#rihl

A VIP commission done for a wonderful patron, of his original character named Rihl. High Res commissions with no watermark are available on my Patreon. 

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When Rihl went back to the chamber they'd set aside for sleeping, Ruer'jan was still awake, sitting up on his bedroll with his face illuminated by the blue light of his datapad. One of Mlitan's rebels had found his and Rihl's belongings where Ke'arsi had discarded them. The room was almost pitch dark, but even with his night-vision ruined by the screen, he could see Rihl's feline eyes reflecting what little light there was. "I know," he said quietly so as not to wake anyone else up, "I should be resting for the day ahead."

                Rihl didn't say anything at first. She carefully stepped over the other sleeping Twi'leks until she could sit down next to Ruer'jan. On the datapad screen was a 2D image of Aola. Ruer'jan had pulled up the full gallery of images that the datapad held, and was slowly going through them. Shortly after Rihl sat down next to him, he came upon the one she had taken of Aola dancing with him on Tatooine to the blues band. "You don't think it was some crazy mistake, do you?" he asked Rihl abruptly. "Her going for someone like me?"

                Rihl could see his eyes clearly; they were sad. He had taken off his prosthetic legs, as he usually did to sleep, but not his hand, since he needed both hands to hold and use the datapad. She knew he was ashamed of so much of his body being artificial, believing it inferior to Aola's natural beauty.

                "Why shouldn't she?" Rihl tried to sound like there was nothing unusual about it. "You're good for her. For each other, for that matter. Just like you fell in love with her for who she is, she did the same."

                "It's still just so hard to believe," Ruer'jan looked down at the floor. "There are so many better men out there... when we landed on Ryloth, I was sure she would see some virile young guy and suddenly not have eyes for me anymore. And then now she's..."

                "That's not her," Rihl said quickly lest Ruer'jan give the idea time to sink into his head. "That's just them using the Force to make her think she's in love with that scum. None of that is real. Not like it was real when she looked at you that way."

                "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you? With the Force... or otherwise? It- it's okay if you did."

                Rihl took a deep breath and sat back against the stone cavern wall. "Not with the Force, no, and no more than anyone would do when her dear sister is understandably afraid to open up to the right person after having been burned by the wrong one."

                Ruer'jan shivered. It was rather cold in the cave, but that wasn't why. "I couldn't bear the thought of breaking her heart. Uh, Rihl?"

                "Yes?"

                "Uh- well, first off, how are you? I don't want to just be talking about myself... do your injuries still hurt? Is there anything more I can do for your preparedness?"

                "I'm fine. Mlitan's taken care of them. They're just a little sore; not enough to slow me down, and they shouldn't even leave a scar." She pulled up her shirt a little so Ruer'jan could see just how well one of her trample wounds had healed. Even in the small light of the datapad screen, he could see the V-shaped mark on her skin where the rycrit hoof had stepped on her, where the fur was just starting to grow back in. "And I have everything I need for the battle tomorrow." But she didn't want to let Ruer'jan avoid the real question on his mind. "What is it?"

                "I-... thank you for that lesson on protecting myself from their Force influence. I just... if I fail at it... don't let me hurt Aola. No matter what. Please?"

                She nodded slowly. She understood. If they managed to take control of him with their insidious Force persuasion, he wanted her to save Aola from him, even if it meant killing him herself. "I won't. I'd like it more if I didn't have to... to say nothing of how much more she would like it, but however it turns out, you won't harm her. I promise you."

                It wasn't easy to see, but it looked like Ruer'jan swallowed. "Thank you."

Aola stood before the shrine to Kika’lekki, her feet perfectly framed by the veins of water that ran through the floor. Any time she moved, which was often as she fidgeted from foot to foot, she could hear the quiet jingling of the jewelry that adorned her body and face. A headdress adorned her forehead, feathers towering high over her head and draping over her lekku in a crest. Only her eyes, orange with a thin outline of red around the irises, were visible over the thin veil that hid her mouth while still hinting at the shape of her jaw and lips. The ceremonial outfit was reminiscent of the garb that many in the galaxy would associate with a slave; the aesthetic being twisted and stolen from the Twi’lek culture to make the slave girls appear more exotic. But other than bearing her arms and stomach, the similarities ended there. The brazier and sheer skirt were dyed to match her skin color perfectly, and thin chains of precious metals and jewels draped over her body and accentuated her curves.  It had been explained to her that she would remain barefoot, and the cold stone floor was part of the reason she fidgeted. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms as she heard the sound of Daesha coming around from behind the shrine before she saw the High Priestess.

Daesha was dressed similarly, though her regalia was of muted tones while still just as jewel encrusted. In her hands she held a large chalice, filled with dark blue wine.

<”Are you ready to begin, Aola’rin?”> Daesha’s whispered voice bounced off the walls and echoed.

<”Yes. I am ready to become a Rihe, and gain my place az a woman of ze clan.”> Aola didn’t hesitate before responding, intoning the words as she had learned by rote.

She couldn’t see the High Priestess’s mouth, but could still tell that she smiled as she handed Aola the chalice. Reaching behind her, Daesha drew a thin ceremonial dagger from her belt and sliced the palm of her hand, holding it over the chalice. Aola felt as though she were somehow far away as she suddenly found her own hand pierced and held over the wine to drip her blood into the drink. She could not remember the pain of the prick or having said the words she knew she had to have said to have gotten to this step in the ceremony.

Daesha brought the chalice to her lips, drinking deep the mixture of wine and blood, and then again presented it to Aola. <”Drink, and become one of us.”>

The drink was very bitter and stung Aola’s tongue and throat as it went down. She was proud of herself for not coughing any of it back up. But when she brought her eyes back up to Daesha, she found the Priestess gone, replaced with the glowing visage of the Goddess Herself.

Daesha smirked as she saw Aola’s pupils expand as the young girl was taken into the vision in the blink of an eye. Such a young, pliable fool her son had chosen for his broodmare. Now she would believe she had spoken directly to the Goddess and received her blessing; to serve her husband and High Priestess in all they asked, and to bare children strong in the Force. At least, until you die in childbirth. Daesha mentally added with an outward chuckle.

With Aola so far out of it, she encircled the young girl, appraising her body. A casual brush of a hand over her stomach made the High Priestess’s eyebrows raise. Your little flower is ripe. She projected the thought to her son, who was waiting outside with the rest of the village for the celebration to commence. You will bed her tonight. No one will doubt that the child was conceived during the Bou’hada, even if it is born a few days early. Her son’s mind filled with excitement and he responded with a muted agreement. They’d had strong words yesterday about him using his emotions for strength rather than letting them control him, and for the moment her young apprentice was taking the lesson to heart.

Aola swayed a little as the vision left her, and Daesha took hold of her shoulders to keep her from falling over. <”I am here, child.”> She feigned a gasp of surprise, <”No. Not child any longer. But a woman.”> She took Aola’s hand and guided her to the doors of the temple.

Aola’s head felt heavy, as though someone had detached it from her shoulders and thrown it into a thick soup. But through ears that could barely hear she heard Daesha’s voice ring out far louder than was naturally possible, and then the doors before her opened. Her heart was hammering in her chest: this was it, if she made even a single mistake Ke’arsi would never let her live it down. She had to show everyone just how suited she was to be the wife of the next clan leader.

The music began, and as Aola stepped forward from the temple the entire village began to cheer. From either side other girls dressed similarly to Aola but with noticeably less finery stepped in beside her. They began to dance and whirl around her as Aola gathered her courage and sang, at first surprised to find her own voice ringing over the drums and music without much effort from her. She assumed it had to be something Daesha was doing, and continued to sing out the words that felt as though she’d memorized until she could say them backwards and forwards, stamped onto her consciousness until they’d lost all meaning but she sang them anyway.

The drumbeats picked up, and the dancers around her whirled faster and she joined them, her own body gracefully twisting and bending until like the others she appeared to be more water than life form. In the back of her mind she felt as though she’d seen a dance like this before somewhere, but knew it could have only been in a dream. Her own voice rose with the other girls as the dance went on and on, faster and more difficult but somehow she kept up, feeling as though she’d been preparing for this all her life.

As abruptly as it had begun, the dance ended, Aola found herself knelt on the ground and bent double until her forehead brushed the stones, panting heavily with exertion as the village people erupted in applause and cheering. It took the other girls lifting her by the arms to get Aola back on her feet, and once they did she was immediately scooped up by Ke’arsi for another dance as the celebration began. 

Ruer’jan’s hand twitched toward his blaster as he saw Aola dancing with that monster in Twi’lek form. This was probably when he would have shot Ke’arsi, if he had been left to carry out his original plan. This plan was much better, because now they would have a chance to win, but the downside was that he was going to have to stay here and watch as this abomination carried itself out, because they needed to strike at the right moment. They needed to give everyone else a chance to get good and drunk off the spiced yurp.

As though on cue, two serving slaves came by, one carrying the large jug of yurp while the other ladled it into cups and passed them out came straight towards Ruer’jan. He accepted the cup for appearances sake, then just stood there holding it pretending to drink. He had to force himself to not just stare at Aola and Ke’arsi, though Aola was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her before. He wanted to be the one dancing with her.

There was a brief pause in the music, and Ke’arsi handed Aola off to Karawn for the next dance before taking his place beside his mother, at the top of the steps leading to the temple. Neither one of them seemed to be indulging, and as soon as Ke’arsi figured no one was looking at him any longer did he let his grin slide into a scowl. That made Ruer’jan even more upset, because that revealed just how much contempt the Dark apprentice had for Aola. To have all to himself the one person Ruer’jan really wanted and to see her as so beneath him as to be unworthy, was such an affront that Ruer’jan could hardly bear. He knew he probably wouldn’t get the chance to hurt Ke’arsi himself, but maybe Car’ul would let him have a turn when it came time to break the man.

So engrossed in his thoughts was Ruer’jan that he didn’t realize until the cup was to his lips. He looked around before surreptitiously spitting the yurp on the ground. His lips felt just a touch numb.

Rihl slurped hungrily and with satisfaction at the bowl of Rycrit stew another pair of serving girls had handed her. Dressed as one of the guards, she paced slowly around the perimeter of the dance floor, making sure that the crowd didn’t interfere with the dancers. Or, more importantly, with their plan. Any time someone crossed the stones or sat on a stone or stood up on one, she shooed that person off quickly. Fa’kan’s concoction of motor oil and congealing agent that coated the stones had to remain undisturbed to ensure that, when they were lit, they would buy Rihl and Ruer’jan enough time to confront Daesha and Ke’arsi. She had to give a slight nudge with the Force to the other guards to encourage them to be so vigilant when it came to the stones, but it wasn’t difficult to do.

Sweeping the crowd with her eyes, she could see Mlitan’s forces making their way to their positions, but far too slowly for her liking. After spending so much time meditating and preparing, she felt like a tightly coiled spring. She allowed that energy to seethe just under the surface as she paced her rounds.

After making a few circuits, she found herself standing close to Aola as the young girl was spun into the arms of yet another man for yet another dance. She was practically close enough to reach out and touch Aola with her hand, but instead she did it with the Force. Immediately she could tell that Aola was drugged, though she’d seen her ona drink none of the yurp that was being passed in the crowd. Her mind and very presence was shrouded, in that same darkness that she had detected the night before. What little snippets she could get from her was very spastic; one moment focusing all of her energy on the dance and the party, the next focusing on Ke’arsi and Daesha, bouncing between excitement, fear that spiked to terror, a dull stupor, euphoric happiness that clashed against overwhelming hatred. If Rihl couldn’t see her physically dancing and smiling, she would have expected Aola to be writhing on the floor screaming. Her ona almost seemed to have no awareness of herself or those around her, only for her two captors. Rihl wished she could try to make eye contact with Aola, but even if not for Aola’s condition, Aola would only see another Rutian Twi’lek looking back at her.

Rihl glanced at Daesha to find the High Priestess staring straight at her. Knowing she had risked enough to try to connect with Aola, she immediately went back to playing the role of the temple guard, turning her gaze toward the crowd and walking away from Aola.

She made her way over toward Ruer’jan, glancing now and then to see if Daesha was still looking at her. The High Priestess had turned her attention back to the revelers. Once Rihl was close enough to whisper to Ruer’jan, she told him, “Aola’s fixated on Ke’arsi and Daesha. She might react badly if she sees us attack them. You were worried about having to protect her from yourself, but more likely you’ll need to protect her from herself.”

Ruer’jan’s face turned a shade paler, but Rihl quickly assured him, “You can do it. I know you will.”

That makes one of us. Ruer’jan thought. But at the same time he steeled himself because damned if he wasn’t going to try.

There wasn’t much more for them to do but wait for the right moment at this point. Rihl spotted Car’ul as the older Twi’lek stalked about the village folk, disguised as a serving man handing out yurp. Even with the disguise, Car’ul was obviously having a hard time pretending to enjoy the festivities, and she could feel his anxiousness coming off him in waves.

The right moment would be when everyone was as drunk as they possibly could be. Some were indulging more than others, of course, and as the yurp flowed and the stew was served for third, fourth, and fifth servings a number of patrons found themselves tripping over themselves if not passing out in drunk-drugged stupors. Musicians changed out and carried on the music as the hours dragged on and it wasn’t until the night was nearly the morning that the consumption of yurp started to drop off.

Ruer’jan and Rihl had expected Aola to take at least one break from the dancing, but she hadn’t stopped once the entire time. And it looked like she wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. By now Rihl had figured out that Daesha was compelling her with the Force to keep dancing until told she could stop. Ruer’jan couldn’t believe that her energy had not seemed to decrease in the slightest after so long. Rihl put a few people between herself and Daesha to ensure that the High Priestess wouldn’t see her raise her commlink to her mouth. <”It’s time. Be ready.”>

Mlitan’s rebels moved up towards the dance floor, encircling it. Rihl and Car’ul started to move up toward the dais but still staying within the crowd, and Ruer’jan moved to the far end, waiting for Aola to dance her way to him.

The music paused for just a few beats and the man Aola was dancing with saw Ruer’jan move into position. Laughing, he spun Aola a few times before sending her to pirouette right into Ruer’jan’s arms. Aola was beaming with a smile, also laughing as she settled against Ruer’jan and the music picked up again.

As usual, Ruer’jan was caught off guard. Even though he’d been watching the dance for hours, he’d been barely able to keep up with the movements while he was watching. Now suddenly thrust unprepared into it, his only hope was that Aola could lead him. She hardly seemed aware that he was even there, and though she was seemingly caught off guard as well, after just a few moments she simply continued to dance as she had been and it was up to Ruer’jan to keep up. Ruer’jan was not the first man to dance with her tonight who didn’t know how to dance, especially as the others began getting drunk.

He nearly stamped on her foot, but managed to pull his prosthetic foot out of that trajectory just in time, though it caused him to almost lose his own balance momentarily. Aola laughed softly as Ruer’jan’s stance went wide and they nearly fell over together, but she kept her balance and as she continued to move it managed to pull him back upright. His heart was pounding in his ears.

Unfortunately, the slip up was enough to draw the attention of Ke’arsi, who glared at the clumsy buffoon dancing with his nonna. Then his eyes noticed the prosthetic feet from below the robes and his eyes widened.

When Rihl saw Ruer’jan almost do the splits, she knew they had to act now. With a primal Cathar roar, she leaped into the center of the dance floor, warstaff drawn. Screaming erupted all around her as the other dancers panicked and began leaving the dance floor as fast as their feet could take them. As the rebels started igniting the marker stones as the dance floor cleared. Mlitan and Car’ul slipped in just as the flames began to climb. The fuel proved to be very effective, creating a wall of fire that closed off the dance floor and temple steps from the rest of the square.

<”What iz ze meaning of zis?”> Daesha snapped, and Aola stopped dancing so abruptly that she stumbled.

Aola blinked as one waking up from sleep to see a tall Rutian man holding her and a wall of fire at his back. She tried to pull away. <”What? Who are you? Let me go!”> Her eyes grew even wider when she noticed his cybernetic hand and she let out a scream.

Ruer’jan wouldn’t let her go, and it was easy to overpower her as the compulsion ceased and exhaustion began to take its toll on her. But she still managed to give a decent struggle. “It’s ok, it’s me Ruer’jan! Look, we’re here to save you.” He said, nudging her to look towards Rihl.

Aola didn’t seem to understand a single word he said and she screamed again. She did turn to look toward the Cathar in the center of the dance floor, but her eyes went straight to Ke’arsi. <”Ka’re! Help me!”>

Rihl looked back to Aola, sparing only a quick glance to prevent Daesha being able to get the drop on her, which gave her only enough time for one word: “Ona!” accompanied by a focused Force probe to reconnect with that part of Aola that was still herself that Rihl hoped beyond hope was still inside her.

Ke’arsi snarled, raising his hand to strike at Rihl or Ruer’jan or both, but just as the air was beginning to charge with electricity a stone exploded on the temple column just beside him. He flinched and turned to find Car’ul and Mlitan.

Meanwhile, the other guards were beginning to see what was happening, but found themselves unable to reach the Force as the rebels charged them with weapons drawn. Without their supernatural abilities they drew blasters and swords, and the chaotic sounds of battle rose from the other side of the wall of fire.

Daesha’s glowing red eyes bore into Rihl. “I knew zis day woul’ come.” Her tone held a definite note of triumph as she slowly drew her weapon from her belt, what appeared to be nothing but another ceremonial trinket until she pressed the switch and the red bar of light sprung forth.

Rihl immediately leapt up the temple stairs, right at Daesha before the High Priestess could come to meet her, her warstaff raised in front of her. Faster than Rihl could blink Daesha parried, sparks flying as lightsaber and warstaff clashed together. Daesha pulled her free hand back, Force pushing Rihl away from her before leaping backward into the doorway of the temple.

Daesha’s tactic was obvious, but could prove fatally effective if Rihl couldn’t stop her. She remembered seeing the vision of her lying dead at Daesha’s feet: the background of that image had been the inside of the temple. And she remembered how Car’ul and Mlitan had told her of the traps the temple contained for Force users. Her eyes went to a brazier within the temple, and she reached her hand forward to pull it from its display and try to hit Daesha from behind.

The brazier flew through the air but Daesha spun, slicing the metal ornament into several pieces with her weapon. With a laugh she turned back to Rihl, curling her hand in a ‘come hither’ motion.

Aola froze in place after Rihl had spoken to her, the Force probe piercing through the shroud like a needle and shattering what she had believed was reality. Immediately the buzzing returned to her ears and she felt the ground tilt beneath her. She would have fallen if not for the stranger still holding onto her. He had one arm around her waist, the mechanical hand holding a blaster out and ready to fire on anyone who tried to come near them.

Tears stung her eyes from both the fire and the pain in her skull, but more from the latter. <”Wh-who are you? What iz happening?”> she still wanted to reach out to Ke’arsi, who for some reason had his back turned to her. Had he abandoned her?

“It’s me, Ruer-“ He stopped, remembering that after saying that just a few seconds ago she’d seemed not to understand him at all. So he switched to Ryl. <”It’s me, Ruer’jan. They had you under some control of some kind. I don’t understand it myself, but we’re here now to rescue you. Me and Rihl both.”>

Aola thought she might scream from the pain that threatened to rip her brain in two, but she tried harder to remember. These names meant nothing to her, yet she still felt like they should. She stared at the mechanical hand holding the blaster and her vision wavered, seeing a different hand there with three fingers instead of five. But when she looked back at her captor’s face she saw a visage from her nightmares; red cybernetic eyes staring down at her. With renewed strength she screamed and began to struggle again.

Ruer’jan mistook her panic for not recognizing him because his skin was blue rather than its customary pink. He didn’t think that she would struggle like this, and was forced to pull his other arm around her again to keep her from breaking away from him. <”I’m sorry! It was all my fault that he got his claws on you in the first place!”>

She froze as he held her tight, unable to stop crying and not even sure why anymore. He was holding her to himself and her face was smashed against his chest. With a mind of their own, her lekku brushed and entwined around his. She stiffened in his arms, feeling through the sensitive appendages an emotion coming from him like nothing she had ever felt from Ke’arsi. <”Who are you?”> her voice shook, and this time she didn’t mean ‘what is your name?’ <”Wh-what h-h-have ze taken from me?”>

Ke’arsi snarled as he turned to find his outcast uncle and pathetic cousin standing behind him on the dais. Car’ul’s hand was still raised from when it had flung the stone, his eyes wide as though surprised that he’d done such a thing. Mlitan held a blaster up, but did not look as though she could bring herself to pull the trigger.

<”You worthless pieces of filth.”> Ke’arsi barked, <”I’ll make sure you are both good an dead zis time!”> But before he could raise his hands, a figure came barreling through the wall of flames beside them. The flames clung to clothing and skin, but Karawn roared as he careened into Car’ul, knocking the other Twi’lek completely off his feet and into the temple wall.

<”Fa’zer!”> Mlitan screamed as the brothers became locked in combat, Karawn pummeling the older Twi’lek with fists and Car’ul trying desperately to extricate himself without seriously harming his brother.

Ke’arsi laughed and gave a few seconds thought to striking at Mlitan while she was helpless. But just then he heard Aola scream and turned his attention back on the pair that would have been lovers. That kn’ic had his arms wrapped tight around his nonna, and he was going to ensure that was the last moment of enjoyment the worthless slave ever had.

Ruer’jan saw Ke’arsi turn to face him with murder in his eyes, at the same moment that Aola asked him that question. Ke’arsi held no weapon that Ruer’jan could see, and he didn’t know how far one could use the Force on someone. So he thought he had a second of time for Aola, <”I’m not sure what they’ve taken, but I’m here to help you get it back. Because I love you.”>

Ke’arsi extended both hands and both Ruer’jan and Aola felt an unseen Force rip them away from each other, Ruer’jan’s arms around Aola notwithstanding. So violent was the Force that Ruer’jan lost his grip on his blaster too, and it clattered to the ground. They both landed hard, sprawled on opposite sides of the dance floor.

<”She iz mine, you worthless kn’ic.”> Ke’arsi said as he walked toward Ruer’jan, not even sparing a glance for Aola.

Ruer’jan scrambled to his feet, drawing his other blaster and holding it with a death grip this time. He didn’t even notice that Ke’arsi wasn’t looking to see if Aola was okay, but he did. Aola’s headdress had fallen away, but she appeared uninjured, and was crawling toward the other blaster. <”I may be a worthless kn’ic,”> he said, voice strained from the simultaneous exertion, <”But she will never be yours!”> He took off running toward her. Ke’arsi struck at him, lightning shooting from his fingertips, and Ruer’jan leapt over the spot where the stones exploded at his feet with a yelp.

Rihl would not be goaded so easily to take the fight into the temple. Knowing that hers was only one part of this battle, she was content for the moment to attack with the Force from range. Throwing objects at Daesha was only a feint. She wanted to get Daesha’s guard down enough for her to catch her in a storm of Force lightning. Daesha was not so easily thrown off, though, even when one object did manage to get past her guard and strike her on the hip. Apparently tiring quickly of this game, Daesha then upped the ante by throwing Force lightning of her own. Rihl had expected as much, and though this kind of Force duel was not her forte, she managed to hold her ground and not let the blue arcs of power snake their way into her body, except for one time when Daesha managed to aim for the hand that held Rihl’s weapon. Despite the numbing pain, Rihl did not drop the warstaff.

Just then, Daesha’s eyes widened at something apparently happening behind Rihl. Throwing one more piece of debris at Daesha just so she could have a second to look back, Rihl beheld the scene of the two Twi’lek brothers rolling around on the floor and Ke’arsi stalking toward Ruer’jan and Aola, who had become separated.

Rihl grinned wickedly. Ke’arsi had exposed one of Daesha’s buttons, and Rihl knew how to press it. After having fought to keep the fight out of the temple, Daesha did not expect the Force Rihl unleashed on her to push her backward into the temple, and she was sent toppling into the shrine, leaving Rihl with an opening to address Ke’arsi.

Just as Ruer’jan reached Aola, he was looking down and saw her hand reaching for his blaster. By this point, he didn’t know who she would try to shoot with it, so he had a mind to reach down and pick it up before she could reach it… and then suddenly it was already in her hand. There was a flash of light and a sudden smell of ozone as the blaster discharged. Ruer’jan’s head reflexively turned to follow where the blaster barrel was pointing, and beheld a priceless look on Ke’arsi’s face, the Dark apprentice’s hands covering his smoking groin area as he sank to his knees in excruciating pain.

Rihl had been about to unleash her fury on Ke’arsi, but seeing there was no need for that now, she instead went over to Karawn and Car’ul and pulled them apart physically, giving Karawn a solid blow on the head to knock him out. Car’ul scrambled to his feet, his face puffy with a bloody lip and black eye, but Rihl just smiled and gestured at Ke’arsi. <“He’s all yours.”>

Daesha’s maddened scream from the temple doorway filled their ears. Aola dropped the blaster to the ground, unsure of how it had even come to be in her hand in the first place. She was about to scream as well when Daesha thrust her hand forward and Aola’s eyes grew wide, feeling that last thread holding her mind together snap. Her eyes glazed as she clumsily stood and began walking toward the temple, staring straight ahead. With a single shot Aola had taken her most precious child away from her; as far as she was concerned Ke’arsi might as well be dead, now that he could not father children. So in return she would take Aola from them all. In her crazed mind Daesha told herself that the prophecy she’d had could still come to pass so long as she had Aola in her possession.

Rihl felt the last of Aola’s true self slip away under Daesha’s hammer-like use of the Force on her ona. Seeing what Daesha was trying to make Aola do, she knew that the priestess still wanted Aola alive. “Ruer’jan, grab her!” She gave Car’ul a push in Ke’arsi’s direction. <”Take care of him.”>

Ruer’jan jumped into action, once again wrapping his arms around Aola and dragging her as far away from the temple as he could go, until his back was almost against the still burning wall of flames. Aola barely resisted, twitching in his arms periodically but otherwise giving no reaction. He turned her around to face him, and she stared at him with an empty gaze before turning her head back toward the temple.

Rihl moved to put herself between Daesha and Aola. The High Priestess snarled like a wild animal under her headdress, her language switching to Sith, <”I am going to make her drink your blood and then use your hide as a carpet!”> the end of her statement came out in a hiss as she leapt from the temple entrance and straight at Rihl.

Daesha hit her incredibly hard; Rihl was pushed back a step and it took a great deal of strength just to keep the warstaff between herself and Daesha’s lightsaber blade. Their faces were so close that Rihl could see the outline of Daesha’s mouth through the thin veil covering the lower half of her face, blood stained teeth in a rictus grin.

Ke’arsi breathed raggedly through gritted teeth as he finally forced his hands away from his wound. To Hell with that bastard bitch and all her insignificant friends. He raised a hand and fired lightning at both Aola and Ruer’jan.

Ruer’jan saw the look Ke’arsi was giving them as he lifted his hand, and without thinking he shoved Aola as hard as he could to his left. The lightning hit him square in the chest with such force that he stood rigid, twitching and screaming in pain as the blue arcs wound around him and through him. Ke’arsi grinned, continuing to strike with all his hatred even as Ruer’jan fell to the floor still screaming.

Abruptly the lightning ceased, Ruer’jan would have just lain on the floor in pain, but the adrenaline in his system kicking his emergency implants on, spurred him into action almost before he realized it. He couldn’t feel his cybernetic hand anymore, but he picked up his blaster from where he had dropped it with his left hand and raised it to point at Ke’arsi.

He found Ke’arsi floating in midair, kicking wildly as his feet failed to reach the floor and gripping at his neck. Behind him Mlitan held her hand up, staring hard at her cousin as her father tried desperately to convince her to let Ke’arsi go.

Ruer’jan didn’t take the shot, his thoughts only for Aola who he saw climb slowly to her feet from where she’d landed after he shoved her and begin walking toward the temple. He ran over and grabbed her again, wincing as her head bumped hard against his burned chest.

Daesha swung her lightsaber in line with Rihl’s neck, but the Cathar saw it a kilometer away and barely had to move to dodge it, tilting her head to the side as she parried the lightsaber blade away with the topmost blade of her warstaff while bringing the other upward to slice the High Priestess. Daesha dodged away from the blade like a snake, hissing as Rihl grinned at her and attempting another stabbing attack that clashed harshly against Rihl’s warstaff and sent sparks flying.

Rihl had to push back harder than she wanted to to keep from getting stabbed, but she didn’t lose that grin, because now Daesha was playing her game. They continued to trade blows, appearing to be well matched in close combat as they had been in the Force duel, but Rihl was subtly maneuvering her opponent farther away from the temple entrance, using her superior reach and larger weapon to control the space they fought in.

Daesha’s eyes darted from Rihl to the temple as she realized she now had the wall of fire behind her rather than sanctuary, and she began lashing out at the Cathar even harder than before, using her free hand to Force push her opponent toward her preferred battlefield. But trying to maneuver Rihl this way was akin to trying to move a solid ferrocrete wall.

Rihl decided to show her how it was done; the old fashioned way. Lowering her staff into a blocking position, she charged Daesha. The weapon lowered as it was prevented Daesha from dodging to either side, and with a flashed look of panic the Twi’lek only managed to raise her lightsaber in time to catch the handle of the warstaff. Daesha was braced, but Rihl had size and momentum, and Daesha felt her feet sliding backward along the ground. And she could feel the heat from the flames growing hotter at her back.

Yellow eyes met red, and Daesha’s glare bore into her opponent’s. Though Daesha was having to devote all of her physical strength to keep Rihl from forcing her into the flames, she focused her mind like a scalpel and lashed out.

Pain erupted behind Rihl’s eyes, and momentarily her eyes shut in a flinch but the rest of her body remained rigid. That moment was enough for Daesha to shift her weight and push Rihl to the side, allowing her to slip out from between the Cathar and the flames, laughing when Rihl took a wild swing at her that went wide.

Rihl charged at her again, slashing this time with the staff, catching Daesha in the shoulder and drawing blood. The High Priestess screamed as Rihl continued running, once again putting herself between her and the temple.

”You cannot win.” Daesha hissed, and Rihl felt the Force persuasion hit her like a hammer blow.

“I don’t have to win, you’ve already lost.” Rihl retorted, shaking her head to try and get out from under the weight of that thought. “Even if I fall, your guards are dead and you’ve lost your only son. Your last son.”

Daesha grinned again, “But I haven’t lost a son so much as gained a daughter.” Ruer’jan’s scream rang out nearby. “You and your friends are nothing before our power. And after this day no one will remember that anything unusual even happened.” She tilted her head and added in a sing-song voice, “Except for the Cathar skull that will adorn my new headdress.”

“Fitting, because even dead I will always be above you.” Rihl quipped and saw Daesha’s eye narrow in anger. “If you survive this, maybe I’ll show you my Twi’lek skulls that I drink out of.”

Daesha snarled and whipped her hand out, attempting to once again Force push Rihl into the temple. She was flung backward so hard that she collided with the doorjamb, sinking to the ground. The High Priestess stalked up the temple steps and raised her lightsaber triumphantly. “These steps were due for a fresh coat of blood.”

Rihl couldn’t agree more, and didn’t hesitate for even a moment before unleashing a torrent of Force lightning at Daesha’s exposed middle. The High Priestess’s wails of pain rose louder and louder as Rihl climbed back to her feet, still holding her staff in the one hand while holding the other hand out to keep the lightning on Daesha. Rather than rely on the Dark Force power to slay her foe, she did it the Cathar way. The sword didn’t take Daesha’s head completely off, but she was just as dead. As her body fell limp and slowly slid down the temple steps, Car’ul’s voice rang out.

<”Please, Mlitan, don’ do zis!”> Rihl raised her eyes to see the scene before her.

<”His life belongs to your father, not to you.”> Rihl called as she strode down the temple stairs.

<”He was killing Ruer’jan.”> Mlitan said, her voice flat.

Car’ul placed a hand on Mlitan’s shoulder, <”Please, my daughter, no’ like zis. If you end his life zis way, you will only be perpetuating ze evil zat has filled him.”>

<”Don’t dishonor your family with your disobedience.”> Rihl added, though she made no more to stop Mlitan.

There was a long pause, Ke’arsi’s eyes rolling back and his twitches becoming weaker, before Mlitan slowly lowered her hand. Her cousin gulped in air once his airway was free, crouching and turning to face Mlitan and Car’ul. <”You-“>

<”You have lost, Ke’arsi’vuz.”> Mlitan said, her voice still flat. <”Your mo’zer iz dead and all of her plans wis her. Your only hope iz to concede defeat and accept our justice.”>

Still rubbing his throat, his voice hoarse, <”And what justice would zat be, cousin?”>

Mlitan stood regally over him. <”You will give yourself completely into our keeping, to have ze darkness cleansed from you. You will become a servant of ze clan, not zere leader, and swear obedience to us before everyone. You will spend your days undoing ze damage you and your mo’zer have done to zis family.”>

Ke’arsi’s orange eyes stared up at his cousin, considering her terms. His eyes darted between Mlitan, Car’ul, and Rihl behind both of them. Slowly, he stood, bowing his head. <”I will…accept zis.”>

Rihl surreptitiously raised an eyebrow, she hadn’t been sure that Car’ul and Mlitan could do it. Ruer’jan, as he held Aola’s limp body against him, couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He coughed, struggling to breathe with singed lungs, wide eyed at the event unfolding.

Mlitan nodded, her face still stone as she turned to look at her father. <”It is-“>

Lightning arced through the air as Ke’arsi struck out at Mlitan, snarling. <”You are truly fools if you sink  you can change me! I will rebuild my mo’zer’s dynasty on your ashes!”> He waited long enough to see the look of terror on Car’ul’s face before unleashing more lightning from his other hand, striking his uncle in the chest.

Rihl watched as both Twi’lek’s fell to the ground. She could have easily struck Ke’arsi down, but she would make one last attempt to let Car’ul have what he wanted. Focusing the Force, she tried to feed its power to Car’ul so he could resist Ke’arsi. She found that Car’ul was weak, and would never be able to defeat Ke’arsi. So she began to shift her focus to Mlitan, who whom she now felt a strength that could possibly rival Ke’arsi.

But just as Mlitan began to respond, the lightning suddenly stopped. This time the look of shock on Ke’arsi’s face was that of being ripped away from life itself as he crumpled to the ground, a smoking hole in the center of his chest. As he fell, they could see Ruer’jan standing behind, still pointing his blaster at the space where Ke’arsi had been. There was rage on his face, and tears in his eyes. One of his lekku was wrapped around one of Aola’s, but Rihl’s sister was completely inert.

There was a great deal of preparation that needed to be done to pull off their plan before the Tsu’kagarei. The first thing they had to do was scout out the field of battle, this required disguises to be made for both Rihl and Ruer’jan so they could walk through the village without being recognized.

Ruer’jan’s disguise wasn’t so much difficult as uncomfortable; to make him appear Rutian rather than Lethan, he subjected himself to being dipped into a vat of blue dye used to color clothing and other materials. This had to be carried out in the middle of the night to avoid the washer women from seeing it happening, and Ruer’jan was forced to accept the help of Car’ul to lower him in and then pull him out again. It was unpleasant, but had the desired effect of turning him a very deep shade of blue like all the rest of the Rihe clan, and wouldn’t wash off for nearly a week.

Rihl, on the other hand, was much harder to disguise. Going around in her robe and mask wouldn’t cut it this time because she was the only one under the mountain with no lekku. And no one else dressed like that. She knew a little bit about Force disguise, but not as well as Car’ul. The first day was nothing but frustration, with Car’ul unaccustomed to teaching and Rihl unable to understand the abstract way that Car’ul thought of and handled the Force. But the next day they had a breakthrough; Car’ul tried a different tactic to describe how he distorted the light around him to create the illusion that others would see. It finally clicked with Rihl and before long she was walking around the village looking for all the world like a Rutian female warrior, in clothing much like Mlitan’s.

The rest of the village was just as busy as they were in preparations for the Tsu’kagarei; pleasant smells began to fill the caverns as they percolated the Rycrit stew in massive cook pots. People bustled about as they prepared their homes and their best outfits for the occasion, creating an excited but frenzied tension in the village that aided Rihl and Ruer’jan in moving about unnoticed.

They used these preparations to their advantage, sneaking in elements of their plan that would enable them to confront Aola’s captors in the square without interference. Because they knew they were outnumbered by Daesha’s loyalists, they would have to cut off as many guards as they could from being able to run into the square and help Daesha when the attack came. It was a wide open space, but fortunately the area that the ceremony itself would take place was slightly elevated and separated from where the rest of the villagers would be standing by a ring of stones, and Rihl had an idea how to turn the stones into an impassable barrier when the time came.

It wasn’t just Daesha and Ke’arsi who could fight back with the Force. But fortunately Car’ul knew how to negate that disadvantage. Because the Tsu’kagarei was a giant party, very few people would not be indulging in the favorite local drink, yurp, including even the guards. Car’ul’s idea was to spike the yurp with spice, which dulled the ability of Force users. As for the guards’ other weapons, Ruer’jan and Fa’kan sneaked into the armory and added a little special something to the polish that would be put on them for the party.

Rihl wanted to know what kind of Force powers Ke’arsi and Daesha could be expected to fight with, but unfortunately even Car’ul didn’t know as no one had ever seen either of them fight with the Force. Neither was known to carry any kind of weapon, though, so Rihl expected it would have to be the Force. And she would need to meditate to prepare herself to resist and counter whatever they threw at her. Car’ul also spent the majority of the time they had in meditation, preparing him to face and defeat his nephew in what he hoped would be non-lethal combat. Rihl promise him she would try to give him the time and space he needed, but if it came down to saving Aola or saving Ke’arsi, she would not hesitate to end Ke’arsi.

It was a precarious plan, depending on a great number of people coming through in their parts to pull it off, and everyone felt more anxious as the time drew nearer. Perhaps the most unpredictable aspect of the plan was how the crowd would react; fortunately Mlitan and her resistance cell knew that the people would welcome this, if they knew what was coming. Quietly they moved among the people, whispering that something would happen at the Tsu’kagarei and that when it did, it was important not to panic. They told the people not to speak of it amongst each other, in the hopes that the whispers would not reach Daesha.

The day before the ceremony, Ruer’jan was moving about the village helping to make sure that the spiked yurp was distributed everywhere that the guards would be. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the crowd, and when he looked over, they had parted to reveal Aola and Ke’arsi walking arm in arm through the square. Ke’arsi talked animatedly with those around them, and Ruer’jan tried to not be standing fully exposed even in his disguise but still close enough to hear.

<”You must be so excited, Ke’arsi.”> An older woman in the crowd lauded the young Twi’lek. <”Are ze rumors true?”>

<”Yes, ayera, ze Jassh’irr will take place ze night after her Tsu’kagarei. Aola and I cannot wait any longer.”> Ke’arsi’s face split with a smile and everyone around them laughed and cheered. Aola was smiling and looking about her, though she looked as though she were daydreaming, until Ke’arsi gently guided her to face him and their lips met in a gentle kiss. The cheers grew louder as the kiss grew more impassioned, laughter erupting that the young couple would be lucky to make it to the Bou’hada.

Three thoughts ran through Ruer’jan’s head: Oh my Goddess, what are you going to do to her, you lihsily? I’m going to shoot you. Then: Oh my Goddess, look at how she’s kissing him. Aola would never do that.  And finally: Oh my Goddess. I’m going to throw up. He felt frozen in place, unable to move but unable to look away until finally they ceased the lascivious display and had continued their walk around the square. He had to make himself run away to keep himself from running at Ke’arsi with a drawn blaster.

Ruer’jan didn’t stop running until he reached the small abandoned cavern they had made into their hideout when they came out of the slave pit. Rihl and Car’ul sat facing the same point in the center of the room, their eyes closed and concentrating on their meditations until the lanky Twi’lek burst in. Car’ul broke his concentration first, Rihl only a few seconds behind him as they both looked up at Ruer’jan panting in the doorway. His face was flushed purple and there was tears forming in his eyes, but his contorted face testified that they were tears of rage.

<”She KISSED him!”> Ruer’jan blurted out, panting before he could go on, <”She kissed him! They were out in the square, and I saw them. And he kissed her, and she kissed him back. In front of everybody! And get this, right after the Tsu’kagarei, they’re having a Jassh’irr. She’s gonna marry him!”>

Car’ul’s frown of concentration deepened into one of sympathy, but he didn’t speak up. He only looked from Ruer’jan to Rihl sadly, wondering to himself if he should leave the room. Ruer’jan began pacing back and forth. If the Twi’lek had had a tail, he would have been lashing it angrily. His lekku did the job in their own way.  

<”They are not going to have a Jassh’irr.”> said Rihl. <”So don’t worry about that.”> She lowered her head thoughtfully for a moment, then licked her lips before speaking, <”We knew they were doing something to her mind to make her go through with this. There’s no way they can have Persuaded her so far that it can’t be undone. Not in the relatively small amount of time they’ve had.”>

Car’ul flinched and began making as though to stand, no doubt to slink from the room.

<”Are you sure?”> The question was directed at Rihl, but then Ruer’jan stopped pacing and squared off against Car’ul, <”Will she snap out of it once we’ve beaten them?”>

Car’ul definitely looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, pinned by Ruer’jan’s gaze. He fussed with the collar of his robe and actually took a step back from the taller Twi’lek before answering, <”Daesha’s talent iz…iz very strong. She haz always been able to bend ze wills of ze people to her bidding. And az far az we can tell, my nephew has inherited zis trait.”> he shook his head so slightly it was barely discernable, <”No one haz ever broken zere spell. She haz even made my own bro’zer forget me, save zat I am his mortal enemy.”>

Ruer’jan had his back to Rihl as he focused on Car’ul, but Rihl didn’t have to see his face to tell that the color drained out of it as Car’ul spoke, as it did for her. But because she already knew about the Dark powers of the Force and what they could do to someone’s mind, it wasn’t as much of a surprise to her. <”It was never going to be as easy as killing them to make her snap out of it, Ruer’jan. However, once they’re not there to keep the spell going, it can be overcome with help.”>

Both men turned their eyes on the Cathar, both bearing a nearly identical questioning look, as though her claim was news to both of them. She was actually surprised to see that look on Car’ul’s face. <”What kind of help?”> Ruer’jan said.

She slumped her shoulders slightly, as if she didn’t want to say, <”Proper psychiatric care can eventually cure all but the deepest mental illnesses, but if they cut her mind too deeply with the Force, the only way to heal it without years of treatment is with the Force.”> They both gave her the deer-in-the-headlights look and she clarified, <”They used the Force to mess up her head, so if we want her back anytime soon, we gotta find someone who can use the Force to fix it.”> She shrugged her shoulders and shifted uncomfortably, <”It’s not an easy talent to learn. And unfortunately, it’s a power I don’t have.”>

Car’ul spread his hands helplessly, <”My daughter, she iz ze only one wis any talent for Force healing in ze clan, and it iz very small. I do no’ sink you want to seek out ze Sit’ academy….”> he trailed off, his eyes showing a flicker of fear as for the first time he realized he had no idea what Rihl’s affiliations truly were.

<”No.”> Rihl practically recoiled at the idea, and the word served as answer to his asked and unasked questions. The Sith she had known and left behind in Imperial space would no doubt have a field day if they got their hands on Aola in her current state, and they’d both had quite enough of their influence. Then I’d really have to kill them. <”Very few if any Sith would know and practice that kind of healing. They would as soon make her into some gross experiment,”> she waved her hands, unable to find the right words, <”they would just make it worse.”>

Ruer’jan’s hackles rose, <”Yea. No Sith.”>

Car’ul’s eyes darted between the two of them, <”Zen…ze Jedi?”>

Rihl cringed, a grimace showing most of her teeth, <”In their own way, Jedi are just as bad. But they would be the surest way of finding someone with that kind of healing power. I’m sure it exists elsewhere, but then the hard part is finding those people.”> She took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh. <”We won’t know for sure how bad it is until we have Aola safely away from them.”>

That obviously was not good enough for Ruer’jan, still with that look of desperation on his face, as confronted as he was with the possibility that Aola may already be lost.

Rihl suddenly held up a finger, her face momentarily frozen in epiphany, <”That reminds me, Ruer’jan. It’s good that you have that anger in you, hold onto it because I need to show you how to use it without letting an enemy Force user manipulate it during the battle.”>

That caught Ruer’jan off guard, <”Wait, what?”>

<”Your feelings give you strength, but if you can’t stay focused they can use them against you,”> Rihl explained, <”There are ways of blocking out someone who would try to use the Force to trick you. It takes discipline, but we should use the time we have to try to prepare you as best as we can. I know you would hate to unwittingly be made to do something to help them while we’re fighting them.”>

That thought scared Ruer’jan a bit, <”Yea I would. If there’s any way I can keep from having that done to me, yea I want to do it.”>

<”Alright.”> Rihl said, <”Then have a seat. No better time than now, while your feelings are still strongest.”>

  That night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Rihl stayed up a little longer. She knew that it would fall to her to defeat Daesha, the most powerful Force user they would face tomorrow. And she knew almost nothing about her. No one knew about Daesha because she hardly ever left the temple, which was heavily guarded and warded with traps against entry by Force users. So Rihl’s only way of doing reconnaissance was to stretch out with the Force.

Immediately she could sense the temple, now that she was as close as she was, and the powerful presence of the Dark Side practically oozed from it. The Dark Side clouded much, but she knew a thing or two about how to see through the Darkness. It helped to know what you were looking for and to have something there you could connect with, or someone. The first thing Rihl did was to try to find Aola.

It was extremely difficult, as though layers of darkness wrapped around her ona’s presence like a shroud. Rihl knew it to be Aola, but the impression she got was almost nothing like the Aola she knew. It buzzed and twitched, changing from stark terror to euphoria in the blink of an eye. She probed deeper to try to get to the real Aola, the one she knew was still there. The presence resisted, flinching and fighting until in her own skull she heard a scream which abruptly cut off.

They’d always had a connection to one another, Rihl being able to sense a change in Aola from thoughts the Cathar had projected. But this was the first time the Twi’lek had projected anything to her. Hold on ona, we’re coming. Rihl wasn’t sure the thought she projected made it to Aola’s subconscious, because she could feel no change that could be taken as confirmation.

From the point of Aola, she stretched out to feel the thoughts of the nearest person to her. Ke’arsi’s mind leaped into her senses, all smug arrogance and victory. He himself seemed to be concentrating heavily on something, focusing his anger and contempt into a scalpel-like tool. Rihl couldn’t tell directly what he was doing with it, but she knew of a Sith practice of using the Force to cut away at a person’s memories that was very similar to the way he was focusing right now. In the back of her mind she wanted to disrupt his concentration, make him stop doing whatever he was doing, because he was probably doing it to Aola. But that would probably give her presence away, and just as likely end up causing severe harm to her ona. Besides, Rihl hadn’t found her real target yet. So she projected a thought, a gentle suggestion, Your mother is so proud of you right now.

It worked; Ke’arsi’s mind immediately turned to his mother, and gave Rihl the clue she needed to follow it straight to the Kika’lekki High Priestess. Daesha’s presence was cloaked far deeper than Aola’s had been, but instead of the troublesome shroud this was comparable to a brick wall, meticulously built up around her mind, deep within the heart of the taint that festered in the temple. Nay, it emanated from it, as the High Priestess was apparently conducting some kind of ritual. The Darkness itself felt like a separate entity, sensing Rihl and reaching for her with whispered temptations. It sensed her desire to learn about Daesha, and whispered offerings of the High Priestess’s secrets, of great power to burn down everything and take revenge on those who had harmed her.

Digusting. Rihl thought to herself as she tried to shake the oozing taint from her thoughts. I know what you want, your passions are unguarded. Holding her resolve against the Darkness, she focused her anger and probed at the High Priestess.

Images flickered in her mind’s eye of a thin Rutian female kneeling naked before an altar that had once been for the Twi’lek Goddess but now served as home for the twisted Force that she and generations of her family before her had fostered. Daesha’s red glowing eyes were wide in ecstasy as she lifted a bowl filled with dark purple liquid to her mouth and drank greedily before speaking prophecies in a garbled tongue. More images of the priestess slitting the throats of young boys, her own sons, and sacrificing them for their blood while she carried her youngest child in her womb.  And a final vision of Daesha, fully garbed in ceremonial head dress and regalia, standing over Rihl’s body holding a red lightsaber in triumph.

The sound of slaves shuffling back into the shelter for their midday meal woke Ruer’jan. Mlitan’s father hadn’t moved from where he sat himself, and it was impossible to tell how long he’d been out. He felt pretty crappy, his eyes swollen and a headache from crying so much. Even the quiet shuffling sounds felt like pounding in his head, so he pulled the threadbare blanket over himself to shut it out.

The now familiar voice of Mlitan’s father uttered quietly, <”Would you like some water?”>

At first Ruer’jan reaction was an unintelligible grunt. He didn’t feel like he wanted the water, but he knew he needed it, eventually he mumbled, <”Okay.”>

He felt as well as heard the man shift beside him, absent for a few moments before returning. <”Here. I also brought you some food, if you want it.”> He sounded as though he were talking around something in his own mouth.

Ruer’jan didn’t want to have to come out from under the blanket, so he stuck his hand out for the offered items. Mlitan’s father hesitated before giving a low sigh and handing the canteen and dried meat and bread over. Ruer’jan nibbled the food and sipped the water under the blanket.

It was some time before the other slaves left to return to their work. The older Twi’lek hadn’t moved or said anything beyond a few greetings to the others. Nobody had asked or seemed to notice that there was someone lying on the cot beside him. Once they were gone, Ruer’jan peeked out from his hiding place.

<”I need to use the refresher.”> He whispered. In answer his guardian pulled the heavy cloak off of himself and offered it to Ruer’jan.

<”Turn left just outside ze tent. Follow ze path until it veers left. Can’t miss it.”> He paused before adding, <”An’ be sure to walk slowly, wis a limp and bent over. Ze overseers will sink you are me.”>

Pulling off the ruse was no difficulty and Ruer’jan encountered no overseers on the path as he limped to and fro. All of them appeared to be up in watchtowers beside the flood lights. They didn’t even call out to him.

Upon returning, Ruer’jan returned the cloak to its owner and sat up on the cot with his back against the wall beside the older Twi’lek.

<”Feeling any better?”> The old Twi’lek asked, not referring to Ruer’jan’s trip to the fresher.

Ruer’jan took a deep breath and his shoulders slumped. <”Not really.”> The other man only nodded in understanding. <”Can you blame me…?”> He paused, realizing he didn’t know this man’s name.  

Green eyes glanced at him before looking away quickly. <”Car’ul. An’ no, I canno’. I too was a right mess when I los’ mah okbeo.”>

<”Your what? Oh,”> Ruer’jan hadn’t picked up the word right away, but it caught up with him just half a second later. <”What happened?”>

Mlitan’s father didn’t look up from staring at the dirt floor in front of him, though his gaze took on a faraway look, <”She died bringing mah little girl into ze world.”> He shrugged lightly, <”Zen, after ze proper time of grieving had passed, when it became clear zat I could no’ be ordered to select a new wife, Daesha made me ‘disappear’.”> A sardonic smirk pulled at his lip. <”Or, more like, I made mysel’ disappear and she sinks I am dead. Much like you.”>

<”Sorry.”> Ruer’jan whispered. <”Why did you stay here though? Couldn’t you have taken your daughter and found a better place than this?”>

Car’ul gave Ruer’jan a look that said ‘are you crazy?’ before remembering that the young Twi’lek was an offworlder. <”An old, injured Twi’lek with a little baby would be easy prey for ze creatures living in zis world, not to say anysing of ze oz’er clans zat call Rihe ‘enemy’. Rylot’ is a ‘ard place,”> He stopped when he saw the look of understanding in Ruer’jan’s eyes and chose not to continue that lecture. <”T’row into it zat bot’ of us use ze Force, an’ we would ‘ave much worse enemies to contend wis. Far easier to ‘ide ourselves ‘ere.”>

<”But it’s not like you’d be wearing a big sign, saying ‘Force user’, most people don’t know a Force user unless they see them using the Force.”> Ruer’jan said, not understanding.

<”You really don’ know, do you?”> Car’ul asked in surprise, then shook his head, <”No, I suppose zer wouldn’ be a good reason for you to know. But I sought your Cat’ar friend would ‘ave…”> he trailed off before realizing that he was failing to answer the question. <”Zer iz a Sit’ academy on zis world, and it iz no’ very far from ‘ere.”>

Ruer’jan’s jaw dropped, <”The Sith are here? The Empire is here?”> He hadn’t seen any signs of Imperial presence on or around Ryloth.

<”I don’ know abou’ ‘Empire’,”> Car’ul scratched an ear as he thought, <”bu’ Sit’, yes.”>

Ruer’jan took a moment to think about that, to absorb it. It now made perfect sense why Car’ul would not have wanted to risk himself or his daughter out there where Sith were scooping up all Force users they could find. <”I guess this is the best you could hope for, isn’t it?”> He said finally.

Car’ul once again shrugged, a lek twitching slowly, <”I wouldn’ say zat. Mlitan an’ I always ‘ope for a better life. Wisout zis,”> He waved, indicating the slaves and the pit. <”Bu’ we do wha’ we can to ‘elp who iz down ‘ere. Make zer lives better.”>

<”What are two people able to do for so many?”> Ruer’jan asked, his own lekku becoming agitated thinking of what went on down here.

<”Mah daughter, she ‘as a small gift for ‘ealing, though ze overseers sink she does it wis stims and patches.”> Car’ul laughed softly, <”An’ Fa’kan does a fair share ‘o makin’ sure ze ‘ave plenty of food an’ fresh water. I…do wha’ I can to convince ze overseers zat ze migh’ be more lentien’ on ze slaves, treat zem better zan zey migh’ do if I wasn’ down ‘ere.”> He waved a hand slowly in the air with a smirk.

Ruer’jan sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring off into space. <”Why is it that everywhere I go there’s a slave empire?”> He mumbled.

Although the question had been obviously rhetorical, Car’ul replied, <”Perhaps because it iz not your destiny to be a slave, but ra’zer to free slaves.”>

<”The only people I ever knew, just got sucked back up into it. And if it weren’t for you I would have been too.”> Ruer’jan retorted. <”I can’t even take care of myself, much less rescue anybody.”> Although in the back of his mind he was remembering Rihl and himself working together to fight off the clones on Ord Mantell. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but it was there.

Car’ul didn’t seem to hear the last bit of what Ruer’jan had said; either that or he was ignoring it. <”We bot’ know it iz very importan’ zat Daesha didn’ ge’ you. Very importan’.” He wasn’t willing to look Ruer’jan in the eye as he said it.

Car’ul looking away like that got Ruer’jan to raise a curious brow. <”If you say so.”> He said, confused. <”All I know is I can’t just escape here and leave Aola to her fate. I know I can’t save her either. But I can at least take someone out with me who deserves it.”>

The older Twi’lek finally looked back at him, tilting his head and giving his own confused look. <”Wha’ are ye planning?”> Apparently his daughter had not told him everything that Ruer’jan had said while he was still suffering the shock of last night.

<”Once Ke’arsi thinks I’m dead,”> Ruer’jan began, <”I asked Mlitan to take me back up where I can shoot him.”>

Car’ul shook his head, though his lekku twitched, betraying the fact that he was giving the plan some thought. <”Itz no’ much of a plan.”>

<”It’s not like I would make it out of here alive, after doing that.”> Ruer’jan interjected.

<”No, no, certainly no’.”> Car’ul agreed, furrowing his brow. <”Daesha would never allow you ta live after killin’ her son, no’ to say anysing about ze townsfolk who are under her spell.”> He paused, frowning again at the ground. <”Ze boy iz my nephew, and zey are bot’ my family, bu’ some’ow…zey must be stopped.”> Obviously this wasn’t the first time he’d had this thought, and it troubled him deeply. His lekku twisted themselves around his shoulders.

Now Ruer’jan made the connection that if Ke’arsi was Car’ul’s nephew, that made Karawn his brother. So he shouldn’t speak of killing any of them so coldly. But cold was all he felt. Cold and empty.  <”I won’t ask for your help, if there’s any way they would find out it was you. I don’t want anyone else to be hurt anymore because of me.”>

Car’ul sat in silence for several moments before shaking his head, <”No. I’ve already begun down zis pat’. I must come to peace wis how it must end. You ‘ave my ‘elp, in whatever way you may need it.”> His green gaze bore into Ruer’jan, looking into the Lethan Twi’lek rather than at him. <”Mlitan has told me she seez potential wis’in you. I’m beginning to sink she iz right. Maybe your plan will work, if only to begin ze change zat we need. But your deat’ will no’ be ze end resul’.”>

Ruer’jan understood Car’ul to be referring to ‘change’ as freedom for the clan and the slaves. But he didn’t see how his own death or survival would impact that. <”We’ll see, I guess.”> Regardless of Car’ul’s other plans, all Ruer’jan knew was that he would rather die than live to see Aola under Ke’arsi’s control, if what they said was true.

That got him thinking about what he would have to actually do. So much had changed that he had not seen. And he still was so unfamiliar with the Rihe village that he was going to have to return to it so he could at least know the ground where this battle would take place. But with his unusual height and coloring, he would stick out like a sore thumb. In order to get close enough to shoot Ke’arsi, he had to have a way of blending in.

<”If I may ask,”> Ruer’jan began….

  It had been three days since the hunting party had stranded Rihl out in the wilds of Ryloth. Initially, it took quite a bit out of her just to keep the Rycrit under her control, but eventually it became easier. The terrain, however, only became harsher as they continued to move in the direction the Rihe’s had gone. Rihl was very thankful for her keen sense of direction, especially on a planet where the sun barely ever shifted in the sky. Being out in the never ending heat was what wore at Rihl the most. By this point she wasn’t sure what was worse; being underground and never knowing the passage of time, or being above ground and never knowing the passage of time.

The first day had been nothing but trying to survive the blasted heat. Her Rycrit had found a muddy water hole, happily shoving its snout into the muck to nourish itself with the moisture. She, however, could make little use of it and despite all her efforts to sense other kinds of prey, she went to sleep on an empty stomach.

Only to be woken by the Rycrit huffing in alarm and bolting to the South. Somehow it had broken from her Force persuasion. Rihl threw her arm out and reminded it with the Force that wherever it had to go to survive, it couldn’t survive without her. The creature stopped in its tracks but refused to come closer, its eyes rolling and feet scratching anxiously at the ground. She was sensing a lot of fear from this animal, and not fear of her. She quickly grabbed her belongings and jumped on its back, allowing it to follow its instincts South. It took them a little ways off of their intended path, but at least it wasn’t in the opposite direction.

The heat storm that the Rycrit was running from finally caught up to them about midday, and Rihl could see the massive tornado of fire only a few scant kilometers behind them. The animal’s instinct had driven it into a frenzy, and she had to struggle to control it enough to steer into a nearby rocky outcropping with enough of an angle to shelter them both. The Rycrit wanted to keep running, not understanding that where they were was safe, so Rihl had to really focus her will to use the creature’s survival instinct against its animal brain by telling it that if it wanted to survive, it would stay here.

The Rycrit’s eyes remained wide and fearful, but it stood stock still, its muscles quivering occasionally.

“Good Rycrit.” Rihl murmured, projecting the approval of a satisfied master. The Force knew just how well the Sith had been able to do that to her during her training. The thought came to her somewhat bitterly, but mollified by the satisfaction she felt at having broken free.

Thanks to running for a good portion of the day and the heat storm overhead, both Rihl and her Rycrit went without food or water that day. The next morning saw them both continuing on the journey with sunken eyes and weary bodies. Despite her continued prodding, the Rycrit could not move itself any faster than a steady walk.

Rihl spent her time atop the Rycrit reaching her senses out once again to try and locate prey. Both she and her mount needed meat if they were going to keep their strength up. And with any luck, the Rycrit would locate water.

Not far from where they rode she could sense a family of blurrg, two adults and three younglings. She targeted the mind of the elder male, reasoning that it was better than targeting the younglings and making the mother attack, or attacking the mother and causing the younglings to die a slow death.

At first she overestimated its intelligence and the male’s mind sloughed off her persuasion, but the second try bent him easily to her will. Far easier than she had had to try with the Rycrit. It walked right past the mother and babies, oblivious that they were even there, and came straight to Rihl, standing in front of her with its mouth hanging open and tongue lolling out. She might have felt guilty about killing it, and with such ease, but after two days without food those qualms were drowned out by her growling stomach. She made quick work of the blurrg and, not long after, the Rycrit found a groundwater spring among the rocks. It wasn’t a lot of water, but it was clean.

Given the lack of fuel for a fire, she had no way to cook the blurrg meat. It wouldn’t keep overnight, and she wasn’t sure how much further it was to get back to the Rihe Mountain. So she and the Rycrit would have to eat as much of it as they could and then leave the rest behind. It was turning out to be a bit of a struggle to convince the Rycrit to leave the water source, it was so content there, so Rihl decided to give them a couple hours rest, long enough to make a second meal out of their kill, and then continued on.

They continued on for quite some time, Rihl continually stretching her senses in the hopes of locating intelligent life forms and, invariably, civilization. Just when the Rycrit was beginning to tire again, its animal brain turning to water and sleep, Rihl sensed a great number of life forms underground roughly 70 klicks away and to the Southeast.

It took some effort on Rihl’s part to convince the animal that it needed to move towards her objective in order to survive rather than to seek its own rest, but with a bit of snorting it obeyed, head bowed and moving at a steady pace.

As they approached the mountain range, Rihl could still pinpoint where her senses were telling her Twi’leks dwelled. To be safe she slowed her mount to a walk to deaden the sound of his hooves on the stony terrain. Perched on a low rise, she dismounted and looked down at the base of the mountain.

She was able to see two Twi’leks sitting in the dirt, hooded cloaks the same shade as the sand to camouflage them and blasters across their knees. However, she could sense that there were more that she could not see. What they guarded looked like a rock with a strange, slotted design. Rihl wasn’t sure what it was, but they were guarding it so it had to be something important; probably a way into the mountain.

There was no telling if these were the Rihe’s or another clan, possibly even enemies of the Rihe’s. But either way the Rycrit was nearly spent and, if worse came to worse, Rihl figured she could get a speeder from these people in order to continue her journey. Not everyone could be as cold blooded as the Rihe’s had been, could they? But first she would need to take some time to regain her strength.

Releasing her hold on the Rycrit, he snorted and shook his head several times before bolting back the way they had come, to the Northwest. Rather than sitting on the rocks she paced slowly back and forth, letting her muscles loosen as she cleared her mind of everything but what lay in front of her. Then she allowed the anger to fill her, keeping it focused on what they had done to her and Aola and what she in turn must do to them. Holding onto anger and keeping in control was like riding a wild animal; if you lost control it could consume you, but if you held onto it you were an unstoppable force. And Rihl wasn’t going to let anyone stop her today, no matter how many of them there were or how strong in the Force they were. That didn’t mean she was going to simply charge in and take them all on at once. Indeed, as an assassin she worked best in the shadows. But to do that, she had to get back into the shadows. And these Twi’leks right now were standing in the way of that. She didn’t want to kill them if they weren’t Rihe’s, but she would do what she had to for Aola and for herself. And Ruer’jan, she added as an afterthought.

The guards that she couldn’t see she could still sense and they were strong in the Force, though she couldn’t pinpoint how many of them there were. And they were not as strong as herself. That raised the probability in her mind that they were Rihe’s. So she wasn’t going to let them see her coming. There wasn’t any cover, so she as going to have to make her own.

First, she cloaked herself in the Dark Side of the Force, making her all but invisible to the naked eye. But it wasn’t just the naked eye that she had to fool. Concentrating, she began whipping up a small dust cloud off the ground a dozen meters from the Twi’lek guards. She caused it to meander past them as it grew in intensity and then when it was as big as she needed it to be, she suddenly sent it right at them.

The guards had raised their heads to watch the dust cloud, pointing and talking to one another silently, lekku curling and twitching and a few laughs shared between them. However when the cloud began to grow they stood, watching like curious children. That all changed when the cloud came straight at them; the two guards Rihl could see pulled their hoods down as far as they would go and huddled, running toward that strange rock design to seek what shelter they could.

Rihl ran out, still cloaked in the Force, straight for the same rock that the Twi’leks huddled around. Just as she reached the dust cloud an unseen presence suddenly lunged at her, his own Force cloak falling away to reveal another Twi’lek. He swung the butt of his blaster at her, rather than shooting. It connected but Rihl didn’t have time to deflect the blow completely but she angled herself in such a way that the blow glanced off. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two more Twi’leks emerge from the sand, but it appeared that neither of them had seen her. They clutched at their eyes, having been blinded by the cloud she created.

She would have preferred being able to pass through completely unnoticed, though she may yet be able to get in without having to take them all on. But the one she had seen her, she couldn’t risk leaving alive. Even as his rifle butt glanced off her, she swung with her warstaff and thrust its point through his chest. A clean kill with no scream and she was right back on her path to the rock, weaving her Force cloak once more.

By this point she had released her hold on the storm, letting it do as it would. But when she reached the strange rock she saw that her storm was quickly being pushed away from it, cold air blowing her hair into her eyes. From this new vantage point she could see that it wasn’t a slotted design etched into the rock, but rather a large grate over an open vent. The first two guards who had been visible from the rise were within arm’s reach of her, but they clearly didn’t see her, staring straight through her with eyes still watering from the sand.

Choosing to take matters into her own hands, she grabbed both their heads and slammed them together hard enough to knock them both out. She took a look at the grate, finding a panel with controls to open and shut it but it was locked with a keycard. A quick frisking of the unconscious guards revealed a keycard, which she promptly used to allow her to open the grate. Before climbing through, she put the key back in the guard’s pocket.

The grate banged itself shut heavily behind her, the electronic lock resealing with a hiss. The sun outside shone through the grate for a few meters, but beyond that was darkness and the quiet hum of machinery. It was a long climb down, but thankfully her hands groping in the dark found ladder rungs along the wall that she could hang onto.

It was slow and monotonous, but also in a way, invigorating. Because she knew she was back in the right place now. The moving air felt cool on her dust covered fur. She was going to need some proper medical care for her wounds when this was all over, but that time had not yet come. For now, as she descended, all there was to do was try to find out what she was coming back to.

Being able to sense so many life forms so close to her now, she could tune her Force sense to probe their feelings. When she did this, she was surprised at the torrent of fear she felt coming from below. She also did not expect that fear to be a dull, tired fear; as if the people had been living that way for a long time. But before long, she picked up something sharp in that sea of fear, something familiar. Someone who had not been there nearly as long as the others and while he was also feeling a dullness from shock, there was also anxious anticipation. Ruer’jan.

Although she stretched further, Rihl couldn’t pick out the familiar feeling of her ona. That troubled her, but she figured if she could at least find Ruer’jan, he could tell her more.

Finally she reached what had to be the bottom, the humming machinery growing louder and louder until she found the air pumps forcing the clean air through and the fetid air out. The service ladder provided possible if difficult movement over the fan blades, in a passage that was designed for a person much smaller than herself, and made all the more treacherous because she was still in the dark. But she could see light shining through a grate identical to the one she’d come through from the outside not far ahead.

When she arrived at the exit to the airshaft, she found another grate and another door panel. However this one was not locked on this side, so that a technician could leave the shaft even if he had lost his key. Another panel on the outside of the grate would automatically lock it once it was closed.

As she had been coming toward the grate she began to notice a very unpleasant smell: of mold and unwashed bodies and spice. Spending years on Nar Shaddaa had taught her to recognize the smell of the potent drug, and her nose crinkled at the stench. Looking through the grate her eyes beheld a rounded cavern and a multitude of male Twi’leks in all shapes and colors digging at the rocks, each with a slave collar on the back of his neck. The source of the light was from floor lights overhead and she could see watch towers with several individuals silhouetted against the lights, watching the slaves below.

Just when you thought the Rihe’s couldn’t get any lower. She thought in disgust. There were four watchtowers with views of the grate, and the area was well lit. She could wait in the hopes that eventually those lights would be turned off, but she had no way of knowing when that would be, if ever.

Rihl started probing into the guards in the watchtowers to test their vigilance. Immediately she found that their minds were highly pliable, the mark of long years being under the influence of another Force user. With that knowledge, she knew she could easily trick all four of them at the same time, so that they would not notice her opening the grate.

Sure enough, ten seconds later she was inside, cloaked in the Force and no one was the wiser. The grate slipped closed and locked itself, and the guards didn’t even turn in her direction. So she began making her way through the cavern, homing in on Ruer’jan.

Pretty soon his fear was close enough that she could smell it, even above all the other odors. And right next to him she sensed the presence of someone very strong in the Force. Not knowing if this someone was friend or foe, she stopped stretching out so that this person would not be able to feel her, at least not as easily. But she kept on towards them.

In the tent, still seated beside Ruer’jan, Car’ul lifted his head abruptly, his lekku twitching. He’d been deep in his meditations when he’d felt the presence enter the cavern, but not from the direction he’d expected.

<”What’s the matter?”> Ruer’jan asked quietly.

Car’ul seemed to choose his words carefully. <”Nosing. I sink a…friend is coming to see you.”>

Ruer’jan grabbed his blaster, but Car’ul calmly laid his hand atop his and the weapon both. <”You don’ wan’ to do zat.”>

Just then, Ruer’jan beheld the unmistakable form of a tall Cathar walking up to the entrance of the lean-to. She crouched and he saw the face that, while covered in dust and somewhat sunken eyed, could not be anyone but Rihl. Their eyes met briefly, but hers went quickly to Car’ul.

Ruer’jan spoke up before Rihl could get the wrong idea. “He’s on our side. Don’t shoot! Or, er, stab.” He stuttered, still somewhat taken aback by Rihl’s disheveled and half clothed appearance. She was still modest, but most of her clothing was in shambles, and she looked like she’d been trampled by a herd of wild animals.

<”Where’s Aola?”> She practically hissed the words.

Car’ul seemed to have swallowed his tongue, saying nothing as he slowly lowered his head as though to return to his meditations.

Ruer’jan waited until it was clear that Car’ul wouldn’t talk before answering, <”They say that Ke’arsi and his mother have Aola in their control. That they’re using the Force on her mind or something. They’re still going to have her Tsu’kagarei in two more days. After that, the Force only knows what they’re going to do with her.”>

<”Zey will hold ze Jassh’ir no’ long after zat, I fear.”> Car’ul finally spoke, though still unable to look Rihl in the eye.

Rihl and Ruer’jan didn’t have to ask who they would be marrying Aola to. Rihl’s glare went back to Ruer’jan as she ducked into the tent so she couldn’t as easily be seen from outside. <”And you’ve been hiding out here this whole time?”>

He held up both his hands in supplication, <”I had no choice; they’ve been looking for me. I stick out among those people almost as badly as you do. So they,”> he nodded towards Car’ul, <”have been trying to convince Ke’arsi that I’m dead. Then at least they won’t be looking for me anymore, and even then it’s going to be hard to go back up there without being noticed.”>

Rihl supposed she couldn’t be upset at Ruer’jan, no doubt they had caught him off guard just as surely as they had her. Meanwhile, it looked like he’d found himself… “A new hand?” She asked.

“Huh?” He looked at his hand and realized that she hadn’t seen it before. “Yea. There’s a guy here who had a whole bunch of these, and he managed to get this one working.” He flexed the fingers one at a time so she could see just how well it worked.

She was impressed and genuinely happy for him. But it was still such a small thing in the face of what they were up against. <”Mind if I sit down?”> she asked Car’ul, who nodded readily and moved over so that she could sit next to Ruer’jan. <”So, two days. Have either of you come up with any ideas on how to stop this from happening?”>

Ruer’jan once again waited for Car’ul to not say anything before he spoke up. The elder Twi’lek seemed to be keeping watch outside the tent while still listening, if his twitching lekku were any indication. <”All I know is I couldn’t escape and just leave Aola to her fate with that guy.”>

<”Your friend plans to sacrifice himself to kill Ke’arsi.”> Car’ul murmured.

<”Well we’re definitely going to kill Ke’arsi.”> Rihl said dryly. <”And Daesha and Karawn and as many of them as we can, but we’re not dying under this rock.”>

Car’ul’s hands flexed and he seemed to flinch visibly with each name that Rihl added to her list, and blurted out, <”No’ Karawn. Please. He iz no’ a bad man.”> His voice held the tone of begging.

<”He’s the one who threw me into the herd of Rycrit.”> She said, only just managing to hold back the venom that wanted to drip.

Car’ul shook his head slightly, eyes wide in disbelief. <”I…I canno’ believe he would do zis. Hiz wife…Daesha must have ordered it. But my bro’zer…he would no’ go to her side.”> He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Rihl or himself.

<”Well, he kinda did.”> Rihl retorted, a hint of sympathy in her voice as she realized who Karawn was to Car’ul. <”But I get what you are saying. If not for Daesha influencing him, he would not have done it.”>

Car’ul lowered his head until the hood of his cloak hid his eyes. <”If he haz done zis sing, zen he will accept justice as honor demands.”> His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. <”Ze last of ze Rihe honor.”>

Rihl’s first thought of the term ‘Rihe honor’ was that it was an oxymoron. She knew you didn’t always have to be civilized to have honor, but these people were uncivilized and slave owners and drug dealers. Yet Car’ul was looking at all that when he said those words. <”What was it like, back when he wasn’t the last?”>

The older Twi’lek raised his head abruptly, finally looking Rihl in the eye. <”Even I am no’ so old as to have lived it, bu’ all of my generation, my bro’zer mos’ of all, was raised to remember wha’ ze Rihe’s once were, and wha’ I believe we could be again.”> He paused, looking outside the tent at the slaves, frowning, <”Before ze Rin’s broke away, we were no’ a strong clan. We were few and ei’zer dying ou’ or leaving to marry into surrounding clans. Bu’ we had honor, and held clan and family above all else.”>

<”Zen one of ze branches of ze family…zey became strong in ze Force. None of ze history holos give a reason as to why, bu’ who knows ze’es sings? Bu’ one member, ‘e was ze stronges’ of all, an’ ‘e wanted to no’ only rule ze Rihe clan, but spread our influence across Ryloth. Ga’zer all ze Force users from o’zer clans, and create an ‘academy’ zat would use zer powers for ze betterment of ze Twi’leks. We all sought zis was good, bu’….”>

A lek twitched and he shook his head. <”Somesing wen’ wrong. Ze res’ of those who were strong in ze Force lef’, and we called zem ‘Rin’s’, ‘wisout heart’, because we believed zey had lef’ us to our fate. And zey did. Ze Force user zat remained was far worse zan any of us could have imagined. He began wha’ you see here.”> Car’ul gestured to the slaves outside. <”He conquered ze surrounding clans, took those who were strong in ze Force or even just Force sensitive, and made zem agree to be adopted into ze clan and fight for ze Rihe’s. Bent ze wills of those who were weaker zan him, and hunted down ze Rin’s who had left, imprisoned zem, and bred zem to bring zere Force strong blood back into ze line. Ze o’zers were put to work. At first it was as servants an’ menial labor, but zen my grandfa’zer’s generation conquered ze clan zat once lived in zis mountain, and we discovered ze rich deposits of spice wis’in it. Zen came ze slavers….”> He trailed off, feeling that it was clear enough how the story ended. He wiped at his eyes before finishing.

<”Karawn and I have always believed zat somehow, we could undo  wha’ haz been done. Return ze Rihe name to somesing worth having. I have raized my daughter to believe ze same sing. But if my bro’zer has fallen so far, zen all iz lost….”> He hung his head in despair.

Rihl’s gaze seldom left Car’ul’s during his story, mainly flicking in one direction or another to see those passing by the tent. Ruer’jan’s alternated between Rihl and Car’ul. As they learned more about the people they were up against, Ruer’jan’s face grew more horrified and while Rihl’s expression hardened, there was uncertainty behind it. The Sith in her said that the Rihe’s deserved what they got if they couldn’t stand up for themselves. She didn’t listen to that part of herself much anymore, but it was still hard for her to empathize with the Rihe’s as a whole. But as a Cathar she understood Car’ul’s devotion to his family, despite what it had become. His words did win a concession from her, <”I’ve no reason to doubt your words. As circumstances permit, I would give Karawn a chance to prove he hasn’t gone completely over. Because you’re right: this clan needs real leaders.”>

He paused in thought, obviously struggling within himself before finally asking, <”I do no’ know anysing abou’ you, bu’ I can sense zat you are much stronger in ze Force zan I am, and much trained. Is zere…anysing zat can be done for my nephew? Can he be changed from zis path his mo’zer has chosen for him. Iz zere hope?”> Car’ul’s eyes pleaded with her, though they held little of the emotion he was asking about.

She was prepared to give Karawn a chance, in large part because he was not a Force user. But she had not expected a plea for Ke’arsi’s life. But because Car’ul was the best hope for the clan, and because he had helped Ruer’jan, she actually considered it. <”You would have to break him. If you took away the source of his darkness and defeated him utterly, and if he was willing to swear obedience to you in front of all the clan, and if you were strong enough to keep him in line for as long as it took, then something good may yet be made of his life.”>

Car’ul let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping slightly before giving a brief nod. It was a small hope, but such a task that it would truly take destiny to see it come to pass. Ruer’jan could not even comprehend the depth of the familial love that Car’ul had, and he certainly did not see Ke’arsi as willing to change his ways. He was perhaps even more surprised than Rihl to hear this being discussed. But because he did not know of how things worked for Force users, he didn’t feel there was anything he could say. He only cared about saving Aola. So did Rihl, for that matter. But they would need Car’ul’s help.

<”We’re making a lot of assumptions, here of course.”> Said Rihl, <”Because we still don’t have a plan for how we’re going to do this.”>

<”Mlitan mentioned that there are others who feel the same way as you and she do,”> Ruer’jan said, <”could we count on their help?”>

Car’ul didn’t hesitate before nodding again,<”Our allies are more zan willing to do wha’ mus’ be done. And we have been waiting for zis day for a very long time.”> A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, <”I am happy to see ze spark return to you, Ruer’jan.”> That caused Ruer’jan to blush a little.

  Aola stared at the comm screen, concentrating on the list of names on the now useless electronic. This far underground she had no signal, no way of trying to talk to any of the people these names belonged to. The last time she’d tried had only made the headaches worse, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that these names were important.

So many names, and as she focused on each one and tried to bring up a face, a meaning to them, the letters seemed to swirl and dance in her vision until it blurred and she felt the floor tilt beneath her feet. She turned the comm off a little rougher than she needed to, the fragile screen cracking in the corner.

Sitting on the bed, she lowered her head between her knees and took slow breaths. This room had been her sanctuary for so long, so many months while she lived here on Ryloth with the Rihe’s. It was unusual to find a proper bed in the village but the temple held several rooms, and while Aola felt her room was big she knew it was tiny in comparison to Daesha’s, whose room she had wandered into on accident on a number of occasions.

As it always did when she tried to remember, her mind went to her ona. She cringed as her mind’s eye replayed her last memory of the woman whom she’d loved and called her sister, killed in an explosion as their ship was attacked by… she had thought it was important who they were running from, but now she couldn’t remember the details. But she could remember the image of the woman lying on the floor, face down in a widening pool of bright blood, body broken and burning.

She struggled to remember what that face had looked like unharmed. What her ona’s voice had sounded like or what her name had been, other than ‘sister’. Grief blossomed in her heart like a gaping hole, threatening to pull her into oblivion. She was surrounded by her own kind, who had welcomed her with open arms and adopted her as their own, but she had never felt lonelier. She was truly alone in this world now, with only the knowledge that she had once had a sister and loved her. Again the world tilted and suddenly she was on the floor, gasping for breath.

<”I am here, I’ve got you.”> Ke’arsi held her gently, quietly whispering to her as he stroked her lekku. She couldn’t remember much after landing on Ryloth, having suffered some serious wounds from the rough landing her escape pod had taken. Ke’arsi and Daesha had tended to her themselves and it had taken so much time for Aola to finally trust him. But love had steadily grown between them over the months and she’d been so happy when he’d told her the one thing she had been so desperate to hear her entire life: I love you. She didn’t think she could have ever been made happier, until the day that he asked her to marry him.

She’d thrown herself into learning the traditions she would need to complete in order to go through the Tsu’kagarei, though she was still not entirely sure what the ceremony symbolized. All she knew was that afterward they would be married, and that he would love her forever. She never understood why she felt revulsion at his touch. But then she wished he would touch her, and she tilted her head up for a kiss.

He kissed her with all the passion of a dead fish, with none of the passion that he so readily displayed in public, and carefully lifted her from the floor to sit her back up on the edge of the bed. <”Did you sleep well?”> He asked absently as he brought a tray with her breakfast and tea closer.

<”I…yes. I slept well.”> She lied, her accent perfectly mimicking his in inflection. The truth was that her sleep had been filled with nightmares, the world dissolving around her and everything she’d known unraveling like a tapestry with a loose thread. Ke’arsi either didn’t sense the lie or wasn’t even listening for her answer as he handed her the teacup.

She sipped, the blue tinged drink bitter on her tongue but as always bringing blessed comfort. Instantly her head stopped spinning and felt instead like she’d been dumped into a pool of warm water, swimming lazily. The buzzing and anxiety melted away, replaced with a blissful calm.

<”Zere. Much better, yes?”> He asked and Aola gave him a slow, mindless smile. They’d had to slowly increase the spice dosage they’d been giving her over the past week. It seemed the more they erased, the more she fought, the irritating little idiot still not coming to accept her new life. But she would, in just two more days.

It was several hours by speeder, Rihl sharing a speeder with Karawn, her arms wrapped around his waist as they sped through the barren terrain. The sun never moved in the sky, but the Twi’leks seemed to have a better handle on the passage of time than she did. With a few words exchanged over comms they veered into a small cave, several of the hunters pulling bed rolls from their packs.

<”Zer will be a ‘eat storm here soon. We will let it pass, and zen continue ze ‘unt in ze morning.”> Karawn said as he handed a bed roll to Rihl.

The surprise was plain on her face. She had no idea they were going to go this far out into the wilderness or be gone this long. <”How far out do we need to go out to find a Rycrit?”>

Several of the hunters grinned at her like she’d said a joke, and even Karawn was smiling as he answered, <”Ze wild Rycrit stay far from any civilization, and zis time of year ze will be moving closer to ze dark side of Rylot’. We will arrive in zer migratory pat’ tomorrow, hopefully early enough so zat zey come to us.”>

<”I would have liked to know that it would take this long.”> Rihl said neutrally.

One of Karawn’s lek twitched. <”I apologize. I sought Cathar ‘unts would be similar to zis. Have you no’ tracked before?”> The others in their hunting party were setting up camp, several of them even using the Force to get everything set up.

<”Yes, we do. And I have.”> she began, <”But it’s unusual for a ceremonial hunt to go without the person whose ceremony it’s for.”> Karawn looked confused. <”If a hunt is part of Aola’s tsu’kagarei, I would have thought that she would be part of the hunt.”>

Understanding dawned on the weathered face. <”Ah! No, you misunderstand. Ze ‘unt is just preparation for tsu’kagarei. Ze ceremony itself iz for Aola’rin. I ‘ave no doubt zat she is being prepared for it in ze village by my wife.”>

If you need this particular kind of meat, it would be simpler to keep it in storage so that you’d have it when you need it. Rather than travel halfway across the planet to hunt it. Rihl thought, but didn’t voice. Instead she said, <”What kind of preparation is involved, besides what Ke’arsi mentioned about learning how to ‘speak properly’?”> It wasn’t heavily inflected, but it was there.

Karawn took a seat on the cave floor, relaxing while the others did all the work of setting up camp. Being the leader, and older than everyone else present, he was entitled to shirk some duties. Their hunting party was nearly thirty in number, so all the tasks were quickly seen to. <”Zer are prayers zat Aola’rin will need to recite in ze temple, to Kika’lekki. Zer is also a song she will need to learn to sing along wis ze o’zer women of ze clan and a dance. She will have her work cut out for her.”> he chuckled, <”For ze rest of us, we need good, fresh meat to feed everyone. Water we don’t have to worry about, but our stores of meat are not big enough to feed us all, so we go on ‘unt.”>

Rihl already knew that they had brought several hover trailers, all connected to each other in a sort of train, for transporting the Rycrit meat back to the village. <”What else happens in the ceremony?”>

Karawn tilted his head, contemplating her question. <”She will be given Kika’lekki’s blessing, for long life and continued ‘ealth, as she has reached adulthood. She will become recognized among ze clansmen as a woman, and able to own a ‘ome or be married. And it is celebration for everyone; it iz not often ze children live to ‘ave tsu’kagarei.”>

Rihl hadn’t expected to hear that. She knew it was rough out here, but she didn’t think it was that rough. Well, at least they’re not compensating for that by lowering the age of adulthood. <”Will there be anything expected in particular of myself and Ruer’jan during the ceremony? Something we need to wear, or a chant to repeat with the crowd, something like that?”>

<”Ruer’jan maybe no’.”> Karawn still had trouble saying the other Twi’leks name, apparently; his face scrunched a bit. <”As Aola’rin is a woman, ze women of ze village will ‘ave a bigger part in ze ceremony, as opposed to when my son ‘ad ‘is.”> He paused, thinking, <”It would be considered…unorthodox, but because you are close to Aola’rin, you love ‘er like a sister, perhaps my wife can be convinced to let you be a part of ze prayer to Kika’lekki.”> He shrugged noncommittally. <”But I cannot say for certain if she will see sings ze way I do. Zer will be time to talk to ‘er when we return.”>

Rihl didn’t like having to be away from Aola, leaving her alone with all those strange Twi’leks for all this time. But there seemed no way to get around it now. She had to trust Ruer’jan to look after her ona, and do everything she could to make sure this hunt went as smoothly and as quickly as possible.

  Time was nothing but a blur for Ruer’jan in the medical clinic with Fa’kan. If the old geezer wasn’t constantly probing and zapping him in his efforts to get the cybernetic hand working properly, he was working all night with the patients that came and went. The old man didn’t seem to sleep at all, yet was always far more energetic than was fair.

The patients came in a steady stream, most of them coming for simple ailments such as a fall or workplace accident, but nothing serious. The hardest was the kids who came in, many with cybernetic parts themselves, needing some kind of adjustment. Ruer’jan could hardly bring himself to look at them.

<”How come so many kids are missing parts? What are they doing that is making them lose limbs?”> He asked Mlitan during one of the few breaks they had. She never left his side, serving as his missing hand until Fa’kan could get the new one working properly.

Mlitan looked uncomfortable; checking around them to make sure nobody was listening before she whispered. <”Many of zem are like me, just born zat way. But some…”> She hesitated, clearly not wanting to answer. She flat out refused to answer, giving a shake of her head, when he tried to press the subject.

Fa’kan was very excited when, upon the first day, his idea of using a translator unit out of a protocol droid to bridge the software between Ruer’jans implant and the cybernetic limb. He’d taken what Ruer’jan had said about ‘Basic and Ryl’ a little too literally. But miraculously, it worked fantastically well! At least upon initial use. The next two days brought a whole slew of problems that they had not forseen, from the limb seizing randomly or suffering logic inversions that made it twitch and spasm. The old Twi’lek was clearly reaching the end of his patience when, in the dead of night on the third day, Ruer’jan woke up to find his arm pulled up in the air and Fa’kan muttering excitedly as he was plugging the cybernetic in without even waking up his patient!

<”Good Goddess man, what are you running on?!”> Ruer’jan groaned as he resisted the urge to pull his arm away.

<”I sink I got ‘er, zis tim’. Itz gotta work zis tim’.”> Fa’kan continued to mutter as he put in the last plug and slid the arm into place.

As soon as it clicked into place, Ruer’jan suddenly felt his hand there, as if it never wasn’t. He could sense its connection to him, even more than on that first day, even more than he had ever felt with his previous hand. He flexed it repeatedly, almost spasmodically, which made Fa’kan glare at the limb thinking that it was still malfunctioning. But then Ruer’jan gave him an amazed look and the old Twi’lek grinned at him.

<”I think you just might have gotten it.”> Ruer’jan said. <”What’d you do this time?”> He was immediately sorry he asked as Fa’kan began speaking so rapidly in his slurred accent that he only caught one out of every ten words if he was lucky.

Mlitan murmured from her cot not far from the two of them, before rolling over and going back to sleep. Ruer’jan couldn’t hope to go back to sleep now. His first thoughts were that he had to tell Aola! So as soon as Fa’kan left him alone, he tried to sneak out of the med clinic.  

He surprised himself by not getting lost in the quiet, dark tunnels, but eventually the village proper came into view, completely quiet and still this time in the morning, eerily illuminated by the iridescent fungus that grew among the rocks. He had some fear of accidently walking into the wrong dwelling, but it wasn’t hard for him to find the house belonging to Karawn’rihe.

Walking in, he found the place completely deserted. What’s more, the bedding that had been leant to the three of them, still in Ke’arsi’s room, had been left undisturbed since the day he’d left. He couldn’t understand where else the girls could be, at least not without having told him they were going somewhere. And if something had happened to them, he should have been told that too. He whipped out his commlink.

He dialed in Aola’s number and tried to send her a paging number, but it immediately returned to him unanswered. Either the battery pack on it had died or it was turned off. He tried Rihl next and the signal timed out, indicating that she was somehow out of range. Which he knew meant outside of the mountain.

So, Rihl is outside of the mountain, but apparently Aola isn’t. He thought to himself as he moved out of the house and back into the village proper, hoping to make his way outside.

He hadn’t gotten far in the system of tunnels before a cloaked figure came up silently behind him and grabbed his shoulder. He jumped and yelped as he spun, losing his balance and falling on his butt even while he was still backing away from the figure. Whoever it was was still coming toward him, and he began scrambling up the nearby rock wall to try and make a run for it when Mlitan’s voice came from within the shadows depths of the cowl. <”Relax, it iz only me.”>

<”Where are my friends?”> He asked abruptly.

That question brought Mlitan up short and she pulled the cowl away from her face. She frowned sadly at him. <”Ze are not at ze leader’s house, are ze?”> It was not a question.

<”No. Nobody is, the place is empty.”> Ruer’jan said, his voice almost quivering. He was really starting to feel afraid now. He climbed back to his feet with Mlitan’s help.

She shook her head, frowning. <”Zen it iz too late for zem. I ‘ave done all I can to ‘ide you zees last few days, to keep you safe. But my allies must not have gotten to your friends in time. I am so sorry, Ruer’jan.”>

He couldn’t process that all at once, but enough of it got through for him to realize that he was in grave danger, and might have already lost Rihl and Aola. If his knees were flesh, they would have turned to water.  As it was he had to steady himself on the cave wall, now his voice was quavering, <”What are you talking about?”>

Mlitan stiffened and looked around them as though she’d heard something, though Ruer’jan hadn’t heard anything other than their talking. She motioned for him to follow her as she began walking quickly through the tunnels in a direction he hadn’t gone in before. <”Ze Force must have guided you to leave ze ‘ospital when you did. I awoke to find Ke’arsi’vuz’s little minions asking Fa’kan about you just after you ‘ad gone. My efforts to cloak you from ‘is eyes can only go so far, but now I must find a better place to ‘ide you, where Ke’arsi’vuz will no’ find you.”> She stopped and turned to look at him, looking abashed for having said so much.

Thinking back the last few days, some of Mlitan’s behavior made a bit more sense now, that he realized she could use the Force. But there was no time to think about that now. <”What did they do to Aola?”>

It seemed hardly possible for her to look even sadder than she had before, but she took a step toward him and laid a hand on his shoulder. <”Ke’arsi’vuz and Daesha mean to make Aola’rin mo’zer ze next generation of Force sensitive warriors. Zis iz no’ the first time I ‘ave seen zis ‘appen. It iz probably too late for ‘er.”>

<”Too late why? What have they done to her, why is it too late?”> He asked in a voice that sounded far too calm. The words felt distant even as they left his mouth.

<”She will be under zer spell by now. Ze woman you knew iz gone, broken under zer use of ze Force.”> his questions continued to fire rapidly at her, to which she answered; <”I ‘ave never seen ze spell undone, but I am no’ fully trained in zer ways. Nobody ‘as lived to try and save someone once Daesha ‘as taken ‘old of ‘er.”>

<”This can’t be.”> He said, feeling as though his life were draining out of him. Everything he had just begun to hold onto to give himself a purpose taken from him right out from under his nose while he was out pursuing his own unnecessary gains, no less. A better hand was something obviously important, but it was nothing compared to Aola and his relationship with her.

He started flailing mentally for any lifeline to keep from sinking into total despair, and he found it: <”Rihl would know. Are you sure she’s dead?”>

Mlitan was silent for a few moments, unwilling to deal this next blow to the man she’d come to care very much for, <”Ze ‘unting party your friend Rihl went wis ‘as returned, wisout her. If zey didn’t kill ‘er, zen she is out zer stranded where ze ‘eat storms will get ‘er. She will never make it back on ‘er own.”>

<”Well, which way did they go? We can take a speeder and find her.”> He asked, but Mlitan was already shaking her head.

<”Ke’arsi’vuz already ‘as ‘is personal guards on ze speeders an’ ze exits, or I would ‘ave ‘elped you escape zat way before now. I need time to convince Ke’arsi zat you ‘ave ei’zer escaped or died, so zat ‘e will let ‘is guard down.”> She started walking again, these tunnels were going far deeper than Ruer’jan had ever gone before, and the rocks were becoming slick with moisture.

His head was still swimming as he thought about everything that had just happened. Even the wondrous sensation of his new hand on the rock wall was just adding to the tempest in his skull. One thought broke through all that, <”I can’t leave and let her become his plaything. Don’t help me escape, instead help me get close to him, because I’m going to blast him. With this.”> He drew his blaster with his real hand.

Again they had stopped, Mlitan looking at him with her head slightly tilted, literally and figuratively seeing him from a whole new angle. <”’E iz a very powerful Dark Force user. ‘E could kill you before you ever get close enough to ‘im.”> She said it in a tone that implied that she wasn’t trying to convince him not to do it, but rather to see if he was truly up to the task.

<”He can’t kill me if he doesn’t see me coming.”> Ruer’jan said, <”And even if he does, there’s nothing else for me to do. My own life is worth nothing.”>

A long sigh escaped her as Mlitan walked up to him. She laid a hand gently on the center of Ruer’jan’s chest. <”Would zat I was ze girl who could show you ‘ow wrong you are in zat. But your ‘eart belong to ano’zer, an’ it iz no’ in my destiny to change zat.”> She looked into his eyes for several seconds before slowly letting her hand fall back to her side and she turned, continuing to walk down the tunnels. She did not look back, knowing that Ruer’jan would follow her.

It seemed they walked through those dark tunnels for hours, the air becoming more dank the lower they went. It matched Ruer’jan’s mood. He never took his hand away from the cave wall, and suddenly his grip slipped, nearly depositing him on the floor. By the dim light of the fungus he could see the palm of his cybernetic had a thin layer of blue slime on it. It took him a while, but running it between his fingertips and giving it a sniff made him realize what it was; Ryll spice. He looked up to find that they had finally exited the tunnels.

The cavern stretched out before them in seemingly endless darkness, save for the patches of glowing fungus that gave the only illumination. Given the dim light, at first Ruer’jan thought the cave floor was somehow alive, until he realized that it was a multitude of Twi’leks. He couldn’t make out many of the features, but from what he could see of the ones closest to the light source they were not just Rutians, but all the colors of the Twi’lek race, each one with a shock collar affixed to the back of their necks. Even a few Lethan Twi’leks worked against the rocks, mining the blue substance.

He didn’t know whether to throw up, run away, or hide. The only reason he didn’t scream was because he could feel bile rising in his throat that would prevent any sound from escaping. Except the sound of vomiting. Which is exactly the sound he made as the world tilted and he lost what little was in his stomachs, and then dry heaved some more. Again, only the fact that his legs were mechanical enabled him to stay standing.

Mlitan had rapidly turned and come to him, trying to aid him and keep his lekku from being thrown up on, while also trying to comfort him with the Force. He began to hyperventilate despite her efforts and tears escaped her eyes as she whispered to him. <”Zis is no’ your fate. I did no’ bring you ‘ere to become a slave again.”>

<”Just shoot me now. I’ll be no good to you as a-“> He gasped, breathing hard to keep himself from throwing up again, <”as a-“> He was becoming so far gone physically that even with the Force her words did not seem real to him. He heaved again but there was nothing to bring up anymore.

She gripped him tight, as though the strength in her arms could keep him together. <”Zis is ze only place he will no’ find you. ‘E could never ‘ope to find you. Two days, it iz all zat I ask. Two days to allow ‘is minions to take your old ‘netics ‘and as proof zat you are dead. An’ zen you can get away from ‘ere.”> she was crying, because she wanted to get away as badly as he did.

He wanted to just crawl into a hole and die right there on the spot where no one would ever find him. Then no one would have to see his shame.

 Mlitan stiffened beside him and moved to pull her cloak over his cowering form. A split second later the flood lights came on, the light blinding in comparison to the dim glow the cavern had been before. It shone even through the thick cloth covering his face and he heard her cry out as she was blinded.

But before he could react, the sound of footsteps coming up the path towards them sounded and a deep voice whispered, <"Iz zat him? Quickly, before ze overseers see."> There was a bit of a struggle as Mlitan pulled her robe off so that Ruer'jan could remain covered. Strong arms lifted him like a child as he was carried down the path and into the pit.

Still barely conscious of what was happening because of the lightheadedness from the vomiting, Ruer'jan couldn't tell who this person carrying him was or where he was going. He just knew one thing: he couldn't become a slave again. So he put his hand on his blaster and tried to squint through the blinding floodlight. If he saw anyone coming toward him with a slave collar, he would shoot.

The Twi'lek carrying him moved fast, slipping between stalagmites and moving as quickly away from the cavern entrance as possible. The slaves still working the cave floor and walls paid very little attention, but from the few glances Ruer'jan could see they gave off the impression that it wasn't because they didn't see the trio moving through, but rather they didn't want to see the group.

Mlitan hung back and as soon as she did, the slaves turned to her as though she had simply appeared there. The smiled and reached for her, and she touched each one in turn before reaching into her satchel to begin handing out ration sticks, medical supplies, and containers of fresh water. She never even glanced as the man carrying Ruer'jan moved away.

He didn't stop moving until he reached a section of lean-to's that served as rudimentary shelter for the slaves that worked during the day shift. Many of them were still waking up and beginning to move, but he deposited Ruer'jan on a cot in the far corner. In the shade provided by the rags overhead Ruer'jan could see that this Twi'lek was middle-aged but not nearly as old as Fa'kan. His face was scared but held laugh lines in the corner of his eyes which were the same deep green as Mlitan's. Though he wore threadbare robes, his body was well built underneath.

Still not sure what was going on, Ruer'jan stared at the man blankly, watching his hands more than anything else. <"I- I won't wear the collar,"> his voice almost choked, <"not even if you say it's just for two days.">

The Rutian Twi'lek looked around sharply, revealing that he himself was not wearing a collar, before whispering to Ruer'jan, <"Nobody iz going to make you wear ze collar. Be careful how loudly you speak. If ze overseers hear you zen I will have to take drastic measures to keep zem from taking you away.">

Ruer'jan lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. <"I don't care if you have to bury me alive as long as I don't get the collar. I would rather die."> Not that he wasn't still convinced he was going to die in this mountain anyway.

Those green eyes pinned Ruer'jan as he looked him over, and for a second it felt as though the older Twi'lek was looking -into- Ruer'jan rather than at him. The ghost of a smirk pulled at his scared face but was gone so quickly who could say it had even been there? <"You won't die. It iz not your destiny to die here."> He took a ratty looking blanket and threw it over Ruer'jan. <"Cough. You are sick."> The overseers were making their rounds, walking along the pathways and calling out for the slaves to get up and get to work. The stranger waved his hand and before Ruer'jan's eyes his appearance changed. His skin turned grey and withered, an ancient looking Twi'lek with a slave collar on his neck.

It wasn't hard for Ruer'jan to pretend to be sick. He didn't feel sick physically anymore, but emotionally he could have been hospitalized. He buried himself under the blankets and coughed and moaned. The hardest part was not letting his moans turn to sobs. Not because he cared if Mlitan heard, but because he was afraid of sounding more sad than sick, which was what he was, and a slave master catching on.

<"Eh, what's hiz problem then?"> The overseer stuck his head into the lean-to. It was obvious he didn't want to climb any further into the space, sneering at the filth that the slaves lived in.

<"Mah bro'zer, 'e iz sick. Breathe in too much spice during ze night shift, yes-yes."> The stranger protecting Ruer'jan made an effort of appearing old and senile, his green eyes clouded over until he must surely be blind.

<"Well, get 'im seen by ze 'ealer."> The slaver ducked back out of the space and shouted. After only a minute Mlitan came and leaned down to crawl into the shelter. The slaver spit and cursed under his breath as he walked away.

<"Good work, tisla."> Mlitan whispered.

It finally started to click in Ruer'jan's head who this strange Twi'lek was, and how he had to be doing the things he was doing. He was finally starting to accept the fact that he wasn't about to be out in a slave collar, too. <"Th-thank you,"> he managed to get out before his voice broke. It took him a moment to collect himself enough to ask, <"Do we need to move again? To go see that healer?">

Mlitan and her father smiled identical grins at Ruer'jan, and the Rutian girl shifted a bit. <"I am ze 'ealer. I will stay for a few minutes so zat zey will assume I've done what I can, before moving on to see ze slave who really do need my 'elp.">

The old Twi'lek patted her gently on the knee with a proud smile, his Force disguise melting away to return to his true appearance. <"Ze overseers should not bo'zer us again, not today at least. Tonight I will move you while Mlitan presents your old hand to Ke'arsi and Daesha, and hopefully convinces zem of your death. Zen..."> he frowned, <"zen we will have to find a way to smuggle you out of ze mountain and to safety. I'm afraid we haven't sought zat far ahead.">

Ruer'jan nodded feebly, understanding. The emotional weight of everything that had just happened was still settling itself on his already-beleaguered shoulders, so he had no more words or thoughts to offer at that time except another <"Thank you...">

Any mirth they might have felt evaporated instantly, and Mlitan moved to place a hand on Ruer'jan, but her father stopped her. He took looked sad, but he shook his head, <"Go, eoh uru. You've much to do before tonight.">

There was a brief and silent struggle between father and daughter, as Mlitan wrestled with her desire to stay and try and help Ruer'jan, at the expense of what she knew she had to do to ensure his survival. Finally she relented, turning away and relunctantly leaving the lean-to.

  Her father settled himself a few meters away from the cot, crossing his legs and getting comfortable. <"Sleep. I will watch over you.">

The immediate danger, at least, was passed. Ruer'jan let the exhaustion of the missed night of sleep wash over him, but it wasn't enough to calm his mind.

Just when he had thought he had found someone to make his life worth living, everything had been pulled out from under him. He realized that getting out of here alive would still leave him a lot better off than he had been on Ord Mantell, but that didn't mean anything to him now. Rihl was dead, and Aola had suffered a fate worse than death, and there was nothing he could do. There never was. Evil was just too strong and too pervasive. It would always win.

He felt a bug crawling on his skin and reflexively slapped, crushing it with his hand. To Ki'arsie, he was no different from that insect, and the sad truth was that Ki'arsie was right. Ruer'jan could no more save Aola from him than that bug could.

Even with the Force touch from Mlitan's father, Ruer'jan cried himself to sleep that morning.

   The hunting party awoke with the dawn and prepared to depart from their cave shelter, now that the heat storm had passed. There was a great deal of tension among the hunters and Karawn, and much silent Lekku speak as they packed up. It seemed as though there was some kind of argument amongst them, and finally Karawn simply shook his head and turned to Rihl, a mixture of sadness and anger on his face. <"Come, we must no' waste time if we are to reach ze 'erd before ze migrate too far. We canno' afford to add ano'zer day to our 'unt.">

He didn't have to tell Rihl twice. She was anxious to get back to Aola and Ruer'jan. She wasn't sure why Karawn looked angry, but her guess was that he thought the hunt had gone too long and he didn't want to be home late either. Slinging her sword on her back, she was ready to climb on board his speeder at any time.

Before the sun had fully risen the group was off, speeders leaving a cloud of dust in their wake as they tore over the barren terrain. It was still nearly 4 more hours of riding before they encountered the herd of wild Rycrit, the beasts already in a dead run upon hearing the speeders approaching. The majority of the hunters began reaching out to the beasts with the Force, causing several animals to slow to a trot or even stop in their tracks, their already unintelligent faces staring forward as if struck dumb. This made them easy targets.

Rihl knew the value of getting it done quickly, bit at the same time an easy target just didn't sit right with her Cathar blood and Sith self-challenge discipline. So for her first target, instead of influencing it to slow down she goaded it to come after her.

The first Rycrit Rihl targeted was a young, spritely male in his prime, but he was too entrenched in the herd mentality to even flinch at her goading. However his mother, a much larger beast compared to her offspring, gave a ear splitting roar and broke away from the herd, coming like a freight train at the speeder Rihl and Karawn shared. <"W'at are ye-?!"> was all Karawn could manage to say before the Rycrit was nearly on top of them, threatening to overturn the speeder and riders both.

Rihl had her sword drawn and ready, and after watching  the hunters yesterday she knew where to aim. She waited until it was almost upon them, then thrust the blade straight at its forehead. Her weapon pierced straight through the beasts skull right between the eyes. And it's a good thing too, as Karawn was doing everything he could to steer the speeder to safety. As it was they still ended up running the carcass over, Rihl's weapon nearly wrenched from her hands. Karawn began whooping and laughing, <"You are insane, friend Rihl! I like zat!">

Rihl grinned at Ka'rawn's compliment, but stayed focused on the hunt. <"How many more do we need?"> She asked over the roar of air rushing past them.

Karawn stiffened, his smile turning brittle as he looked around at the other hunters and the herd still running beside them. The members of their hunting party who could not use the Force were making quick work of gathering their kills up behind them, and the others were touching the minds of the Rycrit herd, encouraging them to run faster, to be afraid, to just at the edge between flight and fight. Karawn grit his teeth hard enough to feel his jaw ache as he increased the speeders acceleration and pulled out to just in front of the herd, making as though he was making sure all the hunters had caught their fill.

He turned in the driver's seat, hesitating as his hand brushed over his blaster. He could not do it that way, could not bring himself to shoot Rihl as he'd been ordered to. Instead he looked at her with so much sadness. <"I'm so sorry, friend Rihl. Please forgive me."> He said it so quiet it was not likely Rihl could have heard it over the wind but then he veered the speeder sharply and, reaching between them, undid the catch on her safety belt.

Rihl didn't see it coming until it was too late. In the hard turn she fell off the speeder, landing right in the path of the oncoming rycrit herd. Honed combat reflexes kicking in, she quickly got to her feet. The rycrit were too large for her to be able to stop with physical force; she knew she had to either evade them or make them evade her. Channeling her rage at this sudden betrayal, she generated an aura around herself to make the rycrit fear her and veer away from her. She was immediately knocked back down, the herd running over her, sharp cloven hoofs pounding the ground around her and on a few occassions pounding her. It was several minutes before the beasts began to veer away from the sith on the ground amongst them, crying out in terror as the Cathar climbed back to her feet. By the time the last of the Rycrits were running past her, the Twi'lek hunting party was nowhere in sight.

The first thing Rihl did when the herd was past was to let out an enraged primal scream. It both expressed her fury at the Twi'leks for their betrayal and let out the pain from the roughing the rycrits had given her.

Once that was out of her system, it didn't take her long to assess her situation. She was all alone in the middle of nowhere with open wounds in her body and nothing but her sword, her torn-up clothing, and her water ration.

The only way to clean her wounds in these circumstances was to use her water ration, and to tear up her clothes further to use them as bandages. It was a risk to spend the water, but she decided to bank on finding more to replenish her supply rather than risk infection. Then she could focus on how to get back...

Rihl reached out her senses, and found that there were life forms riding vehicles, but they were several hours away from her. Other than the hunters who had abandoned her, who were riding as fast as they could away and back in the direction of the Rihe village. She considered trying to lure the hunters back, then decided against it. Better they thought her dead so they wouldn't expect her return. Instead, she thought she could catch a ride from the rycrits, who were not nearly as far away and who she already knew were susceptible to Force guidance.

She found herself a bit of shade beside a large rock and began to meditate, reaching her senses out and toward the herd. They were already several miles away, but she could feel them. The herd mind was difficult to point point individuals, but because she had been touching the mind of one in particular she knew how to seek him out again. The young buck that had resisted her goading that morning lifted his nose from the mud and snorted. He looked around, confused but adamant that he'd heard something. Then his eyes glazed over and his legs began to carry him in the direction the herd had come.

It took nearly 30 minutes before Rihl could hear the slow clop of hooves on the rocks. The sun had moved and was beginning to bake the dirt underneath her as well as the Cathar herself. The young Rycrit eyed the Sith with eyes still glazed and trusting, his muzzle bumped against her head and lips pulled back to show the sharp teeth briefly as he huffed.

Rihl allowed the baking sun to fuel her anger as she pulled the rycrit in to herself. She recognized the one from the herd and grinned at it as she carefully brushed her hands across its hide, letting it get familiar with her touch before climbing up on top of it. "You may have escaped becoming food, but..." she remarked wryly as she leapt onto its back, "you are now my pet."

The Rycrit blinked and snorted and leapt into the air, tossing and turning, trying to throw Rihl off its back. Bucking and running as fast as it could. Thankfully, she was so full of anger that her will in the Force overwhelmed the animal and, after throwing a temper tantrum for nearly 30 seconds, it stopped. Head down, breathing hard and flicking its tail back and forth, it clearly wasn't happy about the Cathar passenger, but it couldn't do anything about it.

It felt like only five minutes after Aola had finally closed her eyes that Ruer’jan’s alarm went off. They’d eventually shifted apart, though her tchun was still wrapped around one of his lekku. She groaned and rubbed at her eyes, burying her head in the pillow in an effort to ignore the noise and simply go back to sleep.

However, the second his alarm went off Ruer’jan sat bolt upright on his pallet, his brain awake long before his body had a chance to catch up. Reflectively he caught himself from falling forward with his good arm.

It only took a few seconds for the adrenaline to wear off and he realized that he hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep after staying up most of the night talking with Aola. He was tempted to lay back down, but remembered the promise he’d made to her the night before.

“Aola, it’s time to wake up.” He said, but she only groaned at him in irritation. “That’s good enough. So long as you know you’re not dreaming.” He mumbled as he laid back down, gently nudging her with his left hand.

“Do we have to get up?” Aola grumbled.

“I guess not?” he said, not very confidently.

Aola cracked an eye open and saw that Rihl’s pallet was empty. Who knows how long the two of them had slept in the room alone together. She blushed a little at that but then rolled over towards Ruer’jan and wrapped her arm around him, pulling him close. He gave a tiny yelp of surprise before melting into her embrace, wrapping his right arm without the cybernetic hand on it around her as best he could.

“This okay?” she mumbled.

“Uh, yea. Yea I think so.” He said.

“The Rihe’s have breakfast ready.” Rihl said as she emerged from behind the privacy screen in the corner, already dressed for the day. Aola jumped because she’d thought they were alone. “Where’d you think I was?” Rihl asked with a smirk.

“Out-“ Aola gestured half-heartedly to the door leading into the main room. “How’d you find out breakfast was ready?”

“Well first I smelled it,” Rihl said, “so I put my head out the curtain and sure enough they told me that it would be ready in just a couple minutes.”

“Oh.” Aola said, surprised that she had slept through that. She was usually a light sleeper. Then her stomach growled and she realized that she hadn’t had any dinner the night before, not having accepted their offer of the fungus bread and dried meat. “Ugh. I guess we are getting up after all…”

Ruer’jan futilely wished for just a moment that they might have breakfast in bed, but he didn’t voice it. “Maybe we can come back to bed after breakfast.” Aola giggled softly. Rihl quirked an eyebrow at him, but she was still smiling.

Aola dragged herself up and got dressed and Ruer’jan covered himself with the blanket while he reattached his legs and hand. Then he took his turn behind the screen to get dressed while the girl’s stepped out.

The meal was already spread out on the table when they arrived, Karawn’rihe and Ke’arsi’rihe busy eating. Both Twi’leks gave a nod in greeting though Ke’arsi’rihe pointedly did not make any move to serve them this time. The girls were happy to serve themselves from the selection of cured meats, eggs,  and that fungus bread again. Aola couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose at it, though if she ignored the texture it tasted pretty good.

This time Aola had made sure to leave a seat open next to her for Ruer’jan to sit, and when he did so she gave him a smile. However, across the way Ke’arsi’rihe was staring daggers at the Lethan; making sure to look away whenever Ruer’jan glanced in his direction.

<”Today I ‘ope to introduce you to our high priestess, and my mo’zer, Aola’rin.”> Ke’arsi’rihe said as he sipped his tea after breakfast. <”And to teach you ‘ow to speak ze proper Ryl.”>

Aola glanced to her friends, and saw that Rihl was covering her mouth to try and hide a grin. She turned back to their hosts, <”I didn’t think there was anything wrong with my Ryl.”>

<”We can ‘ardly understand you. Your pronunciation iz terrible.”> He stated matter-of-factly but waved a hand dismissively. <”You said you wished to learn more about us, and we wish to ‘elp you to find ze truth of your heritage any way we can. Zat is my goal.”>

<”Um, thank you, Ke’arsi’rihe.”> Aola said but she was looking at Ruer’jan, silently asking if he wanted to come along or was he alright with splitting up for the day. He looked confused that Ke’arsi’rihe would think her pronunciation was flawed; he never had any trouble understanding her. But it made sense that they would want to introduce her to their priestess; however they probably didn’t want him there. Ruer’jan thought this invitation was exclusive to Aola. He reluctantly signed to Aola that it was okay for her to go, and that he’d find something else to do.

Aola was still frowning thoughtfully when she nodded to Ke’arsi. <”I will be happy to accompany you today.”>

After breakfast was concluded the trio had a few moments while Aola collected a few things to take with her, such as her datapad. Ruer’jan leaned toward her and spoke softly, even though the Twi’leks outside couldn’t speak Basic: “I think it’s them who can hardly pronounce Ryl. If you need to learn to speak so he can understand you that’s fine, but I hope you don’t come back here talking just like them.”

Aola laughed softly, though it sounded a little forced. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that. I’ve been speaking Ryl since I was a little girl. But just in case, promise you’ll help me drop any bad habits he teaches me?” she stuck the tip of her tongue out at him teasingly.

Rihl spoke up, switching to Catharese just in case, <”No disrespect meant, ona, but he might prove more persuasive than you expect. I could feel him using the Force yesterday. And he’s actually quite strong.”>

Aola’s eyes widened in surprise. <”When?”>

<”When he was kissing your hand. During the formal welcome.”> Rihl replied.

One of Aola’s lekku twitched. <”That explains why I felt so strange. I thought something was weird here.”> she paused before adding, <”Do you think it is safe for me to go with him?”>

Ruer’jan watched the girls converse, only able to pick out a word here or there, not yet fluent in Catharese.

<”It should be. I don’t expect them to have any bad intent, but just to be safe; I’ll see if I can find out about these people and if I learn of anything that makes me think you could be in danger, I’ll contact you right away.”> Rihl said. Aola nodded. She knew that Ruer’jan wouldn’t have understood any of that, but she didn’t want him to worry and, at the moment, it wasn’t a guarantee that she could have told him without them being overheard. She gave him a smile and a quick kiss before stepping out of the room.

Ruer’jan stated that he was going to go look into the cache of cybernetics that the village had stockpiled, and after she and Karawn’rihe were the only ones left in the dwelling, Rihl said to him, <”Quite a setup you people have for yourselves out here. How long has this place been your clan’s home?”> She spoke a little more slowly than usual, knowing they don’t understand her as well as others.

Karawn’rihe looked to the Cathar, mulling her question over before answering, <”’Eve lived ‘ere about…well it haz to be nearly one hundred years now. My grand fa’zer took part in ze battle zat drove ze previous clan from zis system of caverns, ‘though ‘e was no’ clan leader then.”>

Rihl tilted her head and raised a finger to her chin curiously. It didn't quite serve as the lead-in she was hoping for. <"I've heard you're fierce fighters. Did you have to wander very long before winning this place?">

He nodded readily,<"Oh, yes. Yes, ze Rihe clan haz a long history of war wis ozzer clans. We wandered for many generations before having ze strength to defeat ozzer clans."> One of his lek twitched and the shadow of a smirk pulled at a scarred cheek. <"I 'ear zat Cathar are fearsome fighters, too. You carry yourself az a warrior, yes?">

She is a bit surprised that he knew of Cathar, but she drew herself up a little straighter at his comment. <"Of a fashion. Cathar always fight for family, and as we said, Aola is my family.">

A brief look of sadness crossed Karawn'rihe's face but was gone as quickly as it came. <"I can tell zat little Aola'rin iz important to you. She iz important to us too. We used to adopt everyone into ze Rihe family. Though, sadly, my wife she iz...no longer willing to adopt non-Twi'leks. But you are still welcome to stay wis us as long as you like, friend Rihl.">

Rihl wondered to herself just why Aola was so important to them, but tried a different question. <"Yeah; I didn't see anyone other than Rutians. Did something happen to bring about that change?"> It would have to have been within the mother's lifetime, Rihl figured, for it to have been her decision.

He was beginning to look a little nervous, and visibly relaxed when a young Twi'lek girl stuck her head in through the curtained entrance. <"Irn’a, Irn’a! Ke'arsi'vuz sent me to tell you zat hiz ersatan iz seventeen, an' wisout tsu'kagrei! 'E iz requesting you begin a hunt in preparation."> she seemed very excited, hopping from foot to foot.

Karawn'rihe grinned toothily to the little girl and pat her on the head, <"Well, well! Zat is very interesting to ‘ear. Yes, if she iz of age, then she should be treated az a woman. Go, encio. Tell ze ozzers, and we will begin immediately.">

Rihl barely understood what the girl said, and was left wondering what was going on. <"I thought Ke'arsi was with Aola today. Is this 'ersartan' some kind of arranged marriage from another clan or something?"> Because she would have thought that if he was getting married, he would have his intended with him even last night.

Karawn'rihe cleared his throat behind a hand and waved a hand dismissively. <"We will need to ga'zer much meat for ze celebration. Would you like to join us in ze hunt?">

A few more details occurred to Rihl, that Aola was also seventeen and without a rite of passage. It was inconceivable that they could be talking about Aola as Ke'arsi's intended, but at the same time this rite was undoubtedly something they would want her to go through if they adopted her.<"I think I would enjoy going on a hunt with you,"> she said tactfully, <"but who is this intended of Ke'arsi?">

Karawn'rihe's genial smile took on an embarrassed quality. <"Ze little one was confused, I sink. My son, he does not walk alone wis girls in ze village, and seeing him wis Aola’rin, she assumed ze were togezer."> He laughed, <"Silly misunderstanding. But still results in a party for you and your friends, yes?"> He was already moving to go, opening a storage chest in the back of the room and removing from it several blasters, a net, and a long vibroknife the length of his forearm. <"Tell me, you ever hunt rycrit?">

It made sense to Rihl that these folk would mistake Ke'arsi's attitude toward Aola for betrothal. Her hackles relaxed almost before she realized they had been raised, and she stepped closer to examine the weapons. <"We haven't been on-world very long, so no. What are they like?">

<"Some clans like to raise ze Rycrit, and we 'ave a few herds. But for eating, ze feral Rycrit be much more flavorful."> He handed her one of the blasters and began filling a satchel with charge packs. <"Ze are really fast an' mean, four legged creature wis sharp teeth and hoof-"> he held his hand up with his index and middle finger together, spread away from the ring and pinky in another group, to immitate cloven hooves. <"an' can weigh about..."> He looked around himself before slapping that same hand on his chest with a grin, <"four o' five of me. We shou' hurry, ze o'zer hunters will be ga'zering with ze speeders an' waiting for me. For us.">

<"You lot don't waste time,"> Rihl said sardonically. <"I like that. I'll be right back."> She ran back into her room just long enough to get her war staff and dust cloak. Since she wasn't able to bring it up surreptitiously, at her first opportunity Rihl asked him straight on, <"How is it that you have so many people in your clan who are so strong in the Force?">

The clan leader might have looked surprised, but he barely showed it. He continued to walk confidently as they strode through the village square and to the tunnels leading to the 'garage'. He gave her a sideways look before speaking. <"Zat, my friend, iz ze secret of our strength, of course."> He nodded genially to those they passed, talking about this as though he were talking about the weather. <"We were a minor clan, dying out, several hundred years ago. Just before ze Rin's, they leave ze clan, a few of us were born wis the ability to use ze Force. Ze were able to fight better, live longer, even 'eal ze wounded. So one say, ' 'ow do we ensure our children has ze Force?' an' o'zers say, 'make sure Force user become parents.'"> he grinned as though he'd made a grand joke. <"So we did! And now more of us has ze Force, and we are sure to adopt all Twi'leks from conquered clans who has ze spark. My wife, she take care of zis. She has ze old blood, but she agree to marry me even zo I don't have ze spark."> He gestured to himself as though he were somehow inferior, though he is a very well built Twi'lek.

<"I guess that's one way to do it,"> she remarked as she followed alongside him. <"You know that the Jedi or Sith would be all over you if either of them found out you have so many strong individuals here, right?">

That did make him pause, but because he was walking in front of Rihl she couldn't see the look on his face. <"We do our best to make sure nobody leave who will tell zem about us."> The additional meanings to his words were barely veiled.

<"I'm not with either of them,"> Rihl was quick to add, though her tone was dismissive, <"and I've no interest in revealing your secret to them. Same with Aola and Ruer'jan.">

Karawn'rihe seemed to consider that for a few moments before nodding. <"Good. An', if Aola'rin iz meeting my wife today, zen she will already know."> He hesitated before asking, <"I canno' tell if someone haz ze spark o' ze Force or no. Tell me, does Aola'rin?">

Rihl remained silent for a brief moment. Then she responded. <"All life creates the Force, but I haven't felt it flow more strongly through her than most people. Besides, if I have heard right, circumstances surrounding her birth should preclude her from Force-sensitivity.">

A lek twitched and he looked over his shoulder at her, an eyebrow quirked. <"What circumstances would zat be?">

Rihl opened her mouth, hesitating just a fraction of a second, then said, <"I should probably let her decide how much of that to fill you in on.">

  Upon stepping out of the leader's dwelling, Ruer'jan only took a few steps before Mlitan'rihe stepped out from between two grey huts. <"Good morning, 'fallen one'. I trust you and your friends rested well?"?

Ruer'jan was visibly taken aback. He fidgeted, then spoke his mind. His tone wasn't aggressive, just surprised.<"Were you waiting for me all morning?">

She smiled, showing white sharp teeth. <"Waiting for you was part of my goals zis morning, but not ze only one."> Her lekku were wrapped loosely around her shoulders, and they curled languously against each other. <"I saw your friend depart wis Ke'arsi. Are you looking for her?"> She frowned a bit asking the question, implying she would be disappointed if he was.

Ruer'jan's lekku were occasionally (but not prominently) twitching nervously, but they would be even if Mlitan was not there; it's more from being out in the crowd. <"No,"> he says slowly. <"Ke'arsi had some things to show her. I don't think he wants me around. I was hoping I could look more Into those prosthetic parts you guys have. Who works on that stuff around here?">

"Ah! Fa'kan!" Her accent made it sound like she had just said a dirty word. <"You wis to speak to him? I can show you ze way.">

Ruer'jan stumbled but manage to get all the words out. <"Uh, yeah, sure. That'd be great. I'd appreciate it.">

Still smiling, Mlitan stepped closer to him and gently took hold of his cybernetic hand, leading him through the village, in the direction of where they'd gone to park the land speeder before. However, about halfway there she took a turn and guided him deeper into the cavern systems. <"Please forgive my curiosity,"> she said as she guided him down a particularly dark tunnel, <"but how did you come to have such 'netics?">

They already knew he was a slave, so he didn't try to hide the truth, but telling it made his lekku twitch unpleasantly. <"My genetics are unusual; they reject almost all kinds of implants out there. My ow-... former owners used me to develop implants that even my body wouldn't reject. But they're still not compatible with most prosthetics, at least not ones I've seen.">

The look she gave him was very sad, her bright green eyes looking into his with a deep felt sympathy. She brought her other hand up to touch his arm above where the cybernetic was. <"I'm so sorry. So zees scars, zey are...from experiments? Not from battles?">

He laughed wryly, realizing she thought those scars marked him a badass warrior. He should have figured. It still blew his mind that Aola was so into him even though she knew the truth. <"Yup. Every one. I've never fought anything more dangerous than a feral child.">

A mischevious glint sparked in Mlitan's eye and she smirked. <"All children are feral."> she quipped, before continuing their walk. <"Your owners were foolish to waste you zis way. You have...,"> she waved her hand a bit, searching for the word, <"potential.">

A flickering light emitted from the end of the tunnel, and as they drew closer the area opened up to a cavern much smaller than the living quarters or garage (though still quite large, big enough to hold their ship). It appeared to be a med bay, or more like a hospital. Cots were set up in organized rows, several stations set up with medical supplies, and all along the wall hung equipment of either a medical or cybernetic nature. Apparently what Ruer'jan had seen the previous day was simply their storage, because the meticulousness of the parts organized here put the other collection to shame.

Most of the cots were empty, but several Twi'leks moved about a handful of patients visiting this section for one reason or another. She walked with him to the far corner of the room where a Twi'lek, much older if his gnarled lekku was any indication and, Ruer'jan realized, one of them was the twin to that same impressive prosthetic he'd seen the other day. His once blue skin was nearly grey with age, and Mlitan had to call out several times before he turned around.

<"Fa'kan, Fa'kan! I have a friend who would like to speaks wis you!">

<"Hmm?"> The old Twi'lek turned and pinned an eye on the newcomer. He was old and wiry, his face criss-crossed with so many scars that Ruer’jan couldn't tell if he was smiling or if his face always looked like that. One eye, on the same side as his prosthetic lekku, was also a cybernetic replacement, and the appeture whirred quietly as it focused in on him. <"Who zis zen?"> Fa'kan was missing most of his teeth, and when he spoke it sounded like he was talking around a mouth full of mush.

Ruer'jan waved hello with his prosthetic hand. He had a lot to say, and he had to force himself to say it slowly so he wouldn't stumble over it and give them a harder time understanding him than they already had. <"Uh, hi. I'm just a visitor around these parts, and I hear you might have some better prosthetic parts than the ones I've got. I'm afraid my implants have compatibility issues, so it might be difficult. I can pay you for your trouble, though.">

Fa'kan slowly stood and gave the Lethan Twi’lek a brief looking over as he walked over. His steps were uneven because he too had a cybernetic leg. <"Welp, won' be to' 'ard te fin' ye an upgrade, comparin te zees tings."> With surprising quickness he reached out and grabbed Ruer'jan's cybernetic hand, pulling it close to his real eye. <"'Compitibility ishas', ye say? Wha' kin'? Do ye got a name, sonny, or'n ye want'in me te call ya 'junker'?"> His fingers were gnarled and wrinkled, but they were quickly working to take the hand -off- if Ruer'jan didn't speak up fast. Mlitan stood back, her hands behind her and slowly rocking on her heels. Watching but doing nothing to help poor Ruer'jan.

Ruer'jan looked a little downcast, as though 'Junker' would be an appropriate name for him. 'Probably is,' he thinks with a lek twitch. ''Fallen' implies I was something to begin with.' Before he realizes it, his hand comes off and his arm falls back to his side. <"Uh, the name's Ruer'jan. And..."> he held the  arm back up, <"these implants are complicated because my genotype is such that my body rejects most kinds out there.">

Fa'kan was rather oblivious to Ruer'jan's despondency, but Mlitan stepped closer to him, coming to his other side so as not to get in Fa'kan's way. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to help comfort and reassure him.

The old Twi'lek was paying far more attention to the cybernetic hand than its owner. He turned it over and peered into the inner workings of the limb. <"Eh? Rer'gan? Well, wha'iver'ye say."> He was turning away from the pair, taking the hand with him. Mlitan gently coaxed Ruer'jan to follow. <"Zis'in'a karking excus' fer a 'and."> He roughly pulled on a few of the cords, managing to pull them OUT of the limb as he sat back down on his stool, tossing the rest of the cybernetic away. It clattered to the ground not far from Fa’kan’s workbench. <"Wha' iz it tha' makes zem no' compitible? Mitel type? Cabers? Synapzes? Cinnictions?"> He was pulling a series of tools out of the belt around his waist. <"Ye sid some'sin 'bout creds, boy. No need for 'em out 'ere."> He sucked his teeth, bending over his workbench. <"Wha' else ye got?">

Even though Mlitan's presence helped calm him somehow, Ruer'jan was becoming increasingly convinced that this was a bad idea. Now he'd lost the one good hand he had, and the guy tells him his money's no good. Even Ruer'jan had heard the stories about what nerfherders did to people out in places where money was no good, and he didn't have anything of his own to offer except... <"Uh... trade a blaster or two for it?"> He offers weakly.

Fa'kan glared over his shoulder and muttered a string of curses as he turned back to his workbench. Mlitan stood on her tip toes to whisper in Ruer'jan's ear. <"You didn't answer his first question, about ze cybernetics.">

<"Oh!"> This time Ruer'jan wasn't so quick to fall down on himself, because he didn't consider it to be his fault since the guy was going off so fast and barely understandable as is. <"Uh, well, they had to build everything from scratch when they developed my implants. I don't know all the details, but the metal they used gives me an allergic reaction to some other metal types, and they wrote the programming language from scratch, so for stock attachments, it's like trying to translate from Basic to Ryl without having an interpreter who knows both languages.">

<"Uheh, Uheh."> Fa'kan nodded while listening, keeping his back to the two of them. <"Izzat tricopper?!"> He muttered as he looked at the connecting wires that he had pulled out of the hand. He spun in his stool and grabbed Ruer'jan's arm stump, bringing the attatchment implant within centimeters of his nose. He actually sniffed at the connectors, though he kept himself from licking anything. <"Ye got aliminum an' phrick in 'ere?!"> He began to chuckle, then it grew into a cackle, then a guffaw as he released Ruer'jan's arm to lean back on his stool, slapping his leg. Several of the other Twi'leks on the other side of the room looked up from what they were doing. <"Ye dinna nee' ta worry 'bout buying no ring when ye find ze lady for you, son. Allz ye godda do iz get on ye knee an' raise ye arm into de air!"> He waved the connectors around, his voice in a higher pitch to immitate Ruer'jan. <"I got ze finest ring money kin bye in me arm, will ye marry me?"> he dissolved into laughter, tears streaming down his face.

Mlitan's lekku twitched irritably, though her face didn't say it. She continued to pat Ruer'jan on the shoulder. <"He doesn't mean anysing by it."> she whispered.

In spite of himself, Ruer'jan's face turned deep pink, almost red. He wasn't proud about having to have such expensive materials embedded in his body just so that it could function, and he didn't much appreciate the old hillbilly making fun of him an Aola, even if Fa'kan didn't know he was doing it. Feeling his eyebrows scrunching downward, he said with more force this time, <"So do you have something that can interface with it, or can you put something together? If not, can I have my hand put back together? It's the only one I've got.">

Fa'kan failed to hear him over his own laughter, and continued to pantomime, though because the old Twi'lek could hardly breathe the words were more gibberish than not.

Ruer'jan's other hand twitched at the holster of his blaster. He was ready to get the hell out of here, but not without what was his, what he needed. That need was what steeled him. But instead of drawing the blaster, as he so badly wanted to do, he looked over at Mlitan. <"Maybe you know a way to shut him up? I don't know if I want his help anymore, but I can't leave without my hand.">

Mlitan smiled nervously at him, not sure if she liked the angry glint in his eye, but before she could say anything Fa'kan stood up from his stool and leaned toward Ruer'jan. Nevermind the fact that the guy was shorter than both of them, only coming up to the middle of Ruer'jan's chest, but he jabbed the taller Twi'lek in the solar plexus hard with a finger that was decidedly not flesh. <"Dun' get yer panties in a twist, 'ahm only karking wis ya."> He dug a small remote control out of his pocket and pointed in the direction of a huge motorized storage rack. It hummed as it moved shelf after shelf of prosthetic limbs and other parts around, until finally the collection on display was hands. <"Take yer pick, son."> He spit to the side before adding, <"An' as fer payment, how good are ye wit de o'zer 'and?">

Ruer'jan's anger was eased a little bit as the guy finally got back to business. Seeing the array of available parts wasn't immediately heartening to him, as he had gone through whole racks of cybernetics without finding one that worked for him in the past. What chilled him, though, was the last thing Fa'kan says. Or more like, the way he said it and the possibilities that ran through Ruer'jan's mind. He still hadn't dropped the whole 'sick hillbilly' line of thinking. So he very hesitantly, almost reluctantly asked, <"What would you want me to do with my other hand?">

<"I want ye ta 'elp me around zis frotz hole, wha' else woul' I wan'?"> Fa'kan said as he continued working with the connectors at his workbench. <"Gett'n yer new 'netics ta work right iz gonna be a two Twi job, an' in ze meantime, ye kin make yerself useful by doin' odd jobs around 'ere."> He dug around in a drawer full of what looked like computer chips, cursing when he didn't find what he was looking for, <"Fah! Might'in be a week er more, te make sure yer no' gonna have a bad reacshin.">

A frustrated but helpless sound escaped Ruer'jan's mouth. He really didn't want to have to spend another hour with this guy, much less an entire week. He wanted to be with Aola. But if he didn't help, he'd never get his hand back, would never be able to use it to hold Aola even when they did get off this dustball. Of course, that's assuming the new hand even worked, which it might take the whole week to find out it doesn't.

Ruer'jan sighed with resignation. <"Well, let me see if anything on the rack looks compatible."> He started picking through the collection. Most of it looked like crap. But about a third of the way through, he found a piece that looked like it might actually be worth it. Without having to study it too closely, he could tell it has better sensory wiring than his previous one, not to mention the extra pair of fully-articulated fingers. He took it out of the rack and held it up. <"If this one works, I'll do it."> He knew it probably wouldn't work right away when he plugged it in; they'd have to reconcile the programming languages, no doubt. That would take time, but if they had the right help, it shouldn't be impossible.

Fa'kan whistled as Ruer'jan brough the cybernetic hand back to him and his workbench. <"Ye gotta good eye, son. Give 'er 'ere."> He took the hand and none too gently removed a few of the connector wires from it, the same as he'd done with Ruer'jan's original hand, before setting it on the workbench and working to carefully replace the connecting wires from the old hand into the new. For someone so gruff, his hands worked meticulously and delicately among the intricate machinery.

Mlitan moved closer in order to see what Fa'kan was doing. The old Twi'lek smirked at her and whispered loudly <"'E don' sink I kin do it, sei eoh. Show 'im ze 'and I make for you, eh?">

She looked embarrassed, her cheeks turning purple as she raised her hand, which at first glance looked completely real, until she pulled her sleeve up and the telltale line of scars show that it too is prosthetic. <"Ol' Fa'kan iz rude, yes, but 'e iz ze best at what 'e does.">

<"Eh, who you calling 'ol', sei eoh?!"> The two dissolve into laughter.

Ruer'jan could only laugh a little bit, and weakly, and at himself. Just from what he had seen so far, he could already tell that Fa'kan was about as good as they said, but he could also tell that he was going to be paying top hour for getting the best, rather than top credit. Which meant the hours he was going to pay with would be quite miserable indeed. He knew Aola was worth it; that was no question. He just hoped the results would actually help him get closer to her. It would have to help to be worth all this time he was going to have to spend away from her.

Fa'kan sat up straight from the work bench after getting the connectors properly seated. <"Ze will need to be saudered in proper like, an' I sink a bridge to connect ze 'netic to ze implan', bu' why don' we see wezer or not it fits good, eh?"> He reached a hand out and waited this time for Ruer'jan to willingly extend the stump before carefully lining up the connectors. <"Ye will feel ze pinch, now-"> He stated as he plugged everything in but did not slide the prosthetic into place, still holding it so there was a short distance between arm and it, just in case there was a very bad reaction and everything had to be unplugged quickly. <"Tell me if ye kin feel an' move ze fingers.">

After flinching from the pain of being plugged in, which felt like a minor shock running up his arm, Ruer'jan could feel that something was connected to him, but couldn't feel the fingers themselves, and could not move them. It wasn't the first time he'd had this happen. <"Nope. Can't move 'em. Can barely feel them. I think it's a programming language difference,"> he said again as if the guy didn't catch it the first time, even though he should have known better.

<"Eh, eh, yes. Much work."> Taking his other hand, Fa'kan compared the size of Ruer'jan's real hand to the prosthetic, <"Be needin a few adjustments, te match 'n size. Ye canna even feel zis?"> he asked as he pulled a connector on the middle finger, pulling it out so that the length matched that of his real hand.

Although Ruer'jan still couldn't feel the finger itself, he could feel the sharp jolt that came from the hard tug on the connector. It caused him to visibly shake as he cried out from the pain.

Mlitan gasped and came around the workbench even as Fa'kan was doing this to poor Ruer'jan. <"Irn'a stop! Zat is just mean!">

But the old Twi'lek was laughing and already unplugging the connectors. <"A'm sorry, son."> he sounded anything but. <"Much work, much work. But it'a work fer sure. Hell, by ze end of it, ye'll furget ye even lost ze 'and in ze first place 'till ye scratch yerself wid'it."> He cackled again as he took everything back to the workbench. <"Naw git me one 'o zem mechs from ze storage, ye two. A'm need'n sum parts.">

  Aola walked alongside Ke’arsi as he led her through the town. She concentrated as much as she could on looking at her surroundings and not on the slender Twi’lek walking beside her. But within a few moments he reached over, taking her hand and placing it in the crook of his elbow.

<”You are uncomfortable, Aola’rin?”> He asked. She thought she could feel a slight buzzing in her head, but she bit the inside of her cheek to stay focused.

<”It has been a lot to take in. Coming to Ryloth, learning about where I come from. Learning about the Rihe’s…”> she trailed off and he patted her arm in understanding. He was smiling to everyone they passed, though the expression didn’t come close to touching those orange eyes. Aola thought he was showing too many teeth as well.

<”’Zere are many of us, though we still count as a minor clan.”> He replied, and she couldn’t help but smile at noticing that he was making an effort to enunciate his words so that she could understand better. It seemed contradictory to what he’d said earlier, though, about teaching her how to speak Ryl.

<”How many of you are there?”> she asked.

<”Wis ze recent battle, we have acquired five sounzand, so zat would bring out numbers to…one hundred sounzand, twenty five.”> His lek twitched proudly on having this information.

Aola’s jaw dropped open. <”That is a lot. And your father is the only leader?”>

Ke’arsi shook his head. <”My fa’zer is only one member of ze council zat oversees ze village. His responsibilities are over ze hunting parties and ze warriors. But zere are o’zer councilors who oversee ze rest of what ze village needs. My mo’zer is closer to what you would call a ‘chief’ zan my fa’zer.”> Upon seeing her questioning look, he continued, <”She is our high priestess of Kika’lekki, our spiritual leader. Wisout her, we would not be able to complete the ceremonies and traditions zat ‘elp us to grow as a clan and continue to lead us to victory.”>

Aola nodded respectfully, though she was beginning to feel in over her head, and she was only just beginning to learn more. She smiled softly at a group of children playing not far from where they walked, laughing as they splashed each other from a water trough. Considering how precious water was on this planet, the fact that children could play in it here showed how fortunate this clan really was. <”Are there many ceremonies in Twi’lek culture?”> she asked almost absently.

<”Of course.”> Ke’arsi said. <”We ‘ave ceremonies for all ze milestones in one’s life; from birth to adulthood, marriage and death.”> His hand still over hers on his arm tightened just a bit. <”And o’zers for being appointed as an official, or being adopted as a new member of our family.”> Aola felt goose bumps form on her arm when he said ‘family’.

Ke’arsi paused for a moment, as though listening to something, before speaking. <”My fa’zer seemed curious about your age after we had spoken last night. May I ask how old you are?”>

<”I’m seventeen.”> Aola said without any hesitation. Her brain was starting to feel fuzzy and sluggish, and she knew deep down she shouldn’t be so willing to answer his questions, but couldn’t think of a good reason not to.

His eyes lit up and that smile took on a sharper quality to it. <”Zat is good!”> A thought occurred to him that tempered his zeal, <”Ah, but, zis is your first time among your own people, yes? So you have not had ze Tsu’kagarei, or coming of age ceremony?”>

<”Zat’s right.”> She replied, surprised when her own words took on a bit of his accent. She shook her head both in an effort to answer his question as well as try and dispel this disorientation she was feeling.

Ke’arsi called to the children playing in the water, and one young bright-eyed Rutian girl came running over. <”Ke’arsi’vuz needs me?”> she asked, beaming up at her older cousin.

<”Go to my fa’zer, tell him zat my young intended here,”> He patted Aola’s hand again, <”is seventeen but haz no’ had tsu’kagarei. Zis means we must throw her a party! Would zat be nice, little cousin?”> The girl was practically vibrating with excitement as he sent her off, running as fast as she could.

<”Zis changes much.”> he said as they continued walking, coming upon what Aola could only assume as a temple. The building’s façade was the same grey stone as everything else, but steep stairs lead to a towering structure that held the only windows she had seen in the entire village. They were stained glass, no less, though she could not see from the outside what they were supposed to portray. <”Preparing for tsu’kagarei will take time, but I do no’ doubt zat you are worth ze wait.”>

Aola’s sluggish brain only then caught the words Ke’arsi had said to that young girl. <”You called me your intended.”> She tried to pull her hand off his arm, get away from him. “I’m not going with you, I’m in love with Ruer’jan.” she slipped into Basic without thinking.

He waved a hand and her eyes glazed over. <”You do no’ remember me saying anysing to anyone on our way here. All you remember is our conversation.”> He was sorely tempted to erase her memory of the night before, especially of this ‘Ruer’jan’. He understood nothing of the Basic she’d said except for that name. If the emotions he’d felt from her and that damned Lethan the night before had been any indication, then they were in love. His rage at that kn’ic interfering with his plans fueled his persuasion and he felt Aola’s resistance give way as her mind bent to his will, no longer struggling to get away from him and back down the temple steps. He knew he should wait until his mother had examined her, determined whether she was of the Rin clan, but he found he wanted her regardless of whether she was of good stock. What harm would it be if he made her into his pet now?

Cease. His mother’s voice hissed in his mind and he silently cursed himself for hesitating so long. Bring her here.

Aola was docile, staring straight ahead as Ke’arsi gently took her arm and lead her into the temple. The girl was so out of it now that she could not see the resplendent beauty of the temple to Kika’lekki. The floor was decorated with twisting vines impressed into the polished stone, winding around each other again and again, each filled with water to create a small stream that lead its way to the far end of the room. Not vines; veins. Water was the life of Ryloth, and the woman kneeling before the shrine to Kika’lekki was the life of the Rihe clan. Her back was to her visitors but Ke’arsi knew better than to think that she didn’t know they were there. He knew she could hear their every breath, every beat of their hearts.

Slowly the high priestess stood, the collection of necklaces, bracelets, and charms hanging on her person sounding musical as she moved. Her head was adorned with a tall head dress, revealed to be made of feathers and jewels as she turned to face her son and Aola. The head dress covered much of her face, but her red eyes shown and sparkled as they rested on her youngest son.

She glided forward, arms outstretched to embrace him, and Ke’arsi returned the gentle hug with one arm; not wanting to release his hold on Aola though he knew she would not try to run. After only a few moments she let him go and turned her gaze to the young girl caught in her son’s spell.

<”You are foolish, my son.”> she spoke without the accent, her Ryl with a definite Imperial influence. <”Had you pressed any harder you would have destroyed her mind before I even had a chance to look at it.”>

Ke’arsi released Aola’s hand and bowed so low he nearly went to his knees. <”Please, forgive me, mo’zer.”>

His mother waved her hand and Aola’s face was turned with an unseen hand to stare up into those red eyes. Her lekku hung limp down her back. <”There is nothing to forgive, my love. Nothing that cannot be repaired with my help.”> Long, thin fingers tipped with lacquered nails traced along Aola’s jaw. <”I can see why you want her so badly. She is exquisite.”>

<”She will not willingly become mine, so long as she loves zis pathetic kn’ic she brought wis her.”> Ke’arsi hissed.

<”Hush, my sweet boy.”> She never took her eyes off of Aola as she spoke. <”I know everything that has transpired in my village. The love that blossoms in her heart is still very young, and can be easily stamped out. But first…”> She pressed a nail hard against Aola’s throat, piercing the skin, <”we must learn if she is of the Rin bloodline.”>

Bringing the blood coated nail to her lips, she delicately licked it clean. She closed her eyes and rocked slowly from foot to foot, humming quietly. Ke’arsi waited with bated breath.

Finally she threw her head back, laughing as she spread her arms wide. Her eyes were open but unseeing, clouded until they were nearly white as the Force gave her a vision. <”Her blood is of the Rin, the line thought lost to us. But she has been tainted with human.”> Her face contorted in anger but it was there and gone in a flash as the vision continued. <”But that is no matter. She holds the spark deep within her, so small that she could not hope to become anything of value without years of arduous work and discipline. But this spark will grow. She is destined to bear offspring strong in the Force.”> She grinned, her teeth still coated in a thin layer of Aola’s blood. <”Offspring that will have the strength needed to tear our enemies to shreds and grant us victory over the largest clans of Ryloth. None can hope to stand in our way.”>

The high priestess staggered as her eyes became their customary bright red and the vision left her. Holding onto so much power always made her feel both exhilarated and exhausted when it was over, and starving for more. She held her hand out to her son, who had been cowering as she prophesied.

<”After the tsu’kagarei is complete, I will officiate the jassh’ir myself. Aola’rihe will be your bride as you wish.”> How could she ever deny her youngest?

Ke’arsi grinned hesitantly, taking his mother’s hand. <”And Ruer’jan?”>

She silently guided him as together they began to use the Force like a scalpel, piercing into Aola’s mind and cutting out her memories of the night before. Though she was powerless to move, a tear fell down the young girl’s cheek.

Aola's despondent mood carried over from the main room as they were shown into the small bedroom that would be home for all three of them until they left the Rihe's. Ke'arsi'rihe had taken only a few moments to grab his bedding before giving them some privacy. There was just enough room for each of them to sleep on the floor, extra bedding provided, and a corner sectioned off with a privacy screen for changing clothes.

Aola looked about before choosing the pallet furthest from the door, sliding down the wall to sit on it. "It’s looking like this trip is probably going to be just a waste. I'm sorry guys." Rihl spent some time arranging the little space she has available with the one pack she brought with her change of clothes and personal belongings. Ruer'jan disappeared behind the curtain to change into his bedclothes. Rihl also began changing. "We've learned a lot, though, about Ryloth and its culture. That may yet prove useful. And while I'm not sure this is the ideal home for us, at least it could be a safe haven until we find a better one." Aola felt that telltale stinging behind her eyes and nose that told her tears were imminent. She pressed the palms of her hands tight against her eyes to prevent it. "I don't even remember what it was I wanted to find here anymore." She paused until she was sure her voice wouldn't crack. "I was stupid to think he'd be here or that they would know him... But you're right, ona. At least it’s about a one in a million chance that Aiden will find us here." She hugged her knees against her chest. Rihl came over to Aola's pallet and sat down next to her, hugging Aola to her side to comfort her sister. "We knew it was a long shot, but it wasn't stupid to try." Aola allowed herself to be hugged though she didn't return the embrace. Her head rested on Rihl's shoulder as she thought to herself for a few seconds. "It was my last lead. I haven't a clue how else to find him, if he's even out there. Karawn'rihe is probably right; he probably changed his name for some reason so he couldn't be found..." She mulled it over before adding in a whisper. "I'm glad I still have you." One of Ruer'jan's legs stuck out from underneath the curtain. Soon after he crawled out from behind, legless and wearing only a loincloth and undershirt, dragging his legs behind. "If Aiden had his name, it's just as likely that it was Aiden he was hiding from," suggested Rihl. "He could still be out there, someplace Aiden can't reach. There's other such places out there."  Ruer'jan laid his legs across where his lap would have been and gets out a cleaning rag. "If even a guy like me can survive out there, I'm sure he could." Aola looked up when Ruer'jan emerged from behind the privacy screen. As always she was tempted to ask if he wanted any help, but had to remind herself that he'd been living like this for some time and could take care of himself. Her dour expression didn't change despite her friends words. "I hope he's still alive, but...the galaxy is so huge. And if he's hiding from Aiden then he's done a damn good job of it. What hope do I have of finding him?" She sighed, hanging her head. "We've just begun the search," Rihl pointed out. "There are lots of other avenues to explore." "These Rihe's seem keen on adopting you," Ruer'jan piped up. "Were you expecting that?" Aola shook her head. "No I hadn't expected it, though the registrar clerk did say they take anyone. But...I don't really want an adopted family. I wanted my family." Her voice cracks and she feels that traitorous tear escape down her cheek. She shakes her head and wipes it away quickly, forcefully laughing at herself. "I sound like a brat." Rihl hugged her tighter, and Ruer'jan shook his head. "Are you kidding? When I found out my family was dead, I broke down crying right there in front of the registrar's desk. And I don't think I stopped for a whole week."

Rihl nodded, adding, "I wasn't always able to hide it myself, even in front of the kids at the orphanage. It crept back every so often for years after losing my parents. You do not sound like a brat." With that the floodgates opened, and Aola couldn't stop the tears from falling. She turned her face into Rihl's shoulder, suppressing the sobs though they still shook her body softly.  Rihl allowed a sympathetic tear to fall from her own eyes as she gently stroked Aola's head to comfort her. Ruer'jan scooted himself closer so he could take one of Aola's hands in his left hand. His legs are laid aside. Aola allowed herself to let it out for now, to feel those years of loneliness and isolation that was her childhood, punctuated by the frustration of being unable to find any answers to who she is and where she came from, and who created her. So absorbed in her thoughts was she that when Ruer'jan took her hand she startled a bit, looking up but not taking her hand from his. She looked at him with those questions in her eyes that she couldn't hope to voice.  Ruer'jan didn't know how to voice his support for Aola. He just knew the last time be felt like she did, he really would have liked someone to bold onto. His lekku tried to spell that out and his face is just... openness. To connecting with Aola just so she doesn't have to feel alone. His gaze brought her a new pain, that intense burning that she knew meant she was falling for him and she had to clench her teeth tight and her lekku stiffened with the effort to keep from saying something that she was afraid he wouldn’t reciprocate. At a time like this, her fear threatened to swallow her should she suffer that rejection again. But the beginnings of love showed in her eyes, silently screaming it before she shut those tight and buried her face again against Rihl. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could as she worked to stuff all of it back down. To take control of her tears again and regain her composure.  Ruer'jan's mouth dropped open and he sat there stunned for a moment. Never in a million years did he think anyone would look at him like -that-, let alone someone like Aola. His heart was already breaking at seeing her beautiful face in such sorrow, and all he knew was that all he wanted was to bring a smile back to it. And not just for a moment, but forever. He leaned forward and gripped her hand as tightly as she did his. One of his lekku brushed against hers, and in the instant it did, he almost unconsciously finds himself signing to her that he feels the same way.

Aola had begun to pull her feelings in check, the stream of tears slowing and her breath evening out though her heart felt heavy. She had Rihl, her sister, and she had Ruer'jan, her only true friends. She could count herself lucky to have them, and set aside this mad quest to find her father.

She felt Ruer'jan shift beside her, still holding her hand, and assumed he was only shifting to a more comfortable position. But then the lightest of touches caressed her lekku. It sent a jolt through the appendage that she hadn't expected and she looked up abruptly, nearly bumping the top of her head against Rihl's chin in the sudden movement. She found Ruer'jan there, his face very close to hers, and his lekku signing...her heart hammered in her chest as she looked back up to his eyes, disbelieving what she was seeing but needing to know. "Do you love me?" No sooner were the words out of her mouth then she wished she could take them away. She immediately began guarding herself, preparing for that heart wrenching pain. Her other arm moved out from around her knees and wrapped around Rihl, holding tight to her sister to remind herself she wasn't alone. Rihl hadn't seen the looks on their faces or been able to read Ruer'jan's lekku-signage, but for some reason this sudden question didn't come as much by surprise to her as one might think. If anything, Ruer'jan looked more surprised, because even though he was saying it and it was true, his brain was still catching up with all that. He hesitated for a second, having to ask himself if that was really what he was feeling, but the answer came back promptly. "I- yeah, I-" he stuttered, still all tangled up in the head. "I do. I know I do." It's like he was saying it as much to himself as to Aola. At one point he even glanced up at Rihl, who is smiling down at him. He had to stutter one last time to get it out. "I- I love you." The realization for some reason refused to hit him in a rush all at once. It's trickling down, perhaps slowly but steadily. Aola had always hoped this moment would feel different; that in the blink of an eye the scars left behind from Yuned'rar's rejection would disappear. That this burning in her chest would transform into soaring happiness and a feeling of becoming whole. Instead her brain continually played back his words, analyzing them and weighing them and trying to find any way that she could have possibly misunderstood him. Surely he didn't mean love in the romantic sense? Nobody had or ever would love her that way, the voice that sounded suspiciously like Aiden in the back of her mind reminded her. But he had said it, and though he looked like he'd rather be on the other side of the room he was there, holding her hand and telling her he loved her. She already knew the words she needed to say, but still had that fear that once they passed her lips this moment would somehow dissipate. That she would find out it wasn't real and that she'd only been dreaming, having fallen asleep in the land speeder. Her lekku gently twitched and touched his, that electricity passing between them again like a low hum. "I love you too. I always have." How someone like Aola could feel that way about a homeless triple amputee Ruer'jan couldn't fathom, except for the fact that when he was with her, she made him feel like a real person. Rihl did, too, but the Cathar was a warrior and was grooming the same spirit in him; it was different with Aola. She and he needed each other, he realized. He might never look like a whole man again, but with Aola, he felt like one, and knew he always would. The brushing of Aola's lekku against his zapped all the doubt away like a wick. He smiled at her, unashamed and unembarrassed for probably the first time since they'd met. Aola saw his smile and couldn't help but return it. Despite her continued self-doubts, she'd finally said it, and seeing him light up made her heart skip a beat. 'What do we do now?' Was a thought going through her head that brought all kinds of other urges with it and made her blush profusely. she wasn't prepared for that. Not just yet. So instead they just smiled at each other like a couple of awkward teenagers (because they are exactly that) until Aola couldn't help herself and yawned. "Sorry." Ruer'jan chuckled awkwardly at her yawn. Rihl kind of did too. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?" she said. But she doubted they were going to get much sleep tonight in light of what had just happened. "Are you sure you want me in the middle, that you'll have to talk over my snoring body all night long?" She slightly emphasized the word 'talk.' Aola didn't think her face could turn any more purple. If Rihl wanted to make sure all they did was talk then being in the middle was for the best. However, now that they'd said it, she did find that she didn't want to be even on the other side of the room from him. She fidgeted a little. "M-may I sleep in the middle? We won't-" she felt like she wanted to melt into the wall behind them in embarrassment. They weren't going to do anything!!! Rihl knew they wouldn't. She had hinted it at Ruer'jan once before that she would know if they did, and he hadn't needed any clarification. "Sure," she said with one more quick squeeze for her ona. "Just remember we have to get up early in the morning." Ruer'jan promised to set his alarm. He didn't want to let go of Aola, but he had to detach his other hand for the night, so he started gently gesturing toward that end. Aola reluctantly let them both go. She was the only one not dressed for bed, and she didn't know whether she'd be able to sleep after all this or if she would pass out from the emotional roller coaster she'd just been on. She hurried behind the privacy screen and then realized she hadn't grabbed her bag so she came right back out for that and then behind the screen again. Completely and totally twitterpated. Ruer'jan was pretty twitterpated too. He fumbled for a while over where to put his prosthetics so they wouldn't get in the way, and suddenly decided it would be a good idea to put a sock over his arm stump in case he accidentally bonked her with it. Rihl just watched them both as she lay herself down, a smile in her eyes. Aola came out in her usual sleeping attire; plaid short shorts and a black tank top. It hadn't occurred to her before just how much skin she was showing, and she tugged nervously at the hem of her shorts as she laid down on the pallet in between Rihl and Ruer'jan. Her worries about the future couldn't touch what she was feeling right now. She might never find her father, or if she did she might find a man who was a criminal and wanted nothing to do with her, but regardless of that she had her sister Rihl and now Ruer'jan who...she was very excited to learn what he was to her in the coming days. She looked to them both and beamed a toothy smile "Um, good night."

They hadn’t lain in the darkness for long before Ruer’jan broke the silence, whispering to Aola, “When did you know?”

“That I-that I loved you?” she asked.

“Yea.”

“Um. By the time you reached the bottom of the trash hill.” She laughed softly, remembering him flailing and tumbling backward in his haste to get away when they’d first met.

“What?” he laughed in disbelief. “When I was a scared little rabbit? Y-you don’t expect me to stay that way, do you?”

“I should hope not.” Aola replied. She smirked, though he couldn’t see it in the dark. “That was when my feelings started for you, and I’m not sure when they became more than that, but I realized I had fallen in love the night we danced at the blues concert.”

“Yea.” Ruer’jan said softly, reminiscing. “I think that’s when I started to feel something too. Though I didn’t know for sure until…just recently.”

They fell into silence again, Aola reaching out to find him in the dark. She scooted closer, the bedding not much softer than the rug covering the dirt floor. Ruer’jan wrapped his good arm around her to pull her closer, their lekku weaving together. They both knew full well that Rihl was still awake, since she wasn’t snoring.

“So, what happens next?” Aola whispered.

“Well, I guess we stay together forever.” He said.

She jumped a little, her lekku twitching against his. Thinking of it in a permanent sense both frightened her and made her feel happy. She’d never thought of anything as being permanent before. “Is that…what you really want?” she asked hesitantly.

He paused, thinking. “Yea.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

“You know…” her heart hammered in her chest, knowing what she was going to say, “in the holos, when two people say they love each other, they kiss.” She felt him stiffen a little, mirroring her nervousness. Several heart beats went by before she shook her head gently. “We don’t have to, not until we’re ready.”

“Do you want to?” he asked, so quietly she almost didn’t hear it.

“I-I’ve never-I mean. Yea.” She sputtered.

He leaned forward, slowly closing the gap between us before she felt his lip gently press against hers. His mouth was slightly open and she could feel his teeth against her bottom lip, but he didn’t press hard enough to hurt her with them. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears before she remembered to breathe and returned his kiss, pressing her lips back against his gently. For what felt like forever they remained frozen like this until he withdrew, only to kiss her again. This time was a touch harder, and she met his slightly opened mouth with her own, shocked to feel the tip of his tongue.