De Re Coquinaria Bellorum Stellarum – The Unofficial 'Star Wars – The Clone Wars' Cookbook
Chapter 3: Somnium Ahsokae de Pace
She was sitting on the mossy, green ground beneath a great, overarching tree, leaning back against the massive trunk and enjoying the quiet of the night around her, only broken by the soft murmurs of people talking some distance away and the crackling of fires and torches. Half hidden in the shadows as she was, the flames were small, barely visible spots on her closed eyelids, only the closest one flickering slightly more brightly in the corner of her left eye. The air smelled moist and earthy, with just a hint of cold remaining, a memory of the winter not long gone yet, but vanquished by the promise of summer and warmth. The bark against which she was leaning felt rough and dry against the bare skin of her back, centuries' worth of time carved into the deep lines and swirls of the wood. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable spot to be sitting in, but she didn't feel like moving right away. She wanted to savor this moment, the momentary quiet and contentment of simply closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax after such a long time of planning and training and fighting. Her head fell back against the tree trunk as she took a few deep breaths of the cool air, letting the sensation wash over her, for once not thinking of anything at all...
"Hey, Ahsoka. Senator Amidala said to bring you a piece of the dessert cake. She thought you might like some, and didn't want you to miss out on it by daydreaming."
Katooni's voice seemed to reach her montrals from very far away, disrupting the silence in her head and effectively dragging her mind back to the earth beneath her hands and feet. Ahsoka frowned slightly. Katooni? She couldn't remember seeing the young Jedi on the ship that had brought them to Cato Neimoidia. What was the Tholothian initiate doing in a dangerous war zone, anyway?
Opening her eyes, she took a moment to orientate herself, and found herself blinking up at the Nabooian night sky, its three moons moving in their various orbits around the planet. How come she had believed herself to be on Cato Neimoidia? This was obviously Naboo; the planet was located in an absolutely different corner of the galaxy. The systems of the Chommell sector shone down on her, an endless expanse of deepest blue glittering with stars, some of them obscured by the wide branches of the tree above her and the shadowy silhouette of Katooni standing next to her, holding out a plate towards her and looking at her expectantly.
Ahsoka ignored the offered dish and simply looked around for a moment, trying to find her bearings after being disrupted in her thoughts like that. She knew this place well; the extensive gardens were part of Senator Amidala's estate in the Lake Country, where the senator had insisted she spend a week to recover from her illness after being infected with the Blue Shadow Virus in Doctor Vindi's lab. That had been years ago now. How strange to remember that episode of the war at this moment – or to be thinking of the campaign on Cato Neimoidia. Her thoughts really must have been wandering into the past for a second...
I must have been truly out of it not to have noticed her coming up to me. Huh... My reflexes are turning dull – too much relaxation. Or maybe I just sensed that she was no threat.
"Ahsoka? If you don't want the cake I can just take it back. Senator Amidala said to tell you there's chocolate in it, though, and some native berries as well."
She freed herself from her musings and smiled up at Katooni as she did so, reaching out to take the small dessert plate from the girl. Her other hand moved up just in time to catch the elegant silver fork which slipped from the plate once the Tholothian had let go of the dish. It seemed to fall in slow motion for a second, each twirl clearly visible, before she felt its impact on her fingertips. So much for those reflexes I was wondering about...
"Sorry – lost my train of thought there for a second. Thanks, Katooni – cake sounds great right now. How come you're here? Where are the other initiates?"
Katooni shrugged and let herself fall to the ground next to Ahsoka, leaning back on her hands and looking over to where most of the other people were standing or sitting in small groups around tables and bonfires set out on the expanse of green grass. "I guess they're still at the buffet, tasting the dessert dishes – there's quite a variety of them, you should go and have a look. And, well, as I said, Senator Amidala was wondering about finding you so that you could have some cake before it was all gone, and I offered to go looking for you to bring you a slice of it. I didn't really feel like staying, what with so many... I don't know... important people standing there, talking to each other. I just didn't seem to fit in very well. Stuck out like a sore thumb, is more like it."
Ahsoka could understand that. She'd felt the same when she'd first become Master Skywalker's padawan, and even before whenever she'd met Yoda or another one of the Council members. It could be a rather intimidating situation, even though they were all very kind to her or sometimes didn't really notice her at all. Still, it was understandable for an initiate to feel uncomfortable among all those grown-ups and their serious talks. Ahsoka had simply always tended to hide her uncertainty by a brash attitude and a brave front of self-confidence, making people notice her rather than avoiding the situation. To each their own methods, as they said...
Her companion didn't seem to sense her momentary reminiscences of her own childhood, but rather continued talking after a second's hesitation. "Plus... I wanted the chance to talk to you alone for a minute, anyway. If you don't mind, that is. I'd just like to ask you something."
"Go right ahead." She gave her companion an encouraging smile. Ever since accompanying her and the other younglings on their trip to Ilum, she'd grown to like Katooni most of the lot, observing the progress she was making whenever she was at the temple, helping her out whenever the girl was working on a problem she couldn't solve alone, wondering what would become of the thirteen-year-old now sitting next to her on the ground.
"Well... The annual apprentice tournament will be held in about a month's time, and I'll be participating. I was wondering if you'd be willing to give me some extra lessons in lightsaber combat beforehand, just some additional training to get used to a few new techniques. I don't really want to ask one of the older knights or the masters to help me, since they might be looking for a padawan at the tournament... And since you probably won't be choosing a padawan for another year or two, I thought maybe you would..."
Ahsoka found herself answering right away, no need to consider the question: "Of course I'll help you. I'm on permanent assignment to Chancellor Organa for now, so I'll probably be at the temple for most of the time during the next few weeks, anyway. Just tell me when you want to start once we get back to Coruscant, and we'll fix a date some time in the evenings."
She grinned at Katooni, whose look of slight anxiety had changed to one of relief in a matter of seconds. "Nervous about the tournament, are you?"
The girl nodded glumly, then shrugged as if to shake off her nerves. "A bit, to be honest. I mean – all the knights and masters will be there. And I just want to do well at the tournament. After all, they'll probably decide on whether or not I'm going to be a padawan then, so it's a pretty important occasion, isn't it?"
She looked uncertainly at Ahsoka, who nodded in understanding. "It is that, true. But don't worry too much about it – I'm sure you'll do just fine." Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "Any Jedi you'd particularly like to have for a master? You can tell me – I promise I won't blab, and maybe I'll be able to give you a few pointers."
Katooni smiled a bit wistfully, looking into the direction of the lawn and the terrace, where senators, Jedi, clone officers and Force knew who else were still enjoying their dessert, talking about all manner of topics and enjoying the clear night and the peaceful atmosphere. The girl nodded slightly to where Master Skywalker stood at a table holding a glass of what was probably sparkling wine, laughing along with Senator Amidala and Master Kenobi about some anecdote Yoda must have been telling them just now. They all looked so very relaxed, free of the sorrows and dark thoughts of war that had held their attention for so long. It was a wonderful thing to see.
"I know it's really unlikely, but it would be just wow if Master Kenobi could be my teacher. I mean, Master Skywalker passed his trials nearly five years ago, so by now Master Kenobi must be looking for a new padawan, mustn't he? Especially since he'll now have the time for teaching again."
Five years already? Force, when had that happened? Time was aflying these days, indeed... "You know, the Jedi Council considered making me Master Kenobi's apprentice back when it was my turn to become a padawan – though I'm quite happy that I ended up with Skyguy instead. I don't think Master Kenobi and I would have suited each other all that well. He's too thoughtful for that, and I'm as stubborn and reckless as Anakin on his best days. But I've gotten to know him quite a bit since then, and I'm sure he'd be a great master for you. Your personalities would fit each other well, I think."
Katooni's eyes had turned back to her when she'd begun speaking. Now she nodded gratefully, and tried to shrug at the same time, as if to make light of the matter; the movement turned out rather comical, revealing the initiate's nervousness about the upcoming tournament more clearly than any words could have done. "It's just wishful thinking so far really, nothing but an idea... but I really hope it might turn out that way."
Ahsoka laid an encouraging hand on her companion's shoulder for a moment. "Well, we'll know more about it in a month's time. Until then, I promise you that I'll find or make the time to do some extra sparring with you – it'll do me good to start learning how to teach someone the basics early on."
The girl next to her finally showed her a genuine smile and seemed to put her worries to the back of her mind at the reassurance she had been given."Thanks, Ahsoka – it means a lot to me. Really."
For a moment they sat in silence. Together they watched the other people mingle in the crowd standing or sitting on the wide lawn, and listened to the faint echoes of plates clattering and voices chatting that reached them from afar. The three moons of Naboo, all of them at least partly visible tonight, cast the scene in front of them in a pale light, enhanced by the flames of torches and bonfires.
Finally Katooni got up, brushed off her pants and gestured towards where Petro and the others had claimed a table and a few chairs and seemed to be engaged in some kind of game involving a board set out on the table. "I think I'll go back to the others for now – they'll be wondering where I've wandered off to. You could come and join us, if you'd like – I'm sure they'd all love to see you."
Ahsoka shook her head in answer to the suggestion. "No, thanks, Katooni – I think I'll enjoy being an outside observer some more. I haven't had all that much time to myself lately."
"Oh. Okay, then", Katooni nodded and turned to go, then seemed to think better of it and glanced back at the Togrutan Jedi still sitting on the ground. "You should really try the cake, though. It's good – a secret family recipe, according to Senator Amidala. Would be a pity to waste the opportunity." With a smile, the Tholothian initiate started off towards where her friends were still absorbed in their game, leaving Ahsoka to watch her disappear into the crowd once more.
Shrugging, she grasped the fork and took a tentative first bite of the dessert cake, a flat, rectangular piece of pastry topped with sweet cream. Katooni was right, she thought as she enjoyed the explosion of flavours in her mouth, it is a pretty tasty concoction. Chewing thoughtfully, she tried to make out the different ingredients she was tasting beneath the smooth, cool aroma of sweet cream; chocolate, definitely – flakes of the exotic sweet must have been mixed into the cake; they combined well with the nutsy flavour of what had to be one of the main parts of the cake, and made for a nice contrast to the tart berries, dried and fresh, which had been added to the pastry. All in all, it was a simple, but ingenious creation – she could see why Senator Amidala's family kept the recipe as a trade secret, if the story really was true and the cake hadn't simply been invented by an industrious cook for exactly this evening. But then again, why should the senator be lying about something like this?
With the plate balanced on her drawn-up knees and the fork in her hand, she leaned back against the tree trunk once more, observing the feast continuing on in front of her and taking a small bite of cake from time to time. It was good to be here, to see her friends alive and happy after the long years of war.
Chancellor Organa, having released her from her duty for the evening ("I won't have one of the great contributors to the end of this war working on the day we celebrate peace!"), was listening attentively to something Master Windu was explaining, both of their expressions serious, but not at all darkened. Lux, with Steela in a stylish outfit next to him, had joined the group surrounding Masters Skywalker and Kenobi and seemed to be paying his compliments to the hostess. She could tell by the way he held himself upright that he had finally grown into his role as representative of his people. He looked – calm, she thought. Settled. As if he was finally at peace.
Riyo was introducing Echo and Fives to Senator Mon Mothma, whose elegant white robes were clearly visible in the darkness. The Chandrillan was smiling about something Echo must have said, probably a quote from some book or regulation fitting for the occasion. The peace treaty, maybe. Or the re-written constitution of the new republic. Off to the side she could see Barriss and Master Unduli sitting at a table with Kix and a few other clones whose faces she couldn't make out. Some debate on healing or other, she'd bet. A content smile lit her face as she slid another forkful of cake into her mouth.
Ahsoka had been too young to remember what true peace felt like when she'd become Master Skywalker's padawan so many years ago. The Republic had already been in shambles by then, smaller and greater conflicts disrupting the Galaxy and the Senate; the war had been a long time in the making, and had been nothing more than the final consequence of all the verbal and actual fighting that had gone beforehand. But now...
Now she finally understood. If this was what peace felt like, it was a time of joy and celebration indeed. One she would give a lot to keep intact. For this was what she was, after all, wasn't it – a Jedi, a keeper of peace. The thought made her smile again.
For now, though, she was happy to sit back and enjoy the peaceful quiet of the evening, observing her friends intermingling with each other, relaxed in a way she'd never seen them before. Sometimes, standing on the outside and watching something good unfold like this was enough. It was good, truly good, this – peace.
"Commander Tano?"
Startled, she turned her head to the left to find Rex sitting back on his haunches beside her. Once again, she hadn't heard him approach. Not a good thing. Unlikely though it is for the celebration to be interrupted, and off duty though I am, I shouldn't be that drowsy. It's dangerous... The clone captain was wearing a grey dress uniform rather than the combat gear she'd been used to seeing him in for so long; various colourful stripes pinned to the lapels of his coat told a story of his accomplishments during the war. His lips quirked a little as he waited for her to reply, as if he was able to read her thoughts and glad to see her happy like this.
"Hey, Rex. Don't you think you could lay off the formality for one evening?" The question was voiced in an amused rather than a serious tone – she'd long since given up on getting her friend to call her by her first name rather than her official one. He shrugged in reply, and she didn't pursue the issue further.
At some point during the past years, she'd come to accept that even though they shared a close friendship, her formal rank would always be his form of address for her. The difference, she'd learned to understand, was not one of names, but of the way one said and meant them – and their friendship had long grown past the official distance of rank or station. Whichever name they used simply didn't change anything about their closeness, a trust and friendship earned over years of living and fighting next to each other. At some point, it simply hadn't mattered anymore what they did or didn't call each other or the companionship they shared.
"Where have you been hiding? Trying to stay at the sidelines of things for now, too?" She grinned at him. It was rather typical that he'd known where to find her, and tried to gauge her mood before interrupting her thoughts, as he must have been doing now. But she was glad to have him here – if there was one person she'd like to be sharing this moment with, it was her best friend.
He sighed, a nearly inaudible sound. "Commander..." His eyes looked regretful all of a sudden, as if he was about to do something he'd rather have avoided, even though the slight smile remained on his lips.
Suddenly she dreaded hearing whatever it was he was going to say next. There was no reason for it, no explanation; she just didn't want to hear it – it had to be a bad thing, whatever it was. Some small spark in her soul told her so as she was trying to read his face. So instead of giving him an opportunity to elaborate, she ignored him and simply continued her light questions. "Have you tried the cake? No? You should – you can have the last bite of mine, if you want to."
Rex sighed once more, but took the forkful of cake she was offering him out of her hand rather than speaking up again. Chewing carefully, he nodded in approval, and allowed her a few moments of silence to continue observing the people in the garden. Shaak Ti had taken off her impressive Togruta headdress and was letting Ashla have a closer look at the rows of Akul teeth strung together. She'd probably be telling her the story of her Akul hunt, as well, judging from the rapt attention the ten-year-old was paying her. Years ago, she'd done the same thing for Ahsoka. The memory of that day lent a rather nostalgic twist to her smile for a second, a reminder of the many years of war that had passed between then and now. Hopefully Ashla would have a lighter future ahead of her, less burdened by struggles and conflict than hers had been. But who was she kidding?
They were Jedi, after all...
"Commander Tano?" Rex' voice disrupted her thoughts and had her turn her head back to where he was still watching her with that strange look of slight regret on his face. "Are you ready to go?"
"Go?" She frowned and, looking around, realized that the first few hues of dawn where beginning to lighten the sky. Time seemed to have flown, all of a sudden. The feast, its lights and noises, all at once seemed so much further away, as if the distance between her and her friends had doubled in the space of a heartbeat. "Why go?"
"Commander..." Rex sighed again, and reached out to touch and shake her shoulder lightly, his expression somehow at once sad and amused. "You need to wake up, Commander. We're about to move on."
Ahsoka opened her eyes and blinked up at the night sky above her for a moment. Light clouds covered the dark blue expanse, concealing most of the stars, though a pale moon shone brightly through the cloud cover. The leaves of the tree she was leaning against hid about half of the sky from her vision, wide, dark green leaves stretching from overarching branches out into the air. Had it not been for the fires still glowing around the camp, she would have been unable to see much at all.
"Commander Tano?" Ahsoka shook herself out of her reverie, then looked to the left, where Captain Rex, now in his usual white combat armor, was still crouching beside her as he had been just a moment ago. "General Skywalker sent us a message a few minutes ago; he wants the scout unit to return to the Resolute as soon as possible, preferably still under cover of darkness. Apparently we're in for an air raid." He frowned upon noting the rather dazed look with which she took in her surroundings. "Are you alright, sir?"
It took her a moment to remember what Rex was talking about. Oh. Cato Neimoidia. The siege. Of course...
"Fine, Rex." She smiled tentatively as if to underline her statement, then moved to rub the last remnants of sleep out of her eyes. "Just a little drowsy is all. Sorry it's taken me so long to wake. I must have been really out of it."
Her friend was still observing her closely, slight concern visible in his dark eyes. "You had me worried for a moment. Usually one need only call your name once for you to jump up with lightsabers blazing, but this time you were as reluctant to return to consciousness as the General after a bacta bath. You sure you're okay?"
Ahsoka grinned and shook her head as she got to her feet. "Definitely, no worries. I just had a... a rather unusual dream. Must have been sleeping pretty deeply. It felt so very real. How long was I out, anyway?" Brushing the dirt off her legs and behind, she started moving toward the center of the camp, noting with slight amusement that she must have been sleeping like the dead not to have woken from the abrasions the tree bark had scratched into her skin. But that slight injury aside, she felt more rested than she had in weeks, so she wasn't about to complain to the tree about its rather harsh comfort.
Rex fell into step beside her, arms crossed behind his back as he looked at her curiously. "Nearly seven hours, actually. Whatever you were dreaming about, it can't have been such a bad thing. You were sleeping way too calmly for that – and smiling." He raised an inquiring eyebrow at her as he voiced the last sentence.
She stopped short at that statement, and looked at him in surprise. Seven hours? Usually she only managed four, sometimes barely five hours of rather restless sleep, except when she was injured or truly exhausted after long days on a mission or a campaign, none of which were the case right now. Nightmares tended to be a rather common visitor in her dreams on some days, and even when they didn't occur, she rarely fell into a deep, restful sleep, but rather a light slumber during which her senses were still on high alert for any danger creeping up on her. The captain knew her sleep cycle well enough to recognize the oddity of tonight as well as she did, having had to wake her up for emergency briefings or new commands coming through more than once. No wonder he had been worried when she hadn't reacted to him repeatedly saying her name earlier. It was definitely quite unusual.
"No, it wasn't a nightmare. I think..." She shrugged, though she couldn't help the soft smile that broadened on her face once more at the memory of her dream. In retrospect, the situation felt bittersweet, like the reminiscence of a hope once harbored that had been disappointed one time too often. "I think I dreamed of peace. What it would be like, living among friends after the end of this war, not having to think about all the death and destruction anymore. True peace. I was sorry to wake up and find it wasn't real. Only a dream."
The giant tree she had been sitting under in her dream had been her favourite resting place back when she'd last visited Naboo, recovering from the Blue Shadow Virus on the estates where the feast in her dream had been held. It had stood far out of the way of anyone who might be searching for her, at the back of the spacious garden, allowing her to enjoy the natural beauty around her while shrinking into the background rather than sitting in the elegant senatorial villa and facing its unusual riches.
A place of peace and quiet, for thinking and healing. A moment of respite. An oasis, so to speak.
Senator Amidala had been right: Back then, it had done her a world of good to pass a few days at the estate, though she'd vehemently argued against letting her master and the troopers return to action without her at the time. Sitting in the autumnal mountain forests of Cato Neimoidia more than two years later, it was one of the few truly peaceful memories she had of this war, one she cherished, though the circumstances hadn't been to her liking.
Her mind must have unwittingly returned to the memory of those few days of peace when she'd sat down under a similar tree on this planet half a galaxy away from Naboo the night before. The idea had been to simply enjoy the quiet of the evening for a few minutes, to allow herself to relax in the relative safety of the camp when she'd had so very few opportunities to rest for a while during the last months. Instead, she must have dozed off once her thoughts had begun to calm down, and her subconscious desire for a moment of peace, coupled with a lay-out similar to the one on Senator Amidala's estates in the Lake Country, had whisked her away into a dream so realistic, so very detailed and hopeful, that she could still only half believe that the already fading images had not been true. It certainly made sense for her mind, needing rest, to take refuge in one of the few untainted, peaceful memories she had.
Or so she guessed, if her mental pet psychologist was right. In the end, it probably didn't matter what exactly had caused her to have such a peaceful dream rather than her usual nightvisions. She still wished that her mental feast could have lasted longer, even knowing it was just a dream, not a reality. It had been good, to live in peace for just a moment, rather than having to continue to fight a war that seemed to turn harder and darker every day.
Rex nodded in understanding, an expression at the same time sad and warm in his eyes for a second. "It sounds like a good thing to dream about. I'm sorry I wasn't there to see it."
"Oh, you were – in my dream, at least." She looked at her friend in earnest for a moment, somehow sensing this to be an important sentence to say, one that held meaning for both their futures. A promise, though not acknowledged as such. "And you will see it one day. We both will. Or so I hope, at least."
Rex held her gaze for a moment, reading the promise and the hope and the longing for that dream to come true in her eyes, not doubting the earnestness of her words or the sudden seriousness in her voice. Finally, he nodded briskly in answer to her statement. "Then we had better make sure your dream becomes reality. Starting right now." With that, he turned back into the direction of the command center to which they'd been walking, gesturing with a hand for her to take the lead. "Sir."
"Thanks, Rex." Focusing on the business of the day rather than her dream, Ahsoka squared her shoulders and started marching down the pathway. Not suspecting how quickly dreams might turn to nightmares, how easily hopes might shatter, or that the future fate held in store for her would be anything but peaceful for a long time.
Almond Cake with Chocolate, Cranberries and Cherries
1 baking sheet with high enough sides (German baking sheets have sides that are ca. 2,5 cm high)
some fat
1 jar sour cherries (drained weight 350 g)
100g chopped chocolate (preferably at least 55 % cocoa, otherwise it's too sweet, in my opinion)
100g dried cranberries
(You may add larger amounts of one or all of these ingredients, just not too much, or the dough won't hold them.)
10 medium sized eggs
2 pinches salt
200g white sugar
3 drops vanilla essence
2 drops almond essence, if available
1 tablespoon Amaretto or Kirsch, if you want (not both, that doesn't mix well)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
400g unblanched, ground almonds
50g ground breadcrumbs
200g cream
1. Fat the baking sheet. If you have a top-bottom-heated oven, preheat to ca. 180 °C/ 350 °F. Thorougly drain the cherries in a colander.
2. Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk until very stiff (works best by adding two pinches salt or two dashes of lemon juice in total. Alternatively a teaspoon of hot water per egg helps, too.). Put the egg yolks into another large mixing bowl and mix with the sugar, vanilla essence, almond essence, Amaretto or Kirsch and cinnamon until you have a smooth, foamy batter.
3. Mix the almonds and the bread crumbs, then fold them into the batter. After that, also fold in the stiff egg whites (do so carefully, so as not to totally destroy the fluffy texture. It's a bit difficult, but possible.) Lastly, fold in the cherries, chocolate and cranberries.
4. Spread the batter on the baking sheet and put it into the oven. Bake for ca. 45 minutes, then let the cake cool to room temperature. Whip the cream and spread thinly on the cake. (You can also just put it in a bowl and serve it with the cake, or leave it off entirely. It tastes well regardless, really.)
Bon Appetit!
Happy Birthday, again, Your Majesty! You were supposed to get a cheesecake, and I've started writing that one-shot, but finals are keeping me busy, so you'll have to wait another month to try baking cheesecake. :-) This one-shot has been lying around for a while, since I wanted to finish chapter 2 before publishing it, but now seems as good an opportunity as ever. It's set just before the whole Barriss fiasco happens, as you can probably tell...
To all of you who may or may not still be reading this: First of all, thank you so much for reading this! Second, I am so very, very sorry for leaving you hanging for the past few months, especially since I promised to finish the last part of chapter 2 as fast as possible. Truth be told, I had a bout of writer's block while halfway through part 3, and then real life happened. The last year was spent writing more term papers than I can count, a master thesis, and now my finals. I'll hopefully have at least some more time for writing once May comes around, but I really can't make any promises right now. Lots of things going on in my head, and in my life.
Last, but not least, the most important thing: Ahem, ahem. General disclaimer: I do not own nor gain anything (and most certainly no money) by the use of any recognizable material referred to in this FF. I have indicated my sources to the best of my knowledge in the last chapter of this FF; please consult the bibliography you find there and send me a PM if you think that anything is amiss with that list. If I forgot about anything, I will most certainly remedy that mistake as soon as possible; otherwise please trust me that the remaining ideas in this FF are entirely my own, whatever similarity to works unknown to me they might bear, and do me the same courtesy of indicating this FF in your sources in case you plan on using its content. Thanks!