AN: The survivors are my own creation, everything else belongs to Lucasfilm...

From Scratch
Chapter 27



They traveled quickly, Vola taking point with Jacen and Flynn guarding their backs with Tenel Ka. The pace Jacen set was difficult for the younger couple to manage but they gamely kept up. It was when Vola, attempting to jump a small crevice, twisted one of her ankles that they forced to stop several hours later. She landed wrong, going down hard, and Flynn was beside her in an instant, jumping the rift without a thought to his own safety. "Vola!"

She grimaced in pain as she attempted to move it. "I landed wrong, but I'm alright, Flynn, honest."

Flynn knelt beside her, checking her over to see if she'd been hurt by her fall. Other than her ankle she had a couple of scratches on her palms but seemed to be alright. They were, thankfully, behind a ridge, but the huge walls of organic material stretching to the sky beyond was obvious. She's been injured just short of the Well of the World Brain.

Tenel Ka dropped her pack as Jacen knelt beside Flynn. A cursory check of Vola's injury showed it to be more serious than they'd first thought. She wouldn't be able to walk on it, at least for the moment. "We're almost there," Jacen told them evenly, the strain lines having appeared around his mouth as the hours had passed. Something was obviously weighing heavily on him and Tenel Ka glanced at him concerned as she began wrapping Vola's ankle. Boot and all.

"Perhaps you should scout?" she offered. "I will tend to Vola if you take Flynn and see what it is we are up against."

Jacen nodded, dropping his pack beside hers and smiled. "Thanks, Tenel Ka."

She shrugged. "Return quickly so that we may form a plan." She advised as Flynn followed Jacen away and up the gently sloping hill.

Jacen waved an acknowledgement and crept up the hill, keeping low to the ground to avoid being seen. Flynn mimicked his movements, slowing their pace as they neared the crest. Peeking over Jacen sucked in a sharp breath at the vista below him.

The formerly green plains surrounding the Well of the World Brain were blackened by fire. The devestation was wide spread and only the columns of smoke still rising from specific area betrayed the intensity of the flames. Even after a night of solid rain, some of the fires were only now going out. Jacen felt a sharp stab of pain as he watched the area. Nothing native to the planet moved or grew in the wide path of destruction save for two huge gatherings of people. Shamed ones - Yuuzhan Vong, and slaves. They were huddled together under tents of animal skins and bones; large roasting pits serving a communal purpose. Even at this distance Jacen could feel the confusion and anger from the long oppressed people.

"We have to get there soon," he murmured softly, scanning the area. His eyes narrowed across the plain, towards the base of the World Brain Well. Something was there, something he couldn't quite make out... he cursed softly. From this distance he couldn't be sure but he thought it was one of those worms they used to tunnel. If that was the case then the World Brain had every reason to be worried. He tugged on Flynn's shirt and motioned for the younger man to head back down. Flynn acknowledged him with a nod and slid back, creeping back towards the women. Jacen stayed where he was a moment longer, burning the positions of each group into his mind, the layout of the terrain and finally, the strange creatures and formations near the World Brain Well. Carefully, he crept back and then made his way swiftly back down the hill.

Tenel Ka had fashioned a split for Vola, and she could walk, but not easily. Jacen frowned; this was a bad idea. "How bad is it?"

Vola looked up, barely meeting his gaze before her own dropped again. "I will have trouble walking for today; tomorrow I should be somewhat better."

Jacen looked at her critically before shaking his head. "No, you have to walk now. Put her back down."

Vola lowered herself to the ground, with Flynn's help, and Jacen knelt by her leg. "I won't hurt you," he murmured softly, "I'm going to try to help."

Vola nodded uncertainly, clutching Flynn's hand as Jacen placed his hands on either side of her ankle. Slowly, he slipped into his Vong sense, focusing solely on Vola and her injury. Empathically, he searched for the microorganisms that composed part of her physiology. He imparted his request, urging them down, into her injury, hyper-stimulating them by impressing a sense of urgency. The organisms seemed to understand and began to work quickly, clearing away the dead cells and encouraging the accelerated growth of new ones. Slowly, ever so slowly, the damage was repaired and Jacen imparted his thanks for a job well done. The single celled organisms couldn't understand but they got the message that their job was mostly done. Jacen slowly came back into his own body and opened his eyes.

Vola was staring at him, awe in every line of her face. "You truly are the Great One." She murmured softly.

Jacen looked away uncomfortably from her stare. "It only worked because I've known you for awhile," he told her in reply. "Come on, we have to get there before tonight; they're setting up for something huge."

"Jacen."

He looked up at his wife, unable to help the smile that formed with seeing her. Her hair was braided as normal, but plastered to her head and face, hanging wetly down her back. Her armor was water resistant to the point of impervious so she was the only one who looked remotely dry. Water dripped down her face as she looked at him seriously. He stood, sliding one hand along the line of her jaw to cup her face. "You look beautiful," he murmured softly.

She arched an eyebrow. "We must have a plan of attack if we are to walk into a force as large as what Flynn has described."

Jacen pulled his mind back reluctantly. Focusing on her made the pain the World Brain was imparting easier to handle. He placed a kiss on her forehead and nodded reluctantly. "I know. Open your mind," he told her softly, "I'll impart you the memory of what it looks like."

Tenel Ka nodded and opened herself to him. Jacen stretched out with the Force, basking in the rejuvenating powers as he felt her presence slide around his, healing, helping. He called up his recent memories, extending them to include her and suddenly he was back on the hill, watching the mass making camp on the destroyed plains. He heard her soft sound of surprise and looked over to find her standing next to him. They looked out over the force and she nodded once, analyzing the area like a veteran battle commander. Which, in fact, she was. "I have seen enough."

Jacen slowly pulled their minds back to the present, feeling her pull away reluctantly from the intimate contact and focused his eyes on her. He knew the instant she came back to her senses. Her body straightened fractionally and her gaze sharpened. "We cannot avoid them." She told him simply. "They are shamed ones and slaves, angry at their former masters. Someone must speak with them about the dangers of what they are planning."

"And that someone would be me, through Vola," Jacen admitted with a sigh. "I don't like the idea of going among them, knowing what happened the last time I was in Yuuzhan Vong hands. Vergere isn't here to pull me out of the fire this time."

Tenel Ka squeezed his shoulder. "No, but I am. I will not let them take you from me again. The shapers and the warriors guarding the Well of the World Brain will fall to that force, but not before they take many more lives. We cannot allow the Brain to be killed; it would destroy the planet and everyone on it. The disgruntled must simply be told this."

"Would you listen if you were the one being oppressed?"

She thought about it for a minute before shaking her head reluctantly. "I would not but I would not wish to die, either. This course of action is self destructive."

Jacen smiled fractionally. "I know. We just have to convince them of that. Come on, we'd better get going, we only have several hours before they initiate their plan. I can feel the rising tensions, the longer we wait the harder it will be."

Vola was testing her ankle with Flynn's help, shaking her head in amazement. "I'm amazed," she whispered softly. She looked up as Tenel Ka and Jacen turned back to them. "Do we leave?"

Jacen nodded, picking up his pack and strapping the somewhat soaked straps back on. "We move. Quickly and silently. Once we go over that hill they'd have to be blind to miss us, so stick together. We have to find our way to the Well's base where they plan to attack and convince the leaders of this revolt that this is wrong. To kill the World Brain, or harm it in any way, will mean the death of the planet and everyone on it. Speed is of the essence."

Vola and Flynn nodded, picking their weapons back up and strapping them on, but not carrying one. They were in a readily accessible spot, but to walk in armed and ready was to ask for trouble. Jacen led the way over the hill, Tenel Ka beside him, Flynn and Vola a little ways behind as the Yuuzhan Vong made sure she'd be able to walk. They were over the ridge in a matter of minutes, striding down into the blasted plains before they could prepare for the shock.

Vola cried out involuntarily at the destruction before her. "What monsters would do this to their own home?" she asked, her voice pained. The black scar of devastation was wide, spreading out in all directions and no green was visible after they crested the hill. The four started across the plain, their boots sinking deeply into the ash and debris that was left. And with each step, their hearts became heavier. If the Shamed ones and former slaves would do this to their home, what would they do to the outsiders that tried to convince them otherwise? It wasn't a comforting thought.