Note: I'm about to borrow a joke from someone named Falco. The idea for that prank belongs to him, but everything else is mine. BTW, if you want the unaltered version of Falco's story (I changed a few words around to avoid using Earthisms), say so and I'll tell the story in reply. Also, this next post is based on some of my experiences.

Hapan translated into English in this case

Chapter 7

The indescribable gut feeling nagged Prestor as the teacher described aspects of the matriarchal society of Hapes. Perhaps that feeling was one of emptiness. Whatever Prestor felt, it came from the something deep inside and partially hidden. The feeling was nothing new, for it drove the young man to choose Hapan as his foreign language four years ago. When Prestor heralded his decision to learn Hapan and attempted to explain the gut feeling, his mother's reaction was the most unpleasant he had seen up to that time. The boy had kept quiet since, but he eventually began to suspect a strong connection between his mother and the Hapans. It would explain why the feeling increased in magnitude as he learned more and more about the unnaturally elegant people.

Prestor Djo snapped out of his thoughts when the class erupted in laughter. He could not help but join his friends as he glanced at the display in front of the class. 'Could you scratch my back? I'm a screen, so I don't have the hands to do it myself.' The Hapan text on the screen read.

"I don't know who did this but on with the class! I'm sure one of those droids can scratch the back of that spoiled thing." The teacher shouted over the laughter. He then grinned. "Girls, I have some good news for you."

"Can you tell us?" One girl chirped.

"In the Consortium, especially on Hapes, all men bow to women. The proper way for any man to address any woman would be milady, with few exceptions." A groan from some of the boys prompted the roguishly handsome teacher to continue. "The custom does not apply to any family within the last five generations, unless they are related only by marriage."

"What about the royals?" Someone asked. "I heard everyone bow to some of their men."

"That's a little complicated, but I'll try to explain it all. The monarchy's ended, but some of the traditions are still there. If a prince, especially a son of a Queen Mother, has no sisters eligible for the throne, many will bow to him. Of course, he will be addressed as Prince. There are two other exceptions to the tradition within the royal family. As I'm pretty sure you all would know, all men and women bow to the Queen Mother, or Chancellor, if you're talking about the radical changes in the last few decades. The other royal rule is that even if a woman is in his family, a man must bow and address her as either princess or milady. Well, unless he's her father or son. So, do you guys want all the exceptions?"

"Hey, that's why we're in this class! Of course I want to know all of them. Besides, I don't want to make a fool of myself on Hapes." Prestor carefully worded his wish in Hapan and urged the teacher on.

"Alright. There are powerful families who have royal recognition. If one of them is without a female who is able to represent the house, the oldest male can have almost the full rank of a woman. That was the last one. Any volunteers for me to demonstrate the tradition on? All of that will be on the next exam."

"Can I do it?" A girl volunteered. When the teacher gave her a quizzical glance, she quickly switched to Hapan and repeated the question.

"As you wish, milady." The teacher dropped to on knee and bent himself so that his fingertips touched the floor. His figure then gracefully straightened. "Anyone need to see that again?"

Something flashed against the teacher's face and his gleaming eyes landed on the dark-skinned and black-haired Jedi boy. "And the winner is… Prestor Djo! Someone wants you at the main entrance."

"Dear sister, it is very kind of you to bless us with your presence. You have such a good taste in men, my dear sister." Sil greeted Murra with a falsely warm voice and a well-practiced expression of joy in front of the servants as she hugged her sister and led Murra sister into the palace. As she felt her sister's clothes and veil against her skin, the splendor of the royal clothes almost made Murra reel back in revulsion.

"You." Murra growled, ignoring her sister's flattery. Like her mother, she was a blunt woman who took little time to reach the point of any discussion. "We need to talk to you about what you had done and why you left the Jedi Order."

"My sister, why would you want to discuss such a topic after twenty-five years?" Gasped Sil. "I left the Jedi Order for the sake of my image in the eyes of the Ni'Korish. Besides, I wanted to devote my full time to this cluster."

"Our mother did just that for fifteen years, and she never left the Jedi Order." Murra argued.

"Our mother was a queen. The powers of a princess, especially one is such a democratic place, are considerably weaker." Sil countered.

"Sister, you have left the Jedi Order for another reason. Tell me."

"It is not fitting to say it to a Jedi Master such as you. Especially not one who is about to be on that grand council." Sil replied as the shoes of the two sisters clicked against the cold, stone floor.

"Then think of it as confiding in your only sister."

"I do not like the restrictions placed by the Jedi. I could only be free if I left their order and freed myself from their rules and laws."

"What do you mean?" Murra was bewildered at her sister's explanation.

"The Jedi pamper their males too much! They could never agree with my ideals, so I left before any of them had an excuse to interfere with me. I have discovered long-forgotten ways of the Force, but those Jedi forbade me to use them, even when it meant power for me! I'm not one to let some bunch of old dolts stop me from using the Force to its fullest." The older sister ranted.

"I see. Then I have no choice but to challenge you for the throne." Murra stopped before her sister and brought her emerald saber to life with the push of a button and saluted.

"You make a grave mistake, sister." The last word dripped with sarcasm. A pale hand freed the stud from Sil's belt and a white saber illuminated the corridors of the palace. "In fact, it'll send you to your grave."

"I believe you are overconfident." Murra charged at her sister. Green clashed with white merely centimeters from the faces of the two sisters.

"I think not." Sil hissed in her sister's face. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent Murra tumbling backwards into the rails that separated the woman from a deadly plummet to the duracrete basement of the palace. Sil then proposed. "Sister, I offer you to join me in immortality. Just let me have your blood. Together, we can rule this galaxy! Just think about it, two undead sisters, nearly impossible to kill, ruling a galaxy ripe for night for eternity!"

"I will NEVER join you!" Murra shouted at her sister. She replied as she recovered and pressed attacks against her sister. Floor-length, regal robes swirled and mopped the palace floors as Sil turned each defensive move into a near-fatal attack. Within five moves, Murra was once again retreating backwards, only that this time, she was on her feet.

"Then DIIEEEE!" Sil summoned all the energy she could through her anger and launched a series of attacks against her sister.

Murra struggled to block each move and to stand firm in a blithering storm of pain, rage, and hatred. She managed to beg as she retreated right and back, "Sil, whatever happened to you, we can reverse it!"

"Murra, I'm coming!" Van threw himself at the scene as he activated his neon blue lightsaber.

"Wow, typical hero! Shields, stop this slave!" Sil commented sarcastically as she erected an invisible barrier between the battleground and Van'Ya-el Djo with a mere order. She smiled amusedly as her brother-in-law slammed into an invisible wall. "Wow, what a priceless expression. Sister, remember, this is our duel, and neither shall have backup."

Murra stood horrified as her husband slammed, seemingly in slow-motion, into a wall that he could not see. Her lightsaber blade disappeared as the stud clashed against the mosaic on the floor. She began to dash madly at her love, but she was forced to come to a halt before a silver blade at her chest.

"You have a battle to finish. It's a shame you restrict yourself from joining me in un-death." Sil's voice was fraught with cold sarcasm.