Chapter 19/Part 1 The Harnessing

Kien dropped his 'borrowed' ship out of hyperspace above the Belaridian moon, "Well, here we are, brace yourself, this is going to get a little rough." He warned.

As the ship entered the atmosphere, it hit the same turbulence that Zak had encountered; but the sturdier and more maneuverable craft Kien had acquired easily withstood the battering of the upper atmospheric winds and landed without incident. Relieved to be free of the cramped confines of the stolen ship, Terak was out before either of his companions had released their harnesses. Sucking in the cool fresh Verdantian air, Terak waited for the hunters to join him. Moments later Devan appeared and stood beside him, "Well, isn't this pretty." She exclaimed.

"We aren't here to take in the view, Devan." Terak muttered.

"Rein it in, Lover; give us a moment to scope this place out." Devan advised as she rubbed the back of her hand against his cheek.

Terak smiled coldly as he grasped her hand and kissed her palm, "I just want to see that freak dead." He replied.

Devan flashed her devastating smile, "And you will, Terak, my love; all in good time." She promised.

Kien emerged from the ship carrying several weapons and a pair of long range spotters, "Hmm...this is going to be challenging." He announced as he scanned the nearby hills for any signs of movement.

"Yes, that's what makes it fun." Devan replied, reaching for one of the weapons and then turning to Terak, "Which would you prefer? Personally, I love a good crossbow; it makes for an interesting hunt."

"Well, crossbows are hard to come by; you'll have to settle for this." Kien answered, holding a long range blaster rifle out to her.

"You're such a liar, Kien; crossbows are hard to come by, but long-ranged scoped blaster rifles aren't?" Devan countered, "You probably never bothered to look."

"Next time we need weapons, you can do the buying, Devan darling." Kien retorted as he handed one of the rifles to Terak and then continued his search, "There we go; maybe this one be as difficult as we thought."

"Good, I want to get this over with." Terak said, "Which way?"

"Follow me." Kien replied.

They hiked away from the ship toward one of the hills; Kien continued to monitor the movement he had seen, adjusting their course to move closer to their unsuspecting target. Soon they were in the trees and could hear the rustle of movement just ahead of them. Devan raised her weapon and fired; they heard a yelp followed by the sound of crashing through the underbrush and the trio moved quickly to track it. A trail of blood showed them the way, ending at the base of a tree; but what they found was not what they expected. Devan's shot had taken down a creature nearly twice as tall as a normal human; it lay where it had fallen, crumpled face down and unmoving under the tree, "What in the name of the Maker is that?" Terak wondered as he cautiously approached it.

Devan prodded it with the barrel of her weapon and then flipped it over, "Well, it sure looks human, in a primitive kind of way." She said.

"It looks like some kind of throwback." Kien interjected from a save distance.

"I wonder if there are more of them." Devan pondered.

"Who cares; I thought we were hunting freaks." Terak replied.

"Change of plans; hunting throwbacks is so much more fun." Devan decided.

Terak scowled and crossed his arms, "I thought we agreed." He objected.

"That was before we knew about these things." Devan answered as she pulled a knife from her belt and lopped off a length of scraggly hair from her kill.

Kien wrinkled his nose, "That's disgusting, Devan." He told her, "It's filthy."

"Then I'll wash it after the hunt and braid it; if I get another, I hope the hair is a different color and then I can braid them together. It would make an excellent trophy." Devan replied.

"Well, I didn't come here to hunt throwbacks; you two do whatever you want, but I'm going after the freaks. I'll meet you back at the ship when I'm finished." Terak announced.

"Fine, but if you aren't there when we get back, we won't be waiting for you." Kien informed him.

Devan flashed Terak a seductive smile, "Don't listen to him, Lover; you take as long as you need, I'm not going anywhere without you." She promised and then pulled him close.

Terak allowed her to pull his head down and nibble his ear as he caressed her neck with his tongue and then pushed her away, "Later; when I've finished with my dear brother and his friends." He said and then turned and disappeared into the trees.

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Zak fought weakly as he was hustled down a doorless corridor; but the mental struggle with Li had left him drained and barely able to walk. As a precaution, Tarka paused long enough to bind his hands before continuing on. They passed several Lodgers, who stared at the bound stranger with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. The woman, Asjen, moved on ahead, triggering an opening in the wall a few meters down and waiting there until they passed through before closing it up behind her. They continued on down this narrower, deserted corridor until it ended; Asjen moved past them, triggered the opening and led the way into a fairly large room. A wave of her hand triggered the lighting to reveal banks of control panels lining the walls; some alive with an assortment of flashing lights, others completely dark. In the center of the room, separated by three or four meters, were a pair rectangular metal frames, black in color, each about four meters high and about a meter wide; beside each one was a bare console made of the same shiny black material. Another pair of similar frames stood behind the first pair, but several panels on their attached consoles were lit up, one area blinking orange at regular intervals; and the frames were occupied. One by a woman standing perfectly still, eyes closed, with her arms at her side; a metallic band encircled her head.

The occupant of the other was much larger, holding its arms above its head and standing with its legs spread slightly apart, it nearly filled the entire space within the frame; an identical metallic band around its much larger head. Beams of light wound up its legs and down its arms before intertwining to wrap around the creature's body. For the moment, Asjen ignored her captive as she moved to the right console, touching several areas which, in turn began to glow and emit a low hum. Zak, still reeling from Li's brutal probe, stood impassively between his escorts, trying, through the dazed fog clouding his ravaged mind, to comprehend the purpose of the frames. Asjen finished her work at one console and moved to the one behind it; working at it much the same as she had the first until, after a moment, the console went dark. She moved to the woman standing inside the frame and removed the band from around the her head, "You're time has been shortened; you have been relieved." She said.

The figure nodded and replied, "As you wish; we live to serve the Lodge." Then the figure, a young woman with long black hair, stepped from the frame and moved toward him.

She looked curiously back at Asjen, "He is the intruder; the one who came from the sky." Asjen explained as she hung the band on a rack containing several others.

"And he has come to join us?" The woman surmised.

Asjen shook her head, "No, he has proven to be uncooperative and rebellious; Li has given him over to be harnessed." She explained.

The woman glared at Zak, "A pity to harness one so young; but we cannot have dissidence here." She said, echoing Li's words and then touched the side of face.

Zak flinched at her touch, "And yet he has great Power; the Lodge will benefit from it." The woman continued.

A low growl sounded from the other frame and the figure there began to struggle; it finally dawned on Zak that the beams of light were holding the creature within the frame. Asjen moved to the console next to that frame and touched several panels; with a low moan, the creature's head drooped and it seemed to sag into its restraints. She then turned back toward them, "Return to the common area, Dahl; I must continue." She ordered.

Dahl bowed her head and left through the opening; Asjen moved toward the opening and closed it with a wave of her hand. Zak shifted between the two guards as Asjen turned back to him, "Your time has come, young intruder." She told him.

Tarka took his arm and moved him into the right frame; Zak resisted, but was still too weak to do more than delay the inevitable as Tarka removed the tether binding his wrists and pulled his arms above his head inside the frame, "No, no, Tarka, move them further apart; Miko, take his other arm." Asjen instructed.

For a moment, both men held Zak's arms in place as he struggled, while Asjen placed her hand over another part of the console. Zak's fingers began to tingle and he looked up to see tiny rivulets of light, emanating from both upper corners of the frame, wrapping around his fingers and then moving over his hands, when they reached his wrists, the guards released his arms. Zak tried to lower his arms, put he was held fast in the grip in the light; he continued to struggle as the light wound around his arms down to his shoulders where they joined together around his chest. He was slow to register that the light was only a carrier for the energy field which now held his upper body immobile, "No!" He exclaimed as he bent his knees trying to pull his arms free.

"It is useless to struggle; a pointless waste of energy. Even the growlers are powerless within the light." Asjen informed him.

But it satisfied her to see him struggle because it meant that Li had been right, his will had not been broken.

She touched another section of the console, the hum grew louder and the floor seemed to fall away under his feet as Asjen shortened the beam to raise him several centimeters. For a moment he dangled there until the guards spread his legs, much as they had his arms and held them for the corner light to catch. But the light seemed to dance off his boots and would not catch, "Remove his foot coverings; they are interfering with the beam." She ordered.

Tarka nodded and pulled Zak's boots. Quickly, Zak felt the tingling in his toes, and renewed his struggled; but the men held his legs firmly until the light had wound around his ankles and partway up his calves. The beams of light continued their winding paths up past his knees to his thighs before joining and terminating just below his waist. Testing the parameters of his confinement, Zak found that he could do nothing more than move his head, wiggle his toes and flex his fingers. He was completely at the mercy of these people now; and he knew even the Force would be useless against the energy field entwined around him. He was exhausted, beaten, his mind still raw from Li's savaging; and all he could think about was his failure to keep the knowledge of the other Jedi from Li. He held out the slim hope that Ferri had decided to leave the ship before Arna and his men could get to them; or barring this, that the Jedi had discovered their location and were rushing to their rescue, "Do you feel discomfort?" Asjen asked.

"What?" Zak gasped.

"Do you feel discomfort?" Asjen repeated impatiently.

"I..I don't...I can't...move." Zak stammered.

Asjen smiled coldly, "As you should not." She replied.

"Then...I...yes, I..." Zak struggled.

"Is there strain on your arms or legs?" Asjen asked, clearly annoyed.

"Uh..." Zak thought for a moment and then answered her truthfully, "No."

"Good; are you having difficulty breathing?" Asjen asked.

Zak shook his head, "No, I...I...no." He stammered.

"Excellent; then where do you feel discomfort?" Asjen questioned.

"I..am..." Zak began, shook his head, closed his eyes and tried again, "Why...why..." And then gave up, "It doesn't...matter."

Asjen nodded in understanding, "Now I see. You are displeased with your detention." She guessed, "But it is of your own making. Your behavior has proven you are a hostile; and like the growlers, you must be controlled through restraint."

Zak sighed and shook his head; Asjen returned to the rack holding the metallic bands, thought for a moment and then removed one of them, "Your harnessing is nearly complete." She informed him as she moved to stand before him, "We have only to channel your Power."

Zak looked at her in puzzlement and Asjen's cold smile returned, "I will explain. The Power provides the energy to run the Lodge; it gives us light, cools and warms our air, fuels our cooking devices and heats our bathing water. The Power of the growlers, while strong , is limited by their inability to properly focus it; and so each Lodger is required to occupy a stanchion for several hours in order to maintain an even flow of energy. Even so, unless all four stanchions are occupied, there are some areas that will not function; that is why you see some darkened panels." She began.

"Explain...growlers." Zak requested.

"The creature behind you is a growler." Asjen answered.

"Also...a prisoner...then." Zak determined.

Asjen sighed, "It is their purpose; and it is necessary for the good of the Clan." She insisted, "After a time, he will be returned to the trees and another will take his place."

"Still...wrong." Zak said.

His captor glared at him, "You know nothing." She retorted and reached up to place the band around Zak's head.

Zak jerked his head back, "No." He stated.

"Resistance is pointless." She reminded him as Tarka moved behind him, holding his head in place while she positioned the band and adjusted the fit; Zak's fingers flexed as he renewed his struggle to free himself.

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed Tarka and Miko, "The rest is for me to complete." She told them.

They bowed their heads as the opening appeared and then passed through it, "Why...only...one?" Zak asked as she sealed the opening.

"Only one growler? The stanchion next to you is empty because the growler moved on and we have not yet been able to secure another to take his place; yours is empty because the Lodger was no longer necessary and was dismissed." Asjen continued.

"So...your...your people...cannot..." Zak began, but struggled to continue.

"It is a great strain for them to focus enough of the Power to provide energy and they tire quickly." Asjen answered.

"And...me?" Zak questioned.

Again Asjen's cold smile appeared, "You, intruder; you are unique. You have Power as great as the growlers; and you have shown the ability to control it better than any in our Clan. With your harnessing, it will no longer be necessary for the Lodgers to take a place in the stanchions. And when your companion is harnessed, the Power of the Lodge Clan will be unsurpassed." She answered and then moved to the console again, "Your contribution, however unwillingly you give it, will be remembered long after you have moved on."

Zak sighed and shook his head, "If your questions have been answered, it is long past time for me to finish." Asjen said.

"This...this is wrong." Zak told her.

"The opinion of a true dissident; Li was wise to order you harnessed." Asjen decided, waving her hand over the only area of the console still dark.

The band around Zak's head became slightly warm and the young Jedi felt the Force suddenly swirl up around him. He shook his head, his fingers flexing as he struggled to push it away, finally fully understanding what it meant to be harnessed. But even as he struggled, the darkened panels along the wall began to light up. Asjen smiled at him, "I am finished. You have been successfully harnessed." She informed him.

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With Saeri riding on his back, Park led the way up into the hills. It was a struggle for Ferri to keep pace with them even without carrying the 3 year old youngling. But Park was vigilant, and continued to watch the injured Jedi, being careful not to let him fall too far behind. Finally, as they crossed over a large hill, several openings revealed themselves in the hill beyond, "We have reached the Caves." Park announced.

As if sensing their approach, several appeared from inside to stare at them curiously; a woman broke away and trotted toward them, "You have found them!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, it was a close, however." Park answered, squatting to let Saeri slide off his back.

"Well, no matter; you have returned, and they are safe now." The woman replied, placing a hand on Saeri's shoulders as she turned to guide them all back to the caves.

Ferri hobbled several steps forward; it was getting difficult to hear over the roaring in his ears and the light seemed to collapse around him. He stumbled another step before the darkness overtook him completely; he felt himself falling but did not remember hitting the ground.

When he regained his senses, he was lying on a soft mat; he raised his head slightly to see that his freshly bandaged leg was elevated and immobilized. He heard the trickle of water and turned to see a raven haired woman smiling at him, "Park, he has joined us again." She announced as she placed a cool damp cloth over his forehead.

Park came to stand behind the woman, "Apologies; I failed to sense your distress until it was too late. Your little ones are safe; Daria is telling them stories while they eat." He said.

Ferri struggled to sit up but was pushed down gently by the woman, "You are not ready quite yet." She told him.

"Who...?" Ferri murmured thickly.

Park sighed, "Apologies again; I have neglected to introduce you to Ket. She is my mate." He answered and then pulled up a stool and sat down.

"I am eager to hear of the Jedi; however, Ket has determined that you must regain your strength first. So perhaps, instead I could answer any questions you might have." Park offered.

"What will happen to Zak?" Ferri asked immediately.

"Zak? Ah, your missing companion." Park surmised, "He is in the custody of the Lodge Clan; if he was pliant, they will allow him to join them."

"Pliant?"

Park thought for a moment, "He would have been questioned by Li, the Clan leader; if she found his responses satisfactory, then he would not be considered a threat." He finally answered.

"And if she found him unsatisfactory?" Ferri asked.

Park glanced at Ket who sighed sadly and nodded her head, "If Li believes he is not cooperating, which is highly probable, she will consider him hostile." He replied.

"And?"

"And he will be harnessed." Park finished.

"I don't understand." Ferri said.

"Zak will be their prisoner; and they will use his Power to provide energy for the Lodge." Park told him.

Ferri tried to sit up, but was restrained by the pair, "You cannot help him if this has happened; the Lodge, especially the harnessing room, is heavily guarded. If you trespass there and are discovered, they will consider you a hostile as well, and you will find yourself in the same situation as your companion." Ket said.

Ferri sighed in resignation and gave in, realizing she was right, "Will he die?" Ferri wondered.

"Die?" Park repeated, "If you mean will he move on; I do not think Li will allow it until he is no longer of any use to them."

"What kind of people are they?" Ferri asked.

"Oh, very much like us; we have the same origins but took divergent paths." Park answered.

"I find that hard to believe." Ferri replied.

Park smiled, "Perhaps it would be easier for you to believe if you knew our past." He suggested.

"I don't think so; but I guess I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well tell me." Ferri prompted.