Saga Eye of the Storm: Alchemy, post-Order 66, OCs, romance, drama, final in series, updated 10/19/15

@gracesonnet - I hope you get to go swimming, soon! True summer is almost upon us, at least. Thank you for reading!​

Note: A bit more time-jumping here, going back just a few minutes...​

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Chapter Twelve: Anticipation​

No one tried to talk me out of my decision, because there would have been no point, as I would not have listened. The catch came when Djinn told me that the Council had asked to send a representative with me – someone to look over my shoulder and take notes on my actions, no doubt. However, despite my misgivings, I resolved to keep my annoyance to myself and focused on the task at hand.

The other “request” from the Council was that I share my research for their Archives, which I was amenable to; the spreading of knowledge is always necessary, after all.

On the eve of my departure, as I was packing up the last of what few things I called my own, there came a knock at my door. I looked up, annoyed, because really, who knocks anymore? Of course I couldn't tell who it was, so I opened the door, quite prepared to give whoever was on the other side a good tongue-lashing for disturbing me.

But for once in my life I was speechless.

*​

Several minutes prior...

Before his life was turned upside-down, Stonewall was trying to clean the worst of the algae off of the windows in the complex. As the place was so dark, he thought that a bit of natural light would go a long way towards making it feel more welcoming; since glass was much more brittle than the transparisteel he was used to, he was taking pains not to scratch any of the panels, though the only way to remove the stuff seemed to be through the painstaking use of a scraper. The interior of the building was too warm for his liking; sweat had begun pooling at the small of his back within the first few minutes of his task.

“Do you need any help?”

Drake's voice pulled Stonewall out of his musings, and he cast a glance at the clone boy. “If you can help get the green stuff off of these windows, that'd be a start.”

The lad nodded, caught the spare scraper that Stonewall tossed him, and leaned to the window beside the former captain. For several minutes they worked in relative quiet, the only sounds being the soft noises of their tools against the glass and the occasional murmur of conversation from the others in various parts of the building.

“Do you think we can do it?” Drake asked after a moment. “Turn this place into a...home?” He said the word as though it was in an unfamiliar language.

In some ways, it was. “I do. But it won't be easy,” Stone replied.

“Lots of hard work,” Drake added with a nod. “I know. But it'll be good, I guess.” His voice was off, somehow, and he seemed to be overly interested in the plastic handle of the scraper.

Something's on his mind, Stonewall thought as he watched the bits of bright green algae lift beneath the blade in own his hand, giving way to the view of the jungle beyond the glass. But he'll talk about it when he's ready.

Sure enough, minutes later Drake gave a heavy sigh, the sound reminding Stonewall of Crest's more melodramatic moments. At his elder brother's look, the lad frowned. “How did you...you know....with Kalinda?”

Hopefully he isn't talking about what I think he's talking about. Drake's still a bit young for that. Stonewall raised his eyebrow at him. “I need more to go on than that, lad.”

“Let her know how you felt about her,” the boy replied, his face reddening.

The former captain's first instinct was to chuckle, but he held back the inclination as he considered his answer while he worked. “Extenuating circumstances. I might never have told her, but I thought that she was going to die.” He grimaced at the memory of the poison that threatened to steal Kali's life, years ago on Japarran. “I didn't want to regret anything. It was selfish of me, I suppose, but I'm glad I did. But Drake,” he added, pausing in his work to face the younger clone, trying to figure out how to tactfully phrase his next words. “We're different then you and Zara. We're older, for one thing.”

But the boy was shaking his head. “Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't know right from wrong. I get that she and I aren't like you and Kalinda; I know she's a Jedi...but I can't change how I feel.”

“That's true,” Stonewall replied, thinking over Kali's words to him so long ago. “It may not make things easier, though.”

Drake nodded. “So...do you think I have a chance?”

This is out of my league, Stonewall thought. Honi will be furious if I encourage this lad to pursue her Padawan, but he does need some guidance. So he placed a hand on the younger clone's shoulder. “I can sense how you feel about Zara, and I'm glad to know that you care for and respect her, as both of those things are very important. But-” As he was about to advise the lad to cool his jets, he caught a flicker of agitation through the Force – not from Kalinda, but from the young girl in question.

...something's wrong with Kalinda!

It was less a string of words and more a bolt of emotion and fear centered around the dark-haired Jedi, but the effect was the same. Stonewall dropped the scraper even as he replied through the Force, and moments later he was rushing through the corridor, all other thoughts fleeing his mind besides reaching Kali's side. Drake was on his heels, face turned towards him and expression pensive, so Stonewall managed to glance at the lad. “Go to Weave and tell him to meet me at the Wayfarer as soon as possible.” He took a breath as Drake nodded and they parted ways at the entrance to the building.

Traxis was there, demolishing another wall; he opened his mouth to speak as Stonewall entered the room, but could only watch as his brother sped by. Then Stonewall was sprinting for the jungle, reaching through the Force to sense his wife, to use her energy as a compass, but she was gone and he didn't know what that meant other than nothing good. He gritted his teeth and ran.

After he and Honi reached Kalinda, Stonewall's memory from that moment was a bit fuzzy, as if his brain was trying to protect him from something. The former captain remembered hearing Zara's diagnosis, Honi's confirmation following a few minutes later. He remembered asking a question – exactly what, he had no clue – then Kali was in his arms and he was moving through the jungle, his feet making no sound against the moss and loam that covered the ground. Save for the clench of bitterness in his throat, it was almost like he didn't exist at all.

It was an effort to keep his balance, as it felt to Stonewall that his head was spinning even as his feet carried him towards their camp. Pregnant. A child. A child I'll never live to see reach adulthood. How could this happen? How could I let this happen?

Dimly he was aware of Honi and Zara following behind him, but he didn't really consider either of them as he held the body of his wife, thinking that his entire world had shrunk to the confines of her form. As he had attempted to do when he'd first reached her, he tried to contact Kali through the Force, but it proved to be a futile effort. It was as if her mind squirmed away from his, like she was backing away from him. He said her name again and again, to no response. The sound of shrill birdsong pierced the air and sliced into his concentration while the thick heat seemed to choke in his lungs. He wanted to run but was afraid to jostle her too much.

As he was about to start settling into true terror, her dark eyes opened.

“Kali!” His voice was hoarse but she didn't seem to notice as she gave a tremendous gasp, like a drowning person whose lungs were burning for air, then she shuddered and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his chest.

“Stone...”

Relief coursed through him and he paused to look down at her, noting how Honi and Zara stopped beside him as well. “Are you okay?”

She was shaking; he felt her fear in the Force now, felt her mind reach for his as if to reassure herself that he was there. After some time she managed to find her voice. “I...I'm not sure. I think so...but...what happened?”

“You just...fell,” Zara whispered, her eyes wide. “We were looking around; we split up and the next thing I knew you were collapsing.” She glanced at Stonewall and he thought of the Padawan's discovery.

But Honi was all business as she pressed her hand to Kalinda's forehead, cheek, and neck, her pale eyes narrowed in her focus. “We must get back to the ship. Can you walk? Are you in pain?”

“No...” Kali replied. After a moment she frowned and shook her head. “I mean, yes, I can walk. No, I'm not in any pain.” She glanced up and he noted that the fear in her eyes was receding, even though his own had not followed suit.

However, the fact that she was conscious had brought him a measure of reassurance, and he knew he had to be strong, now more than ever. “It'll be okay, Kal'ika,” he murmured, keeping his voice calm to belie the churning in his gut. Gently, he set her on her feet, keeping a hand on her arm just in case. She took another breath and met his eyes again, giving him a faint smile that made a little more of his anxiety fade.

“He's right,” Honi replied in her customary brusque tone. “But it will be better if we don't linger out here. Come on.”

They made their way back to the camp, only to be met some minutes later by Traxis and Ares as they came barreling through the woods, the former wielding a blaster and a dangerous glint in his eyes. “What's the problem? You had that look to you...” He trailed off as he took in Stonewall's expression, for all that the former captain tried to keep his features neutral.

I can't help it when it comes to her, Stonewall thought with a grim nod to his scarred brother. She's my breaking point, I guess. “I don't think that's going to do much,” he said, nodding to the blaster.

“But we appreciate the enthusiasm,” Kali added. “Everything's okay right now, Trax.”

“Kalinda, we should still get back,” Honi said with a frown.

Traxis shifted uneasily and glanced at Ares before looking back at Kali and Stone; his eyes fixed on his brother and something passed between them, some spark of recognition. Ares, however, was studying Kali with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “Please call us if you need any help. I have some medical training, you know.”

Kali smiled at him. “I remember. Thank you, Ares.” She paused, then glanced at Zara. “Why don't you go for that swim, after all? Maybe the boys can join you?” At Zara's expression she shook her head. “I'm fine, Zar, really. Go for a swim in your spring.”

The Padawan's eyes slid to Honi, who nodded. “You may as well. I don't think you can help us right now.” Stonewall didn't miss how the Nautolan girl's face fell at these words, but she tried not to let it show as she looked up at Traxis.

“Come on, ad'ika,” he said to her. “Let's collect the others and go see this spring of yours. We'll be around if you need anything,” Traxis added, lifting his comm. “And use one of these next time instead of just rushing off without a word.” Stonewall managed a weak chuckle and a nod, then the groups parted ways. The Jedi and the clone walked in silence for the duration of the journey, save a few moments when Stonewall called Weave on the comlink to tell him that they were on the way.

And then all at once he heard Kali's voice in his mind. Stone...I think I spoke to my mother.

The words were so far removed from his immediate concerns, it took him longer to process them than it should have. Finally he looked at her, noting how the light from the canopy dappled her features in chiaroscuro. Your mother? What makes you say that?

The last thing that I remember is a feeling of being...muted. Out of place. Then I heard a....a voice that sounded kind of like my own and I realized it was her. Even through the heat of the day he could feel her trembling beside him. She told me that it was dangerous for me, here. But it didn't feel right, somehow. The whole thing felt like a waking dream.

He wondered if this was perhaps a side-effect of pregnancy, as he had no clue; so he only nodded. We'll figure it out, Kali. I promise. By the time they reached the Wayfarer, the former captain was calmer, but he knew that it was only a visage of control, as he could feel the hammer of fear beneath the surface of his chest.

*​

Immediately after Honi rushed off to follow Stonewall, Weave called Traxis over the comm. His brother's reply was a growl. “No, I don't know what's going on, either...Stonewall just sprinted by like he was on fire. I'm going to see what's up.”

Looking up, Weave noticed Drake peering in the room, his eyes wide. “Drake?”

“Stonewall wants you to meet him at the ship,” the boy replied. “Something's up with Kalinda.” His voice was tight.

Weave sighed, then spoke into his comm once more. “Trax, I'm going to meet them at the ship.” He paused, then glanced at the boys, who were watching him with nervous expressions. “Why don't you find your brothers and see if they need any help?”

“Can't I come with you?” Drake asked.

Shaking his head, Weave began to move towards the door. “Not now, okay?” He tried not to roll his eyes at Drake's obvious irritation; soon he was seeing them off, then he turned to make his way towards their camp. Since he had no idea what to expect, he pulled out his most comprehensive scanner and was in the process of checking through everything when he heard the others approach. As he stepped out of the Wayfarer, his eyes fell on Kalinda and his former captain, whose hands were joined; both looked healthy enough, if a bit shaken, and although she was still limping a little, she appeared to be uninjured.

“What's the problem?” As he voiced the question, he adjusted his implant to scan Kalinda, to make sure that she was well, as it had been some time since he'd done so. His mouth fell open at what he found, and he would have said something then and there but for the fact that Honi caught his eye and gave a slight shake of her head. Wow, he thought, shutting his mouth and looking back to his 'pad, though his attention was still on the Jedi and her husband. Just...wow.

Kalinda frowned. “I passed out.” She looked at the others, her expression became a little irritated. “I know it's not a good thing, but I don't understand what all the fuss is ab-”

“You're pregnant,” Honi said, cutting her off. “Now get inside so I can take a better look at you.”

The dark-haired Jedi's jaw fell open and she froze in place. “What?” She blinked and looked at Stonewall, who nodded once.

“Zara found out when she examined you,” he said in a quiet voice; Weave could hear the waver in his brother's tone, though he could tell that the former captain was trying to keep calm.

But Kalinda was shaking her head. “That's not...”

Honi sighed in exasperation and grabbed at Kalinda's arm, pulling her inside the ship. “Possible. Right. Well, apparently your methods were not as fool-proof as you thought.” The dark-haired Jedi followed her, taking a seat at the galley table as Honi pushed her down, her eyes still on Stonewall. Thinking that he was glad he wasn't privy to the conversation that the Jedi and the clone were having at this moment, Weave stood beside Honi, his medical scanner in his hand, though he felt rather inadequate as he watched the red-haired woman concentrate over her comrade.

After a moment he snapped out of it and scanned the Jedi; the device confirmed Honi's assessment. “You're not far along at all,” he remarked, noting how both Kalinda and Stonewall hardly seemed to hear him. “A little over two weeks.”

Kalinda took a breath and nodded. “So we have...time, then.” She looked at Stonewall, whose shoulders tensed.

But then he shook his head. “Time is the only thing I don't have.”

“You've told me that you intend to make the most out of the time you do have,” she replied, straightening. “I know those weren't just pretty words, Stone. We can't change reality, so let's just be happy about this now, okay?”

Weave and Honi exchanged glances, and he indicated the entrance to the ship. We shouldn't be here, now. They need some time alone. She seemed to pick up on his thoughts, and he was relieved to see that she agreed, so he cleared his throat. “We're going to let the others know that nothing....that you're okay,” he said. “Trax was kind of worried.”

Kalinda nodded absently; Stonewall as well. With a last look behind them, Weave and Honi each rose and slipped out of the ship, into the hot and humid air.

*​

Zara couldn't remember the last time that she was immersed in a natural body of water this ancient or this interesting, and a part of her wished that she could explore forever. The edges of the spring were shallow, only about one to three meters deep, tinted a bright turquoise that she wished her own skin matched.

Lost as she was to the water, she was unsure exactly when the others had arrived; presently, the boys were engrossed with racing, mock-fighting, or something similar, while the adults made their leisurely way through the edges of the spring, and Zara could feel everyone's relief at having a few minutes of idle pleasure after so much work and sweat. And although she was concerned for Kalinda – as she could sense Traxis and Drake were also – the emotion seemed distant and small while she swam.

When she popped her head out of the water she could hear the laughter of the clones and smell the loam of the forest; one deep breath later and she was plunging down again, eager to explore the depths of the spring. For Zara, everything beneath the surface of the water was sharper and more vivid. Each kick from Risky as he pushed off the ground, every splash between Keo and Finn, each measured step of Ares or Traxis sounded in her ear with perfect clarity.

There was another sound, too, one that she kept part of her attention on at all times, or so she was just starting to realize. It was Drake's heartbeat, a steady pulse that reached through the water to echo in the tips of her lekku even while she negotiated the deeper section of the spring.

Zara was mostly Nautolan, which meant that she was well-equipped to handle the increasing pressure around her as she swam about ten meters beneath the surface, towards the bottom that looked fuzzy through the blue haze of water. I could blend in here, she thought as she pushed off from a submerged limestone ledge that was peppered with holes. I wonder if I sat on the bottom, could any of them even find me?

It was cooler down here, and nearly silent. There were only a few fish, all of whom darted away as she approached, so she reached out for them through the Force, touching their minds and trying to coax them to remain. But the attempt was fleeting, as something else caught her attention. There was a massive chasm in the side of the limestone where icy-cold water was rushing out: the source of the spring. She paused beside the hole, resting her feet on the sandy ground and lifting one hand to feel the gust of chilled water as it made its way to the basin. The chamber was dark, almost black, and she had a desire to explore it, to see how far it went.

Suddenly a shadow slipped across her field of vision and she glanced up to see Drake, limbs flailing as he attempted to reach her position through the water. What's he doing? He can't make it down this far. She sighed inwardly. Boys. Always trying to outdo one another. She figured that Keo or Risky had dared him to try, and decided that she should stop him before he drowned. With one flex of her calves she was gliding up to him; they met in the middle and she could tell by his face that his lungs were already starting to burn, so she grabbed his arm and kicked twice. They breached the surface of the water and he began coughing and sputtering while she pulled him to the shallower edge of the spring, on the opposite shore from the others.

Traxis was watching, so she gave him a signal that Drake was okay; he nodded and turned his attention back to the others. In the meantime, she directed Drake to a bit of limestone where he could sit out and continue his coughing fit.

She waited for him to pause before glaring at him. “What's the matter with you? Were you trying to drown yourself?” Speech still evaded him and he only sputtered for a few moments. With a sigh, she took a seat beside him and slapped his back a few times, wincing when he coughed up more water.

Finally he was able to breathe again, and after he inhaled a few times, he looked back at her. “You were gone for a long time...I was worried.”

Zara shook her head. “Don't be. Water's practically my home...and you know I can hold my breath for a really long time.” But he was still looking at her. She glanced down at the spring, where her feet were dangling. “I thought the others dared you or something.”

At this he snorted and shook his head. “I'm not that stupid, Zar.”

“Could have fooled me.”

He chuckled but made no further comment. Finally he glanced at her again. “Thanks for saving me.” His voice was quiet and she felt a flicker of something from him: a feeling that her own heart echoed, a sense of distraction that she was trying very hard to ignore.

So she shook her head, her lekku bobbing. “Don't be silly, Drake. I'll always help you, if you need it. Just...don't try and drown yourself again, okay?”

Something in her words made him tense, but he only nodded, slowly as he replied, his eyes still on hers. “Okay.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the others; she cast a sideways glance at his hands and noted that his skin was pruned and wrinkled. It took her a moment to recall that such a thing often happened to Humans when they were exposed to water for an overlong period of time. This thought led her to another, and she frowned in consideration.

“What is it?” His tone was light but his eyes on her were serious. “You look like something's on your mind.”

She tried not to smile, but failed. “It's a weird question. I don't know if it's okay to ask you.”

Drake straightened again and arched his brow at her. “I don't offend easily, you know.” This made her laugh aloud, but she took another moment before she spoke again.

“Your fingerprints...are they the same as your brothers?”

He looked thoughtful but she sensed no annoyance or embarrassment from him, which relieved her. Finally he shook his head and splayed his hand so that it caught in a beam of sunlight, the remnants of water giving his skin an almost opalescent sheen. “Nope.”

“But you're clones...” Wow...great job stating the obvious. She flushed and trailed off, but he only shrugged.

“Fingerprints aren't genetic. They form after we're first decanted; every clone has different ones...some of them are pretty close, depending on your batch, but no two are the same.” As he spoke she leaned forward and took his upturned palm in her own, examining his fingers closely. Despite the chill of water, or perhaps because of it, his skin was warm, as it always was, and she could feel his pulse beneath her own fingers as she studied his hand. Finally she looked up at him only to see that he was holding very still, as though the slightest movement would cause her to disappear.

It was then that she realized what it was that was between them, or perhaps she had known all along, but it was the first moment she acknowledged it as a reality rather than her own idle fantasies. His almost-golden eyes caught and held her own dark ones and she felt her heartbeat pick up even as she opened her mouth to say...something.

So it really was the ultimate joke of the galaxy when she heard the splashing sounds of the other boys as they approached, grabbing Drake's leg and pulling him into the water by force, shouting something in Mando'a that she wasn't privy to. Drake's annoyance was evident in the Force, more so when he pulled himself up through the water and glared at Risky, who only laughed at him.

“You are so gonna regret that, Risk.”

“Make me.” There was another splash; Zara sighed to herself and watched as chaos ensued before her.

*****​

So, this last section is one of my favorite scenes in the entire story.

The fingerprint question is one that I've never come across in canon, so I asked the all-knowing Google...as far as I could tell, fingerprints aren't genetic, they're formed in the womb, so it stands to reason that for the clones, they'd be formed in their growth-jars.

 

That is very cool about fingerprints--I knew that they aren't the same but I never really thought about how they're actually formed and such. Very cool passage!

 

gracesonnet - Glad you enjoyed the fingerprint passage! I'm rather fond of that one, myself. Thank you for the comment!

Note: Aphelion: the point in the orbit of a planet or comet at which it is farthest from the sun. Not sure exactly how it's pronounced, as I've heard it a few ways. (ap-hee-li-on or aff-hee-li-on). There's your astronomy lesson for the day.

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*****​

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Chapter Thirteen: Aphelion​

“No. I don't need – or want – a chaperone,” I said in a tight voice, refusing to allow my initial reaction to be evident in my thoughts. “But if the Jedi Council wants you to accompany me, I ask that you stay out of my way and don't interfere with my work.”

The blond Jedi who'd knocked at my door looked at me with that mild but smug expression that all of his ilk seemed to share; his hands lifted in a gesture of goodwill, and I couldn't help but notice how strong they looked, despite their slenderness. “Again, I mean you no offense, Miss Riss.” His mouth quirked at the name, as most people's did.

I, however, had tired of the joke a long time ago. “Yes, it rhymes. You have a gift for astute observation, Master Ki. Just call me Kamala, if you please.” I turned my attention back to my belongings, but he remained at the threshold to my room, looking around with curiosity and after a moment I shot a look back at him. “Can I help you?”

“Just looking. I've never seen a praxeum ship before. It's very roomy.” He nodded, as if the Chu'unthor needed his blessing to continue its very existence. I rolled my eyes but made no response while I continued my packing. After another moment he pressed his hand to his chest. “I'm Jonas, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you.” Something in my tone made him laugh, and when I looked at him, I couldn't help but notice how remarkably blue his eyes were. “What?”

He smiled again, but it was a true smile without a trace of the Jedi-arrogance I had grown to expect. “Thank you for the warm welcome, Kamala.”

*​

Once they were alone, Kalinda stared at her husband while she tried to wrap her brain around the words that she never thought she would hear. After a moment she shut her eyes and reached her awareness through her body, to see if she could discover the truth for herself. Several long minutes passed before she felt it, the small spark that she had no way to quantify. It was faint but unmistakable, and she blinked a few times while she wondered if her voice would work.

“It's true, Stone.”

He'd been watching her; at the words he reached his hand forward and placed it over her abdomen, closing his eyes, his face taking on the look of concentration he got when he was accessing the Force. It was difficult to wait for him but she managed. As he was not as strong with the Force as a true Jedi, Stone had to work a bit harder, but in the end she knew he could tell. When his eyes fell on her again, she could see within them his fear, tinged with bitter remorse.

Her own thoughts echoed his emotions. I should be happy, right? Isn't that how I'm supposed to feel? Why is it that I'm so frightened?

“Kali...” Even though he said her name she could tell that he was still at a loss, and that frustration and guilt flared from him, almost tangible in the air.

“It will be okay,” she said at once, taking his hand in hers as she tried to push back her own agitation and give him a smile that he didn't return. This is going to be hard for both of us, but for him especially, she thought, squeezing his hand. I have to be strong now, more than ever. “We'll figure something out. It's not bad news, after all....just unexpected.”

For a while he was silent before he nodded and took a breath. “How did it happen?” At her look he frowned. “I mean, we've always taken precautions...”

She shook her head. “Honi was right. Nothing is fool-proof, I suppose. ”

“Fool-proof.” The words stretched out when he said them. “I guess not.”

They were silent for a few more minutes before she couldn't stand it any longer. “I've never known any Force-user that was pregnant, either, so I don't know if this relates to my...incident, earlier.”

At the mention of that, he seemed to snap out of his daze a little bit. “Right. You heard a voice before you passed out?” Even though she could hear the skepticism in his tone she could tell that he was trying to be impartial. “And you think it was your mother?”

“I know how it sounds,” Kali replied, hugging her arms to her sides. “But it was her.” He nodded, but she could tell that his focus wasn't really on her words; after a moment of deliberation she stood up and slipped to the cabin they shared. From a slotted cache in the wall she removed her mother's journal; she shed her boots and went back to Stonewall, indicating that they should sit outside at the table beneath the tarps. Honi and Weave had gone, so it was just the two of them.

While she began to flip through the pages, he studied the surrounding area with a wary eye. “There's a sentence – well, more of a fragment, really – that sticks out in my mind. The handwriting's messy, like she was in a hurry....here.” After a brief pause she began to read.

“...and then I realized beyond a shadow of doubt what must be done, what I must do. After everything that had passed, it was the easiest decision of my life.”

He shook his head. “What does that mean, 'the easiest decision of my life?' What did she have to do?”

“I'm not sure,” Kali said with a sigh. “She was rather cryptic. Most of her account is description of this place, and of her....time with Jonas.” She felt her face grow hot and Stonewall glanced at her.

“Interesting reading.” His tone was a little sardonic and she managed a weak chuckle.

“Every person's dream, to read about their parents' courtship,” Kali replied as she set the journal in her lap, though she trailed off, growing silent until he looked at her again.

“You haven't said much about it, though I've seen you reading through it almost every day.”

She nodded once and watched as her fingers twined in the hem of her shirt. “Altis was right. She was a very mild Force-sensitive, but...” Kali took a breath and leaned into him, sighing as his hand went around her shoulders. He was very warm; even through the thick heat of the jungle his warmth was a comfort and she found that it was pleasant just to sit beside him for a few moments, backs against the edge of the table as they faced the jungle. Finally she inhaled, then spoke. “Have you heard of Quannot's Syndrome?”

Even the movement of his head shaking was welcome and she continued. “She was ill. Terminally ill, I mean. Quannot's is degenerative; it essentially causes one's body to attack itself and there's no known cure. When she started writing this journal, the doctors on her home had told her she only had months to live, so she eventually decided to document the rest of her time and try to do some good. That was why she sought out Altis.”

He was quiet for a moment before looking at her. “But she lived longer than that, didn't she? You said that the journal spans about a year before you were born?”

“She lived with Altis for over three months,” Kali said with a nod. “Then she got word of Mundali, of some interesting ruins, and couldn't resist. I think she felt...like it was her destiny to come here. She shouldn't have lived as long as she did...”

He nodded. “Determination can be a powerful thing, I guess.” His hand squeezed around her shoulder even as gave her a quiet smile. “So you come by it honestly.”

Kali gave a weak laugh and flipped through the journal again. “I suppose. It's strange...she was drawn to this place by its history, but once she got here, it's like she forgot everything else except my father.”

“Quannot's...is it genetic?” The pitch of his voice had dropped, the words were almost a whisper.

“I don't think so....it's never shown up in any of my records before, and I know that Jonas would have been sure to check.” She made no other reply for several minutes and they sat in silence. There was a faint breeze in the trees that eventually made its way to the journal she'd discarded in her lap, setting the pages to fluttering.

Finally he glanced at her, looking more concerned than before. “Is a way to tell if...it will have it?” His gaze fell on her abdomen and she wondered if he couldn't bring himself to say 'our child.'

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “Not really. Stone....” He met her eyes and she swallowed. “I don't know if what happened to me at the spring is necessarily linked with the pregnancy. I'm not sure what to do. Leaving isn't an option right now, because I still think that Mundali will provide us with some answers.”

There was a long intake of breath as he frowned, and she could tell that he'd been about to suggest packing up and leaving the planet altogether. Indeed, a moment later he shook his head. “It might be better to leave, Kali.”

“And go where?”

He frowned. “Anywhere but here might be a good start.”

“Stone...you know how important this place is to me – to both of us, potentially. We can't just walk away.” She tried to keep her tone even, but her hands were trembling. “I can't leave. Not yet.”

Silence. Stonewall studied the jungle, his eyes fixed in a manner that indicated his mind was far, far away. Finally he looked back at her. “Okay. We'll stay. But if Honi doesn't know about how pregnancy affects Jedi, then what happened to you at the spring may be linked,” he added, sitting up straight. “I don't think we should discount any possibility right now.”

Kali nodded. “Okay. That's fair. But can I ask you a favor?”

“Anything,” he replied, taking her hands in his. “What do you need?”

She was not sure whether to laugh or cry at his earnest tone, and wondered if her nerves were worse than she was letting on, even to herself. Finally she took a deep breath and held his gaze. “Will you please let yourself be just a little bit happy about this? I know it's unexpected and I know it's not what you want, but I don't want to be upset right now, and I need you to...I just need you.”

He said her name again and embraced her, his arms surrounding her with a warmth that filled her with strength. “We'll figure it out,” he replied, though he still didn't sound entirely convinced. “I promise.”

The knot in her chest unraveled a little and she breathed in his familiar scent. “Thank you.”

“But in the meantime, I don't think you should go anywhere on your own...just as a precaution. I want to have Honi look at you again as well. She's better at all this than either one of us, after all.” His voice had taken on the tone of someone who was doing the best he could in a wholly unfamiliar situation, and she felt a pang of love for him.

He has no more of an idea than I do, but he's trying. He's doing the best he can. As he always does. So she smiled at him and nodded. “Okay. But if I'm going to have a chaperone, I choose you.”

Even though she knew he was worried, Stonewall smiled and gave her a kiss. “Wouldn't have it any other way.”

*​

One week later...

As it turned out, farming was kriffing hard work, and Crest found that he had whole new levels of respect for those folks who made their living in such a fashion. While his brothers were busy with the ruins, he had elected to spend most of his time helping Sita in what was quickly becoming “her” garden. Luckily, his body was no stranger to physical labor, and he found it amusing that a lifetime of training with repetitive, mundane tasks was serving him well in his current state.

Though very often it was just him and Sita, today Drake was helping Crest clear the final patch of soil in the northern quadrant, while Zara and the former queen were tending to the gorburoots that they had uncovered. Apparently the roots could be salvaged with the proper care, and Sita was hopeful that they'd be able to have the beginnings of some crops within several weeks.

Crest paused to wipe his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, noting how the sun was tucked away behind thick cloud cover today, which was a small blessing. He shot a look at Drake, who was absently uprooting a patch of thorns, his eyes fixed on the Padawan across the field. A sharp whistle from the bald clone made the boy glance up, his ears reddening. Crest gave him a knowing look. “Mind on the mission, lad.”

“It is,” Drake replied, looking back down at the briars.

Right, Crest thought, trying not to roll his eyes as he glanced at his chrono. “Looks like it's about time for lunch, anyway. You hungry?” The boy nodded and got to his feet, pulling off the gloves he'd borrowed from Stonewall, which his hands were filling out more with each passing day. Shading his eyes, Crest lifted his comlink and looked across the area towards the ruins where his brothers were working. “Stonewall...Trax...you guys up for a break?”

“Sounds good,” Traxis said. “Let's all meet back at the ships...unless Weave can get the power situation here figured out?”

“I told you, the generators are fixed but the power grid is all kinds of backwards. Lev and I are working on it.” Weave's voice sounded irritable over the channel, and Crest chuckled to himself.

“He's just giving you a hard time,” Stonewall replied through notes of static. “Everyone at the ships in fifteen.” The weariness in the former captain's tone made Crest's eyes narrow.

Everyone knew about Kalinda's pregnancy by now, and it was an unspoken rule among the adults not to mention it to the Jedi or her husband, as it tended to set each of them on edge. I get why he's upset, Crest thought. But if it was me, I'd be pretty happy. I mean, a kid of my own? Who wouldn't want that? But he understood: clones' lives were unnaturally short...it was likely that Stonewall wouldn't live to see his child reach its teenage years, let alone adulthood.

But still. I'd think that some time is better than none at all. Though I know it's not fair to Kalinda or the kid. Ugh...what a mess. He sighed again as he and Drake approached Sita and Zara.

In typical Jedi fashion, the Nautolan girl seemed to know his intention to announce mealtime before he said a word. She beamed at Crest and Drake as she straightened, brushing off her hands. “It's time for lunch?”

“Maybe,” Drake replied, giving the Padawan an overly-casual look. “You don't know everything, Zar.”

She rolled her eyes. “Even if I didn't have the Force, I could hear your stomach rumbling across the entire field, Drake.” With hardly a glance at the adults, the teenagers turned and began to make their way back to the ships, their hands close but not touching as they leaned towards one another, continuing their banter.

It's hard to believe either of them is the same kid I met all those months ago, Crest thought as he watched them. They both seem...older. Even without the rapid aging, kids grow up pretty fast, don't they? While he was trying to remember at what age he'd learned the facts about Human reproduction, and whether or not he should talk to Weave about teaching the boys if they didn't already know, a soft noise shifted his attention back to the moment. When he turned, he saw Sita approaching him, her forehead damp with sweat and her cheeks dusted with soil. Three paces brought him to her side. “Are you hungry?”

“Very much.” They stood for a moment in the sunlight, looking at one another, before he indicated the direction the others had gone. She ducked her head and they began walking in silence beneath the thickening clouds. After a few minutes, when they had reached the perimeter of the buildings, Sita glanced at him. “I'm afraid I'm at a bit of a loss as to why Kalinda and her husband are...unhappy with their news. Where I come from, a child is something to celebrate.”

“Everything's different for us clones,” he replied. “All of our genes were altered to make us age twice as fast – if not more – than regular Humans.” He noted her expression, a mixture of sorrow and bewilderment, and wondered if she would look at him differently in light of this new knowledge. “He's upset because he feels like he can't give their child a normal life. But I think they'll be okay. They're both strong, and they've been through a lot together...I think they'll figure it out.”

She looked back at him. “How?”

Crest shrugged and shook his head, his gaze moving across the surrounding jungle as he spoke. “None of us can change our genetics, and for the most part we've all come to grips with the fact that our lives will be so short...it's not fair, but we can't do anything about it. Personally, I decided to try and live the best way I can, and enjoy the time I do have while I have it.” At first he was afraid that his words sounded flippant or fatalistic, but a glance at Sita showed him that she seemed to be considering them; he thought that she looked like she wanted to say something, so he slowed his pace a little, hoping to set her at ease.

“Perhaps you're right,” she replied after a moment. “I just feel very....helpless right now.” Her eyes closed briefly and a pained expression crossed her face. “Everything is out of my hands.”

Crest knew that the logical thing to do was not to stop walking at the entrance to the jungle and take her hands in his, but he couldn't help himself when she seemed so unhappy. There was a faint ripple of electricity in the air and he could detect the cool smell of distant rain, both of which contrasted with her warmth and softness; he felt a thrill of delight when she didn't back away and in that moment he just wanted to speak her name.

So he did.

“Sita...” He had no clue what he was going to say after that, only that he had a longing to reach for her cheek, to brush away a smudge of dirt that had settled against her ruddy skin.

But then she whispered his name in return and they drew closer until their faces were only a breath apart. However, a sudden crack of thunder made her start and pull back, eyes wide. But while he was resigning himself to the broken moment, she gave a soft smile and leaned up to kiss his cheek before turning and making her way into the darkening jungle. As he realized he always would, Crest followed her without hesitation.

*​

“Looks like a storm's coming.” Even as he said the words, Traxis winced to himself at how flat they sounded; to his credit, Ares only nodded as they approached the tarps that they'd erected between the two ships.

After a moment he glanced at the scarred clone. “I left my toolkit at the ruins...I'll be right back.”

“Leave it for now,” Traxis replied, his voice a little more sharp than he meant it to be. “It's not important.”

But the Twi'lek shook his head and gestured to the sky. “It's going to rain.”

It wasn't really a reason, but before he could protest further Ares was off. Trying to hide his own annoyance from himself, Trax glanced at Keo who was beside him. “Whose turn is it?”

The clone boy sighed and indicated himself with his thumb. “I'll get lunch started. Dried topatoes again?”

“There are worse things you could be eating....like ration cubes.” the scarred clone replied to his younger brother's sarcastic tone. Keo frowned, but nodded as he began pulling out the necessary equipment to prepare the meal. Traxis then glanced at Risky and Finn, noting how they met his gaze with caution. “Why don't you help him? Teamwork is always a good thing.” Naturally, they looked annoyed, but went to help their brother, anyway.

Another glance around the clearing showed Traxis that Ares was still not in sight; he figured that the Twi'lek would return and go to his ship, working on the engines or something, as was his tendency when he wanted to be alone. Before Trax knew if he wanted to seek him out, the others started trickling into the camp and soon everyone was seated at the table, grabbing plates and conversing in low tones. Above their heads, the sky was turning iron-gray and Trax could feel the wind start to pick up. Storm's coming. Great.

Even after lunch was being distributed, Ares still hadn't returned, so the scarred clone took the seat between Stonewall and Risky, the latter of whom was debating something with Drake, seated across from him. Beside Zara...naturally. They're both getting a bit too comfortable with one another.

“I'm just saying, we could use your help, you know?” Risky stabbed at his topatoes with the fork, taking an overlarge mouthful.

Drake shifted the contents of his plate around and looked thoughtful. “We need to be able to do everything here, Risk. That includes the gardening stuff.”

“Right. 'Cause you've always wanted to be a gardener.”

At this, Crest – sitting beside Sita – straightened. “No shame in that, Risky. Everyone does have to pitch in if we're going to succeed out here. And if you don't like the garden, you don't have to eat anything that comes out of it.”

Trax didn't miss the soft look that the Arunai woman gave his brother, and sighed to himself. He has it so easy...she's obviously all about him. He must realize it. I wish I was so certain about...things.

“Perhaps Risky is right,” Honi said from her place on Zara's other side. “You should all work on a rotating schedule to make sure that everyone gets a chance to move around and diversify his or her skills.”

Traxis didn't miss how Honi's eyes slid to her apprentice even as she said the words. No wonders why she's thinking like that – I don't envy her the task of being in charge of a fourteen year-old and all of her hormones. Rather take on an army of tinnies by myself than delve into teenage-girl drama...no thank you. The lads are a handful on their own as it is.

“Good idea,” Weave said with a nod. “I'd feel better knowing that everyone has a chance to learn more about what we're trying to do.”

The red-haired Jedi looked at him. “Does this mean you'll let me....?”

“No,” his brother replied, frowning. “You're not really ready for this kind of technical work, Tallis. But you can keep sorting wires, if it makes you feel better.” He gave her a quiet smile and Traxis tried not to roll his eyes at the slight flush that appeared in the Jedi's cheeks. He did note, however, the look that Zara gave her master; it was both curious and a little annoyed, and he only caught it because he happened to be seated across from the Padawan. It smoothed over in a moment, and she looked down at her plate once more.

There was quiet for a moment before Sita looked up, her brow furrowing. “Where are Kalinda and Stonewall?”

Silence. Then Crest glanced at Traxis. “Not sure...vod, have you seen them?”

“Stonewall was helping me with the living quarters, but he's....” Traxis trailed off, thinking of his brother's 'special project,' and was at a loss for words. Stonewall had taken it upon himself to start remodeling one of the sections of their living quarters, with the intent of turning it into a space for himself and Kali, though he spent more time there than anywhere else, even by his wife's side. Finally he shrugged. “I don't know exactly, but I'm sure he can handle himself.” The words came out harsher than he'd meant, as they did most of the time, but he couldn't take them back so he took another bite of the topatoes and kept his silence.

“Sorry I'm late.” Kalinda appeared suddenly, emerging wraith-like from the forest. The sky seemed darker than ever and she cast a wary look above her head. “Looks like it's about to open up.” She took a seat beside Honi and began to serve herself. There was quiet for a moment, then a burble of thunder sounded as if to prove her point.

She made no mention of her husband, but Traxis could see in her expression that she knew where he was, and it made the scarred clone scowl. I know he's upset, but there's nothing he can do about it, now. He needs to get the kriff over it and stick around.

He glanced up and noted that Kalinda's eyes were on him, and he felt his annoyance heighten. It's not her fault, but it's like he's punishing her, just the same. He tried to smile at the Jedi he'd come to think of as a sister, but he felt a little foolish for doing so.

But she seemed to understand, in her fashion, and nodded once to him.

If he cared for her, he'd be by her side, no matter what. He's being a huge di'kut for isolating himself like this. The thoughts hit strangely close to home, and Traxis felt his scowl deepening, so he took another bite of food to stop the expression from making an appearance. The sky was growing darker and darker; Traxis rose and moved to light the nearest lamp, filling the space with a soft, florescent glow.

When he finished, he dusted off his hands and glanced around, looking to see if Ares had returned yet; when he didn't see the Twi'lek, his automatic thought was that his companion been captured or left behind, but he shook his head a moment later. You're not in the army any more, he told himself. You need to let go of all that nonsense. He probably just had to use the 'fresher or something. Or get away from you. Can't say I blame him. He took his seat besides Keo and sighed as the clone boys each took another plate of food. “You're still hungry, aren't you?”

Keo grinned at him as he took a large bite of mashed topatoes. “Yup.”

“And they're growing like sprouts,” Sita said with a smile at the boys, who each eyed her almost shyly. “It's quite remarkable.”

Traxis frowned. “Nothing remarkable about it. We all age fast.”

Her face changed and she glanced at Crest as if for confirmation. After a pause he smiled at her. “Like I was telling you...that's what makes us so special.” The Arunai woman nodded but didn't look any happier as she lowered her gaze. Traxis caught Crest's eye and noted his brother's apprehension at her reaction.

But what else does he expect? I can't imagine that most folks want to throw their lives away on someone who'll die so quickly. This thought made him glance around, again searching for Ares, but the Twi'lek was still nowhere in sight. Something flickered within him, something that a lifetime of training had ingrained in his very being, and he rose from his seat and stepped away from the others so that he could lift his comm and call Ares.

At first there was no response and fear sliced through him as he thought of the storm, but then he heard a static-filled response, but it was garbled so he tried again. “Ares? Are you okay?”

“...fine...ruins....”

Traxis sighed and ran a hand over his face. Of course, he goes wandering off into the wilderness now. Don't worry about the hurricane or anything...

“Everything okay?” Weave's voice was behind him.

Frowning at the trees that were bending in the wind, Traxis gave what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug. “Yeah. I think so. Ares decided to go exploring a little on his own.”

“Pretty unorthodox, I guess?”

“Pretty kriffing silly,” Trax replied. “I'm going to make sure that he doesn't get struck by lightning. My comm's on, just in case.” He told his brother where he was going – it was the sensible thing to do, in this situation – and made his way into the woods. The breeze had picked up even more, and the forest was dark enough to make him wish he'd brought his flashlight; he could smell rain and electricity in the air, and the breeze against his skin was cool and damp. When he finally emerged onto the wide clearing with the ruins, he stood for a moment to scan the area for a coral-skinned figure.

“Trax.” Ares was seated on the steps of the largest temple, watching him. With a sigh, the clone walked over, taking a seat beside the other man and resting his elbows on his knees.

After a few minutes of silence he looked at the Twi'lek. “Are you angry with me?”

Ares blinked at him in surprise before he gave a slow smile. “No, Traxis.”

“Well, you're doing a pretty terrible job of showing it. You've hardly said two words to me in the last week.”

The Twi'lek made no reply, just took a deep breath and looked up at the thick, gray sky. “I shouldn't be that way, I suppose. I'm used to doing what I want without concerning myself of what others will think. Living in a group like this...it's still a bit strange to me.” Again, there was a rumble of thunder, and Traxis felt a few initial droplets of rain pelt his arms.

“I thought you said that you got lonely?” That's what you told me, at least. The clone was careful to keep his voice neutral.

Ares nodded. “It's a fine line, for me.” He gave his crooked smile. “Annoying, is it not?”

Despite himself, Traxis returned the look. “Yeah. But it's okay. If I can put up with Crest, I can definitely put up with you.” Assuming you want to put up with me, that is.

“This planet is beautiful,” Ares added, his accent stretching out the word as he looked up at the nebula of iron-gray clouds. “Stormy, and quite strange to me at times, but beautiful nonetheless.”

“If you want to leave, I won't stop you,” Traxis replied suddenly. “I don't want to hold you back, and I don't have so much time that I want to spend it with someone who doesn't want to be around me. I think I've earned the right to have that, at least. If not,” he shrugged again and looked at his feet. “I have my family, my brothers. That can be enough.”

Ares was silent for a long moment before he nodded, his lekku bobbing. “Traxis...I haven't had a home in many years, about as long as I haven't had a family. But I find that I like yours a great deal. And when I think of home, I think of you, Trax. But I also think that...” He swallowed and studied the scarred clone, who was watching him with a bewildered expression. “I also think...I love you.”

Traxis felt his entire body still at the words even as they echoed over and over inside his brain. Love. Home. Neither was something he'd ever thought about in any real way.

Home was always where his brothers were, and later on his squad, and later still the Jedi and the clone boys. But now, as he regarded his companion, he wondered if his definition of the word was going to change again, or if it had already changed without his knowledge.

As for the other thing. No idea. I have no idea what that even means...what does it mean, to love someone? Never thought it would happen to me, or in spite of me. But beneath his doubt, a small, realization was forming, inchoate and nebulous, but it was there and he knew that he couldn't look away from it, because it was true.

But even as another moment of deliberation confirmed what he knew, his mouth wouldn't form the words, as they were frozen in his throat.

Ares gave a few, heavy nods and spoke in a quiet voice. “Ah. Well. Perhaps I'm the foolish one, after all. I might have seen it coming, I suppose, but my talent has always been hindsight.” A streak of lightning lit up the sky, casting the Twi'lek into sharp relief, as if showing Traxis all of his own faults and ineptitude. “It's fine, Trax. I apologize for making more of this than I should have. I won't trouble you, any longer.”


And he stood up and walked away, disappearing into the jungle; Traxis sat on the steps and felt rain begin to patter around him, thinking that he was alone now, and it was like Ares had never been there at all.

 

Awww, Trax! Stop doing dumb things and go after Ares.

 

@gracesonnet - Trax is waaaay to stubborn to do the right thing without at *least* grumbling about it ad infinitum first. ​

*****​

Chapter Fourteen: Be Here Now​

The trip to the Outer-Rim was unpleasant, made more so by the fact that I tired easily and had no wish for company, particularly a Jedi with eyes that I still saw even when mine were closed. The small ship that we had borrowed from Altis was temperamental at best, and we had to make several emergency landings in order to try and repair some new problem or another. Neither of us was particularly skilled with such things, so perhaps the journey was longer than it should have been.

But none of that mattered when we arrived.

Mundali was vibrant. The leaves were so green that it almost hurt to look at them, and I felt dizzy from the sheer number and variety of birdsong. Air that was thick with humidity and the scent of growing things made my mouth water, as if I was hungry for such an abundance of life. At last even I couldn't keep up my cynical mask any longer. “This place is so....”

“Beautiful,” he finished. If the moment had been in a holo-vid he would have been looking at me when he said the word, but he'd stopped a few paces away and was examining a massive tree. I had never seen its like: thick-trunked, knobby and twisted with age, its branches spread out wide and low, the closest one was just under my eye level. Like everything else in this place it was covered with leaves but there was some type of fern on it as well, something that I vaguely recognized, but had no name for.

“What are all those little plants growing on it, I wonder?” I wished I'd thought to bring my datapad with me, but in my haste to disembark, I'd left it aboard the ship.

He approached the branch and studied it, then lifted his hand and skimmed his palm over the ferns, watching as they bent beneath his touch, springing up once his hand had passed. “Resurrection ferns,” he said quietly, his voice blending with the hum of distant insects. My head tilted and he smiled at me. “I've seen them on other worlds. After a dry spell they appear to shrivel up and die, but a good bit of rain will bring them back to life.”

Small but numerous, the ferns covered the tree's branches like a verdant second skin. I ran my hands across them as well; they were soft and pliable upon the solid branch.

For several moments neither of us spoke. Then I indicated the path ahead. “Let's keep looking around. We can set up camp later.”

“As you wish,” Jonas said with a nod. His pace altered to match mine, and we walked beside one another beneath the canopy.

*​

After the storm ended sometime late in the night, Zara woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Even though she had grown accustomed to the sounds of the night on Mundali she felt restless and ill at ease. After a fruitless hour of tossing and turning, she tried meditating, but that was no use, either. Something tugged at her mind, something that refused to let her be, so finally she slipped out of her cabin and made her way outside, thinking that maybe some fresh – if humid – air would do her good.

For a few moments Zara stood barefoot on the moist patches of soil and grass that encompassed this area, then she began to make the journey to the ruins, the area where they were all working so hard. As she walked, she inhaled the smell of plants and distant rain, and suppressed an urge to dart through the dark jungle on her own so that she could go swimming.

Once she reached the site of the ruins, there was a moment of debate before she decided to take a look at the garden that she, Drake, Sita and Crest were working on; minutes later she was carefully picking her way among the tilled furrows, imagining the entire space filled with growing plants. Soon she found herself at the crest of the hill on which the settlement was situated, overlooking a broad, moon-soaked expanse of jungle.

Above the canopy, the thick storm clouds had receded to reveal the moon, waning, but still bright against the backdrop of the sky, and she took a moment to study the sweep of stars. It's so beautiful... I wish Drake was here to see it. The thought was unexpected, and she sighed.

That's attachment, isn't it? But is it wrong to feel that way about someone else? He makes me happy...I like to be around him. Surely that can't be a bad thing. Look what it's brought to Kalinda and Stonewall.

Thinking of Kalinda caused her to remember her discovery, and she marveled at that as well. A baby. A new life, even in the middle of such dark times. Save the younglings at the Temple, Zara had never been around an infant, and she wondered what it would be like.

A soft noise behind her made her turn and she blinked in surprise to see Stonewall emerging out of the darkness, his expression guarded. She gave him a smile, which he returned with a nod as he came to stand beside her. They stood in silence for a moment before he inhaled deeply and looked down at her. “It's lovely here, isn't it?”

She smiled to herself that he'd echoed her own thoughts and said as much. Another moment passed and she looked up at him. “Congratulations,” she added, though the instant the word left her mouth she recalled that none of the others really spoke about the pregnancy in front of him or Kalinda, and she wondered if she'd done something wrong. From the tension in his shoulders and his agitation in the Force, she could tell that she had; however, the clone only nodded and thanked her, even though his tone was grim.

Zara frowned. “I'm sorry if I shouldn't have said anything, but...are you okay?”

There was a moment of silence, then he sighed again. “Not really, Zar. But don't worry about it...there's nothing you can do.” At her look of confusion he elaborated. “You know about our accelerated aging, right?” Thinking of how much older Drake and the others looked already even though physically they only had a year or so on her, she nodded and he did as well, though the motion was resigned. “Well, I just wonder how long I'll be around. I don't want to leave Kalinda with such a burden if I'm not there to share it.”

The thought hadn't really occurred to her, but she understood at once why it was bothering him. It will be the same for Drake, she thought as she glanced down. He'll grow up so much faster than I will. But then she recalled their shared moment in the spring, and of all the time they'd spent together as friends, and exhaled. I can't regret any of that, though. I think it's important to find a little bit of joy where we can, now that things are so dark. Life has to go on, right?

“I don't know much about babies,” she said at last, glancing over at him. “But I think it's a good thing. Your baby will be Force-sensitive, right? It's nice to think that there's a future for us...something good to look forward to, I guess. Especially after so many have died.” She frowned at her hands. “I don't really know, though. It's just a thought.”

But he was looking at her, an unreadable expression on his face. For a moment he didn't reply and she wondered if she'd said something else to offend him; the former captain was not someone she normally conversed with, after all, but in the end he nodded slowly. “I suppose you're right, Zar. The future will come whether or not we're around to see it.” Stonewall was difficult for her to read, but she thought that maybe she felt a tiny bit of hope from him.

They stood for a while longer before he cleared his throat and looked at her again. “You're still working on your saber, right?”

“It's taking me too long to make,” she replied with a sigh. “I've been busy lately with...other things. Helping around here. And I miss my old one.” She didn't realize how much until she said the words.

Stonewall nodded. “I know that Kalinda does as well. I tried to give the one she gave me back to her, but she refused it.” He gave a faint smile at the memory, then looked back at Zara. “But I suppose part of life is about letting go, and moving on.”

“That sounds like something Master Altis would say.”

The clone chuckled. “You're right. I guess I've been hanging around with Jedi for too long.”

Zara smiled at him. “It's okay. We don't mind.” They shared a quiet laugh before she took a deep breath and looked up at him once more. “Kalinda told me that you said you knew how you felt about her from the first moment that you saw her. Is that true?”

He blinked in surprise, but recovered instantly. “It is. Well, to a degree. I didn't know what love was when we met.” His voice grew quiet as he looked out across the jungle. “I figured it out, though. At least, I thought I did.” He sounded uncertain. A few more moments passed and he looked at her. “Why do you ask?”

“I don't know,” she answered, though she knew it wasn't true and thought he did as well. “I was just wondering.”

The former captain nodded again, and seemed to choose his next words with care. “I've been truly certain of few things in my life, but how I felt for Kalinda is one of them. That's really all I can say. But it wasn't....that is, it hasn't been an easy path, for either of us, Zara. You need to understand that. Loving someone....it's often very difficult.”

She took in his words but made no reply, and they stood together for a while longer to watch the sway of distant trees, silver-hued by the moonlight.

*​

The next morning...

Traxis woke up well before dawn that morning and got out of bed immediately – as he had done so the last few week or so since their arrival – for he had much work to do. During his tenure as a soldier, he had never been famous for his stealth abilities, but Ares was pretty much a civilian – not as finely attuned to trooper ways – so he was able to slip out of their room and make his way off of the Raven without anyone noticing. He paused once at the doorway to look back at the sleeping Twi'lek and tried to ignore the pang in his chest that had started to feel uncomfortably familiar of late.

It was dark but not quiet, and he listened to the pre-dawn noises as he trotted through the jungle towards the settlement that his family was attempting to turn into a home.

He moved past the giant temple, over the path that passed the gardens that were being re-worked into something usable, past the workroom where Weave and Levy had already ensconced themselves, if they had ever left. I swear, those two will have this whole place powered and cooled in no time, at the rate they're working. Can't say I'm going to argue. This shabla section of the planet is pretty hot. Despite the cool air, a remnant of the storm that ended only hours ago, he was already starting to sweat as he made his way to his part of the project: the living quarters.

After Traxis' first battle on Teth, he'd been too injured for active duty for some time and had been reassigned to construction work at one of the GAR bases in the Mid-Rim, where he had spent an instructional – albeit frustrating – couple of months learning how to repair all types of buildings. In the earlier days of the wars, the program had been in place to allow soldiers who were not “battle-ready” to rebuild their strength in lieu of lying around in bed. Most med stations had a fairly quick turn-around time for healing, but there were some cases – his included – that required more than a soak in bacta.

Of course, at the time he'd been convinced that learning how to identify bearing walls and place joists would serve him no good whatsoever.

Now...he grinned to himself as he returned to the section of wall he'd been working on, patching a few holes and spots of weather-damage. The place wasn't actually in that bad of shape, considering, but it still needed a lot of work, which was fine with him, as it kept his mind off of other matters. So when Stonewall approached him about two hours later, he nearly jumped in surprise, as he'd been wholly engrossed in his repairs and hadn't been paying attention.

“At ease,” the former captain said, his tone light as he scanned the room where Traxis had been working.

Pausing to wipe his brow, the scarred clone indicated the tool-pouch at his brother's waist. “Are you here to help or chat?”

Stonewall bent to pick up a roll of fiberglass tape; soon both men were engrossed with the task. After a few minutes, he cast Traxis a wry look. “Brings back old memories, doesn't it?”

“You had a bit more hair back then,” Traxis replied, though he was smiling at the memory. “And I didn't have to salute you, if I recall.”

“And you hardly said two words to anyone,” Stonewall added. “I was stunned you deigned to talk to me at all.”

Traxis shrugged. “You were one of the less annoying ones around.”

They worked in silence a while more before Stonewall gave him a careful look, the kind that made Trax sigh and lower his hands. “I know that I may be out of line,” the former captain said. “So I'm only going to say this once: even if I didn't have the Force, I could see how you feel about him. Trax...I want you to be happy, okay? But right now, you're acting like a complete di'kut.”

“Me?” Traxis glared at his brother. “I'm acting like an idiot? I'm not ignoring my wife and child, wallowing in self-pity.”

Stonewall's expression darkened. “That's on a whole other level.”

“Maybe it is,” Traxis replied in a sharp voice that he was tired of trying to keep at bay. “But even so...it's wrong, and it's not at all like you. You're hurting the one person who loves you most and wasting what time you do have, time that none of us can afford to let pass by.” His own words reverberated in his head, so he frowned and looked back at the wall. “There. That's all I'm going to say. Let's keep working in awkward silence.” He gave his brother a tentative glance and watched as Stonewall nodded, slowly.

“Fair enough.”

*​

“Now!” While his voice echoed in the vast chamber, Weave watched as Levy activated the generators and the entire room brightened, illuminated by the lamps they'd repaired and set back into their places along the walls. He sighed at the comfortable hum that signified energy and power, and grinned at his younger brother, who was looking around the area with satisfaction. “We did it,” he said, more to himself than to Levy. “We might actually be able to make this whole place habitable.”

Levy nodded, but bent to examine the generator beside him, frowning as he adjusted something on the console; they'd discovered that the devices were powered by geothermal activity, and after a little trial and error, they'd figured out how to hook up the lights in the room. It really was just the beginning, Weave knew, as he had already been planning to equip the rest of their new home with power. This is my kind of work, he thought as he began to collect his tools. No shooting, no weapons. Just good old-fashioned, technically-complex, detail-oriented manual labor.

It was still fairly early in the day, but already the heat was cloying. He wiped off his face with the edge of his shirt and let out a huff of air. “Next on the to-do list: we need to figure out a cooling system.” He chuckled as Levy nodded again, more emphatically this time, before giving the generators one last look.

“If you can spare a moment, Weave, I'd like to speak with you.” Both clones turned at the sound of the Jedi's voice; Honi stood at the entrance to the wide room, hands clasped before her in a neutral posture, looking every inch a “proper” Jedi even with her civilian clothes. Weave noted that she wore long sleeves and pants, despite the heat, and her hair was pinned up around her head in its customary fashion.

Through his observations he moved to her almost without a thought – Levy at his heels – and they met at the top of the stairs that led down to the inner chamber. As he was opening his mouth to ask her what she meant she looked at Levy, who was regarding her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement; Weave thought the latter might be due to the fact that, despite her cool tone, Honi's cheeks were a little too pink, even accounting for the heat. To test his theory he smiled at her and the color deepened. Levy glanced between them, rolled his eyes, and made a series of hand gestures that told Weave he was going to find his brothers.

And they were alone.

“I'm not here to argue with those things,” Honi said without preamble, lifting her hand to indicate the generators. “And there's something I'd like to try with you.” Of course, one very specific thing came to his mind, and he felt his ears redden even as speech eluded him. But she was flushing as well, though he could tell that she was working to keep her tone neutral. “Your implant. I'd like to try to remove it, or at least components of it. If you'd like, that is.”

At first his brain latched onto the creep of color in her cheeks, but gradually he focused on what she'd said, and realized that he wasn't sure. “I...I don't know. If you'd asked me that a year ago, I would have said 'yes,' but now...” A minor adjustment to the implant allowed him to watch the swirl of heat and energy within her body, as well as the dance of molecules that made up the red-haired woman who was watching him intently. “It's handy.” That's probably it then, he realized. I'm sure she thinks it's ugly. Who wouldn't?

But he couldn't resist questioning her further, as he was genuinely curious at this point. “Do you think you could? Creon didn't use any of the nanogene droids on me, so I'm not sure if....” His voice trailed off as she reached forward and put her hand over his implant, closing her eyes as she did so. For a moment they stood alone in the wide room, and he watched her, noting how her lips parted when she concentrated and how her breathing was slow and deliberate, as he had seen the Jedi do while they meditated. It's so strange to me still, he thought, keeping his body motionless even though the soft press of her hand against his skin was distracting. The Force...sometimes she makes it seem like a science, other times like a belief. But it's always an art.

He lost track of time as he watched her; after several minutes he noticed that she was growing more pale and that her hand was starting to tremble, so he said her name a few times to draw her out of the trance. She didn't respond. Finally he reached up and placed his own hand on top of hers, pressing his fingers over her palm. “It's okay if it doesn't work.”

“I promised you,” she said, her voice quiet and hoarse. Her pale eyes opened and met his and he could read her fatigue.

But he shrugged, still holding her hand in his against his face. “I think I'll keep it for now. But if I change my mind, you'll be the first to know. Besides, it's not worth exerting yourself so much.” He gave her what he hoped was a kind smile, to disguise the race of his heart and the insistent pulse of desire that her touch was eliciting.

They stood so for a moment more before she seemed to fully come out of her meditative haze; she blinked and looked around and he dropped her hand, feeling a flash of embarrassment that he'd let himself be overcome by her proximity.

I'm only fooling myself, and making it harder to handle by even entertaining the notion. She's a Healer, and she made some promise to me. That's all it is. So he cleared his throat and glanced around. “Well. Thanks for trying, Tallis, but I really should get back to work.”

She inhaled once, then nodded and looked away as well. “Of course. I have much to do, too.” Honi moved to the entrance to the room, her steps smooth and untroubled; she paused at the doorway and looked back at him, her mouth opening as if she was going to say something, but then she only shook her head and slipped out of the room.

With a sigh, Weave looked back at the generators, humming away, and tried to push her out of his mind.

*​

That night...

In her dream, Kalinda stood at the center of the hurricane.

It was chaos all around her: wind that lashed her hair, biting rain that clawed at her skin, the growl of thunder that echoed within her chest as if she were hollow. She knew that she was on Mundali, for she could make out jungle and the distant, familiar structure of the ancient temple, but she felt muted and strange, as she had felt beside the spring; it was as if she was stepping out of her own body and seeing the world through a haze.

A ripple of energy at her back made her turn; she saw that she was beside what looked to be a yawning cave, blacker than space, save for a faint, purple glow from within. There was no one else around, and she had a sudden desire to investigate the area. The movement of her body was that of a shadow passing over water, and she was within the cavern almost as soon as the decision to step forward had been made.

Inside it was cool and still; after several minutes of wandering she could make out the luminescent shapes of some kind of plant or fungus that she thought she recognized after a moment. There was one large chamber in particular that caught her attention, as it had a stone structure at its center that reminded her of an altar. It was covered in a strange, swirling script that also looked familiar, but as she made to step closer, she thought she heard the sound of her own name.

Kalinda narrowed her eyes. This is a dream. Nothing more. “Who's there?”

For several moments there was silence, then she heard the familiar voice that she thought belonged to her mother – somehow. “At last, you've come back to me.”

Her throat tightened and she stood stock-still, just within the cave's entrance, close enough to feel the sting of rain from the storm outside. “Who are you?” It was a dream, but she still had the Force, so she reached out and sensed something, some vague presence that felt familiar, somehow.

I must be completely crazy if I think my dead mother is speaking to me through a dream...but I can't shake the feeling that it's her.

There was silence for a moment, then she heard a faint reply in the direction of the cave's entrance. “Kali, you must leave at once.” She sounded desperate and afraid, but Kalinda wanted answers.

So she used the Force to wrap around the consciousness of whomever or whatever the dream-voice belonged to, and spoke again. “Tell me what I want to know.” Thunder sounded in the distance, breaking her words apart.

“This isn't safe.” A sudden presence appeared before her, materializing between the raindrops.

Kali's jaw dropped when she met the other woman's gaze, one that she saw traces of every time she looked in a mirror. Jonas had told her how much she resembled her mother, and he had never been prone to exaggeration. The woman she faced looked so much like her that for a moment she was speechless.

Seeing how she was able to do nothing more than gape, her mother spoke again. “It's not too late to leave, but you must do so immediately.” Kamala's voice was quiet and sad, as well as distant, as though she was speaking through a tunnel.

Kalinda swallowed and blinked once, trying to snap herself out of her trance of confusion and fear. Finally she was able to speak again. “Kamala?”

The spirit sighed, a noise of exasperation, but there was also mild amusement when she regarded Kali. “Yes, Kali.”

“How...but you're dead...” Nothing coherent came out of her mouth, and Kali tried to back away. “This isn't real. This is only a dream....”

Kamala gave her a wry look that Kali recognized well. “I wish that were true. I really do. But this is real.” She paused and looked around with a frown. “It's safe here, for now, but you must leave.”

What's safe? This planet? Kali swallowed again and shook her head. “How is this possible? You're dead. You've been dead since....well, a long time. And what do you mean, it's safe for now? Safe from what?”

“I don't have much time,” Kamala replied. “I'm not that strong, you know. But Kali....there is something here, something that I should have tried to warn you about, but I didn't know.” Her voice broke on the last word, and her eyes lowered. “I'm sorry. I wish I was stronger. I wish I could protect you. My daughter.”

It was odd, but Kali tried to put a hand on her mother's shoulder, though it only passed through; she realized that her own form was much more substantial than that of the other woman. “It's okay. Please, just tell me what's going on.” The moment she spoke the words, however, Kamala looked up, her eyes wide with fear. The noise of rain pattering outside was the only sound for the space of a breath, before she replied.

“She's coming.”

Even in this state, Kali knew that her heart was thrumming. “Who's...”

But Kamala was shaking her head. “I can keep her away for now, but you have to leave Mundali as soon as possible.”

“Okay, but I want to know-” She was cut off as her mother vanished in a rush of air, as though someone had opened an invisible airlock and Kamala had been sucked into space.

Just as it had begun, the dream was over.

As Kalinda emerged from the depths of her sleep, she felt like a swimmer desperate to breach the surface of the water, to reach the sunlight that gleamed above her head, calling her forth. When she opened her eyes again, she was in her cabin aboard the Wayfarer and surrounded by the thickest part of the night. Alone.

No, she thought, resting a hand on her abdomen and searching for the spark of something that she had no way to quantify just yet. It was there and she sighed to herself in relief.

Thinking back over her dream, she frowned to herself. That cave...it felt so real. I wonder if it's a place I could find nearby? And it looked to be full of xoorzi fungus...that could be rather useful to us. Of course, those notions were small compared to the idea that she was somehow communicating with her deceased mother, and she wondered if hormones were having an impact on her dreams. However, being awake and conscious was enough to push those thoughts aside, as she realized that she needed to speak to her husband, after which she wanted to curl up beside him and sleep in his arms.

Automatically she looked beside her, but Stonewall was gone; she knew he was still at the ruins, working on their family's future home.

Moments later she was up and slipping outside, seeking him out with the Force. He was where she'd figured, patching up a portion of wall in one of the rear sections of the living quarters by the light of single glow-lamp. “Stone?”

He had been reaching for a higher section of the wall, and he tensed at her voice, but turned to her after a moment. His face was blank but she could read the eddies of agitation and remorse that were rippling within him. After a moment he spoke to her as he looked down at the flat-ended tool in his grip. “Are you okay?”

“No.” She stepped to him, but halted at the tension in his body. “I miss you.”

Whatever he'd been using was covered in sealant, and the air was thick with its acrid scent. He twirled the tool gently in his hands for a few moments before looking back at her. “I'm so sorry, Kali. I've let you down. Not just you,” he added, shaking his head and closing his eyes. “The child. Our child.”

“It will be okay,” she replied, crossing the space between them and lifting the tool from his grip, setting it down against the floor before taking his hands in hers. “And you didn't let anyone down, Stone.”

“How old will it be before I'm gone?” His voice was a whisper,

“Stonewall, listen to me,” she replied, keeping her voice even. “You can't dwell on that, now.” He was silent and she felt a flare of her own remorse, but pushed it away. “You know, my mother died never knowing me at all,” she said at last. “I sometimes think that she would have given anything to see me, even just a little bit. You'll get to see your child. You'll get to see him or her born, and take its first steps, hear its first words...you'll get to experience all of that. I know it isn't as much as we want, but it's so much more than it could be.”

Still he said nothing and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and inhaling the scent of his skin and that of the sealant and sawdust, after which she pulled back and placed her hand against his cheek, forcing him to meet her eyes. “I love you. Nothing will ever change that, either. But I need you to come back to me, now.”

He took a shaking breath but leaned into her hand, then placed his own on top of hers and kissed her palm. Finally he nodded, though she could still read the pain in his eyes. “You're right,” he said with a quiet smile. “I'm sorry that-”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Stop apologizing. You've done nothing wrong. Now, come back to bed with me and leave all of this for later.” She indicated the repairs and he gave a weak chuckle.

“Alright, but I should probably take a shower first.”

Kali pretended to sniff him and wrinkled her nose. “Agreed.” She gave him a different smile. “Maybe we can take one together? I'll help you wash your back...that spot you can never reach...”

She knew that he was still upset, but he gave a true laugh at her words and embraced her, kissing her with an intensity that made her head swim a little. “Sounds like a plan.”

Later that night she was in his arms once more, the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her to a sweet and dreamless sleep.

*****​

A/N: So, aside from Karen Traviss' RC series, I don't believe that we get to see a clone with a child anywhere in canon. (Cut adopted Suu's kids.) I'm a little worried that Stone's coming across as being too “emo,” so any feedback on that aspect is appreciated.

The xoorzi that Kali mentions after her dream is a kind of fungus used in the manufacturing of bacta, and we'll learn more about it later on. Weird dream though, right? What does it all mean...?

 

Kali, when your dead mother appears to you in a dream, on a planet that you already know is freaky, and tells you to leave the freaky planet....maaaaaaaybe you should leave the freaky planet?

I don't think Stone's being too emo! Considering his normal stoic-ness (what, that's a word), the fact that the galaxy is topsy-turvy, and they're all in very unfamiliar territory (no more Jedi, deserter clones, Kali's pregnant, etc), I think it makes sense that his facade is finally cracking. Now stop avoiding your wife, Stone. I loved Traxes' "let's keep working in awkward silence" line.

I might be repeating myself slightly from my comments on your latest The Fighting Kind update, but thank you for writing such lovely, amazing stories. Like when I'm reading, I forget that Kali wasn't an "authorized" Lucasfilm character, or the season 6 unpleasantness that was Fives' storyline in TCW actually happened, you know? Fives lives, darn it!
Basically, I'd put laloga's stuff up against the profic stuff on my Kindle any day and-- oh my god, I just thought of how I might get Eye of the Storm on my Kindle, excuse me while I investigate, kthnxbye! :-D

 

@gracesonnet - Leave the freaky planet?! That would be far too sensible, and then there'd be no story! Yeah, Stonewall is going through some stuff now, and is trying to hold it together, poor guy.(LOL, "his normal stoicness" sums him up nicely!)​

​

Thank you again for the encouragement and kind words! It means so much! ​

*****​

Chapter Fifteen: In the Middle Of the Moment​

From the moment I set foot on Mundali, I knew that I never wanted to leave. I thought that I could die here, and it was not a depressing thought, as you might believe. I am going to die anyway, and very soon, so why not here? Why not spend the last bits of my life in a place of absolute beauty and so much history?

But I said none of this to the Jedi – Jonas – though he seemed almost as interested in the place as I was; I suppose the Council wondered if it could be used in some way, which was perhaps why they'd sent him. We stood at the base of the temple and an odd look came over his face, such that I had to ask him what was wrong. He shook his head. “This place is very old,” he replied.

I rolled my eyes, thinking: this man has a gift for stating the obvious. Seeing my expression he smiled. “It's very...full,” he added, his hands spreading as if he could not find the right words. “Weighty.”

The air around us was still and I was not strong enough with the Force to tell if that was significant. But I understood what he meant as I moved to the base of the stairs. In an instant he was beside me, offering his hand. I didn't want to take it, but the climb would not be easy for me, if I could even manage it. So I placed my fingers against his palm and we began the ascent.

*​

Three days later...

As was her custom, Honi woke up well before dawn in order to meditate. She debated bringing Zara, but decided that she wanted to be alone for the time being. While the sky was still faintly indigo she slipped from the body of the ship and made her way to the path that lead through the jungle towards the collection of structures that was to be their new home – hopefully by nightfall. They had made much progress, already, and it had been decided that since Weave and Levy almost had the cooling system rigged up, they would be able to move in that very day.

Already the humidity was thick, and she took a moment to pause and pin her hair up before stepping forward again; the clones had cleared a path through the brush so that several people could walk beside one another, but she was content to be alone for now. Something was not sitting well with her, which was part of the reason she'd chosen to meditate on her own this morning, where she normally would have brought her Padawan along.

“Up for some company?” Kalinda's voice startled Honi; turning, she noted the dark-haired Jedi stepping out of the woods behind her, looking amused at something.

“You know I hate it when you sneak up on me.”

Kalinda gave her a wry look before gesturing to the clearing beyond them. “You've been a little distracted lately. Will you come with me?” Honi nodded and they began to walk across the open area back towards a different part of the jungle, passing beneath the canopy moments later. Neither woman spoke for a few minutes before Kalinda cleared her throat. “How's Weave?”

Trying not to allow her cheeks to flush, Honi turned her head and pretended to examine the forest around them, knowing that the other Jedi would wait until she replied. Finally she sighed. “He's in good health, I suppose.”

“Glad to hear it,” Kalinda said in a casual voice.

“Yes...well...” Words didn't come so easily to her at the moment, so Honi only nodded after a few useless stammers. But Kalinda, in her fashion, was patient and said no more on the matter; in fact, neither one of them spoke for a long time as they walked, their tread masked by a carpet of loam and muffled by the clamor of distant primates. Finally Honi looked back at her old master and gave a small smile. “He's Weave,” she said. “That's all I can say. I'm not sure if....I mean, I don't....”

Kalinda shook her head. “It's okay, Honi. Just...be careful with him, okay? He's had a difficult time.”

In response to this, Honi could do nothing but dip her head in acknowledgment. They walked for a few more minutes before Kalinda paused and tilted her head, as if she were listening for something.

“What is it?”

“I'm not sure exactly where we are,” Kalinda replied after a moment. “I'm looking for a cave of some kind...I think it's to the east...” She indicated the direction and Honi winced.

“We're lost.”

Kalinda rolled her eyes. “We're not lost if we don't know quite where we're going, Honi.”

“Every time you say that, it never gets any more reassuring.”

“It's not meant to be...there!” The dark-haired Jedi pointed eastward and then took off at a trot, Honi following a moment later, noting how the other woman's gait was still uneven. It was a few minutes before they broke free of the brush and found themselves in a small clearing, facing what appeared to be the cavern in question. Kalinda glanced at her former apprentice and raised a brow. “I think you'll like this.”

Honi peered into the gaping maw and frowned. “I didn't think to bring...” She trailed off as Kalinda reached into the pocket of her tunic and pulled out a small flashlight. Seeing Honi's expression she gave a wry grin.

“Thank Stone. I nearly rushed out here without so much as my shoes.” She flicked the flashlight and began to advance towards the cave, Honi beside her.

Once they passed through the entrance, the temperature dropped several degrees as the light dimmed, and for a few minutes there was only the faint scuff of their feet as they walked. After a few twists and turns they were completely enveloped in darkness and had it not been for Kalinda's light, Honi thought that she would not have been able to see her hand held up right before her face; as it was, the Force indicated that this place was very, very large. She inhaled once, expecting the musty tang of old air, but was met with a different, sweeter smell, one that she actually recognized.

Her theory was confirmed when Kalinda paused in a particularly wide chamber and angled the light along the wall, illuminating numerous clusters of faintly glowing, purple fungi. “Is that what I think it is?”

Stepping forward, Honi ran her fingertips along the smooth, bubble-like surface of the closest fungus and nodded to herself. The glow was dimmer than what she'd encountered before, but it was unmistakable regardless. “It's xoorzi,” she said after a pause. A glance up showed her that the entire cavern was covered in the stuff, and she shook her head in wonder. “Kalinda....this is incredible. I've never seen so much, so localized...”

Kalinda gave an experimental prod against the purple substance as well before turning and stepping to the center of the chamber. “This is the medium for bacta growth, then? I thought so, but I wanted to be sure.”

“This is...” Honi looked up in wonder, taking in the carvings all along the walls, as well as a small, stone altar at the room's center. “What is this place?”

“I don't know,” her former teacher replied, her eyes fixed on the altar as she traced the whorls of engravings that covered the structure. “Like I said...I came here in a dream.”

“You and your dreams...you know, for as little stock as you put into them, you certainly have your share of interesting ones.”

Despite the stern look that she gave along with the words, Honi thought that Kali should have laughed, but instead the dark-haired Jedi's expression was guarded. “I don't think it was really a dream...it was more like a vision.”

This caused a flash of alarm to pass through Honi. “Are you feeling okay? The baby...”

“The baby is fine...but I don't know if it has anything to do with what happened to me,” Kalinda replied with a frown, eyes still fixed on the altar, which was cast in stark relief by the flashlight's beam. “I think it was my mother who brought me here.” Her voice sounded strange and distant.

“Your mother?” Honi tried to keep the disbelief from her tone. “Hmmm...perhaps you've been reading the journal too much. That or your hormones are starting to affect you more than you realize.”

Kalinda met her former apprentice's gaze, her face cast in strange shadows by the flashlight. “You're right...it's probably just a combination of too much reading and hormones. In any case...the xoorzi.” She gestured to the purple, glowing fungus and Honi frowned again, still not believing the other Jedi's casual tone.

“What about it?” Kalinda only looked at her expectantly; a moment's deliberation made Honi lift her brows as she thought out loud. “It's necessary for the creation of bacta...it's rare and valuable....it's....” She trailed off, a slight smile coming across her face. “Rare. Valuable.”

“Not a bad source of income, then?”

“Assuming we can find someone who'll do business with a group of Jedi and renegade clone troopers.”

“I don't think that will be a problem. Between Altis and Skirata we have plenty of contacts,” Kalinda replied, gazing around the cavern. “If we do intend to stay for any length of time, the xoorzi could be a way to fund our lives here.”

They spent several hours exploring the cave before they decided to leave. The two women began wending their way back through the passages until the light from the entrance provided a beacon for them to follow; at that point, Kalinda shut off her flashlight and they moved through the rocky tunnel without speaking, the only sound being the scuff of gravel and stone beneath their feet.

Minutes later, Honi blinked as she stepped out into the sunlight, waiting for her eyes to adjust. After a moment she turned to ask Kalinda another question, but noticed that the other woman was not beside her. She's gone, just like she was at the temple on our first day here. “Kalinda?” Honi searched around, both with the Force and with her eyes, but found no trace of her former master. She tried the other Jedi's comlink, but there was nothing but static. “Kali?”

Fear began hammering in her heart, for all that she tried to quell it. After several minutes had passed and she found no trace of her friend, she lifted the comlink that Weave had given her. “Stonewall.”

His reply was immediate. “What's wrong?”

Honi glanced around, noting that the sky was a clear blue, but that she could see clouds forming on the horizon. “It's Kalinda...she's gone.” She gave her location; there was only a moment's pause that may have been an indrawn breath.

“I'll be right there.”

*​

That same morning...

I guess I should be upset that she didn't even want me to come with her on her meditation, Zara thought as she listened to Honi leave the Wayfarer early that morning. But I have other ways I can spend my time. She waited until she heard her master's footsteps quiet, then vanish before she slipped out of her bed and stepped to the door of her cabin. A brush with the Force told her that Sita was still sleeping in the next room, so she made her way out of the Wayfarer and towards the Stark Raven.

Her steps were silent and it only took a mild wave of her hand to ensure that the lock on the hatch that lead to the upper-levels – where the crew quarters were located – opened without a sound. It was still dark, but dawn was coming, and she her stomach was churning with that odd mixture of apprehension and excitement that had prevented her from restful sleep the last few nights.

The boys were sleeping on pallets in the largest cabin that they shared, but Drake was nowhere to be found. Despite the fact that she tried to keep her steps silent, so as not to wake them, when she approached, Levy stirred and sat up, regarding her with interest even as he yawned. The movement drew the others awake was well and soon she was surrounded by four pairs of almost-golden eyes. Risky recovered first, got to his feet and came over to her. “Couldn't sleep?”

“Sort of,” she said with a shrug. However, as much as anxious as she was to speak with Drake, she didn't want to brush him and the others off, so she smiled at them. “Mostly I was bored.”

“Yeah, all that meditating must get old,” Keo replied, rubbing his eyes. “I know I'm about done with cleaning those shabla buildings.”

Risky rolled his eyes. “And the garden. Ugh...if I never have to see another gorburoot again....” He trailed off and looked at Zara, who was shifting from foot to foot. “Are you okay?”

“I'm sorry...I didn't mean to wake you,” she said, unable to stop herself from looking around. Where's Drake?

Seeming not to notice her distraction, Risky shrugged. “It's alright. Want to play some sabacc? We get a few minutes of peace before Crest or Traxis come to drag us to do chores.” Finn had pulled out a deck of cards and the others were gathering around him.

Her mouth opened but Finn shook his head and spoke. “She's looking for Drake.”

“How do you know?” Risky and Zara glanced at one another as they spoke simultaneously, but Finn shrugged.

“He's in the dining cabin,” Finn said with a nod to the door at the side of the quarters. “Dunno why.”

Torn between her desires, Zara eventually made a decision. “I did want to talk to him. Thanks, Finn.”

The boy nodded and looked back at his deck, which he began to deal. Risky scowled and shook his head. “Well, we'll be here.”

“Lev, you want in?” Keo asked his brother, who looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head; he'd picked up one of his datapads and was scrolling through it with intensity.

One of the others replied to this, but Zara didn't hear him as she stepped towards the dining room. It was a little-used area on the Stark Raven, as it was too small to accommodate everyone in their group, but it did have a mid-sized transparisteel window, presently overlooking the tips of the jungle. It was just barely dawn outside and she knew that soon the entire forest would be gilded by the light. Drake was standing in the dark, looking out the window, arms crossed in front of him. At her approach, he turned and regarded her; he didn't seem startled by her presence, as she would have expected. Instead, he dropped his arms to his sides and gave a her a look that said what took you so long?

She moved to stand next to him, trying to ignore the racing of her heart. “Honi's off meditating.”

This made his brow lift. “She didn't take you?” The words were pitched low. Zara shook her head and he took a deep breath. “Shame.”

“Why?” She could feel the warmth from his body radiating off of him in waves; she was drawn to it as she'd been drawn to nothing else in her entire life, and Stonewall's words echoed in her mind. I didn't know what love was when we met...I figured it out, though. “Are you disappointed?”

Drake studied her for what felt like a very long time. The sun was starting to crest over the trees and the first shaft of the rising light got caught his irises and turned them to gold. “Just the opposite,” he said at last, his voice a whisper.

Her heart was hammering so fast she thought that it would fly out of her ribcage. She took a step towards him. She said his name but didn't know why. “Drake.”

“Zar.” He was frozen in place, his eyes on her as though any moment she would evaporate.

Rather than respond, she leaned forward until she could feel the hairs on his arms touching her own skin; they were so close, only a breath apart and she thought that she could hear her blood rushing through her veins as her eyes half-closed...

And then there was an exclamation from the next room, loud and vulgar enough to break whatever moment had been between them. It was Risky, of course, accusing one of the others of cheating; within moments, he and Keo seemed to be having a contest to see who could be the loudest and most obnoxious.

“How heavy do Ares and Trax sleep?” she asked with a raised brow; despite the fact that she was in a rather compromising position, she wasn't worried about getting caught, as she could be rather stealthy when needed.

Drake sighed and actually shot a glare at the door. “I figure we have about thirty seconds before Trax comes barging in, yelling about all the kriffing noise.”

When he looked back at her and realized she was about to giggle, he seemed to relax, albeit with another sigh and a flare of remorse. So Zara shook her head and gave him a smile as she laced her fingers with his, and they turned to watch what they could of the sunrise, together.

*​

Traxis paused to wipe the sweat off of his forehead; even though it was just after midday, the heat was fierce, especially if one was not under the cover of the tarps that had made up their camp up until a few hours ago. The dew that had collected on the stretch of material had long since evaporated away, and the tarp was uncomfortably hot beneath his hands. Beside him, he watched as Ares carefully untied the length of cord that had bound the tarp to a protruding loop on the Stark Raven; the coral-skinned Twi'lek allowed the corner to flutter to the ground – now bare of their equipment and supplies – before moving on to the next section.

“Feels like we just set all this up,” Traxis said. His voice sounded muffled by the heat. Ares nodded but said nothing as he reached up for the next cord that was tied to the Raven's hull. With a sigh, Traxis glanced around at the remnants of their camp and frowned. I can't say I'm pleased about the decision, but it makes sense. It's not like we have anywhere else to go, and with those generators working, we have power at least. Can't rely on the ships forever.

This thought made him glance at Ares again, and he noted the other man's face was set with determination even as he struggled to untie a particularly surly knot. “Need some help?” The clone indicated one of the knives strapped to his side but Ares shook his head.

“I've got it.” But he continued to struggle with the knot for several more minutes, even as Traxis managed to untie the rest of them so that the final tarp was resting on the ground, save the single corner where the Twi'lek was working. With a sigh, Trax moved towards him and examined the knot: during the course of their stay on Mundali it had been exposed to the alternating sun and rain, and the relentless slam of elements had caused it to tightened in on itself until it looked like only a blade would separate the strands.

The scarred clone reached for it, but a look from Ares stilled his movements. “Patience,” the Twi'lek said, his accent lilting slightly on the word. His tone was sharp, but there was a faint glimmer in his eye, so Traxis lifted his hands and waited.

Ares fixed his eyes back on the knot, his brow furrowing with concentration. For several minutes there was only the fumble of nylon cord and the hum of cicadas and then he made a noise of satisfaction as the knot was worked free and he was able to slide it apart. The tarp slithered to the ground and the two men bent to gather it up, folding it at the corners as they had done with the others, which were all neatly stacked in two nearby crates, awaiting their new home.

Without a word, each of them lifted a crate and began to make their way through the jungle towards the ruins. The path from the clearing to the group's new home had been cleared of the worst of the brush, as it was not feasible to land the ships in the area that contained the ruins, so their passage was unobstructed. A steady breeze ruffled the leaves of nearby trees and Traxis could smell some kind of fragrant, distant blossom. It's pretty here, he thought as he cast a look at Ares. Even though it's hot, I think I could be happy here, eventually.

But something still tugged at his heart; he had a name for it, but was reluctant to voice the thoughts, as that would make them real. So he kept his mouth shut and walked beside the coral-skinned Twi'lek through the Mundali jungle. Suddenly, Ares closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his chest lifting to take in the scent of the air. When he opened his eyes he gave the clone a wry look. “Fresh air. It's pleasant, is it not? One gets used to recycled air on a ship...this is refreshing.”

“Yeah,” Traxis replied in a careful voice. “I know what you mean.” They were nearly at their destination, evidenced by the bright patches of blue sky he could make out through the trees. He shifted the crate in his arms; it wasn't heavy, but he was glad he had something to do with his hands.

“Yes, it is a lovely place, but already I feel the urge to move on,” Ares continued, his gaze on the path ahead, though his eyes flicked to Trax while he spoke. “The Raven, you see,was not meant to remain in one place for so long. But, although I love my ship, she is not the best company, sometimes.” He gave a low, lilting chuckle that was edged with nervousness. “I find that she doesn't laugh at my jokes as much as you.”

Nodding, Traxis thought of his family. Home is where they are, he realized suddenly. And it's also with you, Ares. But I can't have it both ways. How am I supposed to choose? His throat was tight and he swallowed. “I don't think I could ever leave the others.”

“Ah.” Ares nodded but made no further comment, though Traxis did notice his lekku twitching with agitation as they stepped out of the cover of the jungle and into the open sun, where the heat level increased exponentially.

The scarred clone recalled his words to Stonewall days ago, about hurting the one person who cared about him the most, and glanced at Ares. “But I don't think I can watch you fly away without me, either. So I guess I have a problem.” He tried to keep a bit of levity in his tone, as he thought Crest would have done.

These words made Ares pause, setting down his crate in the middle of the field and facing the clone. “What are you saying, Trax? What are you trying to say?” His voice was still careful, but there was a note of hope as well.

Good question. But he still wasn't sure about his answer, so they stood for one long moment beneath the sun and the thick clouds that were already forming from the heat. He watched the hope drain from Ares' face and felt anger rise within him, directed at himself. Say it, he thought as he urged his mouth to open. Say it...you know it's true...you kriffing coward.

Then his shabla comlink chirruped, and Trax was ashamed to feel a flash of relief. He activated the device, but before he could speak, Stonewall's voice sounded. “I need you to collect Crest and Weave, and meet me here.” He gave a set of coordinates and Traxis glanced at Ares, who looked about as bewildered as he felt.

“What's....”

The former captain's voice was tight. “Kali's gone.”

*​

While he waited for Traxis and Ares to return with the last of their supplies, Crest bit back his grin as he watched the scowl forming on Risky's face. “It's not clean enough? Crest...that's all we've been doing since we got here!” The younger clone scanned the room and sighed as he took the broom out of Crest's outstretched hand, glancing over at Keo and Finn as they made their way towards the rear of the building with gloves and an assortment of cleaning supplies.

“Don't worry,” Crest replied in a mild voice, slapping his young brother on the back. “Your brothers have equally exciting jobs. Just get to work, okay? I'll check on you in an hour.” He snickered to himself as the younger clone gave a heavy sigh as he began to sweep the first of the rooms, working to clear the construction debris from the floor and the walls.

Glad we're moving in today. It'll be nice to get off of that ship. He examined the interior of the building with appreciation. The damaged walls had been removed to create a large, open room that they were thinking of making the dining area. Several corridors led out of the room and towards the living quarters in the rear of the building, and there was a large, oblong-shaped window in one wall, beneath which he'd decided to set up the cook-station.

The place had looked worse on the outside than the inside, but much work had been done by everyone. It's a good idea to settle down here, he thought as he stepped out of the screened door into the bright, afternoon air. The stones from the porch at the front of the building were warm even through his boots, and he considered how difficult it would be to create a roof of some kind for the veranda. I'm looking forward to staying in one spot for a while, even though I'm still not sure how we're going to pull this off in the long-term.

Stepping down the steps to the grass-covered path, he squinted in the sun; Ares and Traxis were approaching from the jungle, carrying more supplies to what was becoming their settlement, and Crest wondered briefly how long it would take them to turn the rest of the decrepit buildings into a true home. Now that's an interesting word. Home. Never really thought about it before. He waved to Traxis, who replied with a curt nod.

Over the stone pathway behind him, he heard a soft tread that he knew he'd recognize anywhere and when he turned he marked Sita's approach. Dressed in civilian clothes that had clearly seen better days, there was dirt under her nails and on her nose and cheek, and she was carrying a basket of some kind of rooted plants he didn't recognize. Her free hand was lifted to shade her face and he noted that her hair still gleamed in the sunlight, despite the fact that it, too, was speckled with dirt.

When she came up beside him, Crest gave her a smile. “What do you have, there?”

“I don't know the proper name, but it appears to be edible,” she replied, holding one of the plants out to him. “According to one of your brother's scanning devices.”

Crest took the plant and examined it; it appeared to be a tuber of some kind, oblong-shaped and bright yellow, but beyond that he had no clue. He lifted it to his nose and gave an experimental sniff. “Smells like...”

Her smile was bright. “Rain. Soil. Sunlight.” Sita turned and lifted her arm in the direction she'd come. “I could hardly believe it, but these crops are still growing.” She looked back at him, excitement in her blue eyes. “It will take a bit more work – it took me two days to uncover these – but I think that I could manage to start growing our food.”

“Sounds good. Except, I hope you know what you're doing, because that's not really something any of us know how to do.”

Suddenly she gripped his arm, and was pulling him along after her, making her way to the garden, to a freshly-tilled patch of soil. The former queen of Aruna knelt in the dirt and scooped up a measure of it in her hands; as if on instinct, Crest knelt as well, watching her every movement. “This is life itself, Crest,” she said, holding her cupped hands a few inches above his. “It is full of possibilities.”

At her look he held his palms out and watched as the soil fell to his hands. It was dark and oddly cool, with a musky, rich scent. Sita's smile was wide. “I can make something of this, I'm sure.”

He allowed the dirt to fall to the ground and dusted off his hands before placing them above his bended knees, but did not rise as he looked back at her. “Then I'm really glad you came along.”

“I'm sorry I...I have been distant,” she said at once, studying the ground. “It's just...I'm...”

“Sita-”

But she shook her head, her mouth quivering. “I need to say these things.”

Still kneeling beside her in the soil, he nodded and listened as her words finally came. “My life has been turned over again and again, and every time I worry that I will not be able to adjust, despite all of my efforts. But Crest,” she paused and looked at him. “It always changes...however I may feel for you, I think I cannot put you through such a thing. You deserve someone stable, someone who will never look over her shoulder and wonder what new turmoil is approaching. Someone who can trust in the present and look no further for peace.”

“Impossible,” he replied without hesitation. “Ever since that moment we shared on Aruna, I've thought about you every day. If I'd hear an interesting story or if something funny would happen, I'd wonder if you'd like to hear it, or if it would make you laugh.” He leaned forward, intent on getting the words out while he somehow had the courage.

“I'm not a king – obviously – and I don't have much that I call my own. I can't be anything other than what I am, which is probably a lot less than you deserve. I don't kid myself that I'm a particularly smart guy...but I do know one thing: there is no one else for me, Sita. There never has been and there never will be.” When the words ended there was only silence as she studied her hands, and again he felt a thrill of embarrassment at his outburst. I guess that's what I get for always teasing the others about their love-lives.

For a long, long moment she was silent, then her eyes lifted. Not to him, nor to the surrounding forest, and after a few seconds he realized that she was focusing her attention inward, as if assessing something within herself.

When he needed to be, Crest was very patient, so he waited for her, as he had done for two years.

After some time she looked at him again and there was something in her gaze that he had never seen before, even on Aruna, something that made the hairs on his arms stand up and a new kind of smile start to creep its way across his face. She was trembling, but he understood that it wasn't from fear or apprehension, and when she'd said his name again her voice was colored with a longing that he recognized well. He was just making the decision to kiss her when...

“What is that noise?” Just a breath away from him, Sita had pulled back and was looking at his pocket with a frown.

Of course, now the shabla comlink goes off. Crest sighed and lifted the device. “Yeah?”

It was Traxis, who sounded about as irritated as he felt. “We have a situation.”

*​

Truth be told, Weave was pleased with his accomplishments over the last week or so. It had been something of a challenge to determine the priorities, but in the end it had been decided that not sweating all the time was the most important thing. In addition topower, they had a decent – if temperamental – cooling system, and he was optimistic that between himself and the others they'd have the 'freshers operational within another week or so. He watched as Levy and Drake finished patching up the last few holes in the ventilation ducts in the groups living quarters, and nodded to himself. All things considered, it wasn't bad; other than being musty and dirty, there wasn't too much work that we had to do to get everything running again.

“Is this the one?” Zara's voice broke him out of his reverie and Weave glanced over at the Padawan, who was holding up a curved section of duct-work.

Pausing in his examination of the system's control panel, he nodded. “That's the right size, Zar. Just pass it up to Lev and Drake, okay?” She did so, offering the J-shaped silver tube to Drake, who stood on a ladder. Above him, only Levy's feet were visible as the younger clone finished attaching the final pieces.

“Be careful,” Zara's voice was slightly mocking and he glanced over to see her standing on her tiptoes, offering the duct to Drake, who was leaning down in a precarious position on the ladder.

The younger clone snorted and reached forward, grabbing the silver duct with a smooth motion. “I'm always careful, Zar. Right Lev?” There was no reply, of course, just a clanging sound, then a chuckle as Drake peered up at Levy's hand gestures. “Yeah, yeah...that was one time. Let it go already.”

While he checked over the panel's wiring, Weave stole a glance at Levy's feet and felt a pang of remorse for his younger brother. He's so different from them...will he ever fit in? Will he ever be able to talk again? Often Weave marveled at the younger clone's easygoing attitude, so different from his own, and tried not to think it was an act. Sometimes he caught a glimpse of sorrow on Levy's face, but it always vanished quickly. But when he thought no one was looking he would examine his arm with a furrowed brow as if still struggling to understand the implant.

Having spent countless hours staring at his own implant in the mirror, Weave knew how the boy felt.

Satisfied that the wiring was secure, he closed the panel and glanced back at the others. “Lev?” A hand stuck out from beneath the space, giving him the all-clear signal, so Weave activated the switch. There was a distant humming sound, then he felt a rush of cooler air from the vent in the ceiling. Zara moved to stand under it, her eyes closing in delight.

“Much better! Thanks, guys.”

Drake had slipped off the ladder and was watching her with unconcealed interest; Levy followed a moment later, sticking his hand underneath the flow of air and nodding to himself. He approached Weave, who ruffed his hair and clapped his shoulder. “Good work, Lev. I think this will be-”

Just then his comlink chirruped, Crest's voice sounding a moment later, brushing over his customary greeting and rattling off a set of coordinates. “Stonewall wants us to meet him here.”

“What's wrong?” Weave asked, as Zara, Drake and Levy clustered around him.

There was a sigh. “It's Kalinda: apparently Honi was with her a few minutes ago and now she's gone...Honi can't find her with the Force and her comlink's off or faulty or something.” Weave's chest tightened at the mention of Honi, but he ignored the feeling in light of the trouble with the dark-haired Jedi.

So he nodded, even though his brother couldn't see him over the comm. “Right. We'll be there in a moment.” He signed off and glanced at Zara, whose eyes were wide. “Let's go.” The kids following in his wake, Weave slipped out of the room and into the jungle.

 

I feel like some serious stuff is about to go down. Is this ominous sense of foreboding correct?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@gracesonnet - It's always wise to heed one's own ominous senses of foreboding. ​

*****​

Chapter Sixteen: Presence Of Mind​

Several days later, we found a massive series of caves several kilometers from the ruins. For a while we stood at the entrance, silent, feeling the cooler air seep out from underground. Finally Jonas glanced at me. “There's something here. Can you feel it?”

I shook my head. “I can't sense the Force like you can, remember?”

Jonas didn't miss the barely concealed venom in my tone. “Of course. Forgive me.” He looked uncomfortable and moved away from my side, taking a few steps into the mouth of the cave, shining his flashlight along the interior walls. “There's a presence here,” he continued after a moment. “Something very old. The Council was right to send us to investigate.”

Though I said nothing, I silently agreed with him. There was a definite feeling of general unpleasantness about the place and it was so quiet. The sun was at its height above our heads, but inside the cave – past the meager bit of light his flashlight provided – it was the kind of dark that happens only in space, or in the deepest corners of one's mind. If I squinted, I could make out some type of scrolled writing along the walls, and my curiosity heightened. After a few moments Jonas began to back away even as something drew me into the darkness. Something...called to me. I think I stepped forward as if to answer the call.

After a moment I realized that he was looking at me, saying my name as if he'd been saying it for some time. I blinked at him in confusion and noted that his blue eyes were concerned. “Are you okay, Kamala?” He touched my arm; that was when I realized that I was trembling.

*​

The next thing Kalinda knew, she was plummeting through the jungle as fast as her legs could carry her; once she was aware of what was happening, she slid to a stop and gaped at the trees that surrounded her, breath coming in gasps, heart beating furiously. Because of the fact that it looked about the same as the other bits of forest she'd seen so far, she had no idea where she was. All she knew was that her knee ached and she was disoriented and frightened. There was a thick-trunked tree nearby and she leaned against it, rubbing her knee and trying to catch her breath, all while casting her mind back to her last memory.

Honi and I had just started to leave the cave...I think she was about to say something. She could remember the other Jedi's indrawn breath and her face turning.

Then, this.

Save for the occasional stir of wind through the leaves, the air was silent and she shivered despite the thick heat. Sweat was beading on her forehead and pooling at the small of her back, but she ignored it as she tried to calm herself down. What is wrong with me? Kali took a deep breath to steady herself before she stood away from the tree, squinting up through the canopy to get a sense of where the sun was in the sky. Even with the Force, I can't have run that far, though I have no idea how long it's been.

The thought occurred to her that she may have been running a very long time. Granted, her knee certainly hurt enough for that. She shivered again. At that moment, she remembered her comlink; reaching in the pocket of her tunic, she activated the device, only to immediately hear a chirping sound, and she felt foolish for not thinking of it right away. “Stone?”

“Kali!” He sounded worried, of course. “Where are you?”

She looked around and nearly gave a helpless laugh. “I'm not sure.” There was a grove of massive trees to her right, larger than any she'd seen so far, and she described them to him.

Afterward, there was a pause and she thought that he was speaking to someone else, as his voice was muffled before she heard him clearly again. “It's okay. Weave says that the GPS on the comlinks will help us find you. Are you...hurt?” She could hear the other questions in his thoughts, the questions that she herself had, but he kept his words clipped and professional, as though falling into the patterns of speech from their earliest days working together during the war.

“I'm fine.” It was true enough, she supposed. Glancing around again, she noted that her eye was again drawn to the grove of trees; something about it pulled her forward even as she spoke into the comm again. “How long do you think it will take to reach me?”

More muffled words, then Stonewall spoke again. “You're a bit far, Kali. On foot...no more than an hour.”

There was a question in the words and she nodded, though he couldn't see her. “Sounds good. I can always try to meet you....”

“No.” His reply was a little too swift. Not that she blamed him. “Please, stay put. We'll find you.” As much as she disliked being treated like an invalid, she couldn't fault him for acting that way, so she agreed and shut off the comlink, with assurances that she'd see him and the others within an hour.

For a few minutes she rested against the tree, seated and attempting to meditate to calm herself down. After a while she felt her heartbeat steady; a hand against her abdomen reassured her that all was well within her, at least. I'm glad for that. Perhaps this is the real reason Jedi aren't supposed to have children: memory loss and random disappearances. The Force works in mysterious ways, I guess. The thought made her chuckle despite her agitation, and she felt a little more relaxed, enough to open her eyes and study the area in which she'd found herself with interest.

The trees were massive, taller than any she'd seen before, with trunks so wide that it looked as though a dozen grown Humans couldn't reach around them if they tried; their bark was light gray, and looked smooth from a distance, though up close she could see that it was made up of many small patches. Dozens of knobby protrusions rose up amidst them, as if their roots were bursting through the ground, connecting all of the trees in the grove. Thick moss, draped on the lowest branches – which were at least ten meters above her head – hung down beside her, and almost no sunlight filtered through the canopy.

They're beautiful, she thought as she stepped through the trees. Strange, but beautiful. Despite all of the things that had been happening to her, she found that she liked this planet. After a moment she reached into her pocket and flipped through her mother's journal, thinking that she didn't recall anything about a grove like this, but checking just to make sure, when she heard the voice again. Close. And she was most certainly not dreaming, this time.

“You must leave. I'm not strong enough with the Force keep you safe, any longer.” It was her mother's voice, she was sure.

But Kalinda drew her breath and looked around, narrowing her eyes. “What's going on?” Even as she said the words she felt strange again, as she'd felt by the spring, and in her dreams. Her vision grew hazy, and she saw patches of sky wheeling above her head as if she was collapsing to the ground.

And then everything was dull, though she regained her own consciousness. I'm still in the grove, I'm still awake – I guess. She looked down and realized that her body was lying on the mossy ground, her face slack as if she was asleep. Or dead.

Oh kriff.

And then she felt her mother's presence once more; a soft touch on her shoulder. “Kalinda?”

“What is this?” Kali nearly shouted at the woman who looked so much like her, it was frightening. Kamala – or whomever she was – appeared as a transparent wraith, not white or silver, but rather as if much of her color had been drained, leaving her faded.

Tearing her eyes away from the form, Kali studied her own body, lying on the ground, thinking of her child. But she could still use the Force, and after a moment she realized that her body was alive and still breathing, and she could feel the tiny spark, which made her relax enough to glare at her mother. “What in the seven hells of Tethys is happening?”

Kamala gave a helpless laugh, running her hand over her face. “Jonas used to say that,” she explained to Kali's look of confusion. Kalinda tightened her jaw and her mother sighed and looked at her. “I'm sorry, Kali. I just...it's good to see you, despite everything. I always wondered how you'd grow up.” She smiled as Kalinda's face softened. “But you don't believe what's happening, do you?”

“I don't know what I believe any more,” Kali replied as she looked around the grove. Neither one spoke for a moment before she looked back at her mother, trying to work out the best place to begin asking her many questions. “Did you...bring me? I don't remember how I made it out here...”

Kamala shook her head. “No. She likes it here...this place is filled with power. But you're strong, so she's having trouble doing what she wants.”

More confused than ever by the words, Kalinda looked at her mother. “She? And what does she want?”

“You, Kali. She wants you.”

Confused, Kali shook her head. “What does that mean?”

Her mother paused, then frowned as she lifted a transparent hand in Kali's direction. “She is trapped in spirit-form, and wants your body for herself so that she can live again.”

Okay...maybe I am dreaming, after all. Kalinda took a deep breath. “My body? And who is she again?”

Nodding, Kamala gestured in the direction of the temple, to the east. “I don't know her name. Even after all this time...I don't know. All I do know is that she was one of the original inhabitants of this planet, centuries ago; they were all Force-users, you see.” She paused and her head tilted as she looked at Kali. “Did you study my research, by any chance?”

“Not that I know of. Master Altis only gave me your journal....”

Kali didn't know it was possible for dreams to blush, but she figured that's what was happening when her mother's cheeks gained opacity for a moment. “Well, you know some of what happened, at least. But I kept my research separate from my...personal life. Jonas told me that he would makes sure my work made it to the temple.” She paused and glanced around the clearing. “The inhabitants of Mundali had a very closed-off society, reluctant to let outsiders on their world at all, so much so that they were able to create a planet-wide shield-”

Recalling their initial trouble on their arrival, Kali nodded. “I remember...we had some debate about trying to land in the middle of space, but the Force confirmed that Mundali was here after a little bit of concentration.” She frowned. “How is that possible?”

Her mother shook her head. “I'm not certain; I have heard that many Force-users working for a common goal can accomplish incredible things, though. All I know is what I learned from the cave.”

“The cave? Is that where you copied the etchings you talked about in your journal?” Kali's heartbeat had quickened at the mention, and she recalled her dream, and her later visitation to the place with Honi. Was it a dream? I don't even know anymore.

Kamala nodded. “Even with the initial translation that had been completed by the pilgrims, years before I came here, it took me a long time. In the end, I only managed to translate part of it...” She trailed off at Kali's expression. “What is it?”

“When I was there before – in my dream with you, and then a little while ago today – the inscriptions in the cave looked so familiar,” Kali replied, her eyes narrowing. “I've been trying to think of how I knew them...I think I came across them in the Archives.”

At this, Kamala tilted her head in confusion. “You said that you didn't study my research.”

Casting her memory back several years, to the time she'd spent in the Archives learning about her Force-shield, Kali shook her head and cleared her throat before she began to recite:

“Much concentration is needed to perform this act, but once it is done, the user will have created a shield of energy around themselves, such that no other can see through; if the wielder is strong enough, the shield will even keep out plasma-bolts or the energy-beams used by those who call themselves Jedi.” Once she finished, Kali and her mother shared shocked looks. “I didn't know it was from you,” she added, shaking her head in wonder. “I studied this in the Archives several years ago, when I learned how to make my shield.”

Kamala gave her a soft look that exuded pride. “You can use the shield?” When Kali nodded, her mother grinned wide. “I knew you'd make a fine Jedi, Kali.”

At this, Kalinda shook her head. “The only reason I learned it was to supplement my lightsaber combat. Ever since....well, let's just say that I'm not the best warrior.” She was not sure how much – if anything – her mother knew about Jonas' death, and was reluctant to go into it at the moment. Come to think of it, she hasn't asked me about my pregnancy. Can she even sense it, I wonder? You'd think that she would be able to. But she decided to try and deal with the situation one step at a time. “So...who is it that wants my body? And what can I do about it?”

“As I said, the people of Mundali were strong Force-sensitives,” Kamala explained. “From what I learned through my research, they were also afraid of outsiders corrupting their way of life, so much so that they created the shield around the planet to keep others from seeking them out. For centuries, they lived in this fashion, until a deadly strain of viral infection mutated and spread, killing them off, slowly. Because of their xenophobia, because they shut themselves off from the rest of the galaxy, they didn't have the means to seek out a cure.”

Kalinda shook her head in wonder. “They couldn't create one, or heal themselves with the Force?”

A strange type of bitterness tinted her mother's reply. “The virus was stronger than anything they'd ever come across, and no amount of Force-healing could do anything about it. Much like Quannots, I suppose,” she added with a sardonic look. “For years, the people of Mundali could only watch as their civilization began to crumble beneath them. Finally, the last living member of the royal family – the daughter of the deceased king – began to investigate the process of transferring her essence into different vessels in order to keep herself immortal and thereby keep some part of her people alive.”

“I've heard of something like that,” Kali replied in a wary voice. “But I thought it was a Sith technique.”

Kamala shook her head. “The desire for immortality is dangerous, and can lead one down a dark path. However, the essence of life, of one's spirit or consciousness, is energy, as is the Force. And because it is an energy, it is never truly gone. A person's Force 'essence' can move from one place to another, though a remnant of that energy will always be left behind. The Force itself is neutral, having no 'light' or 'dark' side, and it's only through the user that right or wrong is defined – every person experiences the Force in a different way.”

It was a philosophy that Kali had heard before, though she had never thought about it in such a context. After a moment her mother continued.

“After some trial and error, the king's daughter eventually managed to transfer her essence successfully, but she found that it would only work if the other 'vessel' was strong with the Force – like a Jedi would be; otherwise, her spirit would be adrift, shapeless and untethered. Finally, when she felt the symptoms of the virus begin to overtake her, she transferred her essence to another person before her body died. However, all of her efforts meant nothing when the last of her people died off. From that point on, her spirit was without a body, and forced to wander this world until she could find a new host.”

At the beginning of the story, Kali's mouth had dropped open and had remained so for the duration. Now she snapped it shut and shook her head. “So...what does this have to do with you and me?” Her mother's gaze dropped to her own feet and she said nothing for a few minutes.

Finally, Kamala sighed and looked up. “I tried to warn you. I told you to leave...I could keep her back, but not forever.” There was a soft noise from Kali's body and they both looked over; Kali realized with a start that she was moving, stirring, as though waking from a long sleep. Kamala frowned at the sight. “It shouldn't be happening so quickly. I thought you had more time. The process will go smoother if the host is alert and conscious, though it does take a few minutes to manage.”

Kali's body stirred again, and she felt a flash of fear for her unborn child. No. No, this isn't happening. “Wait...you knew what that...ancient princess or whatever was trying to do to me?” She couldn't keep the anger from her voice as she looked back at her mother. “But why me? Honi has the Force, and Zara...and Stone.” Kali shook her head, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down upon her. “Why me?”

At this, Kamala looked down, her expression shifting to remorse. “Ah. Well, that would be my fault, you see.”

Trying to ignore her own fear and apprehension, Kali approached her mother. “There is more than my life at stake here. Please...tell me everything you know.”

If Kamala had been a person of flesh and blood, she would have taken a deep breath, but as it was she only nodded and began to speak:

*​

At this point, we were on Mundali for three months, which is not so long in the scheme of things, I suppose.

But it was long enough.

Despite Jonas' words of courage, I was frightened, not for myself, but for you, Kali, for your innocent life that would perish because the body who created it was weak. We talked for days, but I never knew what good would come of such conversations, so one day I plead exhaustion and slipped away from him on the pretense of meditation. I made my way through the forest. For a long time, I walked, ignoring the pain, ignoring my own body's betrayal, and thought of you, my unborn child. What kind of a person would you be? I hoped that any child of Jonas' would be brave, preferably with his level-headedness and not my quick temper.

But I shook the thoughts away, as they weren't helpful. I thought that my child would not live because my body would die, and this knowledge drove me deeper into despair.

Finally I stopped walking. I lifted my head up and realized that I was standing in a grove of the largest trees I'd ever seen. It was strange and beautiful and for one moment I forgot my own worries and inhaled the air, which felt dense with age. Suddenly it grew quiet, so much so that I could hear my own heart beating.

Then I sensed something strange; it felt like how I imagined the Force would feel to a proper Jedi. I was filled with an energy unlike anything I've ever experienced, and I heard a stranger's voice in my head. “Hello.”

“Who are you?” My head whipped around as I searched for another, but I was alone.

There was a gentle laughter, then I felt the presence again, stronger. “I came to you because you called me, Kamala.” A pause, then more, weighted words. “I can save your child.”

My mouth opened to reply but no words came. At the time, Kali, I was convinced was dreaming, or going mad, or perhaps the final stages of Quannot's had come at last to push me into delirium. Finally I managed to speak the only question that mattered to me anymore. “How?”

“It will not be easy,” the voice replied. “For the transition of energy to work properly, you must be awake and conscious. Otherwise there is a risk of part of my spirit becoming separated from itself, which means I will not be strong enough to sustain your body and all of this will be for nothing.”

I held very still, hardly daring to believe, but from what I'd learned of Mundali's original inhabitants and from what I knew of the Force, the ability to perform such a feat was possible if one was strong enough. But I still couldn't say anything in reply, and the voice continued.

“Once it is done, your spirit will be lost. But I am stronger than you are, and your flesh, your womb...they will survive and your daughter will live to open her eyes.”

My daughter. The words fell on me like an avalanche.

Kali, I had so little Force-ability in life – I was never very strong with it, you know – it was laughable that I even tried to ascertain the truth of the situation. But somehow I was able; perhaps it was the quickening of your life within me that added to my strength, perhaps it was the fact that on some level, somewhere, you were determined to be born and so you lent your energy to my own. For the first time in my life, I was able to do what was always impossible for me. I accessed the Force with ease.

There was silence for a time before the spirit spoke to me again, its voice was soft. “You understand I tell the truth, Kamala. It is the only way.”

“Why would you do such a thing?”

A pause. “Because I have not lived in a very long time. I want to smell the air again. I want to taste water. I want to feel another's touch upon my skin. These things are relegated only to those who are alive.”

Truthfully, the idea of another being inhabiting my body was unsettling, but I decided that it was worth it. “Very well,” I said at last. “But not now. I have to prepare.” I was thinking of writing a letter for Jonas to give to you, and of instructing him to pass on my research to the Jedi Temple, but the spirit stopped me again.

“Now.” There was an edge of desperation in the word that should have been a clue, but it paled in comparison to my own, so I shook it off and turned to leave.

“Tomorrow,” I said as I left. “At dusk.” I thought of your father, and wondered what this would do to him.

There was only a silence that I took to mean 'yes.'

*​

It was too much for Kali take in and she shook her head as if to clear it. As if she couldn't believe what was happening.

“No.” Kalinda's voice sounded strange in her ears. “No...this isn't happening. I refuse to let it.” Her mother reached for her but she stepped back, shaking her head and focusing all of her concentration on her own body, on the spark within her, using it as a tether to bring her back, for lack of a better word. It was strange and difficult, but when she opened her eyes, Kali was on the ground where her body had fallen – she was thankfully in her body, this time – and her head ached fiercely.

With a groan she rolled over on her back and stared at the bits of bright sky that peeked through the canopy, trying to catch her breath and sort out what had happened. But before she managed either, she felt Stone's presence in the Force and realized that he and the others were close by. I need to get up. It won't help matters if they find me like this. However, she felt exhausted, stricken with a bone-deep weariness from the confusion of the day's events, and found that she was unable to get to her feet at the moment.

It didn't matter, in the end, because Stonewall was at her side before she had made the effort to rise, kneeling beside her in the center of the grove, looking about as frightened as she'd ever seen him. “Kali...are you okay?” A legion of questions came from the word, but she had no answers.

Even as the rest of their family gathered around them – asking her questions and trying to check her vital signs – she met her husband's eyes and tried not to show how frightened she was as she gave a slow shake of her head.

 

DUN DUN DUN!

I don't trust that weird spirit. Either of them, actually.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@gracesonnet - Your instincts serve you well. Thank you for reading & commenting!​

*****​

Chapter Seventeen: Surrender​

We've spent weeks exploring the ruins, the caves and the surrounding jungle and each day I'm overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this world and find myself wondering at its strange history, specifically with those who lived here. The rumors of a race of Force-sensitives inhabiting this place cause much discussion to crop up between myself and the Jedi, Jonas Ki.

Before Jonas, I fancied that I understood the Jedi Order all-too-well and had decided that I would not let myself think of this particular one in any way other than as “the Jedi,” but as usual, my body has started to betray me. It began with a flash of sensation every time he met my eyes, when I noticed that his were a blue I've never seen before, and the thought struck me that I didn't ever want to look away.

But it's nothing, I told myself as we explored the remains of several buildings – brief and scattered traces of civilization. He's a Jedi, you're living on borrowed time as it is. There is nothing between you; there could never be anything between you.

Despite all of this, when I looked at him, I wondered if I was lying to myself.

If he was aware of my thoughts he said nothing, and I couldn't decide if it pleased or annoyed me that he chose silence. There were times, however, when I thought that I caught him looking at me in a way that belied his silence.

And my heart, foolish as it was, leaped at his gaze.

*​

As much as Stonewall wanted to take his wife in his arms, Kalinda had been insistent that she could walk, so he had to reside himself to keeping pace beside her, noting her limping gait as well as her fear and confusion, and gritting his teeth because there was nothing he could do about the emotions. Behind them, he could hear Honi and Weave murmuring to one another and knew that they were discussing Kali; judging by her taut chin she knew it as well, but she'd hardly said anything after they'd found her lying on the ground amidst a grove of the biggest trees he'd ever seen. After she'd confirmed that their child was safe and that she was able walk, she had been unusually reticent. Now she was silent; he could feel that her attention was inward, trying to recall the missing pieces of her memory.

Through the Force, he brushed her mind with his and flinched at the turmoil that he found there. There must be something I can do to help you.

No, Stone. Her tone was sharp, but relaxed after a moment. No, thank you. I just need to think for a minute. She'd been maddeningly silent about the whole disappearance from Honi's side, but he was resolved to figure it out regardless of the dearth of information. Because he knew that he needed to be strong for both of them, he was trying not to let her know how worried he was, but given the circumstances it was difficult not to be. She's not acting like herself...is it something to do with the baby? Is that what's making her act this way?

Weave would say that it's useless to speculate without more information. I know she'll talk to me once she clears her head. So for now, he tried to distract himself by glancing around them at the jungle, though the sight of cloying, dense trees only made him shiver. Was it wrong to come here? What kind of place is this?

All of the others – including Zara and the boys – were with them, and he tried to be heartened by the understanding that he was not alone in his confusion. However, everyone was quiet as they moved through the forest, the Jedi using the Force to brush the thickest vegetation aside; when they reached the edge of the homestead, he glanced at Honi and his brothers. “Can we get a minute?”

The red-haired Jedi looked apprehensive, but nodded, and after a minute the group seemed to dissipate away from him and his wife, leaving them in their place about five meters from the steps of the largest temple. For a moment it was just the two of them in thick heat of the afternoon, standing beneath rippling patches of shadow cast by heavy clouds as they were pushed across the sun by high-level winds. While he tried to think of the right thing to say, she stared at the temple, unblinking and seemingly lost in thought.

A breeze reached him and whispered beneath his shirt as Stonewall glanced at Kali, trying once more to keep the fear from his voice. “Are you okay?” It seemed silly to keep asking, but he could think of nothing else to say. But her eyes were large, as if transfixed, and she was already moving forward, so he followed her, reaching out to her through the Force to get a sense of what she was thinking. However, he was met with nothing, with emptiness. A sense of foreboding stuck in his throat as he grabbed her arm and turned her body so that she was facing him. “Kali?”

Someone looked up at him, but Stonewall knew for a fact that it was not his wife.

His heart was hammering in his chest as he said her name again and prayed he was mistaken; the woman who was-Kali-but-not lifted a finger to her lips, which were had spread into a mild smile. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak to her, the moment had passed and his wife was behind her eyes again as if she'd never left, looking at him with concern. “Stone? What's wrong?”

“You...you weren't here,” he managed to say at last, though he thought that the words sounded stupid and he shook his head. “Kalinda...what's going on?”

The blood seemed to drain from her face and she glanced down at his hand on her arm in confusion. “I don't...”

Suddenly Honi and Weave were there, the former taking Kalinda's left hand in her own; Stonewall could feel the red-haired woman using the Force to assess his wife's condition. “You must tell me what happened, Kali,” she said with a scowl. “If you're really ill...”

“It's nothing physical,” Kali replied, leaning against Stonewall as though she was unable to support her own weight. “It's...” She frowned and rubbed her forehead. “I'm not sure, exactly.” Something in her voice was off.

Weave looked concerned but thoughtful. “I'd like to do a few scans, just to make sure, Kalinda.”

The dark-haired Jedi sighed, but nodded. “Okay. That's logical, I guess. You set up all of your equipment in the main building, right?” The clone confirmed and she nodded again. “Sounds good.”

They made it back to the living quarters; naturally, the others were concerned but were attempting to act normal as lunch was prepared and served. No one batted an eye when Weave slipped inside the empty room where he'd set up the scanner, nor when moments later Kali, Stonewall and Honi joined him. The scanner was a small device that Weave had acquired after their first year as a squad; since the group had spent so much time in the field, far from any GAR medical base, he'd requested some specialized equipment.

Kali stood beside Stonewall as Weave lifted the small, cylinder-shaped object around her skull, watching the readout on the datapad he'd hooked into it. Several minutes later he frowned and shook his head. “Weird. I can't tell anything from this, or my implant. By all accounts you and the little one are as healthy as anything, Kalinda.”

“Let me try,” Honi said, stepping forward to place her palm on Kalinda's forehead.

But as she did so, Kali suddenly jerked upright and lashed her own hand out, striking her former apprentice's face with enough force to draw blood, the sound echoing in the small room. “You will not touch me, fool.” The words left her mouth in a foreign voice that was low and hard, and again Stonewall saw that her eyes were strange.

Ignoring everything but his wife, Stonewall reached for her. “Kali?”

In response, she only backed away. But as she did so her eyes fell on his, for a moment he was taken aback by the otherness he noted within them; it was then that he realized that the woman he loved was nowhere nearby, despite the fact that her physical person was right before him. But he decided it didn't matter. So he extended a hand towards her while preparing himself for the quiver of muscle that would indicate that a second strike was forthcoming; she moved her arm but he gripped her wrist and held her in place, saying her name again as he held her gaze with his own while trying to ignore the pulse of his own fear.

After a few moments she relaxed, and her eyes seemed to soften as the woman he loved returned. “Kali...” Her name was a whisper on his lips as he took her in an embrace and felt her body trembling.

However, it was even more unsettling when Kalinda looked up at Honi, who was standing next to Weave with shock written across her features as a drop of blood threaded its way down her cheek. “Honi? What happened to you?”

Rather than answer, Stone swallowed and glanced at his brother and the other Jedi, who each met his gaze with fear. “Please give us some privacy?”

“Come on, I'll take care of that for you,” Weave said after a moment, indicating Honi's cheek. She was still staring at Kalinda, but nodded once and they slipped out of the room.

Stonewall looked at his wife, noting her heavy breath and shaking hands, and decided to surround her with something familiar as much for her sake as his own. Taking her hand, he led her through the corridors to the room they shared, and soon they were facing one another, lying on their sleeping pallet. As he studied her, he could see that she was as confused as he, so he tried to think of what he was supposed to say in this situation. I'm her husband. That means I have to be strong enough for both of us when times are difficult. “What happened today?”

A look of pain crossed her face as her eyes closed then opened. “Back at the grove, it felt as if I stepped out of my body and was only a spirit, or a ghost. And then my mother came and spoke with me. She was also faint – kind of like a hologram – but more so than I was. She tried to warn me about some kind of spirit that's trapped on this planet.” She met his eyes and he felt his chest tighten at the fear he saw within her, but he swallowed the feeling back and reached forward to stroke her cheek, silently urging her to continue. After a moment she leaned forward, pressed herself close to him and took a deep breath before she began speaking again. Kali's next words made his eyes widen, and he shook his head in disbelief as his wife recounted the story of the Force user and the transference of her energy in order to keep her spirit in existence.

While she spoke, Stonewall absorbed her words and turned them over in his mind as he tried to glean some deeper understanding of the situation. But he was at a loss. All he knew was that the woman he loved – the mother of his child – was terrified, quite possibly losing her mind, and that he was helpless to stop any of it. I don't know what I can do to help her.

After she finished, Kali took a deep breath and met his eyes, waiting. It took Stonewall a moment to collect his thoughts, as the entire story was passing strange, and in the end he settled on the one part of it that had stuck out to him above all others. “She – this ancient spirit or whatever – wants your body? Is that why you keep having these....gaps in memory? She's trying to take over?”

“My mother said that she could keep the spirit away from me for a time,” Kali replied with a nod, though she was still trembling. “But she said she wasn't strong enough to do so forever, and that we should leave the planet as soon as possible...” Suddenly she gave him the wry look he knew well, and he could see that she was trying not to worry him. “I know it sounds crazy, but...”

“Crazy or not, we can't afford to ignore any information that might help us figure out what's going on with you.” He paused and reached his hand to skim across her torso, extending his awareness through the Force to their unborn child. All appeared to be well, and he exhaled once, allowing himself a moment of relief before he looked back at her. The thought occurred to him that Master Altis might know what to do, so he swallowed and met her eyes. “I don't really understand what's going on, and neither do Honi or Weave. Perhaps we should contact Altis; he might have some idea...”

“Okay,” she said with a faint nod. “That's a good idea. But Stonewall....” She sat up and crossed her arms before her as she met his gaze. “I need to ask you something.”

Despite the chill of foreboding at her words, he sat up as well and held her gaze. “Anything, Kalinda.”

She inhaled and rubbed her hands along her arms. “I don't remember running away this morning. And I don't remember striking poor Honi. I think that something else was controlling me, Stonewall. Some other presence, and that can't be allowed, especially when we have so much to lose. Above all else, I have to know that our child will be safe, no matter what.”

What is she saying? How am I supposed to protect her from herself? It felt like his blood was starting to freeze in his veins. His mouth opened to reply but the words didn't come, so he only nodded.

After a moment she leaned to him, placing her hands on his shoulders and speaking very deliberately. “If I'm...expelled from my own body again, Stone, there's a chance – slim, but still there – that I won't be able to reclaim it. If that spirit takes over, I have no idea what will happen to the child, but I don't want to take any chances. If the worst does happen and I can't 'get back,' I need you to do whatever it takes to save our baby.”

“I don't....”

She took a breath and seemed to be choosing her words with care. “There are ways of...keeping someone unconscious but alive with the Force, for prolonged periods of time. The most common technique is called morichro; Honi's capable of it and I know that Zara can manage it as well. I also think that you could, if the situation demanded.”

“Me?” he said with a frown. “Kali...I'm no Healer. I don't have the abilities that Honi has.”

Kalinda gave him an incongruously tender look. “But in a way, you do. Remember on Perdax, when you shielded me from Ventress' attack? And when we all met on Basrah, after Order 66? Traxis said that you managed to keep the ship intact through the ion storm. The Stark Raven would have been ripped apart, otherwise.”

“I hardly think either of those things is similar to whatever it is you're talking about. Keeping you unconscious but alive while keeping the child safe? I'm not capable of that, Kali. I'm just not strong enough.” Again, he frowned and shook his head, trying to keep his voice level as he spoke. “And even if I could manage it, what would happen to you?”

There was silence for far too long before she replied, and when she did so there was a firmness to her voice that he had not heard before. “Stonewall, my life isn't the priority in this situation.”

At that moment, he felt like a piece of flimsi that someone was ripping in two, the halves of his spirit tearing further and further apart with her every word as she continued. “If the worst does happen, you need to take the appropriate action to keep the child safe. I know it sounds impossible, but we don't have a wealth of options. Promise me that you'll do whatever it takes, should things get to that point. Promise me, Stonewall.”

Her gaze on him was a living thing that had long ago lodged itself into the deepest parts of his mind and would not budge, so at last he nodded, though the words of his reply were choked. “I promise, Kali. Whatever it takes.”

*​

“I promise, Kali. Whatever it takes.”

Kalinda tried not to wince at the pain in his voice, and knew that she had to at least appear more certain than she felt, so she nodded and gave him a brief kiss. “I hope it won't come to that, but I know I can trust you.”

He still looked stricken, but seemed to get a hold of himself after a moment. “I'll contact Altis when we're done here. In the meantime, I think you should rest.”

“I think I need to go back to the temple,” she replied. “My mother's journal-”

“Has brought you nothing but trouble,” he said, cutting her off. “Kali, I don't know what's going on, but it seems like the best thing for us is just to just leave this place.”

But she was shaking her head before he'd finished speaking. “This place is the key, Stone. The answers are here.” Suddenly she realized how tired she was, so she lowered herself back onto the pallet; he slid beside her and held her in his arms.

“I don't care about any of that right now,” he replied, the words muffled as he spoke into her hair. “You're in trouble. We need to leave.” The tone of his voice indicated that he had made up his mind.

But she was nothing if not determined, so she pulled back a little and met his eyes. “Now that I know what I do about my mother and father, this whole thing is too important to me to just walk away...please understand that I have to know the truth.” He didn't look convinced and said her name with agitation. Acknowledging his side of the argument, Kalinda nodded. “We will leave if things get any worse, okay? But my mother said that she wasn't strong enough with the Force to stop...whatever it was...”

Frown and furrowed brows indicating his skepticism, Stone studied her. “And?”

“Back at the grove, I managed to come out of the spirit form with concentration. It wasn't instantaneous and it took a bit of work, but I was able to return to my own body eventually, so I think that I'll be strong enough on my own to handle...whatever this is. But just in case, the two of us – if you 'lend' me your energy like you've done in the past – should be enough too keep me and the little one safe.”

His reply was immediate. “I've always hated that word.” At her look of confusion he sighed. “'Should.' I hate it, especially right now.”

Despite everything she smiled at him. “I'm not a fan, either, but I think it's worth a shot, at least. And if I get any worse we'll leave at once. Does that sound reasonable?” Though he nodded once, he still looked about as far from pleased as a man could be.

Perhaps they each needed some kind of calm, because on some unspoken signal they each sat up and began to meditate. After a little while he began sending her some of his strength in order to fortify her, as he had done on more than one occasion during the Wars. After a few minutes the Force drew around them like a tide and she was filled with strength as she gripped his hands, savoring the warmth of his skin. They both knew that other members of their family were nervous and waiting for them, but it was enough, for now, to just be together.

After a moment, Kali's eyes opened and she looked at her husband, whose face was closed with concentration. As she watched him, she felt her heart filling with love for the man who was so determined to help her, who had stood by her side through so much hardship despite constantly being in unfamiliar territory; she took a breath and leaned forward to kissed him as hard as she could, sighing when his arms reached around her and pressed her body to his without hesitation.

It was then that she was truly lost.

When her eyes opened again, she was standing on the floor of the room, watching her husband embracing someone who looked just like her, running his hands along the stranger's hips as he murmured her name. Dread sliced her and she tried to call him, but her voice didn't reach his ears. She reached for him but her hand slipped through his solid form as if she were air and she tried to quell the frantic feeling in her heart even as she kept shouting his name. At one point the woman who was her-but-not-her glanced over and met Kali's eyes, her smile filled with nothing but cold calculation before she turned her attention back to Stonewall.

It – or she – is much stronger than I realized. I'm such a fool....Kalinda drew on every measure of calm that she'd ever learned from the Jedi as she gathered the Force to her; through her fear and confusion it was slippery, but it was there, and found the strength to push one single thought to her husband, hoping to warn him.

It's not me!

Instantly, he pulled back and stared at the woman in his arms with narrowed eyes. “Kalinda?”

The woman who wore Kali's face laughed, and his expression darkened.

*​

The moment that Weave and Honi emerged from the rear of the building into the main room, Crest and Traxis rose from their places at the table to meet them, and Weave was thankful that his brothers' bodies blocked the view of red-haired Jedi's cheek from the others. However, he could see that Sita and Ares were doing their part to keep the younger set distracted and calm – they were all apparently teaching the Arunai woman how to play sabacc – and he felt a flash of gratitude for the newer additions to his family. A glance through the nearest window showed him a darkening sky, and he realized with a start that night was beginning to fall. Where did the day go?

“What's going on?” Traxis asked, bringing Weave's attention back to the moment.

Honi swallowed but Weave answered. “We're not entirely sure. Something's...wrong with Kalinda. Her body appears to be sound, but there's more going on, somehow.” His voice was pitched low, almost indiscernible through the burgeoning night sounds that managed to filter in, even through the walls. After a pause, he met his brothers' eyes and shook his head. “More than that, I can't say.”

“Stonewall's with her now, I take it?” Crest said as he glanced at the corridor. When Weave nodded he let out a breath and indicated the others. “What should we say?”

The red-haired Jedi blinked at him. “What do you mean? She's ill. That's the truth...it should suffice.” Despite the patch of blood on her cheek she sounded irritated, and Weave smiled despite himself at her tone.

“That should work.” Weave sighed and ran his hand over his hair. “We really don't know much else at this point, but I imagine that Stonewall will get some answers. I suppose we should sit tight for now.” I hope he'll be successful, at any rate. All this mystical stuff is well out of my league.

Traxis didn't look pleased, but he nodded and moved back to Ares and the others, Crest following. Zara, who was seated beside Drake and the other boys at the dining table they'd brought from their camp, turned and caught a glimpse of Honi; Weave tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he didn't think it worked. He looked back at the red-haired Jedi, eyes falling on her cheek. “I have my medipac on me...let me clean it for you, Tallis.”

For a moment he thought that she would refuse, but she nodded and took a seat on a crate in the corner of the room. Her hair had come undone from its customary pins and was falling across her shoulders; she seemed lost in thought and didn't push it aside, so Weave gently swept it away from her skin, trying not to think about how soft it was, or how the final rays of sunlight that made their way through the windows caught threads of gold within the copper strands. Stop it right now. She's clearly upset, and this is no way for you to be thinking.

Her gaze was absent as he cleaned the wound and prepared a bit of bacta. Just as he was about to apply it, she shifted her pale-blue eyes to him. “I'm worried about her.”

It was obviously an understatement, but he nodded. “Me too. But right now, just hold still...” He daubed a bit of bacta on her wound and noted that she hardly seemed to be breathing, which he found odd. “Are you okay? If it hurts I can do something...” He trailed off when she turned her face to his; the realization came over him that they were only a breath apart, so close that he could almost feel her body moving with the lift and fall of her throat as she breathed.

“Weave?” Her voice was quiet amidst the oblivious chatter of his younger brothers and her Padawan. As he opened his mouth to speak she seemed to reach a decision, and without waiting for a reply she leaned forward and kissed him once, gently, on the outside edge of his lips.

It was not a lingering or passionate gesture, but it was enough to make his mind go blank once she pulled back, enough to turn whatever words he would have spoken to insubstantial air, and enough to make him realize that the impossible had just happened. Honi looked at him, her head tilting as if considering something, and for a moment he wondered if she'd simply been satisfying some latent curiosity, and if he had disappointed.

Then she gave him a small smile that he hadn't seen before, and her cheeks grew very pink. “Thank you.” With that she rose and returned to the others, who, judging by their lack of reaction, had not witnessed the moment, though he thought he noticed a flicker of blue race to the door.

Still in shock, Weave blinked once before bending to put away his kit. That's one way to take my mind off of everything else.

*​

The moment she sensed that something was wrong with her master, Zara had risen to her feet, but Crest and Traxis met her before she could even take a step across the room. “Everything's fine, Zar,” the bald clone said. “Just some technical difficulties right now.”

“But I want to help,” Zara replied, looking up and watching Weave apply some bacta to the red-haired Jedi, who actually looked frightened.

But Traxis shook his head. “We've got it under control, kid.” He put a hand on her shoulder to steer her back towards the others, but Zara felt a flash of indignation and brushed his hand aside.

“I'm not a child,” she replied with a scowl. “Stop treating me like I am.” She stepped to one side of him only to see her master and Weave share a brief kiss.

That was when she realized that she needed to be anywhere but right here, so she turned on her heel and darted out of the room and into the nearby jungle as quickly as she could go, intent on making her way towards the spring. She wondered if Honi would notice or care, then pushed the thought out of her mind as she used the Force to bolster her movements and speed her through the forest, until she caught a glint of water.

Not nearly soon enough she was immersed and listening to the creatures of dusk that were calling out around her as the water rippled around her body, the momentum of her rushed passage causing it to slosh above the nearby limestone.

For a long moment she sat in the shallow end of the spring, trying not to think and failing. They're all determined to keep me a kid forever, but I'm not. I'm nearly an adult. I survived a war and Order 66. I'm strong. And she's a hypocrite, anyway. Why did she even want a Padawan in the first place? Her eyes were burning with tears and she took several steps toward the deeper end and ducked beneath the water to wash them away.

When she came back up, Drake was at the spring's edge.

He was not watching her, as she would have expected. Rather, he was focused on something small and blue that was blinking before his face; further observation told her that it was a lightning-bug of some kind, and that more and more of its brethren were filling the air with each passing moment, turning the surrounding area into a miniature galaxy of winking, blue stars. Drake was careful and quick, catching one in his cupped hands before holding it up to study, his face illumined by the bright flash every few seconds.

Zara rose and walked over to him through the water. “You caught one?”

Nodding, he held his cupped hands out to her and for a few minutes they watched the small insect flash intermittently as it crawled across his skin. Suddenly his palms opened wide and the lightning-bug flew off to join the hundreds of others that had appeared all around them, filling the clearing with faint blue pinpricks of light. In her mind, the hushed sound of Drake's breathing mingled with the scent of water when he finally spoke. “Why'd you take off like that?”

She looked at her feet which were still immersed in the spring. “I don't know.”

“Well, they were worried, so I said I'd check on you.” He paused. “Are you okay?”

This was what broke her. Zara felt tears streaking down her face again and realized that she could do nothing to staunch them, so she relented to her emotion. Drake stood by, emanating conflicting desires, so she made the decision for him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she wept. He was warm and solid, and she felt calm returning to her as she buried her face in his neck and even more so when his hands tentatively encircle her upper back.

Finally she pulled back and rubbed at her eyes with her right hand, though her left was still around his neck. “She always has other things on her mind; she doesn't trust me at all...sometimes I don't think she even likes me, and I don't know why she took a Padawan. I guess because she was forced to.”

Drake frowned. “No, Zar, I don't think that's it. Some people are just...well, they just live in their own world, you know? And it's hard to draw them out of it, but it doesn't mean they don't care about others.” There was a pause before he reached for both of her hands and enclosed them within his own, then moved them down so that they were resting between the two of them. When he spoke again his voice was soft and serious, and he held her gaze with his. “It's obvious that she cares about you, very much.”

“How do you know?” His skin was very warm and she tried not to think about their almost-moment aboard the ship that very morning. It feels like ages ago, now.

At this he gave her a cocky smile. “We clones are excellent at reading people, Zar. I thought you knew that.” As he said the words he squeezed her hands and she laughed.

For a minute they stood in silence before she sighed in irritation. “She's also a hypocrite.”

“What do you mean?” Drake's voice was very careful, as if he already knew the answer.

Zara frowned but could not meet his eyes, so she watched the dance of lightning-bugs that surrounded them. “I saw her kiss Weave. After she told me...” Heat crept to her cheeks and she trailed off, though Drake looked confused.

“Told you what?” He stepped closer to her, his feet making a soft splash in the water. Their hands were still joined.

She sighed and shrugged. “Told me to be careful around you.” It was not as hard as she would have thought for her to meet his eyes, which were, of all things, surprised.

“Why?”

Her heart was racing, so much so that she was almost dizzy, and her thoughts felt muddled with the rush of sensation that his nearness was bringing, so Zara shook her head to clear it. “Because of attachment, Drake. It's dangerous for a Jedi.” At the time of her conversation with Honi, the reasoning had been clear and without fault, but now the words sounded insignificant when his skin was warm and her vision was tunneling to his face. Drake was very still and she couldn't sense his emotions, though she thought that it was due more to her own distraction than anything else.

Finally he nodded. “Attachment?” His voice was strange and they continued to hold one another's gaze, until they leaned forward simultaneously and met in a clumsy kiss. It was soft, tentative, clumsy, and by the time it was over the thought occurred to her that with enough practice, it would be like second nature.


When they parted, Drake was grinning at her, and she felt a spark of laughter rise in her throat as he said his next words. “Ah, right. Pesky attachment.”

 

Squeeeeeee!
Also, poor Honi :-(
Also, I don't trust the spirit taking over Kali's body, leave Kali alone, stop trying to mack on Stonewall, nooooo!
Although imagine if this weird spirit met Obi-Wan. That would be interesting. Or Mace. One annoyed glare from Mace and the spirit would exorcise itself from Kali.

 

@gracesonnet - Ha ha, I agree: Mace could scare the evil spirit straight! Thank you for the comments!​

​

*****​

Chapter Eighteen: Any Way You Turn​

Since I was diagnosed with Quannot's, I've had good days and bad days, and none of that changed once I set foot on Mundali.

On the good days I could walk without wincing too badly, and stand for most of the day to do my work with only a few breaks; one evening I actually prepared our dinner by myself, and it was delicious...or at least, Jonas pretended it was to humor me. I'd like to think that I could tell the difference, but I doubt it. In any case, it was pleasant. We shared laughter and food, and for the first time since we'd met, I felt reasonably content with my situation.

On the bad days the pain was so intense that it took everything I had to keep from ending it myself.

But because of this, I had given up on all of that nonsense that arises from attraction. What point was there, for me? I thought that I was too weak to enjoy the physical aspects of such relationships, and my time was too limited to form a family of my own.

Before Mundali, I told myself that I had accepted all of this. I told myself that it didn't matter, that I could live without those things that had once captivated me.

I lied.

*​

It was futile to shout, but for a moment Kalinda couldn't help herself when she looked into eyes that were her own but not, and felt fear and anger course through her as she watched Stonewall's expression shift from caution to confusion, then fear as he lunged for the strange woman. The thing that inhabited her body – which Kalinda was starting to think of as “Not-Kali” – danced away from him, her movements aided by the Force; once she was paces away, she gave the clone a teasing smile and lifted her finger in a beckoning motion.

It was this that seemed to freeze her husband in his place, so Kali shouted at whomever it was that had pushed her consciousness from her body. “You will end this, now. You have no right to do what you're doing!” Using every bit of strength she could muster, Kali tried to push the usurper from her body; she wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but she had to do something.

However, her efforts were in vain, as the spirit who inhabited her body seemed to brush them off with a shrug. “It feels good to be whole, again,” Not-Kali said, flexing her hands with admiration. Kalinda shuddered at the wrongness that seeped from the woman's throat but tried to quell her emotions. It was difficult, however, particularly when Not-Kali smiled up at Stonewall again, who was reaching his comlink to his mouth. “It won't matter, you know. She's gone.” As she said the words, her hand lifted and her fingertips fluttered in Kali's general direction.

“Who are you?” Stone's voice was cold; his entire body was tense as he took a step towards the woman who resembled his wife.

Kalinda tried to reach him through the Force, but it was difficult when she felt overwhelmed with her own fear and confusion, interlaced with sharp anger. As she tried, Not-Kali inclined her head in Kali's direction and grinned.

“You're much stronger than I thought, Kalinda. It was more difficult than it should have been. Perhaps the little one is fortifying you? It's been known to happen before.” She ran Kali's hands over her abdomen.

Stonewall glanced in Kali's direction, then looked at Not-Kali with narrowed eyes. “What have you done with her?”

Fighting to subdue her own emotions, Kalinda managed the barest touch against his consciousness. I'm here, Stone. I'm right here.

Rather than respond, Not-Kali's hand flew to her mouth and her lashes fluttered coyly, but she only shook her head.

But Kalinda's husband was a soldier to the bone, and she could see the instant when he reached his next decision. In one fluid move he lunged and pinned Not-Kali to the wall, gripping her wrists as tightly as he could even as he spoke a terse Mando'a phrase into the device that had remained in his fist.

*​

Moments ago...

To Crest, it felt like their world had started to fall apart at the seams. It was an unpleasant notion, made even more so when he realized that neither Weave nor Honi had any more of an idea of what was going on than he did.

Things got even worse when they all watched as Zara darted off into the darkening woods alone and resisted the urge to run after her, especially when Drake did just that a moment later. The red-haired Jedi called out to him but he ignored her as he disappeared into the woods; of course, Honi made to follow, but Sita stopped her. “She's upset,” the Arunai woman said in a quiet voice as she regarded the Jedi. “Let her be. She'll return when she has cleared her mind.”

“She's a Jedi,” Honi said, her chin lifting, though Crest could tell that she was agitated. “She must control herself.”

Sita gave a calm smile, her white hair gleaming in the dim light, reminding Crest that she was not without her own mettle. “She is also a teenage girl. Let her have her moment.”

Honi's jaw tensed and her thoughts about such a thing were plain on her face. However, Crest cleared his throat, coming to stand beside Sita in a show of support. “She's right, Honi. Zara will be fine...I think she just needs to cool off.” His pitch dropped as he gave her a knowing look. “Drake's a good kid too, you know.”

This seemed to mollify the Jedi, and she glanced around at Traxis at the other clone boys, who were listening intently. After a moment she sighed and nodded. “I know. It's just...” She frowned and shook her head before looking at Weave. “I'm concerned for Kalinda.”

“Me too.” The former medic's voice was dense.

At that point, Crest pointed out that neither Weave nor Honi had eaten, so they took their seats at the table while he handed them each a plate of food. It was quiet for a few minutes, and things started to slip back into some semblance of normal; after the Jedi and the clone ate, Traxis and Ares offered to clean up while the others went outside to get some fresh air.

Wrapped around the exterior of the building they'd converted into their living quarters was a wide stone porch, set about a meter off the ground and accessible by a series of low steps. The porch itself had been in decent condition, needing only a bit of weeding and cleaning before it was fit to be used. Made of similar, amber-colored stones that the large temple was constructed of, the porch seemed to retain some of the heat from the day as Crest sat with Sita, Honi and Weave, their legs hanging over the edge. The boys sat together on the stone stairs, talking quietly amongst themselves. After some time, Trax and Ares came out and joined them; no one spoke for several minutes, though Crest figured that their minds were all on Kalinda.

Finally, Sita looked over at the red-haired Jedi. “Your apprentice...she's quite young, you know. And so much in her life has changed in such a short time. I understand that being a Jedi is a burden, but perhaps you should be more patient with her right now.” The quiet words were spoken with a mixture of kindness and assurance that made Crest feel a glow of admiration for the Arunai woman, so he put a hand over hers and gave a contented sigh when she did not move away.

“That's true. Zara is young. But...” Unexpectedly, Honi's shoulders dropped and her toned wavered. “Perhaps I never should have taken a Padawan. I'm clearly not cut out for it.”

Weave shook his head. “If you hadn't done so she'd very likely be dead.” His voice was quiet and his implant blinked softly in the dimming light, punctuating his words without making a sound. Honi looked at him but said nothing.

“I don't think we can ever understand why some things work out how they do, but perhaps it's better that way,” Ares added. “Sometimes I think we have to trust that things will happen as they are meant to.” His knees were folded and his elbows were resting on them, arms outstretched, hands clasped, giving the impression that he was self contained. Beside him, Traxis looked thoughtful but said nothing.

Crest debated making a comment, but then he glanced over to see Sita watching him; he gave her a quiet smile that she returned, and felt something unfurl in his chest. Despite the strangeness of the day, it was a peaceful moment for all of them, so it was particularly jarring when Weave's comlink chirped and Stonewall's voice sounded, speaking Mando'a.

Crest looked at Sita. “Will you stay with the lads? I don't know...” He didn't have to finish the thought, as she knew, and squeezed his hand just before he left to follow the others as they rushed back into the building proper, slipping down the corridors until they reached Kalinda and Stonewall's room.

And the group was swept up into the chaos, again.

*​

“Stone...” Kali's own voice was choked as she watched her body writhe beneath his; Not-Kali seemed intent on sliding out of Stone's grasp, and it looked like she was going to succeed even as her husband's face went as still as his namesake. Even in this state she could tell that he was stricken and afraid, for all that he tried to mask it.

Moments later the door to the room opened and the elder clones, Ares and Honi rushed in, freezing at the threshold once they took in the scene. Before any of them could speak, however, Not-Kali gave a thrust with the Force and was able to knock Stonewall back a few meters, slamming him against the opposite wall even as Crest and Traxis moved to help him. As he pushed himself off of the wall, Stonewall’s voice sounded, deadly calm. “Help me restrain her.”

Immediately, Not-Kali was set upon by the men, intent on keeping her arms and legs in place while Weave shouted something in Mando'a that Kalinda couldn't catch, as she was too focused on her husband, and Honi darted out of the room.

Kali tried to help them, but she was powerless, and was relegated to a spectator position as the clones and Ares attempted to restrain the woman who had taken over her body. For a few seconds that seemed to stretch to infinity, there was scuffling and fumbling: Crest was cuffed on the jaw when he grabbed at one of Not-Kali's arms; Weave ducked and narrowly avoided a blow to his implant; at one point, Not-Kali snarled and lunged for Ares, but Traxis stepped before the Twi'lek, absorbing the force of her ire and receiving a strike in the ribs for his efforts.

Stonewall was struck again and again as he tried to restrain his wife's body, but it was useless, as she slithered out of his grasp at every turn, even as she managed to land a particularly nasty blow to Stone's shoulder. “Why are you fighting me? You know you've already lost.”

Kalinda met her own eyes and felt a sweep of helplessness at the cold, inhuman gaze that she faced, though she pushed it aside because she couldn't watch her loved ones suffer any more. “Leave the others alone! Your fight isn't with them,” she shouted, still determined to do something. Using what energy she could gather, she created a Force-shield around Not-Kali, hoping to at least prevent her from harming anyone else as well as keep the unborn child safe. Not-Kali's eyes widened and her lips pulled back in a feral snarl as she lunged for Kalinda, sliding out of the men's grasp with ease.

But it was a distraction, which was all that was needed for Honi to return and somehow manage to press the hypospray against Not-Kali's neck, causing the woman to collapse to the floor, unconscious.

Then, everything was still and Kali got the disturbing impression that this was the calm before the storm.

*​

The whole thing was too surreal, and for several minutes Crest didn't really believe what was happening until he felt the sting of Kalinda's left-hook against his jaw. He'd been struck before, of course, but never by the dark-haired Jedi, who turned out to be much stronger than he'd ever imagined. Ares, Traxis and Weave each ducked more than once, narrowly avoiding a rapid series of blows; by contrast, Stonewall seemed to absorb each one that was directed at him, as if taking on the brunt of the damage rather than allow his brothers to experience any.

Finally, it was over, and for one of the handful of times in his life, Crest was at a loss for words as he surveyed the scene before him. Honi knelt over Kalinda's body, her hand hovering above the dark-haired woman while her eyes were closed in the way that indicated she was using the Force. Weave crouched beside her, checking the Jedi's vitals, his brows knitted with worry. Traxis and Ares stood to one side, close but not touching, their breathing labored as if they'd each completed a marathon.

Everyone was silent.

Stonewall had also knelt beside the body of his wife, one knee touching the floor beside the tips of the fingers of his left hand, as it to steady himself. Crest could see the tension in his brother's shoulders and he didn't need the Force to guess how upset the former captain was, despite the fact that his face was blank. No one spoke for a few minutes before Honi's eyes opened and she sat back on her heels. Stonewall looked at her. “What can you tell me?”

“Kalinda is still gone.” The red-haired Jedi was trembling, her eyes squeezing shut and her fists balling. “I can't feel her at all.” Stonewall looked up at her, his mouth open to form a question, but Honi beat him to the punch. “The child is fine.”

Crest felt his heart skid to a halt at her words, but he was confused just the same. “But she's breathing...I don't...”

But Stonewall did. He looked at his brother, who was then able to see the pain in his eyes. “I don't know who that is, but it isn't Kali. It isn't my wife.” His voice broke on the last word and he looked down, his throat moving into a tight swallow.

Nodding, Weave stood up. “Her body is healthy enough; that sedative should keep her out of it for the rest of the night. It won't hurt the child, either.”

“Then let's get her off the floor,” Trax replied, stepping forward.

But Stonewall shook his head and picked up her body himself, laying her carefully on the bed they shared. No one spoke again until his shoulders dropped. “We should bind her, just in case.”

As soon as Kalinda – or not Kalinda – was secure, they locked the door from the outside and slipped to the dining room to speak. As they did so, Crest looked up and saw Sita, seated with the clone boys at the table, teaching them what sounded like Arunai. In direct contrast to the terrifying scene he'd just witnessed, this moment was serene. Her voice was a melodic lilt that lifted above the darkness, though the rest of the forest was silent, and the boys were clearly enraptured by her words.

When she heard the others she turned and her eyes fell on Crest first; he felt irrationally pleased at the notion, despite everything else. But her expression was grim and he knew that they could all tell that something had happened. Indeed, as he took the seat beside Sita, he noted that the boys looked uncommonly serious and that their eyes followed Stonewall as he stood at the edge of the table, leaning most of his weight on his hands but saying nothing.

Weave, Traxis and Ares took seats as well. The Jedi looked as if she was going to, then glanced around with a frown. “Where are Zara and Drake?”

“They haven't returned,” Sita replied.

“I can go look for them,” Crest added, making to rise to his feet. He'd felt a pang of guilt at Honi's words. I was the one who encouraged her to let them alone for a while. But it didn't matter, as a soft scuff of feet on the porch indicated that the Padawan and clone boy were outside. Everyone's head turned as Zara and Drake stepped into the room, their faces concerned.

The Nautolan girl looked around, her eyes falling on her master last. “What happened?”

Before he'd been recruited for Shadow Squad, Crest had worked with only a few Jedi, and had always been impressed with their unwavering focus in the heat of battle, how they could block out fear and anger and any other negative emotions in order to get the job done. As someone who had used highly volatile substances regularly during his time in the army, he saw the value in such an ability, and envied it, to a degree. When he'd started working with Kalinda, he'd noted that she was not as emotionally “separate” as her compatriots, but he'd never once seen her lose her temper.

However, Honi was not Kalinda; he'd noticed that she had a tendency to let problems in one area of her life bleed into others, but in this moment he almost didn't blame her for her reaction to Zara's words.

“Where were you?” The red-haired Jedi was before her apprentice in an instant, her face white with anger. “Why were you running off in the woods....what if something had happened to you? What if you were needed, here? What were you thinking?”

At first Zara's mouth opened but no sound came out. Finally her eyes narrowed. “Needed me? You don't need me, Master. You never do! Do you even care if I become a Jedi or not?”

Beside him, Sita made to speak but Drake stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the Jedi. “Please, Master Tallis. She didn't mean any harm....”

But Honi only glared at him. “You will keep yourself away from my Padawan, Drake. Do you understand? She is not for you.”

“Master, that's completely-”

As much as he wanted to jump in and relieve the tension, Crest was at a loss. A glance at Weave and Traxis showed him that his brothers seemed to be thinking along the same lines. This Jedi-stuff is out of our league.

Stonewall, however, felt differently. He spoke once, his voice pitched normally but enough to carry over the sounds of the others. “Now is not the time, Honi.” The Jedi looked at him but said nothing as the former captain spoke again, his taking on the deeper, baritone resonance he used to employ in moments of difficult combat. “Everyone, sit down.”

They sat, and all faces turned to Stonewall, who seemed unnaturally still. Finally he lifted his eyes and Crest was struck by the pained expression, though it faded to nothing in an instant. Another few moments passed and it was so silent both in the room and the jungle beyond, which they could see through the open doorway was silver and pale in the moonlight. The former captain took a breath and seemed to be trying to not look down the corridor, in the direction where his wife was. “We need to contact Altis,” he said at last, the words measured. “I have an idea of what's going on, but I think it's beyond our ability to handle.”

“You think he can do something?” Weave asked.

“He is a Jedi Master,” Crest heard himself say. “They tend to come in handy in times like these.”

But Honi was looking at the former captain with doubt. “What do you think is happening to her?”

Again, Stonewall seemed to gather his strength before he spoke, and Crest knew his brother well enough to understand how hard he was working to keep himself together. “She mentioned an energy here, something that's been forcing her from her body for short periods. That's why she couldn't remember certain things.”

“Why is it just affecting her?” Honi asked, her eyes narrowed. “Why not you, or me, or Zara?”

“I don't know,” he replied. “But she mentioned that she 'saw' her mother, earlier today, when she disappeared. It was Kamala who attempted to warn her about all of this, apparently.”

Crest noted how Sita was trembling beside him, and he absently put an arm around her shoulders, thinking to offer her some comfort; instead, her entire body tensed. Wincing, he lifted his arm and tried to ignore the rush of humiliation from the moment, only to feel her relax and leaned into him, and he felt the apprehension pass, replaced with a warm kind of contentment. He squeezed her shoulder, she shifted closer to his side, and he could smell jasmine, somewhere. I could get used to this...minus all the freaky stuff.

To further distract himself, he glanced at the others: the clone boys looked confused; Ares and Traxis seemed tense as they sat beside one another, close but still not touching. He caught Weave shooting Honi a nervous glance, but the red-haired Jedi appeared to be lost in thought. Zara was staring at the table, Drake's gaze shifting from her to Stonewall.

The former captain looked at Ares . “We'll need to use the long-range comm on the Raven to send a message.” His voice was flat, monotone. The Twi'lek replied in the affirmative, and he, Stonewall and Honi all rose to slip outside, leaving the others in bewildered and uneasy silence.

*****​

And the weirdness just keeps on coming...

One thing I've tried to touch on is how the clones react to non-military-related situations of high stress. In my mind, they would naturally fall back on those old patterns that they learned from a young age, kind of as a coping mechanism. This is pretty important to keep in mind, as Stonewall has a rather interesting scene coming up.

 

Not-Kali is scary
I have a question and sorry if you've already answered it--is Quannot's Disease based on a "real world" disease? It kind of sounds similar to MS and either way, I was just curious. I like seeing how different writers apply Earth-centric stuff to Star Wars

 

I think it is based off of a "real world" disease, but I can't verify. I found it on the Wook.

 

@gracesonnet - Thanks for sticking through the weirdness! You rock. ​

*****​

Chapter Nineteen: Darkness​

I never cared for philosophy or mysticism, which often go hand in hand, at least according to the Jedi. But there was something about Mundali that spoke to me on a deep level, as if my atoms were formed here and had answered the call to return home. (Even as I write the words I shake my head, for they sound silly and sentimental, but still. I can't help it.)

Sometimes I wondered if Jonas felt the same way. I often thought about asking him, but was reluctant to speak too much to the Jedi; it irritated me that he had such a sway over my actions, but again...I couldn't help how I feel. This thought made me wonder if I'd finally given up control of my life? I suppose I never had control over it, especially if Quannot's was lurking in my cells, waiting for its own chance at existence.

My thoughts lately veered towards the melancholy, despite my fascination with Mundali. Late in the night when I couldn't sleep, I read over the things I'd written so far, and it occurred to me that it's probably better that the Jedi didn't want me...I don't think I would have made a very good one.

At any rate, we explored and I could feel excitement building within my chest; sometimes I forgot everything else except the ruins, the copious history of this place. How many have called these buildings home? They are decrepit and silent, now, but I got the sense that they were once beautiful and teeming with life.

Perhaps one day they will be so, again.

*​

Long ago, when he was in training on Kamino and while everything was still shiny and new, Stonewall met a clone, a wry fellow who'd called himself Drake. At first Stonewall – who hadn't had a name at that point – had disliked the irreverent cadet, but after some rather harrowing experiences the two became friends, and later what was known as brothers-by-choice, the strongest bond that two jar-bred soldiers could form. Drake was the kind of person who never seemed to let anything get to him, regardless of how difficult or awful it may have been. No matter what, he kept smiling.

In a way, Crest reminded Stonewall of Drake, who always seemed to have a joke ready, but he had also been level-headed like Weave, fiercely loyal like Traxis, and incorrigibly brave, as Milo had been. If Stone had been of a more psychological bent, he might have wondered at his propensity for surrounding himself with men who reminded him of a dead brother, but he wasn't.

The only reason he thought of Drake – his brother-by-choice, not the lad who'd recently adopted the name – at this time was because of something that he'd said to Stonewall one day after a particularly grueling training session.

It was the day that the other lads in their squad – none of them were over seven years at that point – had been killed during the live-fire rounds: Daveth, Windfall, Trump and Stun. Good boys, good brothers, who deserved better. Their last noises had echoed in his mind as Stonewall – No-Name himself, back then – and Drake slunk back to their barracks. He remembered showering in silence, hoping to wash the traces of the others' deaths off of his skin, the brothers he'd known since his earliest days. At the time, Drake had been the new guy, inserted from another squad of clones who'd met similar ends.

Later, when Stonewall sat on the edge of the bench in the locker area, buffing his armor without really seeing it, Drake had come in from the showers; Stone remembered that moment with a perfect clarity.

Drake had been bobbing his head and intermittently singing some awful pop-song he'd heard a few weeks ago, and Stonewall had felt a thrill of anger at what he perceived as Drake's indifference. He didn't even so much as look at Trump when he fell. Or Daveth. So Stonewall jumped to his feet and glared at his last remaining squad-mate.

“How can you act like that? Like you don't care?” Where it had broken in pitch earlier, in that moment Stonewall's voice became a low growl, as if he'd brushed past any indications of adolescence within the span of a few seconds. “Why don't you care, Drake?”

The change in his squad-mate was instantaneous; he could see the moment when Drake looked at him and let some inner wall down. All clones could read each other like holo-novels, which is what happens when one grows up surrounded by nothing but the same face, and that was when Stonewall realized that his brother did care – he just didn't show it. Drake blinked once and looked at his bare feet, stippled with droplets from the shower as they pressed against the smooth floor of the locker area. “Sometimes you have to fake it, vod,” he'd said in a quiet voice, lacing his fingers together so hard that that the tips flushed and darkened. “No matter what you really think or how you really feel, you have to pretend to be okay, because otherwise you'll fall apart.”

In the years since that moment, Stonewall had thought that it was a lesson he'd learned. However, when he gripped his wife's wrists to pin her to the wall, feeling her body writhing beneath his in a mockery of the passion they'd shared, when he felt the kiss of her fists and seen the glare of nothing in her dark eyes that he used to gaze into for hours, only then did he understand what Drake had been talking about.

After Honi managed to sedate whatever had taken over Kali's body, for a moment it took everything he had to not collapse under the weight of his own grief as he knelt beside his wife's form, but sometime during the struggle he'd decided to revert back to his former self, the man who'd been trained to fight without thinking.

It was easier.

Of course, the soldier in him had not been gifted the Force, and Stonewall decided that he would have gladly traded the ability to just have his wife back to normal and ensure that his unborn child would be safe. However, it was a useless and thereby fleeting thought, so he shook it away to focus on the present. Hoping that he'd be wrong, he'd sought out the second opinion of the only other Jedi around. But Honi confirmed what he'd figured out: Kali was gone. Someone resided behind her dark eyes, but it was not the woman that he loved. And he had no idea what he could do about it.

So he played the role of good soldier as best he could because it was better than thinking of the fact that the hands he was binding belonged to his wife, and while he listened to the others argue he tried to collect himself, over and over. Finally, he managed to get the necessary words out, and before he knew it he, Honi and Ares were at the comm station of the Stark Raven, attempting to send a message.

Ares narrowed his eyes at the console as he flipped the controls. Stonewall was careful to keep his voice even. “What is it? Are we too far away?” If that was the case, he wasn't sure what they could do, as there was no way to safely route a transmission of any kind.

“Perhaps. The Raven's outfitted with an advanced long-range comm system,” the Twi'lek replied, his lekku twitching in agitation. “But I have no way of knowing where Altis is, exactly. If he's too far....”

“So you can't send a message at all?” Honi asked.

The coral-skinned Twi'lek looked at Stonewall. “Not at the moment, but I will keep trying.”

But the clone nodded once. “Okay. If you can't get a message out, then I'll need to send someone to physically bring Altis here.”

Honi shook her head. “That will take too long, Stonewall. Kalinda might not have that time.”

“What else do you suggest?” He glanced at her and thought that his wall fell away a bit, because her eyes widened a fraction of an inch before she spoke.

“I don't know.”

Stonewall nodded and ran a hand through his cropped hair. I should grow it out, I guess. Not like I'm in the army any more. He shook away the mundane thought. “Ares, please keep trying through the night. If by morning you haven't been able to get a transmission through...”

“I'll make haste at once, of course. That sounds like a good plan,” Ares replied, giving Stonewall a quiet look.

The former captain was trying very hard not to think, so he simply nodded again. “I suppose it's the best we can do.”

But will it be enough?

*​

It was a long night.

Honi, Ares, Traxis and Stonewall spent the first several hours of it aboard the Stark Raven, trying to get a transmission through, but eventually it was just Traxis and Ares when Stonewall slipped off to the woods to meditate; as she watched him go, Honi thought that it was still such an odd thing to witness: a clone meditating. Although they're not as strong as mine, Kali's or Zara's, he has a Jedi's abilities; I suppose I should be glad that he's using them wisely. During the course of the last few months since they'd met, she had come to respect Stonewall, even if she still couldn't quite understand how he had drawn her former master's attention away from Obi-Wan.

But that's not entirely true.

Eventually she had chosen to return to the settlement and was presently seated in the room that served as a common area, watching the clone boys play sabacc and trying not to look at Weave, who exuded awkwardness after her moment of madness. I don't know why I did it, she thought with a frown. I just...wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him.

Despite her abrasive nature, Honi was not a stranger to physical passion; years ago, there had been a fellow Jedi that she'd shared a few trysts with, and while always enjoyable, they each understood that they were ultimately fleeting moments of pleasure. On a whim she glanced up at Weave and watched as he did so as well at the same time. Each of them looked away instantly, and she felt heat creeping to her cheeks as she studied her arms, curled around her waist while she sat in a folding chair against the wall.

For a while the only sound was the noise of the others playing sabacc, muffled words and the slap of flimsi cards against the table that mingled with the crickets outside the open door. Levy's bug-killing light had been set on the porch at some point, and its intermittent snap filtered in as well.

A light giggle brought her attention back to the moment, and she turned her gaze to her young apprentice who was seated beside her, eyes fixed on the sabacc game, specifically on Drake. The boy sat between his brothers, back to the Jedi, and she tried to feel a flash or remorse for her harsh words to him, but there was none because she wasn't wrong.

Clearing her throat, Honi looked at her Padawan. “Come on, Zara. Let's go for a walk.”

The Nautolan girl met her eyes and for a moment Honi thought that she would protest, but she nodded and got to her feet along with her master. The two of them slipped out of the building and walked away from the faint circle of light cast by the lamps Weave and Levy had affixed to the outer wall, towards the jungle beyond, towards the darkness. Behind them, Honi could hear Crest and Sita speaking to the boys, possibly something about bedtime, and she dimly realized that she had no clue what time it was, as her chrono had been lost during the skirmish with Kalinda.

They walked for a ways until they were out of sight from the settlement, swathed in the thick jungle; it was then that Honi looked at her Padawan, barely able to discern Zara's form through the patches of moonlight that filtered through the trees. “I'm sorry, Zara.”

The words were quiet against the backdrop of the crickets, but Honi knew that they had met their mark when Zara blinked once in surprise. “I....I'm sorry as well, Master Tallis.” The girl's head ducked and Honi could sense her remorse not only in the Force, but also in the respectful timbre of her voice.

“I lost my temper,” Honi continued after acknowledging her apprentice's apology. “And I shouldn't have. Often I have a...difficult time dealing with stress, but that is for me to worry about, not you. Your role is to learn as much as you can, so that you may grow to be a strong Jedi.”

Before she replied, Zara cast her eyes around them. The trees were thick here, but the ground cover was sparse and everything looked vaguely silver in the moonlight. Finally Zara looked back at Honi. “What's happening with Kalinda?”

At this, Honi pursed her lips and shook her head. “I'm not sure. Stonewall and I think that she may have been...possessed by something, some strange energy that resides on this planet, but Kalinda – as we know her – is gone.” Her words made Zara's eyes widen in fright, but Honi found that she could offer no comfort, and even as she spoke the words she was filled with dread, and an unmistakeable bitterness at her own shortcomings, at her own weak distraction. “The one who has her form is not Kalinda Halcyon. That much I know to be true.”

“Poor Stonewall.” Zara hugged her arms to her sides and closed her eyes. “What are we going to do? What can we do?” The next time she looked up at her master, her voice was earnest and her eyes were wide and eager. “What can I do?”

Honi felt her jaw tighten and she swallowed. “I don't know, Zara. Right now, Ares and Traxis are trying to call Master Altis, to see if he has any knowledge that might help. After that...” She shrugged, as words were inadequate right now.

They were silent for a long time until Zara met her eyes again. “You kissed Weave.”

“I did.”

“Why?” There was no animosity in the girl's tone, only genuine curiosity, which did nothing to ease Honi's mind.

But how can I explain this to her? She's far too young to understand. This kind of talk had never been Honi's strong point, and she found herself missing Kalinda more than anything at this moment. So she cast her mind back, thinking about what her former master had told her once, long ago, when she'd caught Kalinda and Obi-Wan in an embrace that was far from platonic. I was older than Zara was, and I always thought that I didn't care for such things. But I was wrong, wasn't I? About so much. She cleared her throat. “Because...sometimes, in moments of great hardship, it is better to turn to someone for a bit of comfort.”

Her Padawan shook her head, her lekku swaying in the darkness. “Isn't that attachment?”

I am not equipped for this. “I'm not sure. Perhaps, a year ago I would have said yes, but now...” Honi sighed and ran a hand through her hair, noting with annoyance that it had come undone from the pins again. “Now I don't know. I'm afraid there's quite a bit I don't know, Zara.”

Rather than grow annoyed, the Nautolan girl nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. Her expression was so serious that Honi found she had to smile at the girl. “What is it, my young Padawan?”

Zara looked at her. “It's just...you always seem to know everything, Master.”

Far, far from it, Honi thought as she gave a slow shake of her head. I'm just particularly good at pretending. “I don't, Zara. I'm just doing the best that I can with what I've been given.”

“Me too,” the girl replied, her voice soft.

Neither one said anything for a moment before Honi took a deep breath. “So much has happened in such a short span of time, Zara. The attachment 'issue' aside, I just don't want you to do anything now that might jeopardize your future. Drake is....important to you, I can tell, but there is much that you have yet to learn, about the Force, and life in general. Allowing yourself to be distracted is dangerous at this stage of your training. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master Tallis,” Zara said, looking down at her folded hands. “Distracting is one word for him, I guess.” There was a hint of a smile in her voice and Honi felt her own mouth lift in reply. After a moment, Zara looked up at her. “Does it hurt?”

Honi's hand went to her cheek, where Not-Kali had struck her; Weave's bandage was still in place and she remembered his touch with a pang of longing. “A bit.”

The Nautolan girl reached for her and Honi held still, waiting. Zara's concentration was a ripple in the Force that grew, gradually, until Honi could feel her own flesh knitting together. It was not a large or deep wound, but it had stung; when her Padawan's hands dropped, Honi peeled the bandage away and touched her cheek.

“Did I do it?” Zara's voice was tentative.

The flesh was smooth and supple, as if no injury had ever occurred, and Honi smiled. “You did, Zar.”

*​

Aside from Levy and Drake, Crest could tell that the clone boys were growing restless; of course they understood that something was going on, something that had all the adults concerned, but they had not seen Kalinda's body flailing, had not witnessed her striking out at her those she had called “brother,” had not heard the voice that was not hers snarling at her husband. He gave a quiet shudder and met Weave's eyes; his brother had been watching the Jedi and Padawan slip out of the door that lead outside from the common room, but looked at Crest after a moment and they shared a grimace.

Keo's voice broke them out of their thoughts, punctuated by a very audible yawn as he thumbed through his cards, his legs swinging beneath the table as he hunched forward. “No cheating, Risk.”

“I'm not,” his brother replied with a scowl, setting his own cards against the surface of the table. “You're seeing things...defective much?”

“Am not.”

“Are-.”

“Gentlemen, perhaps it's time to get some rest.” Sita's voice was quiet and the boys looked at her, startled.

Crest leaned forward in his seat. “She's right, lads. Time to hit the sack.” He grinned as the clone boys grumbled, but they rose and filed out of the room and down the corridor that lead to their quarters a few moments later; he could hear them bickering about whose turn it was to use the 'fresher, first. It was peaceful and domestic in an odd sort of way.

Weave sighed and rubbed at his temple, his implant blinking in the light of the lamps that were scattered around the room, and again he shot a searching glance towards the open doorway. Of course, there was nothing beyond the flutter of insects as they circled the exterior lamps and the occasional snap of Levy's bug-light as it caught another victim. When he finally spoke, his voice was pitched low. “I don't know what we're going to do.”

No one had to ask what he meant.

But it was Sita who replied, her voice even. “I have not witnessed Kalinda's...affliction firsthand, but on Aruna, such a thing is not unheard of. A possession by an external force, I mean.” Her pale eyes flicked to Weave but landed on Crest. “Very often it is a sign that something is out of balance on a spiritual level.”

This made Weave frown. “Spiritual? Well, I don't know about all that. Her scan was normal, she's healthy enough – physically. I just wish I knew more.”

“Maybe Altis will have a solution,” Crest offered. “Or Stonewall and Honi will come up with some Force-trick that will save the day.”

Weave still looked skeptical, but he nodded. “Maybe.”

Before Crest could reply, the doorway was shadowed as Zara and Honi stepped back inside the common area, their expressions guarded as they made their way to the others at the table.

“Has Stonewall returned?” Honi asked, casting a wary glance towards the rear of the room, towards the area where they'd left Kalinda.

Crest shook his head. “Haven't seen him since he went off with you, Trax and Ares. We just sent the lads to bed. I think I'm about to do the same.”

“I think that's a good idea.” Stonewall's voice sounded through the darkness before Honi could reply, and everyone turned to see the former captain at the threshold to the common room, his expression blank as if he'd only been on reconnaissance.

Falling back into old patterns. I can understand that, Crest thought. “I guess we could all use the rest.” Moments later the Jedi and Sita were stepping to their respective rooms, leaving Crest and his brothers alone.

But before he could say anything, Stonewall did. “I'm going to try and speak with...her,” he said in a careful voice. “Alone. But I'd like...” He frowned as if unsure how to voice the thought.

The bald clone figured it out, though he noted that Weave looked confused as he spoke up. “Backup?”

Stonewall shook his head and sighed. “No. I just...”

In that moment, Crest thought that he saw one of his brother's carefully erected walls come down, and he could discern the deep layers of worry and frustration and sorrow that were behind the barrier. So he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. “It will be okay, vod.” At Stonewall's expression he smiled with as much confidence as he could muster. “Look, I don't know much about spirits or the Force or whatever the kriff's going on here, but I do know that whatever it is that you have with her is too strong to let a thing like this come between you. I really do believe that it'll work out.” Somehow.

For a few seconds, Stonewall only looked at him. “Thank you,” he said in a quiet voice. “I needed to hear that.” With that he held up his comm. “I'll check in once I'm done, but don't wait up.” His tone was brisk again, so Crest gave him a crisp salute and a smile, grinning as he watched Weave roll his eyes.

“Copy that.”

*​

A year ago, if Stonewall had been faced with this situation, meditating would have been the last thing that he thought he'd try, but now it seemed the best option, if only to preserve his sanity. However, the entire situation was proving to be almost too much to bear, and the weight of reality was pressing down upon him so much so that it was difficult to breathe, so while Ares and Traxis attempted to get a transmission out, he made himself scarce.

At first he ran, pulled along by some unnamed need.

Even in the dark of night the jungle was thick and hot and humid, but he didn't care. Creepers tried to snatch his legs back; he slipped out of them. Trees seemed to spring up in his way; he dodged them. Thorny vines lashed at his skin; he ignored their sting. Stonewall ran until he was in the grove where – in his mind – the confusion had all begun, and it was here that he collapsed, as if finally unable to support his own weight.

For some time he remained on the forest floor, listening to the teeming nightlife and his own ragged breathing while trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do right now. But no solution came to his mind. He'd acted like calling Altis was a viable option, but the reality was that he felt it wouldn't work. What could work? I'm not equipped to handle this kind of thing. I need an enemy I can fire on, not some evil who resides within the one I love. I should've protected them both, somehow. Isn't that what being a husband means? Being a father? Have I failed before it's even begun?

To steady himself he took a shuddering breath and said her name like an affirmation. “Kali.”

And then he felt something in the back of his mind, some coil of love that he recognized. His head lifted and he looked around, but he was alone.

“Kalinda?”

It was foolish, he knew. If her spirit was gone or trapped somewhere else, he was not sure if he could communicate with her or she with him. But woven through this thought were threads of hope and determination. Deliberately, he said her name again and this time, as his voice formed the sounds, he heard a faint reply.

Stone? Stonewall?

It was not quite relief that bloomed within his mind, but it was something akin to it, so he sat up, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Kali. Are you there?

I'm here. I'm okay...sort of. Even from the void her voice was wry, though her tone turned serious with the next words. Stonewall...I don't have much time before she'll have my body forever.

None of that was comforting, but he pushed through the apprehension that arose from her statement, frowning in his concentration. What can I do to prevent that?

I'm not sure. My mother and I are trying to figure it out, but...There was a pause. I wanted you to know that I'm still here. I'm not gone, yet. But we have to find some way to get that...thing out of my body.

Would it help if I spoke to...her? He did not want to think of the woman that was sedated in his and Kali's room, but he couldn't ignore any potential solution to their problem.

Kali paused in her reply; he got the sense that she was speaking to someone else and recalled that she'd mentioned her mother, though it was a strange thought. Finally she answered. I think so.

The former captain was on his feet before he'd actually made the decision to stand. Then I will. Can I...do you think we can contact each other again?

Though his throat tightened with apprehension of her reply, he relaxed a bit at her tone and pictured her smile in his mind's eye. Nothing is going to keep me from you any longer, Stone. In this form or any other. I don't know about you, but I'm done playing around. We have too much to lose.

Right. He smiled, despite his agitation, despite his fear, because it was good to hear her voice and to have something of a plan. We'll find a way, then.

Then she was gone, but he felt as if he was not alone any longer, so he made his way through the night-dark jungle back to the glow of light from their settlement. Of course, the worry had not faded from his mind, and he was thankful for his brother's words, because he knew that speaking with whomever was in Kali's body now would not be easy, but if it would help, he'd do his best.

After talking with Weave and Crest, he slipped through the winding corridors that lead to his and Kali's section of rooms; the moment he opened the old-style rattlebang door, he could feel himself falling back into his old patterns as he faced the woman who was lying on the bed he'd shared with his wife. The air around her was unnaturally still, as if she'd sucked the very oxygen from it and created a vacuum in the small quarters. Because of this, Stonewall found that he was too warm, noting that his skin was damp and a trickle of sweat slid down his back. After taking a breath to collect himself, then another to gather the words he was going to use against her, he swallowed and opened his mouth.

But before he could speak, she did.


“There you are, my love,” the woman who wore his wife's body purred, lifting one of Kali's brows at him. “I've been waiting for you.”

 

Excellent chapter!

... brave, as Milo had been
--Darn it, I keep forgetting that Milo's gone in this story :-(

...she still couldn't quite understand how he had drawn her former master's attention away from Obi-Wan.
--Hee here, I love how Honi is still obsessing over this. Obi-Wan must be flattered!

...years ago, there had been a fellow Jedi that she'd shared a few trysts with, and while always enjoyable, they each understood that they were ultimately fleeting moments of pleasure.
--LOL, Honi.
Wait, who was this other Jedi???

...So she cast her mind back, thinking about what her former master had told her once, long ago, when she'd caught Kalinda and Obi-Wan in an embrace that was far from platonic--
I think Honi is still sad that her Jedi-mom and Jedi-dad broke up Or her super-cool Jedi-Big Sister and Jedi-Big Sister's super-cool boyfriend. It's okay, Honi. Sometimes these things just happen.

 

@gracesonnet - Ugh, I know. Milo being gone just suuuuucks. ​

​

Honi's Jedi-mom & Jedi-dad! LOL! I can totally see her thinking of Kali & Obi in that way...and she can't imagine why Kali would have ever chosen another guy over Obi-Wan. (She still has a case of hero worship from when Obi saved her life during her youngling days.) And yes, she's not quite that much of a prude; she views sex as just another natural, biological happening. ​

​

Thank you so much for the review! I apologize for the terribly late reply; Real Life has been kicking my butt lately. ​

*****​

Chapter Twenty: Sacrifices​

We'd been here several weeks, already, and I was doing my best to keep the illness at bay, but, as I've said, some days were better than others.

This was a bad day.

“Are you okay?” Jonas' hand touched my shoulder, the brush of his fingers no harder than the press of a feather, but I flinched anyway, so he pulled his hand back. I nodded, but we both knew I was lying. It's hard to seem “okay” when one is curled in on oneself in the corner of a deserted temple, after all.

“Is there something I can do?”

His voice was kind, soft, warm. I wanted to lose myself in it, but I pulled my body closer together, rocking slightly and squeezing my eyes shut against the pain that ached deep within my marrow. “Just leave me alone. Please.”

But he was a Jedi, and I should have known better. Jonas knelt beside me and – after a moment's hesitation that I noted in some shadowed corner of my mind as one eye opened – reached for my shoulder again. “Let me help you...”

His touch was even better than his voice; all at once, I felt the pain ebb, recede, and I understood that he was using the Force. My eyes closed. Even aboard the Chu'unthor no one had ever tried it, because of my pride. My idiotic pride. At some point I opened my eyes again and realized that he was looking at me like...like I had not seen anyone do in a long time.

When he was done the pain was still there, no doubt, but the brunt of its sting was gone and I was able to breathe again. We were both silent for a few minutes, then I looked at him; it felt as though there was a cord strung between us, taut with desire and fraying with frustration.

“Thank you, Jonas.” There was no sarcasm in my voice, which I think was perhaps the greatest indication that my feelings for him had softened. Drawn to him, I shifted until I could feel his breath against my cheek and sighed when he didn't flinch. His eyes were so much bluer than I remembered.

But his smile was better. “You're quite welcome, Kamala.”

Right after he said my name...that was the first time I kissed him.

*​

Earlier...

Kalinda's arms reached for her husband, but she couldn't touch his skin. Her voice called to him, but it would not reach his ears. Her mind sought his, but it was as if there was a wall between them, or a river that she could not ford.

“We should bind her, just in case.”

So Kali stood to one side and watched her husband bind her body's hands and feet with the efficiency of the soldier that he was, and she saw his eyes harden and his gaze grow distant, and she knew that he was separating himself from the reality of what he was doing. She understood that it was necessary for him to do so, to preserve his sanity.

But that didn't make it any easier to witness. This will break him, she thought as she noted the faintest tremble in his hands when he tightened the cuffs. If we don't figure something out, he won't be able to survive this. She thought back to their past; he was strong, one of the most capable people she'd ever known, but when it came to her....Mace would have said that I was his shatterpoint. It was not a comforting thought.

“There's nothing you can do.” The voice came from beside her; turning, Kalinda saw her mother's form. Kamala still looked transparent but her image was a little sharper than it had been before.

Kali looked back at her husband, who was stepping out of the room with the others; she saw his gaze fall to the figure on the bed once before he slipped over the threshold. Moments later she heard the lock of the door and glanced at her mother again. “How do you know?”

Kamala shook her head. “Come. Let's leave this place for now.”

“But...” Kali looked at the door. “We're locked inside.” She frowned as her mother smiled at her, then took her hand. Suddenly they were at the grove where she'd run to only that morning. Night had painted everything a deep indigo, her mother's form glowed faintly silver in contrast. The moon was out, but could only be seen in broken shards through the canopy, and they were surrounded by singing cicadas.

Kalinda stared at her mother for several long moments before she was able to form the words that had been echoing in her mind since she'd learned the truth. When she found her voice at last, the words came out halting and slow. “You...you gave up your body to that spirit so that I could survive?”

“Yes.” Kamala's gaze grew distant and she seemed lost in memory as she continued. “It was the only way that I could see, Kali. What else was I supposed to do? My life was forfeit, it was done and over. There was nothing for me to look forward to, but if I could save you...well, it might make up for everything. The life of my child was more important than mine. It still is.”

It was too much to take in. Even in this state of non-corporeality, Kali still felt the weight of the situation pressing down upon her, so she leaned her back against the nearest tree, staring at the whorls of bark that she could discern through her torso. When she looked back at her mother, Kamala was watching her carefully. She gave up everything for me. I must try to understand. Kali looked back at her mother at last, trying not to shake her head with disbelief. “But Jonas said you were a Corellian merchant's daughter. I met you when I was a child. I remember meeting you...”

Kamala tilted her head in thought. “I had a large family; several cousins looked similar to me. Perhaps he took you to one of them.” Her gaze lowered and she was silent for a beat, as if considering something. “I asked him not to tell you the truth. I thought it would be...too much. You didn't need to know any of that, especially if you were going to be a Jedi.”

“You knew I was Force-sensitive?”

“Kali, you are my child. I knew you from the moment I realized you were there. I never stopped thinking about you.” Kamala looked as if she wanted to reach for her daughter, but Kali stood apart from her still, uncertain, so she held her place. “I did what I had to do to save you.”

Nodding, Kalinda looked around at the grove, noting how everything looked silver and strange in the moonlight. “So when the spirit...took your body? What happened to her?”

At this, Kamala frowned and looked at her folded hands. “For the change to be permanent like she wanted, she had to inhabit a body that had a certain strength with the Force. However, I was not what she needed in a proper host, even though I think your presence fortified me, somewhat; but ultimately nothing was strong enough to stop the disease from claiming my body at last. From what I could tell...afterward...she was unable to retain a hold on my body once you were born. So when my body finally gave way, she was cast into the void and forced to return here, to her home, to wait for another chance at life.” A small, bitter laugh escaped Kamala's throat. “Of course, I have not seen her in many long years.”

Something flickered at the edge of Kali's brain. “How do you know all of this?”

Kamala shook her head. “Time, Kali. To reflect on my life and my errors. That's all I have now.”

“So she – whoever or whatever she is – has my body now, and the Force, as she wanted,” Kali said slowly, trying to process everything. “Because I am stronger with it than you were?” Her brow furrowed in thought. “Do you know how it can be reversed? You gave her permission to inhabit your body so, but I didn't. Do you think that might have something to do with...” She paused as her mother approached her. “What is it?”

“Kali....it's too late. She's won. There is nothing you can do from here; I've tried. Believe me, I've tried.”

But Kali shook her head. “That's not true. You came to me in a dream. You spoke to me...I remember. There has to be a way for me to connect with the physical world, somehow, to...I don't know, kick her out of my body or something? There must be a way to bridge the gap and reverse whatever it is that she's trying to do.”

“Our blood connection is strong. Perhaps that played a role in our ability to communicate...” Though she was looking at Kali when she said the words, Kamala's tone was vague, almost indifferent, and Kalinda bit back a flare of frustration at her mother's apparent lack of concern for the situation.

She's not really how I always pictured her, or even how her journal makes her out to be. It's almost like she's just a shade of her former self. Unsure of what to do with the thought, Kali pushed it aside for the time being to focus on the more pressing matter of re-inhabiting her own body.

“Perhaps that's the only reason you and I can communicate,” Kalinda replied, shaking her head. “But perhaps not. There must be something I can do.” She thought of Stonewall and their unborn child, and felt determination renewed again within her. “Come on,” she said to her mother, who looked at her with uncertainty.

“Where?”

Kali smiled. “To find my husband.”

Even if he had not come to the grove where she was as if on instinct, Kali thought that she could have found Stonewall anywhere in the universe, as she was so attuned to his solid presence. The hard part was realizing how stricken he was, how frightened, and Kali desperately wanted to touch him and ameliorate some of his pain. But she couldn't so she reached to him through the Force, which felt stronger when she was near him, as she'd often noticed. It was several minutes before she got him to hear her, and relief swept through her when she heard his voice in her mind, though she spoke her reply.

“I'm here. I'm okay...sort of.” She tried to keep her voice light despite the fear within her and that which was written clearly on his face. “Stonewall...I don't have much time before she'll have my body forever.”

His face set into that serious expression that she was familiar with. What can I do to prevent that? It was a fair question, but she didn't really have an answer, so she considered for a moment.

“Honestly? I'm not sure. My mother and I are trying to figure it out, but...” Kali paused. “I wanted you to know that I'm still here. I'm not gone, yet. But we have to find some way to get that...thing out of my body.”

Would it help if I spoke to...her? She could tell that was the very last thing that he wanted to do, but it might very well be the only thing. Even so, she looked at her mother, who was regarding Stonewall with interest.

“What do you think?”

Kamala shook her head. “She won't help him. There is no point.”

“But he should try, at least. It's not like we have a wealth of options.”

Despite this, Kamala frowned. “No, Kali. It won't do any good.”

Again, Kalinda felt a seethe of frustration within her. No. No. No...is that the only thing you can say? But she held the feeling back and looked at Stone, who seemed a bit anxious at the delay even as he was getting to his feet. “Yes.”

Then I will. Can I...do you think we can contact each other again?

This was enough to make her smile. Before she replied, Kali looked around the forest, at her mother and thought of the stranger in her body, and she was filled with determination to set things right. “Nothing is going to keep me from you any longer, Stone. In this form or any other. I don't know about you, but I'm done playing around.” She thought of their child and a shiver of energy slipped through her. “We have too much to lose.”

Right. Stonewall's resolve lit a flame within her heart. We'll find a way, then.

Even as he spoke the words, Kali felt their connection fading, so she let it go for now and watched him slip off through the forest. When he was gone she looked back at her mother, hoping to glean some more information in the interim. “Tell me more about the shield around this planet.”

*​

Stonewall stared at the being who had inhabited his wife's body and tried to conceal his disdain for her while he gathered his thoughts and ignored the sultry tone to her voice, or the suggestive shifting of Kali's hips. Even bound as she was, he understood that she was attempting to appeal herself to him, and some testosterone-fueled part of his brain couldn't help but react with a flare of heated blood. No, he told himself, taking a deep breath. This is not Kali, though she wears her form. The Force confirmed what he knew and allowed his mind to clear as he ensured that the door was locked while being careful not to turn his back completely to her; again, his soldier training was serving him well.

“I am glad that you have returned to me. I was getting lonely,” Not-Kali murmured.

The former captain took a breath and crossed his arms behind his back so that he was standing at parade-rest: informal but still separate. “Who are you?”

Light laughter that should have made him smile only caused him to cringe inwardly. “I am your wife. Come and keep me company.”

“Not now. Who are you?” Despite his agitation, he worked to keep his tone calm.

Again she made some flippant reply and he thought of Kali's words. I'm done playing around as well. “Okay,” he said with a shrug. Stonewall lifted his hand and nudged her with the Force, causing her sliding hips to still; the woman who wore Kali's face looked at him, bewildered and he nodded. “Now that I have your attention...you know my question, ma'am. It's very simple.”

Her face darkened for a moment, then softened, and when she spoke, her voice was overly sweet. “I can see why she likes you so much...you're very strong. And you have the Force as well....such boundless possibilities.” She beamed at him and licked her lips as she ran her eyes across his form.

She thinks to seduce me? At first the idea was repugnant until he considered the reaction his body had shown to her, moments ago. Maybe two can play the game...it might make her more willing to talk to me. The thought was beyond bizarre, but he could think of no other way to get information from her, so he bit back his anger and disdain for the situation and focused on his objective.

Since she'd expressed an appreciation of both his strength and his use of the Force, he sent another, different kind of energy towards her, causing Not-Kali's eyes to widen as he held her still without laying a hand upon her. After taking another breath, Stonewall approached her and knelt beside his wife's body, keeping his face a whisper away from hers and his tone gentle. “Perhaps I've been too hasty...what's your name?”

“I haven't had a name in eons,” she replied in a breathless voice, eyes meandering from his shoulders to the planes of his face. “Does it matter, really? You should just call me your wife's name...it will make things easier, in the end. Kalinda, isn't it?”

To his credit, Stonewall's face showed no reaction when Not-Kali said the name of the woman whose form she'd usurped, instead he shifted closer; after a moment he laid a hand on her arm, noting how the hairs on her skin lifted at his touch. “Eons?” he asked, looking at her and fighting back his revulsion at the alien inflections that emanated from Kali's throat. “That's a long time to be without a name. Or a body.” His fingertips grazed her skin with a feather-touch and he watched with satisfaction as her eyes closed.

The soldier within him tensed, preparing for the ambush.

Not-Kali made a soft noise that he recognized as desire but he felt no reaction as he watched her, which was a relief. Finally she looked back at him, her eyes wide and filled with naked desire. “It's been such a long time...all I wanted was to live forever, to carry on the spirit of my people. I don't think it's too much to have asked for.”

What gives you the right to eternity, when the rest of us live on borrowed time? “Of course not,” he replied, lifting his hand and running it along her knee, noting the prickles that appeared on her skin. “Life is something to be savored after all.” She sighed at his touch and gazed at him; he noted that her pupils were dilated and her cheeks were flushed. Stonewall laid his other hand on her neck and felt her pulse leap at his touch, so he leaned forward and whispered to her. “How is it that you were able to achieve such a thing?”

“Uses of the Force...are limitless,” she murmured, her throat moving as she spoke. “Shifting energy from one place to another is not so difficult, when one has gathered enough power.”

This was nearing something useful, so he pressed his advantage and kept his touch light against her skin, nothing how she leaned into his palm. “You seem very powerful.”

Her eyes had long since closed, but at his words they opened and fell on him while her body went still. “You think you can trick me?” Even as she spoke he felt her ire through the Force and prepared himself for an attack as he held his place beside her.

“I'm curious about you,” he said, keeping his voice even.

But she laughed. There was a pull of Force-energy within the room and he realized that she was gathering her strength. “Fool. I had hoped to sway you to my cause, but I see now that you're weak, just like the pitiful one who gave me this body.”

“Weakness is a state of mind,” he replied, sitting back on his heels and trying to put distance between them without seeming to. “And I can tell you right now – who or whatever you are – you will not win this fight.”

This time her laughter was high and shrill, and completely devoid of anything he thought of as Kali. “Platitudes and meaningless drivel. You have no idea what you are dealing with, do you? You think to bind me here until you find some magical solution, but there is nothing that can keep me restrained, and once I am whole again, no power in this or any other world will stop me.”

Something in her words snapped within his mind. “Once you are whole again?”

But Not-Kali only laughed at him again, and made no response. Stonewall watched her tense and understood that something was coming, but there was no time to move away, so he braced himself through the Force; what he had not expected was an explosion of energy that sent his body through the air to slam against the wall of the room with enough force to stun him. By the time he was able to see clearly and get to his feet, the door that led to the outside had been shoved open, and she was gone.

*​

It had been a long, long night. Traxis allowed himself to doze off a few times while he watched the comm, but Ares never seemed to grow tired. Eventually the Twi'lek had taken to fiddling with the wiring, hoping to boost the signal; as he worked he hummed to himself. Aside from their conversation when disassembling the camp that morning, neither one had spoken much to the other, and Traxis found that he was not uneasy with the realization that had infiltrated his brain, but rather his own inability to act on it. He tried – and failed – not to look at Ares, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was wrong.

No, he thought after a while. I'm not. But it doesn't matter how I feel about him; the bottom line is that I can't leave my brothers, and that's that. Finally even Ares' determination waned, so they slipped off the ship and made their way back to the settlement in silence, through the deep of the night.

Still awake, Weave and Crest met them on the porch of the main living quarters, their expressions anxious. “Stonewall's going to try and speak with...her,” Weave said. “He thinks that it's safe enough, but I have my doubts.”

Ares gestured to the direction of the ships. “I tried everything to boost the signal, but it didn't work. Looks like I'll be running an errand soon, then.”

Weave glanced from Traxis to Ares but he spoke to the Twi'lek. “You're not going alone, right?”

“Am I?”

All eyes fixed on the scarred clone, who shrugged. “If you want company...”

“Can we come?” The three men turned to see Risky, Finn and Keo standing behind Weave, their expressions eager, and Trax wondered that they'd managed to sneak up on them without anyone's knowledge.

Forgetting their awkwardness for a moment, Traxis and Ares shared an amused look, but Weave shook his head, the movement exaggerated as he swatted away an insect. “Absolutely not. It's too-”

“Dangerous, yeah,” Risky said, crossing his arms and scowling. “We know. But we still want to go.”

“We're still soldiers, and this place is...really weird,” Keo added, his eyes falling on the dark jungle.

Can't argue with them, there. Traxis exchanged glances with his brothers. It might be better to get them off-planet for a little while, in case things get too interesting around here. He could see that his brothers were thinking the same thing, so finally they each nodded. Another look at Ares, whose expression seemed to say they're your brothers. Traxis sighed. “Fine.” He tried not to laugh at the overwhelming relief on each of the boys' faces and sighed. “Just, stay out of trouble and do as you're told, okay?”

“What's going on?” Honi's voice broke in and everyone turned to see the Jedi standing in the doorway, her peering out at them from around the wall.

I don't think anyone's going to get much sleep, tonight.

Keo grinned at her. “Me, Finn, and Risky get to leave this rock and go with Ares and Trax when they bring Master Altis here.”

“I take it that means your comm is still not functioning as it should?” Honi asked.

Ares shook his head. “It's not looking that way. I'm afraid our options are limited at this point.”

The Jedi seemed uncomfortable and Traxis noted how she and Weave did not appear to be looking at one another, and that it was pretty deliberate. Finally she sighed and nodded to the clones and Ares just before she turned back to the interior. “Good night...again.”

Traxis glanced at the clone boys. “Good idea.” With minimal fuss and more energy than he certainly felt he had, they slipped off as well.

No one spoke for a minute until Crest looked around at his brothers and the Twi'lek, before his eyes landed on Weave. “So...anything new to report?”

All eyes fell on the clone with the implant, whose face grew bright red even as he looked away. “I don't know what you're...”

“Come on,” Crest replied, leaning his back against the outside wall. “I got a glimpse, you know. And I'd rather gossip about you and Honi than think about what's happening elsewhere.”

“I hardly think that my personal life makes an appropriate distraction for you, Crest.”

“I'll be the judge of that.”

Traxis cleared his throat. When his brothers looked at him he raised a brow at Crest. “He's right, vod, no one's business but his and Honi's.”


“There's no business of any kind between us,” Weave replied with a scowl. “And on that note, I'm going to bed.”

 

Scowly Weave is the best kind of Weave

"....Mace would have said that I was his shatterpoint. It was not a comforting thought."
--A Shatterpoint reference! Excellent. You know that Ghost Mace is watching this and face-palming so much right now.

Not-Kali is being a real jerk right now. And I still don't trust this "ghost" of Kali's mother. What if it's a trick???

 

@gracesonnet - Ha ha, I love the image of facepalming ghost-Mace! Thank you for reading! ​

*****​

Chapter Twenty-One: Two Worlds​

I had all but given up on the act of love after I'd been diagnosed with Quannot's; my body was often weak and very often I was in constant pain, so few things brought me pleasure. But the first time I kissed Jonas, it was as if a floodgate opened and I could not hold back. It was as if I was possessed by some wild creature, something that longed for his touch. For the first moment, he returned the sentiment.

But he pulled away and looked at me, his breath short as he murmured my name again.

All at once I felt hot with shame. Rather than respond, I turned my face from him. Struggled to my feet, made to go down the temple steps and find a nice hole I could bury myself in forever. And then he was beside me, then before me, his body creating a wall that I could not pass, forcing me to pause. “It's not that I don't want to,” he whispered, looking at me with his blue eyes. “Trust me. But you and I...there can be no future for us.”

“In more ways than one,” I replied. I assumed that he was speaking of his Jedi-vows, but I was thinking of my illness. “I know that, Jonas. I stopped caring about a future a long time ago. All I have is here and now. I'm only sorry that I made such an gundark out of myself.” I brushed past him and made my halting way down the steps, refusing his help despite the slice of pain.

Later, at camp, I regretted my hasty flight. Everything hurt. And I do mean everything. I had some medicine that was supposed to help, but it made me dull and stupid, and I wanted none of that. So I tried to distract myself with sketching out a rough map of the area.

And then Jonas came to me; I think he'd been meditating in the forest. It started with a hand on my hand, a tentative smile, a hushed apology that I shook away. It grew into another touch of the Force that smoothed away the sharp edges I'd tried to live with. It ended with his lips on mine.

But that, as they say, was only the beginning.

*​

It felt like Weave's head had only hit his sleeping pallet for a split-second when his comlink began chirping; sitting up, he grabbed the comm and activated it in one fluid motion. “Crest?”

“Stonewall just called. Apparently the impostor has gone missing and he's taken off after her.” His brother's voice sounded grim.

Weave bit back his yawn even as an urgent rapping sounded again at his door, and he rose to open it with a sigh even as he replied to Crest. “Okay...I'll be there in a....” He trailed off when his eyes fell on Honi standing at the threshold, her face tight with worry. “Are you okay?” The words seemed silly in light of all that was happening but they'd slipped out before he could second-guess himself.

Though he must have noticed the change of pitch in his brother's voice, amusement tinted Crest's next words. “Well, I'm kind of anxious, to tell you the truth, but thanks for-” The bald clone's voice was silenced as Weave shut off the comm and stared at the Jedi.

Neither one spoke for a moment before she swallowed and met his eyes. “I think...that is...” She frowned as if at the words themselves that were refusing to form as she needed them. “I sensed something...a disturbance. And now she's gone...” There was a pause as her gaze flicked across his chest; he realized that he was only wearing his sleep-pants so he turned and grabbed the shirt he'd abandoned on the floor, then taking a seat on the edge of the bed to replace his boots while he thought over the situation.

Why is she telling me this? Surely Stonewall's more equipped to deal with everything...I know I was second-in-command during our army days, but I didn't think she knew that. His boots secure, Weave turned to her again. “What about the captain?”

Honi shook her head once, her eyes on his. “He's....trying to contact Kalinda now. He thinks that there's some way to defeat her. The others are forming a search party.”

“We should join them,” Weave replied. After a moment's hesitation he reached for his rucksack that held his various tools and scanning equipment and rose to step back to the door. Don't say anything about the kiss. If she wanted to talk about it, she would have brought it up by now. Just pretend it never happened and everything will go back to normal. “Ready?”

The Jedi opened her mouth as if to speak. Just then, the sound of footsteps rose behind her; they both turned to see Zara and all of the former cadets, looking anxious. Levy hurried up to Weave and stood beside him, glancing from the clone to the Jedi. Finally Honi nodded. “Let's go, then.”

She led the way, her Padawan at her side, Weave and the clone boys following their path through the corridors.

“Master, what's going on?” Zara's voice was quiet but her master made no reply.

When the group stepped outside, Weave could tell immediately that a storm was coming: the wind was fierce and high; the temperature was several degrees cooler than it had been since they'd arrived; the tint of electricity was recognizable within the air. With his implant he could see the low-level clouds that were heavy with gathered rainwater, and felt a thrill of foreboding as the group made their way to Crest, Traxis, Sita and Ares, all of whom were standing on the grass before the building, speaking in low tones. When they marked the others' approach, his brothers rushed to him, the group meeting at the base of the stairs by the porch.

“Where's Stonewall?”

Crest indicated the woods, and they could make out the trees and vines swaying in the increasing wind. “I don't know. Said something about contacting Kalinda again and took off.”

“That...thing apparently threw him aside like a rag-doll,” Traxis added. “And now it's loose in the jungle.”

Zara's skin paled to a sickly gray. “Loose? She's gone completely?”

Weave glanced at Sita and the boys, all of whom were looking around nervously. “They shouldn't be out here if that's really the case.”

“No.” Everyone turned to see the Arunai woman, who lifted her chin and swept her gaze across to each of them. “I cannot speak for the younger ones, but I will not go into hiding while my friend is suffering so. Not anymore.” Her eyes fell on Crest, who seemed to still under her gaze. “Give me something to do.”

The bald clone seemed uncertain, but Honi spoke. “It's too dangerous for civilians. And children, for that matter,” she added, looking at the clone boys.

“We're all in this together,” Drake said as he met the Jedi's eyes. “And we're going to help, whether you want us to or not.”

“Oh, I'm well aware of that,” Traxis replied with a scowl. “Seeing as the lot of you disobeyed us the last time we were in a similar predicament...”

Drake straightened his shoulders and met the scarred clone's gaze, looking much older than he was. “That was different...we're all free men, now, Traxis. No one has to follow orders any longer...and we want to help.”

“Absolutely not. You're too young and this is too dangerous.”

Crest nodded. “Hate to do it, but I'm with Trax on this one: this entire situation is too bizarre for words, and the last thing we need to toss into the mix are you kids.” As he spoke, his eyes fell to Sita. “And you as well; I just don't want anything to happen to you.” His voice softened when he spoke to her, but her eyes gleamed with ferocity.

“He's right,” Honi added, stepping forward to the Arunai woman. “It's far too dangerous...”

But Sita shook her head. “I will do what is right and help my friend,” she said, her voice rich and regal. I'm not helpless, you know.”

“Neither are we,” Risky added.

This caused Traxis and Crest to offer a counter-argument, and before too long the group was bickering rather loudly; as they did so, the wind lifted and began to lash at clothing and the edges of hair, even swaying the tips of Ares and Zara's lekku. Weave scanned the clouds above and frowned; just then a ripple of thunder sounded.

The discussion was growing more heated.

He looked at the others; while no one was shouting, voices were definitely starting to rise and he could see that everyone was distracted. This is not good. A glance at Zara – was watching the jungle's edge with wide eyes – left him hoping that she was keeping her senses on the lookout for danger. Taking a deep breath, he pitched his voice to carry above all the others'. “Atten-shun!”

As he'd hoped, this snapped his brothers out of their argument and was unexpected enough to make the non-clones take heed; all eyes turned to him and for several moments there was no sound but the rush of wind through the trees. He could see that behind the cloud cover the sky was just starting to lighten, but ignored it for now. “Now is not the time for this,” he said. “We have to act together if we're going to help Kalinda, and you all know that. Now...” He raised his comm. “Has anyone tried to contact Stonewall?”

“There's no need,” Zara said, lifting her hand and pointing at the woods. “He's here.”

*​

While her mother spoke, Kalinda paced back and forth through the grove, trying not to give way to the fear and frustration that were threatening to overwhelm her. Heedless of her daughter's feelings, Kamala's voice had taken on a storyteller's lilt as she spoke about the shield. “The people of Mundali were afraid that the never-ending wars that tore through the rest of the galaxy would reach them, so they worked to create a shield, something that would prevent their world from detection.”

“It worked, evidently,” Kalinda replied as she looked up. The sky was still trapped in that dark, pre-dawn state, and she could see that the clouds were thick. But even so there was a thrill of electricity in the air and she figured a storm was coming. “But a planet-wide shield? That's unheard of...”

Kamala stood before her, watching her daughter pace. “They were all Force-users, and this planet is strong with the Force...and it's very old. Stranger things are possible, are they not?” She paused as Kali did. “What is it? You have that look about you. Jonas got the same one, at times.”

Kali took a deep breath and tried not to look at her hands, through which she could see the ground. “It's hard to tell in this...form. I feel a bit out of place.” As she said the words in a dry voice, she heard a low, distant rumble in the sky. Closer inspection showed her that the trees all around them were swaying, and if she listened she could hear the rustle of wind upon countless leaves.

“Your husband is Force-sensitive as well?” The unexpected change in conversation topics was enough to halt her steps, and Kalinda nearly laughed at the oddity of the entire situation.

Talking to my dead mother's ghost about my captain-turned-deserter clone husband. The wind blew the scent of rain thought the trees, and her feeling of unease increased, but she only nodded. “We're not sure why. I was actually hoping to figure that out here...I don't suppose you have any insight on such a thing, do you?”

“The Force is an energy; perhaps it was simply transferred to him.”

Kali frowned at this. “But why would such a thing happen?” At her mother's look of mild confusion, she recounted the story, albeit it was a shortened version, as her concern was growing along with the storm.

When she finished, Kamala looked thoughtful. “It's strange...but not unheard of for a sentient to develop Force-sensitivity suddenly. You said that he experienced it after you returned his sentiment of love?”

“That's right. But I have no idea what the link is, for him and the Force, or for me either, though I know they're all connected somehow.” More shabla questions. Why are there always more questions than answers? Kalinda tried not to sigh but failed; thankfully the wind masked her exhale of frustration.

Suddenly, Stone was in her mind once more, his tone urgent. Kali...she's gone. She's vanished – said something about being whole again...I think she's coming for you. Be on the alert.

Stone? Are you okay? And the others?

I'm fine. They're all fine. She was not sure how she knew, but she could tell that he was running. But I'm coming to find you, Kali. We're going to get through this together, whatever it takes.

Her heart swelled even as she smiled. My mother and I are in the grove. She turned to Kamala. “Stone says that she's coming to finish me off. She wants to 'be whole again.' Do you know what that means?”

Kamala was non-corporeal, so her image seemed to flicker at Kali's words, as if she were apprehensive. “It must be as you say. But Kali...we can't fight her.” She laid a hand on her daughter's arm; her touch was cool and faint. “She has your strength, and your abilities....she's too powerful for us to face alone.”

“Then it's a good thing we have reinforcements coming,” Kalinda said, her eyes narrowing. “Surely you can't expect me to just let this...this usurper win, can you?” I always imagined that my mother was a fighter, that she was stubborn and willful...not hesitant and nervous. But I don't get the feeling she's malicious in any way, just that something isn't as I thought.

Kamala shook her head. “It won't work. You think that I haven't tried?”

It was wrong, it was all wrong, and Kali took a step away and studied her mother's form as she tried to collect her thoughts, working to separate the truth of what was from the conclusion she had already formed in her mind. “Exactly what have you tried?”

Save the wind in the trees, there was silence for the long stretch of a few seconds while Kamala seemed frozen.

Finally she took a step forward towards Kalinda, arm extended and voice soft. “Kali...there's nothing we can do but leave. We can go anywhere, you and I. We can avoid her. We can be together at last...” Something in her mother's voice was breaking and Kalinda felt a surge of apprehension as she backed away from the spirit she was starting to realize wore her mother's face.

No. This is wrong. Whoever this is, it's not my mother. However, rather than voice the thought she only shook her head. “I can't do that...I can't give up. I have too much to live for.” Closing her eyes, she reached out with the Force to find Stonewall – it was still difficult but she was able to ascertain that he was close; within moments she could feel his lungs working to suck in air as he ran, feel the muscles of his legs starting to burn as they carried him to her, sense that he was working to quell his agitation and fear. Stone?

“There you are.” The words weren't spoken by her husband and Kali turned to see her own body – tangible but unfamiliar – stalking through the clearing, angled towards her like an arrow seeking its mark. “You are mine, at last.”

Kali's mouth opened to form the word “no,” but her speech was halted when Stonewall burst into the clearing.

For a moment everything was still and heavy; the space around them seemed to empty as if the storm itself was swilling up every molecule of air, gathering every bit of life it could find. Before her, Not-Kali's eyes seemed to gleam with unfulfilled desire. Stonewall hesitated for only a fraction of a breath, then came for her – for his wife, not the woman who wore her face – his expression set in determination.

Not-Kali's laugh filled the turgid air, and Kalinda realized that she hardly remembered the sound of her own voice even as her husband was tossed to the ground with a massive blow of the Force.

*​

Never in his entire life had Stonewall moved so fast, which was saying something. Like any trooper, he'd been in countless situations where it was necessary to run in order to stay alive – or to keep others alive – but this moment topped them all. In the back of his mind he knew that he needed to keep his brothers more in the loop than a harried comm-call to Crest, but with Not-Kali's disappearance, he felt that he simply didn't have enough time.

Time. That kriffing word is a curse, I swear. His lungs were starting to hurt but he knew that he was getting close to the grove.

While he brushed through ferns and vaulted over tangled tree-roots, he reached for his wife through the Force and touched her mind in order to alert her to the very real danger that was headed her way. Even through their joined fear he could feel her love and it filled him with strength, her presence in the Force shone like a beacon in the dark jungle, guiding him through the storm that he could tell was approaching.

Something was wrong, he could tell, as she seemed agitated about a matter that he was unaware of, but he chose not to concern himself with anything besides his flight through the jungle; Stonewall's shoulders dropped lower as he reached game trail that allowed him to move with even more haste, and all of his determination was now in the movements of his legs and lungs, to bring him to where she was.

So he was caught unawares when he crossed the clearing and was knocked to the ground by the creature shrouded in Kalinda's body, who had appeared suddenly; for a moment all he tasted was dirt and his own blood from where he'd bitten the inside of his cheek during the fall. While he struggled to his feet, the former captain could see Not-Kali lifting her hands as if to send a bout of Force-energy towards an unseen target. Stonewall shouted something and sent a thrust of his own energy towards her, knocking her off of her feet, but it wasn't enough. She was stronger than he and they both knew it. In an instant she had turned back to him and he felt a tidal pull in the air around them as she drew the Force to her, preparing for another attack.

In the back of his mind he half-wished for his lightsaber, but he knew that it would do him no good in this circumstance.

And then he felt Kali's shield – his Kalinda, not the impostor who wore her face – wrapping around him and giving him the ability to withstand the onslaught of energy that swept across him like a breaking wave. Because of this, Stonewall was able to gather his strength once more to send a second jolt towards Not-Kali; she spun away from him but he could feel that the bulk of her attention was still elsewhere.

“I know you're here,” she snarled, pacing through the grove. The wind was strong and a bolt of lightning illuminated the entire area for a split second, revealing that Not-Kali's eyes were narrowed and searching. “Come out, and let this be over. Come back to me and we can be free of this place at last.”

“Leave us alone,” he shouted, hoping to draw her attention away from Kalinda. “Or face me properly, hut'uun. Either way, there's nothing for you here.”

Despite his words, Not-Kali did not spare him a glance as she continued to pace; finally she paused and a smile crept over her face. “There you are! At last...” Not-Kali made motion like she was reaching forward with her hands, as if she was grasping at something unseen; through the Force, Stonewall felt Kalinda's cry of shock and horror and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

“No!” He reached within himself and pulled out every bit of energy that he was able, projecting it back out with as much strength as he could muster at Not-Kali, thinking only to prevent her from harming the woman he loved and praying that it would be enough.

It was.

Not-Kali collapsed to the ground beyond him, shuddering, then she stilled, the rise and fall of her chest indicating that she lived, and he felt a flash of alarm for his unborn child. Stupid di'kut. What if I hurt something? The wind whispered in his ear, but for a moment everything else was silent except its rush through the trees while he moved to his wife's motionless form, noting with some alarm that his steps were smooth as glass, silkier than air. The Force revealed that all was well within Kalinda's body, and for a moment he simply stood – swaying a little in place while thinking that it was odd that he wasn't breathing heavily – before he tried to collect himself, as it felt like he was scattering like pieces of leaf on the wind.

Finally he looked back around the grove. “Kalinda?”

“Stonewall...”

Her voice sounded clear and he exhaled in relief. “Kali, the child is fine...but are you okay? Did she hurt you?” Suddenly she was beside him and he embraced her; but something was wrong. She felt wrong, insubstantial and cool, and upon closer inspection he realized that she looked strange, too – almost transparent – and he frowned when he noted her stricken expression. “Kali? What's wrong?”

Her voice choked on his name but she managed to get a hold of herself. “Stonewall...she wasn't after me. She never was...” Kali's eyes lowered but he cupped her cheeks in his hands, realizing that his own skin seemed unusually pale as well. Finally she swallowed and looked up at him. “I was wrong. I was fooled...it wasn't my mother as I thought. It was just another part of that spirit. All along.”

He didn't quite understand but before he could voice the thought she shook her head and reached her hands up to cover his. “I think that you and I are both trapped in this form now. I don't know how you did what you did, but we're both spirits.”

For a long moment he considered her words and studied her, then he lowered his hands and gaped because he could see the ground right through his arms. A glance around showed him that his own body was crumpled in the moss, not a meter away from his present position and for several minutes he was completely flummoxed. Then he shook his head. “No one's in my body, right? Not like she's taken over yours, anyway. Perhaps I can....go back.”

“It's worth a shot. No use for both of us to be like...this.” Clearly as much at a loss as he was, she gave a brief shrug.

Nodding, he made to turn and concentrate, but a thought stopped him and he reached for her again, pulling her close to him and kissing her as hard as he could. It was a strange but not unwelcome sensation, especially when she leaned into him and returned the action. She tasted like wind and sunlight; for several moments they were absorbed in each other before she broke away and looked at him, saying his name once.

“Okay,” he said, looking at his body with a frown. If only the long-necks had come up with flash-training for situations of non-corporeality. “Here goes nothing.”

It was incredibly strange and he had no clue what he was supposed to do, but in the end he decided that since it was his body it should almost be a matter of just going home, so he focused on his form and focused on his spirit – or whatever it was – joining with his flesh once more. The Force was all around, buoying his strength and the next thing he knew he was lying on the ground, coughing and sputtering as if he was emerging from the murky depths of a body of water. Everything looked 'normal' again, and Kali's body was still. He felt weak and odd, but otherwise whole, so he reached for his wife through the Force.

You can't...get back to your own body? The...usurper is passed out.

He heard his wife's reply in his mind. Yes, but she's still there and I'm not strong enough to displace her. There was remorse and sadness in her voice and he remembered her earlier words as she continued. The woman I spoke to wasn't really my mother, Stone. She was only an echo in the Force. An imprint of the person my mother was. Nothing more.

She sounded stricken and he wished he could reach for her, but knew that he had other things to worry about; he stepped to Not-Kali, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and felt satisfaction that he'd managed to knock her out, at least. Another brief touch with the Force reassured him that the unborn child was still safe, and he felt his shoulders relax a bit more. So how can we get her out of there and get you back in?

There was a pause, then he felt her sigh within his mind. I have an idea, Stone, but you're not going to like it.

 

(Screams out of fear of the unknown)

I knew GhostKamala was up to no good!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@gracesonnet - Sorry for missing an update last week! Real Life got in the way. I'll attempt to make it up to you with TWO chapters today. Thanks for being awesome!​

*****​

Chapter Twenty-Two: Whatever It Takes​

We both knew that there was nothing for us but the present.

It should have been enough.

Those were the words I said to myself, over and over, and as much as I knew they were true, they still felt wrong. It's difficult to explain, really. I knew that neither of us could have a future together, and I thought at first that I didn't want one. Not with him. I had accepted my fate, at last. Perhaps it was the only Jedi-like thing that I'd done in my entire life. But something felt wrong. It felt like there was more between us than we were aware of.

I tried to keep the thoughts to myself, but he knew. He could read me like a holo-novel, like my thoughts were inscribed on my face. When he finally got me to say what I was thinking – one afternoon as we rested at the steps of the temple – he was quiet for some time before he replied, his voice odd. “Kam...”

“I know it sounds silly,” I replied, shaking my head at his tentative expression. “But I can't shake the feeling that there should be more to what we have. And here I thought I didn't believe in destiny, anymore.”

He smoothed my hair from my face and gave me a kind smile. It was the one that had annoyed me at first, but now it made my heart pick up a bit more, in a good way. “You're a marvel,” he murmured. “I've never met anyone like you.”

“Someone who's bitter and angry when she should be thankful to just be alive?” Despite the tenderness of the moment I felt a scowl creep across my face, and considered blaming the expression on the persistent heat.

“Someone so brave,” he replied, leaning forward to kiss me. After a few minutes he gave me that solemn look again. “You and I both know that we should enjoy what we have, now.”

There was no pain when I was with him, so I only nodded. “I intend to.”

*​

“You're damn right I don't like it,” Stonewall replied after Kali told him her plan. “That's...I mean...it's completely....” He shook his head in frustration, unable to even get the words out. Dawn was approaching, evidenced by the lightening sky, but the wind was still quick and he could hear the rumble of thunder growing less distant, the sound spurring words from his throat. “It's beyond dangerous, Kali. What if it doesn't work? You and the child will both be...lost.” He couldn't speak the word dead. His eyes fell on the body of his wife and he had no idea how he was supposed to react.

After a pause, her reply was quiet and calm. I think it's the only way, Stone. Talk to Honi...I know that she can manage it.

“And if you're wrong?”

Another maddening pause. Then it was as if she gave a mental shake of her head. Either way, we don't have much time. Another day, at the most, and she'll have my body and we'll both be gone forever, anyway. He thought that if she'd been in his arms she'd be trembling. Please, Stone. Remember what we talked about?

He gave a bitter laugh but made no reply. Finally he winced and rubbed his eyes, still feeling strange from his out-of-body experience, and looked at where he thought she was. “I can't lose either of you. You know that, right?”

I think it will work...please, trust me. Can you take her back?

More than anything he wanted to embrace his wife, but he couldn't even see her, so he sighed and nodded once. We really don't have any other options that I can see, he thought with a frown as he bent to collect Kali's body. He had no way to bind her hands, but figured that he'd do so as soon as he returned to the settlement. It's times like these I miss the simplicity of war.

*​

Even as she stood outside the main building of the settlement and argued with the others, Honi knew that she was losing her temper; it felt like everything in her life had started to spin out of her control, and she was starting to feel a desperate urge to hang on to something. Part of her understood Sita's desire to help, as well as the clone boys', but mostly she was too worried that something else would happen to them, some other tragedy that she would be unable to prevent. I've lost my master and friend, my Padawan is slipping from my grasp, not to mention that the Jedi Order has been crumbled to ashes.

In all her life she had cried only a handful of times, but she could feel her eyes staring to burn as the weight of the situation threatened to overwhelm her semblance of control.

And then Weave spoke, his normally soft voice filling the spaces between the others and causing everyone to quiet. That was the moment she looked at him and knew what she wanted, but the knowledge was a double-edged blade. No matter what else has changed in the galaxy, I'm still a Jedi and I shouldn't form attachments. And I certainly can't tell my apprentice one thing and then do another.

But despite all these thoughts, she studied his earnest expression and felt longing tighten its grip around her heart.

When Zara pointed to the tree-line, everyone turned in unison, shock rippling off of them. Indeed, the former captain was striding into their clearing, the rain that had begun to fall in the dim light of dawn already starting to dot his clothing. He was carrying Kalinda's unconscious form. Honi moved to him first; they met about ten meters from the others and she studied his face for a moment before casting a searching glance around him. “Kalinda?”

There was a faint brush against her mind, which she likened to someone whispering in her ear but leaving only a trace of warm air against her skin. But it was enough, especially when Stonewall nodded.

“Let's go to the others,” he said, his grip on his wife's body tightening. “I only want to say this once.”

“Stonewall, what did you learn?”

He sighed and looked suddenly quite a bit older than his years. “Just trust me.” Nothing in his voice was reassuring, but she bit back her frown and they went back to the others, who were clustered together on the porch beside their living quarters. Stonewall's pace up the porch stairs was controlled, and when he passed by the others, their silence was tangible. Only once did he pause – in the interior of the common room – to speak quietly to his brothers; at his words they moved to follow him down a dark corridor, back to one of the empty rooms, presumably to ensure that Not-Kali was bound.

In their absence, Honi sat with Zara and the others at the dining table to wait for the elder clones' return. After several minutes they came back out and the group was together once more. At some unseen signal, everyone took a seat, either on the table or in folding chairs along the wall.

No one spoke at first, as if allowing Stonewall time to gather his thoughts. Finally he looked up at them from his place at the edge of the table. “Kalinda is here,” he said, his voice too even. “Rather, she is here in one form. The...thing that has taken over her body is still within it, which is why we've restrained her.”

Zara's blue skin had paled to a dull gray at his words and her hands were covering her mouth. “What can we do to help her?”

It was a sentiment echoed by everyone else, though Honi remained silent. She couldn't read Stonewall's thoughts but she could tell by his emotional state that the answer would not be a pleasant one. Her eyes closed briefly. I hope I'm wrong.

She wasn't.

Stonewall rested his forearms on the smooth surface of the table, clasping his hands together. When he spoke, she got the impression that he was still working to keep his tone steady. “I can speak to her through the Force,” he began. “But it's harder than it would be if she were...present. As things stand right now, there's no way for Kali to reclaim her body as long as it's inhabited by someone else. But she thinks there is a way to change that.” He paused here, swallowed and looked down for one moment; Honi could see that his knuckles were whitening as he gripped his own skin.

Crest was seated on his left, Weave on his right, and both men put a hand on his shoulders but said nothing. Seated across from him, Honi felt her heartbeat thudding throughout her chest. After a moment Stonewall took a breath, squared his shoulders and continued. “This spirit can only inhabit a living body. If something were to...change, it won't be able to remain in Kali's form, and it will be forced to evac.” As he spoke, he turned his eyes to Honi's, and at once she understood.

No, she thought, a slice of hot fear coursing through her even as he gave a small nod and looked away. He can't mean...

“Once the spirit is gone, Kali should be able to re-enter her body and everything should go back to normal.”

No one spoke for several moments until Weave cleared his throat. “And what will happen to the spirit once it leaves Kalinda's form, presuming it does at all?”

The former captain's face darkened. “It's a battle that may have to be fought on two fronts,” he said after a moment. “If she's fast enough, Kali's hoping that she can claim her body back without having to face the spirit, but to be honest, I'm not hedging my bets on that.” He paused and tilted his head, as if listening. Honi strained with the Force but could only get the faintest sense of her former master. The clone nodded slowly, a faint smile appearing on his face. “She thinks that she can do it. She wants everyone to be optimistic.”

Beside her, Zara was hardly breathing; when she spoke, her voice was shaking. “What does that mean? What about the baby? What do we have to do?”

It was Honi who answered, for once uncaring that her words were coming out broken. “Morichro.” All eyes turned to her but her gaze fixed on Stonewall, whose own face was blank even as he nodded.

*​

For several moments, no one spoke, but there wasn't silence, as the sound of thunder – closer now – made the walls shudder. Zara closed her eyes as she felt the vibration in her chest, and her breath was short. It's too horrible...he can't mean it. She shot a glance at Honi, whose features were placid, and felt a sting of anger. How can she just sit there and act like none of this matters? How can Stonewall be so calm? Her mouth opened but no sound came out.

The thunder lasted for what felt like a long time.

“You're going to put her in suspended animation with the Force?” Weave said once it ended, leaning forward. At his words, the others began murmuring and glancing at one another, clearly uneasy. The clone boys in particular seemed to share a collective grimace at the idea, and Zara remembered how they'd been trapped in stasis for many long months just after their abduction.

“I've never attempted morichro on a healthy patient,” Honi replied, her brows knitting and her face showing that she was turning the situation over in her mind, assessing the best way to apply her healing skills. “It's akin to a form of stasis; often used if the patient is suffering severe injuries when there are no tranquilizers or painkillers around. It's an effective way to sedate a patient without causing their body any lasting damage.”

“But stopping her bodily processes completely, and then re-starting them?” Weave added, looking at the red-haired Jedi. “You can safely do such a thing?”

She met his eyes but said nothing. Zara was trying very hard not to be discouraged by Honi's lack of the irritation that would usually accompany someone questioning her methods. As if sensing the bewilderment of the others, she lifted her chin. “Yes. I trust my abilities.” She glanced at Zara, whose breath caught. “I'll need your help, of course.”

Only when she felt the soft thump of her lekku moving against her back did Zara realize she was nodding.

All of the adult clones' backs had straightened as if they were at a formal briefing, and everyone looked serious but calm, even the boys. Zara cast a surreptitious glance at Drake, who met her eyes, and felt another, different pang of fear. Ares looked distressed but uncertain, as if he was waiting for more information before deciding exactly how to react.

Sita shifted in her chair. “But the child...”

“I will keep my child safe,” Stonewall replied. “But Kali thinks that we'll need everyone's help, Honi.”

“What do you mean?” Crest asked, his brow furrowing. “None of us have the same...abilities that you do, Stonewall.”

Honi nodded, her head tilting as she considered. “That's true, but it doesn't mean you can't help. The Force is strongest in Jedi, but it can be found in all living beings to a degree. I suppose that Kalinda thinks that if everyone focuses, we should be able to...suspend her body's activity and eject the spirit?”

The former captain nodded as well. “That's about it. Kalinda believes that if we all work together, we'll be strong enough to defeat this...thing. At the very least your combined focus will help the Force-users, and if we keep her sedated, it should go easier for us as well as keep the baby safe.”

This made Zara's head lift, but it was Trax who voiced the question. “How exactly are you going to protect your child?”

Stonewall shook his head. “The energy-shield that she taught me. I've done it before, vod. Remember on Perdax, when she was almost killed by Ventress? And when Ares landed the Raven on Basrah, in the ion storm?”

Weave looked thoughtful. “And you think you can replicate that...here?”

“I have no choice,” Stonewall replied, in a flat voice.

Zara's head was starting to spin and she shut her eyes as if to keep out all of the strangeness. She could sense the approaching storm, taste the thrill of energy on the breeze that shuffled through the open doorway and smell the rain that was growing closer. The pressure had dropped a bit, and she knew in her core that it would be soon. It's so dark outside, even with dawn coming. Beside her, Honi leaned forward.

“When?”

Stonewall's hands spread. “As soon as possible.”

Everyone shifted and cast glances at one another; finally Weave looked up. “I think I know the answer, but I need to ask anyway...what happens if we fail?”

“Then she'll be gone,” Stonewall replied in a clipped voice. “And so will our child. But before that happens...” He took a breath and Zara found herself mimicking the action. “I have a plan. Earlier, when the spirit escaped and I searched for her, I found that she was about to attack Kalinda. I'm not sure how I managed it, but I was able to temporarily step out of my body and help her fend off the spirit.”

Crest shook his head. “I'm confused...what does that mean?” As he spoke, Zara noted that his eyes slid to the Arunai woman.

“If the worst happens, I'll do so, again.” Stonewall replied.

“And if you can't...get back?” Weave asked, his brow furrowing.

Stonewall's answer was full of finality. “What happens to me doesn't matter. If I need to sacrifice myself to save her and the child, I'll do so. In a heartbeat.”

“No way,” Traxis replied at once, his fist hitting the metallic table and causing everyone to jump in their seats. “You can't do this, Stonewall. You can't-”

“You have no idea, do you?” Stonewall looked at his brother, and when he replied, his tone was uncommonly gentle. “My child's life is the priority here, Trax. I have to do whatever it takes to keep it – and Kalinda – safe. But if I fail...well, it's my own choices that lead me to this point. I made them a long time ago...maybe from the first moment I saw her.”

“We don't have time for this,” Honi said abruptly, rising to her feet. “If we argue much longer, none of it will matter, anyway.” The others shot nervous glances at one another as they stood up as well.

Stonewall nodded. “Agreed. We should return to the grove. It seems to be a seat of power in the area, and I think that it will be easier for us, there.” After Stonewall said some quiet Mando'a words to his brothers, the older clones rose and moved off to fetch Kalinda's body, and Honi began to lead the others out of the common room, down the stairs to the forest. At first, Zara followed her master, but something made her halt on the stone porch.

The sky was – if possible – even darker than before, and it seemed to swallow up the faint lights that had been affixed to the wall beside the porch, beneath which Zara lingered. A breeze that was ominously cool slipped beneath her tunic and made her shiver a little while she waited; a few minutes later, the clones stepped out of the back, Stonewallcarrying the Jedi's body once more. They were all silent, and she tried to swallow her worries as she watched the former soldiers make their way down the stairs and towards the jungle beyond, their steps in unison.

Why did this happen to her? How can either of them bear it? She knew she had to follow them, but her feet refused to move as if she was paralyzed. I don't think I could handle it, if it were me and....She cut off the thought.

But Drake was already beside her, a warm hand on her shoulder, almost-golden eyes regarding her with a mixture of humor and solemnity that she'd had yet to encounter anywhere else. “Come on, Zar,” he said in a quiet voice. His touch was comforting and she realized that she was trembling only when his fingertips slid down her arm to reach for her hand, taking it firmly in his own. “It'll be okay.”

“How do you know?”

The air was cool and moist, and the wind carried the scent of rain. Drake tracked the movements of his older brothers and frowned, his legs shifting as if he was eager to follow them. “I don't, but sometimes you have to tell yourself those things so you can keep going,” he said at last.

Even as she thought of the stoic expressions of Honi and the adult clones, she scowled. “That's not very comforting.”

“Maybe not,” he replied. “But sometimes you have to just trust that things will work out, you know?” He gave her an almost chiding look. “You're a Jedi, Zar. You should know that.” She couldn't help but smile a little at his expression. After this he made no further comment, just squeezed her hand, and together they walked through the dense jungle.

*​

The moment they were out of earshot of the others in the common room, Traxis let loose on his brother. “I can't believe what I heard, Stonewall. I can't believe that you'd do this, that you'd give up your own life if she's not around.”

As they moved through the windowed corridors, their path lit by the faint light of dawn that was struggling to break through the cloud cover outside, Stonewall only looked at him in that infuriatingly calm way that reminded Traxis how different his brother was – now more than ever. “I told you: I made my choice, vod. And it's my child's life at stake...I don't have any other options.”

Even though he knew how harsh his own words sounded, Traxis couldn't restrain his snort of disapproval at these words. This is what love does to 'loyal clones' like us: fills you with fear and turns a rational man into a blind, raging fool.

But even as the thought came to his mind, he knew that he wasn't really thinking of Stonewall. I'm a di'kut for ever thinking something like love could lead to happiness for men like us. Anger coursed through the scarred clone, so much so that he couldn't speak for a moment, instead he choosing to slam his fist against the nearest wall, and subsequently choosing to ignore the resulting raw feeling from his nerves.

Following this display, Crest and Weave exchanged nervous glances, but the bald clone spoke first. “It may not even come to that, if this crazy plan works,” he added, putting a hand on Stonewall's shoulder once they reached the room where they'd left Kalinda's body, pausing outside the door. “We may be stuck with both of you for a long time.”

“I'll give her another dose of sedatives so we won't have any surprises,” Weave added, lifting a hypospray from his belt. Stonewall nodded but made no reply. However, the former medic cleared his throat and shifted his feet before speaking again. “Are you absolutely certain you can do this? Sustain the child's life with the Force?” Weave's voice was quiet, the voice of reason if there ever was one, and Traxis looked back at Stonewall to gauge his brother's reaction.

Stonewall frowned and looked thoughtful, his face taking on that distant look that it got whenever he spoke to Kalinda through the Force. Traxis opened his mouth to speak but a look from Weave made him hold his tongue; instead he crossed his arms and watched his former captain. Finally Stonewall nodded, but his expression was uncertain.

“They way you feel about each other...it's inspiring,” Crest added in a serious voice. “I can see where your love gives you strength. I envy you for it, you know. I always have.”

Traxis felt a flash of shame at his anger at these words. I hate it when Crest is right. “Yeah, me too.”

Nodding, Weave spoke next, the words gentle. “I don't think I have to tell you to prepare yourself for the worst, just in case. But if the worst does happen – if you can't save your child's life, or Kali's – we all know that Kalinda would never ask any of us – even you – to give up his life for her sake. She never has. It may be your choice, but I don't think it's the right one.”

Their former captain nodded once. “I'm doing the best I can,” he said. “I know it seems foolish, but....”

“It's okay, vod,” Crest replied. “Come on; let's go kick some demon-spirit-thing shebs.” He took a breath and leaned to open the door before them, the others filing in after Stonewall.

“'Demon-spirit-thing?'” Traxis asked as they watched their brother collect his wife, holding her hair back while Weave pressed the hypo against her neck. “Really?”

The bald clone shook his head. “What would you call it?”

“A goner.” Traxis' voice was pitched low and dangerous, and he narrowed his eyes as Stonewall stepped past him and began to head towards the exit.

But Crest snorted and they followed their former captain, flanking him as best they could in the narrow corridor. “Way too melodramatic. Why don't you leave the quips to me, okay? Just keep your mouth shut and your blasters ready.”

As Traxis rolled his eyes, Crest managed to chuckle as he added: “See? I'm a natural.”

*​

It was heart-wrenching for Kalinda to have to watch her family's reaction to her plan, but be able to say nothing to any of them. She studied Honi and Zara particularly close, noting that their emotional reactions were similar, but Honi worked to keep her face calm and Zara allowed her feelings to show. The young clones were nervous and clearly ill at ease, and she didn't blame them; Sita and Ares looked lost.

The guys were frightened and bewildered, but they hid it better than anyone, and she was reminded now more than ever that they were all soldiers, bred and trained to handle any number of crises.

But Kali could sense her husband's fear and frustration as clearly as if it were her own – indeed, it mirrored how she felt – but he had shut down again, turning into the ideal soldier on the surface: unthinking, unfeeling, blank. Beneath his eyes, however, a different story lurked, so she stood beside him, hands on his shoulders as she tried to offer comfort. It was odd when Weave and Crest placed their hands through hers but she kept her place, speaking words of encouragement where she could.

She was not, however, prepared for him to make his next statement. “Then she'll be gone, and so will our child. And if that happens...” There was a pause while her husband took a breath, then launched into his description of what had happened with them both at the grove. “If the worst happens, I'll do so, again.”

A sense of helplessness overtook her and she didn't know what to say when he said: “What happens to me doesn't matter. If I need to sacrifice myself to save her and the child, I'll do so. In a heartbeat.” Stone said nothing else to her even after he and his brothers moved back to the roomto collect her body.

Then Weave spoke his soft words, and Kalinda felt rather than heard Stone's indecision.

“I love you, Stonewall,”she said, feeling a little strange speaking in a room full of people, but knowing that only he could hear her words. “More than anything. But if my life is lost, if our child's life is lost...and there's a chance for you to keep your life, that's what I want. I want you to carry on. I want you to live your life, no matter what.”

The others spoke, echoing her sentiments, but all of her attention was on her husband, who looked like he was breaking from the inside-out. “Stone?”

“I'm doing the best I can. I know it seems foolish, but....”


More than anything she wanted to reach her arms around him, but she was air, light, and ineffective as either. “It's not foolish. It's just you, Stone. But Crest is right...it may not even come to that, okay? Don't give up just yet.” She thought that she saw a flicker of a smile on his face even as he and the others went to collect her body, and they made their way to the jungle.

 

Chapter Twenty-Three: What Love Means​

For a while, things were about as normal as they could be, given our situation. Our days were spent in investigation and research, and with Jonas' help, I was able to make etchings of many of the inscriptions that we came across during the day; at night I worked on continuing the translations of those who had traveled here before – when I wasn't occupied with other matters.

For the first time in a long while I didn't feel too tired, or in much pain, but I suspected most of that had to do with Jonas and his abilities with the Force. Sometimes I joked that he should have been a Healer, but he never laughed.

“You never asked anyone to help you through the Force?” His voice was sad even as he ran his fingertips along the skin of my arm. It was late – or early – as we talked beside the point of a single candle-flame by which he often meditated.

“After they said I wasn't strong enough to be one of them, I decided not to let the Jedi have anything to do with me.” Shaking my head, I gestured to myself. “Stubborn to a fault, remember?”

But he wasn't fooled by my flippant tone. “They could have at least tried to save your life.”

It was a joke to me, the notion that my life was something precious, something worth saving, so I gave him my most reassuring smile. “We both know it wouldn't have worked. Some things are too strong, even for the Force to heal.” He still didn't look convinced and I sighed as I turned and leaned my back into his chest, thankful for the few moments we had. “I know you don't believe me, but I've made my peace with death, at last. It wasn't so at first, but now...”

He never cared for that kind of talk, though he should've understood it, so he started kissing my neck and halted any further conversation.

*​

Even though it was easy to slip into his usual irreverent bravado, Crest couldn't ignore the thrum of anxiety he felt at their situation, particularly after he watched Stonewall collect his wife's body and begin to pace through the jungle. A glance at Traxis showed him that his brother's hands were twitching at his sides, as if waiting to grab blasters that were not there, but they all knew it would be pointless to bring weapons. Have to admit, I would feel better with one of them at my side, even if I can't use it.

Despite himself, he felt a grin coming on at this thought. I guess you can take the clone out of the army...

So he and his brothers followed their companions' path amid the thick brush and didn't speak any more. It wasn't a long walk, but to Crest it felt like hours. He was torn by his desire to make sure that Sita was okay, but was also reluctant to leave Stonewall or his brothers at the moment; besides being practical, he felt as though being near them was familiar and comforting. We're brothers-by-choice now more so than ever, if there was ever any doubt.

The thought heartened him a bit and his back straightened as a gust of wind toyed at the hem of his shirt, and for an instant he regretted that they had all chosen to abandon their armor in favor of civvie clothes. Bare arms and thin fabric made him feel exposed to the elements.

“It's so dark and gloomy, I can't see a thing,” he muttered to Weave, who was in front of him; the path had narrowed to little more than a game trail at this point, and they'd taken to walking single-file, Stonewall in the lead. “Can you tell anything with your implant?”

The lights from his cybernetic implant gave off a faint glimmer as Weave glanced at him. “It's a storm, Crest. A systematic clashing of contrasting pressures, resulting in an increased wind velocity-”

“Forget I asked,” Crest replied with a sigh. His brother gave him a small smile of amusement and then turned back to face the path ahead.

Finally they reached the grove and Crest took a moment to be awed by the sheer size of the trees that loomed above them; it seemed like they brushed the dome of the sky, and he wondered if the approaching rain would be able to breach the thick canopy. The others were already grouped together, watching the clones with trepidation. He picked Sita out at once, noting the determined set of her chin and the calm way that she stood amidst the clone boys. They look older as well, he thought as he met her eyes. Before we know it they'll be adults.

Honi stepped forward to meet the former captain and the two spoke in low tones for a moment before she turned and nodded to her Padawan, who moved to join her. Stonewall set his wife's body on the ground, carefully arranging her to a comfortable position, and then knelt alongside her, his eyes never leaving her face.

The Jedi looked at the others; her red hair had come loose and the wind was lifting it about her head as she spoke. “Traxis, Crest, Weave and Ares: please come here.” The clones and the Twi'lek approached her, but it was Stonewall who looked up. He opened his mouth to speak but waited instead as a ripple of thunder sounded. When it had passed he met each of their eyes.

“As she's quite strong with the Force, we'll keep her sedated for this,” he said. “But I don't want to take any chances in case she wakes up, so you'll need to restrain her as best you can.”

Crest looked at the dark-haired Jedi, who appeared to be sleeping. There was something off about her, something that didn't feel quite right, but he couldn't really name it as he knelt beside Stonewall, pressing her left arm to the ground with most of his weight. Maybe I'm just imagining that because it's easier than thinking of her as Kalinda. He watched as Weave held her right arm; Traxis and Ares were at her ankles, their faces grim.

As they did so, Stonewall looked at the clone boys, all of whom wore blank expressions in what Crest recognized as an attempt to keep fear at bay, because it was a face he'd seen many times. “Remember, our priority is keeping her body safe,” the former captain said. “I want you each to try and relax, and focus on helping us. Just imagine a blanket of energy around Kali...sort of like a defensive shield on a ship. Can you do that?” The boys quivered, but nodded and stood at parade-rest, slipping back into familiar patterns.

Crest watched Sita nod once and wondered briefly what she was thinking; she stood among the others, her body still despite the wind that sneaked and rippled through her clothing, her eyes on the tableau before her, and he was reminded again – not that he'd ever truly been able to forget – that she'd held the leadership of an entire planet for a number of years. Despite Sita's fragile state at the time of her rescue, he could see the strength within her resurfacing, now. Jaw firm, breath even, hands clasped before her, the white-haired woman exuded a certain stillness that helped quell his own agitation. Suddenly she glanced his way; her features softened and she gave him a look that made his own breath come a bit easier.

Deciding that he should break the silence, Crest cleared his throat and glanced at the Jedi. “What are you going to do, exactly?” His words felt like they were being carried away by the wind.

Honi took a breath and looked at Stonewall, who was still kneeling by his wife, before she replied. “While Stonewall concentrates his efforts on protecting his unborn child, we're going to focus on slowing down, then halting her bodily processes, which should force the spirit to leave. Once it's gone, Kalinda will be able to re-enter her body.” She looked at Zara, who was still gray and pale, but the Padawan nodded, the movement stilted while her lekku trembled and twitched; Crest realized that she was barely holding it together, which did nothing for his own misgivings.

They took their places at either side of the unconscious Jedi: Honi on her left, her hands near Kalinda's heart and the Padawan on her right, mimicking her master's motion, while Stonewall put his own hands over Kalinda's abdomen. At that moment, Crest felt like everyone was holding their breath, and the wind seemed to die down just enough for him to hear the faint but frantic tempo of his own heart.

Then the rain began.

*​

Of all the bizarre things that I've seen and done in my life, this is by far the strangest, Kalinda thought as she watched the others converge around her body, holding it in place even as the clone boys and Sita stood by. Honi looked as solemn as she ever did, her face set in concentration on the task at hand, and Zara seemed frightened but trying to reach for calm. Kali watched her husband take a deep breath just as she heard his voice through the Force.

Ready?

Before she replied, Kali reached into the Force-energy of the grove, of her family, and of the planet itself; for the duration of the journey she'd taken to pooling what strength she could and gathering it to her, not thinking of anything but the necessary outcome of the situation. Even in this strange form she could feel the Force, filling every molecule of her form with resolve, and though she was not a physical being at the moment, she found herself going through the motions of breathing to remain calm and focused. I'm ready.

Stone nodded once just as the rain began to fall; she could hear it rushing through the jungle all around them even as it pattered through the canopy, and realized that it must be strong for it to make its way through the cover of the massive trees. The sky was growing lighter, but had taken on a yellowish, sickly pall instead of the previous murky gray.

Everyone tensed, listening to the sound of the rain, and she watched Stonewall's chest swell with a breath even as his nodded to Honi.

That was when a streak of lightning lit up the grove and Not-Kali's eyes opened, locking on to where Kalinda was. “You think you can defeat me?” The voice that came from her body was not her own, but Kalinda said nothing as she watched Not-Kali – who seemed to have somehow shrugged off the sedative’s effects – struggle beneath the grasp of the clones and Ares, instead focusing her energy on preparing herself for the task that was to come. She could feel Honi and Zara's concentration on her bodily systems, which she could tell were already starting to slow.

If anyone can do this, Honi can, she thought as she watched her former Padawan. Zara's face was drawn as well, and Kali could feel that her focus was strong even as Not-Kali let out a piercing, inhuman shriek that made everyone wince; she continued to struggle, but the clones' and Ares' grips kept her in place, despite the slick of rain that had reached them at last.

“What are you doing?” Not-Kali cried, twisting her head around as best she could; there was true fear in her voice and Kalinda realized that the spirit was at least feeling some of the combined effects of the sedatives and the morichro. “You're killing me!”

“That's the idea,” Kali replied, keeping her tone even while a sudden rift of thunder tried to crack away at her words. While she spoke, she could feel Stonewall's focus on the spark within her body.

Dark eyes that were hers but not opened and fell, not on her, but on Stonewall. “Please don't do this,” Not-Kali said, even as she cried out again. “You're killing your own child, Stone.” His jaw tightened and Kalinda felt his agitation at Not-Kali's words even though he made no reply, and that more than anything else, cut her to the quick.

So she sent a bout of Force-energy towards her usurper, hoping to draw the spirit's attention away from her husband. “You can still leave,” she said, working to keep her tone mild to further draw Not-Kali into ire and hopefully make her lose control. “It would save you the trouble of being kicked out.”

It appeared to work, for the spirit shrieked again and her entire body shuddered; lost within the Force, Honi and Zara made no response even as the clones and the others seemed to be frozen with shock at the unfolding events. Stonewall touched her mind. Is it working?

I think so. Kali gritted her teeth as Not-Kali lashed her body against the ground, coming out of Ares' grip for a moment and landing a blow to his chin. Immediately, Traxis managed to grab the flailing limb and press it to the ground with all of his strength, allowing Ares time to recover. The scarred clone looked at him and said something, but the rain and thunder drowned out the rest of his words.

There was thick silence for a moment while the Jedi and Stonewall continued to concentrate, heads bent, hands spread and shaking with the effort it was costing as rainwater ran in rivulets down their skin. Not-Kali continued to struggle but it was less frantic now, and Kalinda got the sense that her body was giving up at last, so she steeled herself in preparation.

Suddenly her own body went still, and she knew that it was time.

Using every bit of energy that she had gathered, Kali focused on her body and thought home, urged the displaced parts of herself to join once more.

But something was wrong, and she remained in the spirit-form, airy and insubstantial.

No, she thought, pressing her concentration. I can't fail...

“Is that it?” Crest finally asked, his voice hoarse.

Before she heard the answer, Kalinda felt a new presence beside her and realized the truth of the moment and of her own underestimation; in the next instant she was thrown backwards by a massive Force-push that sent her halfway across the grove. For a moment her entire world spun and she was tossed through the eddies of the Force as if caught in a roiling cloud. A burst of her own energy centered her, pushed her out of the upheaval and allowed her vision to clear just in time to see the form of her enemy darting towards her, step by step.

*​

Kalinda's body had steadied as planned but Weave knew that something was still very wrong; he risked a moment to move his fingers to the flat of her wrist to feel for the pulse that wasn't there. Even as Crest voiced the question on everyone's mind, he glanced up to Honi, as if she could give him an indication of what was going on. But she was beyond his reach despite her close proximity. Her face was paler than usual and he could see that she was putting a tremendous amount of effort into her task, and again he marveled at her strength and her skill. I've never known anyone like her...she's extraordinary.

Stonewall's voice broke through his musings and the lash of rain. “Kali's under attack...the spirit's gone but she isn't back yet.” His brother ducked his head, his face closing in concentration.

It was only because Weave was beside her that he heard the next words, spoken as a whisper by Honi to her apprentice. “Zara...I need you to take control of the child.”
“Master?” The Padawan's voice was tinny and high.

There was a moment where no one spoke, and when Honi finally did, Weave could see the effort she was making to keep her concentration. “Stonewall must help Kali. I can keep her body in stasis, but you...you have to protect the child with the Force.”

Lightning illuminated the Nautolan gjrl, whose face had smoothed to a mask of calm, and she nodded once before she ducked her head. “I will.”

Despite the danger, Stonewall and Honi exchanged glances; the former captain's face was pale, but he nodded as well, and Weave could only watch his entire body tense, then relax before he slumped to the ground beside his wife.

Throughout all of this, Weave's brain struggled to quantify the images it was being fed. How is this possible? Is his spirit really being separated from his body? What does that even mean? It was beyond frustrating; Weave was a man who trusted science and logic, and these events flew in the face of everything he'd been trained to deal with.

To make matters worse, the one person who could bridge the chasm between science and mysticism – or at least help him understand how such a thing was possible – was focused only on the body before her.

A gust of wind sent a chill down his spine and he spared a moment to squint up at the canopy, using his implant to get a sense of the storm around them that seemed to be growing stronger and stronger, the increased rainfall becoming a desperate susurration as the elements seemed to be fighting their own war against those who waited in the grove below.

In the back of his mind he was aware that only seconds were passing, but it felt like an eternity.

*​

It was the first time that the former captain had truly spoken to anyone besides Kali through the Force. When Honi met his eyes, he felt her determination and certainty as if it were his own. Zara will keep your baby safe, Stonewall. Go to your wife.

That was all he needed to hear.

Where he would have once balked at the idea of such a thing – the deliberate separation of his spirit from his body – Stonewall knew that his brain had been created to adapt to a wide array of new scenarios, and that this moment, this situation, was not even entirely new. The first time he had done so, it had been almost a reflex borne of a deeply-ingrained desire to protect Kali, an instantaneous reaction to the very real danger that had threatened his wife; he had not consciously decided to shuck his spirit from the shell of his body, but that had been the outcome of his efforts, and he'd thought over how to replicate the event, should matters come to a head.

I did it once, he thought as he felt Zara's consciousness wrap around his child's embryo. I can do it again. Once he was certain that everything was secure, he reached within himself one last time, preparing to make the transition from one form to another. Everything else fell away as Stonewall shaped his own reality, molded his will to the task at hand and concentrated on the thread of love and light that connected himself and Kali through the Force. He focused with everything he had.

In the back of his mind he was aware of the others' feelings of disbelief, which was how he knew he'd been successful at first. Then his eyes refocused and his gaze fell on the sight before him, and he got the sense that time had slowed to allow him to see everything that was taking place, though his vision was still hazy in the state of non-corporeality; despite the fact that Kalinda was alive he could tell by the push of energies that she was not as strong as her foe.

Kali was locked in a struggle with a being that he dimly recognized as Human, though it was difficult to say, as she – he could tell that much, at least – appeared twisted and gnarled beyond recognition. At first he thought that their movements were chaotic, but he soon understood that there was a coordinated dance of power taking place as they sent jolts of Force-energy towards one another, each of them weaving to avoid the corresponding, retaliatory bursts.

The attacking spirit seemed to gather a spiral of Force-energy to herself, centering it mid-chest before thrusting her hands out and pushing the spiral out towards Kali, who ducked and tumbled to the ground in her effort to remove herself from the trajectory of the hostile energy. When she righted herself, he could see her hands glowing while she collected her own strength before propelling it back at her opponent.

Who struck back even faster, and with more pressure, all of it directed at Kali's knees. In that moment, Stonewall was filled with the familiar emotions of anger and fear, though they had been whetted over the course of his time on Mundali to a keen desire to protect the life that he and Kali had unwittingly created. All of his doubt fell away, replaced with resolve. I refuse to let it end this way. Whatever it takes, I'll make sure that she and our child survive.

Wondering if it would be his last battle, Stonewall rushed to meet his fate, head-on. He didn't call his wife's name or make any indication he was present, instead focusing his own energy on their opponent and hitting the spirit with a powerful blast that knocked her to the ground. Kali marked his approach, but before he could gauge her reaction the spirit was up again and angling for them, so he stood his ground beside the woman he loved and continued to gather what strength he could to combat their enemy.

They had fought together countless times, but never like this.

In this battle, there were no lightsabers, no blasters. There was no grinding of droids' duranium joints or shrieking of plasma bolts darting between himself and his Jedi; ordnance wasn't causing the ground to shudder and balk beneath their feet. Despite the frenetic exchange of energy the grove was quiet, the loudest sounds being the very distant, faint ripples of thunder in the air. Lightning cast the spirit into stark clarity at a few intervals, revealing that the transparent form seemed to be growing more solid with each passing moment, and that she was fast and canny. She was also – Stonewall was starting to realize – more powerful then himself and Kali, even together.

While he was siphoned every bit of his energy into the battle, he wondered if it would be enough. A furtive glance at his wife showed him that she was growing fainter, her form losing opacity to the point where it seemed as though his hand would pass directly through her if he tried.

The irony of his own earlier thoughts echoed in his mind. Time. It may be a curse, but I think it's running out.

But the fight continued.

At one point the spirit hit him with a blast of energy, a slice of pain erupting from the point of contact, and he got the sense that the spirit was hoping to knock him away from Kalinda. We're stronger together, he thought as he inched closer to his wife. If she separates us, it will be easier for her. He glanced at Kali, who met his eyes and nodded once. Even without words, she understood, and he could see her steeling herself for whatever would come next.

At his core, Stonewall was a soldier, bred and trained to fight as if each battle was his last, for he knew that one day it would be. Kalinda was a Jedi Knight, and had lived her entire life by a similar edict of selflessness that the Order dictated; but despite all this, they shared another look and he saw the determination in her eyes, felt her resolve as surely as if it were his own. We won't let this creature destroy what we have created. Whatever it takes, we will win this fight, because we have too much to lose.

He feinted left while Kali went right; they surrounded their enemy in a simple but effective pincer movement that managed to catch her off-guard, and as one they sent a stunning blast of energy towards the spirit, who seemed to crumple before their feet. For a moment all was silent and Stonewall looked at the woman he loved, whose gaze remained riveted on their opponent's form. He tried not to feel apprehension at the fact that he could clearly see the outline of the trees right through her. “Did we...?”

Before she could reply, the spirit was upright, then before them – quicker than a gasp and moving faster than his eye could trace. Kali shrieked as she was pulled to her knees to kneel before the spirit, whose dark laughter echoed in the faint roll of thunder that had grown louder. Stonewall heard someone shouting but was only focused on helping Kali, on doing whatever he could, and praying it would be enough.

And then he felt a new presence in the grove, a softer, gentler one than he'd felt before; Stone stared at his wife and his mouth dropped open as he watched her form change, gain opacity and clarity; her expression shifted from blank determination and fear to one of assurance as she looked up and met the spirit's gaze.

“You're done.” Her voice was quiet, little more than wind and a light shushing of rain. Her hands lifted. The spirit shrieked and fell back. After getting to her feet, Kali took a step forward and kept her hands raised, watching as the spirit cringed, scuffing back and away into the dirt. Stonewall snapped out of his trance and moved beside his wife to step with her, sending his own energy towards their enemy and watching with grim satisfaction as the spirit writhed and shrieked again and again until finally...

It was over.

Beside him, Kali had fallen to her knees again, her face contorted in a way that would mean she was crying if they'd been of flesh, though she was silent and her face was unmarked by the physical passage of tears. He murmured her name and knelt beside her, forgetting everything else as he reached for her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close enough to kiss her forehead; it was a strange sensation because neither one of them were really solid and the feeling was like a breath being released into the wind, but he could still feel her presence in his mind. If this is it, if we're really gone, at least we're together.

He whispered her name again and tightened his arms around her, wondering if it was his imagination or if she really was growing more solid.

At last she looked up at him; he could see that her eyes were now rimmed with a strange brightness, and frowned to himself. “Kali?”

“Do you know what happened?” Her voice was hoarse and full; Stonewall shook his head even as he cast his mind back, trying to think if he missed something. She shook her head at his confusion. “She sacrificed herself – again – to save me. To save us. My mother,” she added to his confused look.

Stonewall frowned. “I thought you said it wasn't really her...”

Kalinda took a breath, more of a reflex, he figured, than any real need for oxygen right now, and spoke again. “It wasn't her spirit, like I thought at first, but part of her was there, even within the one that we fought...the part that loved me. It was more like an...echo. A remnant of Kamala.” His brow furrowed and she gave a weak laugh. “Have you ever pressed your hand to a window and lifted it? There's a mark left. What remains even after everything else is gone. There is no death, there is the Force.”

“Kali'ka,” he said after a pause. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm done with all of the weirdness. Are we dead or not?”


She met his eyes and he realized that she was smiling at last. “Not yet.”

 

“Kali'ka,” he said after a pause. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm done with all of the weirdness. Are we dead or not?”--

Heh heh, oh Stonewall!

This was awesome and scary! And take as much time as you need!

 

gracesonnet - Thank you for your patience! Real Life has been a beast lately, so here's another dual-update for you.

*****​

​

Chapter Twenty-Four: Not Only, But Also​

Before I came to Mundali, people would ask me: “Are you scared to die?”

I always thought it was a silly question. “Are you scared to die?” Of course I am. All beings fear what they don't understand, and death is the ultimate unknown, the unsolvable riddle. Despite all of our technological advances, when it comes to that unpleasant subject we are primates scrabbling about in caves, watching the flickering shadows cast on the walls by our fires and praying to distant stars to keep us safe.

Am I afraid to die? Very much.

Does it matter? Not in the slightest.

*​

Moments before...

Kalinda Halcyon had faced down many enemies in her life, some of whom had gotten the better of her, some of whom she'd defeated; as a Jedi, she was trained to accept the fact that each battle might be her last, but that it was her duty to push through the fear of death and do what must be done, no matter what.

When she was younger she'd considered the idea heroic: dying in a blaze of glory while serving some higher purpose and fighting for what she knew was good and true. For every fight of her life – prior to this one – she understood, deep down, that if that was the way it was supposed to go, then that's what she would do, and she'd made her peace with that realization long before she'd felt the heat of battle, or even decided to ignite her saber.

However, there was two factors that she had never considered – never had to consider – in any of those battles, and one of them was standing beside her, fighting just as hard as she was, as he had always done and as she knew he would do to the last.

But Kali did not want “to the last” to come yet, as she had so much to live for.

She wondered if she was fooling herself with false hope, or if her love had blinded her to what would surely be the outcome of this impossible scenario. She felt desperation pierce her at the thought that they would meet their end here, and remorse at the realization that she had failed both her unborn child and her husband.

Stone should have fallen in love with a nice, quiet farmer or something, she thought as she inched closer beside him. Someone whose life would have been less dangerous. But when he glanced at her, she saw nothing but determination in his eyes and felt her own returning. They shared a nod.

We won't let this creature destroy what we have created. They moved in unison to flank their opponent before sending a burst of energies towards the spirit, who shrieked and fell to the ground.

Abruptly, everything was silent; Stone looked at her, forming a question that Kali didn't have time to answer as the spirit seemed to rise again, returning from that nebulous place between life and death to strike one last time. It was a different kind of attack, and Kali felt as if her knees were taken out from under her and she was pulled before the spirit even as Stonewall called her name.

Kali looked up into the spirit's pale, twisted face and felt nothing. No fear, no anger. So this is how it ends, she thought as she felt the malicious energy swell around her like a choking wind. I'm sorry, Stone. I'm so sorry, little one. Time slowed to a crawl. Everything was diamond-clear.

And then she heard it.

“Kali.” It was a voice she knew but did not believe was real. Even so, Kali looked at her enemy and felt shock pierce her as the form of her mother seemed to separate from the spirit and approach her, head upright. “I can finally give you something. Whatever I have left, that is. It may not be much, but I think it will be enough.”

She wasn't real. It was just a memory, the product of my own delusion. Kali wanted to speak but her voice refused to work. However, her confusion must have been evident as she heard her mother's laughter through the Force.

“That's the big secret, you see. Nothing in the galaxy is ever truly gone, Kali, especially with the Force...energy just changes hands. Imagine putting your hand up to a frosted window; when your palm lifts, its impression is still there. In the Force, remnants of life remain, even after death.”

Kalinda still couldn't speak but she was able to form a thought. That's...impossible.

Her mother's laughter was brighter than a star. “Nothing is impossible, Kalinda, just highly unlikely. I love you more than you will ever know; only now am I finally able to do something with that love. Maybe that's why I lingered here for so long.”

Even as Kali wanted to reply, the energy from the spirit tightened around her heart as her mother's voice sounded again. “At last...I can help you, as I should have been able to.” Kali shook her head but Kamala's presence filled her mind. “I'm lucky, after all. How many parents can say they saved their child, even after death?” Then she began to fade, even as Kalinda was filled with a renewed strength, something that went beyond anything she'd ever sensed before, and she knew at once that her mother was truly gone, but that in return she had been given the means to defeat her enemy.

Holding the spirit's gaze and ignoring her own thrill of sorrow, Kali managed to stand up. “You're done,” she managed to choke out; then she sent a bout of energy towards the spirit, who seemed to sense the exchange of power and tried to scrabble away even as its form dimmed. The Force resonated within Kalinda, the vibration filling her form with boundless energy such that she wondered how she could possibly contain it all. Kali smiled and gathered the spiral of energy to her solar plexus, then thrust it forward to its mark. The spirit keened and stumbled back, flickering. Fading.

In the next moment she felt her husband's presence next to her and knew that he was once more lending his strength to her for the duration of the battle. Part of her smiled at the determination and awe that he was radiating, but she kept her mind on the task at hand until the fight was over, at last. The thing that had nearly claimed her body and expelled all that was Kalinda folded in on itself as though it were a dying star, imploding into fragments of space and leaving not so much as a sigh.

For the space of a few heartbeats Kali stood, transfixed and swaying, then she collapsed under the weight of what had just happened. Even though she thought that she really didn't know anything anymore, she was aware on some level that she was solid enough to weep over the loss that she had never truly felt before this moment.

“Kali.” Stonewall was still there and wrapped her in his arms, managing somehow to be real and solid even in their supernal state. His presence allowed her to find some toehold on the swirl of madness that she'd been caught in lately, and gradually she felt herself calming. Finally she was able to meet his eyes; she could hear his concern for her as he said her name again.

It was another moment before she could find her voice, and when she did it was choked. “Do you know what happened?”

It wasn't really a question that he could answer, but she could see him working through the events of the fight and looking for some clue, like his attention had slipped and he'd missed some critical moment when she knew it was just the opposite. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and inhaled deeply; she could remember the way he smelled even if she couldn't experience the sensation in their current form. When she spoke her words were clear and very careful. “She sacrificed herself – again – to save me. To save us.” He looked baffled and she clarified. “My mother.”

“You said it wasn't really her...”

It was out of habit more than anything else that Kali inhaled again before she replied. “It wasn't her spirit, like I thought, but part of her was there, even within the one that we fought...the part that loved me. It was more like an...echo. A remnant of Kamala.” His expression mirrored her own bewilderment and she couldn't help but chuckle. “Have you ever pressed your hand to a glass and lifted it? There's a mark left. What remains even after everything else is gone. There is no death, there is the Force.”

She watched him mull her words over, then give a shake of his head as if to set the matter aside for the time being. He whispered her nickname then frowned when a smile crept to her face. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm done with all of the weirdness. Are we dead or not?”

“Not yet.”

After taking another moment to collect herself, Kali got to her feet and studied the grove, taking everything in: to her right she could see the cluster of their family, bent before her and Stone's bodies and seemingly frozen in place. The rain had plastered Honi's hair to her face, which was grim even in her concentration; Zara seemed to have closed herself off of everything and her expression was blank. The cadets, Sita, and Ares looked somewhere between frightened and remorseful, their bodies glistening with rainwater.

Stone's brothers – her brothers, too – were staring at the bodies of their former captain and general and she knew that they thought the worst had happened. Above their heads the sky was lightening even as the rain continued to batter the grove and she could see the trees moving with the persistent wind. But the worst of it was over, at last.

“Kali?” She looked back at her husband and gave him an apologetic smile for her lax in attention.

Reaching out her hand, she took his own, thinking that she would be glad to savor the press of his skin again. “Ready to go back?”

He smiled. “And then some.” Their fingers laced and their concentration joined once more, their shared focus sharpening the world around them for one instant before everything faded to black.

The next time her eyes opened, she was lying on the muddy ground, soaking wet and still being pelted with raindrops; her head was turned and her gaze was on her husband, who was lying beside her. Their eyes didn't move from one another and their hands were still joined. Through the Force, Kali could sense the spark, safe and whole within the shelter of her body; she smiled at her husband to assure him that all was well, and they shared a moment of relief and joy. Around them, the others were shouting and exclaiming, and there was still a distant rumble in the sky even as the storm receded, but they were together and alive, and it was over at last.

*​

For all of its ferocity, at least the storm was brief. Even through her concentration Zara could feel the wind tugging at her lekku, as if attempting to separate them from her skull. She never minded being wet, but the rain that found its way to her body stung and bit into her skin; the air was heavy with something she couldn't name and the sky was pale and sickly.

But all of it was nothing, really, because somewhere during the confusion of the events that had transpired she felt her semblance of calm shift into actual calm, a reality that she hadn't thought she could achieve as she knelt beside her master's master and gathered the Force around her, focusing on keeping the unborn child safe.

Zara did not possess the skill to create a shield with the Force as Stonewall and Kalinda did, but she'd known immediately what she was going to do; through her concentration, her energy wrapped itself around the precious spark, swathing it with the Force. There had been only an instant of doubt in Zara's mind as to whether or not she could, though it had been replaced in one swift motion with the realization that she must. A Jedi is nothing if not a protector of the innocent, and in the moment that she felt Stonewall's grasp on his unborn child release to her, she was filled with awe, humbled beyond belief by his trust and the task she had been given.

At the edges of her mind she could sense the agitation of the others, but it was faint and distant, so much farther away then the thunder and the rain, and part of her brain smiled at their bewilderment. It's fine. It will be fine. The Force is with us.

Again, she relaxed into the knowledge and felt flooded with calm.

The shudder of ground when Stonewall fell beside his wife nearly knocked her out of her concentration but she retained it anyway, eyes open but unfocused. Everything fell away from Zara until she was only aware of two things: her own breath, steady and sure, and the inchoate lull of life within Kali's body, resting in the cradle of the Force.

As quickly as it had begun it was over and she blinked in surprise when Kalinda's eyes opened and she moved her head to look at Stonewall, whose chest had begun to lift with breath once more. As if emerging from the depths of the spring, Zara slowly released her hold on the spark. Her hands lifted and she sat back, still reeling from the effort; a glance at Honi showed that her master felt much the same way.

The clones had gathered around them, speaking in worried, urgent tones to Stonewall and the Jedi, though neither one seemed to have eyes for anyone but each other at the moment. Finally Kalinda took a breath and sat up, Stonewall following her lead, and everyone silenced. The Jedi opened her mouth to speak but a rumble of thunder from the dissipating storm sounded, and for a moment she glared at the sky in irritation, which made Zara giggle despite her weariness.

Stonewall smiled at his wife, who grinned back somewhat sheepishly. “I can't get a word in, sometimes.”

“I'm glad that you guys are so amused by this insanity,” Crest interjected. “But will someone please tell me what the kriff just happened?”

“I second that,” Traxis added, frowning at his former captain and general. “You're both alive...that means we won, right?”

Stonewall took a breath and smiled at Kalinda again before he got to his feet in one motion, offering her his hand; all of the clones had been kneeling around their brother, but they followed his movements. “It's...a long story.” His hand was still joined with Kalinda's.

Crest sighed. “A little intel goes a long way towards me keeping my sanity, you know.”

“Perhaps we should get out of the rain before the debriefing,” Sita said at once, her light voice causing everyone to look at her. The clone boys had all left the Arunai woman's side to stand by their elder brothers.

Save one.

At some point, Drake had made his way to Zara, to knees beside her, so close she could feel the heat of his body though he wasn't touching her. Even though she was exhausted, she cast him a look and felt her heart leap when she realized that he was smiling at her. “Amazing,” he whispered, the word hardly audible through the light patter of rain-on-leaves around the grove.

“What is?” Zara asked, transfixed by the movement of his mouth and the way his voice blended in with the cadence of her own heartbeat. She felt dizzy from her efforts and wondered if she could get to her feet without stumbling.

But it didn't matter, because the next thing she knew her hand was in his; she was being pulled up, towards the lightening sky and he was still smiling at her as he spoke again. “You, Zar. You're amazing.”

Zara wanted to reply in kind, but the words got stuck in her throat, so she only smiled back.

*​

“It's a long story.”

If she hadn't been so weary, Honi would have given a sharp laugh at the former captain's understatement, but she found that she was too drained to do more than look from one speaker to the other and try to gather the strength to get to her own feet.

As she was learning was the norm, Crest seemed a little put out at Stonewall's reticence. “A little intel goes a long way towards me keeping my sanity, you know.”

The Arunai woman spoke next, the lilt of her words softening Crest's statement. “Perhaps we should seek shelter before the debriefing.” There was a murmur of laughter at this, and Honi realized with dismay that she really did have to stand up, somehow.

As she was preparing herself to do so she felt a presence beside her; looking up, she saw the clone boy, Levy, regarding her with interest. His modified arm was extended to hers and she felt a stab of guilt that she'd allowed her worry over Kalinda and her distraction with Weave to stop her from making good on her promise. No more wasting time, she thought as she took his hand, ignoring the pinch of metal against her own skin. He was stronger than he looked – as all the clones were, she had discovered – and he smiled at her once she was on her feet, his expression showing that he felt no anger towards her at all for her lax in attention.

“Thank you, Levy,” she said, before glancing around to find her former master and her apprentice. Both were up and appeared to be hale enough, and everyone was making their way back to the camp. When she looked back for Levy, he was with the other boys. Alone, she swayed a little in place, thinking that the simple act of taking a step forward should not have seemed so daunting.

Suddenly Weave was there, his fingertips resting lightly on her elbow to steady her. “Are you okay?”

There was nothing in his voice but kindness and she found that she couldn't speak, so she only nodded once. A moment of concentration and she was able to find her balance and knew that she would be able to walk. But for some reason her feet remained in place and she realized that he was still looking at her even as the others were moving off: Stonewall and Kalinda were in the lead, followed by Crest and Sita, who were walking close but not touching; Zara and Drake were next, hands joined, and she felt herself sighing at the sight; Ares and Traxis – surrounded by the clone boys – came afterward, moving almost in step, their heads tilted together as though they were speaking.

“Honi?” Weave's voice was quiet and she realized that she'd been staring into space.

So she shook her head and blinked, as there was still rainwater in her eyes. “I'm fine...I'm just-”

Then his hand was cupping her cheek; his kiss was soft and tentative, a question more than anything else, but she knew her answer in spite of everything, now. As he smoothed her soaking hair from her cheeks and forehead, Honi pulled him closer, thinking that he tasted like rain. Her fingers traveled up the back of his neck to end their journey on either side of his face, one hand resting over the skin of his cheek, the other over the edges of his implant. The Force seemed to coalesce around them, she felt herself growing lost within it, and part of her mind marveled at the fact that such a thing had never happened to her before this moment. The embrace buoyed her spirit, filling her with strength and with wonder.

When they broke apart and she realized that she was grinning at him, she decided that maybe she had been too hard on Zara and Kalinda, after all.

*​

Raindrops that had clung to the leaves of the canopy were still pattering around them but everyone was so soaked it didn't much matter at this point. However, the sky was still lightening and Stonewall figured that it would get very hot today, as he could already feel the humidity condensing in the air. There was a ripple of thunder, but it was faint, more of an echo of the storm than anything else. He glanced over at Kalinda as they walked along the jungle path and noted the odd, half-smile on her face. “What is it?”

Her smile widened and she leaned into him, briefly pausing her steps to murmur in his ear. “Weave and Honi.”

“Really?” He resisted the urge to turn around but smiled all the same. “Good for them. I wasn't sure she had it in her.” Kali laughed and slipped her hand around his waist, but made no reply. The rest of the journey was made in relative quiet between them, despite the fact that the others were engrossed in their own discussions and speculations. Thankfully, it seemed like the presence of the Jedi and the clone – alive and whole – was enough to keep their family from peppering them with questions...for now.

He glanced at her and noted that her other hand was resting on her abdomen. “And everything's okay?” It was at least the third time he'd asked, in addition to reaching out through the Force to sense his unborn child, but he couldn't keep the question from coming up again.

“Fine,” she whispered, looking up at him, eyes bright with wonder. “Perfect.”

Stonewall gripped his wife's waist and took a deep breath of morning air. Sunlight had started to break free of the clouds, a few strands were making their way through the canopy to be caught on the edges of Kali's dark hair that was still damp with rainwater. He noted that she was smudged with mud and dirt as well, and that her clothes were filthy and torn. I imagine I don't look much better. But those trappings had never mattered to him before and that at least hadn't changed. At some point her hand had fallen back to her side, so he took it in his and laced their fingers together.

The air was growing more and more dense, not just with humidity, but with the sounds of the jungle: high, teeming birdsong, the buzz of insects and the ululations of unknown species that he hadn't heard or noticed until this moment. Perhaps the entire forest had woken up from some long sleep. When he closed his eyes he could smell the wet leaves and the soft, loamy dirt beneath his feet. Everyone that mattered to him was alive and so was he.

And it felt pretty damn good.

He cast another look at her and was irrationally pleased to see that she had been watching him. There was one last groan of thunder, but it was brief. Kali tilted her head. “I wonder if another storm's coming?”

Stonewall gave a shrug. “I think we'll be okay, even if it does.”

​