Another day out in the streets of Tyrena. The day after reporting to the Kind Mother of what she had heard about Jedi landing somewhere on Corellia, Danali had noticed that the Kind Mother's place appeared a lot busier than usual and not because suddenly guests were allowed to come early in the morning.
It was clear that this whole Jedi situation was a lot more worrisome for everyone around these parts of Tyrena. Throughout the past few days, when she wandered out on the streets, she noticed a lot of people out here – the bad sort, the ones she was always listening to – were anxious about the Jedi. They were saying so many different things, it confused her a lot. What was true, what wasn't? Despite so much talk about Jedi, she still knew very little in the end. It made her so very curious, but Danali doubted she would ever find out.
Now, she was again outside, sitting on the ground, leaning against a wall and munching on a Corellian apple a kind passerby had given her. Sometimes, this happened as well. Sometimes, there were people who just looked at her and felt bad and gave her something to eat. Danali certainly wouldn't complain. The Kind Mother didn't exactly feed them enough. It probably wouldn't be believable if they appeared well-fed out here.
Danali could at least enjoy her apple in peace because it had been a slow day so far. Not many bad people were outside today and those who were, weren't hanging around her spot. So, she could just sit and chew on her apple.
It was weird, though, she had to admit. Of course, it had happened before; something that appeared to stir up the slums of Tyrena and make everyone nervous and be on edge. Danali remembered this one time, not even a year after she had begun listening in the streets for the Mother's Hands. Someone had stolen something from the Kind Mother, who had, in turn, ordered all the children that they need to be listening to things about stolen spices. One of the children had gotten lucky and when word got out that the Kind Mother was looking for someone, everyone got very nervous and the streets felt the way they did now: tense, on edge and kind of empty.
Almost all the bad people had seemingly disappeared today. All that remained were the homeless and hopeless and the Kind Mother's ears – children like her. There were the occasional landspeeders, but those were few and far between. Not many could afford one around here, after all.
Done with her apple, she tossed the core away and down the alleyway, a yawn escaping her. She almost hated to admit it, but when there was nothing to listen to and no reason to concentrate, it got boring real quick.
"...appear that we have scared them away."
Danali did her best not to perk up. Finally, there was someone worth listening to and they came from the alleyway and were walking towards her.
"...lead us where we need to be and when we need to be there."
"Indeed, but would you not rather have it easier? Just sometimes?"
The other person chuckled. "Would I ever."
Both were speaking Basic, one an older woman, the other sounded deeper, male. Danali pulled her legs closer to her chest, hiding her face in her knees. The steps came closer. She could easily distinguish between the light and gentle steps of the woman and the heavier but not any less graceful of the male. Still, she did not dare to look up from her knees.
"What have we here?"
The woman's voice was soft and soothing, but, unlike the Kind Mother's, it didn't immediately put her on edge.
"Where are your parents, little one?" the woman asked her.
Wait, this isn't how it's supposed to go, she thought in panic.
They were just supposed to talk and she was just supposed to listen. Instead, Danali could feel the woman crouching in front of her. It prompted her to glance up and stare wide-eyed at the woman, who gave her a soft smile. She wore a soft-looking dark brown robe over cream-coloured tunics and a leather belt with something metallic dangling from it. Her skin was a lighter brown than her robe and her dark hair – Danali wasn't sure whether it was a very dark brown or black – was streaked with greys and whites. The corners of her warm, brown eyes wrinkled kindly with her smile.
"Why are you out here all by yourself, little one?" the woman prompted gently.
"I-I have no one, Ma'am," Danali answered honestly, though it was a foreign thing to be asked about her parents or if she had any family at all. No one cared. No one ever did.
"I am sorry to hear that." The woman looked sad; as if she felt genuinely sad for her.
Usually, this would make her wary but something told her that she could trust that woman. Deep down in her gut, Danali knew that this woman was the complete opposite of the Kind Mother.
"It's fine," Danali said easily with a shrug. "I'm used to it."
"Children should not be used to things like this, however," the deep voice of the man spoke.
She had almost forgotten him and recoiled a bit when he finally came into view. He wasn't an alien she had ever seen before. He was tall, so very tall that Danali had to really crane her neck just to see his face because he was still standing. He wore a robe as well but, instead of cream coloured tunics, his were blue. That was where the similarity between him and the woman ended. His skin was purple and his nose flat, making the narrow nostrils easily visible. Dark fur covered his chin and jaw like a beard and his ears were large and pointed. No, she certainly had never seen anything like him before.
"I assume that this is your first time coming face to face with a Lasat?" the alien wondered with a chuckle. "My name is Jaro Tapal and I am a recently knighted Jedi. This is Jedi Master Zang Arraira."
Her eyes widened. These were Jedi? The Jedi everyone was so worried about? The Jedi that made even the Kind Mother look scared? They didn't appear to be of the bad sort she had gotten so used to.
Still, the alien made her nervous. Not because he appeared dangerous – not even he made her feel on edge – but because she had never seen anything like him before. Danali slowly shook her head to answer his question.
"Not to worry, little one. I mean you no harm and neither does Master Arraira."
"Are you hungry?" the woman asked her suddenly. "If you wish, I would not mind paying for a hot meal for you."
Her mouth watered almost instantly. She did get hot meals now and then, but it was still a rather rare treat. The Kind Lady was stingy like that and took great care to make them look like hungry and dirty street rats.
"I'd like that," Danali said softly.
The woman smiled and offered a hand. Danali took it, albeit hesitantly, and allowed the woman to gently pull her up.
"May I ask your name?"
She glanced at the woman, who was leading them back through the alley. Danali remembered that there was a place in that direction, which always smelled tasty. Usually, she'd prefer to avoid it because it made her hungry. "Danali Bretrow, Ma'am."
"That is a very pretty name," the woman offered, though it made her frown. Danali hoped that it would only ever be her name that was pretty.
"Thank you," she still replied softly because it was the polite thing to do.
They got out of the alleyway and stepped out into the street. Danali spotted another child further down the street at the entrance of another alleyway between two large buildings. She wondered if the Jedi people had seen the boy and, if they had, why they hadn't taken him for something warm to eat. Whether he was one of the Kind Mother's children or not didn't matter. She just didn't like to be singled out.
The Master Arraira lady led them across the street and to the place that always smelled so good, much to her elation. She quickly forgot all about the boy in the other alleyway in her excitement.
"Do you know this diner?" the woman asked her with amusement colouring her voice. "I have heard they make very tasty Corellian sausages and Endwa."
She shook her head, her hair swinging around wildly. "I don't know but it always smells so nice and it makes me really hungry, so I don't stay around here a lot."
"Well, now you can eat to your heart's content," the woman said.
Danali believed her.
They entered and scanned the place for an empty table as the door closed behind them with a hiss. Once they had found one, they sat down. There was a datapad displaying the menu with pictures, which was good because she could not read well. The Kind Mother used to say that they didn't need to know things. They just needed to listen.
After choosing her food, silence settled as they waited and suddenly, Danali began to feel awkward. Here she was, in a diner with strange people she had never seen before, people she was supposed to find out things about. She was supposed to listen to others who talked about them, who knew things about them. Instead, she had been invited for something warm to eat by these people. Usually, she could trust her gut and her gut was saying that these Jedi were nice. Still, she had no idea what Jedi even were. She wanted to ask questions, but she was hesitant. Questions were forbidden and she wasn't supposed to know things.
"Danali, may I ask you a few questions?" Zang Arraira asked her a bit out of nowhere.
Danali regarded her for a few short moments, her eyes fixating on the older woman, trying to gauge her intentions. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she knew that she didn't find anything. Going with her gut was always a safe bet anyway.
She shrugged. "I guess…"
"Do you live out there, on the streets?"
"Y-yes," she stuttered out.
"I see – oh, your food has arrived." The woman smiled at her and the large plate filled with Corellian sausages, which she hadn't had since her parents had been killed, and Corellian potato sticks. "My, do you think you can eat all of that?"
"No," she answered honestly. "Please have some. You paid for it, Ma'am."
"Such a polite girl." The alien grinned at her, baring sharp teeth.
They then allowed her to eat in peace for a bit, which she did with gusto. The flavourful, greasy goodness of the sausages, the crispy, fried potato sticks – she could cry, she was so happy.
"I hope you don't mind if I continue with my questions, little one," the woman spoke again after a while.
Her belly felt full already, but she still wanted to eat a bit, cutting up another sausage. Who could say when she would be able to indulge like that again?
"It's fine," she said after swallowing her mouthful. She remembered her mother drilling into her to never speak with a full mouth.
"Thank you." The Jedi lady smiled at her. "Now, I was curious if you have ever heard of the Rancor's Teeth."
Her chewing slowed down considerably. Of course, she had heard of them. Every member of the Mother's Hands had heard of them. She had even seen a member or two from the Rancor's Teeth in the Kind Mother's place. She had heard them talk about spices once but disappeared quickly again before she would be seen where she shouldn't be seen. That would have been a terrible punishment otherwise.
"No, Ma'am," she answered after swallowing, pushing the plate away from her. "Thank you for the food, Ma'am. It was really nice." She hoped her voice sounded as steady to the Jedi people as it did to her own ears.
"That is a shame." The woman gave a soft smile again. "Have you, perchance, heard of the Mother's Hands then? The Eclipse? The Black Phantoms?"
They were also after the Kind Mother's gang? And the others – all of them were local gangs. Were the Jedi a sort of police then? Were they here to deal with the gangs?
Danali lied again. "No, Ma'am. I don't know what any of that means."
"A shame," the alien said, sighing. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest and was leaning lazily into the cushioned seat. "Keep away from all of them, little one. They are all dangerous and very, very bad company to be around."
"Indeed. It is terrible already that you are all alone and without a home. Do your best and stay safe. Try to find an orphanage if you can." The woman then smiled her caring smile again. "If you so wish, we can help you with that."
Her eyes widened with slight panic. "N-no! No, please – I-I can – I d-don't – I have to go!"
And without another word, she slid out of her seat and dashed through the diner, almost running into a Twi'Lek with a tray. The door opened with a hiss and she burst outside and across the street, barely registering the landspeeders that nearly ran her over. Only once she reached her alleyway did she allow herself to calm down, resting a hand on the wall while catching her breath.
This – exactly this – was the problem with good, caring people. The Kind Mother owned her. When someone tried to help her and put her into an orphanage in the hopes of giving her a chance for a better life, those good and caring people not only put her in danger but themselves as well. Going around and taking something that belonged to the Kind Mother was a terrible mistake. She had never seen the consequences of something like that actually happening, but the Kind Mother had painted them a very clear picture of those consequences. The following nightmares had plagued her for a few days and fits of crying had caught her off guard more than a few times. After all, that had been the moment when it had really settled in that she would never be able to get away from the Kind Mother and her gang.
So, Danali took a breath and made her way to the Kind Mother's place. She had a lot to tell her after all.