Before - Legends A Drop of Rain; 15 years before TPM (sort of AU), Shmi, OC's **EPILOGUE posted 7/12/06**

Title: A Drop of Rain
Author: Beautiful_Soul
Timeframe: About 15 years before The Phantom Menace
Characters: Shmi; OC's-Ana and Sky, Karr, Walker
Genre: Drama, some action, General
Summary: Shmi deals with life after escaping from servitude, only to confront more problems on the outside world.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim too, any Star Wars characters or locations. All are creations of George Lucas and belong to him. I am borrowing them for a little while, to indulge some of my own fantasies.

This started out as a First Sentence Challenge, but I couldn't stop and now I have an entire full-on story in my head that I need to get out. So, here we go.

---

As she wandered down the hallway, she clutched the only weapon that she could find and prayed that none of the blaster bolts dancing from around the corner would find their mark in her. This was her chance, her escape. If she could only make it to the landing platform then she could stow away aboard one of the freighters that frequented this horrible planet. She gripped the piece of durasteel tighter, wiping her sweating brow with the sleeve of her grimy tunic. They were still pursuing her. She could hear them firing blasters, and hollering threats after her. Ahead she saw the door leading to the landing platform. [i]Okay, make a run for it[/i], she thought, psyching herself up to bolt to the door and through it. As she leapt from her position and sped through the door she found herself bouncing off something and she was on the ground, her backside sore from crashing to the floor. Glancing up she saw an old, white-haired man smiling down on her. Shmi eyed the man apprehensively and grasped his outstretched hand so he could help her up.

He continued to smile at Shmi as she brushed off her backside and watched him with a weary eye. [i]This man was not one of Karr?s[/i], she thought.

?Whe?ya headin? in sucha hur?y?? He asked her in the unmistakable drawl of a man with little education under his belt.

The blaster firing was starting to echo down the hall Shmi had just run from, and as a loose shot whizzed past her ear, she moved to the side of the doorway, pulling the man with her and lowering the blast door.

?I need to get outta here! Do you have a ship?? She asked, making no effort to hide her desperation or the urgency of her escape.

The man?s smile faltered. ?Me wife and I got a ship. ?S there some trouble about??

Shmi nodded as she punched the locking mechanism on the door. It wouldn?t hold them back for long, but all she needed was a few minutes. ?Please, sir, I?ll explain everything if you?ll just get me off this planet. Please!? Shmi was on the verge of tears, and without realizing it she had grasped the man?s hands in her own and was pressing them to her chest.

?Calm down there, girlie. Ya think yer life depended on me,? he said, pulling his hands from her grasp. Shmi smiled thankfully, hazarded one last glance at the locked door as if to make sure it hadn?t opened in the past minute, then she followed the old man on board his ship.

Karr was powerful, but not powerful enough to prevent the ship from leaving the atmosphere and making the jump to Hyperspace. Shmi paced in the cargo bay where the old man told her to wait, and she didn?t relax until the old man came back and told her they were already in Hyperspace.

Shmi felt like she wanted to collapse on the floor, the adrenaline of her escape finally wearing off. Her knees shaky she resigned herself to just sitting on one of the cargo containers in the bay.

?Okay, girlie, we?re outta danger, now what?s with ya?? the old man sat next to her on the container.

Shmi shook her head and laughed, ?I don?t know where to even begin.?

?The beginnin? is usually purty good,? the old man grinned at Shmi.

?Well, my name is Shmi,? she held her hand out to the old man.

?I?m Sky,? he grasped her hand firmly, shaking it. ?Wher?ya from, Shmi??

?Well, I don?t know. Ever since I can remember

 

OOOH this is very interesting!!

Wonderful beginning, you have me hooked!

Ana?s warm, wrinkled hand reached over and grasped Shmi?s. The two women looked at each other, and Shmi, for the first time in her life, felt that she might just be able to make a normal life for herself.

aww... but I have a bad feeling..

Please PM me with updates if you can!

 

Nice! You did a great job with this!

 

I've come to join the PM list. Pretty Please

And I still really like this.

 

I'm hooked, love what you've done so far Soul!

 

I just wanted to let people know, I haven't forgotten about Shmi...I was hoping to have an update by today-but it's not looking likely, and in a few hours I'm off for a long holiday weekend-no computers allowed.

I will update this once I get back as I have most of the update done, it just needs a bit of fine tuning. Thanks for your patience!

JOINME-I'll PM as soon as I update, thanks for reading, I'm glad you are liking it so far!

VaderLVR64-thanks also for reading-I appreciate the kind words

Lola64-I will also PM you as soon as I update, I never realized how hard writing Before was going to be...but I'm glad you like it so far!

correllian_ale-I'm happy I hooked you-please come back for more (hopefully soon!)

 

A/N: Since I am not very knowledgeable about the time Before the Saga-I have created some characters, and may be using planets that are known for other things during this timeframe (or completely creating new planets). Please forgive my ignorance, I have tried to do as much research as I can, with my limited time and resources, but for the sake of getting this story out (and for my own sanity!), I am going to start cutting certain corners in my research, namely about most of the planets that are not well known (I may even make some of them up-who knows!). Thanks!
So, I guess I need to label this somewhat AU-if I?m making up planets and such?oh well. On with the update.

---

Ana hadn?t been kidding about the heat and the sun; or suns, as Shmi was amazed to notice two suns in Tatooine?s sky. They had landed in a place called Motesta on Tatooine. Shmi saw more aliens in the few minutes it took them to walk from the ship to the cantina than she?d ever seen in her life. She tried not to appear rude and stare, but some of these aliens she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams!

As the trio entered the cantina, Shmi had to blink against the sudden darkness. Her eyes took a moment to adjust but when they did she was confronted with a scene of apparent chaos.

The center area was teeming with more alien life forms, all shouting and passing empty glasses across the bar for refills. There was a band in one corner-made up of some interesting looking aliens with huge bald heads and long fingers with bulbous tips. The floor of the bar was covered with tables, most of which also had alien life seated.

Shmi followed Sky and Ana as they crossed the cantina to the far back wall where a pale being with long tentacles growing from its head and small, beady eyes stood in front of a door. Shmi knew this species; she had seen Twi?lek?s doing business with Karr.

The Twi?lek spoke to them in a language Shmi had never heard before. She watched them speak, moving her head between Ana, Sky, and the Twi?lek. She recognized the name Hurilla, and could only guess that was who was waiting behind this door.

There was more talking, Sky speaking almost heatedly to the Twi?lek. Out of the corner of her eye, Shmi saw Ana glance at her with a look of concern on her face. She quickly smiled when she noticed Shmi watching them so intently. Shmi returned the smile hesitantly and after a few more words the three of them were ushered into a large, dank, dimly lit room.

Shmi immediately noticed the smell. It was rank, like a stagnant swamp. She resisted the urge to cover her nose. Shmi followed behind Ana and Sky as they crossed the room alternating breathing out her nose, and her mouth. That was then she saw it. And rude or not Shmi couldn?t help but stare. It was the biggest, ugliest thing she?d ever seen. She couldn?t believe it was intelligent, let alone ruthless and cruel as Ana and Sky had claimed.

?Meet Hurilla Crii Jundies, or Hurilla the Hutt, as she likes to be called,? Ana leaned over and whispered to Shmi. Shmi nodded, her mouth slightly agape, still in shock at the size of this creature.

It was huge, easily 5 meters in length, and though it sat on a large pedestal, it was still at least 3 meters tall.

As Shmi stared ([i]it looks like a gigantic space slug,[/i] Shmi thought) the large creature started speaking to Ana and Sky in the same language the Twi?lek had been using. There was some back and forth dialogue, Hurilla sounding angry. As Shmi watched and listened, she guessed they were talking about her. Ana had gestured towards Shmi, speaking her name.

?She wanted to know who you were,? Ana whispered after it appeared Hurilla was somewhat calmed by the apparently unnerving presence of Shmi.

Sky took over speaking after that, and Ana leaned in to translate some of the conversation to Shmi.

?Sky is completing the transaction. The goods we smuggled off Kal?Shebbol are worth a lot to her,? Ana whispered. Shmi wondered what on earth could be worth so much to thi

 

aw, you write Shmi so beautifully.

She wanted to experience as much as she could about this universe before she lost her chance.
She is so much like her future son in that regard.
She's got this wide eyed sort of innocence about her.

Only her first name and the necklace?

That's interesting

She was comfortable, and being treated as an equal for the first time in her life. Something was bound to go wrong.
I hope not! but I feel it will...

Update again soon, this is a great fic!

 

Chapter 2 is here.

I agree with JOINME on all counts.

I was afraid that Ana and Sky were going to give her to the Hutt right then and there. *Wipes brow* Glad they didn't or the story would be over already.

And I also agree with you Beautiful_Soul about writing Before. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole if it wasn't for that darn first sentence challenge, which has kind of changed, for the better, and to give new meaning to the word challenge: if you hadn't seen yet.

This was great and I'm looking forward to the next installment, when you can of course.

 

JOINME-Shmi is definately innocent at this point. I wish I could keep her as such-but I'm afraid it's not meant to be. Nice pickup on the necklace...that will come back into play.

Lola-Yes! Before is sooo hard to write. I hope I'm doing it okay! I guess it's what I make it. and here's a tiny teaser-we'll be seeing the Hutts again, and again...

 

Well, here's a new update. The first half is kind of wierd-I don't know if I like it or if it works-let me know???

---

The planet Marr was dark, covered in a dense cloud of smog, a byproduct of the lucrative mining of the planet. Marr was one of many mining worlds that relied greatly on exportation of the precious alloy that was present in the heavily metallic soil of the large planet. The compound present on Marr (Xyunthal, as Sky had told Shmi) was one of the most important alloys added to durasteel to help sustain a ships structural integrity through hyperspace travel.

There was little sunlight that found its way through the thick layer of detritus in the atmosphere, and as a result there was little native wild plant life. The planet was essentially dead, the inhabitants relying on outsiders to provide them with essential nutrients basic to all life and large factories to produce breathable air.

The native Marrians, according to Sky and Ana, were a sexless species-neither male, nor female. As such, they took great notice of females of other species. Therefore, as Sky led Ana and Shmi off the ship, they were all dressed in loose cloaks with hats the covered their hair.

Walking through the streets, Shmi was at a loss. In her darkest time she never found herself in such a dismal place as this planet. She felt positive if she weren?t covered in a full body cloak that her skin would positively glow. And walking through the streets Shmi caught her first sight of the Marrians; they were such a pasty, dull gray color and had flat, lifeless eyes. Shmi was beyond understanding how they could choose to live on this world-but when she followed Sky and Ana into the café where they were meeting their contact, she began to understand.

The planet was rich. Though it looked hostile and dirty on the outside, inside it was elegant, and brightly colored, as if to make up for the lack of color outside. Even the café they were in had an air of pretentiousness. The booths and seats were covered in a deep burgandy cloth that looked positively heavenly to sit upon. The walls and ceilings were covered in light fixtures that were not only ornate, but issued a warm glow that created a pleasant ambience. Shmi shook her head at the persistent contradictions she kept encountering in this universe.

As they walked through the café, the threesome elicited a few strange looks at their cloaked appearance.

?Aren?t we being obvious, covering ourselves like this? Won?t someone assume we have something to hide?? Shmi whispered to Ana as they walked through the café, the dull, grey eyes of the Marrians glancing over them for a moment before turning back to their food and conversation.

Ana shook her head. ?It?s a trade world. A port to move in and out. They see weirder things, trust me.?

Shmi nodded, but was still leery. It was all too strange and it kept getting stranger.

At the back of the café they went through a door and found themselves in another room where another Marrian sat before yet another door, wearing two large blasters on his hips. He stood at the sight of them and moved his hand to one of the blasters.

The alien paused as Sky spoke to him in what Shmi could only guess was the native Marrian language.

The armed Marrian let them through the door he had been guarding, and they followed a long, dark hallway that opened up into a large, bright room, full of green plants and cascading pools of deep blue water.

Shmi caught her breath as she took in the room. If she didn?t know she was inside and that direct light from the sun didn?t permeate the cloud of smog, she would have sworn they were out in the warm sun.

?Please, enter,? a gravelly voice spoke in Basic. They all turned to face another Marrian behind them. This one wasn?t quite as pale and grey as the other?s they?d seen.

?Greetings, Sky. I was told you were here, I was in great shock,? Shmi smiled at the truly basic form of Basic he was using.

Sky bowed, and Ana and Shmi followed his example.

?Hello

 

I'm so behind in my reading Soul. Sorry it's taking me so long to respond.

Again, wonderful post.

It's great that she gets to explore some before Shmi somehow gets sold to the Hutts.

And that dream? Wow.

Shmi, who hadn?t taken the necklace off since the original chain had broken many years ago, looked at the tiny charm in her hand. She was certain it was a symbol from her home.

Shmi turned the charm over in her hand, examining the back. Two initials, S.W., were hastily carved on the back.

Great storyline. I do hope she gets some clues on her journeys with Sky and Ana.

It'll be even better if the boy lived and she could find him and her identity.

S.W. I'll ponder that a while until the next post.

 

Lola-thanks for the feedback, for awhile I was afraid that the update sucked so bad that people were afraid to leave any feedback!

But that's just paranoid old me...

The story has now taken a twist I never expected-I hate it when that happens

---

Shmi slowly opened her eyes. For a moment she wasn?t sure where she was, but as the events of the previous few days came flooding back she fully remembered.

Sighing she sat up, stretching her sore neck and stiff back. She paused at the full height of her stretch. She couldn?t hear anything. It was silent. [i]We must have landed,[/i] Shmi thought, as she stood and made her way out into the hall of the small, silent ship. She paused again, listening. She thought she caught soft murmurs coming from the cargo hold. Slowly and stealthily she crept down the hall, the closer she came to the cargo hold, the louder the murmuring became.

?Is this it?? Shmi heard a deep voice ask.

?That?s what I got,? Shmi heard Sky say.

Shmi slowly crept up to the open doorway leading to the cargo hold. She stuck her head around the corner and saw Sky and a large, bearded man dressed in all manner of clothing. The man was holding the box of silvery, metallic pebbles they had brought from Marr. The two men were staring into the box, the larger man was swirling the tiny pebbles around with the fingers of his loose hand.

After what felt like an infinity of silence, the man finally nodded in apparent approval. Without another word, he closed the box of Xyunthal and handed Sky another, smaller box, and he turned and left.

Shmi waited for the echoes of the man?s footfalls to descend the ramp, and she stepped out from her spot and crossed the hold to Sky.

?How long have we been here?? Shmi asked, smiling as Sky turned, a startled look on his face.

?Finally woke up, didya!? Sky teased.

?We been here about three standard hours. Ana tried to wake ya, but you were dead to the universe,? Sky commented distractedly as he lifted the lid of the small box and peered inside. His eyes moved quickly over the contents, than he shut the lid and pocketed the tiny box.

?Where is Ana?? Shmi asked, when it was evident Sky wasn?t going to share anything about the business deal he?d just completed.

?Oh, she?s out an? about. Shopping, getting? supplies, making a few necessary stops,? Sky suddenly eyed Shmi up and down, and Shmi felt slightly self-conscious.

?You need some new duds,? Sky stated, as if it was fact and not up for debate. She looked down at her clothes, trying to see them as Sky did. She knew her monocolor grey pants and tunic were grimy and starting to come apart at the seams.

?Well, that?s a wonderful idea, but how do you propose I obtain these new, duds, as you call them?? Shmi asked. ?I?ve got nothing to spend, and nothing worth any value to sell,? Shmi unconsciously raised her hand to her throat, as if to make sure her necklace was still there.

Sky nodded. ?I know yer situation, Ana an? I have talked, and we?re willing to loan you some coin so you can get some decent clothes.?

Shmi opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by Sky?s raised hand. He shook his head as he reached into one of his pockets and brought out some large, round coins. He looked at what was in his hand, than reached out to give them to Shmi. She accepted them without argument, and was surprised at their weight. There was no money on Kal?Shebbol, everything was done in trade there. Shmi smiled appreciatively.

?I?ll pay you back,? she insisted. Sky shrugged.

?We aren?t so worried,? Sky turned and headed back into the core of the ship, calling back over his shoulder, ?Be careful out there. It?s a safe port, but there are still them who would take advantage. We aren?t in any hur?y, so take yer time.?

Shmi smiled at Sky?s retreating back, and felt an overwhelming surge of affection for the old couple. [i]Where would I be if I hadn?t run into him?[/i] Shmi thought as she turned and took a step towards the lowered ramp.

No

 

Don't worry Soul. I'll always be here.

And I love how this is playing out.

Shmi slept for three days? I wish I had three days to sleep.

I wonder what's in the little box Sky received? Is it relevant to Shmi's future as a slave?

Not surprised the symbol was a Jedi one. But I was surprised at this: It was a controversial branch of the Order

Most interesting, most interesting indeed.

 

Woa Soul, this story has really drawn me in, I love your background story on one of Star Wars forgotten main characters (along with Lando Calrissian) Sorry it took me so long to catch-up, I love this fic!

Can't wait for more....

 

I have been trying to deal with a bit of writers block on this particular fic. I know where the story needs to go but I can't seem to write the words to get it there. So, for my few readers, and any of you lurking, I wanted to reassure you I am still working on this. It just might be a little while longer.

 

Cool beans (kind of), I stopped by to see if I had missed a post.

I completely sympathize Soul; I'm having the same exact problem with Vyyk. Because it's worth it I will continue to wait patiently.

Plus, it gives me time to check out all those other fics I've been meaning to read. Just PM me when ya update!

 

An update!!!! It's been a long time in development, and I think I've tweaked it as much as I dare-because really I can't stand to work on this chapter much longer.

Thanks for reading, and for your patience!

---

[i]A symbol of the Jedi Order[/i], the words rang through Shmi?s head as she poked at her food, unable to stop dwelling on the new clue she had been given. [i]What did that mean? Was she a descendant of a Jedi? [/i]

Shortly after Shmi had returned from her shopping, Ana had come back with her arms full of parcels. There were meats, canned vegetables, and other non-perishable foodstuffs. The arrival of the groceries had distracted Shmi from thoughts of the sweet roll she?d forgotten to buy, but not from the words Hena had spoken to her, [i]Jedi Knights[/i]. She would be eternally grateful to that short, plump shop owner, and Shmi promised herself she would return the favor, someday.

?Did you have a nice trip into town??

Shmi smiled at Ana and nodded, taking a bite of the food instead of moving it aimlessly around her plate.

Shmi wanted so badly to confide in the older couple, but felt a slight hesitation, a fear. Whatever it was, she wasn?t ready to let them that far in yet. So Shmi sat silently at the table, answering their questions, but not directing any conversation. She didn?t even care to find out where it was they were going next. All Shmi could see was the next few hours when Ana and Sky would be sleeping, and she could once again peruse the datapads for any information about the Jedi Knights. Now that she had a narrow field to focus on Shmi had a feeling she would very soon find out that which she desired most to know.

Where was she from, and who was her family?

[hr]

Outside the Kianna?s Dream, the stars of distant systems were gliding by, unnoticed by the occupants inside. The ship sliced through the silent black of space, reflecting the twinkling of thousands of stars and suns. In the far, far distance a dying star gasped its last breaths and collapsed in a soundless fury, pulling asteroids and space garbage into its vacant gravity field.

The sudden increased pull of gravity traveled through space and disrupted (if only slightly) the course of the Kianna?s Dream. Inside the ship Ana and Sky were asleep and Shmi was seated in the small kitchen area, bent over one of Sky?s datapads. She barely felt the waver of the floor beneath her as the intense gravitational pull altered the set course of the small ship. Her eyes were feasting on the rich and much lauded history of the Jedi Knights.

Shmi had heard stories regaling the powers of the mystical Jedi but she had never really believed these stories. Certain they, like other myths she?d been confronted with, were simply extreme exaggerations, tall tales. But seeing the stories she?d heard all her life in print before her, she began to believe in their truths.

It was a millennia-old Order, the Jedi Knights being Guardians of Peace in the galaxy. They weren?t soldiers and they weren?t police but they maintained a peace-acting as negotiators and mediators. The Jedi owned no possessions, and never married (when she read this Shmi felt her hopes of Jedi parentage die). They carried only a lightsaber as a weapon. It was a type of sword that they constructed on their own, powered by crystals from a planet called Ilum. Strength with The Force guided them in their duty to uphold peace.

Shmi devoured the information, the strong traditions and deep commitment these Knights must have to live such a life. But slowly her frustration was growing. She hadn?t found anything thus far that offered information about the symbol she wore.

The necklace charm consisted of three hollow teardrop-shaped forms, all intertwined at the wide end, the points flaring outward. Each of the ?leaves? was a slightly different shade of gray and where the three pieces connected a tiny but bright blue gem glistened.

Shmi tore her glazed eyes away from the harsh glare of the screen readout, and leaning back she close

 

Wonderful update Soul.

Although I find it awesome that they somehow wound up at Enson. I'm very afraid of why they were drawn there.

Nope I don't like that there was a Massacre that no one could explain. Sounds very Sithlike to me.

I'm very interested to see what will happen next.

 

Wonderful update, but I agree with Lola, the eerie drawing of course was very creepy Soul.

This fic is just sooo original and intersesting that I'm filing an injunction with the Galactic Senate, imploring them to debate and serve a resolution that you update soon, and often.

 

Lola-I hope this update intriques you more... Thanks for reading!
correllian_ale-thank you for reading as well. I fear that this story is too original that no one is reading! But, I will forge ahead (if only to avoid punishment by the Senate!)!

---

Reading about Esnon did nothing to prepare Shmi for the stark ugliness of the planet?s surface. In fact the more Shmi saw of the dark, black-surfaced ball of rock, the less she wanted to be there.

Shmi, Ana and Sky had landed near an abandoned settlement that the Kianna?s Dream?s sensors detected. Landing on the outskirts of that settlement, the threesome were now wandering among the ruination. Collapsed walls and crumbling foundations were all that remained of what must have been a substantial town.

Shmi guessed the deteriorated condition of the abandoned city was due to the weather. Though it wasn?t cold, there were great gusts of wind and from the buildup of clouds in the distance it appeared there were rainstorms, probably occurring quite often.

The three companions wandered in silence. The only sound the wind as it whistled through the vacant, crumbling buildings. It didn?t take them long to traverse the settlement. At the other end of the ghost town they turned and faced where they had come from, the Kianna?s Dream at the end of their line of sight in the far distance.

?I don?t see nothin? here,? Sky turned to Shmi. Shmi shook her head.

?Me either,? she responded, wondering if she had met another dead end in her quest for answers.

?I guess we should walk back through, maybe we missed something?? Shmi said questioningly as she started forward again.

?I wouldn?t move, girlie,? Shmi heard Sky say, his voice rough. Shmi slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder.

Behind Sky and Ana were standing three men dressed in dirty, rough looking clothes. Two were holding primitive looking blasters at Ana and Sky, while the third had his weapon leveled at Shmi.

?Better listen to the old man, girlie,? the one with the blaster pointed at Shmi offered.

Shmi slowed rotated on her feet, until she was facing the grungy, bearded man. She nodded and raised her hands, hoping he understood that she didn?t want anyone hurt.

?What?re you doin? here?? He asked, his eyes never leaving Shmi.

?Just lookin? ?round is all,? Sky spoke, giving Shmi a quick wink.

Shmi was glad for his attempt to reassure her, but she didn?t feel much better about the situation.

?Looking for what?? he asked, still staring at Shmi with fierce intensity.

Sky opened his mouth to answer, but Shmi cut him off.

?I think I lived here as a young child,? she blurted. Ana widened her eyes in surprise but she and Sky remained silent.

The man with the blaster pointed at Shmi didn?t respond. He narrowed his eyes at her, than lowered his weapon. The other two men did the same.

?I must be crazy,? was all he said.

Shmi smiled nervously and lowered her hands to her side. The six strangers stared at each other for a moment.

?Why do you think you lived here on this forgotten rock?? the man asked as he holstered his blaster.

Shmi sighed, fearful for some unknown reason about telling his man, and his companions, about her necklace, and her dreams.

When she didn?t answer right away the man took a step towards her.

?Well?? He asked impatience evident in his tone.

Shmi considered her options, deciding that she wouldn?t reveal the necklace just yet.

?I?ve had dreams about this place,? she lied, ?Dreams about a symbol of three leaf-like pieces intersecting at their bases, with a bright blue jewel in the center.? Shmi saw the man?s face register something as she described the symbol.

?Hm,? was all he offered, his face once again void of expression. He stood silent for a moment

?Follow,? he said finally, turning to head out the end of the deserted settlement, his tone indicating it wasn?t really a request. Shmi started after him, hearing Sky and Ana stumbling through debris just behind her. The tw

 

What's wrong with Ana and Sky?

This is getting very interesting. I'd like to see how Shmi is going to answer Zek's last question.

Great update, as always Soul.

 

A very interseting puzzle you've placed before us soul, I can't wait for the next update. Perhaps those invaders were Sith?

Maybe Ana & Sky are more than they seem to be?

 

Thanks once again, Lola, and C_ale, for reading! It's been a long time coming, but here is another update. I hope I am not making this too difficult for myself and for you to follow-let me know if there are confusing elements! And enjoy! I will tell you that there will be many questions you won't get direct answers for, but you can infer what you wish from it!

---

[hr]
[hr]

?So my question-if you are from here-is how did you manage to survive??

Zek?s question hung in the air like words in the funny books Shmi remembered reading when she was little.

She remained silent, feeling the stares of everyone in the cave. Her necklace, the one with the same symbol that had been present on the peak of the abandoned temple, felt hot against her skin.

?I don?t know. I just did. I have no memory of my childhood,? Shmi finally answered, detecting a slight exhale of relief from Sky.

?Just your dreams,? Zek repeated, looking at Shmi closely, like he was trying to read her thoughts.

?Right. Except for the dreams I don?t know or remember anything,? Shmi affirmed, starting to get an uneasy feeling from Zek herself.

?Well, do you have any more questions for me?? Zek asked, dropping his own line of questioning and leaning forward as if to stand. Shmi shook her head and Zek smiled, slapping his hands on his legs. ?Good, now if you?ll excuse me for just a moment, I need to make sure these two nerfherders are packing the cargo correctly.?

Shmi nodded and watched Zek move to the rear of the cave where his two men were struggling with a crate.

With Zek out of earshot, Shmi swung her body back to face Ana and Sky. ?What is wrong with you two?? She questioned, her voice low.

?It took me a little while to place him, but Zek is not the nice guy he appears to be,? Sky leaned forward and spoke.

Shmi narrowed her eyes and shook her head. ?Why? What do you know??

Sky leaned forward more. Shmi glanced over her shoulder where Zek was still occupied with his men and his cargo.

?Just before we met ya, I was in a biddin? war with another shipper (as we call ourselves) for the job that led you to us. The reason I won the job was ?cause the other guy lost his whole crew in a freak accident on entering Tatooine?s atmosphere. All us other shipper?s heard about it and it didn?t sound like no accident I?d ever heard of. It was said that the ship?s cargo doors opened while they were descending, and all the crew were sucked out into the upper atmosphere. Only the pilot survived.? Sky stopped and gestured to Zek. ?Makes you wonder what he was carryin? that made him so ruthless and murderin?.?

Shmi considered Sky?s words. She had gotten what information she?d wanted from Zek, so it was time they parted ways. She didn?t like the feel of him anyway, the way he stared at her was slightly unsettling.

?What you all talkin? ?bout?? Shmi started at the voice of Zek just behind her.

?We were just talking about taking off. I mean, leaving you to your business, and we can get back to ours,? Shmi stood and smiled nervously at Zek.

Zek returned the smile but his eyes remained untouched and cold. ?We?ve got to be on our merry way too,? he responded. ?I hope you find what you are looking for, Shmi,? Zek spoke to Shmi, reaching his hand out.

?Thanks for the food,? Shmi answered dumbly, taking his hand for a moment before Sky was pulling her from him.

?Yes, thankee,? Sky echoed, as he gently pulled Shmi away from Zek.

Zek didn?t say another word, he just watched them retreat. Shmi kept her eyes on him as well, until they had rounded the bend in the cave that led back to the outside and he fell from her sight.

?I?m sure glad to be outta there. That man is full of nothing good,? Ana finally spoke. Shmi looked to her friend, glad to see that her color was slowly returning.

?Well, at least we got a little information from him,? Sky said.

Shmi nodded but didn?t respond as the three of them slowly walked back towards the ruined settlement.

Not long

 

I for one, don't mind unanswered questions in the pieces I read; provided they are answered by the end; it makes them that more enjoyable.

I could play the guessing game, but I won't, I'll enjoy the story as it plays out.

Entering the temple once again Shmi found it was darker than before. The sun, which had climbed in the sky while they had been in the cave with Zek, was now setting behind the tall cliff, allowing little light to reach inside the temple. The shadows felt very dark and dense, and the echoes of Shmi?s worn shoes sounded muted to her ears. Shmi slowly walked to the rear of the large room where there were no windows adorning the wall.

Your descriptions of Shmi's senses upon entering the temple at dusk were wonderfully creepy.

The letter begins a new twist, so no questions here. I'll just ponder the possibilites until the next post. So don't take too long!

Bravo!