"Blood is Thicker Than...." (Noghri/ Post- Ep.III/ Jedi Purge) (Updated 4/19!!)

* * *

The next day Sakhisakh woke to the sounds of Pirakash and Senika wrestling and laughing on the floor beside her bottom bunk. Relkivik?s voice interjected fits of giggling and the straining breaths took to overpower an opponent.

She opened her eyes and sat up carefully, patting the bandages on her leg to ensure that her wound was not bleeding or the poultices coming loose. She and Pirakash had entered the night before to find Senika sleeping already and Relkivik lost in thought, with a slight atmosphere of brooding in the room. She had briefly wondered if the two had fought, and because of her naturally easygoing personality and tendency to be peacemaker, had asked if anything was wrong. When she couldn?t get any answers out of Relkivik, she and Pirakash glanced at each other, shrugged, and made ready for bed.

With the fresh start of morning, however, any arguments had apparently evaporated. Her human friend wore dark brown pants and an evergreen top, while Pirakash was still in her rust colored night garments. And, Sahkisakh observed, Senika had nearly beat Pirakash at wrestling.

Still, it was only a matter of time until?

Pirakash coiled her remaining weight, pulling Senika?s arms immobile, and rocked forward hard.

Thump!

With a victorious cry from Pirakash, Senika was dislodged and slammed into the wall.

?Agh!? Senika complained with a smile on her face, ?You always use that on me! And there?s no way to stop it!?

Pirakash grinned broadly. ?Or maybe there is and I just haven?t shown you yet.?

?I?ll learn, one day, just you watch,? Senika mock-threatened, shaking a fist.

Relkivik laughed and gave Senika a hand up, and Sakhisakh was just opening her mouth to greet them a good-morning, when Beytakilena opened the door.

?Up at last are we? Lazy teenagers,? she reprimanded cheerfully, ?Come along, breakfast is ready.?

The troupe followed her from the room and dug into the spread of fruits, bread, and cheeses with relish, devouring the meal as only hungry teenagers could. Sakhisa continued to be amazed at the technology the ship boasted, though Pirakash told her it was standard in a lot of the galaxy and even in Nystao. Living in Omnipar, she had never seen things run by electricity or engines, or had a primitive robot that did the dishes for her. It was certainly an interesting experience.

The next few days on the voyage to Coruscant began to follow a pattern. Sakhisa, Pirakash, Takrevor, Vor?corkh, Relkivik and Senika divided their time between practing stava, sparring, relaxing and reading up information on Coruscant and the Core Worlds that the main computer offered them.

Relkivik and Senika, inseparable as always, found the most interesting thing for entertainment was the ship itself, as Ichebar and Bakfulor would give long discourses in the operation of the ship before shooing them off. When the grown-ups weren?t in the cockpit, Senika and Relkivik occupied it, learning its secrets and figuring out for themselves out the vessel was run. Gradually, they learned how they could fly it themselves.

Sakhisa, personally, was timid about the ship. She laid awake in the dark the second night on the ship, when she wasn?t so incredibly tired, and found she couldn?t fall asleep. In Omnipar, the nights were silent and still, so that you could hear someone two houses away coughing if it was loud enough. On the ship, however, the engines hummed constantly, and to her imagination, the sound seemed to increase from a gentle hum to a malicious roar, seeking to grow and grow till it shook the ship apart and scattered them to the coldness of space.

Maybe it was the anxiety of Sakhisa and Takrevor that Ichebar made the decision to stop in Taanab on the last day of their voyage. Of course, his explanation of stopping for supplies could have been true as well, or maybe he just wanted them to see a regular-sized planet before they were shown Coruscant in jaw-dropping moment. Later on, Sakhisa admitted that Taanab was a good idea, for Corus

 

* * *

Does every spaceport in the galaxy look exactly the same?

The thought was as jaded and tired as its owner, a rough, misused looking character surrounded in every direction with ruffians and scourge more tough and beaten than even himself.

The Clone Wars were certainly taking their toll on the galaxy, people on every planet seemed to be thinner, wearier and more fearful looking these days. He was growing up in bad times, that was for sure.

Of course, it was even worse if you were a Jedi.

Keshaiah Midanyl pulled the thick black cloak, with dirty, tattered edges that smelled like sweat and dried blood, more tightly around his body, hiding the slender silver weapon that hung with a heavy, condemning weight at his side. He sunk back slightly further into the shadow of the building, wanting to remain as inconspicuous and unobtrusive as possible.

At eighteen, Keshaiah was wiser and more knowledgeable in the ways of the universe than many beings hope to ever become. He was medium height for his age, with a handsome face, unruly dark hair, and solemn, deep brown eyes that spoke of a full-blooded Corellian heritage. He tended to take a humorous outlook on life, a trait which had grown into a somewhat sarcastic tendency with the difficulties of the past few years, as his Master, Shen Wai, had noted frequently.

He was pushed against a wall in the Pandath spaceport on Tanaab, watching the passing crowd in the marketplace carefully for a comrade he sincerely hoped would make the appointment. One never knew if a Jedi would survive a simple hyperspace trip nowadays.

He sighed and shifted uneasily, trying to get more comfortable.

Forget it, he decided, I?m going for a walk around. If Barriss gets here, she can try waiting for a while.

Master Shen Wai was also fond of noting his lack of progress in the skill of patience.

The hood of the Jedi cloak hid almost his entire face, with only his chin visible, but he could see the numerous inhabitants and denizens of the spaceport quite easily. He strolled along, feeling more relaxed now that he was moving, and stretched out curiously with the Force, gleaning little bits of information about the people he passed by.

He felt a strange ripple in the Force suddenly, and turned his head left and right hurriedly, looking for something menacing or dangerous. Yet, calming down seconds later, he realized that the ripple had receded almost instantaneously. It was only like a brief touch of fire, burning the skin for a moment and then leaving only a stinging pain as a souvenir.


* * *

Senika looked frantically around the market place, trying to catch sight of Relkivik. The dope had scampered off on her, cruelly leaving her to her own devices in a place larger and busier than she?d ever seen in her life. She pulled the sky-blue cloak tightly over her shoulders, feeling very lost, scared, and greatly annoyed.

Determinedly, she started walking in the direction she?d last seen her friend, preparing to give him a good earful when she found him.

A flash of black caught her eye, and she ducked towards it, easily slipping through the mayhem and pressing force of the crowd. It was a testament to her Noghri upbringing that she moved like a wraith, without a sound or disturbance to anyone in proximity, barely stirring the air with her movement. And her reflexes were quick.

So quick in fact, that her hand darted immediately towards the movement of something black to her right side?


* * *

?Ahah!?

?Dear sweet son of a-!?

Keshaiah was more startled by the speed and stealth of the attack than any pain it caused him. The feel of a firm human hand suddenly grabbing his elbow shocked him so much that his hand went immediately to the lightsaber at his side and he whirled to face his attacker.

Reflex had made him go for the weapon, but common sense overrode it the next millisecond. He stared down at his attacker with an awed curiosity.

A petite young girl, looking about his age

 

Up for this!

 

Okay, huge apologies for having missed three posts! I?m so sorry, you know how much I like this story, but I had so many things going on? *lip trembles* You?re not mad, are you?

Anyway?

?Hey!? Senika exclaimed, ?I had dibs on that!?

?Not until you earn it!? Relkivik replied with a jovial smirk.

Such cute interaction! I love how sibling-like they are. Great characterizations on both sides. I liked the reflection on Noghri weapons, very interesting and something I hadn?t thought about before. They really are very serious warriors.

Living in Omnipar, she had never seen things run by electricity or engines, or had a primitive robot that did the dishes for her. It was certainly an interesting experience.

I hadn?t thought about that at all, but it is true that Senika is somewhat deficient in that respect, compared to other humans her age. Of course, she can always just attack them with Noghri ceremonial knives if they tease her.

Does every spaceport in the galaxy look exactly the same? *grins* Yes, yes it does.

The thought was as jaded and tired as its owner, a rough, misused looking character surrounded in every direction with ruffians and scourge more tough and beaten than even himself.

I really like this description of Keshaiah. Poor guy, and he?s only eighteen. Do I sense a love interest for Senika? *crosses her fingers* That girl could do with some lovin?. Then again, who couldn?t?

Yet, calming down seconds later, he realized that the ripple had receded almost instantaneously. It was only like a brief touch of fire, burning the skin for a moment and then leaving only a stinging pain as a souvenir.

Besides the lovely, beautiful description, this line is very interesting? Does Senika have some Force talent? Hmmm? Ooh, and Keshaiah is going to Coruscant too! Very interesting encounter between the two, and I particularly like that he?s Corellian. Yum yum. Great posts, TK, can?t wait to see what happens once they reach Coruscant!

 

Wheeee! You reviewed!

Thanks very much for the comments, I'm glad you like Keshaiah. I really looked forward to writing their meeting, and I think it's safe to say their paths will cross again.

*snickers evilly*

Oh, what plans I have in store for little Senika....

 

Well, just be nice, alright? *is a little worried*