St.Remy: 1 review? Only 1 review people! C'mon, I know can do better then that! I'm gonnna start posting this on AFF today so if I don't see some enthusiasm I'm just gonna have to reroute those who actually do read my junk to Aff... Which you can get to my profile there by a link in my FF profile. So do check it out, just be warned of the adult rated good-ness that is most of the site! So kiddies beware!
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the actual characters in said series. I have added a few of my own characters but they won't come in for a chapter or two.
I also do not own the Dune series by Frank Herburt or the SciFi-Mini Series it was made into! I'm just borrowing a few concepts and the like from it, no actual characters though there are a crap load of neat ones in those books.
REVIEWER AWARDS:
arneykmester: Short but sweat! Thank you very much for the encouragement and I hope I don't disappoint you in the future!
Also Note:
'Words.' Thoughts.
"Words." Speech
(Number) Author Note At Bottom
Force Order
Ch.2
Space was something of a mystery to the majority of those residing on Dauhkra. But after practically living at Green Land(1) StationL3 for some thirty-odd years L3 Commander Dillusk had yet to tire of observing the stars burning in the distance. He was thankful for the wonderful view from his rooms and hardly missed a chance to look out upon the open blackness. Being disturbed during a period of relaxation always put him in a bad mood but today his second in command's insistence that he would want to tend to the situation personally had intrigued him. The skittish younger officer named Fyren had only survived to such a high position by the Force's great grace and pure luck with a bit of help from the peaceful times in Dillusk's opinion and wouldn't have bothered him even if the sun had been about to explode. The fact that the man was now leading him through the winding halls of StationL3 with such a confident air only increased Dillusk's curiosity. Stopping in front of a conference room the small, black haired man motioned his superior into the room ahead of him with a shaky smile.
'This is more like Fyren. Never willing to take the lead if danger had the slightest chance of being present. His name may be that of a warrior but he has the soul of the lowliest rodent.' Dillusk sighed to himself mentally as the door slid open and he stepped inside.
His eyes narrowed at the sight of two robed figures sitting at the opposite end of the rectangular conference table and an obviously alien female standing behind them, arms crossed over her chest. He observed the men's aura of calm and took note of the power that radiated from beneath it. Fyren was right to be wary of them. The she-child was nothing if not easily detained but these humans were something else. A something that Dillusk hadn't come into contact with since he had been a young student still a standard years time from leaving the bustling Rain City Temple for the wilderness barracks. He could almost see the force bend and curve around them, flexing and submitting to their unconscious wills. The possible reasons for their presence perturbed him as he walked closer. As Dillusk's sage green eyes locked with blue the Azureth felt his heart clench and lungs spasm. He stopped and motioned a dismissal to his second.
"Leave us." He said quietly.
"S... sir?" Fyren's soft, trembling voice questioned.
Dillusk didn't even bother to turn fully toward him before grinding out more loudly, "I am fully capable of dealing with a few lost Jedi, Fyren! I'm sure you can find something else to occupy yourself with for the moment."
"Yessir." The younger man squeaked and walked swiftly out. Dillusk cleared his throat, eyes avoiding those of the older Jedi.
"I am Dillusk, High Commador of Green Land StationL3." He introduced himself formally with an inclination of his head, shoulder length auburn hair brushing his pale cheeks.
"I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, this is my Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Simber O'Rell our transport's co-pilot." Obi-Wan bowed respectfully and Simber nodded at the Azureth.
"I am curious as to why, after all this time the Jedi would bother us with their presence. Have you gotten yourselves caught in another Sand Flurry, I wonder?" Dillusk quirked an eyebrow and couldn't help but smirk at the Jedi Padawan's confused expressing.
"Sand Flurry?" Master Jinn asked.
"A Sand Flurry is a deadly storm seen only in the deepest parts of Dune Side. I myself have never witnessed one, I am a child of the Green Lands but my father spoke of them. He was desert born."
"I see."
Dillusk smiled tightly at the Master, "I'm sure you do. Now, why are you here?"
"We wish to speak with Dauhkra's leaders in hopes of forming a new alliance." Qui-Gon explained. Dillusk couldn't think of any reaction to the statement other then laughing, and laugh he did.
"You must be joking! Eldar Iyvel may have passed on but I don't for a moment think that Eldar Javyn would spare you a thought and Lord Sake would have me demoted for such an awful jest!" Dillusk continued to chuckle.
"We are not joking, Commador Dillusk." The Jedi Master insisted. The Azureth composed himself and gave the man another hard stare.
"Commander, if you please and I still can't allow you safe passage." He told them and shrugged, "You can try to land if you want. But you will be hunted and removed as soon as possible. Landing at Rain City would be stupid and landing anywhere else is quite nearly suicide."
"Why would it be suicide?" Simber spoke up. Dillusk looked at her and frowned.
"Rain City has the only space port on the planet and is heavily guarded day and night. The only place you might have a chance of a semi-safe landing is in the desert but not straying to deep is nearly impossible. Besides, the borders are so heavily patrolled these days even that would be useless." Dillusk explained and turned to leave. "Now I advise you all to turn around and go back to Corascant, because you are hardly welcome here."
"Are you sure you wouldn't reconsider?" Qui-Gon asked before Dillusk could get out the door.
The man sighed heavily, "Yes, Master Jinn. I will NOT give you permission to land at Rain City. You may seek out another station and request their permission if it would please you but my decision stands."
"Very well Commander Dillusk." Qui-Gon nodded to the man who took the opportunity to leave quickly and nearly slam into his second who had been waiting outside anxiously.
"Make sure they get to their ship. Offer them supplies if they need them, but no more then is necessary for them to get home. We might not want them here but that is no reason to turn into E'wraiths(2)." Dillusk instructed, the younger man eagerly nodding at his every word.
"I understand sir, I'll get right on it!" Fyren saluted hastily before returning to the conference room where the Jedi still sat.
Dillusk, instead of returning to his quarters, went to the observation deck overlooking the hangar. He noticed a young man chatting with some of his younger mechanics. They seemed to be discussing the foreign craft the Jedi had arrived in. Smirking, Dillusk tried to imagine the youth's face if he were to find out that all four of the Azureth mechanics were no younger then a hundred and fifty. This stranger had to have been between twenty and twenty five, not terrible much older then the child-Jedi. He continued to watch as the Jedi and strange girl were led into the bay by a nervously fidgeting Fyren. The mechanics seemed to be holding back laughter and even the young stranger was smirking at his second. Dillusk sighed heavily shaking his head. He may have been very young when the Jedi were banished from his world but he could still remember them and recite the stories of the off world warriors and Daigon Knights as well as any child hearing them before their bedtime. His heart contracted painfully again as his eyes strayed to those of the Jedi Master before he turned away memories of another time, in another place, with entirely different people flitting through his mind.
Obi-Wan noticed his master's eyes look toward the observation deck above them and to their right. Even he could since Dillusk's strong aura behind the darkly tinted plexiglass. "Master?"
"We should try another station as he recommended." Qui-Gon said, drawing his Padawan away from the dangerous situation surrounding Dillusk.
"Will you be needing any supplies to get home? I've been given permission to spare you some if it is needed." Fyren said as he looked at Qui-Gon over his shoulder.
"Thank you but I believe we are well stocked." Qui-Gon nodded politely at the Azureth.
"As you say Jedi, just be wary of the other stations. Not everyone is as generous as Dillusk, and Dauhkra's government is far from perfect nor is it lacking in corruption." Fyren warned with cold eyes.
"Why is it you use only first names? I know you have ranks but don't you have last names too?" Simber asked.
"Many of us on this station are actually desert born or at least have a desert breed parent. Those of the Dunes only have one name and rarely do two share a name even from clan to clan unless they choose to." Fyren shrugged despite the seriousness in his voice that emphasized the issues true importance to his people, "Even in the Green Lands a second name is a new phenomenon and only the highest political officials and such have taken on second names but they are more or less only titles with little meaning to the common people."
"That's fascinating."Obi-Wan murmured before continuing at a sharp, curios look from Fyren, "That your population isn't so great that it would demand more then one name to differentiate between citizens.
"Yes well, we live a long time and bare few children so our population stays relatively small from generation to generation. It is our way and we don't bother to question it." Unsaid words hung heavily in the air as they stopped in front of the ramp leading into the ship.
"We are grateful that you and Dillusk were willing to meet with us." Qui-Gon told Fyren.
"You are most welcome Jedi. I also feel I should apologize for what may have seemed rude behavior from my superior and I turning you away like this, but the both of us are only doing our job." Fyren's tone held a mercy pleading ring to it.
"Do not worry. We understand." Qui-Gon insisted before bowing and boarding the ship, Obi-wan a step behind him and Simber not far off. Seeing the others leaving Orick said his good beys and dashed aboard.
"Which station should we approach next Master?" Obi-Wan asked as they made their way to the cockpit.
"Perhaps one of the polar stations?" Qui-Gon suggested.
"They seemed in good repair from the information Morilis gave us." His Master nodded and Obi-Wan fell silent as they entered the cockpit area.
"Bust huh?" Morilis snorted rhetorically, "No matter. There's plenty of other stations ain't there? An' I'm paid by the week so take as long as you'd like."
"We are going to request permission from one of the polar stations." Qui-Gon told the man steering the ship out of the Station's hangar bay.
"Just as long as we get outa this in one piece I don't care where we're goin'." The man grumped.
"Can I go with 'em this time Cap'?" Orick asked.
"Sure kid, just stay outa my hair this stop, a'ight!" Morilis growled at the young Corelian.
"Will do!" He mock saluted before turning to Obi-Wan with a hopeful expression, "We've got a little while before this heap gets to the next station, you wanna watch a halo vid?"
Obi-Wan looked to his Master, and noticed that the mechanic's growing attachment didn't seem to have been lost on the older man either, "I'm sorry Orick but Obi-Wan and I have a few things to discuss before reaching the station."
The Corelian's face fell, "Oh. All right, maybe another time." Obi-Wan smiled a little and nodded before following his Master back toward their rooms. Orick sighed forlornly to himself and headed for the galley.
"Is there really something we need to discus Master?" Obi-Wan asked with a smile as he and Qui-Gon entered their room.
"As a matter of fact yes Obi-Wan. Your vision, do you remember it well?" The older man asked as he took a seat on his bunk, Obi-Wan sitting on his own bed across from him.
"Reasonably so Master." Obi-Wan frowned in concentration, "It started with me standing over an ocean but then it became ruff and choppy before turning into a rippling desert. Massive mountains rose out of the sand as it moved before everything settled." Obi-Wan paused for a moment, his eyes glossing over as he remembered the beautifully strange setting, "It was night, and the stars were impossibly bright, the moon full and a greenish color. I could see creatures flying in the distance near the mountains but I don't know what they were; otherwise I believed I was alone."
The Padawan paused for a long moment and Qui-Gon felt the need to give him a gentle push, "But you were not?"
"No. There was a man, clothed lightly with a robe very similar to a Jedi Knight's. He had a sharp face and long blueish black hair. It looked so soft the way it was molded and moved by the wind but his eyes were so cold. They frightened me to my very core, even more then the knife he held against my back. Then he spoke. His voice wasn't so much cold as it was simply harsh when he gave his warnings.
He talked about the desert around us, and the sun. He personified them, making them sound like monsters from some horribly frightening fairy tale meant to keep children in; safe from the harsh day." Obi-Wan's voice softened and trailed off into nothing as he shook his head.
"Is that all?" Qui-Gon prompted again.
"The just of it, yes. I came out of my trace shortly after that. He had disappeared anyway before I could question him." Obi-Wan sighed, a bit frustrated that he couldn't have explained more clearly for his master. The older man smiled reassuringly at his distressed Padawan before drawing him into a comforting hug.
"It may very well be nothing Obi-Wan. Perhaps you are merely looking to far ahead, you need to focus more on the present, Padawan."
"Maybe that is it. I'm just getting lost in my thoughts again." Obi-Wan murmured and rested his head on his Master's shoulder.
The order may frown upon open displays and wild emotions, but what he and his Master had was different even if the council would claim otherwise. Obi-Wan had always been a passionate child, throwing his entire mind, heart and soul into everything he did and his love for his Master was no different, if carefully muted. He and Qui-Gon had both agreed that while it was only natural for deep feelings to develop between them as Master and Padawan, the faint, lingering sense of need, and some other nameless emotion was undoubtably something else. They had chosen to allow it to grow and watched it turn into a close and exquisite friendship that was steadily becoming something even more, at least for Obi-Wan. The young man had been trying to gather the courage to speak with his Master on the subject for weeks and had been determined to tell him until this mission to Dauhkra was assigned.
A few minutes passed before Qui-Gon pulled away smiling down at his charge, "We should be nearing the station I would imagine."
"Yes Master." Obi-Wan moved to follow his Master out of the room just as a large tremor shook the ship. Obi-Wan was pitched forward into his Master's strong embrace as another quake reverberated through the haul and Orick came barreling into the room.
"We're caught in cross fire! The station is firing at some other ship near us!" The man exclaimed, "C'mon! We have to get to the cock pit!"
The Jedi nodded as the ship took another hit, setting off blaring emergency alarms. The three scrambled their way toward the cock pit and were half way there when a massive lurch sent them into the wall. The impact completely knocked Orick out and sent black spots dancing across Obi-Wan's vision as he tried unsuccessfully to pull himself back to his feet. His Master was slumped against the wall in front of him and Obi-Wan felt a cold fear rise in his throat at the prospect of his beloved Master being injured. Relenting to his bodies insistence that he stay on the floor, he pulled Qui-Gon back to lie against his chest as the ship continued to shake and gravity seemed to increase for a few moments before one last pitch sent both Master and Padawan into the wall again. This time the young man couldn't help but slip into oblivion even as black smoke began to crawl into the hall.
TBC...
1. I didn't even make a connection to the actual country of Green Land until I was already done with this chapter and proofreading it!
2. Ok... I really don't want to explain E'wraiths just yet, but know that they are bad things.
St.Remy: Well, here's the second installment. So, how's it looking from your POV? I'd love to see more reviews but I really am enjoying writing this so it'll probable stay for a while. For anyone who cares and is of appropriate age, go check out my AdultFanFiiction .net profile, the link is on my profile page for this site! I have some great fic-ness recommended there, so have at it! Also note that I am trying desperately to get my other 2 fics updated, so don't expect another chapter of this for a month or so. I know, cruel what with the cliff hanger I left unintentionally and all, but maybe if you review I'll work faster, ne?