As Long as there is Hope (JA): Completed!!!

Great start, Jemmy! I've always wanted to know more about this story than what we saw in the Snapshots.

 

The more I read about Valorum the worse I think of him! A confrontation in years to come? That would be great! And what would Jemmiah think of him?

Interesting mention of that previous mission with Dex,

Great post!

 

Yeah, I've always felt there was a "dark side" to Valorum, if you'll forgive the pun!

 

Very riviting post Jem!

What has Yoda seen? I'm sure Valorum has some redeming qualities, I just don't know what they are!

 

"Wash the floors, scrub the boots, make the breakfast?"

The young girl picked up the ragged looking cloth and threw it down with a disgusted splash into the bucket of soapy water as she inched along the tiled floor in the kitchen on skinny, reddened little knees. Her routine rarely changed from day to day. If she wasn't cleaning she was invariably cooking or mending. Still, it wasn't too bad. As long as it kept THEM away from her.

The disgust turned into a grimace that twisted her pale lips, contorting the face into a mask of loathing. She'd never got any peace from them since she'd turned seven. Her tenth birthday had been just four days ago, not that she'd celebrated it particularly. It was just another date like any other in this place. Birthdays on Corellia had been big, festive occasions with cakes and presents and games. Mostly she couldn't remember her old life but there were certain things she could recall without feeling any sadness.

The cloth was fished out of the bucket and splattered down onto the ground. Hands furiously polished at the floor, intent on removing every last piece of grime and dirt. It vaguely reminded her of that fairy tale she'd once heard her mother tell her when she'd been sick; the one about the kitchen girl who'd been cruelly treated by her step mother and sisters, until her handsome prince had come to steal her away?

A deep cough from just behind her caused her to jump.

"Hello, little insect." The nasal voice hailed her as she turned round to stare up at the man, his dirty black uniform marking him out as one of the guards. "I see you're at home there on the ground. Just where you should be."

The girl said nothing. It was safer to bite her tongue.

"You've made a good job of cleaning the floor, haven't you?" he grinned, kicking over the bucket with the toe of his boot. "Whoops! You'll have to mop that up, won't you? You should be more careful?wouldn't want you to slip in that puddle and break your little neck, would you?"
"No sir." The girl lowered her eyes.
"One mistimed step and snap! That's all it would take."
"Yes sir."

He walked to within three steps of her and stood towering above, boots covered in mud and filth.

"Guess where I've been." He laughed raspingly. "Burial party. It can get mighty dirty out in the back of beyond?oh, dear." He frowned, tutting as he looked down at the trail of muck he'd spread across the once gleaming floor. "Look what I've gone and done."

"But I've just cleaned that!" the child gasped.
"Then you'll just have to clean it again, won't you? And while you're at it you can clean my boots. He stooped down and pulled them off one by one, enjoying the dismayed expression on the Corellian girl's face as she examined the floor, now awash with water and earth.

"Unhappy are you, insect?" he leered. "Know what happens to insects?"
"No sir." The eyes remained downcast.
"They get stamped on." He replied before flinging both of the heavy boots at her, which she partly managed to dodge. "I want those boots cleaned by tonight. You can bring 'em to my room." He winked at her.
"Yes sir." The girl growled at him.

She watched him turn and go, thanking the gods that she was now left alone once again to get on with her work. The mud had mixed with the water and created a small slick of brown across the tiles. It tried her patience to the limit but she knew that one thing you never showed round here was defiance. If you did you soon got it knocked out of you. Emotions were only weaknesses after all.

"Scrubbing floors." She hissed. "I hate scrubbing floors!"

Scooping up the pail in her right hand, Jemmiah went to fetch another bucket of water.

"So much for fairytales." Jemmy rubbed at her sore knees. "There's no handsome prince coming to rescue me?"

 

Little do you know Jemmy!

Have hope!

 

Oh there is Jemmy! Two of them infact! Just hang on in there!

Good post sis!

 

Hold on there, kiddo! Just a little longer...

 

I hope they get there soon! Great post!

 

Not a handsome prince, Jemmiah. Moderately good-looking, maybe... It's so sad to see here in that situation. It would be tragic if we didn't already know the ending. I do hope we get to see the mopping-up after Jemmiah's escape, too. That guard deserves some retribution!

 

Not a prince, little one, but a very handsome Knight, well, Padawan and his Master . . . but you get the picture

 

...I do hope we get to see the mopping-up after Jemmiah's escape, too. That guard deserves some retribution!

HaiGan, I think it can be arranged!

 

Yeah, have "handsome prince" and his master mop up long and hard with that guard and every other guard, too! Grrr!

 

Up! More! Please?

 

"You made it, then?" Mace flashed a rare and genuine grin as the tall, broad frame of his friend loitered uncertainly in the doorway. Even from half way across the room Mace easily picked up on the unease and edginess that Qui-Gon's body language was throwing out. Something had ruffled the large Jedi's feathers and no mistake, and it didn't take an expert to work out what was at the root of it.

Qui-Gon reluctantly decided that as he had made the effort to attend the damn party he might as well stop by for a quick drink.

For Zia.

"Evidently." Qui-Gon gestured to himself. "Unless you think I'm an apparition."
"Sith, I hope not." Mace sniffed at a rather unappetising rolled Nerf sausage in pastry. "I'd hate to think I was hallucinating you!"

Qui-Gon didn?t even smile once and Mace knew that he'd gone into one of his virtually uncommunicative moods. Well, the man might not be inclined to talk or enjoy himself but he'd try his best to get some small response out of him.

"See?" Windu continued, nodding his head towards the table with all the various bottles of wine and ales where the majority of people were happily congregating. "Somebody made it here after all! Told you he would. Corellians can sniff out alcohol from up to three miles away."

Jinn watched out the corner of his eye as Dex attempted to drink himself into a stupor by means of a variant game of Deathmatch. The blonde master seemed relaxed, as if his moments in the chapel with the old crèche master had somehow quietened his sadness, now seeking to release the last remnant of his grief by socializing with his fellow mourners. Even despite his own preoccupation Qui-Gon couldn't be anything but glad to see it. The idea of Dex with anything but a roguish smile on his lips seemed incomprehensible.

"Good." He nodded slowly. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
"He might be." Mace said through a mouthful of Nerf meat, pastry crumbs being spat into the air as he spoke much to Qui-Gon's disgust. "But what about you? Come on." The dark skinned master nudged his friend in the ribs with a bended elbow. "What's eating away at you?"

Qui-Gon rested his back against the cold, hard wall. He suddenly felt fatigued and was glad of the support it gave him, wishing he were elsewhere away from the quiet rumble of conversation that was going on in the other half of the room. Dex laughed uproariously as Gilda Amaline lost the final round of the Deathmatch game, picking up the tankard and spilling the majority of the horrendous concoction down her neck as she attempted to down it all straight off.

It was a strange feeling; he mused, being the observer in a room full of people who were happily doing their own thing. It was almost like an out of body experience. As he watched and listened in to select pieces of disjointed conversation that feeling stole upon him once more; the one that nagged and bothered and pricked at his thumbs as if something was just waiting to happen?something in the not to far distant future. Then just as quickly it was gone again, that illusive shadow of future that try as he might would not stay still long enough to be of help to him.

Qui-Gon was considered to be strong in the living force, and he was glad of it. Sometimes the unifying force felt like a curse.

"Do you ever see the future, Mace?" Qui-Gon asked cautiously, watching the open concern on the council member's face. "Do you ever get glimpses of what might be?"

Mace considered his words and nodded his confirmation. "Yes," he replied in a low voice, "I do. So does Yoda. Those strong in the unifying force are periodically subject to flashes of possible?"

"I see these glimpses of the future but rarely...however it's been happening to me ever since I left my interview with the Chancellor." Qui-Gon admitted. "I don't like this, Mace."

"The mission is an important one, Qui-Gon." Windu admitted. "We wouldn't be sending anyone out there if we didn't think there was a good reason to do this."

"Oh, I know why Valorum's asked me. I'm his friend and he needs my help." Qui-Gon star

 

What's whispering to Obi? Fight that exhaustion Jemmy, or you may end up like Beralina! We do not want that!

Qui-Gon you have no idea what's in store for you in your future!

Wonderful post Jem!

 

Kilmartra? Interesting. I liked the interaction between Mace and Qui-Gon and the part on the balcony was good as well. In fact, the whole post was great, solemn, but very good.

 

Yes, that was a very solemn post. Poor Jemmy, losing every one who's close to her. Is Jemmy getting sick, or is it just a physical manifestation of depression that her energy suddenly dwindles away? What is the Force trying to whisper to Obi-Wan? What does the word mean? I liked the way you conveyed the mood and the uneasiness of both Jedi.

 

So both Obi and Qui are uneasy about the mission? Obi must be REALLY bad if he's putting food back in the fridge!

Poor Jemmy! Not well, and losing another friend. I really feel for the poor girl.

Great post sis.

 

Touching yet tightly wound. Loved the subtle way you presented the idea that ~something~ is about to change in Our Heroes' lives.

 

OH! I didn't see this update until now! Wonderful post, Jemmy! I love how they both sense something big, tho I don't know where the whole Kilmantra thing comes from, but I guess I'll find out!

 

UUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!