Author's Notes: After listening to Track 13 (Fields of the Pelennor) and all of the following tracks on the Return of the King soundtrack, I've envisioned the whole of my ToF story from now until a certain critical point just before the end - how cool is that? Music nearly always is my best inspiration… Hope you enjoy!
It shouldn't take me too long to finish - it's not going to be an epic tale like the Green Stone Trilogy or anything…
Layren: Never has the saying 'Better late than never' been more stretched, right? ^_~ Heh. Sorry for the whopping great delay, but I am aiming to have a ToF writing marathon and get it all finished within the next few days. Seriously… don't laugh!
Seung Mina6: Qui should be fine – you'll just have to keep reading to find out!
Charmisjess: Sorry for leaving everything on a bad cliffie, then making you wait 3 months to read the next part! Bad Jurious, indeed… ^_~
*This is for Charmisjess, Layren & Sarah the Pokeprincess, who have all either egged me on or inspired me in one way or another. Thanks friends!*
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A Test of Faith
Chapter 12 - The Plot Uncovered
/Serenn/
"…"
/Wake up, Serenn/
"…"
["I hope you didn't overdose it… we can't afford to lose this one…"]
"Wha -?"
/Get up, Serenn/
["We did not - I think it has a strong constitution, anyway…"]
["It'd better have…"]
Limbs aching, head feeling as though it were filled with molten lead, Serenn pushed himself onto his feet, finding that he was flat out on the ground. He squinted into the gloom, trying to get his swimming vision to tread water for a while. There was some kind of large bulk in front of him, and he was certain that he could discern the form of Captain by its side, too; he frowned - now what? He knew that he was at least alive… or he thought that he was, anyway…
"Well, if this is the afterlife, it sure is ugly," he murmured to himself.
["Ahh!"] the bulk exclaimed, shuffling toward him, ["It has awoken!]" The bulk seemed simply to be some kind of large, rounded mass with giant fore-claws and a miniscule head, and, as it came into focus, Serenn's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped…
* * * *
As soon as the rolling stopped, Jinn was thrown from out of the Colicoid's shell and across a rough, stony floor. Then he threw up; he'd never felt so sick in all of his life!
Allyaah was thrown down next to him, but seemed almost unaffected by the recent spin cycle; she looked at Qui-Gon's green face with a flinch; "Ooh… are you all right?" she asked.
"Nuh…" he muttered, putting his head between his knees. Allyaah smiled compassionately, shuffling to the boy's side and gently rubbing his back. Whilst she did this, she took the opportunity to look about herself - all the yellow-esque Colicoids were stood round them, giving them uncertain stares.
After a moment, one of the Colicoids stepped out of the throng and trotted toward the two Jedi; ["We missed one - the tall one."] it said, looking back to its colleagues as it spoke.
["They want that one the most…"] another replied, before it gestured its claw toward the pair, ["These two must be of lesser value than the tall one."] The crowd looked again at the humans, Qui-Gon's pathetic state seeming to all but confirm the latter Colicoid's claim.
The first speaker snuffed and approached the Jedi on its tripod of legs; "The other Jedi isch more powerful, no?" she suddenly asked them in Basic, her voice emerging like something of a rough squawk from her coleopteran mouth.
"More powerful?" Allyaah murmured, keeping a protective hand on Jinn - she peered round their group of abductors cautiously, "Serenn?"
"It hasch a name, then?"
"We all do," she frowned.
The Colicoid seemed to shrug, though it was hard to tell with it having such a complex body structure, "Scho, it -"
"He," Allyaah insisted.
The Colicoid struggled with this, "Scho h-… 'he' isch the moscht powerful of you three?"
Jinn groaned again, clutching his stomach tightly.
"Yes," Allyaah nodded tensely, throwing Qui a sideway glance.
The Colicoid thought about this; "It… 'he' will be uscheful to them, then. Or scho they hope."
"What do you mean 'them'? What's happening? What's going on?" she demanded.
"If you will calm yourschelf," the leading Colicoid continued, kneeling before the two Jedi, "Then I schall explain…"
Allyaah looked completely confused, but felt that she had few options, "Go ahead…" she nodded quietly.
* * * *
The 'bulk' turned out to be a huge, overblown Colicoid - it had a massive, flaccid body, hinged onto a small, shelled and articulated torso, sporting two giant fore-claws - which looked something like scythes - and a tiny little head, gleaming with a pair of dark, black eyes. It was the Sohta Nest's Queen.
Dooku scrambled onto his feet, but his eyesight quickly blurred and his lanky legs turned to jelly beneath him; he soon stumbled over backward onto his posterior again.
The giant queen snorted, and Captain trotted meekly to her side; ["This is it?"] she snarled.
["It is still dazed… the poison still runs through its veins,"] Captain explained.
Serenn's brow furrowed and he put a hand to his head, his memory slowly filtering back to him.
["When will his blood be clean?"] the Queen continued.
Serenn stared about the cavernous hall, trying to get his vision to clear and focus on something.
["Soon… not more than a few hours, I am certain…"] Captain returned.
Serenn stretched his hand out before him, counting his own fingers, narrowing and widening his gaze in tandem as he continued with his efforts.
["Excellent,"] the Queen sneered. She turned to Dooku again and placed her two huge claws in the ground before him, "Welcome, Jedi - welcome to my nescht. My children are looking forward to your aide…"
Serenn frowned, "Oh, Force…" he whispered.
* * * *
"I schuschpect that you know little of our planet and how it worksch - it will help if I schtart there…" the female Colicoid began as she held Allyaah and queasy Qui-Gon's attention; "The planet Colla IV isch populated by three neschtsch of our kind - the Schimara Nest, the Schohta and the Schohtrop. The Schohta inhabit the central regionsch of our planet, eschpecially around the city of Drykosch; the Schohtrop, more ischolationischt, prefer the far northern regionsch, deschertsch of schnow and ice. We, the Schimara Nescht, move our baschesch often and are of a nomadic vein - we prefer woodland to rock and deschert, but schtay on the move, and monitor our rival neschtsch closchely. We all schpy on each other and schtruggle for power. You Republicansch recognische Drykosch as our capital, yet that isch only scho becausche the Schohta nescht dominatesch our planet currently. "
She paced around Qui and Allyaah before continuing, "In our - and I refer to my schpeciesch in general when I schay 'our' - quescht for domination of the planet, many warsch have been fought. The Schimara Nescht pridesch itschelf on only defending themschelvesch and never schtarting any of our planet'sch conflictsch, but we must alwaysch be wary of our rivalsch and watch them - we muscht be prepared to protect ourschelvesch at all timesch and at all coschtsch. The main body of the conflictsch revolvesch around the territory-conschious Schohta and Schohtrop neschtsch. The Schohta is becoming increaschingly more powerful, and in an aweschome act of villainy, both neschtsch now aim to breed the bescht grubsch to become their scholdiersch. It isch for this reaschon that they, the Schohta Nescht, has drawn you in and taken the moscht powerful of your group - this 'Scherenn' - captive."
Allyaah listened and tried to balance the story, tried to use her instincts to tell her whether this tale was full of bias or close to the truth.
"You schee, once thisch war isch won, and one Nescht dominatesch the planet," the female leader added finally, "Then they, the victorious nescht, will hold power and wealth, for, if there isch only one nescht, there will only be one droid manufacturing franchische that the Republic, or any other military parties, can barter with…"
"So this is all about wealth?" Allyaah queried.
The female nodded, "Yesch, in the view of today - but it isch schimply a way of life between neschtsch that have been rivalsch for countlessch yearsch. You are in a different world here, humansch… a different schociety."
"So what exactly does this 'Sohta nest' want with Serenn? Why have they drawn us here?"
"They - or rather 'we' asch a whole - have never drawn you Jedi here on purposche, except for now… Due to the fact that Schohta controlsch our capital, all of your ambasschadorsch end up there, and the Schohta nescht dealsch with them how they alwaysch have - through execution. It givesch our schpeciesch a bad name… Do not mischunderschtand me, we all do not like intrudersch - we like to be left alone and to live our livesch how we pleasche - but killing isch not my nescht'sch notion of good foreign policy. It isch becausche of the Schohta nescht that your schociety brandsch usch with schuch a schavage reputation."
"You're not getting to the point," Allyaah interrupted, "You're selling me a sympathy vote for your nest, something I understand, but do not want. Please tell me about my friend."
"I would not keep your hopesch up for it… "
"For him!"
"Why isch gender scho important to you?"
"Just because you all reproduce through one queen, and treat everyone else under that monarch as genderless, doesn't mean that we do!"
"Reschpect my culture and I will reschpect yoursch."
"I do respect it."
The female snuffed then continued, "He isch in danger. He will live, but for little long…"
"What?" Jinn suddenly cried, face pale.
"What do you mean?" Jiao pressed on, trying to get to the matter's heart.
"I told you of our neschtsch' rivalriesch - in their scholdiersch, their schuccesschion of domination liesch. The Schohta nescht hasch experienced a reduction in the quality of their brood asch of late, thisch much we know, and they schearch for a way to improve their schtock. They have been constchructing machinesch of vascht technology far beyond that of my own tribe - they are expertsch in thisch field, asch are the Schohtrop nescht - and my schpiesch tell me that thesche devicesch are of a moscht unscheemly nature…"
"Yes…?" Allyaah pushed on again; she was usually a model of calmness, but she just didn't have the patience today - her friend was in danger.
"They want to genetically engineer a new generation of warriorsch - they want to usche your friend'sch blood to enhance their schtock, to give them an affinity to the Force, and an unworldly advantage over any warrior the Schohtrop, or my own nescht, can throw againscht them…"
"Blood?" Jinn gasped.
"Genetically engineer?" Allyaah followed up.
The female Colicoid nodded once more, "I inschischt that you do not go after 'him'. We have schecured your schip up on the schurface with our scoutsch and can guarantee you schafe passchage back to it… Get out of here before the Schohta Nescht realische we have you and come to kill you. You know too much already for their liking…"
Allyaah shook her head, "No, we go with Serenn or we don't go at all."
Jinn concurred, "Yeah - we stick together."
"Pleasche, I muscht make thisch plain to you - great danger will befall you all if you schtay…"
"No," the two chorused.
"My Queen will not appreciate your tenacity…"
"And our people will not appreciate losing more Jedi into this mysterious 'black hole' of a planet - we need to go home and explain exactly what's going on here. If we go back, then we'll make sure no intruders trouble you from our midst again - wouldn't that be better for you?" Allyaah continued.
The team leader sighed, "Yesch… Which isch why I inschischt you leave now!"
"Look, my Master is like a father to me, and I would not leave my father behind!" Jinn snapped, pointing at the Colicoid sharply, "Don't tell me to go home without him, because I point-blank refuse." He sat down on the floor, folding his arms and pouting angrily at the group; "I will not move from this spot until you agree to let us go back for my teacher." He then began humming irritatingly just to push things along, as well…
"What isch it… 'he' doing?" the leading beetle croaked, raising her huge fore-claws to the side of her small head.
"Humming, it would seem…" Allyaah replied.
"It schoundsch terrible!"
Jinn threw the female coleopteran a frown, rather insulted.
"He's as resolute as I," Jiao explained, "Let us go back for our friend. You can't stop us. We thank you wholeheartedly for your help, but we have to do this… it's in our nature."
The Colicoid grumbled to itself and turned to her comrades, explaining the situation in her own tongue to those less fortunate than herself, who didn't understand the Basic language. They quickly chattered and warbled to one another, gesturing about with their large claws in an animated way.
Allyaah meanwhile glanced down to Qui-Gon, who just looked back confidently, continuing to hum.
Finally, the conversation ceased and the group turned their attention back on the two Jedi again; "We underschtand, we think, your point, and we schubmit to your demandsch. But we do not wisch your quescht to be in vain - with my Queen'sch permisschion, we will asschischt you againscht the Schohta Nescht and enschure that you reschcue your friend… or, if the worscht comes to the worscht, otherwische…"
Jinn's face dropped, but Allyaah wafted her hand at him, asking him not to speak.
"Alscho, thisch isch on the condition that 'he' schtopsch 'humming'."
Qui shot to his feet, mouth sealed, "I'll be silent as a womp rat!" he said.
Allyaah angled her eyebrows toward him, "Have you ever heard a womp rat, Qui?"
"No."
"Well, I assure you, they're not that silent…"
"Oh…" Qui paused, thinking, "Well, just silent then."
TBC…