, the little family retrieved the bird that Qymaen had shot down earlier and left the training grounds.
When they arrived back at the hut, Qymaen presented the bird to his mother to cook. After the bird had been plucked and cooked, the family gathered around the table for dinner, where Zilku told her grandmother all that she had learned that day.
When Nemka had been told of her granddaughter's first time shooting a rifle, she was quite impressed and said "Your father is right, child, that is a lot better than your mother. The first time she tried shooting a target, she almost hit someone." Ronderu scoffed and countered "The man survived." to which Qymaen replied "Yes and he was very cautious around you for the next month afterwards." Zilku turned to her mother and innocently asked "Was that a mistake that you learned from, Mama?" "Just eat your dinner, Zilku." was all Ronderu would say in response to her daughter's question.
Zilku certainly knows how to liven up a family dinner, doesn't she?
As stated above, I only own Zilku and Nemka. I do not own Ronderu and Qymaen.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to have the next chapter posted as soon as possible.