[b] CHAPTER FOUR [/b]
[b] SOMEWHERE IN THE ELROOD SECTOR [/b]
JAINA
This is going to be a long story. I settled down cross legged, opposite from Jacen. I took a deep breath before I started. "The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was a bright blue vortex."
"A vortex? The rapport we got from Rogue Squadron never said anything about a Vortex. They only saw the X-Wing exploding," Jacen interrupted.
"It's the last thing I remembered. Apparently, from what I was told, I crashed on a planet called Breage. It's a well shielded planet. You won't find it unless you are looking for it. Even then it isn't easy to find," I continued. I saw Jacen's confused look and smiled. "It's safe to say they don't like outsiders. It was decided so long ago. I was found by a local man called Darin Carey. The natives are almost like humans. They look the part, but they are more feral. They see, hear and feel better than the average human. It's because of those skills that they keep to themselves. Anyway, Darin took me to his home and helped me. I was in a comatose state for nearly four months. When I finally regained consciousness I couldn't remember anything?"
"Amnesia?" Jacen gasped. "That sure explains a lot."
I smiled "It does. I couldn't remember who I was, if I had family, where I was from, what I did. From the XJX-Wing we gathered I was military. But that was all. The XJX-Wing was so damaged in the crash it was beyond helping me find out who I was. Because I couldn't remember my name Kieran named me Kyra."
"Kieran?" Jacen asked confused
"Uhm… yeah. He's Darin's son. He lives with his father since his mother died. He's a lieutenant with the Sunliners." Now Jacen was even more confused. "Sorry. They are a branch of the local military. Darin and Kieran are part of the Tuath de Roann. It's sort of like a tribe; at least it was a long time ago. Now it's a large city, but they kept the name. Roann was the first leader, now his great, great, great, great, great-grandson Rowann Ri and his wife Quillaine lead the land, with the aid of a counsel. It's complicated."
"And you stayed with them? Didn't you try to find out who you were?" Jacen said. His voice was sad. I expected him to be mad, for not coming back sooner, but he wasn't. There was a deep sadness within him.
"I tried. But you have to understand. I had no clue as to who I was and where I was from. And I didn't know the circumstances of my crash. I got flashes of images, some of them were violent. I also had dreams. In one of them I saw myself fighting you. Now I know it was the shadow academy. But they scared me. It made me reluctant to find out who I was. If I had know then what I know now, I would've never stopped trying. But I didn't, that was they whole point. And it was frustrating. All that time I felt like a piece of me was missing. I'm sorry." I felt hot tears falling down my face. Five years, for five years my family thought I was dead. I couldn't even begin to understand how that must have felt.
JACEN
I saw her breakdown. It must have been hard for her not to know who she was and then being on a strange planet. I pulled her close and rubbed her back.
"Don't be. There was nothing you could do."
We had colorful childhoods. Hiding from possible kidnappers. The shadow academy. Hethrir. Those were only a few examples. It must have been part of her decision not to leave Breage. I didn't blame her. It must have been confusing as hell.
"But how did you finally remember?" I asked, breaking the silence. To my surprise she began laugh through her tears. "What's so funny?" I asked. As a reply she only laughed harder. It was confusing. Why could this be funny?
"Sorry," she finally said. "It's just that it happened it such a stupid manner. I was walking back after an errant, in a hurry, when someone called out to me. I turned around, but I kept walking, not noticing the street light. I walked right into it. It must have slammed everything into place. I didn't remember everything right away, but it all came back to me in the course of several days," she said, laughing again.
I laughed too. I wish I could have seen it. One thing kept bugging me though. How did you know I was in trouble without using the Force? I never felt it was you and I still can't feel you through the Force. I do, but not like I used too.
A serious look clouded her previously cheerful look. "In the course of five years I became a different person. For five years I was Kyra. I built a complete new personality. No doubt not that different from whom I was and am now. But I was different, part of me still is. And Breage doesn't exist in the Force. Not like we know a planet exists. There's a whole different perception of the Force there. That's probably the reason why you didn't know. When I found out you were in trouble I borrowed a ship from Rowann and set out to find you. I didn't open myself up to the Force completely because I didn't want to scare you. I think uncle Luke and Anakin noticed though. Mom has built a wall around herself," she trailed of and looked at me. She smiled uncertainly. She must be scared of what the other are going say.
"Trust me; you scared the hell out of me when I saw you standing there." I felt a stab at the mention of my mother. "Yeah, mom took it really hard. We all did. I kept to myself for… a while. Anakin helped me though. He never let me… be alone." I said. This wasn't helping. "I'm just glad you are back now. Nothing else matters. You are back." There was a silence for several moments.
"Jacen?" I heard her say in a quiet voice, breaking the almost unbearable silence.
I looked up at her, "Yes?"
"When we were little we used to meditate together. Do you remember? Can we do that now? So many things are still fuzzy and incomplete. Help me remember?" she asked me
I smiled at her. "Off course! It would be nice to feel you so close again.
We stayed in meditation for a long time. After a while we lost track of time. Deep in meditation I saw and felt what happened to her, how she felt, the frustration, the fear. The feeling that a part of her was missing, as I had felt after I thought she died. Piece by piece we glued back to broken memories, memories that at first had made no sense to her. Piece by piece it took away the uncertainty she had felt for years. It felt good the have her back again. She must have felt the pain I had felt when I thought she had died, because I felt her shudder. But she anticipated it by sending comforting feelings. She would never leave again.
After a long time our stomachs began to protest. I never noticed I was so hungry, but then again, it had been sometime since I had a proper meal. Jaina was also hungry, so we reluctantly forced ourselves back to reality.
"I hope you didn't forget to bring some food," my sister joked.
"Very funny," I replied "You know me,"
"Exactly," she scolded.
I sighed. Jaina was definitely back. Suddenly I became aware of a pair of green eyes watching me, but in the dark I couldn't she what it was. Instinctively I reached for my lightsaber.
[i] Jaina, there's something watching us. [/i]
I looked at her and she turned from me to the door. Then she laughed. I looked at her confused. "Why are you laughing?"
"This is Lainn. She put on the light so I could she who she pointed at. A wolf. "A wolf?" I said out loud.
"He is now. He was once human. He got changed into a wolf after he disobeyed his master. He saved my life once and we've been friends ever since. When I left Breage to find you he insisted to come along. Said he would be of help sometime," she replied like it was every day business.
"Did you just say he talked?" I asked astonished.
"Yes, well not in real words, but he talks. Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm, starving. I tell you all about it later," with that she walked towards the kitchen part of the ship, Lainn following closely.
"Talking animals, oh Force!" I mumbled to myself, before following her.
[hr]
[b] Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk.
--Leo Buscaglia [/b]
[/hr]
[b] SOMEWHERE IN THE ELROOD SECTOR [/b]
JAINA
This is going to be a long story. I settled down cross legged, opposite from Jacen. I took a deep breath before I started. "The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was a bright blue vortex."
"A vortex? The rapport we got from Rogue Squadron never said anything about a Vortex. They only saw the X-Wing exploding," Jacen interrupted.
"It's the last thing I remembered. Apparently, from what I was told, I crashed on a planet called Breage. It's a well shielded planet. You won't find it unless you are looking for it. Even then it isn't easy to find," I continued. I saw Jacen's confused look and smiled. "It's safe to say they don't like outsiders. It was decided so long ago. I was found by a local man called Darin Carey. The natives are almost like humans. They look the part, but they are more feral. They see, hear and feel better than the average human. It's because of those skills that they keep to themselves. Anyway, Darin took me to his home and helped me. I was in a comatose state for nearly four months. When I finally regained consciousness I couldn't remember anything?"
"Amnesia?" Jacen gasped. "That sure explains a lot."
I smiled "It does. I couldn't remember who I was, if I had family, where I was from, what I did. From the XJX-Wing we gathered I was military. But that was all. The XJX-Wing was so damaged in the crash it was beyond helping me find out who I was. Because I couldn't remember my name Kieran named me Kyra."
"Kieran?" Jacen asked confused
"Uhm… yeah. He's Darin's son. He lives with his father since his mother died. He's a lieutenant with the Sunliners." Now Jacen was even more confused. "Sorry. They are a branch of the local military. Darin and Kieran are part of the Tuath de Roann. It's sort of like a tribe; at least it was a long time ago. Now it's a large city, but they kept the name. Roann was the first leader, now his great, great, great, great, great-grandson Rowann Ri and his wife Quillaine lead the land, with the aid of a counsel. It's complicated."
"And you stayed with them? Didn't you try to find out who you were?" Jacen said. His voice was sad. I expected him to be mad, for not coming back sooner, but he wasn't. There was a deep sadness within him.
"I tried. But you have to understand. I had no clue as to who I was and where I was from. And I didn't know the circumstances of my crash. I got flashes of images, some of them were violent. I also had dreams. In one of them I saw myself fighting you. Now I know it was the shadow academy. But they scared me. It made me reluctant to find out who I was. If I had know then what I know now, I would've never stopped trying. But I didn't, that was they whole point. And it was frustrating. All that time I felt like a piece of me was missing. I'm sorry." I felt hot tears falling down my face. Five years, for five years my family thought I was dead. I couldn't even begin to understand how that must have felt.
JACEN
I saw her breakdown. It must have been hard for her not to know who she was and then being on a strange planet. I pulled her close and rubbed her back.
"Don't be. There was nothing you could do."
We had colorful childhoods. Hiding from possible kidnappers. The shadow academy. Hethrir. Those were only a few examples. It must have been part of her decision not to leave Breage. I didn't blame her. It must have been confusing as hell.
"But how did you finally remember?" I asked, breaking the silence. To my surprise she began laugh through her tears. "What's so funny?" I asked. As a reply she only laughed harder. It was confusing. Why could this be funny?
"Sorry," she finally said. "It's just that it happened it such a stupid manner. I was walking back after an errant, in a hurry, when someone called out to me. I turned around, but I kept walking, not noticing the street light. I walked right into it. It must have slammed everything into place. I didn't remember everything right away, but it all came back to me in the course of several days," she said, laughing again.
I laughed too. I wish I could have seen it. One thing kept bugging me though. How did you know I was in trouble without using the Force? I never felt it was you and I still can't feel you through the Force. I do, but not like I used too.
A serious look clouded her previously cheerful look. "In the course of five years I became a different person. For five years I was Kyra. I built a complete new personality. No doubt not that different from whom I was and am now. But I was different, part of me still is. And Breage doesn't exist in the Force. Not like we know a planet exists. There's a whole different perception of the Force there. That's probably the reason why you didn't know. When I found out you were in trouble I borrowed a ship from Rowann and set out to find you. I didn't open myself up to the Force completely because I didn't want to scare you. I think uncle Luke and Anakin noticed though. Mom has built a wall around herself," she trailed of and looked at me. She smiled uncertainly. She must be scared of what the other are going say.
"Trust me; you scared the hell out of me when I saw you standing there." I felt a stab at the mention of my mother. "Yeah, mom took it really hard. We all did. I kept to myself for… a while. Anakin helped me though. He never let me… be alone." I said. This wasn't helping. "I'm just glad you are back now. Nothing else matters. You are back." There was a silence for several moments.
"Jacen?" I heard her say in a quiet voice, breaking the almost unbearable silence.
I looked up at her, "Yes?"
"When we were little we used to meditate together. Do you remember? Can we do that now? So many things are still fuzzy and incomplete. Help me remember?" she asked me
I smiled at her. "Off course! It would be nice to feel you so close again.
We stayed in meditation for a long time. After a while we lost track of time. Deep in meditation I saw and felt what happened to her, how she felt, the frustration, the fear. The feeling that a part of her was missing, as I had felt after I thought she died. Piece by piece we glued back to broken memories, memories that at first had made no sense to her. Piece by piece it took away the uncertainty she had felt for years. It felt good the have her back again. She must have felt the pain I had felt when I thought she had died, because I felt her shudder. But she anticipated it by sending comforting feelings. She would never leave again.
After a long time our stomachs began to protest. I never noticed I was so hungry, but then again, it had been sometime since I had a proper meal. Jaina was also hungry, so we reluctantly forced ourselves back to reality.
"I hope you didn't forget to bring some food," my sister joked.
"Very funny," I replied "You know me,"
"Exactly," she scolded.
I sighed. Jaina was definitely back. Suddenly I became aware of a pair of green eyes watching me, but in the dark I couldn't she what it was. Instinctively I reached for my lightsaber.
[i] Jaina, there's something watching us. [/i]
I looked at her and she turned from me to the door. Then she laughed. I looked at her confused. "Why are you laughing?"
"This is Lainn. She put on the light so I could she who she pointed at. A wolf. "A wolf?" I said out loud.
"He is now. He was once human. He got changed into a wolf after he disobeyed his master. He saved my life once and we've been friends ever since. When I left Breage to find you he insisted to come along. Said he would be of help sometime," she replied like it was every day business.
"Did you just say he talked?" I asked astonished.
"Yes, well not in real words, but he talks. Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm, starving. I tell you all about it later," with that she walked towards the kitchen part of the ship, Lainn following closely.
"Talking animals, oh Force!" I mumbled to myself, before following her.
[hr]
[b] Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk.
--Leo Buscaglia [/b]
[/hr]