CF Chapter 3
Disclaimer: see chapter one.
So this chapter is mostly back story on Zaria, next chapter is the Lando episode so yeah.
Flashbacks: is Zaria telling the story.
Present
Chapter 3
Zaria held still as Sabine painted a portrait of her on the wall of their shared room.
"Almost done." Sabine dips her brush into a jar with red paint.
Ezra and Zeb hung over Sabine's shoulder trying to glance at the painting.
"This is great, looks just like you Zaria." Ezra called to her.
Sabine pushed Ezra out of her light.
"I can't concentrate with you so close Ezra."
Sabine looks over at Zaria. Zeb tries to hide his interest.
"So what exactly were you doing on that mission for Visago?" Ezra asks Zaria.
Zaria smirks.
"You really want to know?"
Ezra shrugged trying to appear nonchalant.
"Yeah."
"Okay, but no interruptions." Zaria warns halfheartedly. She knew there would be interruptions.
"Or I won't tell you."
"Now, I'm interested." Sabine puts down her brush.
"Go ahead and tell us not like I've got much else to do today." Zeb took a seat on the floor.
"Okay." Zaria began her story.
This is a line break.
Zaria stepped onto the dinky ship Visago had provided for the job. A small thin human was the pilot he was shifty and untrusting of her, he didn't like that she wouldn't take off her headdress. He and his Droid prepped the ship for launch. Zaria sat in the co-pilot chair. She wore cool thermal wear fit to wear on Tatooine. Her headdress was of brown cloth today and covered by a hood and a dark brown cloak Her two sleek nabooian blasters hung on her belt. She kept her bag close, she didn't want the weasel pilot to try and steal her things.
She had her credits, her extra clothes, extra weapons, her double bladed extendable hilt with her. Other supplies like water and food, her com, fake ID.
Zaria just wanted to get this job done.
She had to find Xen Cato a smuggler who stole Visago's goods to a third party and ran. Visago had gotten a tip Xen was on Tatooine. Zaria had needed the money so she reluctantly took the job.
The pilot sat down in his chair.
"We are a go, ship is all set."
The thrusters blasted and lifted the small ship off the ground.
This is a, line break.
Zaria was thrown from her seat as the small ship was fired upon.
"Who the frak is shooting at us?" She snarled at the shaking pilot. The pilot maneuvered the ship out of the range of the enemy ship.
"Someone is trying to contact us." The pilot grunted as he motioned for her to answer.
A hologram of a human male flickered to life.
"So Visago has made his move at last."
Zaria narrowed her gold eyes at the hologram.
"You must be Xen Cato."
Xen laughed.
"I am, but you won't be around much longer. I'm insulted Visago would send a mere child to come after me. Shame I have to end a life so young. But I cannot have you bring my head to Visago. So goodbye." The hologram shut off ended the call.
The other ship rapid fired on the defenseless ship.
"Karablast! The shields are down! I should have never worked with Visago. I should have listen to that little voice in the back of my head. But I did? No!" The pilot ranted irritably.
A rumble passed thru the ship.
"Engines are hit! We're going down!" The pilot screamed as they fell into Tatooine's atmosphere. The ship was burning up in the impact.
"Blast! I can't slow the ship. Brace yourself!"
Zaria grabbed her bag and hooked it to her back. She focused on the force to shield her from the crash. She could see the ship was going to crash far from any of the civilized parts of Tatooine. She was going to have to survive the crash and make it out of the sand dune sea alive.
Zaria relaxed her body.
She was not going to die.
The ship slammed into the sand.
This is a line break.
Zaria opened her eyes. The scorching heat was seeping into the cracks of the ship. Zaria pulled herself off of the co-pilot chair.
She had saved herself from the crash using the force but the pilot was not so lucky.
Blood was splattered on her and everywhere. The pilot's face was crushed in on itself. Organs ruptured, bones snapped, Zaria felt some guilt at not saving him. But she had to act fast, and she didn't want to die, it qas her or him. Zaria choose herself. She looked around the broken and sparking ship. She would salvage anything useful while the two suns were up and leave the ship in the dark and travel as far as she could. Anger rose in her, she was going to kill the selmo Xen Cato.
Shoot down her ship, will he? He would regret it. She couldn't wait to sever his head from his body. She pushed debris away to search the ship. Hopefully she could find some parts to make a makeshift speeder bike. She did not want to travel on foot if she didn't have to.
Zaria tore the inside of the ship apart. She cheered when she found an ancient outdated model of a hover scooter. She got it working with salvage from the Droid and the ship. A small bag that survived the fire and crash of food bars and water packets.
Zaria tied her bag and the second bag onto the scooter. She rested as she waited for sunsets.
Zaria forced kicked down the burnt metal to make an opening. The two suns had set but the three moons were not out yet. Zaria was grateful she could see in the dark. She revved the scooter. Zaria closed her eyes.
She sensed lifeforms through the force to the east of her. But felt a pulling sensation in the force towards the northeast part of the dune sea.
Zaria searched the force, she sensed something old, powerful in the northeast.
Zaria opened her eyes.
She shrugged her shoulders and rode to the northeast.
This is a line break.
Zaria rode the scooter all night, getting closer to the place that was calling to her.
Zaria drew close to an old cave.
She parked and jumped off her scooter. Zaria grabbed her two light-sabers out of her bag. And placed both bags on her back. She sensed something alive in the cave.
Zaria entered the cave.
A loud roar shakes the cave.
Zaria stiffened under her headdress.
A krayt dragon was charging towards her.
Zaria grabbed and ignited her light-sabers.
The krayt dragon attacked. Zaria force jump up out of the way. She landed on the beast's back and drove her Light-sabers into it. The beast howled in pain and rage. It shook her off. Zaria landed gracefully on the ground slicing the beast's throat. It gave a guttural screech and fell to the ground breathing it's last breaths.
Zaria not one to miss opportunity cut the krayt dragon to find the pearl buried in its stomach. She grinned when she found two.
Zaria force pulled the dragon to the side unblocking the tunnel which led deeper into the cave. Zaria activated her gold light-saber the dark tunnels were so dark even she had a hard time seeing. Zaria's eyes widened as she came across an ancient door.
"A secret temple?" Zaria wondered.
She unlocked the door with the force.
It gave a loud creak before sliding open.
It was ancient, built by neither the Sith pure-bloods nor the Jedi.
It was far older than either groups.
Zaria tread carefully not wanting to set any old defenses off.
She wander around the temple and found a skeleton that force guided to her.
It was a human skeleton wearing Sith Empire armor, from the time of Revan. Zaria unhooked the weapons on it. The rusted light-saber was useless. But the sith vibro-sword and sith vibro-daggers with some sharpening could be of use. The weapons burned with the dark-side.
Zaria would have to cleanse them later.
Zaria sat down and opened a food pact, and a water pack.
She chewed her food thoughtfully.
She could use the sword and dagger in place of her light-sabers. It would be better to use them to keep her secret.
This is a line break.
"You killed a krayt dragon? And then gave me the pearl to use?" Ezra gaped at her.
"Krayt dragon pearls prices start at a hundred thousand credits at least. And you found two? Why didn't you sell them?"
Zaria looked wryly at Ezra.
"You want me to take yours back?"
Ezra clutched his light-saber to chest and soon his head suddenly.
Sabine looked impressed.
"I can't believe you took down a krayt dragon by yourself."
"So then what happened? Did you find out who built the temple?" Zeb pressed on.
Zaria smiled as she continued her tale.
This is a line break.
Zaria ducked behind some fallen rubble as the old security droid shot at her.
Who ever made the damned did a fantastic job seeing as the Droid had to be ten thousand years old and was pinning her down. It's movements were strained and it's armor rusted.
Zaria pulled out her heavy Sith designed blaster and aimed at the Droid's processor.
The Droid offline and fell to the floor with a loud clank.
Zaria stepped out from behind the rock.
She looked at the door the Droid was guarding. A draft came from it.
Zaria was curious, what was down that hallway? She was going to find out.
Zaria followed the hallway into a large room. A strange device laid in the middle of the room.
Zaria felt a presence.
"What a shame, the first company I've gotten in a long time and it's a Sith pure-blood. And here I thought your cursed kind had died out." A woman's voice drawled from behind her.
Zaria narrowed her eyes at the shadowed figure.
"You are dead." Zaria observes becoming wary. Her father had told her tales of force sensitives who became force ghosts.
"Ohh... look an intelligent one." The woman tittered. Then her tone grew more serious.
"Yes, I am dead. I lived long ago forced to live on in death. So tell me how is it a Sith pure-blood escaped my attacks? How is it that you monsters are still alive in the galaxy?" The woman glared at Zaria from the shadows. Zaria with a jolt realized who the woman was.
"I didn't know Revan was female."
Revan stepped out from the shadows. She glowed with a faint light.
"History gets confused. I used to wear gender neutral armor and a mask. I'm not surprised they thought I was a male."
Zaria frowned.
"If you are dead, why are you still with the living force? And who build this place?"
Revan rolled her dark brown eyes.
"I am what you could call a force ghost. I mostly wander around. But your presence here caught my attention. The ancient race of Rakata built it, nevermind that. I won't ask again how are you of Sith pure-blood ancestry?"
Zaria raised an eyebrow stalk underneath her headdress. Zaria pulled her headdress off.
Zaria sat down on the dusty cracked floor.
"It is supposed to be a secret but I think I should tell you. Miarta Sek, a sith pure-blood helped form the Je'daii order dedicated to balance between the light and the dark sides of the force."
Revan pursed her lips.
"Miarta Sek had a vision of what was to come for the Sith race after the Jedi civil war. And she sought to preserve her people." Zaria closed her eyes. Telling the story she knew by heart, one of the stories her father used to tell her before sleep.
"Miarta Sek saw the end of race, caused by our own foolishness, greed, violence, by our emperor. So she gathered like minded Sith pure-bloods of Kissai, Massassi, Zuguruk races. Who vowed to become Je'daii and started a second Je'daii order."
Revan looked surprised.
"I knew of Sith pure-bloods who turned from the dark but I never heard of Sith Je'daii." Revan motioned for Zaria to go on.
"So while the Je'daii civil war reached far into the galaxy. Miarta Sek and her loyal followers search far into the space wilds beyond the outer rim and settled a planet they named Atsvara. They thrived and learned to use both the light and dark
sides."
Revan laughed when she translated the sith word Atsvara.
"They named the planet balance? How interesting, how ironic."
Zaria waited patiently for Revan to stop laughing.
"Sometimes the force would guide Sith pure-bloods to the planet. Praven, Lord Scourge, Darth Serevin for example."
"Lord Scourge that bastard!" Revan began to rant about him.
Zaria took a nap while she did.
Revan shouting at her brought Zaria out of her Lothal cat nap.
"Disrespectful brat!" Revan huffed.
Zaria resumed.
"The Sith species evolved, mixing of races, continued force bloodlines, and use of both sides of the force changed us, so we called ourselves Sith Je'daiis. We no longer fought amongst ourselves. A council of six ruling families governed the planet. My father's family the Saijtoirs were a ruling family descended from Lord Scourge." Zaria grew sad recounting the history her father now no longer around to tell her.
"My father Carior, was two hundred years old when he decided to run away from Atsvara. To visit Korriban, Dromund Kaas, and Ziost."
Zaria answered.
"He became stranded on Ziost and that's how he met my mother, Ymira."
Revan frowned.
"Your mother was a jedi, and your parents have trained you in the ways of the Jedi, Je'daii and sith. How strange."
Zaria was silent, she closed her eyes. Zaria gathered up her sadness, and grief of losing her parents and accepted them, letting go. She would avenge them, she would find a way to take the Empire down.
Revan watched the Sith girl meditate.
She had come ready to strike the girl down.
But now Revan could not, it would be hypocritical of her to judge her. This Zaria had the balance between the light and the dark. That stirred a hint of jealously from Revan. She had never quite been able to balance the two sides of the force. Always leaning towards one side more then the other.
"I think I have misjudged you youngling." Revan sat down in front of Zaria.
"It has always been easier for me to fight. To have an enemy to fight. After I was frozen by the Sith Emperor, and woke up four hundred years after my love Carth, my son and my dear friends were gone. I had the Sith Empire and the sith pure-bloods to fight. I helped Lord Scourge and his pet jedi, a descendant of mine if you will believe it, take the emperor out. But then I had nothing so I hunted down the crumbling Sith empire. Killed off so many." Revan looked long and hard at Zaria.
"I know why I was drawn here to you. You are a descendant of Lord Scourge and my bloodline."
Zaria opened her eyes and gaped at the ancient Sith lord and hero.
"I have been lost for a long time, perhaps it's time I let go." Revan smiled.
Zaria snapped her mouth shut.
"So I am here for you to have some big realization? Am I supposed to help you move on?" Zaria snarked.
Revan glared.
"Maybe you are."
"How about you tell me what this place is." Zaria suggests.
"I do love learning about history."
Revan looked considering at her then nodded.
This is a line break.
"Urgh! History is so boring. You've already told me about the Revan legends like a thousand times already." Ezra complained and was smack on the head by Zeb.
"Shut it, brat."
"I already know a lot of that history because of my Mandalorian background. Can we skip it?" Sabine requests.
Zaria shrugged.
"Sure."
This is a line break.
Zaria having been advised by Revan before she left the cool of the cave to conserve her water and to trade a Krayt dragon pearl to the sand people if she came across them. Hopped back onto her scooter and traveled south east.
Zaria was glad she had prepared for the Deseret planet with her clothes. Revan had told her the Sand people took offense at bare skin. So Zaria wrapped her headdress tight to keep it from flying off her as she rode on the scooter. Her clothes didn't show any skin, so she was good in that area.
The two suns were high in the sky. Noon was the hottest part of the day on Tatooine. Zaria was sweating from the heat burning down on her from the two suns.
She was a third of the way to the nearest settlement Anchorhead.
A loud whining could be hear from the scooter. The handles shuttered under her grip.
"No! Come on, little scooter you can't give out on me now!" Zaria pleaded.
The scooter wobbled in the air. Zaria shielded her eyes from the sand that flew up from the scooter crashing into the sand.
Zaria growled and opened the engine.
The power cells were dead, fried. The cooling system had boiled away it's coolant. Zaria kicked the now useless scooter.
"You couldn't have died closer to civilization?!" She began to curse at the scooter.
Zaria surveyed the sand that went on for miles. She sighed as she strapped the two bags onto her back and began to walk east.
This is a line break.
Zaria trudged on ignored the pain in her legs from walking so long. She ignored her chapped lips and dry mouth. She drank the barest amount of her water. She ignored the heat that sapped away her energy. She ignored the tricks of light reflected off the sand. Zaria could sense the Tuskens raiders stalking her twenty yards behind. It was annoying, but Zaria didn't want to attack first. Force knows she didn't need a tribe of angry sandpeople out for her blood. Zaria froze as she felt two of the raiders were Force sensitives. They must be adopted humans in the tribe.
Zaria was quick to draw her new Sith sword and one of the daggers. To block a strike from a humming green light-saber.
Zaria felt pride that her people's weapons were able to block light-sabers.
Her attacker was a older human male dressed in traditional Tusken Raider clothes. Not a single inch of skin was showing.
Zaria force pushed the man back.
"Attack me again, and I will slaughter every single one of you!" Zaria roared her only warning and let her dark side into her aura. Manipulating the Tusken warriors to be overcome by fear. They cowered on the ground at her feet, all except two.
The two force sensitives.
The older male stepped forward speaking to her in basic.
"What do you want Sith?"
Zaria glared at him through her headdress.
"I want to leave this planet. And I am a Sith pure-blood. I believe the people of Ghorfa call me a tiesa tsis." *
The Tuskens on the sand barked in Tusken at the man. Tusken was a very guttural language.
The man sighed but nodded.
He turned back to Zaria.
"The Tribe wishes to honor you by feeding, watering and giving you shelter, tiesa tsis. They fear you will destroy them all if they do not."
Zaria considered.
"I will allow them to honor me. My name is Zaria Saijtoir." Zaria remembering what her mother said about ancestry being important to Tuskens added her Parents names.
"Daughter of Ymira Numark and Carior Saijtoir." The human male took a sharp intake of breath of recognition at her mother's name.
He spoke to the other warriors.
Then he spoke to her.
"I am Sharad Hett, one of the last surviving Jedi."
Zaria wasn't surprised, the man was train in the force and it wasn't from any Sith pretenders. So it must have been the Jedi order who trained him. The younger one must be his son.
Zaria was blindfolded and escorted to their camp on the back of a batha.
Zaria was helped down off the animal and was brought before the Chief.
The chief wore more decorations than most.
The senior Hett was her translator.
Mostly the Chief was say it was a long time since a tiesa tsis had come to Tatooine.
Zaria decided now would be a good time to gift one of the krayt dragon pearls to the tribe.
Zaria reached into her bag. The sand People flinching as she did afraid of a weapon. But gave hoots of awe and delight when they took in the sight of the pearl. Zaria offered the pearl to the chief.
That was all she needed to gain the tribe's trust and friendship.
She was given two Japor ivory snippets.
Hett senior telling her that if she made one of the ivories into a necklace and wore it on Tatooine she would be safe from Sand people. Hett senior still seemed wary of her. But with the Chief's approval. He couldn't do anything. The Chief took one of the snippets and craved it himself and made it into a necklace. Zaria requested to carve the second for her brother.
The request was accepted.
Zaria was given desert goggles and a mouth piece so she could adhere to the no skin taboo. The mouthpiece open enough to drink and eat but dark so no one could see her mouth.
The meager feast was more than enough food for Zaria. There was music and dancing as the eating went on.
Zaria got the feeling the Tuskens were on their best behavior lead they threaten to gain her wrath. Zaria didn't mind in this case.
Better they fear her, then try to kill her.
Zaria finished eating and looked over at the storyteller who had stood up.
Hett's son was seated next to her.
"The story keeper is going to tell the story of Sky Brothers. I will translate for you." A'Sharad offered to her. A'Sharad was still wearing a unisex mask. Which Zaria took to mean A'Sharad was not considered an adult yet and unmated. Strange to see because how much older he was.
Zaria listened to the story about the two suns of Tatooine. How the older brother attempted to kill his younger brother but failed. Now forced to run away from his brother forever lest he be caught and killed.
A'Sharad was only a few months younger than herself.
Zaria liked the way he translated the story to her.
This is a line break.
Zaria was to be housed with the Hett family in their tent. She followed A'Sharad to his family tent. Sharad and his wife K'Sheek were waiting for them. K'Sheek was also human.
Sharad motioned for Zaria to sit down.
"I do not sense you mean us harm. I knew of your mother. She disappeared around the time I left the jedi order."
Zaria sat, her eyes under the goggles transfixed on Sharad's covered form. These human adoptees were very devout in Tusken beliefs. Unwilling to reveal any of their skin in her presence.
She followed their expose and did not remove any of her own coverings.
"So a Sith pureblood, I did not think your race still survived." Sharad digs for information.
Zaria shrugged not wanting to give much away. She would have to change the subject.
"I'm half obviously. So what's an ex-jedi doing out here?"
Sharad answered her question.
"I grew tired of war, so I left the order. Then ended up on Tatooine and adopted into this tribe. I made my family here. I am jedi no longer."
Zaria looked at A'Sharad.
"Your son is trained in the force? By you? Perhaps we could spar while I am here."
A'Sharad nodded eagerly.
"Can I Father?"
"You would have to borrow my Light-saber." Sharad tilted his head thoughtfully.
"I'm sure you have your own." He spoke to Zaria.
She nodded.
"Yes, in the morning. You shall both fight."
Sharad decided.
"Then A'Sharad can take his hunt and become a man."
This is a line break.
"I can't believe you survived those primitive savages." Zeb exclaimed.
"Those Raiders are mindless brutes."
"I spent like three months with them. I won't tell you all the boring parts but yeah. They are pretty much savages. I mean after living with them and learning their culture. Likeable but violent."
"Why did you stay for three months?" Sabine asks.
"I needed the rest and I wanted on their good side so I could get a ride." Zaria shrugged.
Ezra lifted his japor ivory charm up to his face from his neck.
"You are literally giving me fortunes for how am I going to top these for your birthday?"
Zaria laughed.
"I didn't give you those gifts because of how much they are worth. I gave them to you." Zaria launched herself at Ezra.
"Because you are my adorable little Brolin. And there is no price worth that."
Sabine snickered.
"Ack! Zaria stop it you're embarrassing me."
Ezra failed to wriggle out of Zaria's grip.
Zeb shook his head amused.
Zaria pinned Ezra on the ground and sat on him.
"Greoff mree!" Ezra yelled his voice muffled by Zaria's clothes.
Zaria jumped up. Ezra dramatically gasped for air.
"I'm dying, I'm dying." Ezra placed a hand over his eyes. Zaria grinned as she forced tickled Ezra. Ezra screamed with laughter thrashing around on the floor.
"N-no fair!" Ezra pouted at her.
Zaria stuck out her tongue at him, teasing Ezra in the sith language. It would improve his own knowledge of the language. Zaria reasoned.
"Sis kash zo won nuo visa, Brolin. Nu valia dujoz." *
"I n-need re-reinforcements." Ezra giggled.
Zaria laughed like an over the top holo-drama villain.
"Bhahahahahhaha! No one can save you now. Nie wo valia girdeti tu'iea juofa." *
"I suppose we should take mercy on the kid." Sabine kicks out at Zaria. Zaria dodges, her concentration broken freeing Ezra.
Ezra tackled her with a war cry.
Ezra sat on her back.
Zaria laughed.
"I surrender, let's go eat and I will tell you more of my story after dinner."
"I accept your surrender." Ezra bows graciously.
"When did you learn to force tickle?" Ezra asks following Zaria and the rest out of the room.
Zaria looked at the ground.
"My father used to do that to me. He called them tickle attacks. My mother was more subtle she used to play little tricks on me. Like moving my chair just before I would sit down."
Ezra gripped her hand. His force aura trying to comfort her.
Ezra wasn't even aware he was doing it
Zaria pulled him into a hug and ruffled his hair.
Ezra blinked.
"Wait can we go ask that Hett guy and his son for help?"
Zaria curled her lips into a sneer.
"I wouldn't count on it. Hett made it clear he has no interest in being a jedi or leaving his tribe to fight."
Ezra frowned.
"Oh, then what happened next?"
This is a line break.
Zaria was in a big dirt circle with Tuskens surrounding the perimeter.
Zaria gleefully beat the crap out of A'Sharad using both her light-sabers and the force. But A'Sharad wasn't so bad. He could block decently enough. The tribe watched on as the two sparred.
Zaria was getting uncomfortable under all her layers but didn't risk taking off a signal one. Zaria circled A'Sharad eying him for a hole in his defense. He couldn't keep up the pace for much longer. He was still human under those Tusken robes of his.
And the heat of the sunset was bearing down on him.
Zaria pounced as soon as she saw the slightest hesitation. A'Sharad fell to ground his wind knocked out if him by Zaria's punch to the gut.
Zaria helped him back up.
"Good fight, you have an interesting fighting style. I think you are ready to go on a hunt." The chief nodded in agreement.
The sand People watching them roared in approval.
The chief stood up and spoke.
A'Sharad translated.
"The chief says as a part of my hunt. I have to take you to the outlanders. Then I start my hunt. We leave tomorrow at first light."
Zaria gave her thanks to the chief and the tribe.
She walked back with A'Sharad to his family tent.
His parents were waiting. Zaria could feel the strong pride they held for their son.
"I am to leave on a hunt tomorrow. I take Zaria to the outlanders tomorrow." A'Sharad announces his tone proud.
Sharad clapped his son on his shoulder.
"You are a great Warrior my son."
His mother hugged him.
"You make us happy to have such a son."
K'Sheek turned to Zaria.
"Thank you for helping our chief see A'Sharad's strength."
Zaria bowed.
"It was no trouble."
"Come let's eat." Sharad waved them all into the eating area of the tent.
This is a line break.
The twin suns of Tatooine had not risen as A'Sharad gave Zaria his hand to help her climb up behind him on his Bantha mount.
They were not allowed to say goodbye as it would ruin A'Sharad's blood rite ritual.
Zaria wrapped her arms around A'Sharad.
Zaria squeezed A'Sharad in surprise as the Bantha shot off away from the camp with greater speed than she thought possible.
A'Sharad's middle shook with silent laughter.
Zaria shook her head.
The large enclave was gone from sight as they rode further away.
"What do you plan on hunting?" She made conversation.
A'Sharad's shoulders lifted.
"A krayt dragon, is preferable. But if I can get a sentient being that's the next best thing."
Zaria frowned.
"Blood rite is when you torture another living being, right?"
"Correct, the most prestigious prize for a blood rite is killing a krayt dragon as you did. But the next is to find a sentient being."
A'Sharad informed her. Zaria hid her unease in the force. Zaria couldn't say she wouldn't enjoy hurting someone she knew hurt someone she cared about. But to just abduct a strange just to torture them for days then kill them? She didn't like that. But what could she say? A'Sharad didn't have a problem with it. Zaria felt a coldness in the pit of her stomach. She touched her forehead onto A'Sharad's back.
Reaching for her Kiffar abilities with touch.
Zaria concentrated in the force on A'Sharad. She closed her eyes.
Slowly visions came to her.
A mask-less long dark haired A'Sharad with orange-yellow eyes glared at her, slashing at her with a red lightsaber. Slashing at two Jedi, a master and an apprentice.
Another vision of A'Sharad dressed in a Inquisitor uniform bowing down at the emperor's feet.
"Rise Darth Krayt." The old man croaked.
Zaria stiffened opening her eyes.
"Can't get comfortable? You can snuggle closer." A'Sharad teased.
Zaria debated on just killing him now before he became a threat. But Zaria hesitated. He hadn't become Darth Krayt yet. Perhaps he wouldn't. It wasn't right to kill him now when he hadn't done anything yet.
But Zaria remembered his words, feeling his eagerness, his excitement to complete his Blood-rite.
Zaria made a decision.
She closed her eyes and focused on the lifeforms on Tatooine, searching.
There! She had it.
"A'Sharad try something with me." She requested.
"I believe I can teach you something to help you on your hunt."
She felt A'Sharad's interest peak.
"What is it?"
Zaria smiled.
"Close your eyes."
A'Sharad scoffed.
"You want the driver to close his eyes?"
"Your father has trained in the force, correct?" Zaria snarked.
A'Sharad nodded.
"Yes."
"Then direct your Bantha mount where to go. Then close your eyes." Zaria orders.
A'Sharad reluctantly does so.
"Now feel through the force the lifeforms on Tatooine. Focus on finding a krayt dragon."
A'Sharad's shoulders and back tense in concentration.
Ten minutes later he shouted in joy.
"I found one, I sensed one. I know where it is."
Zaria was relieved.
A krayt dragon was not sentient.
It wouldn't set him on such a dark path.
A'Sharad's back straighten.
"I know the way and it's far, very far. And it could move on by the time I get there. If I take you to the outskirts of Anchorhead I could lose it."
Zaria wanting keep him on the Krayt dragon offered to be dropped off somewhere closer.
"The only thing near by is a moisture farm. But we are forbidden to go there. The elders are afraid we will anger a demon if we mess with that place." A'Sharad tells her.
"Or some old hermit but he doesn't have transportation. My father told me to stay away from the hermit as well."
Zaria jumped on the opportunity.
"Then just take me as close as you can to it. Then complete your Blood rite."
A'Sharad bobbed his head liking the idea more and more.
"Yeah, yeah, good plan."
A'Sharad turned his Bantha to the left and rode at a trot. When they came upon cliffs, A'Sharad halted his mount.
"This is as far as I can go. Keep going and you should it twelve miles from these cliffs."
Zaria jumped down force grabbing her bags. "Thank you for the ride. I wish you luck on your Blood-rite." Zaria bowed.
A'Sharad lifted a hand in goodbye and rode off.
Zaria trekked her way to the farm.
This is a line break.
Zaria's sweaty clothes stuck to her in the midday heat. She was close to the main stead of the farm.
"I don't want you training him!" An gruff male voice growled.
"I don't want him to end up dead, he doesn't need training."
"I would only be training him, to-" the older man's voice was interrupted by the other man's.
"I have told you time and time again, no. There only reason I'm even letting you near him is to catch a ride to Anchorhead. And that Beru would make me sleep outside I'd she knew I let you walk."
Zaria was now close enough to see what the men looked like.
One was a younger than the other man. Brown sea salt hair and blue eyes.
The old man had red hair that was mostly white and wise blue eyes. Zaria quickly removed the Tusken mouth piece and goggles. Her headdress and clothes were not Tusken.
"Hello there!" She called out.
Startling them both.
The sharp blue eyes of the older wan zero in on her. Zaria narrowed her own gold eyes as they met his.
She was surprised.
How many force trained sensitives were on this planet? Was Tatooine the planet Jedi picked for exile? Did the old Jedi council all close their eyes and pick a planet? Zaria shook her head.
She sent waves off no harm meant to the old human.
He considered her.
The other man looked her over.
"What's your business here?" He asked warily.
"My ship crashed in the dune sea, and I traveled here." Zaria answered making sure to broadcast her honesty through the force.
"I was hoping for a ride to Anchorhead. I can pay. My name is Zaria."
"My name is Owen Lars and this is my farm. You crashed you say?" Owen looked thoughtful.
"I do remember a notice being put out about it. But it said there were no
survivors. A bunch of Storm toppers went out to check."
Zaria grinned under her headdress. That would make her job easier if Xen Cato thought she was dead.
"I must have missed them, was attacked by Tusken Raiders so I hid out in a cave for a couple of days."
"I'm impressed you could survive out there so long. No payment is necessary, my nephew is already going that way. It would be no trouble." Owen says kindly.
Zaria thanked him graciously.
"I appreciate it, you are very kind."
"You are welcome, come join us for tea. My wife insists guest are fed and watered." Owen waves Zaria and the old man in.
The old man was invited with less than a friendly face.
Zaria and the old man were seated in a sitting room.
Beru had supplied them with tea and cookies. Telling them her husband had to return to work and that Luke her nephew would be there in an hour.
Zaria put out her hand.
"Zaria Saijtoir, and who are you another ex-Jedi? That makes you the second one I have met on this planet."
The man cast her a calculating look.
"I'm not an imperial, my mother's name was Ymira Numark if it makes you feel better. I'm not here to harm you. I have a job to get done then I'm off back to Lothal." Zaria reassures him. It was her mother's name which convinces him.
The man takes her hand.
"You have met Sharad Hett then. You may call me Ben Kenobi."
Zaria could remember her mother once telling her something about a Kenobi.
Zaria couldn't help her curiosity.
"Are you looking for a padawan? The nephew Luke?"
Ben sent her a sharp look.
"No, Owen is dead set against me training the boy. The boy has no idea what he is." Ben confides to her after a long silence.
"I see." Zaria falls silent.
They drink their tea in quiet.
This is a line break.
Zaria felt the boy's immensely powerful force signature before he was even ten feet to the building. Then it was gone swallowed up by Ben's. Zaria turned to look at Ben.
"You are hiding your own and that boy's presence. Hiding from the empire? Why he is so strong?" Zaria questioned more to herself then Ben.
"I can feel why you want to train this kid. Holy force is he something else." Zaria exclaimed.
Ben looked tense.
"I must ask you to keep what you know out of the Empire's hands."
Zaria eased Ben's worries.
"I won't tell the Empire. They are no friend of mine. They killed my mother. And in honor of my mother I would never let more Jedi die by Sith pretenders hands."
Ben regarded her headdress with interest.
"I sense you are descended from an old race strong in the force."
Zaria tilted her head in debate.
"If you want to see under my mask just ask. I normally do not allow people to, but for you I will make an exception. Only fair for all the secrets I know of you, that you know one of mine."
Zaria removed her headdress.
Ben's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Which Zaria got the feeling he didn't get shocked often.
"Well I see that the Emperor and Lord Vader truly are sith pretenders compared to you." Ben recovered quickly.
"I was young when the Empire came after my family. Someone recognized my mother as a jedi and informed the Empire for the reward."
Ben listened to Zaria confide her story to him.
"Mother was pregnant with my younger brother, he was going to be named Tayaz.
My father and I were so excited. My family was deeply bonded in the force. Sometimes we didn't even need to talk."
"I was that way with my fellow Jedi." Ben regarded her sadly.
"My parents trained me in both sides of the force. And Mother trained my father and I in Jedi arts. I am a good healer, as was my mother. We traveled around the galaxy when we weren't at our home on Korriban.
My father and I were exploring a tomb we uncovered."
Zaria shuttered.
"Then we felt the unwelcomed presence of Lord Vader and his Inquisitor. They reached my mother first she was mediating and Vader stabbed her through the stomach. We all felt Tayaz die." Zaria's gold eyes were haunted by memories.
"Father ordered me to run to our ship and prepare our med packs. I was to pack anything I could grab and prep the ship.
I ran faster than I had in my life. I did as my father ordered. Father fought off the two Sith pretenders and carried my sobbing mother in his arms."
Ben looked ashen faced.
"I am sorry for your loss. Lord Vader is a true monster."
"I healed my mother as best as I could. She healed the rest on her own. We ran and the two hunted us relentlessly. Finally my parents taught me how to hide everything about myself and left my on Lothal to draw the two away. They didn't know about me."
Zaria felt her emotions flux and she took some deep breaths. Feeling them.
"I felt my parents die through our bond. Mother was first she shielded my father. They just left her there. My father was captured the Emperor was very intrigued by him and the fact he traveled with a Jedi. They tortured him for days. Taking samples from him, trying to extract secrets from him. My father did not give in. He bid his time broke out. Destroyed their data files and samples of him. And then he tried to kill the emperor. He was shot out into space and died." Zaria was shaking everywhere.
Her grief shining through.
Ben took her hand helping calm her through the force.
"I am sorry. Your parents were brave and loved you very much."
Zaria choked.
"We all loved each other very much. I miss them so much. Mother used to talk about when most of the Jedi died. Does the pain from the broken bonds ever go away?"
Ben looked pained.
"It gets easier to manage the pain after a while. Less painful but it will always echo out from the force." Ben looked at Zaria.
"I could teach you to meditate on it."
Zaria wiped at her eyes.
"Thank you, I would like that."
A sandy blonde haired boy the same age as Ezra entered the room.
"Hey Ben-" His voice trailed off looking at Zaria's uncovered face.
Zaria quickly covered her face back up.
The boy held out his hand.
"I'm Luke, I'm sorry I stared. I didn't to be rude."
Zaria took his hand.
"My name is Zaria, nice to meet you. I don't usually take off my headdress so I would be thankfully if you would keep my appearance to yourself."
Luke nodded.
"Of course, I understand. My uncle told me you need a ride to Anchorhead?"
Zaria nodded.
"Do you have any where to stay?" Luke asks.
"She is staying with me, until she can arrange transport off Tatooine." Ben answers before Zaria could.
"That's good Aunt Beru was worried. She was going to offer you to stay here." Luke laughs.
"Your aunt and uncle are good people, you're lucky to have them." Zaria tells Luke.
"Yeah, They are the closest things i have to parents." Luke nods.
"Well lets get going, I have to get back to helping my uncle."
This is a line break.
Zaria promised to meet the two males back at the Watto trade post in three hours. Zaria needed to buy a speeder bike for her own transport on Tatooine, contact Visago, find out any information she could on Xen Cato.
Ben wandered off to do his shopping. Luke was going with his friends to watch a podrace.
Zaria entered Watto's trade post.
She was greeted by a old Toydarian.
"Welcome, to Watto's trade post."
"I need a speeder bike, one that won't overheat, and can travel long distances. I have three thousand, five hundred credits. I prefer to only spend a thousand and five hundred. Cheat me and you will regret it." Zaria wanted this over quickly.
Watto nodded.
"I like a customer who knows what they want. Okay let me show you what I have." Watto lead her to an outside lot of vehicles.
Zaria left with a decent priced speeder bike of a thousand and seven hundred credits. Zaria requested Watto hold it for her while she finished shopping and for fifty credits Watto agreed.
Zaria bought some more food, extra clothes, a bigger bag, and headed to the bar.
The cantina was packed with lowlifes.
Zaria marched confidently to the Bar and ordered a drink.
She set her eyes on the bartender.
"I'm looking to hire a smuggler pilot. I heard his very good. His name is Xen Cato." She asked pleasantly.
The human bartender sneered.
"I don't know him."
Zaria narrowed her eyes at him. He was lying to her. She waved two finger under the bar trying not to draw attention.
"You will tell me everything you know of Xen Cato." She laced her voice with compelling force.
The man's eyes glazed over.
"He's still on Tatooine, going to start jobs for Jabba soon. Smuggling in spice, he's been hanging around this brothel in Mos Eisley. Total seelmo, never tips."
Zaria smirked under her headdress.
"Thank you. And the name of this brothel?"
"The dancing schutta." The man answered staring blankly at the lights on a screen.
Zaria rolled her eyes.
"How charming." She said dryly.
She left the cantina.
She picked up her speeder bike and went to meet Ben and Luke.
Luke was happily telling Ben all about the pod-race.
"Hello, Zaria." Luke's blue eyes widen at her speeder bike.
"Wow! Where did you get that? I've never seen a speeder bike that looked like that?"
Zaria shrugged.
"The guy I bought from said it was customers made by the previous owner. But it's cooling cables need replace so I got it for a deal."
Luke looked excited and he actually bounced up and down.
"I have some cooling cables. I could work on it for you."
Zaria nodded.
"If you want to."
Luke and Zaria both tied the speeder to the back of the hover car.
This is a line break.
To Owen Lars's displeasure Ben and Zaria had been invited to dinner. Zaria had eaten Beru's delicious home cooked meal with gusto. And had been more than willing to take the leftovers.
Luke offered to give Zaria and Ben a ride back. If Zaria let him tinker with her Speeder. Zaria didn't see a reason to refuse free labor.
Owen gruffly offered to hire her on as a worker if she needed extra money to buy a ticket to Lothal.
Zaria had gratefully taken him up on it.
Ben had given her a tour of his hovel. And that was Zaria being nice about it. But who was she to turn her nose up at it. When it was free. Ben asked her to join him in a nightly meditation.
He fit into the role of a teacher extremely well.
"Did you have many Padawans in the Jedi order?" Zaria wondered.
Ben grew stricken his pain echoing into the force.
"You don't have to answer if it bring you pain." Zaria says softly.
Ben nodded thankfully.
"If I may ask? What brought you to Tatooine?" Ben changes the subject.
"I'm hunting down a bounty for my sort of boss Visago. Xen Cato, kriffing son of a blaster shot down my ship. But then I followed the force ended up in an ancient cave, killed a krayt dragon, stayed with the sand people, then was drawn here." Zaria sighed.
Ben frowned.
"The force works in mysterious ways."
Zaria grimaced.
"You're telling me."
Ben gave a hearty laugh.
"Let's begin with the lesson."
This is a line break.
"So what planets have you visited? Are you the one who surround that crash? What species are you? Why do you have a Tusken craved Japor ivory snippet?" Luke battered her with questions. He was worse than Ezra.
Zaria glared at him irritable from the heat and having to keep her headdress on.
"I have been to five planets, if I told you I would have to kill you, rude to ask that question, I'm frakking awesome that's why." Zaria answered the questions in a flat bored tone.
Luke didn't let Zaria's intimidating demeanor stop him.
"How long are you staying?"
"For as long as I want."
"Who was that horned guy you comed?"
"My boss."
"What does 'Skystas zmones' mean?" *
"It means skystas zmones. Force you're worst than Ezra."
"Who's Ezra?"
"My adorable Brolin."*
"What's a brolin?"
"Okay enough!" Zaria groaned.
"No more questions, let's get the work done."
Luke pouted.
"Why do you have to be so mysterious? How long are you?"
Zaria snickered silently at him.
"Older then you."
This is a line break.
Zaria locked her bike up and entered the brothel. A sleazy yellow skinned Twi-lek male greeted her.
"Salutations, sentient. I assure you we do service females." He flashed his sharp teeth at her.
Zaria already hated the guy.
"I'm actually interested in one of your patrons."
The Twi-lek grinned with greed in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I've forgotten the names, perhaps you could help me remember." He brought up his fingers rubbing them together and made the universal sign for money.
Zaria was glad her headdress hid her disgust. She was tempted to ask him if he wanted her to break his fingers but resisted the urge.
Instead she laid in his waiting opened hand eight hundred credits. The Twi-lek stuffed the money into his pants. Zaria resisted the urge to kill the seelmo.
He smiled at her with an oily smile.
"As the owner of the dancing Schutta I am unable to rat out clients."
Zaria growled and grabbed him by the throat lifting him off the ground.
The Twi-lek swallowed and said quickly.
"But I see no reason why you can't temporarily work here to find the patron yourself."
Zaria snorted and dropped him.
"So basically I paid you to hiring me into working for you."
The Twi-lek smirked at her.
"You can call me Sato Calder."
Zaria grabbed the Twi-lek by a lekku.
"Okay, but if you even think of double crossing me." Zaria let out her dark aura.
"I will cut off your head."
Sato looked torn between fear and excitement.
"Oh I know a couple of males who like it rough."
Zaria pushed Sato away disgruntled.
"I work only three nights a week. And if a human male with black hair and purple eyes comes in. He's mine!"
Sato nodded.
"Yes, yes, just don't get blood on the beds. I will make you pay for damages."
He held out his hands with a comlink. Zaria reluctantly synced it with her own.
"I will call when it's time for work."
Zaria narrowed her eyes at him.
"Remember Sato, betray me and you're dead."
Sato winked at her.
"I would never betray such a beautiful female. I always have a sense for the pretty ones."
Zaria left in a foul mood.
This is a line break.
Ben stared at her eyebrow raised.
"Come again?"
"Oh I'm going to work at a brothel a couple nights a week to find my target. I mostly plan on using force tricks on my customers to think they're having a good time." Zaria pushed herself up completing another push up.
Ben looked disapproving.
"You are very young for that kind of work."
Zaria pushed herself down.
"I'm seventeen, I can handle myself. I can't leave until I complete the contract so I can get paid. This is the fastest way."
Ben took on a mother hen aura.
"I don't like it, perhaps there is another way. Have you tried the force?"
Zaria shook her head.
"You don't think that wasn't the first thing I tried? Its like something is blocking him from me. Like I have to find him at the right moment. The force is being difficult with me wanting to leave the planet."
Ben stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I am teaching you a few things perhaps you can't leave until I have finished."
Zaria completed five more push ups.
"You have helped me master some of my jedi skills my mother was unable to teach me. My father trained me first in sith arts. Then my mother trained me."
Ben sighed.
"I must admit you are well balanced in the force. I have never met someone who works so closely with the dark side and still keep their sanity."
Zaria smiled proudly.
"I am a Sith Je'daii."
Ben looked at her wryly.
"You are indeed."
This is a line break.
"You worked in a brothel?" Ezra fretted.
Zaria rolled her eyes.
"I knew I should have edited that out."
"It's not a big deal Ezra, lots of females learn the art of seduction. I have." Sabine waves away the concern.
Zeb snickered.
"I can't see it, what did you do? Glare at them?"
"I just force tricked them into thinking I gave them the time of their lives."
Zaria smirked.
Ezra's lower lip jutted out in disapproval.
"Did any of those gross makes hurt you, Sessuo?" * Ezra calling her sister in Sith made Zaria so happy. She pulled him into a hug.
"I'm fine Ezra but thank you for worrying."
"So then what happened?" Zeb urged her on.
This is a line break.
Zaria had been working for Sato for three weeks and he was more than delighted at how much money Zaria was bring in.
"I have a human client with purple eyes wanting your night." Sato says slyly.
"You sure I can't convince you to work for me?"
Zaria gave him a dirty look.
"No thanks I'm good. I can take any damages out of my pay."
Sato shook his head sadly thinking of the money he was losing when Zaria would be gone.
Zaria changed into a black dancer outfit that showed a lot of skin but kept her headdress on. She sat down on the bed waiting for Xen Cato.
She was going to enjoy killing him.
She didn't have to wait long.
Xen Cato stepped inside the room. Staring at her lustfully.
Zaria sneered under her headdress.
"Hello master." Zaria purred.
Hiding her sith vibro-dagger behind her.
Xen stalked over with an arrogance that made her want to stab him violently in the head.
"I heard from Sato you are his best girl."
Zaria tilted her head coyly.
"I don't like to brag but yes, I am." She says with confidence.
"Good I can't stay whiny virgins." Xen stripped off his shirt.
His face was handsome but made unattractive by his cocky smirk.
Zaria fluttered her eyelashes at him.
He leaned down to kiss her but froze.
"Those eyes, they are so familiar." He muttered. Then his eyes widened in recognition.
"Visago's bounty hunter!" He sprang away. Zaria lunged slicing his leg muscles.
Xen Cato ran limping out of the room.
Zaria growled as she saw Xen change his face features. So that was why he was so damned hard to find. Xen was a clawdite.
But Xen could hide his presence in the force. Zaria chased him out into the night lit streets. She hunted him with relish. Enjoying being able to give in to her violent urges. She played with him before finally cornering him in a closed off alley.
Xen blubbered.
"Please don't kill me, please. I don't want to die, please."
Zaria stared at him coldly.
"Weakling, how pathetic. Where is the callous male who shoot down my ship?"
She advanced.
"Where is the male who was stupid enough to think he could get away from stealing from Visago? Where is your bravo now?"
Xen lay at her feet begging for her to spare him. Zaria pounced cutting off his head. The once handsome human face melted into a clawdite's wrinkled features.
Zaria stuffed the head in her bag.
Her job was done and it was time to go home.
This is a line break.
Zaria edited her story, simply adding an exciting fight at the end. Telling of her goodbyes to the Larrs family. And to the old hermit Ben. She didn't tell them about the glimpse of Luke's future she saw. Ezra didn't mention her omission. Zeb looked satisfied by the story. Sabine looked at her with respect.
Zaria didn't regret killing Xen Cato. He was a horrible being. She had seen what he had done when she picked up his head.
But she didn't want Ezra to see that side of her unless she had no other choice.
Ezra hugged Zaria.
"Thanks sessuo, for telling me the story."
Zaria hugged him back.
She didn't ever want to see Ezra look at her with the taint of fear.
End of chapter 3.
Author's note:
Sith translations:
* true sith.
* This is a free for all, Brother. I will win.
* no one will hear your laugh.
* weak human.
*brother
So I recently played the first Knights of the old Republic over again. And I still ship the crap out of Female light side Revan and Carth Onasi. Hence why Revan is a girl in my fic. In canon they decide Revan is a male and hooks up to this awesome lady named Bastila Shan but for the sake of my story ignore it. If you've never heard of Revan, go play knights of the old Republic, or look him up on the wiki or read the books at the library. I wasn't going to go over all of Revan's history in the story. Because it's really long but it is a neat story.
Disregard anything you've about of A'Sharad Hett 'Darth Krayt'.
In my story his father was a human raised Sand person who became a Jedi. Then a year after clone wars His father left to go back to Tatooine and married a human raised sand woman. And had a kid with her. so A'Sharad is pretty much the same age as Zaria.
You also get to see Zaria's darker nature, she is by no means an evil sith lord. But Zaria definitely doesn't hesitate when it comes to killing those she doesn't mind killing and those she deems a threat.
In the case of A'Sharad Zaria was in a delicate position and couldn't afford to piss off Sharad Hett or the tribe. So she chose not to kill A'Sharad after seeing what might become of him.
Thank you to blank for reviews.
And thank you to those who Favorited and followed.
