When Worlds Collide
Lydia shook her hair out of its elaborate knot and sighed in relief. The pins had been digging into her head and pulling her long hair. She sank into the pool of cool water and held her breath. A few small bubbles of air escaped her lips as she swam, recalling the vast seas on her home planet of Arcadia. She barely remembered her home from her childhood, but subsequent visits since then, and powerful visions helped her piece together the planet that her people called home.
The pond was much smaller than those great seas, but the temperature was right. She cleaned her hair and body, letting the grime float away. She eyed the pile of cloth that was the traditional garb of a Jedi and finally reached out to drag the garments into the water with her.
As she rinsed out her clothes, Lydia thought about her new surroundings. Without any idea how she'd arrived or even where she actually was, she was lost as to how to return. Surely someone would find her, but she couldn't even begin to guess when. She could try a Force-call, but she had no real bond with anyone but Rinoa. And Rinoa's skills were desperately needed to win the war.
As she floated beside the large rocks she'd laid her clothes out on, she let her mind follow ideas to their conclusions.
If I call to Rinoa, it will distract her from the war, but she'll tell Kyp. Kyp will want to tell Luke and Mara, who will insist on informing Zekk. And my dear friend will be adamant that I be found and rescued, preferably with him leading the rescue team. She sighed and sat up, letting the water engulf her once more. But if they can't find me- there are a lot of planets, after all- then he'll insist that they divert more resources towards finding me, which takes the Jedi from the war, and I cannot allow that. So I should keep myself small until someone calls after me. And I should study the stars to see if I can find out where exactly I am.
That decided, Lydia resurfaced and hoisted herself onto the large rock, squeezing water from her hair. Then she pulled on her quasi-clean clothes and redid the heavy curls in their complex knot at the base of her skull, making sure the pins would hold the hair but not gouge her scalp.
She turned, sensing the approach of someone and waited with her hands at her sides. Her face broke into a small smile when she recognized the visitor as Kel, the young woman who had apparently rescued her. She bowed, palms flat on her thighs in a sign of respect. Surprise registered on the younger woman's face, but she repeated the gesture perfectly.
"We were afraid you'd drowned," Kel said slowly.
"Drowned? Me? No, Lady Kel. I know better how to swim than I know my own name." She smiled and wiped a drip of water from her neck.
"At any rate, they're starting to serve the meal. I spoke with the etiquette master, and he says he has a seat for you with Neal and his wife, if you don't mind being the dinner companion to my friend Merric."
"If that is convenient, Lady." Lydia didn't care one way or another if she was seated with the high-born or with the dogs. She was ravenous. "Please, show me the way." Kel did so, guiding her through the stretch of woods.
"Oh." Kel stopped suddenly and turned. "Her Highness, Princess Shinkokami would like to see you first."
"By all means," Lydia replied pleasantly, indicating that she would follow Kel. The lady knight led her to the castle keep of Barony Olau and showed her to the prince and princess' suite of rooms. Lydia bowed deeply, hands flat on her thighs and straightened. "Your Highness, how may I be of service?" she asked politely. Glancing around without appearing to, Lydia noticed several shocked faces. She tilted her head slightly to one side. "I beg pardon. Have I offended in some way?"
A young man, standing before the dressing room door frowned at her. "Your bow...did not show proper respect for royalty."
"I must apologize. Your ways and customs are not mine. I know not the difference between your bows of respect as compared to those conveying disrespect," she replied, her voice sharpening. "Where I come from, a small bow given to a leader shows all the respect imaginable. It is how we greet war leaders." Her voice dropped. "It is how I show respect for my Master."
Both the princess and the prince looked shocked and dismayed. Neal, sitting across the room at a desk, looked up. "See! I told you, didn't I? She speaks lightly of so sensitive a subject!"
Confused, Lydia looked at him. "Are teachers not afforded respect here?" she asked curiously. "Even in so different a place as this, is not education a prime component of your society?" Neal flushed.
The dark-haired Prince Roald looked at her. "When you speak of your master, you speak of your teacher?"
"Yes, your Highness," she replied, bowing again. "For nearly ten years, both during the war and before it, he taught me the Jedi's arts, both diplomatic and...well, martial."
"You see, Neal? She didn't mean slavery; she was referring to a teaching master," a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman said, patting the knight-healer's hand. Lydia knew that she was Neal's wife, but couldn't remember her name.
"Slavery? Slavery is illegal in the galaxy," she responded. "Jedi are keepers of the peace, Force-wielders who strive for the greater good. Jedi Founder-Master Luke Skywalker said the old Jedi failed in that respect once; he will not allow it to happen again, especially not now that the Plague sweeps through us."
"You say that your customs are different than ours. Are you not ruled by this Founder-Master you mentioned?" the princess asked, genuinely curious.
"No, your Highness, we are not. The Jedi Knights and various Masters are ruled by a governing council made of both Jedi and political trustees. War heroes, leaders, healers...many species are represented, so the non-humans do not feel threatened. Why, the greatest Jedi healer today is a Mon Calamari female! There is a Barabel on the council, a Sullustan, a Wookie, along with several humans and Master Cilgal." Lydia smiled wryly. "It is a diverse galaxy we live in, and nowhere is that better represented than in the councils of power."
A bell tolled somewhere outside and the princess sighed, rising to her feet. "We must continue this discussion, Mistress Verim. But after the banquet tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps, during the tournaments." Lydia bowed respectfully and stepped aside to allow the royal couple to leave the room before she looked at Kel again.
"Lady Kel, I must admit that I need help to understand this place. Usually, I am briefed before being sent somewhere new, but this sudden trip was unexpected. Might I ask for your help before I end up doing something extraordinarily stupid?" Kel nodded with a smile.
"I was surprised to see you didn't lose your temper when a servant chastised you. Most nobles I know would have demanded satisfaction from him."
"Anger weakens us," Lydia replied evenly. "And it is not honor to prove yourself upon an opponent who has less skill than you." Kel nodded, respect in her level hazel eyes.
"Not many warriors I know see things that way," she remarked thoughtfully. "You are unique, Lydia."
Lydia shook her hair out of its elaborate knot and sighed in relief. The pins had been digging into her head and pulling her long hair. She sank into the pool of cool water and held her breath. A few small bubbles of air escaped her lips as she swam, recalling the vast seas on her home planet of Arcadia. She barely remembered her home from her childhood, but subsequent visits since then, and powerful visions helped her piece together the planet that her people called home.
The pond was much smaller than those great seas, but the temperature was right. She cleaned her hair and body, letting the grime float away. She eyed the pile of cloth that was the traditional garb of a Jedi and finally reached out to drag the garments into the water with her.
As she rinsed out her clothes, Lydia thought about her new surroundings. Without any idea how she'd arrived or even where she actually was, she was lost as to how to return. Surely someone would find her, but she couldn't even begin to guess when. She could try a Force-call, but she had no real bond with anyone but Rinoa. And Rinoa's skills were desperately needed to win the war.
As she floated beside the large rocks she'd laid her clothes out on, she let her mind follow ideas to their conclusions.
If I call to Rinoa, it will distract her from the war, but she'll tell Kyp. Kyp will want to tell Luke and Mara, who will insist on informing Zekk. And my dear friend will be adamant that I be found and rescued, preferably with him leading the rescue team. She sighed and sat up, letting the water engulf her once more. But if they can't find me- there are a lot of planets, after all- then he'll insist that they divert more resources towards finding me, which takes the Jedi from the war, and I cannot allow that. So I should keep myself small until someone calls after me. And I should study the stars to see if I can find out where exactly I am.
That decided, Lydia resurfaced and hoisted herself onto the large rock, squeezing water from her hair. Then she pulled on her quasi-clean clothes and redid the heavy curls in their complex knot at the base of her skull, making sure the pins would hold the hair but not gouge her scalp.
She turned, sensing the approach of someone and waited with her hands at her sides. Her face broke into a small smile when she recognized the visitor as Kel, the young woman who had apparently rescued her. She bowed, palms flat on her thighs in a sign of respect. Surprise registered on the younger woman's face, but she repeated the gesture perfectly.
"We were afraid you'd drowned," Kel said slowly.
"Drowned? Me? No, Lady Kel. I know better how to swim than I know my own name." She smiled and wiped a drip of water from her neck.
"At any rate, they're starting to serve the meal. I spoke with the etiquette master, and he says he has a seat for you with Neal and his wife, if you don't mind being the dinner companion to my friend Merric."
"If that is convenient, Lady." Lydia didn't care one way or another if she was seated with the high-born or with the dogs. She was ravenous. "Please, show me the way." Kel did so, guiding her through the stretch of woods.
"Oh." Kel stopped suddenly and turned. "Her Highness, Princess Shinkokami would like to see you first."
"By all means," Lydia replied pleasantly, indicating that she would follow Kel. The lady knight led her to the castle keep of Barony Olau and showed her to the prince and princess' suite of rooms. Lydia bowed deeply, hands flat on her thighs and straightened. "Your Highness, how may I be of service?" she asked politely. Glancing around without appearing to, Lydia noticed several shocked faces. She tilted her head slightly to one side. "I beg pardon. Have I offended in some way?"
A young man, standing before the dressing room door frowned at her. "Your bow...did not show proper respect for royalty."
"I must apologize. Your ways and customs are not mine. I know not the difference between your bows of respect as compared to those conveying disrespect," she replied, her voice sharpening. "Where I come from, a small bow given to a leader shows all the respect imaginable. It is how we greet war leaders." Her voice dropped. "It is how I show respect for my Master."
Both the princess and the prince looked shocked and dismayed. Neal, sitting across the room at a desk, looked up. "See! I told you, didn't I? She speaks lightly of so sensitive a subject!"
Confused, Lydia looked at him. "Are teachers not afforded respect here?" she asked curiously. "Even in so different a place as this, is not education a prime component of your society?" Neal flushed.
The dark-haired Prince Roald looked at her. "When you speak of your master, you speak of your teacher?"
"Yes, your Highness," she replied, bowing again. "For nearly ten years, both during the war and before it, he taught me the Jedi's arts, both diplomatic and...well, martial."
"You see, Neal? She didn't mean slavery; she was referring to a teaching master," a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman said, patting the knight-healer's hand. Lydia knew that she was Neal's wife, but couldn't remember her name.
"Slavery? Slavery is illegal in the galaxy," she responded. "Jedi are keepers of the peace, Force-wielders who strive for the greater good. Jedi Founder-Master Luke Skywalker said the old Jedi failed in that respect once; he will not allow it to happen again, especially not now that the Plague sweeps through us."
"You say that your customs are different than ours. Are you not ruled by this Founder-Master you mentioned?" the princess asked, genuinely curious.
"No, your Highness, we are not. The Jedi Knights and various Masters are ruled by a governing council made of both Jedi and political trustees. War heroes, leaders, healers...many species are represented, so the non-humans do not feel threatened. Why, the greatest Jedi healer today is a Mon Calamari female! There is a Barabel on the council, a Sullustan, a Wookie, along with several humans and Master Cilgal." Lydia smiled wryly. "It is a diverse galaxy we live in, and nowhere is that better represented than in the councils of power."
A bell tolled somewhere outside and the princess sighed, rising to her feet. "We must continue this discussion, Mistress Verim. But after the banquet tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps, during the tournaments." Lydia bowed respectfully and stepped aside to allow the royal couple to leave the room before she looked at Kel again.
"Lady Kel, I must admit that I need help to understand this place. Usually, I am briefed before being sent somewhere new, but this sudden trip was unexpected. Might I ask for your help before I end up doing something extraordinarily stupid?" Kel nodded with a smile.
"I was surprised to see you didn't lose your temper when a servant chastised you. Most nobles I know would have demanded satisfaction from him."
"Anger weakens us," Lydia replied evenly. "And it is not honor to prove yourself upon an opponent who has less skill than you." Kel nodded, respect in her level hazel eyes.
"Not many warriors I know see things that way," she remarked thoughtfully. "You are unique, Lydia."