A/N 1: Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter, with a big-time reveal that hopefully will shock you as much as it shocked the Jedi. Got a few familiar faces in this chapter, and please remember I'm playing around with the ages of these characters because this is AU and not canon. But I hope you enjoy it anyways!
Please read, review, and enjoy, and see you next time!
Global crisis! The Mid Rim planet of Aleen is devastated by catastrophic earthquakes. As the people struggle, the future of the survivors rests on their ability to rekindle their way of life from the rubble of the past. A Jedi transport, on a mission to block Separatist annexation of the Qiilura system, is waylaid to provide desperately needed humanitarian relief to the people on the surface of Aleen….
Tattoine hasn't changed all that much in the last few years, Anakin thought as they walked down the streets of Mos Eisley. It had been just over three weeks since Seeker had appeared on Kef Bir before disappearing, but that wasn't why they were here. Rumors had circulated in the underworld that a few of Kit's brothers were planning something big on Tattoine, and there had been a confirmed sighting of the Mandalorian that had taken Grogu heading for Tattoine as well. And so Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Ki-Adi Mundi, Saessee Tiin, and Even Piell were on Tattoine to try and pick up the trail of one group or the other. Yoda and Master Windu were waiting in the cruiser orbiting the planet while the Jedi and clones on the ground learned what they could.
"Pleasant memories, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked softly, and Anakin turned and glared at him a moment before saying, "No, not really, and this place is too quiet. Where is everybody?" as he looked around the empty street. Obi-Wan nodded slowly as he looked around as well, realizing that Anakin was right and there was no one there. The few times he had been to Mos Eisley in the past, the city had always been bustling and busy with merchants haggling and a few street fights. Now – there was none of that and all the buildings were boarded up tight.
Something was wrong, and Obi-Wan would bet his lightsaber it had something to do with the aura of fear he could feel over the entire city.
Shaking his head, he only said, "Let's find that hangar. Hopefully that mechanic can help us find Grogu," those with him nodding as they walked along the street for a few more minutes before finally finding the right hangar. Entering from the street, they saw that it was empty except for a few droids. A few moments later, the mechanic's head appeared over the top of the engine she was working on. Seeing who it was, she called, "Just a sec, guys! I'm up to my elbows in I have no idea what. Don't really want to know what it is either!"
Obi-Wan chuckled slightly when he heard that, and a few minutes later the mechanic was finally able to finish up what she was doing and walk over to them. She was a human woman with curly brown hair and brown eyes. She wasn't all that tall, and her coveralls were worn and stained with oil and grease from ships, but her face was open and honest. Seeing who they were, she said, "Been a while since we had Jedi hanging around this planet. Last time I saw a Jedi here was….what? Oh yeah. During that pod race where Sebulba got his rear end stomped by a kid."
"And here's that kid in the flesh," Obi-Wan said with amusement as he nodded at Anakin, who glared at him mildly.
The mechanic's eyes nearly popped out of her head before she said, "Wow. If I was in the business of getting autographs I'd ask for yours. Wouldn't be worth much now though. Guy that bought your pod smashed your records as soon as you left. Would love to know what he did to that thing to make it go so fast, and how he avoided crashing into a million pieces, but he left a few weeks later. Haven't seen him or that pod since."
"That's a shame," Anakin said, "but that isn't why we're here."
"Oh?" the mechanic asked, "And why are you here?" crossing her arms and resting her weight on one leg, "I don't see you with a ship, so that means you have questions and not repairs."
Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, who asked, "What's your name?"
The mechanic looked surprised but only said, "Peli. Peli Motto."
"Alright, Peli," Obi-Wan said, "We're looking for someone. Several someones, actually. And we think you know where one of them is."
"I do?" Peli asked in surprise, "I don't know how that would be possible. Tattoine is a long way from Coruscant, and I'm not much of a traveler. Who do you think I know?"
"It's not so much think, as know," Obi-Wan said as he took out a holoprojector and activated it, saying, "You know your hangar has surveillance cameras so that the authorities can track stolen ships, correct?"
Peli nodded but didn't say anything as the holoprojector showed a ship coming in for a landing, an old ST-70 class Razor Crest M-111 Assault Ship. The ship doors opened and a Mandalorian appeared as a hologram of Peli said, "All right. Hey, hey, hey! Sorry, gang. Come on. You know he doesn't like droids," walking out from behind the same engine as the one she had been working on when the Jedi arrived and speaking to three pit droids. The three droids shrugged and walked away, looking a bit disheartened they wouldn't be working.
"May as well let them have at it," the Mandalorian said as he walked down the ramp, looking over his ship as he did so, "The Crest needs a good once-over."
"Oh!" Peli exclaimed in surprise, "So he likes droids now. Well, you heard him. Give it a once-over," the three droids immediately turning and getting to work, one of them picking up a wrench as they headed for the ship. Peli only turned to Mando and said, "I guess a lot has changed since you were last in Mos…." trailing off as Mando pushed a satchel he had been carrying over his shoulder forward to reveal Grogu, and Peli was clearly glad to see him as she exclaimed, "Oh! Thank the Force! This little thing has had me worried sick," reaching over and taking Grogu out of the satchel, the little one not seeming to mind, "Come here, you little womp rat," Grogu cooed and looked at Peli as she said, "Looks like it remembers me. How much do you want for it? Just kidding. But not really," as she glanced at Mando, while in real life Peli grimaced a little when the Jedi looked at her before going back to watching the recording. Hologram-Peli only continued, "You know, if this thing ever divides or buds, I will gladly pay for the offspring," a sudden clank and crash caught her attention and she turned back to her droids, "Hey! Oh, jeez!" as an air tube came undone and went wild, the droids struggling to control it, "Watch what you're doing up there. He barely trusts your kind," motioning at the Mandalorian, "You want to give all droids a bad name? Thank you!" as the air pipe attached itself to the pit droids face and wouldn't let go.
The hologram ended there, and Peli turned to the Jedi and said with a shrug, "If you're looking for him, you're out of luck. He left about an hour ago. Took his little friend with him. Already miss the little guy. He's pretty cute."
"Do you know where he went while he was here?" Ki-Adi asked, and Peli nodded, "Yeah. He was looking for a town called Mos Pelgo."
"I've never heard of that town," Anakin said, "Where is it?"
"To be honest, I thought it was wiped out by bandits a long time ago," Peli said, "But he came back from there with a chunk of krayt dragon meat and one heck of a good story before he left. I think he owed someone there a favor and was going out there to settle it. Mandalorians don't like owing anyone."
"Do you have coordinates for it?" Even asked, and Peli smiled, "Depends whose asking. You want to see it?" actually winking at Master Piell before turning and yelling, "Arfive! Bring the map of Tatooine," turning to an astromech standing nearby. The droid beeped and started coming over slowly, and Peli shook her head before saying, "No, take your time. Seriously," she turned to the Jedi then and said, "You just can't get good help anymore. I don't even know who to complain to," pinching her fingers together and motioning with them in the air, leaving Obi-Wan amused at her personality. She turned back to the droid then, "Let's go, let's go," bobbing her head to get him to come closer, "Waiting," she said with quite a bit of snark as the droid finally showed them a map of the area. Peli motioned to the hologram, "Okay. This is a map of Tatooine right now. You got Mos Eisley, Mos Espa," indicating the two cities, "and up around this region, Mos Pelgo," as the map moved to another part of the planet without any marked cities.
"I don't see anything," Anakin said, and Peli said, "Well, it's supposed to be there. Not much to speak of. It's an old mining settlement. They'll see any ship you fly there long before you land. That's what I said to Mando, and he asked if I still had an old speeder bike from his last visit. Told him I did even though it was a little rusty, and he took off with the little guy in it."
"And came back a few days later with that meat and a story," Ki-Adi said and Peli nodded.
It was silent for a few minutes before Peli said, "Look, I didn't know the Jedi were looking for this guy, and I don't know why. But he's still gone, and that ship of his has been modified up the wazoo. You ain't finding it unless you put a tracking device on it when he's not looking. And he never lets his guard down."
"The little one with him is a Jedi youngling," Obi-Wan said, "He was taken from the Temple without our knowledge, and we would like him back."
"Oh," was all Peli said, "I didn't know he was a youngling, much less a Jedi youngling. Still can't help you find him though. Mando didn't say where he was going, and I didn't ask. The guy has trust issues, and I like my head where it is."
"Good to know," Anakin said shortly before saying, "Even if you don't know where the Mandalorian is going, what about the city? It seems a bit quieter than usual."
"It does?" Peli asked in surprise as she went to look out the door that led to the street. She walked down the hallway and looked out, but something she saw had her recoiling and hurrying back towards them, saying, "I hate it when rumors are proven right."
"What rumors?" Saessee asked, and Peli shook her head as she walked a bit deeper into the hangar before turning around and saying, "There was a rumor circling around the city a few weeks ago that some bounty hunters who worked for Jabba had brought a female Nautolan here, and were being none-too-gentle with her," the Jedi glanced at each other when they heard that, but Peli didn't notice as she continued, "And more rumors were flying that she was a mate to one of the Fisto brothers. That by itself is terrifying enough because they don't fear Jabba and are even more ruthless and brutal than him when the mood strikes them. I'd rather get digested over a thousand years by a sarlacc than anger one of them. But then more rumors started flying that the female was the mate of Ky Lan, one of the brothers, and that he was angrier than normal over the whole thing. Everyone in the Outer Rim knows he and Jabba are constantly going at it, but his brothers usually stay out of it. If they're involved things are about to get really ugly. Like jump-into-the-sarlacc-pit-while-you-have-the-chance ugly."
"What does that have to do with the city looking like a ghost town?" Ahsoka asked, and Peli said, "Plenty, kid. The brothers are here to retrieve his missing mate, and brought some of their warriors with them. Not the females from what I can tell, thankfully, because those gals are a kind of dangerous I don't want anything to do with. But the males are just as fierce and as skilled, and are more than ready for this fight. And after they arrived, some more Nautolans appeared, dressed all in black and clearly military. The brothers and their men are military trained as well, but a bit looser. These guys in black are the definition of terrifying, and I would guess they're from Glee Anselm. Everyone in the Outer Rim knows the brothers are on the chopping block for Glee Anselm, so they're here and ready to kill. Add in Jabba's bounty hunters and a certain half-Nautolan it's rumored you've been looking for, and this is turning into a perfect storm. And everyone in this city has decided to stay home and pretend they don't exist."
Hearing all that was disturbing, but when they heard Seeker was there as well, Obi-Wan asked, "Are you sure the half-Nautolan is here? We've seen no sign of her since we landed."
Peli didn't answer, only looked past him down the hallway leading into town, and they all whipped around to see someone leaving the hallway and heading away. They ran after them, Anakin in the lead, and he was in time to see a young woman with long brown hair walking down the street when he turned right.
"Hey! Stop!" he called, and the young woman stopped for a few moments as the others joined Anakin, Peli closing the door behind them and locking the door as they did so, having decided the best way to stay safe was not to be easy to get to. The young woman stayed where she was before slowly looking over her shoulder, revealing Nautolan eyes and a familiar face. She stared at them for several seconds before glancing away and then looking back, but something changed at that moment and she took off running. The Jedi started to follow, but before they had gone more than two steps, two Nautolans dressed in black leaped down from the hangar above and attempted to ambush the half-Nautolan. She had seen them coming though and fought back viciously, pulling two knives out of her boots and easily killing both Nautolans.
From there she kept running, and the Jedi tried to keep up, but she was too fast and disappeared around a corner. When they finally rounded the corner, the Jedi were surprised to see a small market square that was completely deserted except for an older human woman sitting at her stand. She looked up as they approached, and when she saw Anakin she asked, "Ani? Is that you?"
"Jira?" Anakin asked, and the old woman nodded with a smile and said, "You've shot up a bit since the last time I saw you. These your new friends?" as she looked at the Jedi.
Anakin nodded, "In a sense. It's good to see you, Jira, but did you see someone run through here a few minutes ago?"
"You mean the half-Nautolan?" Jira asked, "Yeah, I saw her. She told me to pack it up for today and find somewhere to hide. She said things are about to get ugly."
"Ugly in what way?" Obi-Wan asked, and Jira said, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think I'll take her advice. I've seen more Nautolans come through here than there are on Glee Anselm, all of them armed to the teeth, and I've got no interest in seeing what's about to happen. I think they're waiting for me to pack it up and go home."
"You should, Jira," Anakin said, "These people are dangerous."
"Don't I know it," Jira said in agreement as she started packing up her stand, "Everyone in the Outer Rim can recognize one of those brothers by sight, and they are the most ruthless people I have ever met. And some of the kindest as well, but there's always an air of danger about them. Still, they always pay more than my fruit is worth. I think they know how hard it is to make a decent living in this town, or anywhere in the Outer Rim for that matter. They also give money to a few homeless people and are known to free slaves every once in a while. Their parents sure raised 'em right in that sense."
Obi-Wan shook his head when he heard that, but a few minutes later Jira was done and turned to them, "I'm going home now, so good luck surviving the next few hours. The rumors about the brother's opinions regarding Jedi are probably exaggerated, but there's probably some truth to 'em as well. Be careful," turning to Anakin, she said, "Especially you, Ani. Next time I see you, you better be in one piece," before walking away and leaving Anakin blushing slightly as he watched her walk home.
But the blush went away as a figure separated herself from the shadows of a building on the street Jira had just walked down, and they watched as she came into the light, revealing the half-Nautolan had been close by and listening the entire time. She watched Jira walk and, after a few moments, turned to look at the Jedi, staring at them a few moments before suddenly letting out a piercing whistle. Chaos broke loose as dozens of Nautolans suddenly appeared and started running through the city and fighting against anyone who dared attack them.
Seeker only looked at the Jedi again before cocking an eyebrow and taking off running as well, the Jedi following after as Anakin said into his comlink, "Rex! We're about to have a full-on fight on our hands. Could use some backup as soon as you can get here!"
"Copy that!" was all the captain said, and the Jedi were able to turn back to the fight at hand and what was going on. The Nautolans dressed in black were well-trained soldiers who gave no quarter, and that became clear when a blue Nautolan they were fighting went down, a massive gash in his leg from his mid-thigh to his mid-calf. He lay where he had fallen, and the soldiers were getting ready for the kill when a cry came from above and three females joined the fight. These three had a tentacle painted red and their now-familiar staff-like weapon, and they wielded those with brutal efficiency as they fought the soldiers away from the wounded Nautolan.
The wounded Nautolan only shook his head to clear it before looking down at the wound in his leg, and the Jedi were treated to the sight of the flesh and skin knitting together in front of their eyes. He got up immediately after that and leaped back into the fight. Seconds later, the Nautolans dressed in black were down and dead, the others moving on and heading deeper into the city. Seeing this, the Jedi immediately split up; Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka followed the Nautolans while the others headed down a street where the sound of more fighting was coming from.
Reaching that fight, the Jedi were shocked to see the half-Nautolan in the middle of it and surrounded by other Nautolans. Some of them were strangers, but none were dressed in black. Those that weren't strangers were a few of Kit's brothers, and Koryo's distinctive white skin was visible through the fighting. Seconds later, blasters were put away, blades were brought forth, and the Jedi could see how skilled these warriors were. Their techniques were flawless and they were all holding their own; even their warriors were clearly trained.
Kit's hot-tempered brother, Tazeki, was the closest one to them, and they watched as he ducked under a blade while blocking another, using Form II to its fullest potential and putting Dooku to shame with his grace and skill, his volatile temper and unpredictable behavior a counterbalance to his talent with Form II. He ducked again and spun into his opponent, surprising them, and he was able to stab his blade deep into their side before yanking it out and causing them to collapse.
But instead of killing him, Tazeki moved on, fighting his next opponent. Looking around, the Jedi could see that the brothers and their warriors weren't actually killing their opponents, just wounding them severely enough to keep them down, and didn't seem all that interested in the kill. The few females with them were interested in the kill and were carrying them out with brutal efficiency, but the brothers and their soldiers were exercising some control in that aspect. The Geàrd wasn't killing downed opponents, but weren't showing any mercy to those still standing and fighting. Perhaps there was some honor in leaving their opponents to live to fight another day for them since after a few minutes their enemies were defeated and the brothers and their warriors were regrouping.
Looking at the warriors the brothers had with them, the Jedi saw they were all built similarly to each other with strong, lithe bodies and powerful muscles. The females with them were clearly in charge because the warriors were listening to them as they spoke in their language before sending them on their way, and the brothers listened before heading off another street. The brothers and their warriors were soon engaging more soldiers, and some of Jabba's bounty hunters trying to keep them away from a specific side of town, but the brothers saw through that, and Koryo called back to the Geàrd. The Geàrd stayed a few moments longer to listen before heading down a completely different street, leaving Seeker to look around for a few moments before she left as well, but she jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building and started running. Seeing where she was going, Ki-Adi said into his comlink, "Skywalker, Seeker is heading your way. Be ready!" before he and the others raced after the brothers and tried to see what was coming next.
Unaware that Anakin and his group were only minutes away from her, Seeker jumped down into the street near a few houses and a pawn shop. There was an abandoned shed nearby, and she watched them all closely as she hid in the shadows cast by the setting suns. She only had to wait a few moments before the door of one of those houses opened, and a Weequay poked his head out, blaster in hand and ready. He looked both ways before slowly walking out of the house. After a few seconds, he nodded at the others with him and they appeared: two more Weequays, a Trandoshan, and a Rodian. They were all armed and careful, looking around for any sign of danger and clearly knowing they would be in a lot of trouble if they didn't watch themselves.
Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Rex, and a few clones arrived just then, but Obi-Wan signaled them to be quiet and see what was about to happen. Seeker was between them and the group, and as they watched the lead Weequay looked back and nodded, and another Trandoshan appeared. He was dragging a Nautolan woman, who was clearly very pregnant. She was falling to the ground and couldn't keep her footing as her feet were bare and the sand was hot, and as the Jedi watched she fell to the ground again before the Trandoshan forced her back to her feet. She doubled over in pain suddenly, and the Jedi could sense it come and go in moments. Once it was gone she straightened, and the Jedi could see a gash on her cheek bleeding heavily and she was covered in bruises. Her left arm was bent at a strange angle, she was favoring her right ankle, and one eye was swollen shut.
Seeker clearly felt the sudden spike of pain as she stepped out of the shadows, and seconds later, the lead Weequay saw her and grinned before turning to the Trandoshan not holding the woman and nodded. They all moved aside suddenly, and Seeker wasn't fast enough to get out of the way as he fired an electrified net gun. The stun-net it released only got bigger and bigger as it approached Seeker, and seconds later it wrapped around her and knocked her to the ground, causing her to let out a shriek of pain. It dissipated after a few moments, but Seeker was still upright. She was on her hands and knees, surprising everyone there since it was supposed to knock her unconscious, but it didn't.
All it did was infuriate her, which became clear as she slowly stood up, the Dark Side rising inside her as well. She surrendered to it fully, and those there were afraid. Even the Jedi weren't immune to that fear, and seconds later she launched herself forward with a cry of rage and fury. She attacked them brutally, and the Rodian immediately abandoned the fight, running down a street and disappearing.
He really needed to start having better luck, Greedo realized as he found a place to hide where those Nautolans couldn't find him. His life definitely wasn't worth this.
As for those with him, they were all lying on the ground, dead, and Seeker was turning to the female Nautolan there. She was sitting against a crate nearby and had watched the entire thing, unmoved and unbothered by the violence she had just witnessed. Now that the Jedi were moving closer, they could see she was a light shade of pink, even though that was hard to see under the dirt and mud covering her. The Nautolan looked up at Seeker, nodding her head in thanks and greeting before her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. She called out, "Coimhead a-mach!" as a Weequay that must have been a sentry appeared from an alley opposite them and attacked.
Or tried to, but seconds later he was falling to the ground, dead, as a sniper bolt hit him in the back, coming from a roof a few stories up several blocks over. Seeker turned and watched him fall dispassionately before looking up at the roof and nodding before turning back to the Nautolan, who stared at her before suddenly sucking in a deep breath and gripping her stomach gently before she was able to relax, and suddenly the Jedi understood what was going on.
She was in labor, and she was close.
Seeker knew this too and looked around for anything or anyone that could be of help before turning back to her companion and asking, "A bheil ùine ann? An urrainn dhut coiseachd?" as she kneeled down and surprising the Jedi that she knew the language before they realized if she was seen as part of the clan she would know their language.
The female with her shook her head as another contraction came over her, and it was clear they were getting closer and closer. Seeker looked around for a few moments before the nearby shed caught her eye, and she looked at her friend before leaning down and handing her a vibroblade. The Nautolan took it and held it, and judging from how she held it she knew how to use it. Seeker walked quickly to the shed and entered, checking the inside for anyone, while the Nautolan outside suddenly threw her head back and clenched her teeth, making no sound as a more forceful contraction came over her. She gripped the knife tighter, but still no sound came, and Obi-Wan said quietly, "If they are as primitive as Taylora said, she won't make a sound no matter what. It would attract unwanted attention."
Anakin shook his head as they watched Seeker come out and help the Nautolan into the shed before coming out and standing guard at the door, keeping an eye out for danger. At the same time, the fighting intensified on the other side of town as the brothers and their warriors kept the Glee Anselm soldiers and Jabba's bounty hunters away, not giving up the line they had made or yielding for a second. Explosions could be heard throughout the city, and snipers were also finding their targets. Seeing those bolts fly overhead, Even said, "I don't think we'll be of much use here. Perhaps we should get out of the way," as he was nearly crushed by Nagala and Tagali using the Force to slam a massive Weequay into a wall and get him out of the picture.
The other Jedi agreed and slowly retreated, keeping an eye out for anything dangerous, finally reaching where the Geàrd was fighting. Seeing them fight, using their staffs with skill and ease, the Jedi were impressed to see Form I on full display as they fought the soldiers without giving up. Amarona was there, the wounds in her side completely healed, her staff electrified and the electricity a beautiful purple. All her blows hit home, and she was one of the best fighters the Jedi had ever seen. As they watched, her staff's electricity sent her opponent into a wall, where he slid down and was limp, but the Jedi could see he was still alive.
Amarona took a quick breath then, but a flashing light on her comlink caught her attention then, and she called out, "Tha sinn deiseil! Air ais dha na soithichean! An t-àm airson a dhol dhachaigh!" and immediately the Geàrd retreated, Amarona taking up the rear and setting off a charge that collapsed the building nearby and blocked anyone from following them. The soldiers they were fighting weren't discouraged and raced off down another street, leaving the Jedi to look at each other before following the Geàrd to wherever they were going.
As this was happening, four clone troopers had found the Ghost and snuck on board. They weren't there just to plant a tracking device or look for Home Base; they were there for something to be used as leverage. And after a few minutes, they found it, sneaking off the ship and heading for their gunship, taking off and heading for the Jedi cruiser in orbit.
The Geàrd had led the Jedi to an abandoned street, where Obi-Wan and the others were watching Seeker warily. She knew they were there and was watching them with intent and not an ounce of friendliness, so they were leery of going any closer since they knew what she was capable of. The Dark Side may have receded in her, but she was clearly still a threat as she stood guard at the door. The Geàrd didn't stop running as they went past Seeker, heading for the hangars to get their ships ready for takeoff. That was when the rest of the Jedi and clones caught up with Obi-Wan and his companions. Seeing what was going on, Ki-Adi asked, "What is happening?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, "Seeker is guarding that shed because a female Nautolan is giving birth in there. She already killed them," pointing at the dead bodies of the Weequay and Trandoshans, "and we weren't interested in adding to that pile when it was clear she wasn't in a reasonable mood. We thought we would wait and see what happens. I wasn't expecting the Geàrd to lead you here."
"We followed them alright, but mostly because we thought they would lead us to the brothers. So far, they haven't, from what I can see," Even Piell said as he looked around at what was going on.
"Maybe –" Anakin started to say but stopped himself when he saw that Seeker had moved. She was facing them now as she looked at the door she was guarding, clearly hearing something they couldn't. Seconds later, she was entering the shed, and the Jedi couldn't see what was going on, unaware she was giving her friend a blade. Her friend pressed it into her newborn child's hands for the briefest of minutes, smiling tiredly as he gripped it tightly in his tiny fists.
This one was a fighter, just like his father.
Seeker smiled at the sight before carefully helping her companion up and walking with her towards the door. Her companion immediately sat down on the ground near a crate, unable to walk any farther as blood still flowed down her legs, but it was good timing as a few of Kit's brothers suddenly appeared and headed towards them. Seeker looked at them before nodding, with a slight smile on her face, and they all froze for a moment before approaching carefully to look at their new nephew.
Down the street, the Jedi watched with surprise and awe at how gentle they now were when minutes before, they had been brutally efficient and unyielding. The surprise only grew when seconds later, another Nautolan appeared from an alleyway farther down the street, and for a second the Jedi thought it was Kit. But his right side was facing them, and he was holding a large sniper rifle, clearly one of the snipers that had been hitting targets throughout the city and likely the sniper that had killed the Weequay scout. Not an Amban rifle, but still a powerful weapon. He looked over those gathered there before turning his head even more, and the Jedi were treated to the deep scar on his face that started under his eye and went down into his tunic.
This wasn't Kit. It was his brother Kailan.
Now that he wasn't being seen over hologram, the similarities between him and his twin were even more striking. Aside from the scar, his face was the same as Kit's, and he carried himself in the same way. His head-tentacles were worn the same way as his brother's, but his attention was on them as he ran over to his brothers. They let him pass without stopping, and he stopped dead for a few moments when he saw the female Nautolan on the ground with her small bundle in her arms. He kneeled down then as she smiled at him tiredly, staring at her in surprise before turning to look at the tiny child in her arms. He moved the thin blanket the baby was wrapped in to get a look at his face and then smiled at the sight before turning to the woman with him and resting his forehead against hers for a few moments, his hand still cradling the child's head. He closed his eyes then, as did the woman with him, and the tension went out of both of them as they held each other close for a few minutes as those with them kept an eye out for danger.
Seeing this, Anakin said quietly, "That must be Geeta," watching as Kailan finally pulled back and handed his sniper rifle to Lyzann before reaching over and carefully picking his mate and son up, Geeta looping an arm around his neck, "That's why they were so willing to risk coming here and causing so much chaos. They found Geeta and decided to act while they had the chance."
"And before Geeta was taken to Jabba," Obi-Wan added as the group moved on with Seeker in the back to guard their flank. The brothers kept Kailan and Geeta in the middle to protect them, watching for danger and ready to attack anyone that even thought of harming them, "They know what he is capable of and know she might not have survived. They weren't going to risk her or her child if they could help it. They might have invaded Jabba's palace if it came to it."
"Good thing it didn't come to that," Ahsoka said as they started following the group of Nautolans, "It probably would have been a massacre," she paused before adding, "For Jabba's mercenaries."
"No doubt about that," Anakin agreed as more clones came up behind them as the Nautolans disappeared inside a hangar at the end of the street. As this was happening, a transmission came over the comlink to Master Mundi, and the voice of Luminara Unduli was heard: "Master Mundi, I've arrived in Mos Eisley with my troops. We are down the street from your position."
"Very good," Ki-Adi said, "the brothers have gone into a hangar between us, while their warriors –" cutting himself off then as three ships took off and headed out over the Dune Sea before cloaking themselves and disappearing, "Never mind, their warriors have already left. It's just the brothers and their Geàrd now."
"Alright," Luminara said, "We'll meet you at the hangar and see if there is a way to stop them from taking off."
Ki-Adi didn't say anything, mostly because he could guess there wouldn't be a way to stop them from taking off, but seconds later, a single Nautolan appeared in front of them. It was Kailan, watching them and armed with only two pistols, and he started walking slowly towards them and away from the hangar. A few seconds later, Luminara and her troops appeared, with Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti, and Kailan looked over his right shoulder. That look, so much like Kit's, was unsettling and unnerving, and the Jedi immediately knew this wasn't going to be easy.
Whatever this was.
Kailan wasn't intimidated by the numbers of clones and Jedi surrounding him, looking at those in front of him out of his left eye with his eye-ridge raised. Even with the scar on his face, it was off-putting, and the only one immune to it was Thrawn, who had come down with Luminara, Aayla, and Shaak. The Chiss looked at him with indifference, which Kailan returned. Thrawn furrowed his brow; this one was hard to read. And the fact he was working with Seeker didn't make this any easier. It had been a fruitful search for the bug that had been planted on him, and Seeker had been right when she said it couldn't be removed safely, but there also hadn't been any security breaches from what they could see, and no evidence the Separatists had gotten any secure information he was privy to, so command had decided that he didn't need to be restricted from it. But it was still upsetting to have his privacy invaded in such a way, and to know there was no way to remove it didn't make it easier to accept.
But now Kailan was in front of them, just standing there and staring at them like he was daring them to attack, and Thrawn was ready to do just that.
But before he could, Seeker ran out of the same hangar Kailan had come out of and stood beside him. Kailan turned to her in surprise before jerking his head back towards the hangar, but Seeker only shook her head stubbornly, clearly unwilling to leave him. Kailan's eyes slid half-shut for a moment and he turned back to the Jedi in front of him for the briefest of moments, and Seeker looked pleased with herself that she had won the argument even though no words had been spoken. But seconds later, her eyes widened in surprise as Kailan suddenly turned to her and pushed her back as hard as he could with the Force, sending those behind her sprawling as well.
The Jedi, clones, and Thrawn fell to the ground while Seeker crossed her arms in front of her face and used that as a block. But it wasn't enough to keep her from sliding back a few meters. She recovered quickly enough and lowered her arms, staring at Kailan emotionlessly. Obi-Wan and the others couldn't see whatever was on his face, but it was enough for Seeker. She started running towards him as the Ghost suddenly rose out of the hangar near them and flew low over the street, its forward ramp down. But before it could fly off, Seeker leaped into the air and backflipped onto the ramp, holding one of the ramp supports as she stared down at Kailan for several long moments.
Whatever it meant, the Jedi didn't know, but she kept staring at Kailan before suddenly nodding her head, which he returned. She disappeared into the Ghost then and the ramp closed behind her. Seconds later, the cloaking device was activated and the ship had disappeared, leaving Kailan to face the Jedi and clones and whatever came next alone.
On the Ghost Seeker headed for the cockpit, carefully stepping over and around everyone that was crammed onto the ship. It was a tight fit with five brothers, fifteen of the Geàrd, twenty more warriors, and then Spitz the pilot. Geeta and her young son were also getting checked out by Tristan. Both Tristan and Spitz had come on a different ship but rendezvoused with this one when it became clear Geeta and her newborn would be going to the Ghost, so they had come as quickly as they could. The rest of their ships had been located all around the city, and once they had gotten what they came for everyone had retreated, making it back to their ships quickly and getting away before they could be stopped.
The cloaking devices she had patched into their ship's power supplies had likely also helped.
All in all, it was tricky navigating around everyone, but Seeker still smiled when she saw that Geeta was looking well despite everything she had gone through. Her little son was in a small tub of water getting cooled off after being born in the desert heat, and she was watching him carefully for any signs of distress. Geeta looked up then and nodded in thanks before going back to watching her son, and that was when Seeker finally made it to the bridge and said to Spitz, "Time to get out of here. We've got to get Geeta and her child to Home Base."
"What about Kailan?" Spitz asked, "Shouldn't we go back for him?"
"No," Seeker said, "He knows the plan. Our job is to get Geeta to safety and return for Kailan. He'll be alright until we can get to him. Fistos always find their way home."
"How do you plan on finding him?" Spitz asked as they flew past the Jedi cruiser and he set a course for hyperspace, "He doesn't have a beacon we can track."
"No, he doesn't," Seeker agreed as she sat in the copilot's seat, "But that doesn't mean we can't track him. Especially since I know exactly where they are going. We'll probably be there before them. Now….let's get going. We need to get to Home Base and regroup."
Spitz nodded and activated the hyperdrive, and seconds later they were gone, following the ships that had already left.
Homeward bound! On a peaceful mission on the planet Aleen, R2-D2 and C-3PO were caught up in an adventure beyond their comprehension. After finally resolving the crisis and being taken to Jedi Master Adi Gallia's cruiser, they now head home to the safety of the Republic, hoping to avoid a Separatist attack….
It was tense on the bridge of the Jedi cruiser orbiting Tattoine. The fighting was done and the Jedi and clones had returned to the cruiser without sustaining any casualties. The soldiers from Glee Anselm and the bounty hunters had all disappeared as soon as the brothers and their allies had left, and the city had started bustling again. But that wasn't what was causing the tension. What was causing the tension was the fact Kailan Fisto was on the bridge, unconscious. He was lying near the holotable, his hands cuffed behind him, facing away from the Jedi on his left side. He was still and barely breathing, and after a few seconds of watching him, Obi-Wan turned to Thrawn and asked, "What did you give him?" referring to almost an hour before when Kailan had stayed behind to give his brothers a chance to escape and had fought them until he had been overpowered. It was only then that Thrawn had approached with a syringe full of something.
Even with his adrenaline pumping almost out of control Kailan had eventually succumbed to the drugs, but it had taken a while and he had fought them every step of the way and for every second he was awake, breaking the limbs of a few clones in the process. Rex was getting his arm set in the infirmary while Hardcase and Fives were out of action with broken legs.
Now he was lying unconscious on the bridge, with two clones aiming their blasters at his head, and the Jedi weren't entirely pleased about the situation.
This wasn't supposed to happen, not like this.
Thrawn said slowly, "It was a mixture of Lecepanine and Tranqarest, with a delay between the two to avoid adverse effects. As you know, Lecepanine creates total muscle paralysis within three seconds and unconsciousness in five seconds, although I will have to adjust the dosage for next time since it took more than five seconds. After that was a dose of Tranqarest, which is much more powerful. I have heard Jedi healers say it is capable of keeping even a Jedi Knight sedated. I assumed that since this species has such a high tolerance for pain, it likely has a high tolerance for drugs. I thought this mixture would produce the desired result without any adverse effects."
Obi-Wan shook his head, but before he could say anything more Kailan jerked awake and kicked the holotable, clearly aware there was something wrong and already on guard. It seemed to be a more reflexive action than anything else, but the two clones immediately aimed at his head, and their blasters weren't set to stun. Kailan saw this and kicked again, trying to get himself upright so that he could fight, but before he could Thrawn came around the holotable and pushed him down to the floor, pulling out his own pistol and holding it under Kailan's jaw. The Nautolan stilled immediately, eyes only on Thrawn, and the Chiss said calmly, "Behave yourself, and do as we say. I would hazard a guess that you won't survive a blaster bolt to your head or a stun to your face," he cocked his head then, "Understand?"
Kailan stared at him, not agreeing or disagreeing, and refusing to yield. But Thrawn must have seen something that said the Nautolan wasn't willing to risk a shot of any kind to his head, and the Chiss stepped back and put his pistol away. Before any of the Jedi could address how unnecessary that was Kailan was again kicking out, but this time it was to get himself upright, not an easy feat with his hands bound behind him. Those kicks were apparently what he needed to get himself organized, because seconds later he was sitting upright, facing away from the Jedi. He was able to stand up from there on his own, still facing away, shaking out his head-tentacles and getting them out from under his bound arms. He never took his eyes off Thrawn the entire time, and a few seconds later he turned slowly to face the holotable, keeping Thrawn in the periphery of his vision.
Now that he was upright and still in front of them, the resemblance between him and his twin was even more apparent, and a few of the Jedi exchanged glances when they saw how he was a mirror image of his twin.
Almost.
His skin was a slightly darker, healthier shade than his brother's, and the scar on his left cheek started small but widened as it went farther down his cheek and his throat. There was also a wariness to his eyes and demeanor that was absent in his brother. His eyes explored everything around him, taking in all that was there and making sure he knew where everything and everyone was, and his guard was up and refused to come down. He was dressed in a tunic and trousers with a long overcoat made of nerf-leather, and there were two holsters for his blasters attached to his belt. His heavy boots were also made of nerf-hide, and there were backup arms and equipment on his utility belt and a bandolier around his waist. He had comms on both wrists and that strange bracelet Tzakara had told Yoda and Mace about. There were also a few sheaths for daggers on his belt, but they were empty. This Nautolan was armed to the teeth and clearly used to having everything he needed within easy reach, which meant he wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Seeing how he was dressed and how he was acting around them, with suspicion and a fair amount of contempt, Mace and Yoda exchanged a glance before turning back to Kailan. However much they hoped it might have been possible, this wasn't Kit, and knowing Kit wouldn't help them with his twin.
They were too different.
Thrawn was typing on the holotable, and a few minutes later a hologram of Chancellor Palpatine appeared as Tarkin walked onto the bridge as well, accompanied by Dr. Boll. Seeing the captain, Kailan's eyes narrowed to slits and his anger rose before he forced it back down, and Thrawn said, "You clearly already know Captain Tarkin, and I'm sure you've met Chancellor Palpatine in some form recently," as Kailan turned to him but still refused to speak, "The Chancellor has a few questions for you, and then you will be taken to Coruscant to stand trial for taking the Senate hostage."
Kailan raised an eye-ridge at that, clearly unimpressed and unintimidated and showing his arrogance, and the Chancellor said, "I was hoping this could be a pleasant conversation, but if you're not going to engage in it at all, I don't see the point. You have the opportunity to plead your case to the Senate and perhaps get a lenient sentence, but you won't get that if you don't explain yourself."
The Nautolan only cocked his head when he heard that but still refused to speak, leaving the Jedi exchanging glances at his continued silence.
Even though they knew Kailan wasn't that talkative, this kind of silence was still unexpected, especially when he was given a chance to defend his actions when he took over the Senate. But he wasn't, leaving them confused.
Thrawn was also apparently confused since he said, "Are you going to say anything at all? Or are you a mute like your brother?"
Kailan turned to Thrawn then, actually looking faintly amused, but that was all. Thrawn shook his head before turning to the hologram of the Chancellor, who only said, "If you're going to be difficult, then go ahead and take your chances with the Senate. They aren't feeling too forgiving after you killed one of their colleagues," turning away from the holotable and getting ready to end the transmission.
Kailan cocked his head again when he heard that before swallowing hard and asking, "What do you want from me?" surprising everyone there with the sound of his voice.
Unlike his brother, Kailan's voice sounded terrible. What they thought was just a disguise when he took the Senate hostage must have been something else, like a numbing agent to make speaking not so difficult, because it was clear it was painful as he swallowed again and winced ever-so-slightly. His voice literally sounded like there were nails stuck in his throat, and was also incredibly dry and raspy. Hearing that, the Jedi could actually understand why he didn't want to speak.
The Chancellor was similarly surprised and turned back to him to say, "So you can speak."
Kailan shrugged without taking his eyes off the Chancellor, "It's usually not worth the effort or the pain, but yes, I can. My family can usually read me well enough that speaking isn't necessary, so I don't. And my brother knows what I'm thinking without me having to say anything," he rasped quietly, "What do you want?" swallowing again, making the Jedi realize he could only speak that way: swallowing before and after each time he spoke.
"An admission of guilt regarding the Senate hostage crisis," Palpatine said, "Do that, and you won't spend the rest of your life in prison. From my understanding, it's a very long life."
Kailan cocked his head slightly before saying, "If I were to admit to such a thing, which would be a leap because you can't say for sure it was me that took over the Senate, what do I get in return?" his eyes narrowed slightly, "What will you give me?"
"You're kidding, right?" Anakin asked, "What makes you think you deserve anything from us? And why are you even asking?" unable to understand how someone related to a Jedi could think like that or ask such a thing.
Kailan only shot him an impatient glare before saying, "I'm a bounty hunter, Skywalker, not a Jedi. I wasn't raised in the Temple; I was raised by my family and brothers, many of whom are bounty hunters. Don't for a second think that because I look like my brother I think like him. He has regard for mortals; I do not. I could care less at the end of the day what happens to mortals, and that is one opinion he hasn't been able to change over the years," he cocked his head then, "As for deserving anything from you? I don't; I'm honest enough to admit that. But I'm also an opportunist, like any good bounty hunter. And since I'm apparently one of the best hunters in the galaxy, it would be out of character to not ask for something in return. So again….what do I get out of this?"
The Jedi weren't expecting such a response from Kailan, and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Mace when he heard this. They weren't going to have an easy time getting Kailan to do what they wanted, and he was clearly stubborn enough to not budge on the issue until he got what he wanted.
And what he wanted was still an unknown to them.
"Nothing," Palpatine said, drawing their attention back to the conversation at hand, "You took over the Senate and killed a senator. Why do you deny it?"
The Nautolan stared at him a moment before saying quietly, "Many people have used the alias 'Ky Lan' over the years, not just me. Several of my brothers have used it, as have many of our people. So there is that. There is also the fact that you may not have noticed, but I don't look or sound like the Nautolan that took over the Senate if your wanted posters are to be believed," his eyes narrowed slightly before saying, "And since politicians spook easily, they may not have been paying attention to the faces of the ones holding them hostage and may have been more focused on the blasters in their faces."
"Both Seeker and Ventress claim you took over the Senate," Obi-Wan said as he joined the conversation, and Kailan turned to him and said, "One is considered an enemy of the Republic; the other is a former agent of Dooku with no reason to be loyal to the Republic or tell the truth. The worst litigator on Coruscant could poke more holes in these charges than you with your lightsaber."
Hearing that, Palpatine decided to change tactics, saying, "Perhaps you should consider what will happen if you don't admit to it. You are going to prison for other charges that will hold up; admitting to a few right now would make it easier for you."
Kailan turned back to him and rasped, "Do your worst," clearly not intimidated or afraid of what the Senate or the Chancellor would do to him, "Your worst is nothing compared to what I've already survived. Growing up on Glee Anselm isn't exactly a picnic. You either survive or die, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't happy to leave."
"I'm guessing that has something to do with your voice," Thrawn said quietly, "It sounds like you got on the wrong side of a rancor."
"More like Jabba the Hutt," Kailan rasped as he turned to the captain, "But that's what happens when you decide your family is worth more than anything Jabba promises you."
"What does that mean?" Mace asked, stepping forward, "What are you holding back on?"
Kailan turned to him and stared at him for a few moments, and the Jedi were again disappointed to see that Kailan was nothing like his twin. There was no kindness or compassion in his eyes, just a hardness and brutality that spoke of difficult times and a lot of anger that didn't have an outlet.
Ki-Adi shook his head inwardly when he saw that; no one should be that hardened.
The Nautolan stared at Mace for a few moments before saying quietly, "I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it?" as he canted his head, exactly like his twin would have done, and said, "About twenty years ago Kit came to me because he needed help with something. It involved Seeker, so I was more than happy to help. She'd gotten herself into some trouble with Jabba and needed help getting out of it. We were able to get her out, but we were captured instead. When Jabba realized the brother of his best bounty hunter was a Jedi, he decided to play a test of loyalty."
"What does that mean?" Anakin asked, and the Nautolan glanced at him before saying, "He wanted me to kill my brother."
"What?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise, which was felt by everyone there. They never would have guessed that, but thinking about how Jabba operated, Obi-Wan honestly couldn't be that surprised. It would be like something Jabba would do.
Kailan nodded, "I didn't do it, clearly. Blood is thicker than water, and my loyalty to my twin isn't something that is pawned away or can be sabotaged. Jabba was furious, and decided there was only one thing to do. He was kind enough to leave this scar on my face," jerking his head as he said this, "And then crushed my voice box with his own hands so that speaking would be a constant struggle. The worst part was that my brother watched and could do nothing without getting a blaster bolt through his brain. That look on his face is one I never want to see again. After that, we were thrown into the dungeons. Jabba keeps a rancor down there, and we were next on the menu. I don't really remember how we got out, the pain was a bit much, but we did. Kit got me to Tristan after that, and he did what he could, but it still hurts to speak. And breathe. And eat. And forget about laughing," he cocked an eye-ridge, "That hurts more than its worth. That is why Jabba hates me and was willing to use my mate to get to me. If he had gotten his hands on my twin, he would have used him too. But Geeta was the next best thing to lure me out of hiding, and it worked. I still have the holodiary, and I will use that eventually to get Jabba to leave me alone, for good. I'm tired of him coming after my family. Give him half a chance; he'll go after Kit. He doesn't care that Kit's a Jedi."
It was silent for a few moments while everyone processed what they had heard, but after Mace asked, "Where is your brother?"
"Nowhere I care to share, Jedi," Kailan said, "I didn't like being separated from him the last few decades, but I put up with it even though it was a struggle because he asked," his gaze hardened suddenly, "I'm not letting that happen again."
"You won't be separated," Palpatine said, but Kailan wasn't falling for it as he turned to the Chancellor and said, "I go to prison, and who knows what happens to him if he survives his injuries and is found before he heals. Why would I take that risk? I'd rather throw myself into a sarlacc pit."
"Don't be dramatic," the Chancellor said dismissively, and Kailan's eyes narrowed to slits as he said, "Not dramatic, loyal. There's a massive difference. Explaining it would take more time than it's worth, and you won't listen anyways, so why should I bother?"
Palpatine clearly couldn't take being insulted so much in one day, but Kailan was clearly bored with talking to him because he looked out the viewport behind the Chancellor and asked, "Where are we going?" nodding at the whites and blues of hyperspace.
The Chancellor looked behind him before turning back and saying, "Someplace you are familiar with. You grew up there after all."
The Jedi weren't pleased with this development, and neither was Kailan as he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why would I willingly go back to that hell?"
"Exactly that, are my thoughts," Yoda said softly, speaking for the first time, "Purpose you have, Chancellor?"
"Yes, Master Yoda," Palpatine said as he motioned to Dr. Boll, "If this clan is so adamant about the conditions on Glee Anselm, I thought it would be a good idea to have a respected member of the scientific community there to document it all. And that doctor would need a guide."
"Again, why would I willingly go back there?" Kailan interrupted quietly, "None of us were kidding when we said it was hell living there. I left when I was fifteen. I've been back a few times, but now that I don't have a reason to return, why should I? The Monarchy doesn't think we all left. There are still snipers posted around the south pole, looking for us so they can kill us. Why would I risk my neck for a scientist?"
"Perhaps not for a scientist," Thrawn said suddenly as he motioned at a clone standing near the blast doors to the bridge, "but perhaps for something else you will care about."
Kailan raised an eye-ridge but decided to play along as he turned to those doors along with the Jedi. At first, nothing happened, but then two clones entered the room, accompanied by a young girl. She was small and barefoot, her black hair in long tangles down her back. She was wearing a half-top like many females of clan Fisto seemed to wear, but trousers instead of a skirt. Her features were Nautolan, as were her eyes, and she was fighting the clone holding her arm with everything she was worth.
But because she was so small it wasn't working too well.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ki-Adi asked as he stared at the girl in surprise, recognizing her. It was the young one who had taken Kit's lightsaber off Seeker's belt while she was in surgery saving Kit's life. She now looked at him when he spoke before looking away and going back to fighting the clone, and there was no hiding the fear they could feel coming off her.
"I was about to ask the same thing," Kailan said as he turned to Thrawn, "What do you think you are doing?"
"You need an incentive to go to Glee Anselm," Thrawn said, nodding at the girl, "This is your incentive. Do it, and she won't be harmed," he raised an eyebrow, "You care about her, so it shouldn't be that hard."
"What makes you think I care about her?" Kailan asked as he jerked his head at the girl, who was now watching everything happening with wide, terrified eyes.
"You know her, don't you?" Thrawn asked, and Kailan nodded, "She lives at Home Base with her mother. Since she lives there, my brothers and I automatically protect her, as does anyone else in the clan."
"I meant on a more personal level," Thrawn said as he walked closer to Kailan, the Nautolan watching him warily for any sign of danger, "We found her wandering near the Ghost on Tattoine just now, which was a bit dangerous considering the circumstances, don't you think?"
"I don't believe you for a second, Thrawn," Kailan rasped, causing the Chiss to raise an eyebrow, "We knew she was on our ship, and we told her to stay put. She knows how dangerous it is for her out in the galaxy, so the only way you could have found her was if you sent men onto the Ghost itself," he cocked his head, "You kind of gave yourself away when you left those tracking devices. We found all four of them," his lips twitched into a slight smile, "And the two you thought were more hidden. But we didn't find her, so we knew what had happened."
"Hence why you're here," Thrawn said, "You wouldn't be here if you didn't care," he cocked his head then, "Which is understandable, since she's your daughter."
The Jedi and Chancellor stared at him in surprise for making such a claim, while Kailan only cocked his head and said, "I don't have a daughter. The child that was just born on Tattoine is my first. And as I'm sure the Jedi noticed, my mate is not human. Besides, if I or any of my other brothers did have a daughter, don't you think the Monarchy would have stopped hunting Kit by now? Their spies are rather skilled at knowing when one of us has a child and whether it's a boy or girl. They would have left him alone a long time ago."
"Well," Thrawn said, "When we got her DNA," nodding at the girl, "and compared it to yours, it was a direct match," he cocked his head, "I wonder how that was possible?" as the Jedi glanced at each other before looking at the girl, who was watching all of this with a fair amount of fear still visible.
Kailan narrowed his eyes, "Why don't you stop dancing around what you're dying to say?" daring him to say it.
"Fine," Thrawn said smugly, "There is only one other person in this galaxy that shares your DNA, and if you aren't her father, then she must be his," as the Jedi shared surprised looks, wondering how many more shocks they could take from this. Thrawn only asked, "Are you going to deny it?"
Kailan looked at him then, "What's the point of denying what we all know to be true?"
Hearing that the Jedi were forced to accept the fact the girl was Kit's daughter, but she had finally had enough of being held so tightly by the clone, and twisted her head around to deliver a bite to the clone's hand. The clone wasn't fast enough to let go and got a bite for his troubles, which did make him let go, but surprisingly he wasn't hurt by it. The other clone wasn't fast enough to catch her, and she dodged the Jedi attempting to catch her easily before ducking between Kailan's legs and holding on tight to one of them. Seeing this Thrawn said, "She certainly knows you."
"I wonder why," Kailan rasped, the sarcasm more than clear.
Thrawn only shook his head while Yoda tried to get a better look at his former Padawan's daughter, grappling with his surprise that Kit had a daughter. There wasn't much to see, because she was terrified and only felt safe with Kailan. She was holding onto his leg so tight her knuckles were turning white, and she was trembling in complete fear. Yoda shook his head when he saw that, while the other Jedi were saddened to see her so scared.
But there was no time to dwell on that when Palpatine said, "So much for your clan not having a female heir," and Kailan looked up from where he was looking at his niece to ask, "Do you know what the Monarchy would do to her if they found out she existed? If she survived, which is a massive 'if,' she would never be the same again and would likely find death to be the best kind of freedom instead of reliving those nightmares day after day. The fact she is the daughter of a Jedi wouldn't save her from them. The fact Kit is a Jedi won't save him either. We keep her secret, and her mother secret as well, because we know what would happen to them if they were ever found. She and her mother are the most important things in Kit's life, so we protect them when he cannot. Especially now," turning his head oh-so-slowly to glare at Tarkin.
Tarkin glared back while Mace asked, "Does she know what happened to her father?" wondering if they would be willing to subject a young child to that.
"No," Kailan said as he turned to Mace, "All she knows is that he's sick and needs to rest. We keep her away from him, but she's getting wise to us. She may be four, almost five, but she isn't an idiot. She knows there is more going on that we aren't telling her, and sneaking aboard the Ghost was her attempt to find out more."
Mace nodded while Aayla crouched down to get a better look. The girl peeked out from her uncle's leg before hiding again, and Aayla could feel the Force reach out a few moments later to see what she was. Aayla smiled when she felt that; the girl was as Force-sensitive as her father. Looking over at Yoda, Aayla could tell he had also felt it. Standing up, Aayla asked, "What's her name?" nodding at the girl, wondering if Kailan would give it. Kit's mate was an absolute secret, but now that his daughter wasn't perhaps Kailan would be more willing to share it.
Kailan stared at her a few moments before saying, "Lorelei."
The girl looked up at him when he said that, and the Jedi smiled at the sight. Despite everything and the fact that Kit had completely broken the Jedi Code, the girl was beautiful and so much like her father it was hard not to be fond of her. Shaak Ti tried to get close then, but Lorelei shrank back and hid even more, clearly scared, and the Togruta stepped back. She didn't want to scare the child more than she already was, but she didn't understand this fear and looking around, she could see it was the same for those gathered there.
Why would Lorelei be scared of people that would never hurt her? Surely she could sense they weren't unkind?
Palpatine clearing his throat gently caught their attention and he said, "I don't approve of this, Captain. A child is not a tool and should not be put through this."
"My apologies, Chancellor, but I didn't see another way," Thrawn said. Kailan turned to him with narrowed eyes as the Chiss continued, "If you agree to go to Glee Anselm and show why it was so dangerous there, the child stays on the ship and the Jedi will take care of her. If not she, and you, get to go to the detention level. And I think you know that is no place for a child."
Kailan narrowed his eyes even more before slowly nodding, "Fine," he bit out, "I will do this, but the Jedi may find this a rather difficult task. Lorelei has a rather….independent mindset and doesn't like being told what to do. A typical alpha female. And she is her father's child; she likes to wander and is incredibly stubborn."
"I'm sure the Jedi can handle her," Thrawn said, and Aayla stepped forward along with Shaak to take charge of the girl, but Lorelei only hid even more.
"I should probably also mention," Kailan rasped, suddenly sounding incredibly smug, "Lorelei has only ever been around Nautolans and a few humans. She has no idea what a Twi'lek is or what a Togruta looks like. And she's scared of snakes, which means she's terrified of Thisspiasians," glancing at the hologram of Oppo Rancisis and a few more members of the Council and Order that were taking part in this meeting from the Temple and other fleets. Hearing this, the Jedi and the Chancellor were surprised that a Jedi's daughter could not only be afraid of something but was also afraid because she had met so few people in her life.
"Seriously?" Anakin asked, and Kailan nodded, "She's grown up in almost complete isolation, Skywalker. It was a decision her parents made when she was born. If no one knows she exists or how to find her, she can stay alive long enough to grow up. Keeping her apart from the mainstream universe has kept her alive and safe, and since attending school at Home Base isn't mandatory, she doesn't go. She likes her freedom and likes to cause trouble. School is too boring for her. She hasn't always lived on Home Base; she lived on Senali for a few months and a few other places before we had to move her and her mother because the Monarchy kept finding their safe houses, and then they came to Home Base where they have lived ever since. It means she doesn't know much about the galaxy as a whole, and her mother indulges her by not forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do. So even though you are Jedi and she knows what that is, her fear of your races will keep her from moving."
"She knows her father is a Jedi, right?" Saessee Tiin asked, and Kailan nodded, "Yes, she does. She knows that means he isn't around a lot, but that's about it. And when he is around, he takes care of her and loves her more than anything. He keeps her safe and takes her swimming, and they have adventures around Home Base. She doesn't fully understand what Jedi do, but she knows her father is one, and whenever his lightsaber is around, it means he is around. It doesn't change the fact that she doesn't understand the rest of the galaxy or that there are more than just humans and Nautolans in it."
"I see," Saessee said, while the Chancellor said, "Regardless, you still need to make her go with the Jedi for now. You have my assurances you will be reunited with her as soon as you are done on Glee Anselm."
"I can't make her do anything," Kailan said quietly, "She has to want to. That is the crux of being an alpha female. They have an unbreakable will, even at this age. Which means she has to go with someone she trusts. And there isn't anyone here she knows she can trust. And there is no one here I trust," he cocked his head, "An interesting dilemma, isn't it?"
"But there is someone?" Tarkin asked, and Kailan turned to him with a glare that could have frozen lava. That glare lasted for several minutes before the Nautolan said, "If you bring someone that both my twin and Seeker trust, then I can get Lorelei to go with them," as he turned back to Mace, "I won't leave her here, with him," jerking his head at Tarkin, "My brother would never let me hear the end of it if something happened to her because of him," jerking his head at Tarkin again, "especially when he's not around to protect her. Even before he stabbed Kit, Kit didn't trust him and warned me against having his daughter alone in the same room with him, much less the same ship," Tarkin narrowed his eyes when he heard that while Yoda was surprised to hear how much distrust there had been between his old Padawan and the captain that hadn't been shared with him or anyone else.
"Who did you have in mind?" Mace asked, even though he was willing to guess what the answer was, and that was confirmed when Kailan turned to him with a cocky smirk on his face, "You know who. The Tholothian Seeker saved on Florrum. She has the Trace on her, and Lorelei will recognize it for what it is. She will trust the Tholothian because Seeker trusts her enough to plant the Trace on her, and Kit has told me he trusts the Tholothian. Bring her here, and I will do as you ask. I will also make sure Lorelei behaves herself while with the Tholothian."
"Master Gallia was captured by Grievous," Obi-Wan said, being an unfortunate dose of reality, "We are in the process of tracking her down. Master Plo Koon is leading the search."
Kailan cocked an eye-ridge, "I can wait. So will she," nodding down at the little girl hiding between his legs.
"Understood," Master Plo said as he ended the transmission with Obi-Wan Kenobi before turning to look at Adi Gallia. He had just boarded Grievous' ship to rescue the other Jedi Master, and she was now speaking with a few of the clones that had participated in the rescue mission. Commander Wolffe was dealing with Senator Amidala's protocol droid and Master Skywalker's astromech Artoo, the protocol droid not being quiet and leaving Wolffe the unenviable job of shutting him up.
Master Plo looked at Adi, wondering how she would receive this news. It was difficult for him to process, but what was being asked of her wasn't something he would wish on anyone. And this news was such a surprise to him that he needed a few moments to wrap his head around it. But once he did he nodded to himself and walked over to Adi, who looked at him as he approached, her smile at what the clones had told her disappearing when she sensed something else was going on.
"What's wrong, Master Plo?" Adi asked, and Master Plo said, "I just received a transmission from Master Kenobi. They were able to capture Kailan Fisto on Tattoine. Apparently, he and a few of his brothers were there to find his missing mate, and did. They were able to get away, along with Seeker, but Kailan was captured," Adi nodded slowly and Master Plo continued, "Master Gallia, Kailan let himself be captured."
"Why?" Adi asked as the clones looked at each other, knowing that the brothers weren't the kind of people that let themselves get captured without a reason or a plan. And since Kailan had taken over the Senate, letting himself be arrested to face those charges didn't make any sense.
Master Plo sighed, "Captain Thrawn had some men sneak onto the Ghost, and they found a young girl hidden onboard. You remember the young one that took Master Fisto's lightsaber off Seeker's belt?" Adi nodded and Master Plo continued, "It was that girl. Kailan let himself be captured so that he could find her."
"What's so special about her, sir?" Wolffe asked, having pawned Threepio and Artoo off on his lieutenant, who was glaring daggers at his back under his helmet.
"She's Master Fisto's daughter," the Kel Dor said, shocking everyone there, including Adi. Master Plo continued, "She's almost five years old, and apparently much like her father from what they could see. She was also completely terrified and refuses to leave her uncle. Apparently, she has grown up in almost complete isolation to keep her safe. She doesn't know there are races in the galaxy aside from Nautolans and humans."
Adi nodded slowly before asking, "What's her name?"
"Lorelei," Master Plo said, "And apparently, the Chancellor wants Kailan to guide Dr. Boll around the south pole of Glee Anselm and show her why they left. But he refuses to unless someone takes care of Lorelei. He won't leave her alone on a ship with Captain Tarkin. Master Kenobi says the distrust and hate were palpable from a few levels below the bridge."
"What does that have to do with me?" Adi asked, "If he doesn't trust anyone, he won't trust you or me."
"Under normal circumstances, you would be right," Master Plo said, "But Kailan says Lorelei will trust you because of the Trace. Because Seeker trusts you enough to leave the Trace, and because Kit told Kailan he trusts you, he will only leave Lorelei with you while he does as the Chancellor asks. Apparently, Captain Thrawn threatened to put both of them in the detention cells if he didn't, and Kailan knows that's no place for a child," he looked closely at Adi, who was staring at him in surprise, and asked gently, "Will you do it?"
Adi nodded without hesitation, "Let's go."
Master Plo nodded, and they headed for the hangar of the juggernaut, ready to leave and get to Glee Anselm.
The ocean world of Glee Anselm looked pristine and beautiful from space, with its large oceans and the islands that dotted the surface. Looking at it, Ki-Adi couldn't help but say, "I don't understand why you say living there was so difficult," as he turned to Kailan, who hadn't moved or said much since he had given his ultimatum regarding Lorelei, "It doesn't look as though there is anything wrong."
"Looks can be deceiving," Kailan rasped, "You don't know what the south pole looks like in real life. The hologram Taylora showed you doesn't do it justice," he turned away from his home planet, "It's a lot worse in real life."
Ki-Adi shook his head before returning to watching the space around Glee Anselm as another Jedi cruiser dropped out of hyperspace nearby. A few minutes later, the hangar doors opened and a shuttle headed for their ship. Minutes later, it was onboard and the hangar doors were closing behind it. Turning to Kailan, Thrawn said from the holotable, "Time to fulfill your end of the deal."
Palpatine, and the Jedi that had been attending the meeting via hologram had left, the Chancellor to deal with some issues in the Senate and the Jedi to attend to their duties, leaving only those physically on the cruiser to deal with Kailan and what he had to show and tell them.
"Not yet," Kailan rasped, "You get nothing from me until Lorelei is safe. She may be your insurance that I don't do something terrible, but she is also my insurance you won't do something to me I won't like. As long as she stays safe, you have my cooperation."
"She means that much to you?" Thrawn asked, "Your brother, from what I can see, hasn't had much to do with raising her. He's only been going to see her every summer."
Kailan stared at him, his anger rising to the fore so much the room seemed to darken, and the Jedi could feel the Force move. Thrawn glanced around then, and that was when he cleared his throat and seemed to have trouble breathing. But it only lasted a few moments before Kailan said quietly, "If Lorelei wasn't here, I would strangle you for saying such a thing. You don't know a thing about my twin or how he's taken care of his family. He's sacrificed more than you know to keep them safe, and he would give his life to protect his daughter. Can you say the same?"
"I don't have children," the Chiss said, leaving Kailan to shake his head and say, "You're missing the forest for the trees," he cocked his head, "Kit never told anyone he had a mate, not even our mother, for over five years. Not because our mother would reject her, but because he knew how dangerous it was. And while his mate can hold her own against just about anyone and makes the Geàrd look like amateurs, even she knew she would have to watch out and be careful. Hiding in plain sight worked for a while, but it stopped working when she got pregnant, and the Monarchy heard about her. They don't know who she is or what she looks like, but they still hunt her. No one outside our family knows who she is, and it will stay that way. Kit did all that, hid his feelings and emotions regarding her as deeply as he could, so that no one would know about her. He did the same with Lorelei when she was born. He knows how dangerous it is for them, and his family is the only people he trusts to keep them safe. Otherwise, he would have gone to the Jedi."
"He doesn't trust us?" Mace asked, and Kailan glanced at him, "He would have to tell you he broke the Jedi Code and then hope you would still be willing to protect them. And it wouldn't be short-term protection. It would last decades, maybe centuries. And the Jedi report to the Senate, which hasn't stood by its citizens in a long time. He would know that no protection is foolproof, not even ours, but he would know that we wouldn't falter in it," he canted his head then, "I know who his mate is, and yet I would rather die than say. That is the kind of loyalty that exists in our family and our clan, hence why I'm still standing here and protecting his daughter. I could ask the same from him, and I would get it. When that kath hound ripped his leg to shreds on Grievous' ship, I felt it. He reached out to me then, and I took on some of his pain so that he could keep going and keep his silence. I did that for him, not the Jedi or the Republic. If something similar had happened to me and I reached out to him, he would have helped me without asking questions. That is the kind of bond we have. It hasn't faltered yet, and I doubt it ever will."
Mace shook his head when he heard that, almost unable to imagine that kind of loyalty and commitment, looking down at Lorelei. The child hadn't moved since she had broken free of the clones, only sneaking glances at the Jedi and those around them when she thought no one was looking. She was still scared, but it had gone from abject terror to a normal level of fear as more time passed and she got more used to those around her. She still refused to leave her uncle, but the Jedi could sense curiosity in her whenever she reached out with the Force to see what she could learn. Her skill in the Force was actually more than they expected of a child her age, and she certainly had quite a bit of control. Even if she didn't like school, someone was working with her regarding the Force.
The blast doors opening behind them caught their attention, and they all looked to see that Master Plo and Master Gallia had finally arrived on the bridge. Adi looked no worse for wear after being held captive by Grievous, and Kailan smiled slightly when he saw her. She wasn't impressed by him, even though his resemblance to his brother was undeniable. But her attention was then on Thrawn, who said, "We've held up our end of the deal," Kailan turned to him, "Now it's your turn."
Kailan cocked his head at that, not saying anything as he stared at Thrawn before turning to Adi and cocking his head again, staring her down. She held his gaze and didn't flinch, and after a few seconds he apparently found what he was looking for because he nodded slowly and looked down at his legs. Following his gaze, Adi could just see a small girl holding onto his right leg as tight as she could and hiding. Turning to Yoda, Adi looked at him. Yoda only nodded, and she walked over as she took a deep breath, wondering what would happen.
She didn't know a thing about this girl other than her name, and this could quickly go wrong.
But Kailan didn't seem to think so because he finally shifted his weight, making Lorelei have to let go for a brief moment. She looked up at him, and Adi's breath caught for a second when she saw how similar she looked to her father. The eyes were his, and so were her features. The little girl looked at Adi then, and Adi could see her take a deep breath before her eyes widened slightly, clearly sensing the Trace on her. She looked up at her uncle, but still refused to let go, and Adi decided to take a risk. She kneeled on one knee, and Lorelei looked at her before looking up at her uncle, who nodded. Lorelei looked out from the protection of her uncle for a few seconds, but suddenly pulled back and refused to come out, and Mace shook his head when he saw that.
Kailan wasn't kidding when he said his niece was stubborn.
But Kailan had apparently had enough of her antics because he finally said, "Rach leis an Tholothian, Lorelei. Tha earbsa aig d' athair innte agus cha dèan i cron ort. Bidh mi air ais a dh'aithghearr gus do thoirt dhachaigh, agus an uairsin chì thu e, tha mi a 'gealltainn. Bidh e ceart gu leòr."
Lorelei looked up at him when she heard those words, and even though the Jedi had no idea what he was saying, she knew. She stared him directly in the eye, clearly looking to see if he was lying. But he wasn't and she knew it, and after a few moments she nodded and looked at Adi in a new way. This time there was no fear and maybe a bit of trust, and Adi reached out a hand and smiled slightly. Lorelei looked up at her uncle once more before looking at Adi and reaching out, taking her hand. Kailan moved a step towards Adi then, and Lorelei went with him.
Seeing this tentative trust form between Lorelei and Adi was fascinating to watch. The Jedi were then treated to the sight of Lorelei letting go of her uncle's leg completely and letting Adi pick her up, the Tholothian standing up as she did so. She put her arms around Adi's neck and held on tight, and then Adi stepped back and away from Kailan. She nodded at Kailan and started to walk away, Lorelei not looking up from where her face was buried in Adi's shoulder, but then Kailan said quietly, "There are a few things you might want to know," and Adi turned back around to look at him.
Kailan said quietly, "Our people are born either knowing Basic, or not. Lorelei doesn't know it and hasn't been interested in learning it. She may know it by the time she's ten; she may not. It's up to her for the most part. Good luck with the language barrier."
"Seriously?" Anakin asked, and Kailan shot him another impatient glare as he said, "We don't restrict or force our children, Skywalker. She can learn at her pace as long as she wants, and we won't force her one way or the other."
Turning to Adi, he added, "She's also just starting to get her more….poisonous….teeth in. They are the canines in front. She isn't venomous right now, luckily for you," glancing at the clone she had bitten, "But they are starting to come in, which is a bit painful. They are coming down through about two inches of bone from just under her eyes, and there will be some blood because of them," he cocked his head, "She may try to bang her head against something solid to distract from the pain, so watch out. I've seen children fracture their skulls doing so."
"How long does that last?" Dr. Boll asked, and Kailan said, "Almost a month. And since we have such a high tolerance for drugs, we can't give her anything for the pain. She'll have to tough it out like the rest of us," leaving those on the bridge amazed that it took that long and was such a painful thing for her to have to deal with at such a young age.
Adi stared at him a few moments before nodding and leaving the bridge with Lorelei, heading for her quarters and knowing this may be the toughest mission she had ever had.
Once Adi had left with Lorelei, the Jedi and Dr. Boll took Kailan on a gunship down to the south pole of Glee Anselm. They hadn't told anyone they were coming, and Kailan had decided to stop talking for the time being. Obi-Wan, Anakin, Master Plo, Master Tiin, and Eeth Koth were there, along with some clones. Arriving at the south pole, they walked out onto a barren landscape utterly devoid of life. There wasn't even a blade of grass growing, and the weather was stifling hot. No water was seen anywhere, and pockets in the ground were steaming. The rest of the ground was covered in dust and sand, which the wind kicked up every few minutes into small sand and dust storms.
Looking around, the Jedi could see empty huts and houses, but that was it. There was no life anywhere, as far as the eye could see. Kailan looked around as he was forced off the gunship by the clone behind him, saying quietly, "Promised myself I would never come back here."
Anakin glanced at him when he said that, actually understanding why he and his people had left. There was nothing here to sustain life of any kind; walking past him a few paces to get a better look at a nearby steam vent. Suddenly he was thrown back by the Force, skidding to a stop near Kailan.
Knowing it could have only come from Kailan, he leaped to his feet and snapped, "What's the matter with you?!"
Kailan didn't look at him, and seconds later there was an explosion as lava surged from the ground where Anakin had been standing. It was almost like a volcano, and Anakin blanched when he realized how close he had come to being burned alive. He looked at the Nautolan, who only stared at him before looking away, leaving Obi-Wan to say, "You know when the lava comes? You can sense it?"
"Sometimes," Kailan said, "Other times, it's just experience saying that the lava always explodes out near the steam vents," he cocked his head, "That's where the water is too, so you're always guessing when it's safe to get water. The only access to the sea is beyond our borders, where the snipers are hidden, so you're running a gauntlet every day just for a meal. Depending on how hungry you are, you may decide to skip dinner that day. But if you have kids, you have to feed them, which means taking the risk," nodding to the south and southwest.
Obi-Wan shook his head while Dr. Boll stared around in disbelief at the barren landscape, "I can't believe your people were able to survive here. This place wouldn't be habitable according to the standards of habitability set by the Senate," before taking out a datapad and starting to make notes and observations about the area. A clone had a holorecorder and was recording everything there was to see as well.
"Many of our people didn't," was all Kailan said as he stared at the hills to the north. Looking in that direction, Dr. Boll and the Jedi could easily see the mass graves where so many of his people were buried. Dr. Boll said, "If we could prove those are mass graves, we can make a decent case to the Senate to have the government of Glee Anselm charged with genocide," turning to the Jedi.
Kailan snorted when he heard that, "If you want to disturb the dead, be my guest. Their ghosts wander here among the living anyways; I'm sure they won't mind their rest being disturbed as well," the sarcasm more than clear.
"You believe in ghosts?" Anakin asked, unable to keep the mockery out of his voice, and Kailan looked away as he heard something coming from behind the huts. He started walking that way, and the Jedi had no choice but to follow. They rounded the corner of a house to the sight of a small fire, with Nautolans dancing around it in a central square. But their feet didn't seem to touch the ground, and their voices came and went with the wind:
"Sailing, I am sailing
Home again, 'cross the sea
I am sailing, stormy waters
To be near you, to be free."
The Jedi were surprised to hear such words, and Obi-Wan turned to Kailan to see him watching the ghosts, eyes almost glistening with unshed tears, Everything natural to Nautolans is denied here. They can't swim, they can't fish, they can't sail, they can't be what they were made to be. No wonder they left, he thought as he turned back to watch the ghosts.
They were still dancing, Nautolan women singing in time with their music, and as they watched the song became louder and easier to hear:
"I am flying, I am flying
Like a bird, 'cross the sky
I am flying, passing high clouds
To be with you, who can say?"
As they watched, the ghosts kept dancing around the fire, leaping into the air as if to fly, flying above the planet to come home to a more beautiful place:
"Can you hear me, can you hear me
Through the dark night, far away?
I am dying, forever trying
To be with you, who can say
I am dying, forever trying
To be with you, who can say?"
The ghosts suddenly fell to the ground, blood pouring from wounds, and the Jedi were recoiling at the sight, as were the clones. Kailan didn't flinch, and as they watched the ghosts started fading away as their blood spilled into the ground. As the last verse came, the ghosts continued to fade away into nothingness:
"We are sailing, we are sailing
Home again, 'cross the sea
We are sailing, stormy waters
To be near you, to be free
To be near you, to be near you, to be free."
As they watched, the wind picked up suddenly, and the image disappeared completely, and in its place stood a lone female Nautolan. She stared at them all, not saying a word, but then the wind picked up again and she disappeared as well, and that was when Kailan turned away and said, "Still don't believe in ghosts, Skywalker?" he looked at the young Jedi, "They walk around here all the time, so much so you get used to seeing them and just go about your day. They aren't sad to see us gone, though. They are harmless."
"And you just live with it?" Dr. Boll asked, and Kailan shrugged, "The ghosts come during the day; the screams come at night. The screams of the dead and dying happen all night. You get used to it, or you leave. Wandering the galaxy is better than listening to that all night."
Dr. Boll shook her head, saying quietly to Obi-Wan, "I didn't believe in ghosts before."
"Neither did I," Obi-Wan said as they looked into the largest house. It had several rooms, and looking over at Kailan they could see the memories returning as he looked around. Obi-Wan asked quietly, "This was your house, wasn't it? Where you lived?"
Kailan nodded, "Once you reach maturity, you move out and build your own, or move in with your mate if they already have a home, because wood is scarce here, and you don't want to break your back building something out of stone. The earthquakes will destroy it quickly enough. This is where my brothers and uncle were brought in when they were found. The Chieftess' house is the meeting house, and where our healers lived because it was the most protected building. The blood is still there, from my brothers and uncle dying and the healers being slaughtered," he said quietly as he looked at the walls where streaks of blood had dried, "Taylora didn't tell you, but the house was attacked the night we were born. The healers were killed, and a few of the Geàrd, and my mother had to fight while in labor. I don't know how she did it, but she did. I can't think of many people stronger than her."
Hearing that, Obi-Wan shook his head as he went and took a closer look at the benches around the room, and it seemed like the light was playing tricks on his eyes as he saw a shadow on one of the benches that looked like a dead Nautolan. He blinked, and the shadow was gone, and he asked, "What were their names? Your brothers and uncle?"
Kailan froze and swallowed hard before saying quietly, "I don't know. Neither does Kit. Our people grieve long and hard for our dead, and tradition says their names aren't to be spoken for two hundred years. It's said by then the pain is a bit easier to bear."
Obi-Wan shook his head and turned to Anakin, who had gone to explore the other rooms with Dr. Boll, who said as she returned, "I can't imagine how anyone could survive here, much less children and the elderly. It seems impossible. There aren't any access points for water here. Everything normal to your species is denied here."
"Underwater is worse," Kailan said, "We would rather not swim than take that risk. Count yourselves lucky the waterfire dragons aren't out during the day. They prefer to hunt at night, so we never let our guard down."
Obi-Wan shook his head again and they left the house, Kailan not looking back, and started walking north. Seeing where they were going, the Nautolan said, "Might not be a good idea to head this way. Those snipers I told you about set up near the hills."
"You're afraid of snipers?" Anakin asked sarcastically as they walked, and Kailan shot back, "I prefer my brains inside my head where they belong. Besides, you aren't the one they're going to be shooting at. I look too much like my twin, and there's a death warrant on his head if he ever comes back here. Hence why he's never come back."
"He's never been back to Glee Anselm?" Dr. Boll asked, "And you aren't upset about that?"
"He remembers what living here was like," Kailan said, "What does it matter if he left when he was two? He still knows how hard living here was, and none of us were jealous or upset because his leaving meant he was alive. The Monarchy was so terrified of that seer's vision coming true they did everything in their power to kill him. Leaving him in the Temple was the safest option," he raised an eye-ridge, "And their fears were apparently justified."
By then, they were about halfway to the hills when Kailan looked up suddenly and stared at the top of one of them. He suddenly ducked down and tripped the Jedi behind him, Eeth Koth, sending them both to the ground as a laser bolt passed over their heads. Eeth stared at Kailan in surprise while the Jedi still standing ignited their blades, and Master Plo said, "Back to the gunship, now. We've seen all we need to see here."
"And that sniper will call the palace and say there are Jedi here," Kailan said as he stood up, "They'll want to cover this up as soon as possible if the earth doesn't do it for them."
No one asked what he meant by that, but they figured it out when they reached the gunship and took off. Seconds later, the ground the gunship had been on collapsed on itself, and a lava river poured out of the ground, heading west and away from the houses and huts. Seeing this, the Jedi were shaken, while Kailan only said, "Welcome to the south pole, where the only thing that lives is the fact that death is always imminent."
Anakin looked at him, but Kailan was only focused on the lava, and a few moments later, they were heading back to the cruiser.
As this was happening, Adi had gotten Lorelei settled in her quarters and tried to coax her out of her shell a little bit. Lorelei wasn't having any of it, though, and just curled up into the farthest corner of the bunk into as tight a ball as she could manage and hid. Adi let her be after that, knowing she wouldn't be able to force her to make friends.
She would have to want to do that.
Once Kailan and the others had left for Glee Anselm, it was quiet for about half an hour before Shaak Ti, Aayla Secura, and Luminara Unduli came in. Adi looked up from the datapad she was working on, putting it down when they came in. She nodded and looked over her shoulder where Lorelei was hiding herself. It was quiet for a few minutes before Luminara said softly, "I honestly can't believe this, that she's real," as she sat down in a chair near the bunk, watching Lorelei closely. The little girl only glanced up for a few brief seconds before hiding again, and Luminara shook her head.
"Neither can I," Shaak said as she sat down on the bunk, watching sadly as Lorelei curled tighter into herself and refused to look at anyone, "Or how scared she is."
"She was forced away from everything she knows and doesn't know why she's here or what is happening with her father," Aayla said, "I think anyone would be scared."
Luminara nodded, while Adi said quietly, "She lets me get close, and I tried to untangle her hair, but she wouldn't let me touch it. There are a few old braids in it, so someone was able to get it neat at one point. Other than that, she's well-fed and clean. She's taken care of and loved."
"Has she said anything?" Shaak asked, and Adi shook her head, "I think Kailan was telling the truth. She doesn't understand or speak Basic, but she knows enough about the Force to reach out with it and sense we aren't going to hurt her. It doesn't make her any less scared though."
Shaak shook her head as Yoda and Mace came in. The Togruta stood up then and Yoda took her place, sitting on the bed and waiting quietly. After a few moments of this, Lorelei shifted a bit and looked up, staring at Yoda curiously. He smiled gently at her and she cocked her head, still staring and looking a lot like her father for a moment. But that went away as wariness entered her eyes and she shrank farther into the wall, clearly unwilling to trust him as she hid again. Yoda only stood up and walked a couple paces closer before sitting down again. Lorelei growled slightly without raising her head, warning him against coming any closer. Hearing that the others exchanged glances, but Yoda only chuckled a bit and said, "Bold you are, little one, and fearless. Like your father, you are."
Lorelei still refused to look at him, and Yoda shook his head before turning to Adi, who said, "I've been reviewing the transcripts from the mission to Lola Sayu, Master. I think I figured out one of the words her people use."
"Which one?" Mace asked, and Adi stood up and walked closer to Lorelei, who didn't react as she came closer. Adi only said, "I think athair means 'father', just from how Lyzann's son used it. I'm still working on the others that I heard. Their language is hard to interpret."
"I think you may be right about that one, though, Master Gallia," Luminara said as she nodded at Lorelei, who had looked up when she heard that word and was staring at Adi. Adi turned back to her and smiled slightly before sitting on the bunk and reaching out. Lorelei watched her warily but let Adi pull her close into her arms. The girl rested her head on Adi's stomach, over the Trace, and they could see the tension melt out of her as she shut her eyes. After a few seconds of this, Lorelei opened her eyes and looked up, and that was when she said slowly, "A-di?" playing with the unfamiliar word in her mouth, her accent so thick it was hard to understand anything she was saying.
Adi smiled when she said that and nodded, and Lorelei asked, "Càit a bheil m' athair?" her voice soft and scared. Adi froze when she heard that, not understanding, and had to shake her head sadly to show she didn't understand. Lorelei only turned her head back and shut her eyes, sighing and gripping Adi's hand tightly, not letting go. After a few seconds, her mind settled and she fell asleep, and that was when Adi looked up and said, "This isn't easy. She belongs with her family, not here."
"Agree, I do," Yoda said, "But return her, easy it will not be. Leave her alone on some planet; we cannot. Scattered throughout the galaxy, her family may be. Rely on our sources to find them; we cannot. Get in contact with them; we cannot."
"And we can't return her to a place we can't find," Mace said as he watched Lorelei sleep, "The best we can do is take her to the Jedi Temple and look after her there. At least there she'll be safe."
"But away from her family," Luminara said softly, "And I think she wants to be back with them. We see them as skilled warriors and criminals; she sees them as people who love and protect her. They aren't scary to her, and judging from how excited she was to see her uncles and cousins, she doesn't know what they do. They protect her from that as well."
"If we bring her to the Temple, we can instruct her in the ways of the Force," Aayla suggested, but then Adi cut in, "But her family is doing that," they turned to her, and she said, "They are all Force-sensitive and they clearly have started to teach her. We can all sense that."
"They don't exactly use the Force for the right reasons, Master Gallia," Luminara said quietly, but Adi shook her head before turning to Yoda and saying, "We are forgetting one more important aspect of all this."
Yoda nodded and Adi continued, "What would Kit want us to do? This is his daughter, after all. Would he want her back with her family, or taken to the Temple and separated from them like he was? He remembers that and apparently didn't like it since he was willing to reach out to his family as soon as possible. Would he want that for his daughter as well? And what about her mother? She must be worried beyond belief."
Those were difficult questions, and Yoda didn't have the answers as he said, "Protect his daughter, we will. Protect her, until find a solution we do. Be enough; it may not be. But protect her, we will."
Adi nodded as she looked down at the young girl sleeping in her lap, wondering what would happen as she gently stroked her hair away from her face. Feeling how greasy her hair was, she turned her hand over and was surprised to see the black color come off on her hand, and she looked up at those with her. They were also surprised, and Mace said, "Her family is doing everything it can to keep her safe, even changing her appearance. Do you think she'll let you wash that out?"
Adi immediately shook her head, "No, she tried to bite me when I tried to touch it before," she looked up then, "For whatever reason, she doesn't want anyone touching her hair. I don't want to risk hurting her."
"Has she done as Kailan said and hit her head?" Shaak asked, and Adi shook her head, "No, she hasn't. But I did give her some hard biscuits, and she gnawed on them for a bit before eating them. There was some blood on the biscuits, but that's all I've seen. Perhaps they are just starting to come down? I haven't wanted to push her trust by looking her over more than she is willing."
Shaak nodded as Yoda stood up and said, "Returning, the gunship is. Received a transmission from Dr. Boll we did. Apparently, unlivable the conditions are in the south pole. Shot at, Kailan was," Adi looked at him when he said that, and he continued, "Alive, Kailan is. Kept Master Koth from being injured, he did. As they were leaving, formed under the gunship, a lava river did."
"Dr. Boll says the south pole is completely uninhabitable, and is surprised that children were actually raised there," Mace added, looking at Lorelei, "Perhaps it's a good thing she was raised the way she was. She doesn't know the horrors of the south pole or what the rest of her family has survived. She's only ever known the love of her family and good times with her parents. Kit, and whoever her mother is, have made sure she's growing up protected and loved."
Adi and the others nodded, and a few moments later, Yoda said, "Meet them, we must. Give Lorelei back to her uncle; we will. Safer with him, she will feel."
Adi nodded as she carefully shifted and gently shook Lorelei's shoulder. The little one woke up, blinking a few times and sitting up, shaking her hair as she did so. The long tangles flew about, hitting Adi's shoulder and face, but she didn't mind as she stood and picked Lorelei up. Lorelei was completely barefoot and they didn't want her stepping on anything sharp the maintenance droids might have missed.
Lorelei only wrapped her arms around Adi's neck and held on tight as they left the room and started heading for the level below them since that was where Kailan was being taken so that Lorelei wouldn't have to be in the detention cells, unaware they were being watched.
Watching from around the corner, Seeker and Ventress watched the Jedi leave with Lorelei, Ventress turning to Seeker as she reached for her lightsabers. But Seeker only held up a hand, stopping her, before reaching deep inside herself for the Force. Seconds later, she said quietly, "Sleep," her voice deeper than normal and laden with power, and looked around the corner to see all the Jedi were asleep. The only one awake was Lorelei, standing there and completely confused as she looked around.
But that confusion went away the second she saw Seeker and Ventress, a wide smile splitting her face as she ran for them. She leaped into Seeker's arms and hugged her tightly, which Seeker returned, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. She pulled back after a few moments, asking, "A bheil thu ceart gu leòr?"
Lorelei nodded and asked, "Am faod sinn a dhol dhachaigh a-nis? Tha mi airson athair fhaicinn."
Seeker nodded and passed her over to Ventress, who smiled and held her easily. Lorelei only gave her a big hug that Ventress returned, more than happy to see her friend. Then they were running down the hallway towards the escape pods, knowing Kailan knew the plan and would act on it as soon as these Jedi woke up.
Behind them, Adi moved her head before slowly opening her eyes and sitting up, feeling a headache coming on as she slowly looked around and saw that those with her were asleep and Lorelei was gone. Realizing that could only mean one thing, she activated her comlink and said, "Master Kenobi, Seeker is here! Be ready!"
Hearing Adi's words Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the others immediately grouped together, ready for whatever Seeker's plan was. At the same time, Anakin asked Kailan, "Any idea what she has planned?"
Kailan shrugged as he looked around, "I would guess something crazy. Her plans are the definition of made-up-on-the-fly. She knows what she wants; she just makes up the plan as she goes until she gets it. Keeps people from figuring out her plan if not even she knows what it is."
"Great," Anakin drawled as they treaded carefully, the cruiser's alarms blaring as they looked for any sign of Seeker. So far, there had been nothing, but that could always change. After a few minutes, Kailan said quietly, "She might have left already. She was just here for Lorelei," Obi-Wan turned to him and he shrugged, "What? Seeker protects Lorelei too."
"And she'd just leave you behind?" Obi-Wan asked, not believing she was gone for a second. That would be too easy and what they would expect from her now that they were starting to understand how she thought. Acting on the idea of her being unpredictable meant she was still here and had a way to get Kailan off this ship as well in mind.
Seconds later, the lights went out in the whole ship as the ship systems shut down, and the Jedi weren't fast enough to get their lightsabers out or their eyes adjusted.
"Get the power back on! Now!" Obi-Wan ordered, and ten seconds later, the power was back on, revealing Anakin and Eeth Koth lying unconscious on the ground and Kailan gone. The only thing left was the binders, which were open on the ground. Obi-Wan quickly shook Anakin's shoulder, waking him up, while Master Plo did the same with Eeth. Seconds later, both Jedi were standing, with Anakin saying, "I really don't like him."
Obi-Wan only said, "I don't think he likes you either," before turning to the others and saying, "The hangar is closer to us than the escape pods, so let's head for the escape pods. He's going to use them to get away instead of a ship from the hangar, I know it."
The others nodded and started running for the pods, but seconds later a clone contacted Obi-Wan, "Sir! This is Ghost. Seeker's been spotting heading for the hangar!"
"You're sure about that?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked at Saessee and Eeth. That didn't make any sense; they should be heading for the escape pods to get away.
"Yes, sir," Ghost said, "They're heading for the hangar!"
"Copy that, trooper. Monitor them but don't engage," Obi-Wan said as he ended the transmission, and Anakin said, "I still think we should head for the escape pods. This plan is too easy for them."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly before saying, "Let's split up. We take the hangar, while Master Yoda and the others take the escape pods."
Master Plo nodded and activated his comlink. A few seconds later, he was in contact with Mace, who agreed with the plan, and they started heading for the hangar. But minutes later, they turned a corner and nearly ran into Mace and the others, and Anakin asked, "What's going on, Master? Weren't you supposed to go to the escape pods?"
"We thought that is where you were going, Master Skywalker," Luminara said, "We received a transmission from Master Koth telling us to go to the hangar while you headed for the escape pods."
"I never sent a transmission," Eeth said slowly, but then his eyes widened, and he looked down at his comlink. Looking more closely at it, he could see a small bug and looked up at those there. Mace shut his eyes when he saw that, "We've just been played. They're gone."
"And they took Lorelei with them," Adi said quietly, "And we have no idea how they got on this ship."
Leaving the cruiser at that moment, Seeker, Kailan, Ventress, and Lorelei could watch it get smaller as they got farther away in an escape pod. With them was another of their clones. Ghost had been part of Obi-Wan Kenobi's battalion, but before that he had come from Kit's. Helping them escape meant he had needed to leave as well, but that wasn't a problem for him as he guided the escape pod to the Ghost, and Seeker smiled at the coincidence. Ghost had also helped her and Ventress get on board, smuggling them in a couple supply crates they had picked up before leaving to rendezvous with this cruiser.
Minutes later, they were onboard and disappearing into hyperspace, heading for home. And heading to keep a promise.
A few hours later, the ship had been set to right as the mechanics made the repairs to the system that had caused the power outage. Dr. Boll had left to return to Coruscant and start working on getting teams to the south pole of Glee Anselm to investigate the mass graves there, knowing she would need to rally support from the Senate to pressure the Monarchy to allow such investigations. The Jedi were once more gathered on the bridge, where Tarkin said, "The cruiser was compromised from your quarters, General Gallia," turning to the Tholothian, "How did that happen?"
Adi shook her head before suddenly looking up and saying, "I let Lorelei play with the computer in my quarters. She was only on it for a few minutes, though," she looked at Mace then, "Do you think she could have –?"
"Maybe," Mace said softly, "It would explain why we were so unprepared. We were ready for Kailan or Seeker pulling something, not Lorelei," he raised an eyebrow, "She may be as resourceful as her father if she could hack ship systems and then mess up our communications."
Adi shook her head again, smiling slightly at the ingenuity of the young girl, while Anakin asked, "What do we do now?"
"See what they are up to now," Mace said as Ahsoka entered the room and said, "I think I found out how they got onboard, Master. A clone smuggled them on."
"Are you sure, little 'Soka?" Master Plo asked, and Ahsoka nodded as she pulled up the feed of a supply room full of crates. After a few seconds, a clone entered the room, looking around, and Anakin asked, "Isn't that one of yours, Master?" turning to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan nodded, "That's Ghost. What's he doing there?"
"This," Ahsoka said as the hologram showed the clone opening a crate and letting Seeker out, dressed as she usually was. A few seconds later, another one was opened and Ventress was climbing out as well. Ventress glared at Seeker and asked, "Why'd we have to hide in those crates anyways? We could have just walked in the front door. We both fit in clone armor."
"They might have been expecting that," Seeker said as she bent over backward to loosen up her stiff spine, and a few of the Jedi winced when it cracked, "and this is one way we haven't used before. They won't be expecting it," she straightened then and turned to Ghost, "You know what to do, right? As soon as Lorelei wacks the power, you send the Jedi the wrong way and then hightail it for the escape pods. We'll meet you there."
"Copy that," Ghost said before leaving, although he stopped at the door and asked, "What if you're late?"
Seeker shrugged, "If we're late, just get off. We'll figure another way out."
Ghost nodded and left Ventress and Seeker to hunker down in the supply room for a little while. As this was happening, Obi-Wan shook his head and asked, "I think it's safe to assume Ghost is no longer on board?" turning to Cody, who nodded and said, "Sorry, sir, but he was gone before we could figure out what was happening."
Obi-Wan started stroking his beard when he heard that, while Tarkin said, "We may need to do a better job of vetting the clones in our service from now on. It's getting harder and harder to tell which ones are loyal to us and which are not."
Movement on the holotable caught their attention, and they watched as Ventress and Seeker finally left and navigated the hallways, at one point ducking into the ventilation system to avoid patrols. Minutes later, they were where they needed to be, looking around a corner at the Jedi leaving Adi's quarters. Ventress looked ready to fight them, but Seeker stopped her and only said quietly, "Sleep," and the Jedi there all dropped.
Lorelei was the only one still standing, and she looked around in confusion as Eeth said, "Seeker must have used the Force to make you sleep," turning to Mace, who nodded and frowned at the thought of Seeker being so powerful before turning back to the holotable.
Seeker and Ventress coming out from behind the corner caught Lorelei's attention, and she ran right for them, smiling and happy now that she was back with people she knew. She leaped into Seeker's arms, who held her tight and breathed a sigh of relief. They talked for a few moments before Seeker handed her over to Ventress, who smiled as well. Lorelei only grinned and gave her a big hug before settling in her arms, and they were quick to run down the hallway. Seeing that, Mace said, "Looks like Lorelei has a friend," nodding at Ventress, "Who would have guessed the daughter of a Jedi and a former Sith apprentice could be friends?"
"Not me," Anakin said as they watched the two women make it to the escape pods where Ghost was waiting. Minutes later, they were joined by Kailan, who rested a hand on Lorelei's head before they all ran into the pod and launched it. With Ghost piloting the pod, they were soon picked up by their ship, and that was when the feed went dead as the ship jumped into hyperspace, with Ahsoka saying, "They didn't have R6 with them, so there's no way to see what happened on the journey. I was just about to check the feed at Home Base and see if anything's changed."
"Go ahead," Mace said, and a few seconds later, R6's feed came online. He was in his usual spot by the door to the medical room, and Kit was still unchanged. The Nautolan Jedi was so still it was unnerving, and Mace shook his head when he saw that, "No matter how many times I've seen this, I still can't get used to it. This is just so wrong."
Many of the Jedi there nodded at the sight of Kit in a coma. It wasn't something they were used to and it was hard to take, especially since they were so used to him being not as serious as other Jedi and more likely to crack a smile. And there was always an energy about him that said he was alive and loving it. Even when he had been completely still he had had that energy, but now it was gone. Seeing him so still now was upsetting, and the fact they couldn't do anything for him made it harder.
Ahsoka zoomed out as much as she could on the feed then to include the hallway outside the room, where Santiana and Tzakara were waiting. Santiana was pacing anxiously, while Tzakara was just standing against the wall and tapping his head against it. This continued for several minutes before something caught his attention, and he said quietly, "Santi," standing up straight and looking down the hallway.
Santiana whipped around, staring in surprise that quickly turned to relief as Seeker, Ventress, and Kailan came into range. Ghost was there as well, but he kept walking to where some clones were waiting at the other end of the hallway, getting slaps on the back and going with them.
As this happened, the three came closer to Santiana and Tzakara, Ventress still carrying Lorelei. She smiled as she passed Lorelei up to her grandmother, who immediately hugged her close as the little one exclaimed happily, "Seanmhair!" grinning and laughing as she hugged her grandmother back, and the Jedi were glad to see her returned to her family, especially when they saw her grin that was so reminiscent of her father's.
Santiana only closed her eyes in relief before turning to look at Tzakara, who smiled and nodded as he reached out and stroked his granddaughter's hair. She immediately looked over at him and reached for him, "Seanair!" she said happily as he took her into his arms, hugging him around his neck as tight as she could as he held her. He smiled and nodded at Santiana as she turned to Kailan and Seeker. Ventress had left to let them reunite, and Santiana only said, "You two are the most foolish people I have ever met, and I have never been gladder for it."
Hearing that, the Jedi were amused to hear her say such a thing, but then Lorelei was pulling back and looking at her grandfather, who looked back at her before reaching up and gently tugging one of her tangled locks of hair with a smile. She grinned before asking, "Am faic mi athair?"
Immediately Tzakara's expression became guarded, and he looked over at his mate, who clearly didn't like the idea either, and that was when Adi said quietly, "If 'athair' means father like I think it does, I think Lorelei just asked if she could see her father."
"Something they haven't allowed her to do in the past," Master Plo said, "Do you think they'll let her see him now?"
"I think we're about to find out," Anakin said as Santiana looked ready to say no, but that was when Kailan said quietly, "I promised her back on the cruiser that she could see him, màthair," Santiana turned to him in disbelief, and he added, "She knows there's something wrong, and knows we are keeping her away from him. What's the harm in letting her see him? Maybe she can do what none of us can and reach him."
"It's not a good idea," Santiana said, "Do you want to scare her?"
"More than she already is?" Seeker asked suddenly, "She's already afraid because she knows there's something wrong, and that imagination of hers is more than capable of thinking up worst-case scenarios. Why add more fuel to that fire? And Kailan is right. Maybe she can reach him. Besides, if what she saw on Malachor didn't scare her half to death, this won't either."
Santiana still looked doubtful, and that was when Seeker added, "If you want to maintain the illusion that Kit doesn't have any children for the Jedi, that ship left the spaceport already. They know, thanks to Thrawn. Soon Glee Anselm will know, and we will have bigger problems than the Jedi knowing about this. Why not let her see her father? It would put her greater fears to rest: the ones that say he is dead, and we have been lying to her all these weeks. She isn't stupid."
Santiana exchanged a glance with Tzakara, and after a few minutes nodded slowly before saying, "Alright. I don't like this, but her mother told me she could while you were getting her. I was just hoping she wouldn't ask. But," she looked at her son and Seeker, "we do this my way and let us talk to her first so that she knows what to expect. I don't want to scare her more than we have to."
Kailan and Seeker nodded, leaving Santiana and Tzakara to take their granddaughter off to the side and speak with her in low voices, giving the Jedi a chance to look at each other as Adi said, "I'm guessing 'màthair' means 'mother.' I'll add it to the little bit I've figured out so far."
"What's Malachor?" Tarkin asked suddenly, and Yoda looked at Mace before saying, "An ancient world it is. Site of a great battle between Sith and Jedi it was. Site of the Great Scourge of Malachor during the Old Republic it was. A battle the Scourge was, between Sith and Jedi. During that battle, activated a superweapon was. Killed and petrified all in the battle it did."
"Which begs the question of why Seeker went there," Mace said.
"She found Sith on Kef Bir," Obi-Wan said, "And hunts them as a Sith hunter. Perhaps she thought there were some there as well, hiding and training," he shook his head then, "Whatever she was doing, I hope Lorelei didn't see it."
"So do I," Eeth said as they went back to watching the feed as Santiana and Tzakara finished speaking with their granddaughter and nodded at Seeker. Seeker nodded back and led the way into the room, Lorelei still being carried by her grandfather. Kailan had already entered the room and was sitting on the bed next to his brother's, watching his twin breathe through the machine. Tzakara sat down between the two beds in the chair there, holding his granddaughter close since she looked a bit unsure, while Santiana stood near Kailan and watched closely. Lorelei wasn't smiling at all now and was staring at her father intently, leaving the Jedi to wonder what was going through her mind.
Before they could really think about it, she was reaching out for her father's hand, holding his thumb and palm since her hands were so small and there was a pulse monitor on his forefinger. She looked up then, but there was no change. Kit didn't react, leaving Lorelei to shuffle off her grandfather's lap and onto the bed, moving carefully the entire time. Her grandparents must have told her that her father couldn't be moved or jostled because she moved so carefully. She settled in the crook of his left arm then and lay down, still holding his hand, but still there was no reaction. She rested her head on his upper arm before looking up at his face, but there was still no change, and the Jedi were actually able to see the tears come out of her eyes as she nestled her head on her father's arm and shut her eyes.
Seeing this was hard for the Jedi, especially when there was no change in Kit's condition, and it was quiet in the room as Seeker and Kailan left. Once out in the hallway, Seeker turned to Kailan and said, "It's not my place to tell you what to do, but Geeta wants you," Kailan looked unsure, and Seeker added, "Geeta and your son need you, as does Kit and Lorelei. But there is nothing you can do for Kit right now, and everything you can do for Geeta."
Kailan sighed as she said this, looking one more time through the see-through walls of the medical room, before nodding and walking away. Seeing this, the Jedi actually felt for him, and Ki-Adi said suddenly, "We're in the same position as Kailan if you think about it. We can't do anything for Master Fisto, and neither can he. All any of us can do is wait and hope."
Mace nodded when he heard that. A few seconds later, they watched Seeker shake her head and mutter, "I hate waiting," before walking away and heading for her meditation room. She settled after that and started to meditate, but this time the Jedi could see flashes of light circle her and enter her body. Seeing it, Ahsoka knew what she was doing but said nothing as Yoda said, "Know what this is, I do not."
"We really need to track her down and get her to sit still long enough to ask her some questions," Anakin said as they watched her, "This is getting ridiculous."
"If she is ever in range of a communication relay station, we may be able to track down where she might be headed," Tarkin said suddenly, "But that's a long shot that may not work all the time. And we will have to do it away from Captain Thrawn. We found the listening device, but it's attached to his brain stem. Removing it will kill him. If he's in the same room when we attempt to track her and she gets wind of it, she'll just leave the area, and we'll be back at square one."
Mace shook his head when he heard that, while Master Plo said, "Perhaps not if we can find Seeker. She planted it; she must know how to remove it. She has proven she is a skilled surgeon; she must have a way to remove it safely."
Yoda only said, "Find more answers now; we will not. Turn the feed off; we should," looking at Ahsoka, who nodded and shut it down as Yoda continued, "Return to the war effort for now, we will. Look for Seeker in the Force; we will. Perhaps find her next move that way we will."
There were nods as everyone started leaving to return to their respective fleets and ships, but Adi stayed where she was for a few minutes before also leaving, thinking over everything that had just happened. Seeker was starting to become a lot more active in the galaxy than she had in the past, and now that they knew Kit had a daughter, things were starting to get more complicated. They couldn't just ignore the fact Kit had broken the Jedi Code so completely, but what could they possibly do now? Seeker was just too careful.
Adi shook her head as she walked towards her starfighter; maybe it was time to be more aggressive than Seeker was expecting, and do something she wouldn't see coming.
Far below, on the planet of Glee Anselm, the king and queen shared a glance as their spies confirmed what they had feared for so long: the line of queens was strong again, and it would be a threat to them. The king only said, "Perhaps we must reach out to Count Dooku again. He has people at his disposal that could find their base and destroy it."
The queen nodded, knowing it was time to act, and act drastically.
The line of queens had to end, as soon as possible.
Back on Coruscant, Palpatine smiled cruelly as he thought over all he had just learned. The news about Glee Anselm wasn't his concern, but the fact that Kit Fisto had a daughter had made things more interesting.
A Force-sensitive daughter.
His smile widened as he mulled over the idea of finding her and using her for his own purposes. Maybe he would….later. Right now, he had another wayward child he needed to track down, and he couldn't delay that. That child could mean his plans failing or succeeding, and he was confident his servants could find her since no one knew he was looking for her.
Not even her parents knew, and he would make sure their last regret would be defying him.
Translations:
Coimhead a-mach! – Look out!
A bheil ùine ann? An urrainn dhut coiseachd? – Is there time? Can you walk?
Tha sinn deiseil! Air ais dha na soithichean! An t-àm airson a dhol dhachaigh! – We're done! Back to the ships! Time to go home!
Rach leis an Tholothian, Lorelei. Tha earbsa aig d' athair innte agus cha dèan i cron ort. Bidh mi air ais a dh'aithghearr gus do thoirt dhachaigh, agus an uairsin chì thu e, tha mi a 'gealltainn. Bidh e ceart gu leòr. – Go with the Tholothian, Lorelei. Your father trusts her and she won't hurt you. I'll be back soon to take you home, and then you can see him, I promise. It will be okay.
Càit a bheil m' athair? – Where's my dad?
A bheil thu ceart gu leòr? – Are you alright?
Am faod sinn a dhol dhachaigh a-nis? Tha mi airson athair fhaicinn. – Can we go home now? I want to see daddy.
Seanmhair! – Grandma!
Seanair! – Grandpa!
Am faic mi athair? – Can I see daddy?
màthair – mother
A/N 2: The song in this chapter is 'Sailing' by Celtic Woman. I don't make any claim to writing the song, but it felt like the right song for this chapter. I would highly recommend listening to them and checking out their other albums. See you next time!