The Last Defender
By Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff
Chapter Three: Eater of Souls
---
Fenice had been silent all through dinner, and Luke wondered why. She led him, and Artoo out to the garage without a word. There were two Imperial style speeder bikes, and what looked like the remains of a skiff sitting in one corner, and there were racks of herbs drying by the main door. She led them to a power station, and Luke hooked up the droid for a recharge.
"So why the silence," Luke asked, "you don't seem the quiet type."
She tried not to smile at Luke's comment. "That was the first time I arbitrated something other than a property dispute."
Luke remembered the first time he'd been asked to arbitrate a dispute. It was over the exchange rate of New Republic and Imperial coins. "I can't say it gets any easier."
"It's not just that," Fenice frowned, turning away from him, "I should never have heard that case, but if we'd brought it before the Magistrate, it would be a public trial."
"And that was what you wanted to avoid." Luke finished her thought. "Knowing what a public trial could lead to, I didn't want to bring it before the Magistrate either."
"Aside from the Magistrates in each town, at the moment only you or I may legally hear a case. Unless of course it's murder." Fenice grimaced.
"What about you sisters?" Luke asked.
"They are Healers, not Defenders, but we are the last of the Tein'kal." she looked into Luke's eyes. "The last four, when once there were hundreds."
Luke was beginning to see. "The dying kind."
Fenice nodded, "The dying kind." she whispered.
"Why are the Tein'kal dying?" Luke asked.
"No one knows for sure, but it has been happening for four-thousand years." she answered. "There are legends, but they are a confused jumble."
"Four-thousand-years is a very long time." Luke thought aloud. "That would be around the time of the Sith-Wars."
"Some of the legends speak of a Sith-Lord who did something to the Tein'kal, but different legends say different things." Fenice offered.
"Is there any way to find out what really happened?" Luke wondered.
"Only another legend." Fenice shook her head.
Luke looked into her mysterious Aran eyes, "What legend would that be?"
"The scrolls of Ansath, also called the scrolls of Kayan." she admitted. "They are said to be a record kept by the Tein'kal, and by the few Aran Jedi that lived at the time, but no one knows where they are."
"Who or what is Kayan?" Luke asked.
Fenice smiled, "The first Aran Jedi. It's been a long day, we both need sleep," she looked up sensing something, "but I doubt this night will give us the luxury."
Luke could see something, as if he dreamed as she said that. Fenice being struck by Force lightning, her sisters without their defender.
Fenice put her hand on Luke's shoulder, "Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine, just tired." he brushed off her concerns. But all was not right, he could feel something, and it was a danger to them all.
---
Han sat at the main table in the banquet hall, listening halfheartedly to his wife's speech. He hated these things, but he'd promised Leia. The former smuggler, and one time Alliance General would rather be on his way to Ansath, but he'd promised the woman he loved that he would look pretty at her side. He hated wearing his old dress uniform, but for Leia he'd put up with it.
Leia's speech was going over big, the New Republic Chief of State's voice seemed to ring over the guests. "The only way we can have the peace we seek, is to work together." At that conclusion she took her seat.
"Nice touch." Han smiled at her, tugging uncomfortably at his collar.
"Only because it's true." she smiled back, as the Ambassador took the podium. All of a sudden she heard a cry. A whisper in the Force, but she could not place it.
"What's wrong?" Han asked, as Leia's brow knotted.
"For a moment I felt something," she sighed, "but then it was gone.
---
Luke had awoke with a start, but he couldn't remember why. There was a chill in the air, and he sensed movement in the hallway. He crept to the door, and slowly peeked through. Fenice carried a dimly lit lantern in her hand. She was headed for the front door. This did not bode well. Luke dressed quickly then telling Artoo to stay put, he followed her.
When he reached the common room her boots and cloak were missing, her sisters' cloaks were gone as well. Luke pulled on his boots and threw the cloak Martina had lent him on over his cloths, then checking that his lightsaber was firmly attached to his belt he hurried to find them.
It was pitch dark outside, and Luke wished he'd grabbed a lantern. Then he saw a light up ahead, it was moving so it had to be Fenice. Luke hurried up the rough terrain of the hill, hoping to prevent a nightmare.
He followed the light till he didn't know which way was what, and for all he knew he was going in circles. Then as suddenly as he'd spotted it the light disappeared. Now what he thought to himself.
Luke sat on a large bolder and tried to locate the Tein'kal with the Force. He could feel them. They were near. He stood and followed their presence up, and over a steep ridge. There the triplets stood illuminated by a fire. They faced the Jedi as he approached, unflinching.
Before Luke could say a word the sisters began to shine with a brilliant Force light and coalesce into one, though they were separate. "You do not know the secret of the Tein'kal." the trinity spoke.
Luke spoke, "I know that you are dying."
"That is only part." the triple entity said. "Our link is torn."
"Your link to the Force?" he asked.
"The link to our world." the three said. "Four-thousand years ago all Aran felt the Force, or Kal as we call it, but few could use it. They were the Tein'kal, those one with Kal. They were not like Jedi tied to the Force always, they were tied to the planet of their birth. As we are tied, the first full Tein'kal triplet in four-thousand years." The sisters fell to the ground separate and the Force light died.
Luke ran to the fallen Tein'kal as Fenice emerged from the trees. "They'll be fine the link is just hard for them to maintain." she said to him.
"How did they do that?" Luke asked Fenice.
"Their link is such that in some ways they are one entity." she answered.
The three began to stir, "but we are still three." Martina said as she sat up.
"How was your link torn?" Luke asked.
Onaia shook her head, "No one knows."
"You ask of things forgotten." Fenice pointed out.
A fierce shrill snarling growl was heard over the binkoni forest. The sisters looked to each other, a look of dread on each face. "The Gamronel hunts." Enora whispered.
There was absolute silence until Luke whispered, "What is the Gamronel?"
"Another legend," Fenice answered, " a creature that feeds on Force users. They say it killed my father."
Luke knew now what they faced. "Does it lure Force users to it?"
Enora shook her head, "Some say it does."
"Some say it lured Staneth Dayknight, but he sought it out because it threatened those he loved." Martina stated.
"We must do something." Fenice said impatiently.
The Gamronel growled again this time it was closer.
"I have a plan" Luke said, hoping his strategy would work.
---
They crouched behind rocks on the opposite side of the fire as the Gamronel approached. Luke and Fenice had their lightsabers ready. The creature stood nearly two meters high and was covered with white-gray fur. It had claws and fangs, and crackled with the purple-blue Force lightning he'd seen in his vision.
All at once the Force users stood, Luke and Fenice igniting their lightsabers. Luke circled around to get behind the Gamronel. Fenice stood with her blue meter long blade and made a quick maneuver that the creature dodged. She then made a faint to the left, switched to the right making an adjustment to her lightsaber so that it lengthened turning purple. The suddenly longer blade got past the creatures defenses and infuriated him. The Gamronel lashed out knocking Fenice to the ground, her lightsaber flew through the air extinguishing in mid-flight as she hit the ground bleeding through her white shirt.
Luke saw Fenice go down and feared the worst, but she pulled her lightsaber back into her hand before the creature could do more. Luke raised his own green blade into the air charging the Gamronel from behind. The creature turned at the last second ducking the blow.
Fenice stood, and with her sisters sending all their strength to her she swung. It didn't hit, but it got the Gamronel's attention. It was trapped between two blades. At that moment the lightning around the creature took on form, the faces of its victims. One face in particular stared out from its chest, her father called out from within this abomination. "Free us. Free us." a thousand voices cried.
In one instant Luke and Fenice's blades made contact within the beast's heart. There was a great burst of energy unlike any before. The Gamronel was gone. Both the Jedi and Tein'kal fell to their knees.
"Fenice, why are you crying?" Luke asked with concern.
"My father is free." she said, drying her face.
She was right. Her father was free along with so many others. "Yes he is." Luke said as he stood, leaned on a rock.
Martina made her way to Fenice and began to look at her little sister's wounds. "Now that was a nice trick." she said to Luke. "Where did you learn that one?"
"The students at the Jedi Academy used the technique of combining Force energy to defeat more than one threat. The first time was against the disembodied Exar Kun." Luke admitted.
"It worked against a Sith-Lord, now it's worked against his creation." Onaia smiled.
"Kun made that thing?" Luke asked, sickened.
All four sisters nodded.
"Was he also the Sith-Lord that tor the Tein'kal link?"
Fenice stood, the sleeve of her shirt now tied in on itself to stop the bleeding. "That is what the legends say, but how is not known." She walked toward a tree, and began to pull at a root that was now lose. There was a heavy box half buried by the binkoni, as if it had been buried before the tree had begun to grow. "Could I please get some help over here?"
It took the five of them only a few minutes to unearth the box. It was made of a marble type stone, and sealed tight. Luke used his lightsaber to cut the seal allowing air to rush inside the ancient box what they found inside was a wooden scroll case shaped like a long stretched hexagon. Fenice removed it from the box holding it aloft. It was the length of her fore arm and the width of Luke's fist. Fenice opened the case pulling out a device that was two metal bars with a heavy synthetic cloth rapped around one and guides and knobs to turn it around the other. There were guards around both bars that pulled apart for reading and collapsed together for storage. She read the first line aloud. "Quen qern ejuseu Kayan"
"When the Gamronel is bound then the secret shall be found." Enora said sarcastically.
"I didn't think they meant that literally." Onaia said with surprise.
Luke looked at them just a little bemused. "So what is it we've found?"
"The first of the scrolls of Ansath." Fenice said resealing the case. "But as one might expect, it's written in Aras, and no one knows enough Aras to translate it."
"Perhaps you could find help on Coruscant." Luke suggested.
"If I'm to leave this world, I must learn the ways of a Jedi." Fenice replied. "There is much I do not know."
"I will teach you." Luke said with a fatherliness to his voice.
---
They had all slept late the next morning. Luke had dressed in Aran cloths again for their trip to the Magistrate. They had delivered the record of arbitration to the archive, and at Luke's request the record had been sealed.
They all stood by the landing pad as the Falcon came in. Luke was glad to see his friend's ship touch down, even Artoo beeped excitement.
Han and Chewbacca strode down the ramp. Luke greeted them whole heartedly, and introduced them to his Aran friends, saving Fenice's introduction for last.
Before Luke could say anything, Fenice spoke. "I am Fenice Eamar Dayknight, Tein'kal defender, and Jedi in training." The Tein'kal healers swept their little sister into their arm.
Han looked at them strangely, "What just happened?" he asked Luke. Luke just shrugged.
Martina smiled at them, "She has claimed her name."
"The name of her fallen twin who should have made this journey with her." Onaia continued.
"And the name of her true father." Enora finished.
"About time." Gen said gruffly.
Emay and Kaynar hurried up the hill by the landing pad. Emay handed her a parcel, "Take this, and remember."
Fenice opened the package to find the copy of the dein Aras primer that they had taught her out of when she was so much younger. "I can't take this. It's too much."
"Take it, you will need it." Kaynar said firmly.
"I will make use of it," she said, accepting the gift, "I promise you." The cyborgs embraced her, and left.
Chewbacca loaded Luke and Fenice's things while they said their goodbyes.
Luke removed the Aran cloak he wore over the cloths he'd been given. "Thanks for the loan." he said offering it back to Martina.
"Keep it." she said, holding up her hand. "You may need it again, and besides it goes with the cloths." she smiling.
"I'll never be able to repay you." he said.
"You don't see that you have already begun. If you had not been there last night, the Tein'kal would be gone forever." Martina pointed out.
Now Luke saw clearly, part of what he'd seen was what would happen if he didn't follow Fenice into the forest. He boarded the Falcon with Artoo trundling happily behind him. Luke found himself wondering where the Tein'kal Defender would lead him next.
Han looked at Luke as the Jedi took a seat in the navigator's chair. "I'll bet you have a story to tell kid." he teased.
"Yeah, but the story isn't finished yet," Luke commented looking at Fenice as she stood in the doorway, "not by a long shot."
Chapter Three: Eater of Souls
---
Fenice had been silent all through dinner, and Luke wondered why. She led him, and Artoo out to the garage without a word. There were two Imperial style speeder bikes, and what looked like the remains of a skiff sitting in one corner, and there were racks of herbs drying by the main door. She led them to a power station, and Luke hooked up the droid for a recharge.
"So why the silence," Luke asked, "you don't seem the quiet type."
She tried not to smile at Luke's comment. "That was the first time I arbitrated something other than a property dispute."
Luke remembered the first time he'd been asked to arbitrate a dispute. It was over the exchange rate of New Republic and Imperial coins. "I can't say it gets any easier."
"It's not just that," Fenice frowned, turning away from him, "I should never have heard that case, but if we'd brought it before the Magistrate, it would be a public trial."
"And that was what you wanted to avoid." Luke finished her thought. "Knowing what a public trial could lead to, I didn't want to bring it before the Magistrate either."
"Aside from the Magistrates in each town, at the moment only you or I may legally hear a case. Unless of course it's murder." Fenice grimaced.
"What about you sisters?" Luke asked.
"They are Healers, not Defenders, but we are the last of the Tein'kal." she looked into Luke's eyes. "The last four, when once there were hundreds."
Luke was beginning to see. "The dying kind."
Fenice nodded, "The dying kind." she whispered.
"Why are the Tein'kal dying?" Luke asked.
"No one knows for sure, but it has been happening for four-thousand years." she answered. "There are legends, but they are a confused jumble."
"Four-thousand-years is a very long time." Luke thought aloud. "That would be around the time of the Sith-Wars."
"Some of the legends speak of a Sith-Lord who did something to the Tein'kal, but different legends say different things." Fenice offered.
"Is there any way to find out what really happened?" Luke wondered.
"Only another legend." Fenice shook her head.
Luke looked into her mysterious Aran eyes, "What legend would that be?"
"The scrolls of Ansath, also called the scrolls of Kayan." she admitted. "They are said to be a record kept by the Tein'kal, and by the few Aran Jedi that lived at the time, but no one knows where they are."
"Who or what is Kayan?" Luke asked.
Fenice smiled, "The first Aran Jedi. It's been a long day, we both need sleep," she looked up sensing something, "but I doubt this night will give us the luxury."
Luke could see something, as if he dreamed as she said that. Fenice being struck by Force lightning, her sisters without their defender.
Fenice put her hand on Luke's shoulder, "Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine, just tired." he brushed off her concerns. But all was not right, he could feel something, and it was a danger to them all.
---
Han sat at the main table in the banquet hall, listening halfheartedly to his wife's speech. He hated these things, but he'd promised Leia. The former smuggler, and one time Alliance General would rather be on his way to Ansath, but he'd promised the woman he loved that he would look pretty at her side. He hated wearing his old dress uniform, but for Leia he'd put up with it.
Leia's speech was going over big, the New Republic Chief of State's voice seemed to ring over the guests. "The only way we can have the peace we seek, is to work together." At that conclusion she took her seat.
"Nice touch." Han smiled at her, tugging uncomfortably at his collar.
"Only because it's true." she smiled back, as the Ambassador took the podium. All of a sudden she heard a cry. A whisper in the Force, but she could not place it.
"What's wrong?" Han asked, as Leia's brow knotted.
"For a moment I felt something," she sighed, "but then it was gone.
---
Luke had awoke with a start, but he couldn't remember why. There was a chill in the air, and he sensed movement in the hallway. He crept to the door, and slowly peeked through. Fenice carried a dimly lit lantern in her hand. She was headed for the front door. This did not bode well. Luke dressed quickly then telling Artoo to stay put, he followed her.
When he reached the common room her boots and cloak were missing, her sisters' cloaks were gone as well. Luke pulled on his boots and threw the cloak Martina had lent him on over his cloths, then checking that his lightsaber was firmly attached to his belt he hurried to find them.
It was pitch dark outside, and Luke wished he'd grabbed a lantern. Then he saw a light up ahead, it was moving so it had to be Fenice. Luke hurried up the rough terrain of the hill, hoping to prevent a nightmare.
He followed the light till he didn't know which way was what, and for all he knew he was going in circles. Then as suddenly as he'd spotted it the light disappeared. Now what he thought to himself.
Luke sat on a large bolder and tried to locate the Tein'kal with the Force. He could feel them. They were near. He stood and followed their presence up, and over a steep ridge. There the triplets stood illuminated by a fire. They faced the Jedi as he approached, unflinching.
Before Luke could say a word the sisters began to shine with a brilliant Force light and coalesce into one, though they were separate. "You do not know the secret of the Tein'kal." the trinity spoke.
Luke spoke, "I know that you are dying."
"That is only part." the triple entity said. "Our link is torn."
"Your link to the Force?" he asked.
"The link to our world." the three said. "Four-thousand years ago all Aran felt the Force, or Kal as we call it, but few could use it. They were the Tein'kal, those one with Kal. They were not like Jedi tied to the Force always, they were tied to the planet of their birth. As we are tied, the first full Tein'kal triplet in four-thousand years." The sisters fell to the ground separate and the Force light died.
Luke ran to the fallen Tein'kal as Fenice emerged from the trees. "They'll be fine the link is just hard for them to maintain." she said to him.
"How did they do that?" Luke asked Fenice.
"Their link is such that in some ways they are one entity." she answered.
The three began to stir, "but we are still three." Martina said as she sat up.
"How was your link torn?" Luke asked.
Onaia shook her head, "No one knows."
"You ask of things forgotten." Fenice pointed out.
A fierce shrill snarling growl was heard over the binkoni forest. The sisters looked to each other, a look of dread on each face. "The Gamronel hunts." Enora whispered.
There was absolute silence until Luke whispered, "What is the Gamronel?"
"Another legend," Fenice answered, " a creature that feeds on Force users. They say it killed my father."
Luke knew now what they faced. "Does it lure Force users to it?"
Enora shook her head, "Some say it does."
"Some say it lured Staneth Dayknight, but he sought it out because it threatened those he loved." Martina stated.
"We must do something." Fenice said impatiently.
The Gamronel growled again this time it was closer.
"I have a plan" Luke said, hoping his strategy would work.
---
They crouched behind rocks on the opposite side of the fire as the Gamronel approached. Luke and Fenice had their lightsabers ready. The creature stood nearly two meters high and was covered with white-gray fur. It had claws and fangs, and crackled with the purple-blue Force lightning he'd seen in his vision.
All at once the Force users stood, Luke and Fenice igniting their lightsabers. Luke circled around to get behind the Gamronel. Fenice stood with her blue meter long blade and made a quick maneuver that the creature dodged. She then made a faint to the left, switched to the right making an adjustment to her lightsaber so that it lengthened turning purple. The suddenly longer blade got past the creatures defenses and infuriated him. The Gamronel lashed out knocking Fenice to the ground, her lightsaber flew through the air extinguishing in mid-flight as she hit the ground bleeding through her white shirt.
Luke saw Fenice go down and feared the worst, but she pulled her lightsaber back into her hand before the creature could do more. Luke raised his own green blade into the air charging the Gamronel from behind. The creature turned at the last second ducking the blow.
Fenice stood, and with her sisters sending all their strength to her she swung. It didn't hit, but it got the Gamronel's attention. It was trapped between two blades. At that moment the lightning around the creature took on form, the faces of its victims. One face in particular stared out from its chest, her father called out from within this abomination. "Free us. Free us." a thousand voices cried.
In one instant Luke and Fenice's blades made contact within the beast's heart. There was a great burst of energy unlike any before. The Gamronel was gone. Both the Jedi and Tein'kal fell to their knees.
"Fenice, why are you crying?" Luke asked with concern.
"My father is free." she said, drying her face.
She was right. Her father was free along with so many others. "Yes he is." Luke said as he stood, leaned on a rock.
Martina made her way to Fenice and began to look at her little sister's wounds. "Now that was a nice trick." she said to Luke. "Where did you learn that one?"
"The students at the Jedi Academy used the technique of combining Force energy to defeat more than one threat. The first time was against the disembodied Exar Kun." Luke admitted.
"It worked against a Sith-Lord, now it's worked against his creation." Onaia smiled.
"Kun made that thing?" Luke asked, sickened.
All four sisters nodded.
"Was he also the Sith-Lord that tor the Tein'kal link?"
Fenice stood, the sleeve of her shirt now tied in on itself to stop the bleeding. "That is what the legends say, but how is not known." She walked toward a tree, and began to pull at a root that was now lose. There was a heavy box half buried by the binkoni, as if it had been buried before the tree had begun to grow. "Could I please get some help over here?"
It took the five of them only a few minutes to unearth the box. It was made of a marble type stone, and sealed tight. Luke used his lightsaber to cut the seal allowing air to rush inside the ancient box what they found inside was a wooden scroll case shaped like a long stretched hexagon. Fenice removed it from the box holding it aloft. It was the length of her fore arm and the width of Luke's fist. Fenice opened the case pulling out a device that was two metal bars with a heavy synthetic cloth rapped around one and guides and knobs to turn it around the other. There were guards around both bars that pulled apart for reading and collapsed together for storage. She read the first line aloud. "Quen qern ejuseu Kayan"
"When the Gamronel is bound then the secret shall be found." Enora said sarcastically.
"I didn't think they meant that literally." Onaia said with surprise.
Luke looked at them just a little bemused. "So what is it we've found?"
"The first of the scrolls of Ansath." Fenice said resealing the case. "But as one might expect, it's written in Aras, and no one knows enough Aras to translate it."
"Perhaps you could find help on Coruscant." Luke suggested.
"If I'm to leave this world, I must learn the ways of a Jedi." Fenice replied. "There is much I do not know."
"I will teach you." Luke said with a fatherliness to his voice.
---
They had all slept late the next morning. Luke had dressed in Aran cloths again for their trip to the Magistrate. They had delivered the record of arbitration to the archive, and at Luke's request the record had been sealed.
They all stood by the landing pad as the Falcon came in. Luke was glad to see his friend's ship touch down, even Artoo beeped excitement.
Han and Chewbacca strode down the ramp. Luke greeted them whole heartedly, and introduced them to his Aran friends, saving Fenice's introduction for last.
Before Luke could say anything, Fenice spoke. "I am Fenice Eamar Dayknight, Tein'kal defender, and Jedi in training." The Tein'kal healers swept their little sister into their arm.
Han looked at them strangely, "What just happened?" he asked Luke. Luke just shrugged.
Martina smiled at them, "She has claimed her name."
"The name of her fallen twin who should have made this journey with her." Onaia continued.
"And the name of her true father." Enora finished.
"About time." Gen said gruffly.
Emay and Kaynar hurried up the hill by the landing pad. Emay handed her a parcel, "Take this, and remember."
Fenice opened the package to find the copy of the dein Aras primer that they had taught her out of when she was so much younger. "I can't take this. It's too much."
"Take it, you will need it." Kaynar said firmly.
"I will make use of it," she said, accepting the gift, "I promise you." The cyborgs embraced her, and left.
Chewbacca loaded Luke and Fenice's things while they said their goodbyes.
Luke removed the Aran cloak he wore over the cloths he'd been given. "Thanks for the loan." he said offering it back to Martina.
"Keep it." she said, holding up her hand. "You may need it again, and besides it goes with the cloths." she smiling.
"I'll never be able to repay you." he said.
"You don't see that you have already begun. If you had not been there last night, the Tein'kal would be gone forever." Martina pointed out.
Now Luke saw clearly, part of what he'd seen was what would happen if he didn't follow Fenice into the forest. He boarded the Falcon with Artoo trundling happily behind him. Luke found himself wondering where the Tein'kal Defender would lead him next.
Han looked at Luke as the Jedi took a seat in the navigator's chair. "I'll bet you have a story to tell kid." he teased.
"Yeah, but the story isn't finished yet," Luke commented looking at Fenice as she stood in the doorway, "not by a long shot."
