Okay, Falcona:
Actually, you've seen Dooku, already. Think back to
a very diplomatic Dark Jedi surprised by a new Order Jedi saying she was
something political. Anyway, he returns in… if I'm counting right &
don't change my pattern, 6 more chapters.
Obi-Wan's already back. He's talking to Luke, for Force's sake! (And you've seen him, but you'll find that out this chapter.) Yoda may or may not return. I haven't decided yet.
About your question… :) Can you count? Remember Diary Entry 2? 2&2=5. So, that's: Tayun, Nonni, Nashira, M— and… herself! And recall Diary Entry 3? Right after guess-who gets hurt, she panics into recovering herself. So, her old betrayed self is who she calls "I, Me." So who's M—? Uh, you've already met her. Several times. It's who she is at this moment, which is why she doesn't want to reveal it. But if you don't make that final connection to who our beloved Sith
pawn is hiding as, the next chapter will be a dead giveaway because it has
something from M—'s perspective.
Author's Note:
Readers, I APOLOGIZE for my previous note right here. I don't know where that came from. I was obviously not thinking that day. By using 'vulgarisms' I meant 'slang'. Not vulgar language. Argh! Forgive me. I've gone back & edited & fixed some things that came out wrong. Minor phraseology, mostly. ErrÉ I've realized I've failed to mention that 'Tira's Sith father did marry her mother since her insanity would keep her from denying consent
I have had a writing spree last night and today so the next chapter has a roughdraft. Apparently, my subconscious has decided it's had enough of this blindfold stuff, and my readers are going to get to meet some of the mysterious folks.
Only some, though.
If you ask, I might humor you with something from a specific person… or not. But go ahead and ask if you want something from someone's perspective. There are a few people I can think of with which I wouldn't mind doing so, though I probably won't choose them on my own.
Enjoy! :)
Twenty
Something was up.Tenel Ka kept an eye on the approaching figure as she worked. At her side, Benji and his sister exchanged a look.
A familiar-seeming young woman mockingly bowed to her. "Your Highness."
"So you're to be a harlot again." The girl said conversationally as she calmly sought the ore, her dark eyes glancing every so often to the slightly older teen. "Maybe your child'll be Force-sensitive, this time."
The young woman angrily drew herself up, ready to lash at the blonde. In that instant, Tenel Ka chilled with recognition.
The old woman who'd captured her.
"Aw, sis." Benji smirked disarmingly, his tone teasing. "You know we love you."
The now-young woman flared, lashing out at her younger sister. "D— you, Pooja! You'll join me, I swear!"
Pooja snorted disdainfully. "When a Human pilots a podracer—oh, wait! That's already happened!" Her overly innocent face showed that she hadn't forgotten. "Make that a mynock, then."
Benji snickered, and the older sister stormed away.
Disbelievingly, the Queen Mother turned to Benji, finding him smirking at her. "Would you believe me if I say we're a lot older than we look?"
After seeing his other sister firsthand, Tenel Ka had no choice.
Liar, he sent to Luke in mid-cough, amused. He smiled slightly when he heard the boy say he didn't know what had happened to Leia. She probably doesn't, either.
"Stop that."
He turned towards the soft voice, unable to look at her because of their back-to-back restraints. "Stop what?"
"Talking to Luke like that. I… You'd better not die on me, Oafy-Wan 'cause I'll drag you out of here by your ears if I have to, you Gundark!"
Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled sadly in the cold dark cell. She was nervous, all right. "But which life will you get me on, Siri?"
He heard her gulp. "I don't know, and I don't care! We'll get out of this blasted Sith-and-ghost-filled nuthouse!" Her voice cracked, and the rest was quieter. "Even if I have to donate my midi-chlorians."
Obi-Wan tested his Force connection. "Thank you, but I won't do that to you. When I lose them I'll manage."
She choked. "Obi-Wan—"
"Just knowing it can happen will be an invaluable lesson for Jedi. At least we know midi-chlorians die with each revival."
"Yeah, and when will they be done with you? Why are they doing this to you? Why you? Why not me?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"That's just it! We don't know anything! Besides Dooku and Ryoo, we don't know who any of these people are!"
Anxiety and frustration and restrained anger rolled through her. He leaned back into her. "Siri…" he said consolingly. "You asked if we wanted to try this, remember."
"Well when you commented on how well the new Order's Jedi couples worked, I thought you meant their marriages, not how each of them had one or both parties captured at some point."
"…I did," he said, smiling fondly in the dark. Poor Siri. She hadn't quite been herself since they'd started the executing-reviving process with him. He supposed feeling the death and rebirth of their bond so many times must be disorienting.
Actually, when he thought about it, she'd been acting mildly strange before that, too.
He frowned. "Siri?"
"Yes, Gundark?"
How could someone make insults affectionate? She could. "Are you all right?"
"Of course not!" she retorted. "We're stuck in a Dark Jedi camp, without any knowledge of where we are or who our captors are or what they want with us; you're dying; I'm running out of energy; and I can't run out of energy, blast it!"
The force in the last bit of her outburst startled him. She shook violently, pulling him back. He wished he wasn't tied. "Siri…"
Obi-Wan!
He opened his mouth to protest that she should be conserving her Force-energy.
I'm pregnant!
"Cold?"
Queen Mother Tenel Ka merely returned his questioning blue gaze. From the same culture she was, he understood.
I will manage.
He looked over his shoulder at his sister, returning from some escapade.
"Find anything?"
Pooja's brown eyes seemed saddened. "Yes, Benji," she said softly. "I did."
Kneeling, she put the furry animal before her brother. She shuddered, turning away and putting her face in her hands. "By the Force, be quick!" she cried.
Tenel Ka was surprised. Pooja didn't strike her as being overly sentimental—
Before he'd killed the animal, Benji's hand slipped. It sprang from his grasp, moaning as it crawled onto Pooja's lap.
The girl began to weep, cradling it in her arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and seemed about to repeat herself when she froze.
Slowly, Pooja looked down at the creature, her fingers stroking its temple. "I'll take care of your babies," she said weakly as it died. "I promise."
She handed the carcass to her brother and stood, face set. "I'm getting her litter."
"She told you where it was?" At his sister's mute nod, Benji continued. "Hurry. If anyone notices our camp breaking twice, tonight…"
Pooja nodded tersely, quickly checked around, and scurried away.
Meanwhile, Benji worked on skinning the animal his life-sensitive sister had caught for Tenel Ka.
She looked hard at the teenage boy. The 'knife' Benji used to swiftly skin the animal was a modified version of a weapon Tenel Ka knew well.
A lightsaber.
