Beyond The Great Leap Forward (FotJ concurrent: Laera & OCs + Luke/Ben ? drama/action) Updated 2/23!

Title: The Great Leap Forward
Author: Goodwood
Timeframe: Concurrent to FotJ (slight AU possible), Legacy era
Characters: Laera Reyolé, OCs, HK-47.5 + Luke and Ben Skywalker
Genre: Drama, action, introspection
Summary: Four thousand years after their presumed disappearance, Marine captain and Jedi Knight Laera Reyolé and her companions Lieutenant Silas Dan'kre and an assassin droid known only as HK-47, find themselves stranded on an unfamiliar world inhabited by a mysterious species who call themselves the Sa'ari. Thought to be the 'Starborne Ones' of legend, they are taken into their society.

Meanwhile Luke and Ben Skywalker, temporarily free of obligations during their exile from Coruscant and the Jedi Order, take covert delivery of a holocron constructed by the enigmatic Jedi Revan. But the ancient Knight had encoded a secret message within the device, one meant for Reyolé's eyes only. Though armed with few facts, the Skywalkers set off to deliver this message, not knowing that they will learn far more than they had ever thought possible...

Author's note: This is a direct follow-on to The Last Full Measure.




Chapter One


The red-haired youth's brow was raised dubiously. "Lahara sector, Dad? You sure about that?"

Luke Skywalker looked at his son and smiled. He'd been taking the recent lack of activity with considerable grace for a young man his age, and had even accepted without argument the fact that he wasn't being told everything about what they were about to do. Ben was, however, raising an eyebrow at their next destination. "You've seen the records and you've accessed the holocron. If we're going to achieve our goal of tracking down this Reyolé woman and delivering Revan's message, wouldn't you agree that it's best to start with her homeworld?"

Ben's brow went, if it were possible, even higher. "Dad, please. I've seen a lot of unbelievable stuff in this galaxy, but it's been four thousand years. Surely she's become one with the Force by now. Besides, what could possibly be so important about this message that we have to make sure she gets it if, by some miracle, she's not dead?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, son," Luke replied with a sigh, patting Ben's shoulder. "It's just a feeling."

"Yeah, just a feeling," Ben echoed tongue-in-cheek. "Well, it's not like we have anything better to do at the moment, and at least now that Fel's in charge, the Empire won't bother us if they see us in their territory."

Luke withdrew his hand and returned his gaze to the cockpit viewport as Ben verified their hyperspace vector. Indeed, the Empire under the steady leadership of Jagged Fel couldn't care less what a pair of errant Jedi did within their borders?as long as they didn't try to "liberate" anybody, of course, or interfere with Imperial business, legitimate or otherwise.

As he continued to muse about what they had learned and where they were going, the Jedi Master watched the stars stretch into lines as the Jade Shadow made the jump to lightspeed. It seemed remarkable how similar Revan's life had been to that of his nephew Jacen's: both had been highly-gifted Jedi Knights, both had witnessed war and bloodshed, and both had campaigned for justice in the face of conflict. Even the ways and whys behind their falls to the dark side were similar; Luke got the distinct impression, at least from the holocron, that Revan felt as though he had taken up the mantle of Dark Lord in order to save the galaxy, not conquer it. But as had been the case with Jacen, the plan had gone awry, and though there had been no mortal redemption for his sister's elder son, there had been for the ancient Jedi who had shared his path. Revan's second chance had been spent most wisely in Luke's opinion, yet even after the defeat of his old apprentice and the end of the war he'd started, he had still returned to the unexplored vastness of the Unknown Regions, determined to />

great begin of your story with Laera

Great start! Hmm, from what she's told Luke it doesn't seem like Laera is aware that so much time has passed. I'm curious to see if the planet is somehow causing that or if it's something else entirely. And xenophobic natives are never good news for offworlder protagonists.

I really liked the description of the planet. It feels very alive.

Looking forward to more!

Hehehehe, you'll see!



Chapter Two


My heart froze in my chest at the stranger's words. A cyclone of emotions swirled throughout my consciousness. It was bad enough that Revan was sending me messages from the Great Beyond, but to have been out of it for four thousand years? It was impossible, surely?it felt like only a few months had passed since our escape from the battle over Ord Mantell. Our escape, which had been a near thing, that had stranded us on this unknown dirtball. But even as Skywalker said the words, I knew that they were true, and there was no use even denying it. I glanced over at Silas, and the fleeting look he offered made it quite clear that he had an idea how this could have happened. Our hyperdrive systems must have been very badly damaged indeed.

Something still bothered me, though, about how the elder Jedi spoke of Revan. This stranger, this...Skywalker, seemed to think that the man had been a hero; I didn't need the Force to spot the subtle tone of reverence in his voice. In fact, there seemed to be an ingrained undercurrent of idealism throughout his consciousness, despite the emotional scars that floated on his bright sand-colored aura like flotsam from a shipwreck. Nothing I knew about the Dark Lord suggested that redemption was even possible, but even as my passions raged at how the universe seemed to be throwing us about like a leaf on the breeze, the more logical part of my mind admitted that a lot could have happened in the intervening time. If nothing else, these new arrivals with their intact starship offered a way out for us, and I wanted the chance to be with Silas on a civilized world.

"You mean 'Darth' Revan, don't you?" I finally replied, making the Sithspawned honorific into a curse. "That scum...last I knew, he was comatose and being carted back to the Republic in an assault lander."

"Yes, I do," Luke replied, still in that annoying voice of hero worship. "That last mission you conducted, it was the key to his redemption, to the end of the war you were fighting."

"He was redeemed?" Silas asked, a dubious glint in his eye.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," the elder Skywalker began.

"How fortuitous for us," Silas retorted mockingly. "Laera and I happen to love long, complicated stories."

"I'll make you a deal," I added. "You tell us what's been happening in the rest of the galaxy, and we'll tell you about this planet."

"Agreed."

For a full hour, Skywalker told us what he knew about Darth Revan's redemption. Beginning with the destruction of the Endar Spire over Taris and continuing through the end of the war at a place called Rakata Prime and beyond, he told what he obviously thought to be a thrilling tale of courageous beings, acts of atrocities, intrigue, self-sacrifice, and the power of love. Though my jaded mind was skeptical of some bits, most of what the man had to say rang true, even through the distortion of the ages. When Luke revealed the duplicity of the Jedi Council in how they had mind-wiped Revan, however, I was dumbfounded; though I could see it logically, it was difficult to accept that these people of supreme compassion would inflict such a barbarous act upon a fellow sentient. It was clear, however, that Skywalker thought that while this undertaking had played out to the galaxy's benefit in the end, it wasn't because of them, but of Revan himself.

In spite of my earlier feelings, I suddenly found myself wanting to go back to the visitors' ship and retrieve that message.

But Luke's tale didn't stop there. He continued to recall the history of the Order after the war, including what he called "the First Jedi Purge" and the tales of a person whom he referred to as "a Jedi Exile."

"Hold it a moment," I said, raising a hand to interrupt his testimony of what happened at a fuel mining facility and depot at Peragus II. "This 'Jedi Exile' you refer to, who was she?"

"We don't know," the younger Skywalker replied. "Our records of that era are sketchy, a lot was lost when the enclave on Dantooine was sacked."

Once again, my h/>

Great to see the history enfold and how they are reacting to the news

You have a nice story going

Mmm... Silas.

Anywho, that must be quite the shock to find out that one has been thrust four millennia into the future. And to not even know until they were told. Just think if one still had an active bank account...

So, how soon til Laera gives them the grand tour of the planet?

Just a kick to let folks know the story was updated. Chapter Three will be posted tomorrow or Sunday.

Chapter Three


Ord Mantell orbit, four thousand years earlier


Alarms blared throughout the cockpit as Silas struggled to get the hyperdrive to function. "Main drive is fused, switching to backups!"

"Whatever it takes, I know you can get us out of here," I reassured him, holding onto my chair as the ship shuddered in mechanical agony.

"Just don't expect us to get anywhere fast," he replied, snarling imprecations against the Sith under his breath as he pounded the control boards. "Jumping in three...two...one...mark!"

Through the viewport, the stars extended into lines, but instead of the usual muted pink and purple clouds of hyperspace, everything was blue-shifted, and black gaps were intertwined with jarring patterns. The tableau of utter wrongness was nearly enough to make me lose what little breakfast I hadn't yet digested. "What the stang just happened!" I had to yell over the blaring of alarms and rattling of loose gear.

"I don't know!" Silas bellowed back. "If I had had a chance to learn this infernal contraption's systems, I might be able to tell you!"

"Can you get us back into realspace?!"

"No, the system's shot to Chaos! All we can do now is ride this wave until the backup hyperdrive gives out, or hope we come across a gravity well that slows us down instead of ripping us to pieces!"

"Assuming we survive decanting, can we make planetfall?" I asked instead, not wanting to think about the idea of being trapped in hyperspace forever.

"I think so," Silas replied, his voice lowering as the ride seemed to smooth out a bit and he succeeded in deactivating most of the alarms. "Hull integrity is holding, we've got one sublight engine, and the repulsorlifts were unaffected. Sensors and instruments seem to be operating normally, but we won't know for sure until and unless we make it out. We've also got enough fuel for a landing in atmosphere, but your guess is as good as mine in regards to taking off again."

"We'll make it, Silas," I said, my confidence returning though I still had only a vague notion of where that assurance was coming from at the moment.

"You sound so sure, Captain," he replied, turning in his seat to face me. "This a Jedi thing?"

"Yeah," I reassured him. "It's a Jedi thing."

"Good. Jedi senses I trust. My mechanical and piloting skills, I don't."

I chanced unstrapping myself and stood in the small tandem cockpit, looking at the forward instrument and control panels. "Looks like we're on course for Lahara sector. When do you think we'll get there, assuming the backup holds out?"

"We're talking more than a few thousand light years, Laera," Silas replied dubiously. "On a Class Ten drive, we could be stuck in this crate for a good deal longer than we'd like."

"Then it's a good thing we took a shuttle instead of a starfighter," I retorted mildly. "If there's nothing else to be done up here, mind joining me in the cargo hold? Maybe the Sith were kind enough to pack us something useful."

After an assenting nod from Silas, I picked my way aft, descending the ladder to the fairly large cargo area of the Herald-class shuttle we'd stolen from Darth Revan's flagship. Flicking on a glowrod obtained from an emergency equipment box tacked to the bulkhead, I passed its beam of light over various plasteel crates and cylinders. According to their labels, most contained mundane supplies like spare components, tools, survival gear and field rations. A few, however, were packed with weapons, and one held more palatable fare. I was disappointed, but not all that surprised, to find that nothing here was useful for fixing a hyperdrive, but what really drew my attention was the locked and unlabeled durasteel cask that had been bolted to the aft bulkhead. Sealed from the inside, it looked large enough to contain two Wookiees.

"No joy getting this open, I suppose," Silas said as he joined me in examining the container.

"Not sure I even want to know what's in there, to be perfectly honest," I quipped. "Hopefully whatever it is doesn't decide to come out while we're asleep."

"At least

Nice update with the 'meatbag' droid and history enfolding

Hoo boy... talk about a wild ride into THE GREAT UNKNOWN. Two weeks in hyperspace with only Shakespeare?err, I mean Whipstaff? Certainly there were other things Silas and Larea could have been doing to occupy their time, since they were, you know, all alone, in a ship, together, stuck in hyperspace for two weeks, not knowing where they were going, and they had nothing better to do, and were, you know, alone with each other, all alone, with nothing to do...

Catching up here...

I feel bad for Laera and Silas. Being displaced 4 millenia is a lot to absorb. That pair will need to rely a lot on Luke and Ben if they get off that planet and back to the galaxy at large, and in turn Luke and Ben need Laera and Silas to help them survive their time on the planet. I'm curious about what the locals do that has our heroes spooked.


"Maybe we are," Silas replied with a playful smirk, and I retaliated by bounding more berries off of his snout. "Think about it. Maybe some person, sitting at a computer terminal somewhere on a distant world, really is writing out our lives for the entertainment of others."

Heh heh. If only you knew, Silas. If only you knew.


as the ship shuddered in mechanical agony

That is a darn cool phrase.

What a ride through hyperspace. Good thing they had a sturdy little shuttle that survived all that.


"Observation: Master, I am deeply disappointed in you."

I love HK-47's way of speaking, and I have to say that this line is my absolute favorite.

So we've reached the first encounter with the locals. Positive: A Sith assassin droid is able to marginally understand and/or translate. Negative: A Sith assassin droid is able to marginally understand and/or translate. Of all the things I wouldn't want to filter sensitive communication in a tense, tricky spot through, that would top my list.

Great posts!

Thumper:

You have no idea...


Chapter Four


At that moment, it finally dawned on me who it was that we were being greeted by: the special response division of the local constabulary. Why it had not occurred to me that landing near a populated area would attract such attention was a puzzle that could wait until later; right now I had to figure out how we were going to get out of this with our skins intact. Though the minds of the dozen police officers that gazed at us were still shrouded, our proximity allowed me to glimpse tidbits of what went on underneath. Most of the cops leaked traces of fear and awe, intermixed with small doses of curiosity, but the woman closest was definitely more interested than she was afraid. On a hunch, I looked up and into her gaze, lowering all of my mental barriers.

As if on cue, the lead officer holstered her own weapon and reached up to remove her helmet. Slowly she raised it, to reveal an azure-tinted visage whose hairless scalp was sculpted into six elegant ridges that ended in short, cartilaginous nubs. The inner two turned down, but the outer four poked upward, and where there would have been ears on a human, there were instead thick, fleshy folds of skin. Thin black brows and eyelashes marked the only trace of hair that I could see, and what looked like ritualistic markings, done in muted crimson, adorned the woman's face. Her human-like eyes were the most intense shade of green that I'd ever seen.

She blinked rapidly for a few moments, then I felt the gentle caress of her awareness upon my mind as she inclined her head toward me. Gingerly she probed, and I subtly encouraged her, guiding her along as she sought out the truth of my intentions and those of my companions. After an age that passed in mere minutes, she finally withdrew her presence, looking back up at her companions and signaling them to follow her lead in putting away their weapons and doffing their helmets.

?Burning stars...? Silas muttered under his breath.

I was as astonished as he was. Every last member of our welcoming committee was also blue-skinned and ridge-scalped, and most of them bore different, yet similar, patterns on their faces. They were all definitely female as well, as indicated by their body armor, facial features, and the fluid grace with which they moved.

"Myo setit," the leader said, the ghost of a smile playing across her purple lips. "Ghee'ja ke solei panau."

"Translation: Wait here. The Elder has been summoned."


----------------------------------------


For a full hour we waited, riveted to the spot and standing at attention, for this mysterious Elder to arrive. The special response officers, augmented by another three carloads of reinforcements, had put up a containment area around our landing site that, to my eyes, seemed to be more for our protection than for the other natives. As they arrived I began to wonder if this species was a matriarchal one, since not one of the squad of new arrivals was male and neither were any of the civilians who had started to arrive on the scene. As we waited, the cops intermingled with one another, sharing impressions and speculations about the new arrivals in their own language. Our de facto ambassador, however, was content to simply stand there, her eyes drinking in our presences though she continuously wrinkled her nose at the assassin droid.

The sun had begun to sink below the horizon when the Elder finally arrived, brought to the area in a white groundcar with a large, glass-enclosed rear compartment that allowed everyone to see its occupant. Like the rest of the natives we'd seen so far she was female, as were the three people who accompanied her, and she looked significantly older than anyone else present. Standing over two meters tall, her skin was more purplish; her face and scalp were slightly wrinkled, her cheeks were somewhat hollow, and the area around her eyes was significantly darker. She wore a flowing robe of mauve that was embroidered liberally and elaborately with golden thread, along with a similarly-colored and -st

Holy kriffin' damnation poodoo on a repulsor stick... Did Luke ever get a tongue-lashing! Though, Laera does have a point; the NJO has always struck me as lacking the discipline of the Old Order, like an alliance of LARPers. The thing about the Old Order is that it was monastic, it was insular, and it was, for the most part, tight-knit. The rules and regulations, as arbitrary as they may see to outsiders and some members of the Order, they helped to shape it and maintain control and thus an image. They had routine and they had regulation. It was orderly and it was respected. The NJO is loose and has faced more problems in less time due to how lenient they are. I've never really been too fond of the NJO, so I need to side with Laera's sentiment.

But... I have nothing against LARPers. LARPing is fun. I like to LARP, I just need to find more people who like to LARP, too.

Love Leara talking to Luke and his NJO

Chapter Five


Luke had to admit to himself that he'd sorely underestimated the Marine-cum-Jedi Knight before him, despite his son's warning from the previous night. Perhaps the only saving grace for him at that moment was that he knew that she was doing this to help him, not hurt him; that this was the only way she could think of to make him see why she felt as though he and his Jedi had failed so often. He had known the when, this much she had made clear, but it dawned on him at that moment that this was only the beginning of understanding.

In response to this epiphany, he ceased his crumbling resistance altogether, letting the woman's probes rush through his mind unhindered. Laera shifted tack at lightspeed, her focused energies diffusing to bridge connections that Luke had never realized could be made. He could see now the missteps that he had taken in handling the Jedi Order's response to the extragalactic invasion. He had been blind, deaf and dumb to the gentle descent into darkness of his nephew, distracted by amorphous thoughts and glimpses of mysterious manifestations of the Force. It took a great deal of introspection, but as the ancient Knight before him began to let him see into her own mind, he began to understand once again that much of the turmoil that had occurred throughout the history of the Order over the millennia held a common theme: fear.

From her point of view as a soldier, the Order of her day had been paralyzed by fear of a greater threat when they had refused to join the Mandalorian Wars. This had resulted in Revan undertaking his crusade. History as he knew it also seemed to agree with Laera's feelings on why the Order had nearly succumbed to the First Jedi Purge: because it had been held catatonic by the seemingly invisible threat represented by the Sith Triumvirate. It was clear that, because of this, they had very nearly destroyed the last hope for the galaxy. Laera seemed to feel that if they had succeeded in stripping Vima Sunrider of the Force, then the light of the Jedi would have gone out forever. Records from the time of the Ruusan Reformation were also explicit, the opinions of its drafters laid bare. In the wake of the Republic's dark age and the defeat of Kaan's Brotherhood, the Senate had become so afraid of another resurgence of the Sith or another dark-side organization that they had abolished the military and sought to control the Jedi Order. The consequences of this, from Laera's point of view, had been disastrous.

At that moment, the knowledge he needed to regain control and force Laera from his mind came to him. With all of his might he concentrated on overcoming this strange twist on the Force, ripping himself from her psyche and mentally pushing her out. Finally free, he slumped to the floor, utterly exhausted. Through barely-open eyes he observed her doing the same, though he felt that the woman still held the upper hand, if only slightly.

"Very good, Skywalker," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "You're not out of the woods completely, but that was definitely a start."

She then glanced back at Ben. "See to your father. He's going to need to talk this out with you for a while. Silas, let's give them some privacy."

Ben joined Luke on the floor as their hosts exited the hovel and descended to the forest floor below, after having taken a bow and quiver of arrows apiece along with a leather sack. "Dad, are you alright?" he asked tentatively. "What did...what did she do to you?"

"I'll be okay, Ben," Luke replied, his voice throaty. "She's been through quite a lot, and it's toughened her up. Whatever that technique she used, though...it was very effective and it caught me completely off-guard."

"But why use it now?"

"Maybe there's something about the Sa'ari that she needs to prepare me for," Luke speculated. "Perhaps their endemic affinity for the Force has made them so used to it that someone who is unprepared for their abilities might find themselves easily manipulated and defeated."

"Dad, she mentally tortured you!" Ben replied, aghas

exciting update with all what is revealed about the Eldarch

Silas put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Laera, it isn't your job to psychoanalyze a Jedi Master."

Exactly, it's not Laera's job. It's mine. *brandishes DSM-IV*

Anyway, it's good that Luke has realized the faults in the NJO, without trying to explain them away or to dismiss them entirely. Though, that is not to say that the Jedi Order at any point in time was perfect, but the stricter procedures of the older Orders did at the very least help to maintain some level of control.

And Silas... quit chewing on your fingers!

Sorry, I've been kinda swamped lately. I should be able to keep up more regularly now.

I really liked the description of the natives and the connection between the blue in their skin and the Blue. It sounds like a fascinating culture, especially with their unique perspective/connection to the Force, and I'm curious to see what happened six months ago that caused such a need for Laera and Silas to escape from the Sa'ari.

Laera's mental assault on Luke was pretty intense. I felt bad for Luke, but I'm glad that later on Laera acknowledged that Luke had to originally learn a lot about the Force and the Jedi on his own. She was fortunate to have the surrounding Jedi Order institution during her own training, including all their first-hand knowledge and experience and support, and Luke had no such opportunity and a higher learning curve. I hope she'll continue to help him work through the gaps in his knowledge/training and perceptions. It was interesting to see how she acted when she wasn't intimidated by Luke and his "legend", and it was also pretty telling about how complacent Luke was and how he might have been taking it for granted that other people would be intimidated and in awe of him. ......That made more sense in my head.


When we've done what we set out to do here on this world

Hmmm. I wonder what that is?


"Because I'm a Marine, Ben," Laera replied, her face an emotionless mask. "The only way I know how to bring about peace on this scale is through superior firepower."

Heh, I really liked these lines.

Great posts!

Your wish is my command, Thumper!




Chapter Six


Blue Light monastery, City of Tal'adin, six months earlier


The antique-style computer had been surprisingly easy to adapt to, with the exception of all the manual typing. It had taken me a few days at first to get used to the operating system, but the experience was worth it in the end. While Laera and the Eldarch had meditated together, or else exchanged bits and pieces of Sa'ari lore, HK-47 and I had developed a cordial, if somewhat cool, relationship. I was pretty sure that the blasted thing would have happily gutted me if it weren't for her direct order to "treat that Bothan as you would treat me, or I'll rip your limbs off and use them for a chair." This, at least, had made him stop calling me ?meatbag,? though the thought of being master to an assassin droid was not altogether pleasant.

When not exploring the T'lessian land-locked and two-dimensional version of the HoloNet in an effort to learn more about the planet and its people, I socialized with a number of the initiates and what they called "illuminated learners"?their term for Padawan, near as I could tell. Despite the fact that I was so different from anything they had ever known, what with being short, covered with fur, and Force-blind, everyone at the monastery was quite friendly. They were eager to hear tales of the outside galaxy and, in turn, were happy to inform me of various efforts being undertaken by different Sa'ari groups to develop spaceflight technology. By the time we'd gotten there the natives had already visited both moons, dubbed T'las and T'lec, and had set up an extensive network of communications satellites in orbit. The Tal'adin authorities had quickly salvaged the shuttle, and two months after our arrival, the entire planet was abuzz with the prospect of having efficient, low-cost and easy-to-produce "landspeeders" within the next couple of years.

HK-47 and I had also worked to decipher the native language, so that the droid could serve as a translator if the occasion warranted it; indeed, it was only through his help that I was able to browse the wider info-entertainment network to learn more about the native culture. Laera was learning by different means; apparently the Sa'ari could project information into a willing mind, provided the bond between the two is strong enough, and even then it's exhausting work?or so Laera claimed. There were instances when I wouldn't see either of them for a week at a time or more, and though the general environment was pleasant and most of my needs were attended to, being holed up in the monastery had begun to grate on me. On those occasions when we had time alone together, we mostly talked about our impressions of the Sa'ari. We wondered how they might integrate into the galaxy at large if someone else with a working hyperdrive happened along, or they developed FTL travel on their own. Occasionally we discussed our relationship, but we decided early on that we'd wait until rescue to undergo any formalities. That, of course, hadn't included denying ourselves the pleasure of each others' company.

Approximately eleven weeks after our arrival, we were finally permitted to roam the streets of Tal'adin, the largest city and seat of the planetary government. Accompanied by Eldarch Bellinega and two "lighters" (their equivalent of Jedi Knights?they generally work with local police on high-profile investigations or in delicate situations), Laera, the assassin droid and I walked one of the capital's vast indoor marketplaces. Laera wore a standard lighter's uniform?azure tunic and pants with maroon utility belt and cloak?which she'd been given not long after our arrival. I, on the other hand, had had to contend myself with walking about in my armor's black body glove until a tailor could figure out how to create clothing for someone who possessed more, but also less, in terms of biological equipment. Still, what they came up with was workable enough.

There was no hiding the fact that we were different as we strolled through the various />

Wow, talk about needing to get out of Dodge quick! And things seemed to be going so well at the delegates' assembly. The Eldarch's concern about the fear of her people just reared its ugly head, but I can see why the Sa'ari felt so threatened and afraid. That's a lot for them to deal with from their first aliens, especially with a prophecy surrounding it all.

I feel bad for Silas being the only non-Force-Sensitive on the planet, but that definitely became a huge benefit for him and Laera during the overnight Sa'ari planetwide Force-aided debate/discussion.

Interesting prophecy. I wonder how Silas (then) and Luke and Ben (at present) will react to it and interpret it.

Great work!

Way to go, Laera. It's one thing to want to promote change, but this... It shows how naive the Sa'ari are, though, as they were almost willing to just convert. brings to mind missionaries that would go to isolated tribes in the Amazon just to convert them. The ethical implications of such missions don't sit right with me, as everyone should be permitted to live how they wish, regardless of what they believe in. And for Laera to instigate such vast political change...

Tuffass should smack that woman upside the back of the head!

It was a goal of mine to establish an actual working culture for these new aliens, yes. It's the former (is there such a thing?) Trekkie in me...




Chapter Seven


T'lessia, Great Western Forest, present day


"Pelenora T'Yelc guided us through the catacombs of the monastery, which dated back to its original construction," the Bothan continued, having finished reciting the prophecy. "According to Eldarch Bellinega, this was four thousand years ago; as you can imagine, this still has us scratching our heads in wonderment."

"Indeed," Luke replied with a nod. "I haven't had much experience with temporal mechanics myself, but a few years ago a Jedi Knight named Jaden Korr encountered a Jedi Master from the time of the Great Hyperspace War. He had been aboard a Sith warship whose hyperdrive he had sabotaged; this resulted in the vessel and its entire crew being catapulted into the present era."

"Not to mention the rare instances when a starship's relativistic shielding simply fails," Laera put in. "I've only ever heard of one such incident, and that was just a twelve light-year jump."

The fire had been rekindled, and was now crackling merrily in the darkness as Silas finished his story. "In the second level a secret tunnel had been carved, with only the presiding Eldarch and her protégé ever knowing of its existence or seeing to its maintenance and security. As Sa'ari technology advanced and the city of Tal'adin grew, the tunnel was connected to the sewer system beyond the treatment plants, thus it was surprisingly clean. After several kilometers of running flat-out we finally reached the city limits, squirming through an outlet that led into a swift brook that ran just beyond the treeline of the Great Western Forest. That was where T'Yelc left us, as she had to report for duty within the hour.

"After that, it was a relatively simple matter of getting very lost very quickly, which we did by making our way deeper into the forest. The two of us spent at least a week wandering aimlessly before we found out why this region got its name; as winter descended, we chose to settle in one of the tuskwood trees. It was Laera's idea to carve out a home here, and we chose the largest and healthiest tree in the area to begin our work. Ten days later we had our home away from home, and we've been here ever since."

"I'm guessing that the constable who guided you was in fact Bellinega's student," Ben said, cocking an eye at the Bothan.

"We never found out for sure," Laera answered. "But yes, it does seem that way. In fact..."

"What is it?" Luke asked, noticing that the woman's eyes had gone vacant as her words trailed off.

"She's here," Laera replied in an undertone after a few moments of contemplative silence. "T'Yelc is one of the guards keeping an eye on your ship."

"How many others?" Silas asked at once, and all three Jedi closed their eyes.

"No more than two others," Laera said after a beat, then her voice became edged in durasteel. "And...I think they know T'Yelc. Luke, if we're going to take your ship back, we'll never have a better opportunity. If we wait any longer, they just might figure out how to get past that Force-lock of yours and we'll be stuck out here for the rest of our lives!"

"I agree," Silas growled. "The time for action is now."

Father and son exchanged glances while Laera and Silas retreated back to their den, pulling a heavy woolen curtain across the entrance. Ben was first to break the silence. "Well Dad, what do you think?"

"I'm thinking that Laera isn't quite sure if she can trust this Sa'ari she mentioned," Luke replied. "But I'm also fairly certain that she's willing to bet that T'Yelc is on her side."

"Well then, we'd better get ready to move out as well," Ben quipped.


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Fifteen minutes later, the party of four were snaking their way stealthily through the undergrowth surrounding the towering trunks of tuskwood. The fire had been extinguished through the simple (for Laera, anyway) task of using the Force to create an airtight barrie/>

caught up on the story and the fun with Daala. Great details

Oh dear, a war, too? Way to go, Laera. Tuffass would use the Clue-By-Four on you for that blunder. But, perhaps that blast to the noggin will straighten you out.

Can't wait to see how she gets out of this mess.

Ouch, a lot's happened in the cities while Laera and Silas have been in hiding. With half a million Sa'ari killed I doubt any offworlders will find much support from most of the natives.

I'm curious about the ship sensors. I wonder if the Sa'ari could have developed anti-sensor technology from Laera's shuttle, but that wouldn't explain the way Laera's shuttle's sensors worked when they first arrived.

Ruh roh, not good happenings with Pelenora. She can do a lot of damage. It'll be interesting to see how Laera and Luke treat this "poisoned well" after their earlier discussions on that topic.

Great post!