And Vega Lights my Way
Chapter 13
I see there's been some
changes in the valley
All the renegades have finally settled down
Now they worship in the temples of their rivals
And desecrate
the holy heart of town – John Denver, The Chosen Ones
Schurke had awakened early, and in the first hours of
daylight, had reached the ruins of the Jedi Temple.
Although he
had seen it from the apartment, and from a speeder, nothing had
prepared him for the sight he now beheld, and his heart broke a
little.
The front of the building was covered in long grown vines and graffiti in many languages, most of them bearing the same sentiments of child thieves and death to the wizards. For the most part, he let his eye wander over these… insults. They were not important after all. However, here and there were other marks – some many years old and yet others – others that bore the signs of being fairly recent. Definitely from after the great Purge, marks that would make no sense to anyone but a Jedi.
I'm here, I'm here…
We are not gone.
Safe.
Alive.
We are not forever forgotten.
Schurke touched one of these inscriptions, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be calm in order to better hear the Force.
Welcome Schurke Canaille, beloved of the Living Force.
Yes, he recognized the sound, the feeling. A joyful greeting of the Force. Yet underneath it all he could hear something else, echoes of something… tainted… something wrong…
He wrinkled his nose and concentrated harder, he had heard something else beneath the 'wrongness', something familiar. He listened and soon enough he heard it again, weak and plaintive.
Pappa… please… Help me…
Kay'leb?
Pappa…
Suddenly, before he could react, Schurke found himself thrown against a wall, and his last conscious thought, oddly enough was of that of Gris.
Luke sat uncomfortably in the chair across from Kampher, a pile of data pads spread out across the table. Aubé sat next to her, stiff and proper.
Does she regret last night? Luke thought anxiously, trying to catch her eye. Was is just… nothing?
"Thank you Master Canaille," Luke said appreciatively. "I only wish your husband were here so I could thank him in person." He tried to catch Aubé's eye again, and this time succeeded. Shyly, she smiled at him before casting her eyes down again, and Luke shifted in his seat.
All at once, Kampher froze. "Schurke?" she called out as there was a knock at the door.
"Pappa wouldn't knock, Mother," Aubé said anxiously, standing up.
The door virtually flew open and two of the newly appointed Coruscant security guards came in, carrying Schurke, who was protesting loudly.
"Pappa!"
"Schurke, what happened?"
"Master Canaille!"
"I'm all right," Schurke grumbled.
"We found him unconscious near the Jedi Temple," the first guard told them. "We thought he'd been assaulted…"
"I'm fine," Schurke snapped. "My wife is a Healer. If I need any medical attention, she can take care of it. Aubé, be a good daughter and show them to the door." As Aubé moved towards the door, Luke thought he heard Schurke say the oddenst thing to.
It's just like with Gris…
Before Luke could ask, Kampher burst forth with a rare expletive.
"We have to go after him!" she exclaimed. "Schurke…"
"There's no we about this Kam," Schurke told her unerringly. "I won't risk losing you!"
"But he's my – our son!"
"Pappa, did something happen to Kay'leb?" Aubé asked, wide eyed. Luke reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently.
Schurke rubbed his hands over his face. "Children, I don't know how to explain this…"
"The Dark Side," Kampher whispered fearfully. "When we were students – Padawans – together… it took… it took our friend Gris as it did Luke's father… and now it wants our son…"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Aubé cried. "We can't just stay here!"
Luke stood up next to her, "I'm ready," he said resolutely.
"Stay here, Kam," Schurke said firmly. "You'll need to be ready… just in case."
"In case of what?" Kampher fired back. "He's my son and he'll need me!"
"He'll need you whole," Schurke told her simply. The he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Kam, do you love me?"
Aubé felt Luke's hand tighten around her own.
Kampher put her hands on Schurke's face and looked directly into his eyes. "You know I do, more than anything. But I can't risk losing you too, nor can I risk the children! Not the way I lost Gris, the way I lost Anakin… …"
"We're not children!" Aubé snapped.
"Master, we can to this," Luke added brightly, and Aubé pulled closer to him. "We can go after your son!"
"It would use your love for him, Kam," Schurke told her softly. "Like it tried to use your love for Gris. Luke and Aubé – they're the same age we were, you know ,when we went after Gris. All three of us…"
They stood there in silence, long and drawn out, but both Aubé and Luke could felt as if some unspoken dialogue was being exchanged between husband and wife. A dialogue; then a decision.
"You'd need time to recover Kam, after the
fact." Schurke said quietly. "If Luke will even consent to it."
Aubé's eyes opened wide, while Luke only was puzzled.
Whatever it is, I'll do it, he thought.
"I will," he said quickly. "Whatever will help."
"It's not easy, Luke," Kampher told him softly. "But it will make you stronger, as a group… at least for a little while. But we must hurry."
"I'm ready for anything," Luke replied with a bravado that he didn't really feel.
Kampher offered him a gentle smile. "All right then, sit down on the couch and make yourself comfortable while I make the tea…"
"Tea?" Luke asked. "Can't we just…"
"Master Skywalker," Kampher interrupted him softly. "As with any well mannered ceremony in the Galaxy, we always must start with the tea…"
A few minutes later, Kampher returned to the sitting room with a pot of rather pungent smelling tea and four cups.
First she offered one to Luke, who took it with slightly trembling hands, then to Aubé, and to Schurke. At last she took some for herself, and sat close to Luke.
"Relax, young Skywalker," she murmured. "Drink your tea and relax."
"What do we do now?" he asked anxiously, amazed that the rest of the family – Aubé included – were so calm, all things considered, but following their lead, he drank anyway.
Despite the pungent aroma, Luke actually found the taste to be quite pleasant. "What's in this?"
Aubé giggled. "Your deepest darkest secrets!"
"Now Aubé," Kampher chided her gently. "It's just a mild relaxant, to help you open up to yourself… and to me."
"Like a healing trance?" Luke asked, he felt warm… comfortable.
"A little," Kampher answered, her voice was low and soft. Soothing. Luke thought he would follow that voice anywhere it asked him to go. He closed his eyes and leaned back, unaware that Aubé and Schurke had done the same.
Talk to us, Luke… tell me… tell us what it was like growing up."
"My Aunt and Uncle raised me," Luke said dreamily. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton. "Since before I can really remember…"
"I know it's hard to speak," Kampher's (Kam's) voice seemed to echo in his (their?) heads. "Just show us then… visualize it…"
Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru…
Yes…
The twin suns of Tatooine.
Show me… show me Obi-Wan…
At first, all he saw was the man he had always known as 'Old Ben', and then things began to change outside of his will. The image of Obi-Wan became younger, heartier… At first he was frightened, and then he heard Kampher's voice, comforting and guiding him.
Just follow, Luke. I'm here, we all are…
Yes, I can feel you…
Obi-Wan again, now
accompanied by his father – Toboo… Toboo was his nick name.
A beautiful woman… Padme… A woman with iridescent,
beautifully patterned skin – Gris, Aubé's 'aunt'…
Luke's father again, laughing – He used to laugh a lot…
Aubé, just before he had kissed – I didn't want to stop
her during their sparring match, and again, last night… I love
you Kampher and Schurke sharing a kiss…I love you… A woman's
body on a funeral pyre and a voice, not his own nor was it Schurke's.
Anakin's "She is free, Kam."…
The body on the pyre
became black armor… Tell your sister, you were right…
Time to come back, Luke. Time to come back.
It was like coming to the surface after a deep swim, and Luke felt a light patting on his face.
"Come back, young Skywalker." It was Schurke's voice, gentle but commanding. "It's time to go…"
Luke blinked several times, and then nearly shot off of the couch. "What happened? Did I fall asleep? Where's Kam? I mean, Master Canaille?"
"I put Kampher to bed," Schurke told him simply. "A bonding always wears her out."
"Is that what that was? How does it help us now?"
He reached up and caught the small vase that he hadn't even been aware that had been tossed.
"Like that, Skywalker." Aubé said smugly. "We can anticipate…"
"We should go," Schurke said abruptly. "It's time to finish this, once and for all."
