24
"They hurried to the window. Hundreds—maybe thousands—of people were heading down the hill into Galu. Some of them were on swoops. They herded a battalion of the royal guard, who marched between them. At the head of the group rode a woman, her silver hair streaming behind her. Next to her rode Qui-Gon. Galacians were spilling out into the street to see the sight."
Atri slowly opened his eyes as he returned from nothingness. He didn't dream. He didn't exactly know what a dream was. Shiko had tried to explain it, but Atri couldn't grasp the concept. When he went to sleep he returned to the nothingness that he had come from. It scared him sometimes. Every time he thought he had filled up the abyss in his mind with his family he would go to sleep and it would return. There were so many questions he didn't know who to ask. Shiko and the others didn't know how to truly answer him. What had happened before the void? He knew enough to understand that he did not just exist. He had existed years previously, but they were years he could not recall. His family could not tell him what exactly he was missing.
Every morning he awoke from this nothingness and it always took him a few minutes to center himself. Every time he woke up he had to fight off the panic. He had to make sure that there were no more holes. It was the same every morning. He sat up, stared blankly ahead, shuddered, and then sighed. The memories of his family always came back and he was thankful for it. As he learned more and more he was starting to realize that most people in Avlo's situation wouldn't have taken him into their home. Avlo was good. He could feel it.
Atri looked over at Shiko who was staring at him with confusion.
"You still do that," Shiko commented strangely.
"Do what?" Atri asked.
"Never really wake up. It's like you go into a trance." Shiko tried to explain.
"I'm not sleeping now…" Atri sounded confused.
"I guess not!" Shiko laughed.
"Did you 'dream' last night Shiko?" Atri asked curiously.
"Yeah! There was this huge flying dragon coming after us and then you and I hopped on its neck and we rode it all around the farm. Then it started talking like Tiku and we were all confused and stuff."
Atri's brow narrowed in confusion, but he still paid attention. Once Shiko was done explaining his dream he looked over at his adopted brother.
"Did you dream Atri?" He asked and Atri looked away.
"No," He shook his head.
"Oh…" The younger boy trailed off.
"I… just… I don't know why!" Atri tried to break through the barriers in his mind, but it was useless. He couldn't even see these barriers, but he knew they were there!
"It's not that bad Atri. At least you don't have to worry about nightmares!" Shiko said brightly.
"What are nightmares?" Atri's confusion turned to curiosity in a flash.
"They are bad dreams. They are scary and bad things happen in them."
"Like what?"
Shiko hopped over to Atri's bed and sat next to him. His pale blue eyes narrowed slightly and sparkled with a strange light Atri only saw in Avlo's eyes. Atri didn't have a word for it, but he knew that it meant Shiko understood some things that most people could not.
"There was this one time I had a bad dream," Shiko began softly. "And in it I was all alone. My mom and dad weren't there. Keta and Tiku were laughing at something, and when I asked them what it was they wouldn't tell me. They wouldn't even look at me. I did everything to get them to talk to me. I even screamed and they didn't even hear me. Then they started to walk away and I tried to follow them, but my legs were stuck and I couldn't move. They were getting farther and farther and I cried, but they didn't come back…. And I was alone."
The two boys were completely silent as they absorbed the nightmare. Shiko's normally exuberant demeanor had mellowed and he rubbed his eyes. Atri put his arm around his brother as Shiko had done to him many times.
"That'll never happen," Atri said confidently and Shiko looked up at him questioningly.
"How do you know?"
"I just do. Tiku said it was called in-tu-i-shon."
"How come Tiku makes up big words?" Shiko chortled.
"He didn't make it up!" Atri defended.
"He does so! In two itching? That's not a word!"
Both boys laughed and somehow ended up in a pillow fight. Shiko and Atri gasped to catch their breath between their laughter and the strenuous battle they were waging. They landed on the floor in a heap of giggles and their two 'weapons' forgotten at their feet. Seconds later Sera found the two youngest boys of the family and crossed her arms. She cleared her throat and watched with a smug smile the two boys jump up and feign innocence. Her posture practically radiated the promise of power she could exorcise over the two. They offered her twin smiles of apology. She decided to be lenient; for now.
"Why aren't you dressed? Tiku is practically having a seizure because he wants to leave right now!"
From the kitchen came the frantic voice of the eldest son,
"What?!!? They aren't dressed yet?!? SHIKO, ATRI!!!"
The two winced at the sound. Tiku had been rather tense as the election got closer and closer. Now that it was Election Day, the normally calm young adult couldn't even stand still. Shiko and Atri immediately bounded for their wardrobe and pulled out all the clothes they could. The tunics and leggings fell to the ground in a messy heap. Sera shook her head in exasperation and left the room to give the two some privacy. The pair madly put on their respective clothing—Atri finally getting his tunic on the right way. It had taken him over a week to figure out not to wear it inside out, backwards, and to put his head in the right hole.
The boys emerged from their room looking pristine and suspiciously regal. Sera eyed them critically and wondered how they had undergone such a radical transformation. She sighed and decided not to worry about it. There were some mysteries that weren't meant to be solved.
"Where's Keta?!?" Tiku practically screeched. "She's coming right? I thought everyone was coming!"
"Calm down Tiku. The polls don't even open for another hour." Sera put a soothing hand on her anxious first-born.
"You don't even know who you are voting for yet do you?" Shiko asked with a devious smirk.
Tiku shot his brother a dark glare and drank a large glass of orange-juice.
"Can't I just go ahead of everyone on the swoop?" Tiku asked impatiently.
Sera narrowed her eyes.
"Tiku! I am not letting you near that death-trap again. You're lucky you haven't crashed yet!"
"Lucky… or skilled?" He flashed a grin which Sera only frowned at.
Atri and Shiko sat down at the table while Sera shoved her eldest son into a chair and placed a plate in front of him. Sera placed similar plates in front of the other boys and began to place generous servings of eggs and a strange chopped up vegetable on it. They ate obediently without much ruckus. They were usually very subdued in the morning.
Tiku looked at his breakfast with a sick face. Sera gave her eldest son a warning look.
"I'm too nervous to eat!" Tiku explained.
"Eat it, now!" Sera threatened. "We're going to be in Galu all day and you how your father doesn't like 'wasting' money on vendors."
Tiku rolled his eyes and began to eat the food. He only finished half of it before he put his fork down.
"I can't take it anymore!" Tiku said and stood up.
Sera pushed him back down in his chair and gently scolded him.
"Tiku, have you figured out who you are voting for yet?" She asked and Tiku put his head on the table.
"No!" He said forlornly.
"Surely not for Deca Brun; not after that scandal that Jedi discovered!" Sera exclaimed.
"You mean the fact that he is using Offworld Mining to fund his campaign? That's not entirely illegal, yet. As far as I know there are no campaign finance laws put into effect." Tiku shrugged. "There was never a need for them until now."
"Tiku, please don't tell me you are defending him!" Sera nearly shrieked.
"Please mom," Tiku rolled his eyes. "Offworld was using Deca to open the planet to unregulated mining practices. They were just trying to buy access, which they did in a way."
Tiku smirked and shook his head.
"It's good to know that Gala is already catching up to the rest of the galaxy in sneaky political maneuvering." The young adult laughed. "Speaking of which, I heard that Council Minister Giba was arrested last night for conspiracy against the throne and consorting with Deca Brun."
Sera sat down next to her son and her shock showed plainly on her face.
"Conspiracy? What conspiracy?" She asked.
"Well apparently he ordered an unsanctioned attack on the Hill People and Prince Beju was not pleased with that. Prince Beju suspected that Giba was just trying to retain his power in any way possible. The attack on the Hill people just cemented the fact.Prince Beju ordered Giba's arrest; who naturally resisted."
"Naturally," She rolled her eyes.
"He tried to appeal to the guards, but they were loyal to the Queen and the Prince. They threw him in a temporary prison, trying to get any concrete information out of him. Prince Beju finally managed to get something out of the Council Minister which connected him to Deca." Tiku continued.
"I still can't believe Council Minister Giba was consorting with that Deca Brun," Sera said with disgust.
"You haven't heard anything yet!" Tiku's eyes lit up. "Apparently that Jedi team discovered that Queen Veda was being poisoned."
Sera gasped and sat down next to her politically aware son.
"Poisoned?" She managed to squeak out. "But everyone loves Queen Veda. Who could consciously do something like that?"
"You know how she's been getting sicker and sicker and never getting better. No one was even sure she was going to make it to see the elections."
Sera folded her hands and looked at them. She was genuinely upset at this news. Queen Veda had always ruled fairly and kindly. When she started to get sick, most of the affairs of state were managed by the Council. Her announcement of free elections shortly after both pleased and shocked the people of Gala. They loved her even more for it.
"Don't you see? This poisoning has been going on for months!" Tiku exclaimed. "Someone didn't want the elections to happen, but it was too late and there was nothing they could do about it."
"Who?" Sera asked almost desperately.
"They don't know!" Tiku proclaimed. "But everyone is blaming Giba."
"Giba!?!" She hissed.
"All the evidence points to him—even though they don't have anything conclusive. Even if he didn't do it he'll probably end up taking the fall for it."
"But the Queen is all right, isn't she?"
"Yes," Tiku smiled. "Once they found the poisoning agent they were able to find an antidote."
Sera sighed in relief and rested her head in her hands. Tiku put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. She shook her head and sighed.
"It's just so horrible!" She cried out.
"What's horrible?" Avlo asked as he walked into the kitchen.
Sera immediately got up and got her husband a plate. He began to voraciously eat his breakfast as Tiku explained in a more summarized account of the trouble in Galu. After hearing the story Avlo shook his head.
"And you like this kind of stuff?" He asked in disgust.
"It's more interesting than watching plants grow!" Tiku countered back.
"All right, all right. That's enough you two!" Sera waved a spatula threateningly in their faces.
Shiko and Atri had managed to avoid listening to the long drawn out conversation by engaging in a staring contest. Strangely enough, they were both absolutely focused. Shiko's normally hyperactive disposition was quelled as he stared at his adoptive brother. Atri's face lost all expression and his eyes were unmoving. His breathing was slow and even and above all he looked completely at peace. A small smile started to creep up on his face. Shiko, seeing that he could very well loose, decided to up the stakes a little.
"Atri! What's that behind you?!?" Shiko cried out without blinking.
Atri's smile only grew wider. He could feel that there was nothing behind him. He could feel everything. Everything seemed to be flowing in many intricate paths and he could see them all. This he understood. He could even see his place in it. He belonged.
"ATRI!!! There is a four-legged snake and it's going to eeeeat me!" Shiko screeched and his mother shot him a withering look.
"Stop bothering your brother!" She warned.
Everyone at the table stopped moving and looked at the matriarch of the family. She had an unreadable expression on her face that was a mixture between shock, acceptance, and love. It was the first time it had been unconsciously admitted that Atri was a part of their family. Atri blinked sharply and looked up at his family.
"I won!" Shiko shouted in elation. "Thanks Mommy!"
Shiko got up and hugged his mother, but still no one else spoke. At this moment, Keta came strolling into the kitchen with storm clouds of anger and annoyance in her eyes. She took one look at her family and rolled her eyes.
"Who died?" She asked sarcastically.
The family quickly snapped out of their reverie and looked towards the sixteen year old girl. She gave them an irritated glance and then rolled her eyes when no one answered her. She served herself breakfast and ate in tense silence.
"I won, I won, I won!!!" Shiko continued to chatter.
"Well done Shiko," Avlo said proudly and smiled.
"Did I miss something?" Keta rolled her eyes again.
"Shiko beat Atri at a staring contest. He's acting like it is the greatest victory in the history of Gala." Tiku smirked at his sister.
Atri continued to say nothing, but his eyes were aglow with a strange happiness and peace. He was truly a part of Avlo's family. He needed no formal initiation or right of passage. Being openly acknowledged as Shiko's brother was enough. He finally belonged. His life before didn't seem to matter so much to him anymore.
Galu was a flurry of activity and people. Political signs and banners were proudly borne everywhere. Though Deca had fallen in the public's eye, his staunchest supporters still rallied for his cause. They were drowned out by Wila Prammi supporters who crowded the streets proclaiming why Wila Prammi was the ideal choice for government. The most surprising fact was the amount of people in support of Prince Beju. It wasn't just those who would benefit most from a monarchy either. Many of the middle class cheered for their Prince. He had made quite an impression in the last few weeks, and now that Deca had lost support Beju was a serious contender.
Atri looked at the city in an almost excited awe. He was no longer afraid of the amount of people that surrounded him. They existed as he did and they had families as he did. They were the same, but all unique. He was curious about all of these people. He wanted to know them. He wanted to know what they thought about everything!
"Atri, keep up!" Sera scolded gently and grabbed his hand while Shiko had her other.
Keta was looking around constantly and eyed the crowds with clear disdain. Avlo was simply trying to keep his family from getting lost in the immense crowds. He knew that an innocent crowd could quickly change into a rampaging riot in no time. He brought his vibro-shiv with him just in case he would be forced to defend himself. He was finding it quite difficult to keep track of his family when his eldest was flitting around like a bird talking to anyone and everyone he could. After about the tenth time of loosing and relocating his eldest son he finally gave up. They all agreed to meet back up at the turbo-cart once the sun started to go down.
Like magic, the two eldest siblings disappeared into the crowd. Sera shook her head and made sure she was holding on to Shiko and Atri very tightly. She had no doubt that Tiku and Keta could take care of themselves, but if the two youngest members of her family got lost… There would be no way to find them in this madness. Atri looked up at her with a smile almost as if reading her mind. She smiled back at him and decided to make the most of the outing.
Tiku wandered around in an aimless fashion. He would get near the polls, but he would not go inside. He still had no idea who he wanted to vote for. How could he make such a decision when he knew the three main contenders strengths and weaknesses so well he dreamed about them? They each had their flaws and those flaws were reason enough not to vote for any of them, but they also had redeeming qualities. Deca had his gravitas—he meant business and he wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in his way. People were drawn to that kind of power and so they still supported him.
Did Gala need a leader like that? Tiku didn't know.
Wila Prammi had the most experience dealing with matters of state. She had been an under Minister at the Palace and she knew the ins and outs of Gala's political realm. She had lived out her life in wealth and privilege though. She could barely sympathize with the lower class because she didn't know what it was like. Once the scandal that Deca was involved in hit the streets she had gained a lot more supporters. She had a tendency to speak what was exactly on her mind even at the cost of offending people.
Was she truly cut out to be a politician? Or would the monster that was politics eat her alive?
Then there was Prince Beju. He had been raised his whole life to be King of Gala. He would most likely want to return the planet to a monarchy. Or did he? Ever since he came back from Phindar he had been the talk of the entire city. His dramatic change had people excited. They wanted to see more of this new Beju. By the moons! Tiku wanted to see more of this Prince Beju as well.
The young-adult made his way towards a group of Beju-supporters. They were all caught up in the novel craze that the prince had instilled in them. Some of them carried laser signs that blinked from 'PRINCE BEJU' to 'DESTINY'. Tiku almost laughed, but he was intrigued. He ventured further and further into the crowd until he was in the hub of Beju-central. Tiku heard a familiar voice and whirled around in surprise. Right in front of him was Prince Beju animatedly talking with a Galacian. Tiku's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open. That was Prince Beju?
Tiku fell into a fit of laughter. Prince Beju was just a kid! He couldn't be older than his sister Keta and was about the same height as Atri. Everyone was getting excited over a kid? Tiku wondered when he had lost track of Beju's age. The Holonet made him out to be some larger than life figure. Tiku walked away laughing his head off and gaining many stares.
It was about five hours before the polls officially closed when a cry went up throughout the city. The Hill People had come down to vote and people in the streets were starting to panic. Avlo, taller than most Galacians, saw first hand the Hill People as they descended on the city. He growled and barked out orders to his family to stay behind him. He fingered his vibro-shiv, but he knew he couldn't draw it in public.
An uproar went up throughout the crowd. No one had anticipated this. All the figures and predictions were rendered moot as the darker skinned Galacians walked towards the city. There were murmurs of fear, anger, and wonder. Atri stopped completely and looked around. He felt something. There were the bad feelings like fear and anger, but his intuition told him everything would be all right. It didn't explain the strange new feeling though. He was about to ask Sera or Shiko, but realized he had no words to describe it. Before he could give it more thought Sera was tugging at his hand and he was being pulled away.
"KETA, TIKU!!!" Avlo shouted over the melee.
He couldn't see a sign of his eldest children anywhere and he was starting to get angry. He whirled towards his wife and the two youngest boys and looked at them sternly.
"Do not move from this spot. I'm going to find Tiku and Keta." He said gruffly and left no room for dissent.
Sera sighed and held her children's hands tighter. Shiko was naturally curious and wanted to go with his dad. She knew she had a battle ahead of her to get Shiko to stay in the same place for too long. She was ready. A mother was always ready.
Qui-Gon walked back into Galu an exhausted Jedi. He had spent days trying to convince Elan to come back to Galu and vote. She was stubborn, willful, obstinate, and a leader. He had to resort to feigning injury just to stay with the Hill People. They truly were very kind, but they were wary of outsiders. It took an attack on her home to finally bring her and her people into the city. She was scheduling a meeting with the candidates at the moment. He smiled slightly as the thought of Prince Beju and Elan meeting for the first time. They were siblings and they didn't even…
Qui-Gon's eyes widened. Prince Beju didn't know about Elan and the mark of the crown! He didn't know he had a sister or that his father had fallen in love with a Hill Person. He knew that kind of information would either incense the Prince's anger or crush him. Either way, it would be a bad situation for both Elan and Beju. He had to do something. The Force was urgently telling him to move forward and he obeyed. He glided gracefully through the crowds, hoping to reach the palace. He felt waves of fear and anger roll off the Galacians, but he sensed no danger. There would be no revolt. Kazaran and his padawan had done their job well.
He had tried to warn them of Giba's betrayal, but they had shrugged it off and said they were already on their way to arrest him. Kazaran had told Qui-Gon that they had everything under control and they only needed Elan. Qui-Gon had crisply told him to 'be patient' and he was 'working on it'.
The Jedi Master had to resort to slight nudges of the Force to get through the crowd, but it was still hard going. He knew if he pushed someone the wrong way he might incite a brawl, and that's not something he wanted to do. He looked at his surroundings and frowned. He wasn't going in the direction he wanted to. He had somehow gotten turned around. He was pretty fatigued and hadn't been paying that much attention.
He whirled around to try and get his bearings when he heard a small voice cut through the roar of the crowd like a lightsaber. He knew that voice. It had asked him questions. It had argued and struggled to not show its frustration and anger. He had heard despair and laughter in it once. He knew with time it would change into a voice of strength, conviction, and peace. For now it was one of innocent curiosity. It's owner attached by the hand to a woman who held another boy's hand as well.
"Are you lost?" It asked.
A/N: Mwhahahahah! Thanks all for reviewing and giving me a probable answer to my question. I have considered all of them. I don't have a clear answer, but I have an idea what I will be going with. Please continue to give me constructive criticism (or start doing it…). I promise I won't cry too much. Oh, and sorry about the late update!