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Author	Topic: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66) ~ Author's thanks
divapilot Title: Forum Feud Winner Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 6/26 6:45pm Subject: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66) ~ Author's thanks - Date Edited: 7/17 12:58am (3 edits total) Edited By: divapilot
	Title: The Hunter’s Tale Author: Divapilot Rating: PG Character: Shaak Ti Time frame: Revenge of the Sith Genre: angst Summary: Master Shaak Ti, shocked by the unbelievable events she has witnessed, tries to relate the massacre at the Jedi Temple to her own experiences as a hunter. Author’s Note: Written in response to Professor Literati's Sci-Fi Challenge. The quote is the first line of Ursula K LeGuin's Left Hand of Darkness: I'll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination. Thank you, Myriad_Daydreams, for the assistance in writing this character. Thank you, Furrylittlebantha, for looking this over. I'll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination. And when events occur that defy comprehension, even though it is the truth, perhaps imagination would be better believed. Since Truth is unreliable, I shall tell you a story, then. There was once a little girl who lived a happy life in her village. Her people were blessed by the land, and the blessings were shared amongst all who lived in their crowded village, as was their custom. The girl had a handsome father, a brave hunter who adorned their dwelling with the skins of many daring kills. She had a beautiful mother, a woman whose lovely dark eyes shone with wit and humor. She had many aunts, uncles and cousins to play with and to learn from. The Force shone powerfully in this child, so much that the Jedi soon came for her. They approached the child’s parents and pack elders, requesting that the youngling be sent to the Temple on Coruscant for training in the ancient Jedi ways. “But what will she learn from you that she cannot learn from her packmates?” the girl’s mother asked. “How will she stay true to her people when you take her from our forests and grasslands, and raise her on your planet of cold duracrete? She will grow sad and lonely for home, and eventually she may forget our ways,” said the child’s father. The Jedi pondered this. They compromised with the pack and allowed the girl to stay with her people until the age of five, long enough for her to learn the ways of her family and pack and long enough to learn the importance of loyalty. The little girl grew wise and strong, making her first kill – a thimiar – at the age of three. Her brother showed her how to prepare the tiny hide, and she wore the skin proudly at the next banquet. Her mother made a pendant of the small rodent’s teeth. The girl was one of the pack. This bond can never be broken. As promised, when the girl was five, the Jedi returned. The family and the rest of the pack were sad to see the girl leave, since she was a promising hunter, cunning and determined. However, the village had made an agreement, and they would not be untruthful to their word. The entire village, all the hunters of the great pack, came out to say goodbye to her. “You are the best of us,” the elder told her. “Be brave. Hunt strong.” So the girl watched as her beautiful green and blue homeworld grew smaller and smaller. She sensed her parents and her brothers and her village call out to her, and their voices became fainter and fainter in her mind. She had never been alone before, and it frightened her. Then she saw that her homeworld had become another bright point of light in the deep blackness of space, and she drew comfort from knowing that her homeworld was among the stars she gazed on. She was lonely at first in the Temple. She missed the secure bonds of the pack. No one at the Temple looked like her. No one sang the songs of the old ways, no one slept on sleep mats in a room that opened to the night sky. Then, slowly, she started to make friends -- a Twi’lek girl, a human boy, a youngling from Mon Calamari. They were all different, but they were joined by their devotion to the Force and their common experiences at the temple. Soon the girl committed herself to a new pack: the Jedi. The girl approached her training the same way that she would hunt, with persistence and patience. The years went by quickly, and she became a Jedi padawan, then a knight. She would sometimes return to her homeworld when the call to hunt proved irresistible. Her skills were legend among the pack. She acquired a beautiful set of hides as trophies from her hunts, and she brought them back to Coruscant when she returned to the Temple. The others of her new pack, the Jedi, allowed her to adorn her attire with the honors of her homeworld, and she wore them with pride. Finally, she was ready for the greatest challenge of all: she would hunt an akul. She sharpened her knives and meditated for days before setting out into the lush grasslands of Shili. Her packmates watched as she crouched down along the thin trail and found the faint markings of its path. She turned her head and listened with her sharp ears for any sounds, and she felt in her montrails for the vibrations of its movements. Carefully, she waited in the red and white grasses, perfectly camouflaged, until the great beast approached. The girl – now a young woman – roared, and the akul reared on its hind legs and roared in return. She ran toward it, unafraid. She knew that should the beast tear her apart, it would not matter. It is the old way; that which cannot survive is returned to nature, and there is no dishonor in dying. The Force guided the woman’s hands and the beast soon shrieked in pain as the daggers pierced its flesh. It lashed out, its great claws slashing her arm and its teeth snapping at her legs, but after a mighty battle, the hunter won her victory and the akul lay quivering at her feet. She lifted her bloody arms to the heavens in jubilation, and the stars smiled on her. With her burden hoisted upon her shoulders, she presented the meat to her village for all to share. That evening, the village sang to celebrate her accomplishment, and their voices rose with the smoke to spread across the night sky. Her mother fashioned the sharp fangs of the beast into a headdress, a sign that she was both Jedi and Torgruta, warrior and hunter, peacemaker and provider. The woman proudly wore the signs of the hunt when she returned to her Jedi pack. The woman found herself with two packs: the one on Shili, with her people, and the one on Coruscant, with her fellow Jedi. She was at peace. This tale ought to have had a happy ending. But there are other types of hunters in this galaxy. There are those who hunt their own kind. The woman did not know this; such a thing was inconceivable. The point of hunting, after all, was to provide for your loved ones. It was to bring joy to the pack, to demonstrate your ability to protect others, to bind yourself to those with whom you shared your existence. She could not even imagine such a strange thing. But just because it was far beyond her ability to imagine does not make it less of the Truth. The hunter came anyway. The woman was in the Temple, now as much her home as the forests and whispering grasslands, when she felt a monstrous darkness approaching. She smelled the evil, like the metallic scent of ozone from the lightning that sizzled over the plains. Swiftly grasping her lightsaber, she rose from her meditations and ran toward the invader, unafraid. She would protect the younglings and the sacred ways of the Jedi. Should she meet with her death, it would not matter. It is the way of things, and there is no dishonor in dying. The wails of terrified younglings, the shouts of frantic adults, and the brutal, rhythmic marching echoed along the halls. She sensed the proximity of strangers. The Force wept in pain. The relentless darkness slid closer. Although she tried to save her Jedi packmates, she shuddered with each vivid light that suddenly crumpled and flickered out. She raced through the Temple toward the source of the violence, all the while trying to understand the pain and carnage she saw. In one room, she sensed a desperate cry in the Force and turned to find the broken form of a young child lying where he had been slammed across the room. The child was not much older than she had been when she had first arrived on Coruscant. The woman gently lifted the boy, who turned his head toward her. His eyes were glassy and distant, like an animal that has been cornered and defeated, and when he shuddered his last breath, she bowed her head in sorrow. Who would hunt younglings? she asked, baffled. A clever hunter does not wantonly destroy the young. Then the Truth became clear: this was not a hunt. It was an extermination. She caught her breath. Each pack is controlled by a lead hunter, she reasoned. If I can reach the lead hunter, I can turn the stormtroopers away. I can tell him that he has made a terrible mistake. The Temple is a sanctuary, a place of tranquility and learning, not a hunting ground. The woman began to trace through the minds of the merciless soldiers who surged through the Temple. Each led her closer to the man who led them until finally, she found their leader. In her mind, he turned his face toward her. His eyes were as yellow as the vicious akul’s. She recognized the hunter. He was one of her pack. The best of them. Then she realized something so impossible, so contrary to nature, that she could not breathe for a moment: The Temple was lost. She was now the hunted. So the woman fled, like the prey she had become. She misdirected the soldiers. She hid in the recesses and archways. She fought with one goal: to escape, to survive, so that people would know the truth of what happened. There was nothing more she could do. The few faint lights that remained in the Temple were rapidly fading. She ran until she found a speeder, and she took it to the flight deck. There, she found a starfighter and she flew away. She could not endanger her family on Shili, and she knew she could never return to Coruscant. Eventually, she landed on Felucia. This planet is known for being overwhelming and confusing and terrifying, and that is how her heart is feeling. ~*~ In the past, when I finished a mission, I would send a report to Master Yoda and the rest of the Jedi Council. To whom do I send this report? Who is left to hear me? I tremble at the thought of being without companions. I feel small and vulnerable. Though the Force, I reach out to my friends, my Jedi packmates, and only emptiness answers me. How long will I be here, alone? Years? Decades? Shivering, I wrap my arms around myself, like a blanket woven of sorrow. I look up at the night sky, but I see only a never-ending, lonely abyss. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. AKL
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Myriad_Daydreams Registered: Jun '07	Date Posted: 6/26 9:22pm Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	My favorite author + My favorite character = I'll be back tomorrow when I'm awake to give a longer review, just wanted to stop by real quick and snatch first post -----signature----- Bring on the drabbles Interruptions (L/M) : http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29069384/p1/?5
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 6/27 4:07am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Beautifully vivid imagery and emotional tapestry elucidating a brave, compassionate warrior. Bravo and hug!!!!! Simply absolutely amazing (NK, who wrote it?) -----signature----- Luke/Mara, forever bound. I'd love to give them time in a bottle Wootness--drabbles are coming! Irish, Myriad, ginchy, diva--nummy as Dove chocolate More addictive
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager Digging out from Fay Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 6/27 4:41am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	That was absolutely stunning. You grabbed me with the opening, and each word after that just drew me in more. I'll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination. And when events occur that defy comprehension, even though it is the truth, perhaps imagination would be better believed. Since Truth is unreliable, I shall tell you a story, then. Gorgeous! -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. They call me NANA Vader. At least she doesn't lack confidence...
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Gina Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 6/27 6:20am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Wow! Beautiful imagery, and a stunning vignette! -----signature----- A long time ago in a house far away, there was a mother who was strong in the ways of the Force. She "forced" her sons to clean their room, she "forced" her sons to behave. - Part of a story written by my 9 yr. old sons I found while cleaning their desks
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bobafett15 Registered: Jun '08	Date Posted: 6/27 6:33am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	...well, it was well written, but kinda wierd...i liked it, but it was just kinda...out there, you know? but that doesn't matter, since you were able to paint a picture with your words. Excellent! -----signature----- Verd ori'shya beskar'gam a warrior is more than ones armour my bio page, with full stories list-http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/user.asp?usr=bobafett15
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Jade_Pilot Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 6/27 9:56am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Wow! Wow! Wow! This is quite a departure from your usual fics and it is just amazing, Sister-pilot! I know so little about this character, but your story makes me want to know more. Bravo! -----signature----- Fall semester now commencing...se habla español and more cowbell!!!
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furrylittlebantha Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 6/27 10:20am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Out there, yes--out of this world awesome out there! What a unique fic. I loved it. I had no idea who Shaak Ti is, but her story was riveting. I especially loved the formality of her narrative voice. Its rigid structure highlighted her confusion and terror very well, I thought. Super creative and awesome fic, diva! -----signature----- Master of tjace and bi0nic. Old Hutt proverb: Never look a gift Sarlaac in the mouth. All hail the Lazer Jar-Jar!
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ginchy Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 6/27 10:24am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Girl, you always just amaze me. This is so vivid and raw, and about a character I know pretty much nothing about, and yet it draws me in. You always get to the heart of any matter and write out beautifully from there. Excellent vig! -----signature----- I got a fever... and the only prescription is L/M... and MORE COWBELL!
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katriene Registered: May '08	Date Posted: 6/28 9:23pm Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	I really like how you gave us a unique point of view on a familiar event. She's trying to apply a hunter's logic to evil...makes it an even more tragic story. -----signature----- Padawan of Toastmaster Etain In training to be 'well-done!'
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divapilot Title: Forum Feud Winner Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 7/17 12:58am Subject: RE: The Hunter's Tale (Shaak Ti and Order 66)
	Myriad_Daydreams: Thanks, Myriad! I thought you might get a kick out of it, judging from your icon. Jade_Eyes: Aw, thanks! I appreciate that. For some reason, that first line just sort of hit me with Shaak Ti. Apparently, in canon, she, Yoda and Obi are the only survivors of Order 66. (Although more keep turning up as the literature gets printed.) For a person from a culture that is highly social, the isolation must have been horrible. VaderLVR64: Thank you! I’m very glad you like it. Gina: Thank you very much! I appreciate your kind words. Bobafett15: Thanks, I’m glad you liked that. It’s different, but I was working with a character who doesn’t get much screen time. Jade_Pilot: I had to look a lot up about Shaak Ti and her species. It is a bit different for me, but that is where the muse wanted to go. Thank you! Furrylittlebantha: Thank you! The formal narrative voice, as you already saw, was deliberate. It kind of goes with the line I was given. I wanted someone to look at the aftermath of Order 66 as something so incomprehensible that even relating what happened would seem like a fiction. Ginchy: Thanks so much! I liked working on this piece. I wanted to get the idea of her despair, not only of the carnage and the loss of the order, but of her being alone (literally) in the galaxy. Katriene: Thank you! Yes, I did take that approach, to “apply a hunter's logic to evil.” I tried to twist it so that the hunter becomes the prey, and the hunter is one of her own people. I would think that was a really hard fact for Shaak Ti to come to terms with. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. AKL
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