WPRT CH. 22 (Updated 2021)
Eye of the Storm
Jo:
Aaron just laid there on the spaceship floor, covered in vomit, clammy, and unconscious.
I knelt down beside him, and gently started slapping his cheeks.
"Aaron? Aaaarrrrron...AARON!"
Barriss pushed me aside, knelt down on his other side, and put her right palm on his forehead. She closed her eyes to concentrate
Is she doing the mind meld like in Star Trek?! Oh! This can't be good!
Barriss continued what she was doing as the others rushed into the room. Bossk kept a hand on his blaster, seemingly expecting the worst. Padmé and Boba were watching them intently, curious and horrified.
I knew she wouldn't kill him, but I was wary, my hands in fists, ready to strike her should the situation get too fishy.
Thankfully, Aaron clapped back to consciousness and coughed a few times, flecks of vomit flying out of his mouth.
"Dude, are you okay?" I asked.
"I think so...Just...I . I heard so many thoughts at once that it hurt my head. That's why I got dizzy... Did I make that mess?"
"Thankfully, because that's metal, it'll wipe off," I said, eyeing the spots on his armor, "and the acid might help polish the surface."
"Gross," Boba said.
"His stomach has acid. Your stomach has acid. Everyone's stomach has acid," I replied, my own stomach suddenly queasier from the smell. I was wearing the dress from Dooku again, as it was the only clothing in my possession that was relatively clean and not stinky (aside from a t-shirt that said I don't appreciate your lack of sarcasm, but I didn't think that was appropriate, whether they could read English or not).
"I'll help him clean it off," Bossk said.
"I appreciate that, thank you," I said as Bossk led Aaron away toward the washroom.
"Make it quick! We will be landing in less than five minutes," Anakin said from the cockpit.
Everything we could see out the window was glittering in the sunlight, and it felt like watching Metropolis. I shuddered to think what secrets that the shiny surface could be hiding in the depths below.
Anakin piloted us down to a landing pad, where Obi-Wan Kenobi stood to greet us, accompanied by an R2 of a different color. He stood in fresh robes and he was clean. The droid was also in immaculate condition. He seemed much calmer on his own turf than he did in the dungeons of that palace on Geonosis. This, in turn, helped me to relax slightly.
Bossk and Aaron returned just as we were making our way down the gangplank to the landing pad.
Ships and personal vehicles zoomed by us, and I took a peek over the edge of the platform. It was a several hundred foot drop to the street below, and my stomach jumped to my throat.
"Be careful, Batman. You don't want to fall down there," Obi-Wan said with a chuckle.
"No, I wouldn't," I replied with a forced laugh of my own.
I sound like that little ol' Cummings gal from Oklahoma.
He ushered us into an open roofed transport that was standing only and we pulled away. C-3PO seemed almost scared, but he was just as new to the big city as Aaron and I were, but Aaron didn't seem half as nervous as I did. He actually seemed to gain confidence as we sped along, his armor glinted in the sun, even shinier now from the acid spill.
Maybe if I throw up, too, I'll feel better.
We didn't have to drive far, but we approached a gargantuan building with the largest archways that I had ever seen. This grandiose structure made me feel like a flea, and I ducked my neck down, as if to cower away.
"Alright, I will take you all to the library except Padmé, who is being picked up by Captain Typho and Dormé."
"Doesn't the council need my testimony?" Padmé asked.
"Not as of right now, but you will be called should that change," Obi-Wan said kindly.
Padmé almost seemed offended by this, but didn't say another word about it; instead, she squeezed Anakin's hand and walked over to where her chief of security and handmaiden were waiting for her.
Dormé embraced Padmé and began weeping, obviously overjoyed at the return of her lady safely.
I couldn't help but stare as the rest of us walked by the scene.
If we returned home today, would anyone embrace us like that?
I remembered briefly the time Aaron had run away as a child. He was a kindergartener and did not want to go back to school. And my mom chased him down our street (we didn't live in a neighborhood at that time) in her bathrobe. He had been carrying a hard case that used to have play tools. Inside was an odd assortment of toys, clothes, and cheese puffs.
If he had made a successful escape, I know we would have welcomed him back the way we had seen.
But Padmé wasn't really lost. But she had been in danger for many days, which made sense as to why Dormé was worried, even though she had been in Anakin's capable hands for all of that time.
Captain Typho nodded at our group as we passed.
The high windows inside the temple let in so much light, I hardly saw shadow, except behind large pillars. They reminded me of the pillars one would see in films about Ancient Egypt, especially in their girth. On top of the inordinately large archway entry, they opened up into a room with a vaulted ceiling. One could not possibly look at everything there was to see while strolling through as we were.
My eyes must have been as large as saucers, because Obi-Wan looked back at me and laughed again.
What have we gotten ourselves into?
After several minutes, Obi-Wan pointed to an open door, where there were books and flat things all up on rows and rows of shelves.
"This is the library. Bossk, Boba, Aaron, and Jo are to wait here until called. Barriss, Anakin, we must go. Just stay here until one of us returns to fetch you."
We all mumbled forms of acknowledging that we understood his instructions.
XxXxXxXx
Libraries were my element. Our's back home had a little store inside of it that sold books that had been donated by the community and books, tapes, CDs, and other various items that the library was getting rid of. I could've lived in that place, and before I had a regular job, much of my money was spent in that little store...and at Barnes & Noble...and Borders (before it went out of business)... Okay, I love books.
Since I was under the impression that we would be in this library awhile, I hastily pulled a book off the shelf- not caring what it was- and opened it.
It was the same squiggly letters that I couldn't read before.
That's right…
I shut the book firmly and wanted to cry.
"I can help you," Boba offered.
I looked at him, thinking he would be stifling a laugh or be mocking me, but he was being kind.
I opened the book back up, and he pointed to the words as he went, and then went and explained which symbols meant what.
I felt like a kindergartener again, not knowing how to read.
This went on for several minutes, and I nodded accordingly and asked questions.
"I know you read a different language. Would you teach that to me?" he asked.
"If you are honestly interested, I'd be happy to do my best to teach you. English is an incredibly difficult language to learn though, so you will have to remember to not be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes the first time. There are many rules, and to those many rules, there are many exceptions."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there are words that have the same spelling but in different contexts mean two different words. Like 'wound' and 'wound.' Wound, like the injury, is spelled w-o-u-n-d. Now, wound like wrapped around is also spelled w-o-u-n-d."
Boba's eyes widened.
"But why?"
"Well, according to my linguistics professor, we can thank the French."
"Like Aaron was talking in French earlier?"
"Yes. English is based heavily on French, but there are also Latin, German, and other languages sprinkled in. We have even borrowed words from other languages to help fix holes on our own."
"Like what?" Bossk asked.
"Like...schadenfreude."
"Shaden what?"
"There will be no cursing in my library," an elderly woman with white hair in a tight, flawless bun with chopstick pins, and wearing a brown dress said from behind Aaron.
"Ma'am?" Aaron asked after he jumped from the surprise.
"I said there will be no cursing in my library."
"We didn't...oh, you mean schadenfreude?"
"Precisely."
"It is a word in our language, well German, that means pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune."
She raised an eyebrow at my sister's statement.
"I see. What are you apprentices doing out of uniform?"
"Ma'am?" I asked.
"Apprentices as young as yourselves should be in uniform."
"Well, I'm not an apprentice. None of us are," Aaron said.
"Don't be ridiculous. If you weren't, what would you be doing here?" she sniffed, offended that we would even try to lie to her (which we obviously weren't).
"Obi-Wan told us to wait here until we were called. You see, we were witnesses to the battle on Geonosis, and-," she cut me off before she pointed to the door.
"It is one thing to be out of uniform, but it is entirely another to lie to me about who you are and where you have been. Now, get out of my library before I call Temple guards to pull you out of here and put you in the-."
"Wait! They are telling the truth!" Barriss called while running down the hall and skidding to a halt in front of the door.
She walked in as if she hadn't been running, the skirt of her uniform swaying gently side to side as she walked.
"They are telling the truth, Madam. They were witnesses to the battle and were even Dooku's guests for a short time. They may be able to provide some insight into his plans."
I offered the woman my hand.
"I'm Joanne Shepherd. That is my brother Aaron, Boba Fett, and Bossk."
Her eyes widened at the mention of Bossk's name, and Bossk looked uncomfortable to have his name spoken aloud.
"I'm Jocosta Nu," she said while shaking my hand back, but eyeing Bossk all the while.
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"No, not at all."
"I have a reputation, Jo. And it isn't a good one. There is probably a price for me as we speak, and I'm sure more than one Jedi in this joint has a bone to pick with me and would love this shot," Bossk answered, obviously concerned.
"You have been granted a pass," Barriss said, handing Bossk a piece of thick, official looking paper.
Bossk took it and looked it over.
"Temporary immunity?" he looked up.
"We cannot just forget your crimes, but right now we need you to help us. I am under the impression that depending on how well your help serves, it will serve you well. Either way, cooperation will work in your favor," Barriss replied.
Bossk nodded, pocketing the pass.
Barriss looked us over. I know I looked like a nervous wreck, Aaron probably looked none too comfortable, and Boba was looking between Barris and Jocasta Nu as if he were wondering which one he should be hiding from.
Bossk still looked a little nervous.
"They still aren't ready for you, because Anakin decided to make a confession in private to the council."
All of our eyes widened and were trained on Barriss.
"No, he said something about what happened on his quest to find his mother."
"Oh. I see," Aaron said.
"Anyway, they have asked me to show you a little more around the Temple while we wait. They will raise me on the comlink when they are ready for you. So, if you will please form a single-file line and follow me, please."
We aren't in first grade, lady…
XxXxXxXx
"This is our medical center. While not typically open to the public for general use, they do take extreme cases where the patients are attended to very well trained and experienced healers. Some of them are jedi."
We walked through the hall, where there were about 10 to 15 individual rooms that looked a lot like quarantine rooms in hospitals back home.
Like the rooms that the ebola patients that came back to the US were put in.
"It's a generally accepted thought that younglings and padawans desire to work in the field, not everyone makes the cut. The main program that the Jedi have is the Agricultural Corps, or AgriCorps, which comprises medical, agriculture, geology, and history programs. These programs serve the community just as well as the warriors that go out into the galaxy. Younglings that are not selected for apprenticeship or padawans that fail the trials multiple times usually wind up in the Corps, at least for a time."
"For a time?" Boba asked.
"The average age for a Corps member is 16, and none are currently over the age of 40," Barriss explained.
I'd probably end up there.
"Next is the cafeteria. We are more than welcome to stop for lunch."
At the mention of food, Boba and Bossk nodded in excitement. Aaron and I gave bland smiles of acknowledgement. Neither one of us was in the mood to eat anything.
XxXxXxXx
We were handed plastic trays that closely resembled what one would see in our lunch rooms. We were, however, given metal eating utensils that were close enough to a fork and spoon. We walked through the line, and blobs of different foods were scooped out onto the trays.
Where Aaron and I had suffered our K-12 education had decent food. Not everything was fantastic, but we'd never been served mystery meat or anything unidentifiable. We'd joke about bad school lunches, but that's all it was. A joke. This, on the other hand….
Once we were seated at a table, Bossk sniffed everything and Bobba poked at it. I felt like I was watching a M*A*S*H episode set in the mess tent.
I looked at Aaron, who was moving the meat in its juice around a little.
Finally, I picked up the fork and put a small amount of an orange mound onto it. I sniffed it, and then ate it. It tasted like yams. I moved onto the green-brown conglomerate. It tasted terrible, almost like how a rotting raccoon carcass smells.
I moved onto the meat.
This one was fun.
It almost tasted like a Salisbury steak, but the sauce was just too bland.
Not like I could eat much anyway.
I stuck to the orange mound and the milk pitcher on the table. Aaron just stuck to the meat and some of the fruits.
He noticed my glass, smirked, and said, "Enjoying your milk?"
"Oh DON'T start THAT again!"
People at the farther surrounding tables looked our way. Our party stared at us like we suddenly grew two heads.
No! Not again!
I bowed my head in embarrassment.
About that time, a group of teenagers in robes came up to our table looking right at Barriss.
The man who spoke first was the leader of the group and was what could only be described as a literal Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, "Hey Barriss! How was that special secret mission you and the others went on!"
Bariss did nothing but look down. The man grew concerned for his fellow Jedi and put a hand on her shoulder, "Barriss? What's wrong?"
Barriss came too and looked up as if she was looking for the right words to say, "I'm sorry… I don't know how to tell you this, But every other padawan who went on the mission… died."
Shock came among their group, "What? B-but How?!"
"There were two hundred Jedi on that mission!"
"What could it have been?"
"Shaggy" then noticed the rest of us, "Who are they?"
"They're guests for the moment. The plan is to have them appear to the council in an hour or so."
"What? Why?! What happened that would require them to..."
It was then that the Living Shaggy looked at my brother who was looking down trying to ignore the conversation. The man's face contorted to anger and he rushed over to my brother, grabbed him by his shoulder armor, and then pulled him out of his seat.
"Are you all the reason they died?!"
Aaron gaped, but said and did nothing.
I had to act.
"Put him down, or It's PLAZMA CITY!"
Bossk rolled with it, "What she said!"
Boba yelled at the man, "Yeah, leave him alone!"
Barriss came to our rescue, "Please, Gi, don't do this. Aaron and his sister saved me and a lot of us this mission. Especially Aaron."
I had noticed Barriss looked at my brother longer than she probably intended. But I chose to ignore it for now.
The man then put my brother down, still looking frustrated along with the other "teens" and huffed, "If you say so Barriss, but an outsider like himself should stay out of Jedi business. They will only bring nothing but trouble."
With that, their group walked off. When the man had said "They," he looked right at my brother and me. I didn't like it. Not one bit.
My brother, who still appeared to be in thought, sighed at what transpired.
Barriss was livid and started to get up to go after Gi, but Aaron stopped her.
"It's alright Barriss. Let it go."
She was appalled, "But he had no right to treat you that way!"
It was ironic coming from her, but I agreed, "Yeah! Why did you let him push you around like that?"
Boba joined in, "Yeah, I thought you would have punched him."
Bossk laughed, "I expected the same thing. Afraid you would get us in trouble? Don't worry. Barris would have been on our defense."
"Yes. I would have."
I don't think Bossk expected her to actually say anything to that because he gave her a wary look.
"He's right though."
Everyone just stared at him, including me.
I replied moments later with, "What?"
"Isn't he right though? During the battle, I just stood by, watching. I didn't act until a lot later into the fight. I knew that we were on the wrong side when the battle commenced. It was a gut feeling. But I chose to ignore it because it was convenient for me. I only acted when I had figured out that Dooku wanted Jango out there to die. It wasn't for anybody else there. I had only saved you because we needed a way out…"
Is this my brother?! How could he think that?!
"No! You're wrong, Aaron! You didn't do it just for Jango. You did it for us as well!"
Barriss joined in, "She's right! I don't believe what you just said for one second. How could you say that you went out of your way to save me and the others for nothing? Don't say that you did it for yourself, because it's not true!"
I looked at my brother, wanting to see...something.
He just stood still.
"Aaron, we were in the wrong place at the right time. We didn't know for sure about Dooku until it was obvious he was trying to get Jango killed. And if he had died, heaven knows what could have happened! Heck, maybe Boba would have even taken up the gauntlet and or become his father. We just don't know," I said as soothingly as I could.
Again, no reaction.
Bossk joined in too, with, "Look, Shepherd, I know you're upset, but you can't save everyone. I may not be the smartest creature in the galaxy, but I will tell you one thing: Whatith what you did, with what you had, and with what you are... I don't think any one of us could have pulled what you did. With a slug thrower! Shepherd, you need to quit beating yourself up, clean your wounds, and get back up on that speeder bike."
Nothing happened for a moment as most of us stared at Bossk for his profound speech.
Then, Aaron chuckled..
"What's so funny? I'm serious!"
"No! It's not that, but thank you, Bossk. You gave me what I needed to hear."
My brother cleared his throat before continuing, "I was just laughing at the last thing you said. We say 'back up on the horse.'"
Everyone sighed,
That's what's got him laughing?! Well at least he's not upset anymore, but what Aaron brought up bugs me...
"That's weird that our cultures have similar sayings."
Barriss butted in, "Not really, Boba. When first contact scenarios happen, it is found that most worlds have some sayings very similar to what any culture would say."
"Really?" Boba asked.
"Similar on Earth too. Different cultures have similar phrases and the like."
Boba seemed to think for a moment,
"But what about the others, isn't this like any other planets being discovered? Why make it a secret?"
"Boba, there are many things that their first contact defies compared to the other's first contact encounters in our galaxy's history. The Shepherd's world comprises of many cultures and many languages that are foreign to us, and one of their languages just so happens to take on Basic at the vocal level, but it is written differently, and they found us despite having no real form of interstellar travel. Dare I say it, their world may be one of the biggest mysteries of the millennium."
I never thought I would hear this amount of praise about our world from Barriss, as just days ago, she made fun of it. What Aaron said to her on Naboo must have really changed her.
"It may, indeed be."
All of us nearly jumped from our seats as the green goblin from two days ago was in a chair at our table with a tray full of food, and no one noticed his presence.
Bossk broke the silence, "H-how long have you been there?"
"Been here, the whole time, I have. Good food best fresh, it is."
Aaron grew worried, "Look, Master Yoda, please don't…"
"Worry not young one. The padawan who got mad at you won't be punished. Only reacting to the loss of so many of his brethren, he is. As were the rest of them. That was what you were going to ask, yes?"
Most of us looked shocked.
"How did-?"
The old master raised his hand, "800 years I have been alive and have seen many a look as similar to your brother's face. As well as I felt it through the force. Open, more your minds are, as is Barriss's mind."
Bariss grew nervous from the look she gave, "Me?"
Yoda nodded and smiled.
"Aaron did talk to you alone for long enough to change your mind about something," I said.
"Just a history lesson," she replied nervously.
I glanced at Aaron and shot him a look of bewilderment.
"She is telling the truth. We just talked about Earth and some of the history and about the morals of Earth," Aaron said.
Yoda chuckled and sauntered off with his tray, laden with lunch saying "Good, good."
"Surely, I'm not the only one weirded out by his behavior?" I asked.
The others just shrugged.
XxXxXxXx
After we all finished eating, Barriss escorted us back to the library, where a green jedi with large black eyes and long tentacles all over his head. He was most assuredly some sort of aquatic species.
"I am Kit Fisto. I will be taking over as your guide."
"You mean warden?" Bossk asked.
"You aren't prisoners. We just don't want you getting lost or taking things."
"So, chaperone," I said.
Fisto nodded.
"If that is how you wish to look at it."
I shook my head and scratched my scalp, flakes of dandruff floating down and landing on my shoulders and bust.
He knows this is just a step shy of prisoner. Is he toying with us?
Aaron led us as we followed Fisto to a garden. There were flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes...I caught myself looking for roses, my favorite flower, before I remembered that I wouldn't see any.
There were children in little uniforms watering, pruning, and debugging the various plants.
"This is one of the gardens on property here. While this one is a reminder of the natural beauty in the universe, the other gardens are for the kitchen. Tubers, roots, fruits, vegetables. And herbs are all grown by hand and tended by the younglings."
I watched them for a few more minutes, and an older girl with red skin and blue and white head-tails came up to us.
"Master Fisto, who are they?" she asked, eyeing Bossk suspiciously.
Bossk's eyes flicked side to side, antsy.
Aaron opened his mouth to answer, but Fisto raised his hand to silence him.
"Guests of the Council," he answered.
Ahsoka started to take a lunge toward Bossk.
Barriss stepped forward and pulled her back to a row of plants.
"Listen, youngling-"
She sharply cut her off, "Ahsoka Tano."
"Tano, we need you to keep quiet about this, it's a matter of great importance for the Jedi order that this doesn't get out, alright?"
Fisto agreed, "She's right, Ahsoka. It would help us out greatly if you tell no one you saw us."
"But he is wanted. I've seen his picture a million times on the Wanted Wall. It's Bossk."
"Ahsoka, he has temporary immunity."
"But that isn't right!"
"He was a witness to the mess on Geonosis, a valuable one at that. We need his testimony; however, his fate post testimony has yet to be determined. I suggest, young one, that you accept whatever they determine is the best course of action," Fisto warned her.
The youngling bowed contritely and went back to the plants.
"I have heard from Master Yoda that she is wise beyond her years, but that she can be stubborn and impetuous. So is Anakin, though."
"Next, I have been instructed to show you an apiary. It is on the next porch. There is so little natural foliage left on Coruscant, which is why we have the apiaries. They help us with our gardens and produce one of the few luxuries the Jedi get in this galaxy: honey. The bees produce enough honey to supply the temple, the Senate, and some of the street vendors. We don't sell it, but we share what we have."
"Wait, you have bees?" I asked.
"Yes. You have bees?" he asked.
"Yes, we do! My brother and I sometimes even bought local honey."
"These bees came from a moon of Endor. We once had an apprentice quit and he returned after many years away with this gift of bees."
"That's a nice gesture," Bossk said as we walked onto the balcony.
There were 20 or 30 bee boxes and hives. While all of the boxes were man made, some of the hives were as well.
The balcony was alive with the hum of the bees and it was kind of cool to watch them drift around and socialize.
I was usually terrified of bees and wasps, but I wasn't in that moment. It was probably because I realized there were much more dangerous things out there, like pew-pew guns, killer robots, and laser-swords.
After that, we were taken to a rounded room off of a lower porch. We went down a ramp and entered from a side door.
An assortment of children of all different species were gathered holding small laser-swords and wearing helmets. They all wore small versions of the uniforms that we had all become familiar with.
Their helmets had shields, hiding their view, and in front of them, grey balls about the size of a cantaloupe but studded with sensors hovered around in front. The kids were doing well deflecting bolts being shot at them with incredible accuracy.
I was impressed.
When we entered, all action ceased. The instructor turned to face us and the children greeted Master Fisto warmly, but looked at the rest of us as if we had head lice.
"Sorry to interrupt your practice, but I thought our guests would appreciate a look at the star chart," our guide said as he pulled a small orb, hardly larger than a marble from a pouch on his belt.
"Of course, Master," the teacher replied and pressed a button on the wall.
Shades came down to cover the windows, and a pedestal rose from the floor.
Fisto placed the orb on the pedestal and the room sprang to life with holographic stars, planets, and galaxies.
I was shocked.
Aaron looked around at the various galaxies and frowned.
"That's a spiral galaxy," he said.
"Yes," the teacher of the kids answered.
"It looks an awful lot like ours."
"What do you call it?"
"We call it the Milky Way."
"Really?"
"Yeah...we do," I said sadly, reaching out to touch the rotating mass. My fingers passed through the light.
Just as Aaron opened his mouth to say more, a device on Fisto's hip buzzed.
"They're ready."
END CHAPTER 22