Disclaimer: Not mine. Please read on anyway.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Some buried instinct led Aithne north up the beach. Her feet remembered the sand. Her nose remembered the smell of the surf on this world, but her actions continued to elude her. Aithne growled in frustration.
"Um…Aithne? You all right?" Mission asked.
Aithne waved her off. "I can't remember," she cried. "I mean, I've been here. I know that much. I've been this way. But I don't know what I did!" She started walking a little bit faster, and the others lengthened their stride to match her pace.
Just then, five aliens not unlike the holographic projection from the console on Kashyyyk ran out from behind a crop of rocks. They were tall, with two long legs, and distinctly lizard-like in appearance. They were dressed in primitive tribal clothing and carried vibroblades. Their skin was grayish and pebbly, and two eyestalks protruded from either side of their elongated heads.
The instant the aliens caught sight of Aithne and her companions, their leader cried out something in a language Aithne could swear she recognized. But she was distracted from identifying the strange speech when the aliens rushed at her, brandishing their weapons. Aithne ignited her lightsabers and hit the attackers with a wave of the Force, knocking them off of their spindly legs.
Their technique was good, she observed in the few seconds the fight lasted. Unfortunately, they were weak and poorly armed. Aithne tried checking her blows when she'd cut three of them down, tried to signal Canderous and Mission to capture the weird aliens, but Mission shot the fourth, and the fifth all but leaped onto Aithne's lightsaber. Aithne stood there a second, looking down at the bodies. She swallowed. "Well. That was not the reception I'd hoped for. Come on." She started north again, and Mission cleared her throat.
"We sure we want to go that way?" she asked. "That's the direction the weird aliens who tried to kill us came from."
Canderous rolled his eyes. "Obviously. That's why we're going that way," he muttered.
"You're right," Aithne called back to him over her shoulder, forging on, "But not for the reason you think, Canderous. I'm not interested in a bloodbath here, and unfortunately we don't have time to conquer this world-" Mission looked worried, and Aithne sighed. "Kidding, Mission. No. We're going this way 'cause I think I understood what one of them yelled at me. We might find some that want to talk. Then we can ask questions."
"Alright," Mission said, but she sounded doubtful. It was just as well Mish was more used to avoiding than seeking out trouble, Aithne thought. It'd serve her well if she could avoid all the battles to come. She resolved to speak to Mission about it later.
Another party attacked them without speaking a little further north. Again, the aliens didn't pause their attack to give Aithne and her companions long enough off of the defensive to capture them. But the third party they met did stop.
They spoke in gravelly voices vaguely reminiscent of the first language the droid had spoken way back on Dantooine. This time, however, Aithne understood.
They held up their hands. /Stay your weapons, interloper,/ one said. /We are not here for battle or blood. We bring you an invitation from the One, great Champion of the Rakata./
Rakata, Aithne thought with some satisfaction as the half-remembered word fell into place as referring to these people. She tried to find the knowledge in her brain to reply to the Rakata ambassador, but came up empty. She held up her hands. "I don't understand," she said, slowly and clearly. "Who's the One? What are you talking about?"
Canderous looked at her. "Hold on a second. You understood these goggle-eyed freaks? You must have come to this planet and learned this language back before the Jedi messed up your mind. Back when you were Revan."
Aithne rolled her eyes. "I told you I had been," she reminded the Mandalorian acidly. "I obviously didn't learn the language well, though. I just understand. I don't think I can speak."
The leader of the Rakata party stepped forward. /You have used strong magics and weapons to slaughter our raiding parties, interloper,/ it informed her. /You have bathed in the blood of fierce Rakatan warriors. Your power and skill in battle has impressed the One. He wishes an audience with you: a great honor. Come with us now and we will take you to him./
Aithne hesitated. The fact that these people seemed to be impressed that she had "bathed in the blood of fierce Rakatan warriors" didn't bode well for her. Still, she answered cautiously. "Alright. I'm honored. But you still haven't told me who the One is."
With the reply, the Rakata confirmed he understood her. /The One is the leader of our tribe, the great Champion of the Rakata. He has feasted on the flesh of many foes. Come with us and we will take you to him now./
Aithne smiled politely, though she was inwardly quite worried. "People of one idea, aren't you," she said. "Very well, I'll go." She looked over her shoulder as she started to move forward with the Rakatans and added to Mission and Canderous in Twi'leki, /Watch yourselves. We're apparently being taken to the abode of a chieftain of a tribe of cannibals./ She kept her tone casual so the Rakatans wouldn't suspect anything was amiss.
Mission swallowed, and her lekku twitched. She glanced apprehensively at a brawny Rakatan marching beside her, and tensed as he stared back with flat black eyes. But her voice was calm as she replied, in Twi'leki like Aithne, /I don't like this./
/Me neither,/ Aithne said, /but at least they'll know what's up. Besides, unless there's several dozen, we can take 'em./
Canderous grunted. /Damn right,/ he said in Mandalorian. Aithne grinned, pushing her nervousness aside.
The Rakatan escort led Aithne, Canderous, and Mission north along the beach, through a rocky pass, and finally to a walled enclave, similar to that of the Sand People on Tatooine. Gray skinned Rakatans grinned at the small party with broken, yellowish teeth. For all that, Aithne noticed that the tribe was rather small. This reassured her somewhat, and she continued on. But she also noticed that they had pets.
/Aithne,/ Mission said at the first sight of the enormous, rough hided creatures following behind Rakatan warriors. /These…whatever they are might not be much trouble, but the rancor beasts are a different story, you know?/
Aithne nodded, keeping her face carefully blank as they followed the escort through the Rakatan enclave. /Yeah, Mission. I know,/ she said, stealing a hand over to clasp the teenager's shoulder reassuringly.
Finally the escort led them into a wide, arena-like area, where a hooded Rakatan stood waiting. Aithne noticed two things about him. First, his skin, rather than the grim gray of most of his people, was a more comforting shade of orange. Next, the Force clung to him alone among all the Rakatans she had seen. It was wild, untamed, and just strong enough for her to rate him as Sensitive. He was not a Force-wielder by any means. But the Force was with him nonetheless.
He grinned in satisfaction when he saw her. /Revan,/ he greeted her, confirming her fears. /Somehow I knew we would meet again. Even when you vanished, I knew you would not forget the vow you swore to me. And when my scouts told me of great warriors from the sky slaughtering our raiding parties with mysterious powers and magics, I knew you had returned at last./
Aithne tensed. She turned to Canderous and Mission. In an undertone she said, /He knew me as Revan. Apparently I made some vow. I either broke it or got mind-wiped before I could keep it./ She licked her lips and turned back to the One. "I am truly sorry," she said in Basic. "But…um…I'm not Revan anymore. You may call me Aithne Morrigan."
The One, for this was obviously he, frowned. He waved for the escort to disperse, and continued. /Your words are confusing,/ he said. /I recognize you: you are the one called Revan. You are the one who came before, you and Malak, the one who served you. You promised to slay our enemy. In exchange for our aid you swore to destroy the Elders and bring us their secrets. Are you saying this means nothing to you now?/
Aithne swallowed. How did she explain what had happened to her to this primitive chieftain? Did she even want to? She wasn't particularly keen on slaying anyone. "My mind has been destroyed and rebuilt newly since we last met," she said at last. "All of my memories have been lost, including my vow and your people."
The One appeared to consider. Finally, he nodded. /I sense there is something different about you, Revan,/ he said. /Something that has changed. I think I believe you. You are not the same as you were before. Yet the power of magic- what you called the Force- is within you still. You can still destroy the Elders and fulfill your vow!/
Aithne thought, then said, "What was this vow, exactly?"
The One tapped a clawed leg. /You vowed to kill the Elders,/ he explained, apparently with some impatience. /And to bring us the secret knowledge they protect. In exchange, we vowed to use this knowledge to help you enter the Temple of the Ancients. When you vanished, we thought you had forgotten us- or been killed by the Elders. Now that you have returned, our alliance still holds: destroy the Elders, and we will help you./
Aithne nodded reflectively. "Excuse me," she said to the One. "Um…One, my companions do not understand you. Allow me to explain briefly."
The One nodded graciously. /As you will,/ he said. Aithne nervously tucked a stray curl behind her ear. If he suspected anything it could be the death of them.
She turned to Mission and Canderous. /I'm pretty sure I betrayed these people before,/ she told them quietly in Twi'leki. /I promised this guy to wipe out the rival tribe and give them the information they had so that he could help me get into that temple Teethree found. Apparently, we need help to get in. I…I'm guessing I went straight to the other tribe. If they had the information this guy needs to help us, I would have thought it a whole lot simpler. I'm going to try to find out some more./
/Alright, / Canderous agreed in Mandalorian, /But be careful./
Aithne thought for a moment before turning back to the One. "Um..I…I will help you," she lied finally, "but I'll need my questions answered first."
The One growled briefly in his throat, then replied grumpily, /I suppose that if what you say is true- that you cannot remember when you were last here- then you must have many questions. Very well. I will help you to understand and then you will destroy the Elders tribe and fulfill the oath you swore to us long ago./
Aithne looked over at a Rakatan passer-by. He carried the severed head of a Duros, probably some other shipwrecked idiot, looking at it and licking his lips with a long, slimy green tongue. Aithne saw Mission shudder behind her. "Um…okay," she said. "What happened last time?"
/You arrived with Malak, your servant, three of your galactic standard years ago,/ The One explained. /My scouts saw your sky ship plummet to the earth and they went to loot the crash site. They tried to take you prisoner, but you unleashed your magic- what you called the Force- upon them. Seeing your power they bowed before you and brought you to me. You used your power to rip the Rakata language from my mind, even as you drove Basic into our skulls so we could help you in your quest to find something called the Star Forge/
Aithne shook her head in disgust. Force, I was lazy.
/The answers you sought lay within the Temple of the Ancients,/ The One continued, /and we could not help you enter the Temple. The Elders alone hold its secrets, guarding them with their very lives./
Aithne sighed. That was what she had suspected. "I..I see," she said. "You say my ship crashed. Was it because of a disruptor field?"
She felt Mission and Canderous perk up behind her, but the One was shaking his head. /I know nothing of this disruptor field,/ he replied, /but throughout our history ships have fallen from the sky. It has always been this way; though in recent generations it has become more frequent. We have little understanding of such magics to make metal fly, but my scouts rush to take whatever we can carry from the crash sites in the hopes that we may one day unlock these secrets. We did acquire our rancor beasts this way,/ he added, with considerable pride.
Aithne shook her head, uninterested. "My pilot was able to land my ship without plowing up your beach," she said. "But it needs parts to fly again."
/This I cannot help you with,/ The One said. /Although we have recovered many strange devices from the sky ships that crash to the earth, their use is a mystery to us. As a show of good faith, I will allow you to search the stores of our tribe and take whatever you find. In exchange, I know you will destroy the Elders and bring back the secrets they guard./
He sounded a little uncertain. Aithne didn't blame him. Revan had betrayed him before. Looking with distaste at a baby rancor devouring an unidentifiable body in the corner, she thought Aithne might betray this tribe as well. "Who are the Elders?" was all she said, though.
The One smiled, happy to be back on topic. /The Elders guard the ancient secrets. Within their compound is the knowledge of power and magic, including the knowledge of how to enter the Temple itself. I have lost many warriors storming the gates of their compound, but they use weapons of light and fire against us, and not even our war beasts are strong enough to breach their defenses. Sometimes we capture an Elder when they venture forth from their compound, and we have learned something about them. That is how we know they guard the ancient secrets. But no matter what tortures we inflict upon them, they will not reveal their secrets to us. They fear the knowledge they themselves guard, and they will never willingly surrender it to us./
Aithne breathed deeply, taking this most interesting information in. "A moment," she said to the One, turning to Canderous and Mission. /Alright,/ she whispered. /I'm going to try to get us out of here./
/What are you going to do?/ Mission asked, easing her blasters so they were more accessible in their holsters.
Aithne sighed. /I think what I did last time,/ she said, not without some distaste. These people were horrible, but she didn't exactly want to break her word, either. "I will kill the Elders and share their secrets with you," she announced to the One.
The One nodded, pleased. /I see you have changed since last time,/ he remarked. /The compound of the Elders is to the South, beyond the Temple of the Ancients. From torturing the few Elders we have captured, we know something of what lies beyond the gates. The Elders are few in number. If you can get past the exterior defenses, you could surely slaughter them all. Then you can bring us back the knowledge they guard./
"I could," Aithne agreed. "I will slay the Elders and honor our deal," she promised.
/Really?/ Mission asked with some disapproval.
/No,/ Aithne answered bluntly. Mission blinked.
/When you have our information,/ The One said, /bring it here to me. Until then, you may move freely about our village. I will be waiting for your return./
Aithne nodded respectfully to the One, and backed away. She muttered to the others in Twi'leki. /Look around in some of the bins for parts. He's letting us. Then let's get gone./
The three of them spread out across the room, looking in several wicker bins and packing up parts Mission advised. Talking to no one, they made their way out of the Enclave and down the beach. Finally, they got out the com-link.
"Jolee, we have some parts. And some information. What do you have? Come in. What do you have?"
The cranky old man's face showed up on the communicator, smiling wryly. "A bunch of dead Mandalorians. Traitors, the lot of them. And rancors. The island's full of them. They're like those damn gizka…I think I saw a few of those, too. That crazy droid of yours is having fun at least. Oh, and the Temple's locked."
"We know, but thanks for the information," Aithne said. "I'm working on it. We're actually headed your way. Over and out." She switched channels, calling, "Carth, it's me. Come in."
"I'm all ears, beautiful," he smirked as his face came into focus. "What do you have?"
"Stuff it, flyboy," she retorted, smiling nonetheless. "We have parts. That's what we have."
"We went South," Carth said. "We found a wreck, and we have a bunch of parts, too. But now we're standing in front of this stone enclave. It's pretty heavily guarded, with all sorts of statues around of goggle-eyed aliens."
"You found the Elders," Aithne said. "Stay there. I'm on the way."
A/N: So this chapter didn't actually need a whole lot of tweaking. But there's not much story here. The next one ought to be better. I'll probably give it a bit more of an overhaul, too: Forty and Forty-One are where I'm going to try to redeem Juhani. Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it.
May the Force Be With You,
LMSharp