Chapter 31
'The New Agenda'
'Gather Round the Campfire'
'Sith Be Not Proud'
Academic studies and focus is the main objective for Dantius. He knows he has strayed away too long. The private access to the faculty research room has been invaluable. His grade point average has improved. It makes up for that unjustified grade that Plagueis gave him the previous semester.
The circle of friends drifts apart since returning from the winter break. They have stopped asking Dantius to join them for meals and they do not invite him on a spring break trip. There are uneasy moments when passing in the halls or standing in line at the student dining hall. It was strange that in just a matter of months, one would think they had never met.
Mornings in the student-dining hall are the same. Viola Windu still serves breakfast but she has little to say to Dantius. She continues to have the occasional quip but it is always saved for her favorite boys and her 'golden girl' Sigrid. Sigrid can do no wrong in Viola's eyes.
Campus activities continue with rallies, frat parties, and everything that makes up a healthy campus community.
On occasion, Sigrid would run into Dantius. She always gives him a cheerful "hello" and flashes her flawless smile. Their conversations, however, are brief. Dantius appears aloof and no longer displays his clumsy crush on her. He remembers that Plagueis criticized him about falling so easily for Sigrid. He suggests that Dantius pursue meaningful endeavors that would benefit them both.
Magnus is registered in an occasional class with Dantius but they never sit near one another, nor discuss the class afterwards. The Muun students who sit in the first row in his seminars no longer hold his interest. There is no need to compete with them anymore. Even though Dantius has distanced himself from Magnus and the others, neither has he set foot across town at Bassa Ridge. It would not be until the spring that his relationship with his master would change.
Dantius keeps one thing constant, and that is the secret meetings with Kiri. He makes sure that no one sees them together. The off-hours meeting places behind the student government center and entering his dorm through back maintenance door is risky. The campus security patrol has no set schedule. Officer Frank Jarman reads his newspaper front to back. He has a coffee before going on his rounds.
During the spring semester, Dantius stops by the campus bookstore. He sees Kiri at the counter and manages an apology, albeit, a halfhearted one. He tries to be charming and it seems to be effective. Kiri works this to her advantage. She knows that his apology is empty but she has her own reasons to accept it.
Spring semester ends. Dantius spends the summer on Ryloth on a rural collective called Kar'Tar Farms. The farm is on the outskirts of Bashka where the workers harvest munch-fungus, raw ryll, and pack slabs of dried rycrit. The work experience looks good on a college transcript. Several students each year would sign up for the experience. For Dantius, it is the hardest work has ever done. Kiri had mentioned months earlier it during one of their meetings on campus. Dantius allows a few minutes of conversation so as not to come off as a complete cad. Kiri's charming way of describing the program intrigues him and he wants to go. Kiri senses that he has no real connections on campus and invites him to sign up.
This trip is a great escape for him. At least he had not gone home. Dantius does not want to face the scorn of his father. His Mother, it seems, is not as supportive as she seemed during previous conflicts with his father. She did not try hard enough to defend her son. Her praise and affection is now directed to the new son-in-law. When Dantius calls to inform his mother that he would not be home for summer break, she does not seem too upset.
'The Collective'
During a rest period, Dantius follows the workers, mostly young Twi'lek, to enjoy refreshment under the shade of a kala palm tree. For Dantius, this is a fact-finding mission. The young group of workers is amicable enough towards one another but the shrewd Twi'leks seem to have their own agenda. They do not approach him.
This trip almost never happened. He has never been around so many Twi'leks and this issue concerns him. He was going to back out at the last minute but then where would he go? He burned bridges with Boone, Magnus and the others, and, of course, the alternative would have been unbearable. Returning home at this time was not the answer. Besides, it would have proven that he was a failure and socially inept; and he did not was to hear 'I told you so' from his father.
Dantius feels better during his stay at the collective when he sees full humans joining the group. However, these humans were more in-tune to the culture and habits of their hosts. They have little to say to Dantius. He has a lot to learn.
Later that evening, after a long day of bundling sun-dried fungus for shipment across the galaxy, the workers gather round a bonfire. There are two female humans and four male humans in the group. They are laughing and eating fungi fritters and drink beer. Jekko Karrde, a tall thin attractive young man with long dark hair, tied in a braid, sits on a flat stone. He shuffles a handful of salt-roasted neka nuts then pops them into his mouth. Ryon Vao, a blue Twi'lek sits to his left. He glances over at Jekko.
"Jek, you've been eating those nuts all night. I think you're addicted."
"Anything doused with a ton of salt is prone to be addictive." Jekko laughs and then turns his head and looks up at the sky.
A spice freighter can be seen passing in the distance. Another human male grabs a branch and stokes the fire. His sandy blonde hair is twisted in a series of long matted ropes. Sparks flicker in the darkness. A green Twi'lek female rests her chin on his shoulder. She runs her fingers through his blond ropes. Dantius watches as the female fawns over him. Ryon notices Dantius staring at the pair.
"You're new. Why are you here?"
Dantius points to himself looking surprised. This is the first time he has seen Ryon since arriving at the collective.
"Who me?"
"Of course you. You're not a regular."
"I…uhm…I …was invited."
The others giggle. Ryon calls Kiri.
"Hey, Kiri!"
Kiri is chatting with one of the other Twi'Lek workers. She turns as Ryon calls her.
"What?"
"You brought a friend and we haven't been properly introduced."
Kiri responds in a sassy manner.
"I suppose you want a formal introduction."
"I am."
Kiri sighs then begins to make the introductions.
"Dantius, let me officially introduce you to Ryon, Jekko, Moru, Sil'ya, Tar, Darla, Garmis, and Bibo."
Dantius stands near the campfire. His pale complexion appears blood red as the flames shadow him. He responds with a slight wave.
"Hi."
The response is less than enthusiastic. Dantius feels self-conscious by the cool greeting. A few in the group snort in giggles. Jekko pops another handful of neka nuts into his mouth. Ryon leans over and pokes the fire a bit then sits back. Dantius is still standing. Ryon speaks again.
So, Dantius, You're a long way from home. What brings you here?"
"Uhm…Kiri, invited me…"
"Yeah, you mentioned that. " He tosses aside the branch he was using for the fire and stands. He walks halfway around the circle until he is face to face with Dantius. He grabs Dantius by his hand and examines it. Even though Dantius has been working in the fields with the others, his nails are relatively clean. Ryon flips the hand and examines the palm. Aside from a few minor scratches from the bushes, there are no callouses. "Your hands have never seen manual labor." He shoves his hand away then laughs. Dantius defends himself.
"I do alright."
Ryon turns to him again then circles Dantius in a menacing way. He sneers like a nexu on the prowl. His brain tails curl slightly. Dantius grimaces. A group of other Twi'leks laugh quietly as if this is a secret joke only they understand. Ryon backs off and rejoins the others.
Dantius observes the group as they chat. Ryon teases Garmis, the human with the mock brain tails.
"Garmis, you try so hard to look like us but you don't want to be us."
"Chill, Ryon. Where did that come from? What's got you so agitated tonight?"
"All these new students coming every year to do their charity work."
"We come every year. So, what?"
"Not everyone." Ryon directs his eyes to Dantius.
Jekko sits up and brings his knees close to his chest.
"We've got one new person." He nods in the direction where Dantius is sitting.
Ryon glances across the fire at Kiri. Jekko leans over and whispers to him.
"Relax; he's harmless. He's just one of those lonely rich kids."
After the group breaks up to turn in for the night, Jekko, Garmis and Ryon sit at an outdoor table sipping bottles of fungus ale. The fire flickers in the distance providing illumination. Ryon is still bothered by Dantius.
"Listen, don't you think it's odd that he's here? Kiri has never invited anyone here."
Jekko nods in agreement.
"I have to admit; it is strange…but look at it this way, we have extra help."
"Mr.'Baby-hands'?"
They all have a good chuckle.
The summer on the collective moves along without much consequence. Each morning includes a briefing and then each worker checks the roster for chore assignments. The weather was mild during the first few weeks, and the harvesting does not seem onerous, however, the midsummer Ryloth heat intensifies and Dantius feels the strain. Even though his efforts so far have been lackluster, his body ached every night. No one else appears affected by the temperature change. To recover, Dantius would sneak breaks while others were working the fields. He would reappear as the others prepared skids for loading onto the spice freighters.
During one of his unauthorized breaks, Dantius realizes that there is more on board this spice freighter than produce. He decides that this would be a good time to poke around while the crewed the harvesters are busy. Usually, during the layover, the freight crew would stop at the mobile cantina for refreshments. They would also spend time to flirt with the local Twi'lek women living in the brothel close by.
Dantius realizes that he has never felt so alone. He only sees Kiri during the midday break and in the evening during supper around the campfire. He was unaware that the women would sleep in separate quarters. She is the only person he knows. The others are civil but no one else befriends him.
He manages to leave the spice freighter undetected, although there were a few close calls where he was in danger of being locked in the holding area. There was even a moment he feared he would be transported to an unknown and possibly hostile star system.
The ships that arrive on the collective note only the ultimate destination on each manifest. There is never a list of the various stopovers posted anywhere. The pilots keep this information on a cryptic log to prevent piracy.
Dantius volunteers to check the shipping canisters for weight accuracy and inspection seals. He is not certain if it is his gift of persuasion or the others were eager to give him a task that would keep him out of their way. This does not matter to Dantius. This task allows him to walk the ramp to the holding area. He is able to pull canisters off the ship for recertification. This annoys Jekko, Ryon, and the rest of the inspection staff. He is soon relieved of his duties and his ramp access is revoked. Ryon finds him disturbing and manages to keep him off the inspection detail for the rest of the summer.
Dantius gripes to Kiri about his dismissal the next day but she does not share his displeasure. She explains that Ryon, Jekko are experienced and have been doing this job every summer.
"They have the process down to a science. You can't expect them to step aside as you second-guess their work. You need to back off a bit. You're supposed to be here to help and to have fun."
"I thought this was going be different."
"You can't control everything, Dantius."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?"
"Well…"
"Your friends don't like me."
"They don't have time to decide who they like and dislike. There's work to be done."
"I know…I know…I just thought…I thought I was going to accomplish things. I thought I was going to spend time with you." He reaches out to caress her arm but Kiri takes a step back.
"Listen, what happens here on Ryloth and back on Naboo are two different things. I'm sorry if you had other ideas."
"So, this is it? How do I get off this fungus mound?"
Kiri sees the disappointment on his face. She knows that he is no longer useful on the collective.
"The last harvest is two weeks away. Semester is a couple of weeks after. You can get a ride back on the migrant shuttle."
"Are you angry with me?"
"Dantius, I can't waste my energy on such emotions. Life is too important to worry about little things. I hope you find happiness, Dantius. I truly do."
Dantius returns to Bassa Ridge. The air is crisp as autumn edges out summer. The cool breeze does nothing to prevent the beads of sweat pulsing from his forehead. The burgundy velvet sack carries slows him down as he walks across the cobblestone footbridge. He resembles an overworked Befana Eve elf.
He struggles down the narrow old street and finally arrives at the large familiar doors. Dusk comes with a heavy dark cloud casting an ominous shadow over the street.
The doors open. It has been a while since the last visit. It takes a few moments before Dantius can adjust to the darkness. His eyes focus on another set of doors leading to the cloister. There are several tombs with laying statues along the lateral aisles, some very much eroded. He walks along the ancient columns. The echo of his footsteps sounds like an army. The dead hedges nearby rattle their brown, prickly stems. He cannot see them but knows nothing has grown in this dead place for quite some time.
He arrives at the end of the cloister columns and hears footsteps. Someone meets him in the doorway. The shadowy figure turns and walks back inside. Dantius follows the figure inside the old chapel. He can barely carry his bundle any further. The drafty alter sends shivers through his body. Dantius sets the velvet sack on the altar. He watches quietly as long narrow fingers reach inside. There is a shimmering glow from the opening of the sack as the narrow hands pull one of the objects to view. The tall shadowy figure speaks.
"Impressive. A day late but I am pleased. I hope this was not much trouble…being that you took quite some time to return."
"I risked my life. I risked arrest if I had been caught or killed!"
"But you weren't. It shows how cunning you are. You underestimate yourself, my boy. I must admit, your summer was not a waste of time after all. I must say, if you keep this up, you could make me proud one day."
Plagueis strokes the rare Kaiburr crystal. He takes no notice of Dantius' sudden weight loss and sweaty forehead. He looks like death.