A Life Not His Own: Chapter 4

Commander P’kar Slooth stands amidst the carnage and destruction on Lorrd. His remaining eye scans each twisted and broken body. Anger wells up within him as he looks at all the bodies, all the bodies which have been left in the fields where they fell; left for the carrion eaters to consume. He snarls as he wonders what sort of creature would just leave the dead to rot in the fields of battle.

The sound of someone approaching attracts his attention, and he turns his head slightly towards it. He sees two warriors, with a member of the Shamed between them. P’kar finishes his turn so he can watch their approach. As they arrive, the warriors shove the shamed one to his knees, and then barks in command, “Tell your story.”

The shamed one bows his head. “It was a Jeedai, in black armor. The warriors went after him, and he slaughtered them all, without hesitation.”

The commander looks around at the dozens of dead warriors, he scratches at his forearm, where his new armor implants are growing. “You expect me to believe that a single Jeedai did this?”

“Yes, milord.”

P’kar turns and sneers down at the shamed one, then turns towards the warrior on the right, and gives a quick nod of the head. The warrior pulls his amphistaff away from his body, and smoothly stabs down, and flicks the wrist, removing the shamed one’s head from his body. P’kar watches as the head rolls to a stop. A muscle on his cheek twitches. “A good death, he did not beg, did not call out in pain. Maybe Yun Shuno had mercy on him.”

P’kar looks at that warrior. “Is there any other corroborating evidence to support that story?”

The warrior nods his head. “Yes Excellency, the other shamed ones speak the same story, and even an infidel that we have captured told a story of a Jeedai in this dark armor slaughtering the entire complement of warriors.”

“And where is this Jeedai now?”

The warrior glances at his companion for a second. “We do not know. The yammosk reports neither landing nor launch of an infidel craft, yet the infidel we captured says there were no Jeedai on this planet.”

P’kar’s lip pulls away from his mouth. “And what are we doing to find this invisible Jeedai?”

“We have the two contingents of warriors out searching now.”

“Go attend to the search, and pray that Yun-Yammka smiles upon you.”

The warrior snaps a salute and walks away. P’kar focuses on the second warrior. “Bring me the warmaster’s villip.”

The warrior snaps his fist to his chest. “Belek tiu.”

P’kar continues his circuit around the destroyed damutek, a snarl on his face as he plots the demise of whichever infidel did this.

A thump of a fist against chest armor attracts his attention, and he turns to find a warrior holding a villip. He takes the villip and turns away, walking a short distance to where he can set the villip upon a small ledge. He strokes it, and waits.

After a few minutes, the villip inverts, rolling back and displaying the visage of Tsavong Lah.

“Report.”

P’kar nods his head, and then describes the deaths on Lorrd, and the destruction of the training facility there.

A dark storm gathers on the warmaster’s face. “Do we know who did this?”

“The shamed and infidels left alive report a Jeedai wearing black armor.”

“A single Jeedai destroyed the entire complement of warriors on Lorrd?”

“And intendents, and shapers. The only ones left alive were the Workers, the Shamed and the slaves.”

Tsavong Lah lets out a low growl, and P’kar wonders if he is going to be ordered to sacrifice himself for this report.

“Release the ot’vasu spores; ensure that nothing survives on Lorrd.”

P’kar salutes. “It will be done warmaster. Belek tiu.”

Then the villip inverts upon itself, and P’kar lets out a breath, perversely happy to have survived this report.

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Luke looks at the pretty, young scientist before him and smiles at her. “It’s nice to see you again Danni, how can I help you?”

Danni shuffles her feet slightly, and looks down. “I was hoping to be able to test some theories of mine out on the front lines. I have some ideas about Yuuzhan Vong communication and gravity.”

Luke rubs his temple with a finger for a second, and then he gestures to the chair at the table that is opposite him. “Tell me a little more.”

Danni sits down in the chair opposite the Jedi Master, and the proceeds to tell Luke about her theories on how the Yammosk, the Yuuzhan Vong war coordinators, communicate using micro-gravitic pulses, which could then be picked up by the dovin basils or other biots on the coral skippers.

When she is done, Luke leans back in his chair thinking. “And if you find these communication pulses, what exactly is it that you intend to do with them?”

Danni’s face screws up slightly in thought. “I don’t know. Jam them or something I guess.”

Feeling a tingle in the Force, Luke looks towards the doorway of the mess and sees his next appointment. Smiling he stands up and gestures for Saba Sabatyne to come over to them. Saba is a Barabel, from an aggressive reptilian species who Luke initially thought too aggressive for Jedi training. Jedi Master Eelysa had disagreed with Luke and decided to train her Saba on her own. Eelysa had apparently made the right decision. Luke stands and bows and Saba returns the gesture.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Master Sabatyne.”

Saba’s eyes flicker in surprise. “This one is pleased az well Master Skywalker.”

Luke sits down, and Saba hesitantly does the same. “Good, now tell me about your squadron, and what you are planning to do now.”

Saba’s eyes flicker over towards the blonde scientist she is sitting next to, and then tells Luke of the Wild Knights and their exploits around the Outer Rim.

Luke nods his head once more. “Master Sabatyne, I would like to introduce you to Danni Quee. She is a scientist who needs to do some research on the front lines, specifically engagements where Yammosks would be located.”

Danni holds her hand out to shake it, and Saba looks down at it, her dorsal ridges lifting slightly. Danni glances at Luke who shakes his head imperceptibly and Danni drops her hand. After a second, Danni speaks again. “It is a pleasure to meet you Master Sabatyne.”

“The pleasure belongz to this one, Danni Quee.” Saba looks to Luke. “Doez thiz one understand that you are asking her to take Danni Quee to the front linez with her?”

Luke nods his head. “If you would be willing.” Then he gestures between the two of them, but looking at Danni. “Danni, I would also like you to take the time to learn some more Force skills from Master Sabatyne.”

Danni glances at Saba and then back at Luke. “I will try Master.”

Luke smiles at her. “Do or do not. There is no try.” Luke leans forward, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “And that is your first Jedi lesson.”

Danni bobs her head, and sighs slightly. Saba looks up. “If this one may make a request?”

“Of course Saba.”

“This one has trained her son Tesar Sabatyne, and Tesar’s hatchmates, Bela and Krasov Hara. I have trained them as best I can, but there is still too much of the Hunter in this one, and they would benefit from the training of one who is more at peace than a Barabel.”

Luke grins. “I will see to it that their training is finished.”

Saba spreads her lips wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth. “This one iz pleased.” Then she turns to Danni. “Come Dannie Quee, I shall show you to your new home.”

The pair stands and walks from the mess. Luke puts his hand over his eyes and sighs as he leans back in his chair. After a moment, he stands and walks out of the room, heading towards a training session with the younger trainnees.

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Jaina slowly comes to, and as she opens her eyes, finds herself staring up into Kyp’s dark eyes, dark eyes which are currently filled with actual concern. Dark eyes which are causing flutters to appear in her stomach. “Are you okay Jaina?”

She quickly closes her eyes, and tries to sit up and quell her traitorous stomach. “Yes, I’m fine. It wasn’t me, it was,” she wipes away some tears which had started to travel down her face. “It was Anakin.”

She glances around, noticing the other pilots surrounding her and can feel a blush start to creep up on her cheeks. “I’m all right, really. You can all go back to what you were doing.”

She sighs slightly, happy that the other pilots slowly begin to return to their tasks and have stopped watching her. As the last pilot leaves, she looks once more at Kyp. “I need to get in contact with Uncle Luke.”

“Sorry Jaina, we’re to close to a Vong occupied planet for that.”

Jaina frowns at Kyp, and gets ready to argue the fact.

“Besides, I have something important to show you.”

She rocks back slightly, her eyes widening minutely. “What?”

Kyp smiles at her. It is a smile which causes Jaina’s stomach to flutter once again. Her thoughts turn darker at this second betrayal from her body concerning the rogue Jedi Master. His smile doesn’t waver. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Kyp helps her up, and they walk towards a briefing room. Once in there, he darkens the lights and turns towards her. “This has cost us a lot to get, and it’s why we’re here.”

She glances at the ceiling. “Just so long as it doesn’t get too dark in here Durron.”

He chuckles as he activates the viewscreen, and an image appears; one of a giant mass of yorik coral.

“A worldship?”

In the dim light, she sees Kyp nod his head. “Yes and no. The Vong are growing it using the remains of Sernpendil. But continue watching. A worldship in and of itself isn’t that bad.”

She turns her focus back on the monitor, and the view shifts slightly, taking in the star. Then she sees a solar flare launch, and as she watches, she starts to frown. It is not acting like a solar flare should. It’s not collapsing back around to the star. A cold knot appears in her stomach, and shivers run down her spine as the stream of solar plasma stretches from the star, reaching out for the worldship, where it appears to be absorbed.

“Emperor’s black bones.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Kyp turns freezes the viewer with the worldship on screen, and turns up the light, turning to face her. “Jaina, I need your help.”

Startled, she turns from the monitor to face Kyp, her breath catching as she looks into his eyes. “My help?”

“Yes. I can’t destroy this on my own, and the New Republic military, well they don’t listen to me very much. But they will listen to you. I need you to take this to them, and make them see that it needs to be destroyed.”

She glances back at the monitor, that cold knot still sitting in the pit of her stomach. “I’ll take it to them, but I can’t promise that they’ll listen to me.”

Kyp nods his head. “That’s all I ask.”

He holds out his hand to her. “But for now, let me show you to a room where you can get cleaned up, and get you some food.”

She looks warily at his hand, before grasping it. “Lead the way, Master Durron.”

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Mara reclines in a conform chair in their shared quarters as Luke walks in. She looks up from the datapad she is reading to give him a smile, which quickly transforms into a smirk at his appearance. She allows her eyes to travel up and down his body, which is currently covered in seven distinct colors.

Finally she can’t help it any longer and lets out a laugh. Luke glowers at her. “Those trainees of ours enjoy practical jokes just a little too much.”

Mara continues chuckling, her eyes brightening slightly for the first time in days. “Well it could be worse?”

“Oh? How exactly?”

The smirk is back on her face, even as her shoulders still continue to shake with suppressed laughter. “You could’ve been covered in feathers after they painted you.”

Luke glares at her for a moment, before sighing and dropping into a chair of his own. “That’s true.”

“I’m hungry.”

Luke looks at his wife for a moment, and then leverages himself out of the chair. “You were just waiting for me to sit down before you said that weren’t you?”

She paints an innocent expression on her face, one hand lightly touching her chest. “Me?” Then she laughs. “Go get cleaned up, so you can take me to get food.”

He returns her laughter, and heads towards the refresher. Fifteen minutes later Luke and Mara slowly walk down the corridor towards the Officer’s Mess. His fingers are twined around hers, his Force presence caressing hers with their every step. He gives her a sideways glance, physically checking to ensure she’s doing okay.

“I’m fine Skywalker.”

Luke chuckles. “I know. I’m just worried about all of things that have been happening.”

She turns towards him and Luke smiles at the fire in her eyes. “Well don’t worry about us Farmboy, we’ll be perfectly fine.”

She winces, and her free hand grasps at her stomach.

“Mara?”

She speaks through clenched teeth. “I’m fine.” After a moment, she straightens fully, and releases her stomach. “Just pressure on the muscles causing pain. Your son is sitting too low.”

Luke frowns for a second, but doesn’t say anything else. He has long since learned that if Mara needs help, she will ask for it.

They finally arrive at the mess, and Mara sits down at the table, while Luke goes to get them some food. As he nears the line, he feels a sharp pain through the Force, and then hears a crash. Turning around, he sees the table where Mara was sitting empty. Muttering a curse, he rushes that way, to find her unconscious on the deck.

He pulls his comlink as he kneels beside her. “Medical emergency in the Officer’s Mess, deck 5.”

Ignoring any reply, he delves into the Force, trying to find his wife.

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Han presses a cool cloth to Leia’s forehead, whispering unintelligible sounds to her. Leia opens her eyes a crack, to find herself staring into Han’s, and a grin beginning to stretch his lips.

“Hey Princess.”

Even through the pounding of her head, she can feel a grin stretch her own lips. “Nerf herder.”

He barks a laugh, before growing serious once again. “So, any idea what that episode was all about?”

She looks around the small room. “Yes and no. It was Anakin. Something bad has happened to him…he’s still alive, but he flooded the Force with pain and hatred.” She can feel a tear begin its journey down her face, and she absently wipes it away.

Han’s lips tighten together, pressing into a thin white line. “I wonder what caused it.”

She shakes her head minutely. “I don’t know.” She reaches out to her youngest son, touching his presence briefly, grimacing at the black well of rage which he has become. “But his anger isn’t going away.”

Han frowns for a second. “So what’s our plan now?”

Leia sits up from the bed. “We still have those meetings over the next few weeks. Then after that we might need to visit Coruscant to speak with some people there about Luke’s River.”

Han frowns. “Coruscant? I thought we were done with that place. But I was asking about Anakin.”

Leia laughs. “One can never be done with Coruscant. As for Anakin, there is nothing we can do. This is something he is going to have to work through on his own.”

“You’re the boss.”

Leia’s head twists to look up at him, incredulity spreading over her features. “Oh, I’m the boss now am I?”

Han gives her his lopsided grin. “Yup, we’re not on the Falcon, so you can be the boss.”

She smiles for him. It is a weak, pain-filled smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Pirate.”