Knights and Eros Bound

Chapter 20

Schurke slipped into the fresher while Kampher slept on. He was grateful for the time, wanting to think about things under the stream of almost boiling hot water.

Kam's mother had been a Dathomirian. He had heard tales of the mysterious sect of women, but to his knowledge had never met one before. They were an elusive, secretive group and the fact that one of their own had left the planet… scratch that... allowed one of their children to leave the planet and become a Jedi? He shook his head, sending droplets of water scattering about. The details weren't as important as the implications. But weren't the Dathomirians also users of the Dark side? Yet Kam's mother had obviously imparted at least some of her knowledge to her daughter… the bonding process, healing practices that were perhaps a little less than conventional. He had heard rumors that the Dathomirians could manipulate memories by touch, but he had never seen Kam attempt such a thing, but could she? Was this the reason Kampher was so evasive about her heritage? She had proven herself again and again as a staunch ally and friend, more than a friend. So many questions that remained unanswered, but …

He stepped out of the fresher to find her gone, probably to Anakin's room. What was she going to do? He trusted her still, but…

Shurke began to dress.

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"Toboo, Anakin… wake up…"

Anakin groaned. He was still tired… worn out, and he didn't know why.

"Anakin…" Kampher's voice drifted through the haze of sleep.

"Don't do it, Kam," Schurke called softly from the doorway, his face a mask of consternation.

"Do what?" Anakin asked sleepily, realizing that Schurke was already dressed and Kam was readying herself for a wash. Gods! How could he have overslept?

"What do you mean, Schurke?" Kampher replied, genuinely puzzled. "Do what?"

"You know…"

"I don't!" Kampher replied a little defensively.

 "There's something she needs to tell you, Anakin," Schurke said coolly. "Or do you want me to?"

"What's going on?" asked Anakin, more awake now yet utterly confused. Unless something had happened the night before? Realization dawned on him as he looked alternately at Kampher and Schurke, seeing and sensing a mixture of anger and hurt on their faces. He swallowed hard, trying to grasp the more than hazy memories of the night before and finding none, at last he spoke.

"What… what happened, I mean last night?" he asked, almost pleading.

"You were nothing but a gentleman, Anakin…" Kampher reassured him. "You were, shall we say, a little overwhelmed by the bonding. Schurke put you to bed."

Anakin's eyes widened in horror as some of the memories flashed through his mind, but whether they were his own or not, he could not fathom. He shrank back as Kampher put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Anakin…" Kampher began but Schurke interrupted.

"It's not that, Toboo. You did nothing that you would consider wrong," Schurke said quietly. "Nothing that would harm your relationship with your… life mate." He allowed himself a slight smile. "I mean, you're still as pure as a snow drift on Hoth. It's almost a shame."

"Then I…" Anakin trailed off. "Nothing?"

"No," Kampher said quietly. "You helped Schurke give me a massage then we put you to bed." It was close enough to the truth to suffice, and Anakin seemed to accept it.

Schurke's good humor evaporated once more. "Are you going to tell him, Kam?" he repeated. "I think he should know."

"Know what?" Anakin asked again, a little afraid.

"My mother…" Kampher began quietly. "She… she was a Dathomirian."

Anakin looked from Kampher to Schurke again, confused.

"A Dathomirian… A Force-Witch." Schurke finished for her. "They have ways, different ways of using the Force."

 "Does it matter?" Kampher snapped, a little angry. "She was a Healer! A Jedi for Force's sake! What should it matter?"

 "Why didn't you tell us?" Schurke snapped back. "You should have…"

"To what end?" Kampher retorted. "Look how you're reacting! You took Anakin's marriage better than this!"

 "She's never done anything wrong, Schurke…" Anakin said quietly, uncomfortable with this discussion. Like Schurke, he had also heard of the Dathomirians but had considered them nothing more than followers of a different path. "Why should it matter what her mother was?" Suddenly, he felt his own resentment beginning to rise. "Do you think any less of me because I was a slave?"

Schurke was taken aback, "No! Why should I?"

"Then why me, Schurke?" Kampher said softly, trying to rein in her own hurt. "Friends, remember? Since we were crèchelings! And after last night…"

Anakin suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Obviously, more had transpired between Kam and Shurke then he cared to know about. He tried to change the focus and dissipate the argument a little.

"Is there a point to this?" he sighed. "We've been through so much, all of us together… Kam has always been one of us. Why should her heritage concern us now?"

"It's not that," Schurke began quietly. "It's just…" He swore under his breath. "I don't know…" he finished at last. Analyzing anything too closely, even something as important as the fact that Kampher's family ties might conceivably cause difficulty in their relationship, not to mention of that with the Order, was something he didn't feel comfortable with. Such thoughts would inevitably lead to a closer look at his own feelings for her. That was another thing he decidedly wanted to deal with at another time. Just not now, and oddly, not in front of Anakin just yet.

"Schurke," Kampher replied sadly after a moment. "Anakin is right, everything we've been through… we've always trusted each other, and that's what it comes down to, isn't it?"

Schurke still stood in the doorway, silent but no longer as defensive.

Encouraged, Kampher continued. "Friendship, love… trust… that's why we're here isn't it?"

"I guess so," Schurke admitted, and he lowered his eyes. "Kam, I'm sorry."

"Accepted." Kampher said a little tartly, the hurt still evident.

Schurke made his way to the bedside where she was sitting and leaned over to kiss her lightly. Anakin squirmed under the blanket, feeling decidedly uncomfortable now. He extracted himself from under the cover and made his way to the door.

"Anakin?" Kampher called suddenly self-conscious. "Where are you going?"

"Just down to speak to the proprietor," he said airily.  "You know, to ask if there has been any word from Gris."

Before Anakin could say another word, Schurke suddenly said, "I'll come with you." He kissed Kampher lightly again, sealing his apology, and she smiled, the last of her anger and resentment dissipating.

"I'll wash and dress then make us some breakfast," Kam said helpfully. "We'll all think better on fuller stomachs. Healing isn't the only thing I'm good at," and again she smiled.

Schurke laughed and Anakin blushed. "I don't want to know…" Anakin sighed. "At least, more than I already do."

With that, Schurke pushed Anakin out the door and down the hallway, leaving Kampher to make their breakfast.

"So, Toboo," Schurke began as soon as they were out of earshot. "You don't know about the Dathomirians?"

"Not much," Anakin admitted, shaking his head. "Just that they keep to themselves for the most part, and that they use the Force a little differently. They chant and such…"

"A lot of… darker Force usage, from what I understand," Schurke told him. "They say they can manipulate the mind…"

"Like the Jedi?" asked Anakin, a little incredulous.

"More so, I've heard," Schurke replied. "It was another thing that Gris found so fascinating about them, but very few outsiders ever learn their secrets. Sometimes I wonder whether …" Here he trailed off.

"Wonder whether …?" Anakin prompted.

They were interrupted by the Nikto proprietor, who seemed anxious to deliver his message and be gone.

"Have a message," he began in broken basic. "Meet your companion tonight you will."

Anakin and Schurke exchanged a look. Gris.

"Cantina, this place," the Nikto shoved a small data sheet into Anakin's hand and flinched. "Ten of the evening.  Be there will you." Then he scurried off, not saying another word.

"It seems our adventure will soon be at an end, Toboo!" Schurke said gleefully. "One way or another…"

Anakin only nodded. He was relieved that this mission would soon be at an end, but more so, he was intrigued by Kampher's revelation. Dathomirian? Perhaps she would be more willing to discuss it with him later, but for now… Like Schurke, there were some things he didn't want to look at too closely. Instead, he turned to the matter at hand. "Let's take this to Kam," Anakin said quietly, as though he feared being overheard. .

"After breakfast," Schurke amended. "Let's enjoy at least one more meal in peace…"