Dathomir

[Bekka]

Bekka landed her ship and headed to the Raging River Tavern... she entered and ordered a drink... and asked to speak with someone named Kally... the girl came over with Bekka's drink and sat down... "I'm Kally, are you bekka...???"

 

Bekka nodded to the girl... "Zara invited me here... thought I would take her up on the offer... do you know how I find her... ???" Kally nodded and told her she would take her there... she finished her drink, and they headed out the door... they walked a long distance till they got to the village...

 

Kally showed her where Zara and her children were staying and she headed there... knocking on the door, she peeked her head in... "Helllllooooo, anyone home... ???? Figured I was in the neighborhood, and though I would just drop by and have you offer me some of that wonderful chocolate."

[Valeran]

I am Valeran, a Blademaster and ally to the Jedi.

[Locke_StarSpanker]

"Ahh, well then. I suppose that's good then. Why, if I may ask are you here? Did you lead me here or, I dunno, follow me here? Oh, maybe we can just leave it simple and say, 'The Force did it.' That usually works for me."

[Zara Nargal]

Zara had just finished feeding and changing the twins and placing them down to rest though the cheeky pair weren't asleep when a voice called out.

 

"In here Bekka."

 

Zara called out to her as she recognised who it was. She picked up Kalyani, bouncing her daughter lightly on her knee.

 

"And yes... I do have a supply of chocolate... need to keep my energy levels up with this pair."

 

She indicated the crib where Kane was waving his little arms around, and to her daughter.

 

"This is Kalyani and that's Kane..."

 

Both resembled each of their parents. Kane had more Zara's looks of grey eyes and blonde hair, where as Kalyani resembled her father more, with golden eyes and dark hair.

[Bekka]

Bekka looked at one child then the other... and gave Zara a smile... "their nice... what do you do with them... " Not having every had the children after their births, she was not exactly sure what you did with them...

 

She stood in the doorway for a moment... "Don't they have someone that cares for them...??"

[Zara Nargal]

"I had to get their Godfather and his wife to look after them when they were first born, while I had to go back to the Casino. I feared that Black Sun would take them from me. I don't have anyone to look after them, only here, the Clan Sisters babysit while I'm in lessons."

 

She looked down at Kane before glancing back at Bekka.

 

"Would you like to hold him? Or Kalyani?"

[Bekka]

Zara held out the young child to Bekka to see if she wanted to hold her, and Bekka unwittingly backed herself into a wall... "ouch... um... " holding her hands out waving them from side to side... "uh... no that's okay... I don't think so... I have never held a child before... and uh... don't think now is when I want to start ... I'll take a pass but thanks... "

[Zara Nargal]

"You're going to have to get used to it you know. With having one of your own on the way. And besides... I could do with a helping hand..."

 

She cradled Kalyani in her arms, glancing down at Kane before placing her daughter back in the crib beside her brother. She looked up at her Aunt, getting a silent nod that she would take care of her babies while she and Bekka caught up. Zara rose to her feet, indicating that they go outside. Rascal met them out the front door and Zara petted him, crouching down to look the big cat in his eyes.

 

"Rascal, this is Bekka. She'll be staying with us for a while."

 

She stood as the big cat let out a mrroow. She started walking towards the river's edge. One notable difference to Bekka was Zara's outfit. She wore the traditional garb of a warrior witch.

 

"Ronin still hadn't woken up when I got back to change ships and get Rascal. I checked in on him before I got my stuff. As I was leaving Sabian caught up with me at the hanger... How can things get so messed up. I really do love Ronin, I love him with all my heart..." A sad look crossed her face..."As I was leaving, shutting the hatch in his face... Sabian declared that he loved me... what a mess..." An exasparated sigh escaped her lips.

[Bekka]

Bekka face went blank as she realized that she really was going to have to do something with this child... There was no Ob there to take the child... almost in a daze she followed Zara out and met the cat... her thoughts of WHAT THE HELL SHE WAS GOING TO DO WITH A BABY... consuming her mind... she had no family... no friends save the woman she walked with that she just assisted in robbing blind... for the first time since she could remember she felt something... Fear... she had no clue as to what she would do with a child...

 

she only half heard what Zara was saying, but got the jist of it... the Jedi was in love with her... and Ronin was going to kill him... and she loved Ronin...

 

She grabbed Zara's arm... "Look, it all boils down to this... I am ultimately to blame... they were my pills... I'll take the blame... You were not at fault here... I'll talk to him... "

[Zara Nargal]

"I just can't help but feel guilty over it. I really hope Ronin and I can survive this. He's such a proud man, I'd hate to see our family broken up by it. And how was I suppose to know the Jedi had feelings for me in the first place? He was supposed to be my jedi teacher."

 

She didn't know if it would do any good with Bekka speaking to Ronin but she hoped that it might. As for Sabian, she'd avoid him and hope he realised that it wasn't love but lust from the pills. Otherwise she didn't know what she would do.

 

Her thoughts went to Bekka and her unborn child.

 

"Look, I can help you with your baby. You can learn how to look after them by helping with the twins if you like. That way you'll be used to babies by the time yours comes along. I've been just picking things up as I go along. I've not been around young babies before either... and I ended up with two!"

[Bekka]

Bekka patted her shoulder... "I'll talk to Ronin... I'll take full responsibility for it... but as for helping out with your kids... that is not going to help me Z... I am beyond help... I am no more capable of caring for an infant as I am to feel any kind of love for it or anyone else for that matter... hell, for feeling anything.. I, my dear, am incapable of giving this child what it will need... Love... "

 

She looked over her shoulder and her watched beeped again... something Zara noticed that happened regularly every 8 or so hours... she watched at bekka pulled out a bottle of water and a pill bottle and took what looked like a handful of pills...

[Zara Nargal]

"Can I ask what's with all the pills? Do you have some sort of medical condition or is this too personal. I don't mean to intrude."

 

Zara looked at her, wondering what the woman beside her had gone through to not feel anything.

 

"Surely you feel something. Didn't you feel anything when you were with your sith lover? I'd have thought that being with a strong force user would have done something to you, and he's a Sith Master isn't he?" Specially with what happened to me... I still don't understand how he could have latched onto my mind like that...

[Bekka]

Bekka looked up and kind of smirked, "Medical condition, yeah that'll work... I guess what Ob did to me constitutes a medical condition now." She sighed... and sat down on the ground by the river. "Zara, you have the force... go ahead and try to read me... "

 

Sh watched as Zara concentrated for a few minutes... finally Bekka toucher her wrist... "you can give up now... it's not that you need to concentrate anymore... it is cause there is nothing there for you to read... they are blocked... I make the perfect assassin... I can't be read by force users so I can get up to them and take out my targets... and I will never have an issue of getting emotionally attached to a target. Cause I feel nothing... no hate, no love, no saddness."

 

Bekka just sat there a moment and let that sink in, "Look it has it's high points... like what you are going through... I don't ahve the issue of guilt. A very long time ago, Ob Ordeena and Whyl the Hutt decided that I would make a good assassin... so they trained me in every aspect of it... hand to hand, sniper, knives, swords, you name it and I can use it... but there was this issue of being able to be read by force users... So Ob being the sick bastard that he is, wove DNA from Whyl the Hutt and himself into my brain, building up blocks. He also did some other fun stuff in there by playing around with my emotion receptors or what ever they are called... turning down the pain... blocking out normal emotions... "

 

Zara looked a bit shocked, but Bekka continued... "the sith... well, yes, that memory is one that I keep safely tucked away from the other parts of my brain. While I am human... I don't think my brain is anymore... at least not all of it. I finally after alot of research found a way to bring down those blocks, and feel something... and because he was a strong sith master, he was able to do it... but, it took a great deal of drugs... a hell of a lot stronger then what your Jedi took, and a really really strong Master in the force... and it almost killed me in doing it... so yeah... I think I'm gonna go with this rather then death. I spent three really great days with that sith... but he, is engage... and while I did feel while I was with him... I don't feel anything now."

 

Bekka pulled out the pill bottle and tossed it to Zara... "These... these are what keep my three different DNA's inside my head from closing in. It keeps the blocks up like they were intended, and I perfer the pills to the injections... Although I do need to take the pills much more often then the injections."

 

Bekka let that set in as she stood up and brushed off...

[Zara Nargal]

Zara stood, trying ever so hard not to pity the woman in front of her. Bekka didn't need pity, though it was hard not to be sorry that she wouldn't feel what it was like to love. What it was like to love a child especially.

 

"Is there no way to reverse what they did? Surely there would be some way?"

 

Zara dusted herself off, Rascal butting his head against her leg for attention. She petted the intelligent cat as he pushed at her to go towards one of the rock formations that surrounded this area of Dathomir.

[Bekka]

Bekka stood up and brushed herself off... "Well, I have been everywhere in this galaxy... and nope... no way to reverse it... so I am stuck with it... has it's good points... no one can read my mind... I don't feel much pain when getting shot... and I have an abundance of skills... "

 

Bekka stared at the cat and crossed her arms... "you know... it is not good to get attached to an animal... they will hinder you if someone tries to take it out... I would not let to many people know about that cat... to get to you, they may take the cat out... "

 

Looking around the little village... "so... what is there to do here... "

[Zara Nargal]

"I guess you have to look at the brightside of it."

 

As they approached the rocks, Zara again stopped to look down at Rascal.

 

"Your sith already knows. He did something to Rascal back at the Casino. Took me ages to convince him not to go after one of the droids. He made Rascal think that it was a tasty morsel or something. Your sith is cruel."

 

After petting Rascal again, she stepped out, letting him lead her to a small cavern in the rock formation.

 

"Rascal will be remaining with the twins, to guard them. Won't you boy"

 

Merrrreeeoooww... he responded affirmatively.

 

"Ok we're here. You may not be able to feel anything but I'm sure you can appreciate beauty when you see it."

 

She stepped inside the cave far enough for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She placed a hand on Bekka's arm to guide her around a dark corner of the passage way to where another cavern opened up. This one seemed to have it's own illuminate lighting. She dropped her hand and stepped forward.

 

"This is a cave I recall from my childhood. There are crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling of the cave that shine off the illuminum properties beneath the stream over there." She pointed to the far end of this cavern. "There are stories of creatures that used to swim here from deep in the core. Some of them had healing properties... somewhat like the Dashta from Ord Cestus. They told the witches of old about a fungi that created it's own lighting. It grows within this cave. I know you won't be able to feel the healing within this cavern, but I'm sure your child would."

 

Zara could feel the vibrations through the souls of her feet, the tingling sensation rising through her legs as it travelled up her body.

[Bekka]

Bekka followed Zara into the cavern, and she got a strange feeling... she dismissed it and continued in... as they emerged into the open cavern, with the glowing crystals, she started feeling very queezy...

 

She sat down and watched Zara for a bit... she didn't know what she was doing, but... Bekka was glad for the solitude... she needed to think out things... Of course the child would feel things... that is the difference with this spaw... pregnancy... this child would have the force like its father...

 

Bekka became very aware of something not quite right with her... and realized she was about to be ill... she got up quickly... probably a little to quickly... "I .. I ... ummm..." she never finish and bolted from the cavern... out side in the fresh air, she made it to the bushes outside and became violently ill... after what seemed like forever to Bekka, as the moments ticked away, she saw something... she could hear a voice... and she was no longer on Dathomir...

 

"Death, dear Jedi, is unstoppable and I am no foul beast, I am an abomination." The Jedi Knight's violet blade quickly erupted, immediately setting itself into a parry. With both blades aimed towards the ground the powerful Sith Master, let a sinister smile creep upon his expression. One of the spare blades hanging at his belt erupted to life and moved faster than Damon could counter, before John set himself upon Raziel, Damon's head was pinned to the second pillar, that he had clung to in defense, and his head began to slowly slip through the orange beam of light energy. The corpse that met Raziel and John on the ground carried a thick wound that cauterized itself closed where Damon's neck used to be, his head now resting into disfigured halves captured the expression of death beautifully.

 

She saw John... the battle that was raging on Coruscant, and he was there... she was still throwing up, and finally it passed and she just knelt there on all fours her head on the ground... "This is not a good sign..."

[Zara Nargal]

The vibrations continued to travel up her legs, her hands guided to the wall of the cave. She closed her eyes, breathing steadily until she saw through someone else's eyes. She was looking out of the visor of a pilots fighter helmet. Blue flames shot up in front of the fighter, a voice yelling "Pull up, pull up!.." She saw the fighter being landed in a hanger, the helmet being removed and a jostling sensation of someone striding purposely. The bridge of ship came into view, his voice saying, "..What happened to the Imperial fleet? Did we ambush them with another flagship I was unaware of?.." Confusion reigned, this time more chaotic with movements as he ran, leaping back into the fighter, explosions going off all around him...

 

Zara's eyes snapped open, her breathing short and sharp. She knew who she was seeing, but she had no idea why. Just as how she didn't know how she had known he was awake... She had seen a space battle that he was in... and wondered where it was.

 

She shook her head, trying to clear it, aware now that Bekka wasn't in the cave. Rascal was looking in the direction of the cave exit. She could hear the sound of wretching and broke into a sprint, running outside to where Bekka was kneeling at the bushes.

 

"You ok?"

 

She caught her breath, discovering that her hands were shaking as she reached out to rub Bekka's back. She needed to regain her breath... for more than one reason...

[Bekka]

Bekka kept her head on the rock and just turned to look up at Zara... "oh, I'm just dandy... " She took a few deep breaths, and sat up and leaned her back agaisn't the rocks. Pulling her knees up to her chest, and put her head in her hands... "you ever see something that has nothing to do with you...?"

 

she knew something was wrong, she had seen John, fighting... killing... not that killing bothered her much... considering it was her profession... but she really should not be seeing his kills...

[Zara Nargal]

Her mind still on what she had seen in the cave, Zara responded, half dazed,

 

"Yeah... like through someone else's eyes. Just now and it's never happened before."

 

She felt she would have to find out why she was seeing these things about the Jedi... it was almost as if she were linked to him, as she was beginning to be with Rascal. She kept rubbing Bekka's back, trying to make her feel at least alittle better.

 

"One of the witches inside have a spell for healing. It might help with your morning sickness."

[Bekka]

Lifting her head, she looked at Zara with pain in her eyes... "This child is his... Skywalker's... it is like him. I can't explain it. I feel him inside me and I can see him, what he is doing... How is that possible...????"

 

She sighed... "Zara, I feel nothing for this child, and other then a memory of what happened, like a picture I can look at... I feel nothing for Skywalker either... "

[Zara Nargal]

"Maybe you can feel something though... if it is effecting you like this."

 

From what Bekka had told her, it just didn't make alot of sense that she wouldn't be feeling anything... she still felt the child's presence, and felt a link of sorts to the father of the child.

 

"Can you stand? No? Ok just stay here a moment." She turned to the big cat, concentrating into his eyes, "Rascal, go get my tutor for me... she'll know the spell that's needed."

 

The big cat made a noise suggesting compliance before he turned and padded off to the village proper, seeking out the witch that had been teaching Zara the magic spells.

 

"Won't be long now... we'll get you some help for that nausea."

[Bekka]

Staring at her Bekka smirked... "Zara you misunderstand me, yes I can feel the child in me... but I have no feelings for it... I don't love it... I don't hate it either... it is just there... It is not that I don't feel the child... I just don't care either way... "

 

Bekka started to feel ill again, and after a few moments of trying to have it pass, she couldn't control it and quickly turned away from Zara, and once again became violently ill again... flashes of John wielding his lightsaber with an evil smile on his face... walking through a temple... then it was gone, and she sat up again and rested her head in her hands... "Okay Zara, I'll try your witch remedy... I'll try anything... just make this stop... "

 

She took some deep breaths and cleared her head... "He is on Coruscant... he is fighting the Jedi... I think he is enjoying himself actually... not that I can what he is doing... a part of me actually wishes I was doing the same... my issue is why am I seeing this... I have no force... and the getting sick part is not all that flattering either... is it possible that a child can be connected to its father this early...?"

[Zara Nargal]

"I was just thinking that maybe it is starting to break through whatever Ob did to you is all. You might not 'feel' it yet, but maybe your child is trying to break what they did so you can... they have a habit of cutting through barriers and touching their mothers. You may not have the force but your child obviously does. I guess it is possible it has a connection to it's father. My twins seemed to know when their father was around me, they'd get into a game of 'kick poor mummy' when he was near, especially just before they were born. That was part of the reason I didn't go to Black Sun's meeting along with Ronin. I'm glad I didn't - it was a trap and I would have fallen right into it had I of gone."

 

Although she'd only gone through one pregnancy, Zara had felt amazed at the awareness of her twins. That they were force sensitive must have been why she had felt the way she had...

 

"Coruscant... fighting Jedi? That must be where Sabian is then. I saw him in a space battle. More and more I'm thinking I am connected to him through the force. I shouldn't be able to see him, nor should I have known he was awake when I left the Casino to go to Corellia. I... think he might of done something... I know that, while I still have the bruises, all the open wounds, cuts and burns were healed when I woke."

[Valeran]

You'll find out eventually, in the meantime. follow me and carry this.

 

*Valeran draws his Caelestum and brings down a nearby tree.*

[Locke_StarSpanker]

Locke's eyes turned pale as he rotated to face the mammoth tree. It was fully a yard thick, and coming down on top of his head. His hands flew up into the air, trying to stop the tree from crushing him to death. His hands hit the hard bark of the tree, his shoulders popping loudly and a hairline fracture running down the length of his tibia. The force cushioned the blow, but it ravaged his body regardless. Locke turned his to see Valeran's back turned, already a few paces ahead of him.

 

"You could have just picked a tree closer to whatever the hell it is you need this for!"

 

Locke's arms quivered as he slowly turned around, reasoning that this would easier if he drug it rather than trying to push it along. Sweat streamed down his face as the lean muscle struggled to carry the obscenely heavy tree. He raised his right foot up slowly, putting it down on the ground with a searing pain, realizing now the damage done to his bones.

 

"The hell did this happen? One minute I'm in the woods looking for answers the next I'm the lumber slut for that one guy who was known for rectally darksabering Sith..."

 

Locke paused, taking a second step.

 

"No... That was Crimson Morpheus..."

 

He stepped forward again, wincing with pain as his bum leg dug into the cold mud. He leaned on the force heavily, knowing that somebody untrained in the force with his build would split in two at the spine, eventually dieing an excruciatingly painful death as the blood trickled out of his severed upper half, clenched so as to slow the process by the massive tree.

 

"I always get the crap work... At least Kirana didn't make me the lumber slut. Now that was a nice job... Sexretary..."

 

Another step, and for it Valeran had made three. Keeping up seemed impossible, but being able to use the force to keep tabs on the blademaster kept him from getting left behind totally.

 

"I bet this was his plan. He's probably just a force user who needed cheap labor so he sent out this ripple, knowing that I'd follow, and the next thing I know I'm building a damn house for him..."

 

Locke trudged on, an unceasing stream of complaints and cynical jokes flowing from his mouth for no other reason than to amuse himself. He didn't know where Valeran was heading, but he hoped like hell that it was nearby.

[Bekka]

Bekka smiled at Zara... "It is unlikely, since my emotions are nill... but I guess we could hope... and Yup they are on Coruscant... must be another bid for power.... kind of glad I stay on the winning side no matter what... "

[Zara Nargal]

Zara cursed her absent mindedness She should have realised that Sabian was in that particular battle. The battle had been just beginning when she had picked up the Twins and taken them off planet.

 

"Yes we can hope your emotions will be returned. It didn't click that I would see that battle from his view. The battle was just beginning when I picked up the twins. I hope our warehouse survives. It survived the shield collapse. I'd hate for it to get destroyed now. We've a great restuarant at the very top - great views of the city scape... that is if there is much to see after this latest round"

 

Her tutor arrived then, making Zara pay close attention to what she said and did when she performed the song of power healing spell on Bekka. She turned to Zara, explaining before she performed it.

 

"A witch who uses this song successfully is able to heal wounds and illnesses at half the time it would take normally. Also it can Stop pain in others and self; Awaken from unconsciousness; Stop bleeding; Close up wounds; Give strength or part of life force to the wounded."

 

Zara listened carefully to the song, her tutor encouraging her to join in. The words appeared in her mind and she began to sing it with the other witch...

[Xen-Que Poleb]

A man walked up to Locke and Valeran, someone Valeran had not seen in a long time. Too long.

 

Hello, Valeran. Good to see you back out in the universe. How are the Blademasters doing?

[Valeran]

*After a mile of listening to Locke whine like a little school girl, the two came to a clearing.*

 

You can put that down now, Locke. Fresh meat for the grinder my old friend, looks like we need it given your overwhelming blueness.