Chapter 21
The sun was high overhead the next day, before Alex forced himself to leave his apprentice. He didn't look forward to going back to those who would flatter you to your face and stab you in the back once you turned around.
Meri walked with him as far as his hidden snow speeder and once there, he turned to say goodbye. The day was sunny, the bright rays reflecting off the shinning snow. A soft breeze rippled through the evergreen trees, sending their limbs trembling ever so slightly and spreading their spicy scent in the air.
Alex smiled as he looked down at his apprentice and noticed that she hadn't quite accomplished getting all her hair underneath the hat that morning. A few tendrils fluttered around her face in the cool breeze, the whole image denying she was anything but what she was trying to appear—that of a boy.
"It's a good thing your life really doesn't depend on you looking like a young man," Alex commented as he reached out to tuck the escaped tendrils back where they belonged. He was half-teasing and half-serious.
"If it doesn't then why am I in this get-up?" Meri complained, pulling at the overly large top she was wearing.
Alex smirked. "As I said before, in case anyone sees you from *afar*."
Meri sighed. "Oh, yes. I forgot that part." She tilted her head back to meet his face, looking out from beneath the cap on her head with twinkling, brown, mischievous eyes. "I still think I could do it!"
"Do what?" he asked distractedly as his bright blue eyes studied her face.
"Why, pull off looking like a boy when it matters," she clarified.
Pulling his attention back to what she was saying, Alex shook his head. "We won't ever have to find that out, thankfully."
Meri pretended to pout, but he got the feeling she was simply trying to put off his leaving. And succeeding. He needed to go.
"I have to go, Meri," he said softly, sadly.
Her face fell, but she knew it was coming. "I'll miss you," she said with a brave smile as she shifted from foot to foot.
"And I will miss you," he returned, his accent deepening slightly, but he made no move to embrace her. "Behave." The simple word was flavored with his affection and carried a hint of command.
Meri folded her arms, hugged herself, and seemed to be trying to keep the smile on her face. "When do I not?" she asked, the smile finally beginning to slide.
Alex let out a huff of air and shook his head as he climbed onto the speeder. "I won't even answer that one." For a moment his hand hovered near the controls and then he started the snow speeder.
Meri stepped back out of the way, her brow creased in a tiny frown.
//Do not worry, Meri,// he sent over their bond as he sensed her trepidation.
He was rewarded with a wavering smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. //I'm…I'm really trying not to, Master.// And for the first time in a long while he didn't correct her with 'Do or do not. There is no try'.
***
A week and a half later, Meri sat cross-legged on the bed eyeing Folly with amusement. He reminded her of Obi-Wan in the respect that he was always munching on something. Currently, he was chewing on a strip of preserved meat and trying to talk at the same time. Knowing that he reported to Alex, she wondered how much Folly knew of the situation. Her Master had been rather closed mouth about the negotiations, always steering the conversation away from it whenever it came up. It was his subtle way of letting her know he wanted her to have nothing to do with it. This left her one option.
She turned her gaze on Folly and smiled. " Folly, what do you know about this whole mess? You know, these two fighting sides?" Trying to act uninterested in his answer, she began picking lint off the blanket she sat on.
"I'm neutral," he said, waving the strip of meat in his hand for emphasis.
"Yes, but what's going on currently? You speak with my Master every day. You must know something?"
Folly rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as he thought. "No, not really. The Master Jedi isn't exactly the type to share his thoughts. He kinda scares me," Folly admitted as though it were his biggest secret.
Meri almost laughed. Alex seemed to have that effect on some people.
"Why has this fight been going on so long?" she asked, thinking as she did so of Ariana. "I thought—I thought last time the Jedi sent an ambassador the two sides almost agreed." She remembered hearing of rumors of a Rebel group, but the strange thing was, she hadn't heard anything about it since arriving. On the file of Dubh nán's history she had read, it said that the two factions blamed the other.
Folly nodded. "Oh, they did. I actually thought we might have peace."
Meri's brow creased in a frown. "What happened?"
"The place where they were meeting was bombed right before a pact was signed between the two. Both sides blamed the other and another war broke out," Folly said, looking for the first time actually serious.
"Well, if they both blamed each other, which side really did it?"
Folly scratched behind his ear thoughtfully before answering. "Neither one."
Meri stiffened as the Force whispered across her senses, almost telling her to pay heed. "Well, then who….?" She trailed off, already knowing whom.
"There is a third group. Nobody really knows if they exist, they lie so low, but they want just what those other two groups want. Except they have a different way to approach it, you see. They are encouraging war between the other two in hopes they'll kill at least the leaders of in each group. Once that happens, the people are easily swayed."
"Which would leave them with what they want," Meri breathed in understanding.
"Exactly. You're not so dense! Why did the Master Jedi stick you out here again?" he asked with a wink.
But Meri wasn't paying any attention. Thoughts were running so fast through her mind she almost couldn't fathom the meaning. It all came down to one fact—if Alex succeeded in bringing the other two factions to an agreement, history would repeat itself. This third group, the Rebel group, wouldn't allow for the other two to sign a treaty, because then it would be two against one. The way it was now, the Rebel group played both sides and watched as they killed each other out.
Realization struck Meri hard and for long minutes, she was speechless. Alex was in more danger than she had ever imagined. She couldn't lose another Master—she wouldn't let it happen. Taking a deep breath of air to calm her madly pounding heart, she turned back to Folly.
"Folly, you have to tell me all you know about this third group."
The sun was high overhead the next day, before Alex forced himself to leave his apprentice. He didn't look forward to going back to those who would flatter you to your face and stab you in the back once you turned around.
Meri walked with him as far as his hidden snow speeder and once there, he turned to say goodbye. The day was sunny, the bright rays reflecting off the shinning snow. A soft breeze rippled through the evergreen trees, sending their limbs trembling ever so slightly and spreading their spicy scent in the air.
Alex smiled as he looked down at his apprentice and noticed that she hadn't quite accomplished getting all her hair underneath the hat that morning. A few tendrils fluttered around her face in the cool breeze, the whole image denying she was anything but what she was trying to appear—that of a boy.
"It's a good thing your life really doesn't depend on you looking like a young man," Alex commented as he reached out to tuck the escaped tendrils back where they belonged. He was half-teasing and half-serious.
"If it doesn't then why am I in this get-up?" Meri complained, pulling at the overly large top she was wearing.
Alex smirked. "As I said before, in case anyone sees you from *afar*."
Meri sighed. "Oh, yes. I forgot that part." She tilted her head back to meet his face, looking out from beneath the cap on her head with twinkling, brown, mischievous eyes. "I still think I could do it!"
"Do what?" he asked distractedly as his bright blue eyes studied her face.
"Why, pull off looking like a boy when it matters," she clarified.
Pulling his attention back to what she was saying, Alex shook his head. "We won't ever have to find that out, thankfully."
Meri pretended to pout, but he got the feeling she was simply trying to put off his leaving. And succeeding. He needed to go.
"I have to go, Meri," he said softly, sadly.
Her face fell, but she knew it was coming. "I'll miss you," she said with a brave smile as she shifted from foot to foot.
"And I will miss you," he returned, his accent deepening slightly, but he made no move to embrace her. "Behave." The simple word was flavored with his affection and carried a hint of command.
Meri folded her arms, hugged herself, and seemed to be trying to keep the smile on her face. "When do I not?" she asked, the smile finally beginning to slide.
Alex let out a huff of air and shook his head as he climbed onto the speeder. "I won't even answer that one." For a moment his hand hovered near the controls and then he started the snow speeder.
Meri stepped back out of the way, her brow creased in a tiny frown.
//Do not worry, Meri,// he sent over their bond as he sensed her trepidation.
He was rewarded with a wavering smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. //I'm…I'm really trying not to, Master.// And for the first time in a long while he didn't correct her with 'Do or do not. There is no try'.
***
A week and a half later, Meri sat cross-legged on the bed eyeing Folly with amusement. He reminded her of Obi-Wan in the respect that he was always munching on something. Currently, he was chewing on a strip of preserved meat and trying to talk at the same time. Knowing that he reported to Alex, she wondered how much Folly knew of the situation. Her Master had been rather closed mouth about the negotiations, always steering the conversation away from it whenever it came up. It was his subtle way of letting her know he wanted her to have nothing to do with it. This left her one option.
She turned her gaze on Folly and smiled. " Folly, what do you know about this whole mess? You know, these two fighting sides?" Trying to act uninterested in his answer, she began picking lint off the blanket she sat on.
"I'm neutral," he said, waving the strip of meat in his hand for emphasis.
"Yes, but what's going on currently? You speak with my Master every day. You must know something?"
Folly rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as he thought. "No, not really. The Master Jedi isn't exactly the type to share his thoughts. He kinda scares me," Folly admitted as though it were his biggest secret.
Meri almost laughed. Alex seemed to have that effect on some people.
"Why has this fight been going on so long?" she asked, thinking as she did so of Ariana. "I thought—I thought last time the Jedi sent an ambassador the two sides almost agreed." She remembered hearing of rumors of a Rebel group, but the strange thing was, she hadn't heard anything about it since arriving. On the file of Dubh nán's history she had read, it said that the two factions blamed the other.
Folly nodded. "Oh, they did. I actually thought we might have peace."
Meri's brow creased in a frown. "What happened?"
"The place where they were meeting was bombed right before a pact was signed between the two. Both sides blamed the other and another war broke out," Folly said, looking for the first time actually serious.
"Well, if they both blamed each other, which side really did it?"
Folly scratched behind his ear thoughtfully before answering. "Neither one."
Meri stiffened as the Force whispered across her senses, almost telling her to pay heed. "Well, then who….?" She trailed off, already knowing whom.
"There is a third group. Nobody really knows if they exist, they lie so low, but they want just what those other two groups want. Except they have a different way to approach it, you see. They are encouraging war between the other two in hopes they'll kill at least the leaders of in each group. Once that happens, the people are easily swayed."
"Which would leave them with what they want," Meri breathed in understanding.
"Exactly. You're not so dense! Why did the Master Jedi stick you out here again?" he asked with a wink.
But Meri wasn't paying any attention. Thoughts were running so fast through her mind she almost couldn't fathom the meaning. It all came down to one fact—if Alex succeeded in bringing the other two factions to an agreement, history would repeat itself. This third group, the Rebel group, wouldn't allow for the other two to sign a treaty, because then it would be two against one. The way it was now, the Rebel group played both sides and watched as they killed each other out.
Realization struck Meri hard and for long minutes, she was speechless. Alex was in more danger than she had ever imagined. She couldn't lose another Master—she wouldn't let it happen. Taking a deep breath of air to calm her madly pounding heart, she turned back to Folly.
"Folly, you have to tell me all you know about this third group."
