Chapter 29
Reflections in the pond
The freighter exited hyperspace and moved towards the planet at hard burn
"Unidentified freighter. This is Dantooine Air Traffic control, reduce speed immediately."
"Dantooine ATC this is knight Bastila Shan on the Satin Claw. Declaring a medical emergency. Clear the air and notify the Enclave."
"Negative Satin Claw, you are not cleared for the Enclave Airfield"
"Then come and arrest us when we land." Bastila snapped
Bastila disconnected the channel and switched to a channel used by the Enclave.
"Enclave monitor. This is Knight Bastila Shan on the Satin Claw. Enclave monitor please respond."
"Knight Shan Send your clearance code."
" Alpha Five, Five, Delta Epsilon Six Three Alpha."
"Authenticated. Proceed."
"Activate medical inbound with critically injured. Clear the courtyard we are dropping of personell."
"Negative, proceed to airfield."
"Just get it done monitor I am not arguing the point, Shan out."
The hull was glowing red as the freighter pushed through the atmosphere. Inside the ships alarms were blaring in the cockpit. Carth reluctantly reduced speed and started levelling off. Bastila got out of her seat. Cart gave her a grim nod before returning his attention to flying.
The Air traffic controller was having a bed day, make that a bad month. First she had been a hostage for a day and watched a colleague getting shot. Now she had a rogue freighter ignoring all instructions she was sending. Three new blips appeared on her screen, one freighter and two light cruisers. Her comlink activated
"Dantooine ATC this is the Ebon Hawk and cruisers Dawn Strike and Horned Serpent. Inbound for the Enclave." A Female voice spoke
"Negative, you are not cleared for Enclave airspace."
There was a moments of silence
"Copy that, but no. The cruisers will proceed to the regular field, Ebon Hawk is carrying medical personell for the Enclave. Knight Healer Fay Watson needs to get to her patient as soon as possible."
"Proceed"
The controller looked over her shoulder where her supervisor was standing. The Zabrak female gave a shrug
"Not like we can stop them anyway. I will take full responsibility. Start with your incident report and then go home early. I will take your station."
The temple Guards were stoically standing in their position as a freighter rapidly closed in. The engines screaming in protest as the repulsor coils were suddenly activated and the thrusters were thrown in reverse. Black smoke erupted from one of the engines and a burst of flame flared for a moment. The freighters sped bled of dramatically and the boarding ramp lowered. Three figures jumped pushing a hovertrolley when they were metres from the ground. The gaurds opened the door as they recognised the three figures. The freighter banked and started limping to the airfield.
The days excitement was not over as a familiar freighter came screaming in. A figure dropped from the Loading ramp and a parachute opened. The figure unclipped from the parachute on touching down and started running for the open doors. She burst through and Force jumped over a gaggle of younglings that had been standing gawking by the doors, running for the medcentre.
Vandar was slowly walking to his favourite spot in the meditation garden when he paused, feeling a very familiar and distraught presence. Stepping to the side he walked into a small lane used by the gardening droids and found her there sitting against a power distribution box hidden by the hedgerows. The girl was not aware of his presence as she sat with her head upon her knees, her little shoulders shaking.
Vandar sat down opposite her and slowly pushed out in the force, gently letting her know he was there. It took a few moments before she lifted her head, her eyes were blurry with tears and she sniffed.
"Master Vandar, when did you get here?" Ellia asked
"Not important that is, what ails you must tell." Vandar replied
"I am scared for Melissa. I have never seen mo…. Fay look so serious. I could not just sit there and wait."
Her breath hitched
"I can feel her leaving and I don't wasn't her too. I can feel mom is close to giving up…I don't want to feel this, make it stop, please?"
"Balance you are seeking. Help you I will." Vandar replied
He took her hands in his. Ellia felt him in the force, she felt some of her fear recede
"Meditate together we shall. Death you should not fear as part of the force we become always there those we lost are, waiting for us to join"
The door to the medcentre opened and a visibly exhausted Fay stepped out, still dressed in her theatre smock. The group gathered outside quickly gathered close
"She is stable and resting for now." Fay stated
"What is her prognosis?" Marina asked, seemingly calm
"If you have anything to say to her do so now. I… we did all we can, now it is up to her and the Force."
Fay pushed her way through and walked to a bridge over a small pond and grabbed onto the rails. Her knuckles were white with the pressure she was exerting. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I am here for whatever you need." Lancelot said softly
"Please, just hold me." Fay whispered
He embraced from her behind. He could feel her quivering in his arms and he tightened his hold.
"I am afraid she is not going to win this fight." Fay spoke after a while
"Melissa is tough and stubborn. She will pull through." Lance replied
"Some fights you can't win. She has flatlined twice already, I do not think we will be able to pull her back again."
Melissa woke up and looked on the star filled ceiling in her room in the cargo bay. It was curiously silent. Sitting up she swung her legs to the floor to stand up. She paused, her bare feet did not feel the cold of the floor plates. She looked down and realised it was not just her feet that was bare. For a moment she thought she should be panicking upon waking up naked in a place she should not be in, but the thought drifted away.
Standing up she moved to her clothing locker and opened the door. The locker was empty, she blinked and then it was full. She got dressed in a pair of soft trousers and a loose shirt, pulling on a pair of sock and slipping her feet in a pair of fluffy dog shaped slippers. Idly she scratched her stomach as she walked to the door. Again the silence was disconcerting. There was light coming from the crew lounge and she walked to it. Two males and a female were seated there. The men were engaged in a game of pazaak. She recognised the woman as Bastila's first master, The one male was her pseudo grandfather. The red haired male was unknown to her. She could see them clearly.
"I am dead, aren't I?" She made her presence known
"What makes you say that?" Kashana asked
"Well for one I can't see through you like I normally would and you are not glowing blue." Melissa pointed out
"She got you there, Kash." Berek replied wryly
Berek stood up and pulled Melissa into a tight hug. She gladly reciprocated and held on as tightly as she could, for the first time since waking up feeling something. She felt loved and warmth and acceptance
"You have no idea how badly I have been wanting to do this." Berek said
The other man stood up.
"Can your old buir, have a hug as well?"
Melissa gasped and loosened her hold slightly, but not breaking from the hug. Berek chuckled at her expression.
"Melissa Carpenter meet Achilla Wren." Berek Said
"Wren. Melissa Wren. I want nothing to do with that surname anymore, too much dishonour can be attached to it." Melissa replied
"Su cuy'gar ad." Achilla said
"In a manner of speaking." Kashana grinned.
"What do you mean?" Melissa asked, frowning.
"Later child, we have all the time in the galaxy."
Reluctantly Melissa broke off her hug and walked over to Achilla. She looked down shyly. He reached over and lifted her head gently with a finger.
"I have been waiting to finally meet you for so long." He said softly
"I am sorry for being an embarrassment and a disappointment" Melissa whispered
She felt herself being crushed in a hug again
"You have never been a disappointment nor an embarrassment. Where is this coming from?" He said.
"You lost everything because of her and I am a reminder of that…" Melissa started
"Her actions are her own, you had no part of it. You were the only good part to come from that mess. I have watched you all your life and nothing makes me prouder of having you as my daughter. I have watched every triumph and watched you get back up stronger every time you failed." Achilla firmly stated
"So you are not disappointed in me?" Melissa asked, a hint of pleading in her voice
"Never. Though we are going to have a discussion about your language and your body art, young lady." Achilla replied, smiling gently at the last part.
The two broke apart and Achilla sat down in his chair. He pulled Melissa up onto his lap and crossed his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Normally someone her age would be protesting by now, but she found herself feeling warm and happy again
"To answer your first question, no you are not dead. Nor are you alive." Kashana said, clearing her throat.
"You are currently on the edge between life and death." Berek stated
"Why?" Melissa asked
"We don't know, you will learn in due course why. But I believe you are looking at it wrongly. Instead of wondering the why's, you can use the opportunity to experience what you never had. Time does not exist here, you can experience having a family." Kashana replied.
Kashana walked to the doorway and shimmered from existence, leaving the two men and teenage girl alone in the crew lounge. The silence returned quickly as the three looked at each other unsure what to do next.
"So what do families actually do when they are together?" Melissa asked
"No idea, I can't believe I have never contemplated what to do when we do meet like this?" Berek replied
"This is a bit surreal, so how can one actually prepare for something like this?" Melissa pointed out
"I can teach you how to cook." Achilla offered
"How does that work? Somehow I don't think there is a market around here. And why do you eat when you are dead?" Melissa asked
Berek laughed at that
"That is one of the perks of being here. Whatever you think off will come into existence. This is not really the ship you call home, you can still do everything you did before eat, sleep if you want to, you are limited only by your imagination."
Berek threw a smile at Achilla
"Really cooking? Not sparring or heavy weapons or tales of your people?"
Achilla shrugged
"Not everything a mandalorian is revolves around battle and conflict. As for cooking it is something I have always enjoyed and it is a skill she sorely needs. No one should ever have to eat the osik they call meals ready to eat."
The other two shuddered as they remembered having eaten that food that shall not be mentioned. Achilla suddenly grinned
"If you want we can also go fishing."
Melissa stilled as the two men started laughing. She regained the ability to blush
"You saw that?" Melissa whipered
"We sure did. As did the padawan taking water samples for the enclave in the reed bank on the opposite side. You two caused the poor girl many a sleepless night." Berek grinned
"That was the least of her problems though, she could barely walk the next day and she kept on dropping her weapon due to fingers cramps." Achilla continued
"Is that all you do? Perv on the living?" Melissa cried out in embarrassment
"Only if you give us material to perv over." Achilla replied."Her masters reaction was pure comedy though"
"Wha?t Was he or she up in a tree getting leave samples?" Melissa asked
"No knight Marsden actually went to Vrook to get advice on dealing with his padawans infatuation with him. Talk about getting your nav points wrong" Berek answered
"Marsden. Why does it sound so familiar?" Melissa
"The di'kut that had a problem with you and Canderous doing your duty at the raider camp." Achilla pointed out
"Someone actually went to master constipated for advice?" Melissa asked in disbelief
"He has a certain following among the more brain dead of the Order." Berek replied blandly.
Carth looked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone before touching the kolto tank surface
"We should take out your bunk and replace it with one of these. You sure seem to like spending time in them."
He ran a hand over his face
"Sorry. Bad joke. Kid, I don't know if you can hear me, normally they would say that you won't be able to. But with all this Force stuff and you liking to do the impossible, I hope you can."
He swallowed
"I want you to fight like you have never fought before. Come back to us, we need you, I need you. You are the closest thing to family I have left. I know you can beat this. If you feel like you no longer want to fight that is also okay, you deserve a break after all you have gone through. I will see you on the other side if you choose not to fight anymore. Just hope they have decent beer and food. Whatever you decide I will be here waiting."
He kissed his fingers and pressed it up against the tank surface. He leaned forward and pressed his head against the tank.
"Please come back, if you can."
He turned around and walked to the door, running a hand across his burning eyes. The door opened and he heard shouting.
"Fuck you and your council." Bastila screamed
Carth saw a sight he thought he would never see. Bastila was being held back by Zaalbar and Terri and the wookie was straining to hold her back. Vrook was flat on his back his left eye swelling and blood pouring from his broken nose. He saw a few knights moving closer hands on their lightsabers. Juhani ,Mission, Fay and the mandolorians were stepping up behind the trio, reaching for their weapons. He stepped in front of them, hand on his blaster, looking down on Vrook
"I don't know what is going on here, but I suggest you leave." He said coldly
Vrook came to his feet touching his face.
"Who are you to order a jedi around?"
" Not your slave…master."
" Vrook, enough."
Kavar pushed through the group and stood in front of them.
"Everyone stand down, this is not the time or place to settle grudges or have an ego contest." Kavar stated firmly.
A helmet clanged onto the ground. Carth's heart stopped for a beat as he recognised the blood stained and battered helmet.
"There is your report for the council. Everything you need to know she has recorded" Terri hissed.
Kavar bent down slowly and lifted the helmet with due deference. He nodded to Terri.
"Thank you. We will return this shortly."
Kavar took Vrook's arm and pulled him along to the council chambers. Bastila leaned into Terri's shoulder and started to cry. Terri pulled her closer and hid her face in Bastila's hair. Her shoulders were starting to shake. Mission was looking lost, Carth opened his arms and motioned her closer. She rushed to him and hid her face in his chest, He could feel a wet spot forming on his chest. Zaalbar sat down on the ground, moments later he had Ellia climbing into his lap. Canderous was sitting on a bench his wife's arms around him, the tow clan elders was sitting opposite him. Karana sat down on the ground against the wall.
Carth felt two hands on his shoulders, looking back hespotted the twins behind him. He nodded his thanks, keeping his hold on Mission. Juhani went to sit down under the tree in the central courtyard, the apprentice Belaya joining her after a moment.
Despite being unable to feel time passing Melissa had felt their had been a progression of a sort. Her cooking skills had increased from burnt offerings that her father and grandfather ate anyway to something she was confident enough to present for others. The intense lightsaber training she had been put through by Berek had brought her up to an experienced knight level finding her balance in Ataru and Soresu. She had also been mercilessly drilled in Sekare and Taras Ki.
However on skill she simply could not progress in was fishing, the two men stumped as to how she could tangle her line in a single cast. That resulted in her just sitting down and watching them fish as they gently bickered, chatted and lied about previous fishing experiences, she never became bored with activity.
Today, if she could call it that, felt different. She looked around and spotted a hedgerow with an ancient steel gate set in it. Try as she might she could not recall seeing it before. The two men stopped their fishing and looked solemnly at her
"It is time." Achilla said
Ellia was attending a class with her old crèche mates, the group of younglings had taken to keeping her in the middle of the group as if to protect her. She stood up from where she had been sitting.
"Ellia. Is something the matter?" The young knight teaching, queried
"I have to go. She is about to make her choice." Ellia said distantly.
She moved to the door and walked out of the room towards the medcentre. Bastila and Terri were seated outside on a bench their attention on the door to the unit. She lightly touched their arms
"We need to go in, she is about to make her choice."
"Who?" Terri asked
"Melissa."
Ellia walked into the medcentre with the two women close behind her. Fay and Lancelot were sitting in chairs near to the tank. Fay lifted an eyebrow as she saw Ellia approach
"Should you not be in class?" She asked
"I have to be here when she makes her choice, mom. You should call the others in, they should be here" Ellia replied
Fay gasped at that, stunned by both the statement and being called mother. Lancelot pulled out his comlink.
Melissa found herself walking along a passage lined by tall hedgerows. A clearing visible in the distance. Reaching the clearing she saw a woman tending to a loom that seemed older than the pictures she had seen from pre industrial worlds. The woman was dressed in a sleeveless white dress that ended well above mid thigh, a shoulder not covered by material. Golden sandals were on her feet. The tapestry she was working on seemed to constantly shift and distort. Melissa felt a slight burning tingle on her skin
"As those who call themselves masters would say. The future is always in motion, only when it becomes the past will you be able to see the picture." The woman spoke without turning, her voice melodic.
She stepped backfrom the loom and it shimmered and became something closer to what Melissa was used to seeing produce cloth. The woman's clothing morhing from the white dress to a blue coverall and black boots. She gained a pink hard hat
" You may call me, Clotho. Normally my sisters would be here as well, but Lachesis is slightly miffed with you for messing up her design. She is an artist at heart you know. Atropos felt now was not the time for you to meet."
Melissa felt a surge of anger coming from the side and looked towards it but saw nothing. Clotho sighed
"Adrasteia if you have to butt in at least make yourself visible."
A figure came slowly into view and Melissa's jaw literally dropped and her brain went to places it really should not in these circumstances as perfection appeared before her eyes.
"You!" The figure called pointing a finger and bouncing on her heels
Melissa closed her eyes.
"You have a girlfriend. You have a girlfriend." She chanted
Andrasteia turned to Clotho in confusion
"How come she is not cowering in fear before my anger?"
Clotho sniggered
"If you want to terrify mortals it is best to wear clothes when you do so."
Melissa kept up her chant. Choosing to ignore the mortal comment till she got her hormones under control and be able to deal with it then.
"If you have to repeat that to remind yourself, you should really think on the state of your relationship." A third voice spoke behind her
She looked behind her. If her thought were running rampant before they had just received both an adrenal boost and steroids. The approaching woman's appearance seemed to contantly shift. She became younger and her form settled on a fantasy Melissa once had, the type that had her in need of a shower and clean bedclothes. The tingling sensation on her skin tripled in intensity
"Thank you for that compliment, dear." The woman now girl giggled
"Aphrodite, what brings you here?" Clotho asked, amusement clear in her voice
"I was looking for Adrasteia to have a word regarding her plans for one my daughters. But seeing the one that has been putting a twist in her toga here, I decided it can wait."
Melissa had reached overload point
"Can someone please explain what is going on here?"
A table and four chairs appeared and Clotho motioned to it.
"I suggest we all sit down."
Cautiously Melissa sat down, the tingling on her skin increasing the closer she got to these beings. A carafe of caf , four mugs and a plate of desert cakes appeared on the table as she was sitting down. Adrasteia sat down opposite her and looked away with a huff. The other two looked amused.
"I believe I we should start with proper introductions." Clotho stated
"That sounds like a good place to start." Melissa replied
"We all know who you are of course. As I have said before I am Clotho one of the Moirai or agents of fate you can call us. Adrasteiea is also a personification of fate, to put it in ways for you to understand call it… a divisional overlap."
"I am Aphrodite. Goddess of Love."
"Don't forget Lust." Clotho added with a grin
"Goddesses?" Melissa stated
"Is it really that hard to believe, after all your people believed in gods before they started believing in a presence that guides you all, not mentioning those that believe science is the be all and end all" Clotho replied
"But why are you here? Seeing as I have never heard of any of you. No disrespect intended. And why is miss Adrasteia and your sister angry with me if that is what miffed means?"
Clotho gave a delighted laugh.
"The second part is easier to answer. As I have mentioned before my sister is an artist at heart as is Adrasteia, they keep designing the fates or path of all beings. Your presence has thrown their plans for your sister in all but blood out the window after setting it on fire. And no artist likes having their plans disrupted. As for the first part, the higher powers have a strange sense of humour. They might find it amusing to introduce you to a new believe system." Clotho said
"But why introduce me and not let me have the knowledge that goes with it" Melissa queried
"You have already received the knowledge, you simply were more interested in the mechanical side of things." Clotho replied
"That first contact drone?" Melissa realised.
"Yes, and before you ask this is not a recruitment pitch you have been pulled into. We do not need believers, we can exist without them."
Melissa felt like she was under a microscope turning her head she noted that Aphrodite was studying her closely
"It is a pity I cannot introduce you to some of my daughters, They could use a strong role model like you." Aphrodite stated
"Aphrodite, No!" Adrasteia finally deigned to speak
"What is wrong my dear?" Aphrodite asked
"You will not reward this meddler with an interesting love life. She has already destroyed enough of my plans as it is. You are not going to make her become worse."
"I am happy with what I have." Melissa pointed out
"See the meddler agrees, she is fine no need to get creative." Adrasteia stated
Aphrodite looked at Melissa in sympathy
"You need to think hard on this. Do you love Mission or are you in Love with Mission. There is a very fine distinction."
Melissa thought for a while and her shoulders sagged. Aphrodite gently tapped her hand
"I know you will do the right thing. Now we need to hurry up you cannot spend much more time in our presence. That tingling sensation you are feeling is a warning from your body that time with the divine is damaging to it, even here in the between."
Clotho pointed to a pond beyond the loom.
"Normally beings in the between is given a choice to return or move on immediately, usually they are met with someone of importance to them and given the knowledge to make their choice. You are a special case and have been given longer than most and you are being given a chance to see what is happening as you are here. This is not to influence your decision in any way."
"Why me?"
"As I have said the higher powers have a different view than most. It is not often that someone breaks the pattern designed for them in such ways as you have done. Also you have destroyed a great tool for Evil saving billions from an undeserved fate."
Melissa found herself walking to the pond and looking down into the surface. Clotho was behind her
"Step into the pond and you will see what has been happening while you were sleeping as it were."
Melissa stepped into the pond , she felt herself submerging as images began filling her mind. She saw what has been happening since she went unconscious on Lothal. She reached out to comfort her friends, no family but found she could not touch them. She saw Hissk fighting to have her reinstated in the order and reiterating that he would gladly take her as a padawan, a statement he repeated when his motion was defeated. Her heart felt like it was breaking at Carths confession, she felt like someone was stepping on those broken shards as she looked at Terri and Bastilla.
She broke to the surface with a gasp and stepped from the pond. Clotho held a hand up.
"There is one last thing, you will be granted one view of the future."
"The children we saved on Lothal, what happened to them?"
"That is in the past but I will answer, they were found by a Sith detachment and taken to an orphanage in Lothal as for what will happen to them. The one you know as Columbo will hear of them and interview them."
The pond rippled and an image formed. The girl looked slightly older holding on to a familiar dog as she and her brother was seated between Columbo at a booth in a familiar bar, they were looking at a stage where a familiar girl was wowing the crowd with her performance. All of them looked happy.
"Thank you." Melissa said looking away.
"I find myself curious. Most would have looked at their future, yet you did not." Adrateia stated
" Despite everything I have seen here I do not believe in pre determined destiny but rather that which you make for yourself. Whatever that future might have been or will be I will achieve on my own." Melissa replied
Clotho smiled
"In other words you plan to irritate my sister and Andrasteia much more."
"I would not be me, if I did not." Melissa grinned.
Melissa started walking to the hedgerow passage and the gate in the distance. Aphrodite helped herself to another cake
"Adrasteia, dear , can you think of a way to have her meet one of my daughters. That would be so lovely."
"No, I am not rewarding her! You heard her the impudent mortal tell me to my face she plans to wreck my designs."
"Not even as an academic exercise, the exercise will help you get more creative." Clotho cajoled Adrasteia
"No! I will not be manipulated like that. Though thinking on it…"
The two goddesses smiled as each other as the third manifested a design board and started drawing plans.
The two men were waiting on abench outside the gate. Kashana has made a reappearance as well. Berek lifted a hand to stop Melissa before she could speak
"What happened in there was for you alone. Now I believe our time here is up."
"You know what my decision is then?" Melissa asked
"There was never a chance of you not going back was there. You just needed the time to reach the conclusion by yourself." Achilla smiled at her
"Any messages I can take back if it is allowed." Melissa replied
"Ask my mother for that caf cake recipe she refused to share with me and make sure I can read it when she gives it you. I have been trying to see what it is for years now. As for the others you already know enough to really embarrass your siblings."Achilla said
"Tell my pseudo daughter she is finally getting her head out of her posterior and I am proud of her. Also next time she should give Vrook a decent kick too." Kashana smiled
Another wall appeared, this time a much more modern door was set in it.
Melissa walked toward it
"Melissa."Achilla called
She turned around
"Remember I am proud of you. If you still want to take up my name before the clans tell Marina to remember the Right of Restitution."
"You will see us again but not for some time." Berek added
Ellia had her hand on the glass of the Kolto tank. A beautiful smile erupted on her face,
"She is coming back!" She cried out
The monitors attached to the tanks triggered an alarm. Fay rushed to them
"Her vital signs are rising." She reported
The group watched the steadily climbing numbers in anticipation. They settled after a few minutes. Fay scrolled through the different readouts.
"She appears to be in a deep sleep state."
Fay turned around a heartfelt smile on her face. She picked at a tear running down her face
"She is going to pull through, she just needs a little more time."
Jubilant cheers and cries tore the silence of the unit into pieces and stomped on them.