Wow, when I was first writing this I thought it wouldn't be long enough... now I KNOW it's long enough! Warning: VERY LONG CHAPTER. Enjoy, everyone!
The boy sighed. That had been interesting. Why did he not like crying in front of those people, anyway? Oh, well. Anyway, he was hungry… but how did he find food? How could he ask for any? Maybe if he made those noises the others made… it seemed to be a way to convey thoughts. He just didn't know how!
The boy growled and stood up, running a hand through his hair before gripping some. He felt like he wanted to pull it out just to get his mind off the frustrating aspect of trying to eat. Why were these people doing this? Who were these people?
That question had bothered him. Once he had regained his senses and calmed down, the boy had been unnerved by the people. They walked about and said things he didn't understand. He couldn't make out what they were talking about, but he knew who they were talking about. They had bee talking about him. Why were they talking about him?
His hunger pushed these thoughts aside and his childish curiosity took over. If he couldn't ask them for food then he would just have to find it himself.
The boy walked towards his door and palmed it open. He entered the hallway and turned towards the turbolift that had taken him here. He knew there had to be food somewhere after all.
"Wait!"
The boy turned around and saw the man from earlier running towards him. Unsettled, he took a step back. What did that guy want?
"Please, can't you just go to bed now?" the man said. "Goodness, I wish you could understand me!"
The boy looked at him confusedly. Blinking his sleepiness away, he waited for some reaction from the man.
"Why are you even getting out of bed if you look like that?" the man motioned towards him. "Oh, what are we going to do with you for these next few months? Calling you Little One and… oh, this is going to be insane. How are we going to keep this a secret?"
The boy had no idea what he was saying. He wished he could just tell him what he wanted… there had to be some way. The boy looked into the man's eyes, willing for something to happen. He had to tell him he was hungry!
A single word popped into his head and he paused, mulling it over in his mind. Awkwardly, he said, "Food,"
The man gawked at him. "You… you can speak?"
Well, at least he got some reaction. Still, he had no clue what the man said, so he just repeated himself. "Food,"
"You're hungry?" the man asked. "Oh… well, uh, I'll take you to the mess hall for a snack. Come along."
The man paused, something obviously bothering him. The boy watched, silently pleading for a bite to eat. He thought he got the point across but now he wasn't so sure. They stood in silence for what seemed an eternity before the man finally began to move forward. He placed his hand within the boy's and continued walking.
The boy stood still, not understanding the odd mannerism. What was the weird guy trying to do?
"Here, you take my hand," the man said.
The boy blinked. What?
"Take my hand," the man repeated, holding out his hand.
Eventually, the boy understood. The odd guy wanted him to hold his hand… but why did he want that? Mentally shrugging, he did as the man wanted and the two walked into the turbolift. The man pressed a button and they were on their way.
When the turbolift slowed, the boy felt like he was in a surreal moment. Everything seemed familiar in a way. For a moment, he lost himself and just walked outside of the turbolift in a different demeanor, carrying himself with a commanding presence. Something about it felt… comfortable.
As soon as he slowed, the odd feeling vanished. He felt empty and lost. Turning hesitantly, he looked at the man for help. The man responded, quickly walking forward and leading the boy down the corridor and through a door. The room beyond held numerous rectangular tables lined in four rows. At the far end of the room in the left corner was another set of doors. The two walked through and entered into a large room with many different appliances. The smell of food lingered in the air… this must be where they ate!
Sitting the boy down, the man walked around and gathered some food, putting things together to make some sort of meal.
"So little one," the man said. "Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was?"
The boy stared incomprehensibly. The man sighed and said, "This is going to be a long few months, isn't it?"
Although the boy couldn't understand him, he could sense the man's discomfort and sudden longing for something. The man felt horrible, and it made the boy feel horrible. He wished the man would stop. The boy stood up and walked over to the man as the latter continued making the snack. The boy put a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder, causing him to jump. The man spun around and looked the boy in the eye.
A sudden idea struck the boy. If he could figure out what that guy was saying, then it would make life a lot easier! But how could he figure out what the guy was saying? Another thought appeared in his mind and he timidly began to raise his hand towards the man's forehead. If the man could tell him it would be good.
The boy gently placed his hand on the man's forehead and closed his eyes. He made himself reach out and heard a series of things in his mind. He saw images of children and a beautiful woman talking. They were all looking at him, smiling or waving. Whoever they were, the man knew them very well.
Who are they? The boy asked.
My family, the man answered, his voice echoing oddly as if they were in a big room.
The boy froze. He understood that answer! But… but what was a family, anyway?
Confused, he released his grip on the man's forehead. He suddenly felt exhausted and the man nearly had to carry him over to his seat once more.
"Lord V—uh, I mean, little one?"
What… what was he about to say? Lord something? The boy could tell he had the man panicked, so he opted for apologizing. How did one apologize again? Remembering all of the words the man had just told him, the boy slowly opened his eyes and looked at the man, saying in a gravelly voice, "Sorry,"
He felt the man's arms shudder as he almost dropped the boy. "You… you do speak!"
Um… the boy paused, registering the words and mulling them over in his mind. It took him a minute to find the right words from the situations the man had shown him. He nodded.
The man sat him down and quickly finished making the snack, handing it over to the boy. The boy looked at it for just a moment before quickly eating. It tasted so good! The man brought over a glass of water and then leaned against a counter, watching the boy drink. The water was so wonderful. The boy didn't know why, but it just seemed like he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for ages!
"You do realize that with the lateness of the hour, you won't get up on time… I probably won't either."
The boy paused. He found many of the words in situations he had seen from the man, but not the words "on time." Maybe he just didn't look hard enough. He was too tired, though. He merely asked aloud, "On time?"
The man looked at him, his face paling. He stood straight and took a small step away from the boy, making him feel a little uneasy. Did he say something wrong? Maybe he should try asking again…
"What's 'on time?'"
"Uh…" the man paused. "I—it's… how could you not know what it is?"
The sudden outburst startled the boy and he quickly stood up before backing away. He really must have said something wrong! He was about to say sorry when the man quickly said, "Wait… I'm sorry. I'm just… a little unnerved. How did you suddenly learn to speak and understand so quickly?"
Whoa, he spoke that way too fast. The boy went over what the man had said in his mind before slowing it down and breaking down the words. Surely he could find all of them in the scenes the man had shown him. Eventually, he managed to translate it into a coherent statement. However, the question itself was odd. Why didn't the man know the answer? It was really simple, actually. "You told me."
"I… I what?"
"You told me," the boy repeated. Why wouldn't he know that? He was the one who told him everything and showed him everything.
"All right, I think that's enough excitement for one night," the man said, shaking his head. "Maybe you can tell me tomorrow. Come on, let's get back to bed."
The boy hesitated. Where was bed again? Noticing his uncertainty, the man grabbed his hand gently once more and led him through the large room with tables. They entered into the hallway again before reentering the turbolift. The two stood in silence as the boy mulled over everything and nothing. He enjoyed being around this man!
Suddenly, a thought struck the boy, shaking him deeply. He searched for the right words before asking his question. "You're not going to stick me in a room, are you?"
The man blinked, completely confused. "I beg your pardon?"
What else could the boy say? He didn't know what the room was called. He only knew that it was a room. He couldn't go back to that room, he just couldn't!
In the back of his mind, he heard screams of pain and anguish. He saw people falling and not getting up again. He saw a needle being shoved into his neck and a burning sensation going through his veins…
Sith learn from pain, a terrifying voice whispered, but he quickly shoved it away, pleading with the man and stressing, "One of those rooms… I won't… I won't do anything, I promise! I won't hurt anyone… don't stick me in there…"
"What in the blazes are you talking about?"
The boy didn't have to translate the man's words. His query was clear in his tone. Beginning to panic, the boy quickly said, "The rooms!"
The man looked up at the lights for some reason before holding up his hands and saying, "Uh, of course I'm not going to,"
The mental translation worked quickly and the boy relaxed. At least the man wouldn't stick him in those rooms! He leaned against the turbolift wall, feeling drained. He remained that way for the rest of the trip in the turbolift.
When the two exited, the man asked gently, "Now, what rooms were you talking about?"
Wait, didn't he already know? "The rooms," the boy said. Surely the man knew!
"What's in those rooms?" the man nearly yelled, his voice rising. "What are you talking about?!"
Translating grew far easier, and while the man's tone startled the boy, the thought of being stuck in one of those rooms scared him even more, prompting a response. "There are needles in there… they poke you and prod you… and they stick them in you… and there are a lot of noises… the room stinks horribly of… of… fear…"
Although the man's expression showed that he wasn't enlightened any more than before, he at least calmed down and put a reassuring hand on the boy's arm. He sighed and said, "Let's just go to bed, okay? I'll walk you to your quarters."
The man walked alongside the boy as they entered the latter's bedroom. The boy sat down and watched the man. Their eyes met for a short moment before the man quickly looked away, turning around and exiting the room. The boy went over all of the events in his head before shrugging and relaxing.
At least they weren't going to stick any needles in him.
The next morning, the boy stretched out his senses. He could see the man walking about in the room with tables that he had seen last night. There were other people around him, familiar and unfamiliar. To be frank, the boy didn't want to worry about people shepherding him around. Instead, he got curious as to where he was and decided to take a look around. Something about the place seemed eerily familiar anyway.
Getting out of bed, the boy left the room and wandered about the area. Eventually, he heard a myriad of voices and could sense people nearby. Curious, he walked towards the noises and entered into a large room with consoles, windows, and lots of people. The room immediately grew silent. The boy was a little unsettled by the sudden silence, but his curiosity got the best of him and the moment he saw a large window directly ahead, he just had to look through it.
He ran towards the window and ignored the stares everyone gave him. As he watched the blackness outside, his feet drifted apart to where they were shoulder-length apart. His hands automatically clasped behind his back. He straightened his posture and contently stared outside. It felt nice to do this… and somehow it also felt familiar.
The boy merely stared out of the window for what seemed to be ages. Occasionally he'd catch sight of a shooting star that would pique his attention, but eventually his mind began to wander.
"I want to be the first one to see them all!"
He saw stars all around him. Someone was doing something with his arm. A dry heat nagged at him all of a sudden. A scrape was felt on his arm.
"Ow! What are you doing?"
"Checking the wound for infections,"
"Uh, how did he get up here?"
The voice, which sounded familiar, pierced through the boy's thoughts.
"I do remember telling you that he was under your jurisdiction! Now get him off!" a tall man with gray-speckled hair and a thick mustache snapped at the familiar person.
The boy saw them in the reflection on the window. He didn't like that tall man's tone. Why was he being mean to those other people? The usual emptiness in the pit of his stomach suddenly grew cold and he turned his torso slowly to face the mustached-man. He gave him a calm look. What confused him was his eyes felt… different. They felt harder. Some part of him wanted to throttle the man… and yet some part found him amusing. Completely bewildered, the boy turned to face the window once more, shaking his head subtly to knock the nonsense out.
"Come on, little one. Let's go,"
The boy looked at the person in question through his reflection. The man was smaller than the mean guy. His hair was as black as the view outside of the window. His skin was pale and his small brown eyes twinkled. However, he seemed a little nervous. The boy merely ignored him. He wanted to look out the window, after all.
"Little one, let's go. You're not allowed on the bridge."
He turned around and leaned against the wall, regarding the man. Who was "little one?" Was that his name? Who was the other one anyway? Was this place called the bridge? Why couldn't he stay?
The boy voiced the last question. "Why not?"
The woman from the night before walked over to stand beside the pale man. "The bridge is a busy place, little one, now come on. We'll explain the details when we leave."
The boy had gotten bored by the time she was halfway through her sentence. Now that he was wide awake and curious, he wanted to explore and do other fun things. However, he did start walking towards her… at least until he heard something in the depression to his right. The boy jumped down from the catwalk he had been on and approached a very small and frail-looking man. Ignoring the man, the boy leaned over his console and looked into it for a moment.
Rebels, a voice whispered, and though it made no sense to the boy, the word made him feel disgusted for some reason. He wrinkled his nose and snorted before standing straight once more and walking to the other side of the room. Instead of going to the group waiting by the door though, he walked over to the grumpy man.
"Who are you?" he asked curiously as he looked over the man's attire.
The grumpy man gave him a horrified wide-eyed look. "I—my name is—you really don't remember?"
The man from the night before elbowed the grumpy man, earning him a dirty look.
"What were you looking at, little one?" another person asked him.
The boy finally realized that "little one" was what they called him. Oh… he thought sheepishly before looking at the person in question and answering him. He blinked and looked back at the station where he had heard the odd sound. "I thought I heard something,"
"You—you heard something?" the grumpy man sputtered. "There's nothing to hear in space!"
The boy's curiosity returned as he looked at the man. He immediately took two steps towards the man and examined his clothing closely. The odd bars on his chest caught his attention. Something nagged at him, telling him those bars meant something.
"Why do you have bars on your clothes?" he asked.
"Okay, time to go!" a woman said, grabbing the boy's sleeve gently and dragging him out of the large room.
The boy fought out of her grip and huddled in the corner, startled. The woman apparently didn't notice, seeing as her attention immediately turned towards the man from last night.
"What happened last night?" one of the people asked the man.
"He did something similar last night," the man replied. He proceeded into explaining all of the events of the night before, boring the boy. He grew interested in one of the men's sleeves instead. Maybe they wouldn't pull his sleeve if he pulled theirs and showed them how it felt. Stupid sleeve-pullers!
The boy gently pulled at first, but when the man took notice, he pulled back. The boy tightened his grip and the two began tugging at the sleeve until the pale man walked up, looking like he was about to burst into a fit of laughter. He stopped the little fight by asking the boy, "How did you get on the bridge?"
Turning his attention to the pale-skinned man, the boy shrugged. "I wanted to look around."
"Last night it took you a minute to figure out what I was saying," the man from the night before said incredulously. "How are you learning to speak so quickly?"
"You told me," the boy repeated, slightly exasperated before quickly growing excited and saying, "And I practiced!"
He did indeed practice. He spent hours mulling over all of the words and scenes the man had shown him. He didn't want to sleep for fear of more nightmares, so he spent the entire night working on his language.
"Uh, that's great, Little One," the woman who dragged him out of the other room said awkwardly.
Brushing it aside, the boy cocked his head curiously. "Why can't I go on the bridge, anyway?" he asked, remembering the title they used to name the room.
"Well, it's a dangerous place," another woman, far younger, explained softly, her voice shaking slightly. Why was she scared? "And people have a lot to do in there, so you can't get in their way,"
"But I only wanted to explore!" the boy argued. He didn't like them ordering him around like that. A streak of defiance suddenly sprung up inside him. He wanted to challenge them and see how far they would bend.
"Well, enough exploring," the woman from last night said with a laugh. The defiance vanished. She was friendly! "Come on, Little One, you need to eat something,"
They led him down the hallway before he quickly grew impatient and bored and the defiance returned. "I don't want to eat,"
"You have to eat, you know," the woman replied lightly.
The boy stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm not hungry,"
"Well you can't just wander around aimlessly," the woman said, her eyes glistening knowingly.
"Why not?" the boy challenged.
"Because this is a military ship,"
The defiance vanished again and was replaced with curiosity. "What's military?"
"It's, uh, oh Force, forget it," the man from last night (what was his name, anyway?) said. "I'll explain later, Little One,"
The boy looked the group over before mentally shrugging and turning to walk away. He took three steps before he heard one of the women say, "Little One, you can't just walk away from us. You have to listen to us."
"Padawan, don't turn your back on me like that. You can't just walk away from this."
"Why not?"
"Because you're in trouble,"
There was that voice again! The defiance returned in full. Who were they to order him around like that voice did? His eyes conveyed the feeling as he asked, "Why?"
"Because we're in charge," the woman answered. "We know more than you and can take care of you."
Something in the woman's tone melted the cold skepticism away and the boy merely tried to weasel his way out rather than start an argument. "Oh. So can I go exploring now?"
Two of the women laughed. The bulk of the group seemed to relax while the rest remained nervously tense.
"Sure, but on one condition," another woman said. "You have to eat lunch first."
The boy's heart sank. He didn't want to eat, he wanted to explore! If words wouldn't tell them, then maybe looks would. He vaguely remembered a look that used to make someone's heart melt at the sight of it. He furrowed his brow slightly and looked at them pleadingly. Instead of making them listen to him, they only laughed all the more. Dang.
"And that's not going to work on me," the woman added with a smile.
"Fine," the boy said, finally giving in. "Where do we eat?"
"The mess hall," the younger woman answered. "This way,"
Mess hall… the boy memorized the word by repeating it constantly until they led him to the room in question. It was the same room as last night! So that's what it was called!
The boy bounced on his heels as he stood in place, waiting for them to bring his food. When he finally received his lunch, he quickly sat down and gobbled his meal as fast as he could. The others had to constantly tell him to slow down. For some reason, the noise in the room seemed to have died down. Once he finished eating, he licked his lips, enjoying the taste. He hopped up and looked around when he finally realized that everyone was staring at him.
Their looks made him nervous. His eyes darted about the room as he began to back away.
"Uh, Little One, why don't we go exploring now?" one of the women suggested.
All discomfort forgotten, the boy immediately jumped on the idea. "Okay!"
What was that woman's name, anyway? They all looked different, and they all felt different, but he didn't know who they were!
As they passed the others, the boy realized that if they followed, he wouldn't be able to go anywhere. They would all be arguing about where to go. Instead, he wished they wouldn't see him or the kind woman. He just wanted it to be him and her; no one else. A sense of confidence washed over him as he grew assured that they wouldn't be found.
The moment they entered the corridor, his excitement mounted. The boy began skipping ahead, laughing the whole way. He paused and pointed out another hallway to the woman. "Come on, let's go! Let's go this way!"
"All right, Little One, we'll go this way," the woman giggled.
The boy bounced down the hallway and towards a turbolift. The moment they reached the doors, the woman paused, looking uncertain. "Are you sure you want to go this way?"
"Yes," the boy replied, nodding vigorously. "I want to see what it is,"
The area seemed more familiar than the others, as if he had been there a lot. So, he wanted to see what it was. He couldn't wait to see it! The two entered the turbolift and it sped downwards. As the doors opened, it revealed a dark and eerie room. The grates on the floor were black, as were the walls and ceiling. The lighting of the floor underneath the grates glowed a deep, bloody red. This place seemed really familiar… this was where they had stuck him after the needles!
People dressed in odd-looking white armor immediately approached them, flanking a man dressed in similar uniform to the rest. His uniform, however, was black.
"What are you doing down here, Lieutenant Commander Norhek?" the man asked the woman. Was that her name? Lieutenant Commander Norhek?
"Uh…" Lieutenant Commander Norhek paused, looking uncertain. She looked at the boy for a moment. He could see her panic.
Deciding that it would be best if he explained, the boy shouted in excitement, "She's taking me exploring! Do you want to come too?"
"Who are you?" the man asked accusingly.
The boy paused. He knew the question, but he didn't know his name. Did he even have one? "Um…"
"I asked you a question," the mean man said.
"He's with me, sir," Lieutenant Commander Norhek compensated. "His name is, uh, Lo."
My name is Lo? The boy thought curiously.
"What is your rank, Lo?" the man went on relentlessly.
"What's a rank?" the boy asked.
"I beg your pardon?" the man said in a crisp, irritated tone. What did the boy say wrong? He only asked a question! "Are you fooling around with me, soldier?"
"Is that what I am? I'm a soldier?" it seemed so, considering how the man addressed him.
"Um, sir, you'll have to excuse him, he's not well," Lieutenant Commander Norhek interrupted. The boy looked at her in puzzlement. Why was he not well? He felt fine, actually.
"Then why did you bring him down here?" the man asked her, his tone rising in exasperation.
"Because I wanted to come down," the boy explained for her.
"Lieutenant Commander Norhek—"
"Commander Sypikne, what are you doing?"
Everyone turned to see the grumpy guy from the bridge. The boy folded his arms, assuming a childishly irritated stance.
"What are you two doing down here?" Grumpy Guy asked Lieutenant Commander Norhek.
"Well, sir—" Lieutenant Commander Norhek began before the boy cut her off, irritated at Grumpy Guy.
"We're exploring," he said. "You never answered my question, though."
"What? What question?" Grumpy Guy asked, his voicing quivering slightly.
"I asked who you are," the boy reminded him.
"My name is Captain Ton Mentzer. Now answer me this: how do you know how to speak so well?"
The boy was a little irritated with that question, but he pointed towards the man nonetheless. "That guy told me."
Everyone looked at the boy before staring at the ceiling. "What guy?"
Why were they staring at the ceiling? The boy could look up and see him, clear as day, walking about as if he were right there! "That guy,"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm answering your question,"
"But—but you're pointing to the ceiling," Captain Ton Mentzer stuttered.
"Sir, who is this boy?" the other guy asked Captain Ton Mentzer.
"I believe his minder can answer that question," Captain Ton Mentzer replied before facing Lieutenant Commander Norhek. "He can't be out of control like this. I…"
The rest of his statement faded away along with all other noise as the boy looked at the far right corner of the room. A small doorway led to an antechamber where a variety of tools were hanging on the wall or sitting on shelves. The boy slowly walked towards the room, the strange surreal feeling coming over him once more. Echoing softly in his head was a harsh, rhythmic sound. It sounded like someone breathing, but whoever it was wasn't living. The breathing sounded artificial. It scared him and mesmerized him at the same time. Before he knew it, he was in the antechamber, reaching towards one of the tools before a pair of hands grabbed his arm roughly. He whipped around and saw Lieutenant Commander Norhek and Captain Ton Mentzer.
"Don't touch that," she said harshly.
What did he do? He just got curious, that was all really… scared, the boy backed away before Lieutenant Commander Norhek sighed and gently led him into the main room. She did an odd thing with her hand towards Captain Ton Mentzer and the other mean guy before the two entered the turbolift. The moment the doors closed, she faced the boy, looking him in the eye.
"Little One, I can understand your curiosity, but you must be careful," she said to him. "Just as we said earlier, this is a military ship. That means that this ship is designed to enforce order and security in the galaxy we live in, but it also means that this ship has dangerous items on board. You can get hurt playing with those items and we don't want that, so please just listen to us."
"Okay," he muttered, still a little scared. "Is military a good thing?"
Lieutenant Commander Norhek laughed lightly before smiling and saying, "Of course it is, but it's also a dangerous thing; that's why you need to be careful. Don't worry, Little One, we'll help you out."
The boy settled a little before asking, "What did he mean earlier when he asked what rank I was?"
"Oh, that's something we have in the navy,"
"Wait, what's the navy?" That term sounded very familiar.
Lieutenant Commander Norhek sighed before answering. "You see, Little One, the army is ground enforcement while the navy is space enforcement. We're in space and this is where our jurisdiction is, so we're part of the Imperial Navy."
"What's Imperial?" Hearing the word made alarm bells go off in his mind. This was a word he had to know.
Lieutenant Commander Norhek muttered something before leaning against the wall. "I'll answer later, Little One, okay?"
A little disappointed, the boy nodded and remained silent. Once they got back to the hallway leading to the mess hall, the boy pointed to a different direction. "Let's go this way, then!"
"Uh, no," Lieutenant Commander Norhek shook her head. "That leads to the medical wing. That's the room with all of the needles."
The boy froze. The room was called the medical wing?
"It's okay, though," she quickly compensated. "We're not taking you there, trust me."
"W-we're not going there, right?" the boy asked, immediately terrified. The lighting in the hallway seemed to dim.
"No, of course not!" Lieutenant Commander Norhek quickly said, holding her hands out to calm him. Why was she afraid of him? "Come on, Little One, I'll show you the hangar bay, would you like that?"
"What's a hangar bay?"
"Just follow me," she answered, sounding relieved.
The boy followed her, more than happy to get away from the medical wing. His fears and worries vanished the moment the doors opened to reveal a massive space filled with large pieces of machinery. Smaller bits of machinery rolled or walked to and fro as people inspected certain areas on the… ships.
The boy didn't need to search for the correct words for these items. He just knew them in his very core. There were droids and ships here.
Forgetting all about Lieutenant Commander Norhek, the boy immediately ran ahead, wanting to reach those ships as quickly as he could. Within two seconds he had gotten to the first ship and slid underneath it, laughing as he pulled a circuit board out and began examining it.
That night in the mess hall, Moeema confronted the other officers. "Where were you guys earlier today?"
"What are you talking about?" Kerrick asked. "We were looking for you."
"What?" Moeema paused, confused. "Why would you be looking for me? We were all in the mess hall and I walked right by you with Vader. I even told you to come on before Vader ran off."
"I didn't hear a thing," Ens. Kenzee said. "We were all standing in the doorway watching Vader eat and then he suddenly got up and just… vanished."
"What do you mean he vanished? I saw him the whole time; he dragged me along with him!"
"I hate to say it, Moeema, but apparently you were the only one," Carh'la sighed. "The rest of us were panicking because you two just disappeared right after Vader ate. We all saw him stand up but then an officer walked across the path and after he passed by Vader was gone, along with you. We had heard from Capt. Mentzer that you went to the detention block and we searched the area but we couldn't find you anywhere."
"Did you search the hangar bays?" Moeema asked.
"Yes, of course,"
"But that's impossible; you should have found us then!" Moeema interjected. "We stayed in the hangars for the rest of the day because Vader wouldn't stop looking at the ships! I had to drag him out of there before the engineers went mad!"
"We didn't see you, Moeema," Kerrick stressed.
Ens. Jifo Hu looked out the window thoughtfully before gasping. "Oi, I got an idea!"
"What is it?"
"No, no, wait…" Jifo paused once again and then smacked his palms together. "I'll be back."
He saluted his superiors and then rushed out of the room. Everyone looked at each other with a bewildered expression before turning to face Kobayashi.
"Koby, what was that?" Lt. Shiine Reukli asked.
"I don't know," Kobayashi shrugged. "Ji is an interesting character. He's really shy at first but once he gets to know you he can do the strangest things. Many a time all the weird mannerisms are really just his mind going way off the beaten track and then he gets an idea and, without expressing anything to the rest of the people, runs off and goes through with it. He's bloody brilliant, but he's also a little socially awkward."
"So was that one of those "weird moments" or is he just always that random?" Lt. Ooke Tunrott, an engineer, asked.
"I think he just got an idea like he said," Kobayashi pointed out. "But then he probably started thinking how to go through with the idea and that's where he leaves us behind in the dust. That guy really can get going on something and you'll never know what he's thinking."
"That's not helping the problem, though," Mormi pointed out.
Zan Dryker shook his head. "I wonder what his idea was. Well, anyway, I'm still wondering why we didn't see each other if we supposedly were in the same area."
"That's worrying me," Kerrick sighed.
"Where is Vader, anyway?" Mormi asked Moeema.
"I sent him to his quarters," Moeema sighed, leaning against the wall. "The boy was exhausted after today."
The group remained silent until Jifo suddenly reentered with a triumphant look on his face.
"Come with me," was the only thing he said before running out of the room once more. Everyone tripped over each other to follow the ensign.
Jifo led them to the turbolift and down twenty decks. He walked down the crew quarters and entered his own, sitting on his cot and allowing everyone to squeeze into the room.
"Ji, why are you squishing us in here?" Kobayashi asked, as he stood practically smeared against the wall.
"I brought you all in here to meet my sister-in-law," Jifo said happily.
"Your sister-in-law?" everyone gaped at the man. "What—where?"
Jifo laughed. "Via hologram, guys,"
"You never told me you had a sister-in-law!" Kobayashi said.
"I never did get around to it, did I?" Jifo mentioned thoughtfully before shrugging it off. "Well now you know. Anyway, she's a cultural anthropologist and she studied many different peoples and cultures, including the Jedi."
The room was dead silent. Nobody could utter a word until Ooke finally exclaimed, "What?"
Jifo nodded. "Yes, she studied the culture of the Jedi Order. She was granted permission to do so about half a decade before the Clone War began. When the Declaration of a New Order came, she stashed all of her notes away so that the Empire could not take them and destroy them. She was very protective over her work, you see. She spent an entire year in the Jedi Temple observing and even partaking in some of the things Jedi did which was a privilege that no non-Jedi had ever experienced before. She's bound to know something."
"She—so you're saying that maybe your sister-in-law can help us?" Kerrick managed to get out.
Jifo nodded again. "Exactly,"
Moeema was just as surprised as the rest of the group, but the prospect of understanding her charge more overrode any other feeling. "Then what are you waiting for? Contact her!"
Jifo walked over to the small comm. unit he had on his desk before activating it and typing in a code. They waited for about two minutes until the familiar blue hue of a hologram fizzled to life, taking the shape of an attractive-looking woman. She had her hair pulled back into a braid that went over her shoulder and faded out of the hologram. Her eyes held a quiet intensity to them, and her face showed years of experience and knowledge. However, she held it all with a carefree air.
The woman smiled when she saw Jifo. "Hello, Ji, what are you up to?"
"Hello, Fernanda," Jifo greeted. "I need your help, Sis."
"My help?" The woman repeated skeptically with a tone of humor in her voice. "The mighty Ensign Hu needs my advice?"
"Oh, shut up," Jifo said, a slight blush appearing on his dark skinned cheeks. "I said I was sorry about that."
"Sure you did,"
"Anyway," Jifo interrupted, obviously trying to avoid the issue about which she was talking. "I need you to dig up a little dirt on your anthropology files from before the Clone Wars."
"I have quite a few of those, Bro,"
"The ones about the Jedi,"
Fernanda jumped, looking surprised. "You want to see my files about the Jedi? Ji, the Empire confiscated those at the Declaration of a New Order!"
"It's important, Fernanda," Jifo replied. "Don't you have any?"
Fernanda shook her head. "No…"
The hologram of his sister-in-law moved out of the holocam's sight and everyone stared at the blue hue for a few minutes before she returned.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked Jifo in a low tone.
Jifo turned to the rest of the group, waiting for their counsel on the matter.
"Ji, is there someone else there?" Fernanda asked suspiciously.
"Yes, but don't worry," Jifo reassured her. "They're friends. They need this help just as much as I do."
"We need information on their younglings," Moeema said to the group in general.
"I think we also need to know about some of their Force empowered abilities," Rowan piped in.
"Did you get all of that, Sis?"
Fernanda nodded. "I think I'm entitled to know why you're asking for documents that could get me executed."
Jifo sighed and turned to the group. "Sorry, she's always like this,"
"We can't—you know—tell her," Zan stuttered. "I mean, if we told everyone who asked the whole galaxy would know."
"You can trust Fernanda with a secret," Jifo said.
Rowan stepped forward into the view of the holocam. "Greetings, Mrs. Hu. My name is Commander Rowan Chupa-Pau. What I am about to tell you is to remain in the strictest confidence, am I quite clear on this?"
Fernanda nodded slowly, looking at Jifo once again. "Bro, what did you get yourself into?"
"He is now a part of a handful of Imperial officers assigned to a special project," Rowan explained. "We are taking care of a difficult Force-sensitive youngling and we need your extensive knowledge on the culture to help us."
"A difficult Force-sensitive youngling?" Fernanda repeated. "Wouldn't you just kill the child?"
"That would be difficult," Rowan answered. "We require your assistance, Mrs. Hu. As you can surmise, this is not an easy task."
Fernanda finally closed her mouth and nodded, face set in a determined expression. "I was telling the truth when I said I don't have any of the files anymore. However, I do have some hand-written notes. Some of the information is on younglings, so maybe it will help. I'll tell you all I know.
"There's a lot to know about them. Do you want to know about their habits? They are younglings. They act just like every other youngling out there except they're more perceptive than the average child."
"Okay, then tell us what Jedi did to deal with their younglings," Moeema supplied.
"Generally they do the same thing any parent would do, but there are a few exceptions," Fernanda said. "For instance, when a youngling spends a lot of time alone or wants company but the parents aren't available, most regular people would turn to a nanny droid. Jedi, on the other hand, turn to… they turn to…"
Fernanda squinted at the notes she wrote from years ago and then snorted in laughter. She began to erupt into giggles and then burst out laughing.
"What?" Jifo asked.
"I—I'm sorry, it's just—oh, that name!" Fernanda laughed.
"What?" everyone said to get her attention.
"S-sorry," she muttered as she got control of herself. "Oh, my… well, instead of using a nanny droid, the Jedi turn to SFT: Super Force Teddy."
The room remained dead silent for a moment before everyone burst into fits of laughter.
"S-super—Super Force Teddy?" Kobayashi roared. "My word where did that come from?"
"From a youngling, obviously," Fernanda giggled. "The adults just called it the imprint bear."
"What in the blazes is Super Force Teddy?" Rowan asked between laughs.
Fernanda was about to reply when everyone roared once more upon hearing the name, and it enticed her to lose control again, giggling.
"Shut up!" she shouted before laughing once more. "You're not helping!"
This continued for about five minutes until everyone managed to settle down, although an occasional snort of laughter was still heard.
Fernanda took a deep breath and then finally managed to explain. "S-super Force Teddy was the term that they would use for a regular teddy bear that had a Force Imprint."
"What's a Force Imprint?" Jifo asked as everyone grew serious.
"A Force Imprint was…" Fernanda flipped through her notes before sighing. "Sorry, I don't have the details… but I do remember a few things off the top of my head. I can at least tell you what a Force Signature is.
"You see, a Jedi could use the Force to tell who someone was or where they were. Using the Force, a Jedi would detect what they called a person's Force Signature and know exactly who the person was. It's kind of like a scent except through the Force. With that knowledge, you should probably be able to understand a Force Imprint.
"If I'm not mistaken, a Force Imprint was when a person leaves traces of their Force Signature on an item or in an area. For instance, Darth Vader would detect Jifo's Force Imprint in his quarters because he spends so much time there that there are traces of his Force Signature in the room.
"So that would mean the imprint bear was a regular teddy bear with a Force Imprint; Jedi would use the Force to place an imprint of their Force Signature onto the bear to provide comfort to the youngling. Through the Force, holding the bear would make the youngling sense the person who left the imprint. Essentially, it would seem like the person's right there. It was a means of comforting Jedi younglings."
"Can anybody do this?" Kobayashi asked, catching everyone's attention.
"Of course," Fernanda replied. "Regular people leave Force Imprints everywhere they go; that's how the Jedi could track them. They just probably have to carry the item around for a while—I have no idea how long, though—and the imprint will be left automatically."
Kobayashi smacked his palms together. "That's perfect!"
Carh'la laughed as she thought about the issue but Moeema asked, "What about schooling?"
"Regular schooling or Jedi training?"
"No, just regular schooling,"
Fernanda shrugged. "They teach it the same way everyone does."
Everyone sighed in relief. "Thank the Force for that,"
Jifo smiled and leaned over towards the hologram. "Thanks, Sis; you were a lot of help."
Fernanda smiled in return and nodded. "That's what I'm here for, Ji. Make sure you don't get yourself killed by Lord Vader, all right? Oh, speaking of Lord Vader, does he know about this?"
Jifo flinched. "Um, yes, he is quite aware of the situation. Thanks for all of the help, Sis. I'll talk to you later."
Before Fernanda could reply, he cut the connection.
This was sort of a filler chapter since it looked over all the incidents from Vader's point of view until the end, but the next chapter is going to be fun! You're going to be introduced to some new and old faces... mwuahaha!