Disclaimer: Naturally I own none of this.
A/N: The idea was floating around and once I started doodling Wikus with a lightsaber, I simply had to. This takes place along the Clone Wars timeline. Speech within / \ indicates Poleepkwa. Comments, reviews, and input are always welcome.
Chapter Five
Outer Boundary of Poleepkwa Territory
/Lieutenant Serth, these are the Jedi Masters Maeyn Cosan and Truan Brpen. They are here at the request of the Queen.\ General Raddi said formally as he walked into his office. Folowing behind him Athaka paused, more than a little surprised at the sight of the two Jedi standing before the desk. He blinked and looked from the human female who was nodding politely in his direction to the other Jedi, a tall broad-shouldered Poleepkwa whose exoskeleton was of the deepest shades of green. Athaka had seen Jedi before, but never one of his own.
/Please, everyone, take a seat. This is only an informal inquiry.\ Raddi said with a gesture to indicate they should adjourn to the chairs placed before the large windows. Athaka found himself seated with a view to the disabled mining ship that had carried him more than halfway across the galaxy. He marveled at seeing the machine floating in space. For two decades he'd gazed at it from the miserable dirt of Earth. And now, he was looking at it from the General's private office while two Jedi and the General himself were staring at him.
Suddenly aware his private reverie had an audience Athaka shifted and cleared his throat. He studied the floor as his embarrassment blossomed.
"Please, Lieutenant Serth, we are eager to hear your story," the human said in a gentle voice. He glanced up to see her encouraging smile and just as quickly snapped his attention back to the floor. Humans … he'd seen them before Earth. Had gotten to known a few when he'd joined up with the mining corps in fact, but the humans they'd encountered on Earth had been so different. Primitive, not just in their technology, but even the way they'd treated each other. He thought of Wikus.
Athaka looked up, suddenly eager to talk.
-.-.-.-
Earth, District 10
/The garden was a good idea.\ John said with a placating wave of one arm. Beside him Wikus glanced around the tent. There were twelve other prawns crammed into the space. And one was posted at the door to keep a look out. MNU kept out of District 10 when the sun went down but it didn't pay to take risks.
/Good ideas will not feed us.\ growled one of the group. The words belonged to a small prawn, whose red shell was heavily scarred. David York made up for his size with an enormous temper and short fuse. He was quick to resort to violence, and he frightened Wikus with the ferocity of his hatred for humans. John turned a stern gaze to David.
/Then what is your suggestion?\ John asked him calmly. David inhaled, puffing his chest as though the question had been offensive.
/You know what I think!\
/We all know what you think David.\ snorted another prawn. /Let's all storm the gate, kill the humans, and take what's ours. Did you happen to bring an army to Sanctuary Park?\
David bristled even further. He jabbed an accusing tentacle at the speaker. /You would see us cower from these humans? They are primitive animals, we should own this planet!\
/If we're so primitive then why are they keeping two million of you locked away in a tent city?\ Wikus asked hotly. Silence rolled out in the wake of his question. As soon as the words were out he felt as though he'd stepped over some invisible line. Nervously Wikus glanced to John but was unable to discern the prawn's expression.
/Our ancestors thought the Wookie's were primitive.\ Faces turned to look at the speaker. It had come from an older prawn, he was sat on an upturned crate with a twisted length of pipe that he used for a cane propped up beside him. There was some whispered discussion of this statement to which Wikus only caught fragments of. He looked questioningly at John but the prawn's attentions were elsewhere.
/We will continue to garden.\ John said, his words loudly cutting through the discussion. /Continue to save the seeds from your food. Encourage others to do the same. Make sure that anyone willing to work in a garden gets the chance to, and that they understand the risk.\
At that the meeting drew to a close. There was a chorus of agreement from the prawns, all expect for David and Wikus. The former was the first to leave the tent, punching the flap open and stalking away into the shadows.
The sentry ducked his head into the tent. /All done?\
/Yes.\ John told him.
/Good. Something's happening.\
They stood clustered outside the tent gazing at the brightly lit horizon. A mile from the main gate of District 10 the night had been flooded with light and sound. Standing in the dirt Wikus could just make out the tops of those portable sodium lights and mixed among those metal stalks the solid columns of light used at movie premiers. Wikus looked at John hoping for some reassurance but the prawn said nothing. No one else had spoken to him since the end of the meeting. He felt the bitter taste of regret in his mouth, but wasn't sure if he was truly sorry. David was the one suggesting the enslavement of humans Wikus thought trying to twist his guilty conscious into a better position. Oh, and haven't we already done that to them his conscious retorted.
Overhead a trio of helicopters raced towards the scene. Wikus watched them go as an icy fear settled heavily into his gut. Whatever was happening was going on outside the high fences of District 10.
/Could it be Christopher?\ Wikus asked aloud, his eyes riveted to the shrinking shapes of the copters. It hadn't been three years. But then again, perhaps Christopher had found a faster ship out there in space.
/No.\ John said shortly. Wikus tore his gaze from the light and looked at John. The prawn just pointed up. /Our rescue will come from that direction.\
-.-.-.-
Outer Boundary of Poleepkwa Territory
"You have a great concern for this human, Wikus," Maeyn said. Athaka stared at her for a moment then nodded briefly. He was unnerved by the presence of the Jedi who watched him as though they could read his thoughts.
/Without him, I would never have gotten off the planet.\ Athaka said. He sighed. /I promised that I would return to help him.\
"This transformation you mentioned – " Maeyn began but was cut off by General Raddi.
/It has to do with the nature of our technology; the fuel used in our ships is – organic. Exposure can be dangerous to non-Poleepkwa.\
/This is not the first time something like this has happened?\ Brpen asked curiously.
/No, we do have the ability to reverse the process however.\
/I would have done that first…\ Athaka paused here, but quickly decided not to make mention of Wikus' attempt to take the command ship for himself. The human did the right thing in the end and he'd decided that was all that mattered. /But I was unable to harvest enough fuel. It took twenty years to get what I did.\
/Did these humans have an interest in our technology?\ General Raddi asked.
Athaka nodded. /When we first landed they questioned some of us. They were afraid we were part of an invasion force.\
"Questioned?"
/Interrogated by soldiers.\ Athaka amended unhappily. He looked towards the bulk of the ship. /They are experimenting on some of us. I've seen it.\
/Experimenting?\ Brpen asked.
/I do not know what they were doing. But I saw …. Bodies in a lab, some cut to pieces. Dissected.\
"Did Wikus know about this?"
/No. He told me no one knows about this lab, it is secret, underground. When he was brought to the hospital they tried to experiment on him.\ Athaka leaned forward and turned his attention to General Raddi with sharp intensity. /We must stop them and save our people.\
/We will Lieutenant Serth. In the meantime you are to rest, recover your strength.\ Raddi said. Athaka blinked, realizing the meeting was over. He described the confusing weeks aboard the ship as the infection had raced through the decks, followed by the breakdown of command that had sent the crew and its passengers plummeting into chaos. The General had carefully questioned him over the course of a few hours. Athaka had struggled to delve into the hazy memories of those weeks.
Now he rose slowly, feeling the days exhaustion wash over him as he unfolded himself from the chair. The others stood and Athaka paused for a moment. He felt there was still more to say, much more, but the words would not come.
"Thank you Lieutenant," Maeyn said. He gave a curt nod then turned and left the room. He was eager to see his son, eager to eat and rest and most of all try to forget all that he had left on Earth.