A/N:
Kynstar: (hoping I got your name right ) Thank you muchly for your reviews. Somebody actually likes it! WOOHOO!
Heh, the Quiggy thing was born of the fact I've a tendency to call him that for short and I natuarally asumed he'd be annoyed by it. :)
Never fear. You're about to learn a couple a' things. Keep in mind the source is a bit loopy...... evil laughter
Chapter Five:
As it turned out, Trip had her own house, close to the valley entrance.
It was small with only two sleeping rooms, a living area, and a kitchen and made of logs and wood but it had it's own cosy feel to it.
"This is were you'll be staying, unfortunatley."
Trip had led him to the smaller of the two rooms. "You've got an hour to rest. You'll find some food in the kitchen. I've gotta go out for a sec.
Oh yeah," she tossed him something which he catched on reflex. His utility belt. "You might be wanting that. Sorry I took it an' all, but you know,
if you were dangerous I couldn't risk you having a weapon."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me Quiggy, thank my father. Were it my choice you'd still be locked up."
With that she turned and left, leaving him to his own devices for a short time.
He took advantage of it, pretty much raiding her kitchen. What could he say,
when you'd been walking for two days straight even Jedi got hungry.
She returned a short while later, a large bundle in her arms.
"So long as you're trying to fit in, you'll need these. 'Figure you can wear you're own boots. I'll get you some more later. Put em' on while I go change."
She handed him a set of clothes much like what he'd seen the other people here wearing- pants of some sort of rough blue material and a shirt.
He'd have much rather kept his Jedi tunic on, but she had a point. He did sort of stand out.
He changed quickly and strapped his belt around his waist. It felt good to have his lightsaber back. And so long as no one knew what it was....... he did feel so much safer with it....... end of debate. Like anyone here could understand the signifigance of the metal cylinder anyway.
"Alright. This better?" he walked out in to the main room were Trip was waiting.
"Much. We might want to do something about that hair though......"
"No."
"No one else has there's like that, it'll get in the way......"
"No. I've spent to much time getting it like this to let you hack it all off. Your father wears his long."
"My father never has to work in the fields."
"Fields?"
Trip slapped a hand to her forhead. "Oh yeah! Suppose I should tell you about that eh? Winter's coming soon like I told you earlier. I won't be going out again, and niether will anyone else. So, we work in the fields to bring the harvest in. It can snow pretty bad here and as you've no doubt noticed it's our only food source. Little gardens can't keep us fed all winter."
Qui-gon nodded. "I had noticed yeah."
"Well, that's were we're going now. We're a bit late, but I'm sure no one will mind. We're always in need of another strong arm."
Qui-gon resisted the urge to sigh tiredly. He'd had scarce few moments to rest over the last few weeks. In fact, his time in that cell was the most inactive he'd been since he set out from the temple a few weeks ago.
And now they were going to be working. And Trip looked ready to run a marathon. He envied her energy.
'A Jedi does what he must.' he thought. 'No matter how tired they are.'
What he wouldn't give to be back at the Temple!
"Alright. But I've got some things to ask you....."
"Later. We don't have time now. I promise I'll tell you anything I can later, ok? I've some things I'd like to ask you too."
Qui-gon reluctantly agreed.
There was a whole nother section of the valley Qui-gon hadn't been able to see from the entrance that was completely covered with their crops.
He had no clue what any of it was. All well. Just like any other planet he'd ever been to. It was all different.
He and Trip joined what she called 'work crews' in bringing in as much as possible and storing it in the large shed that had been built for just such a purpous.
They'd left Kit behind. Apparently the last time he tried to 'help' it had ended in disaster.
The work wasn't hard. Just time consuming. Load a bascket. Take it in.
Load it again. Take it in.
Finally, a few hours from sunset, the last load for the day was taken in and all the workers trudged tiredly to the stream to clean up.
No one even noticed the new addition untill Trip walked behind him and 'accidently' pushed him in. Everyone laughed heartily at that.
Qui-gon, smiling along with all the rest, was wondering why the heck she was so determined to drive him insane.
The Jedi turned up at her house a good hour later than her, still soaking wet.
"That wasn't in the least bit funny."
"Sure it was! You should have seen your face!"
Qui-gon went out side, muttering under his breath, "There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no emotion...."
Nights on this planet were extremely beautiful, moon or no moon.
Qui-gon sat beneath a tree at the back Trip's house, watching the stars.
He couldn't help but wonder if anyone even realised he was missing.
Probably not.
And he'd been trying to get sence all the life around him. His command of the Force wsa not yet so great that he could be accurate in such things,
but everything outside the Sanctuary just felt.... empty. Cold. Dead.
In a way it scared him. He'd never encountered anything quite like it before.
"Hey there Quiggy! You're a very boring person, you know that?" Trip suddenly flopped down beside him and he resisted the urge to groan.
He'd had enough of her to last him a life time.
"It's Qui-gon. And no I'm not. I just like to think. Something you've obviously been neglecting."
"Oh, the cruelty! You're not still mad at me are you?"
Qui-gon was officially frustrated. "A Jedi doesn't get mad. I'm a bit flustered though."
"Oh. Which reminds me, said you had some things you want to ask, but first,
what's a Jedi?"
Qui-gon smiled. Finally. Telling her about the Jedi was a small price to pay for a couple of good answers.
So he proceeded to tell her about the Force, about Coruscant, the Jedi temple...... other planets. She was fascinated to say the least, but the concept of the force went right over her head, so to speak.
"Ok. So what's that thing?" She was looking at his lightsaber.
"Ahh, this is the symble of the Jedi, the very thing that gives us such a fierce reputation. My lightsaber."
"Lightsaber? Sounds like a bunch of non-sence if you ask me."
"Just watch."
He rose and drew his lightsaber. It fit comfortably in his hands, like it was made for him. And of course it had been.
He looked around to make sure there was no one near enough to see. Luckily for them, most everyone else was already in bed by now.
He thumbed the red ON button and watched with pleasure as the green blade hummed to life.
Trip gasped. "Dang. What is that? Some sort of light stick or somthin'?"
Qui-gon laughed. "No, it's a weapon. A very powerful weapon. There isn't much a lightsaber can't cut through."
Trip was amazed. It almost made Qui-gon feel like he was talking to a child. He'd never before met anyone who didn't know of the Jedi.
He returned his lightsaber to his belt and sat back down.
"Now it's your turn. I want to know what's going on around here."
Trip sighed. "Alright Quiggy. I did promise, but I warn you my knowledge is very limited. I was born and raised here. I've seen very little of the outside world and most all I know is stories."
"Like the lack of moon for instance. I know there was one once. I just don't know why it's gone. There's so many different versions I've not the slightest idea which one is true."
"But I do know why everything's dead. We all do. It's human's fault and all. You see, years ago, and I mean like HUNDREDS of years ago, we were very much a divided world. Everybody hated everybody and seperate countries looked out for themselves and themselves only. You spoke of thousands of worlds under one government. We couldn't even get out own world together, much less something like that."
"But we did share one thing. Our desire to see space. To know what was out there. Back then our equivilent of space travel was sending a sattelite to Mars." Qui-gon didn't bother asking what Mars was. He didn't want to get her off track.
"And then one day humans, and I mean they were HUMAN. Not at all what anyone was expecting. They came here. Big ships. You probably no more about that sort of thing than me. We thought they were friendly you know?
Guess not. And we were so torn up over fighten' eachother we didn't stand a chance. Not that we didn't try."
"Certain leaders approved the use of..... horrible things to try and beat em.
Didn't work. All it did was destroy our world. Everything. There's no life around out there because water's to bad to support it and grass won't grow. It's terrible. I went to see the ocean once." She shivered.
"You can't even begin to imagine."
"Anyway, we were pretty much all inslaved. The Alliance, as we call the offworlders, have a few cities of their own making. Nothing pretty.
One day a few of us escaped and found this place. We're the only free Earthlings far as we know. Every now and then someone will manage to get away and we find em', but it doesn't happen very often. Most of them are insane or worse by now."
"That's why I treated you the way you did. When yu said you came here in a space ship I thought you must be mind adled or somthin'. Father did to till he met you. He's got a special way with people. That's really all I can tell you. And it probably didn't happen exactly like that. Like I said, all I've got to go on are stories."
Qui-gon had listened to her in silence. The Republic, the Jedi, they could help these people. They had to help them. This wasn't right. If only someone had found them sooner......
"Well. That pretty much covers anything I could have asked. For now."
And then there was that air of mystery around her father..... way with people indeed. Qui-gon was certain he was force sensative. Had to be.
Trip yawned loudly. "Good. Um, I wonder, could you tell me some more about that Republic thingy majiger?"
Qui-gon laughed. "Of course."
Kynstar: (hoping I got your name right ) Thank you muchly for your reviews. Somebody actually likes it! WOOHOO!
Heh, the Quiggy thing was born of the fact I've a tendency to call him that for short and I natuarally asumed he'd be annoyed by it. :)
Never fear. You're about to learn a couple a' things. Keep in mind the source is a bit loopy...... evil laughter
Chapter Five:
As it turned out, Trip had her own house, close to the valley entrance.
It was small with only two sleeping rooms, a living area, and a kitchen and made of logs and wood but it had it's own cosy feel to it.
"This is were you'll be staying, unfortunatley."
Trip had led him to the smaller of the two rooms. "You've got an hour to rest. You'll find some food in the kitchen. I've gotta go out for a sec.
Oh yeah," she tossed him something which he catched on reflex. His utility belt. "You might be wanting that. Sorry I took it an' all, but you know,
if you were dangerous I couldn't risk you having a weapon."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me Quiggy, thank my father. Were it my choice you'd still be locked up."
With that she turned and left, leaving him to his own devices for a short time.
He took advantage of it, pretty much raiding her kitchen. What could he say,
when you'd been walking for two days straight even Jedi got hungry.
She returned a short while later, a large bundle in her arms.
"So long as you're trying to fit in, you'll need these. 'Figure you can wear you're own boots. I'll get you some more later. Put em' on while I go change."
She handed him a set of clothes much like what he'd seen the other people here wearing- pants of some sort of rough blue material and a shirt.
He'd have much rather kept his Jedi tunic on, but she had a point. He did sort of stand out.
He changed quickly and strapped his belt around his waist. It felt good to have his lightsaber back. And so long as no one knew what it was....... he did feel so much safer with it....... end of debate. Like anyone here could understand the signifigance of the metal cylinder anyway.
"Alright. This better?" he walked out in to the main room were Trip was waiting.
"Much. We might want to do something about that hair though......"
"No."
"No one else has there's like that, it'll get in the way......"
"No. I've spent to much time getting it like this to let you hack it all off. Your father wears his long."
"My father never has to work in the fields."
"Fields?"
Trip slapped a hand to her forhead. "Oh yeah! Suppose I should tell you about that eh? Winter's coming soon like I told you earlier. I won't be going out again, and niether will anyone else. So, we work in the fields to bring the harvest in. It can snow pretty bad here and as you've no doubt noticed it's our only food source. Little gardens can't keep us fed all winter."
Qui-gon nodded. "I had noticed yeah."
"Well, that's were we're going now. We're a bit late, but I'm sure no one will mind. We're always in need of another strong arm."
Qui-gon resisted the urge to sigh tiredly. He'd had scarce few moments to rest over the last few weeks. In fact, his time in that cell was the most inactive he'd been since he set out from the temple a few weeks ago.
And now they were going to be working. And Trip looked ready to run a marathon. He envied her energy.
'A Jedi does what he must.' he thought. 'No matter how tired they are.'
What he wouldn't give to be back at the Temple!
"Alright. But I've got some things to ask you....."
"Later. We don't have time now. I promise I'll tell you anything I can later, ok? I've some things I'd like to ask you too."
Qui-gon reluctantly agreed.
There was a whole nother section of the valley Qui-gon hadn't been able to see from the entrance that was completely covered with their crops.
He had no clue what any of it was. All well. Just like any other planet he'd ever been to. It was all different.
He and Trip joined what she called 'work crews' in bringing in as much as possible and storing it in the large shed that had been built for just such a purpous.
They'd left Kit behind. Apparently the last time he tried to 'help' it had ended in disaster.
The work wasn't hard. Just time consuming. Load a bascket. Take it in.
Load it again. Take it in.
Finally, a few hours from sunset, the last load for the day was taken in and all the workers trudged tiredly to the stream to clean up.
No one even noticed the new addition untill Trip walked behind him and 'accidently' pushed him in. Everyone laughed heartily at that.
Qui-gon, smiling along with all the rest, was wondering why the heck she was so determined to drive him insane.
The Jedi turned up at her house a good hour later than her, still soaking wet.
"That wasn't in the least bit funny."
"Sure it was! You should have seen your face!"
Qui-gon went out side, muttering under his breath, "There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no emotion...."
Nights on this planet were extremely beautiful, moon or no moon.
Qui-gon sat beneath a tree at the back Trip's house, watching the stars.
He couldn't help but wonder if anyone even realised he was missing.
Probably not.
And he'd been trying to get sence all the life around him. His command of the Force wsa not yet so great that he could be accurate in such things,
but everything outside the Sanctuary just felt.... empty. Cold. Dead.
In a way it scared him. He'd never encountered anything quite like it before.
"Hey there Quiggy! You're a very boring person, you know that?" Trip suddenly flopped down beside him and he resisted the urge to groan.
He'd had enough of her to last him a life time.
"It's Qui-gon. And no I'm not. I just like to think. Something you've obviously been neglecting."
"Oh, the cruelty! You're not still mad at me are you?"
Qui-gon was officially frustrated. "A Jedi doesn't get mad. I'm a bit flustered though."
"Oh. Which reminds me, said you had some things you want to ask, but first,
what's a Jedi?"
Qui-gon smiled. Finally. Telling her about the Jedi was a small price to pay for a couple of good answers.
So he proceeded to tell her about the Force, about Coruscant, the Jedi temple...... other planets. She was fascinated to say the least, but the concept of the force went right over her head, so to speak.
"Ok. So what's that thing?" She was looking at his lightsaber.
"Ahh, this is the symble of the Jedi, the very thing that gives us such a fierce reputation. My lightsaber."
"Lightsaber? Sounds like a bunch of non-sence if you ask me."
"Just watch."
He rose and drew his lightsaber. It fit comfortably in his hands, like it was made for him. And of course it had been.
He looked around to make sure there was no one near enough to see. Luckily for them, most everyone else was already in bed by now.
He thumbed the red ON button and watched with pleasure as the green blade hummed to life.
Trip gasped. "Dang. What is that? Some sort of light stick or somthin'?"
Qui-gon laughed. "No, it's a weapon. A very powerful weapon. There isn't much a lightsaber can't cut through."
Trip was amazed. It almost made Qui-gon feel like he was talking to a child. He'd never before met anyone who didn't know of the Jedi.
He returned his lightsaber to his belt and sat back down.
"Now it's your turn. I want to know what's going on around here."
Trip sighed. "Alright Quiggy. I did promise, but I warn you my knowledge is very limited. I was born and raised here. I've seen very little of the outside world and most all I know is stories."
"Like the lack of moon for instance. I know there was one once. I just don't know why it's gone. There's so many different versions I've not the slightest idea which one is true."
"But I do know why everything's dead. We all do. It's human's fault and all. You see, years ago, and I mean like HUNDREDS of years ago, we were very much a divided world. Everybody hated everybody and seperate countries looked out for themselves and themselves only. You spoke of thousands of worlds under one government. We couldn't even get out own world together, much less something like that."
"But we did share one thing. Our desire to see space. To know what was out there. Back then our equivilent of space travel was sending a sattelite to Mars." Qui-gon didn't bother asking what Mars was. He didn't want to get her off track.
"And then one day humans, and I mean they were HUMAN. Not at all what anyone was expecting. They came here. Big ships. You probably no more about that sort of thing than me. We thought they were friendly you know?
Guess not. And we were so torn up over fighten' eachother we didn't stand a chance. Not that we didn't try."
"Certain leaders approved the use of..... horrible things to try and beat em.
Didn't work. All it did was destroy our world. Everything. There's no life around out there because water's to bad to support it and grass won't grow. It's terrible. I went to see the ocean once." She shivered.
"You can't even begin to imagine."
"Anyway, we were pretty much all inslaved. The Alliance, as we call the offworlders, have a few cities of their own making. Nothing pretty.
One day a few of us escaped and found this place. We're the only free Earthlings far as we know. Every now and then someone will manage to get away and we find em', but it doesn't happen very often. Most of them are insane or worse by now."
"That's why I treated you the way you did. When yu said you came here in a space ship I thought you must be mind adled or somthin'. Father did to till he met you. He's got a special way with people. That's really all I can tell you. And it probably didn't happen exactly like that. Like I said, all I've got to go on are stories."
Qui-gon had listened to her in silence. The Republic, the Jedi, they could help these people. They had to help them. This wasn't right. If only someone had found them sooner......
"Well. That pretty much covers anything I could have asked. For now."
And then there was that air of mystery around her father..... way with people indeed. Qui-gon was certain he was force sensative. Had to be.
Trip yawned loudly. "Good. Um, I wonder, could you tell me some more about that Republic thingy majiger?"
Qui-gon laughed. "Of course."