The War Is Over…
KP Kordath Bleu d’Tana

The Tipsy Rancor was winding down for the night as the patrons began stumbling to their homes or barracks for the evening. In a few scant hours daylight would be breaking through the dusty windows at the front of the cantina, and many would regret this night’s festivities. But for now a few stalwart, dedicated alcoholics remained within their temple of bad decisions. Service droids were already picking through the debris of empty glasses and nut bowls while a trio of Arconans sat with their drinks.

A bottle sat in the center of the small, round table. Upon the label in Aubresh it proclaimed itself to be ‘the finest spirits this side of the Core’, though it didn’t state which side of the Core that was. The amber liquid within was past the halfway point, and it was obvious from looking at the three who sat around it, where it’d gone. Bits of shells from nuts and the occasional burn mark from a missed ashing attempt littered the table top, accompanied by three sets of glasses.

Nearest to the bar sat a Human, his somber expression marred slightly by the glazed look in his eyes. The lone Obelisk of the trio lifted his shot glass to the two Krath sitting with him, who lifted theirs in silent acknowledgement, before they all drank. To his left, the Ryn poured a fresh round, while the Miraluka woman sipped a beer to wash down the taste of whiskey. For the barkeep working that night it had been an unsettling evening, watching these three. He was happy that many of the Arconan’s that had gone to Korriban had come back alive, they were good customers.

And these three were some of his best, and usually raunchiest and uncouth. But they appreciated his work and tipped well; they also rarely caused any actual trouble. The number of fights he’d watched the Miraluka and Ryn break up by ordering drinks for the would be brawlers had also saved him a lot on damages over the last two years. It was worrying, watching the two of them, and their Obelisk companion, drink in silence all night. He watched as they did another mute toast, knocking back the whiskey and filling up the glasses once more.

Laying next to the Miraluka’s beer was a datapad, screen turned on still but for the most part untouched. Earlier the three had passed it around, marking names off of the list on display. This too had been done in silence, and strangely in sobriety. Only after the datapad had been put down had the Ryn approached the bar and quietly place an order for the table. A bottle of whiskey, three beers and glasses, and the gentle suggestion that the Lady at the table would prefer these things keep coming.

The barkeep hadn’t argued, he knew better and he could tell how battered the group was emotionally. Besides, the Miraluka was starting a new job tomorrow, and he wanted to stay in her good graces when she took the Throne. He didn’t bother them as they filed out, hours past closing time. The Miraluka paused at the door, hugging the Ryn and the Human before they headed off to the quarters Galeres had on world, and she turned towards the Citadel.

When he cleaned their table he found the datapad still there, and found the list of names that they’d been crossing off. He grimaced, placing it behind the bar. They probably would be back for that, someday.

--Fin

New Tython
Menat Ombo
Visulu Marketplace

There was no better place for Droveth to find peace on this entire planet than in the Visulu Marketplace. The padawan was seated atop a warehouse, deep in a meditative state. His mind drifted slowly out of the trance as he heard the sound of laughter. Droveth opened his eyes and drank in the warmth of the midday sun. This building was where he found tranquility, but what it contained he had no idea. At one point it was a fish market, before that it was a brewery. The owners had always seemed happy to have a Jedi around, even if he was just going up the to roof. They never bothered him, always left him in peace.

The bustle of the marketplace reminded the young Consular of home. He often daydreamed about his days on Talus, running through the city delivering food as a boy. Before the conflicts he daydreamed to remind himself where he came from, so he would never forget. Now it was so he could forget the horrors he had seen. Droveth laid down on the rooftop and stared into the sky, watching a shuttle etch a line through the clouds.

Although he had not seen much actual combat during the battles on Korriban, the Disciples had been a heavy presence after they ended. It was their duty to assist in the healing process, the help care for the wounded and remove the dead. Droveth was not a healer, but he had done his part. Over seven hours of constant movement, carrying the dead to their graves or to caskets to send them home. He collected lost limbs and returned them to their owners, alive or otherwise. The jedi had ensured that everyone found peace, including the fallen Sith. When he finally boarded the shuttle to leave, the Consular stripped from his bloodsoaked, muddy robes and cried.

The memories flooded back into his mind, but he did not stop them. They were part of him now, part of what fueled his desire for peace. No people, evil or not, should see death on that magnitude. More laughter broke the silence, and he opened his eyes to see the sun was now setting.

“I must have fallen asleep...” Droveth sighed, pulling himself to his feet and brushing off the sand. The marketplace was still alive with business, and the torches were just beginning to be lit. He climbed down from the roof and made his way slowly through the streets, stopping to talk with a few of the locals he had befriended. Now was the time to go and train, to better himself so he could help more the next time.

‘There will always be a next time,’ Droveth thought to himself, ‘if there wasn’t, well, nobody would need the Jedi.’ He climbed onto the shuttle and entered in the coordinates for the Arca Praxeum. He watched through the window as he flew over the city, looking down over the braziers illuminating the night sky.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Eh2AAV3yKMUSocVQdLMweXFWsjlLMzP8V0JHL25zxs/edit?usp=sharing

Dance floors all over the galaxy hummed and throbbed with bass and stomping feet. Drugs pumped through billions of veins, through millions of beings as water coursed through billions of rivers on millions of planets. Bodies mingled together in lust and fury. People everywhere were fighting, dancing or fornicating, and for once K’tana was neither participating in, nor thinking about any of it.

The Twi’lek sat perfectly still watching the trees, palms up on her lotus positioned legs. The black coal she used to line her eyes made her appear to be asleep to anything that happened to be watching. In reality here lids were open, if only slightly and she was keeping a focus gaze upon the low brushes on the forest. The illusion was brought full circle by her slow breathing and absolute stillness.

Occasionally her pupils darted towards something moving in the brush, but her otherwise still body didn't flinch. She waited in perfect silence until her prey finally came close enough for her to touch. Yet, she stayed still. Her eyes trained upon the creature, a wisp of a smile played at the corners of her cheeks as the little animal crawled into her open palms.

Slowly, with steady hands and no sudden movement, the Twi’lek curled her fingers to brush the small creatures fur as it stuffed seeds from her palms into its cheeks. She’d been sitting in the Felurigade for several hours, unmoving and watching this particular furry creature. It’s bushy tail flipped about anxiously as it ate.

Larger beings, too terrified and arrogant had passed her by with unnerved looks and haughty disdain, but this little beast was more curious than afraid. She had wordlessly convinced him to come sniff her several hours ago. Unfortunately, she had moved too abruptly in excitement to touch his soft looking fur and scared it back several feet.This time she managed to convince it that she was no danger to him and he agreed to give her another chance.

The creature’s fur was more coarse than K’tana had thought it would be, and yet was still pleasing to her fingertips. She felt him flinch, both physically and mentally, not use to a larger creature grazing his fur gently with their appendages. The Twi’lek felt his discomfort and uncurled her fingers to keep him from bolting again. He immediately relaxed and the Krath Priestess began sending him thoughts of safety, comfort and contentment.

As the little being began to curl up in her lap, the Tyrian woman began to hum softly to it, then sang. Slowly letting it get use to hearing the sound of her voice as he slept. He slept deeper than he ever had, having dreams of safety and companionship.

The Twi’lek smirked at how easy it was to mellow this little Space Squirrel and stood up, holding him safely in her hands. She began her short hike closer to the edge of the forest. She could hear the small flock of Kiros and Panna birds after a few minutes. She felt the other Space Squirrels she’d made a companionship with nearby, curiously following her along the tree branches.

In all the time she’d spent on Selen, she’d only discovered the Felurigade about a week ago. She’d been avoiding going back to Qel-Droma, back to the people who spoke humorless, underhanded words. She wanted to spend time exploring the world on which she’d lived for two years, a world that she had yet to experience outside the cities and Academy.

During the ceremonious celebrations the first day back, after all the political crap which was, for the most part, too high above her pay-grade to give a frak about, she quickly crept away. Subterfuge and stealth weren't her thing, especially when there was a Kowakian monkey-lizard gibbering on her shoulder, but she knew that so long as she made no eye-contact with those she was acquainted with, she could get out without causing any fuss. Still, she’d waited until the promotion ceremony, when all eyes were on the new Knights, to slip out a hallway.

Turning to look over her shoulder she only saw one person not watching the performance. His Huk mask was turned towards her, crimson eyes glinting behind it. She gave a quick nod of acknowledgement and put a finger to her lips with a wink before walking out the door. She hoped it got the point across as she wandered aimlessly for hours. She enjoyed the company of Liera’s gibbering and showing her, for the millionth time, how not to hold a dagger.

How she ended up in the hidden forest became a blur. One minute she swore she was in the city, the next she was turning down an alley she’d never seen. She crawled through a duct in the wall, went tumbling and landed on her feet on, what she temporarily thought was, a whole new world. Colorful birds and strange creatures watched her arrive, scattering into the brush to watch her from a safe distance.

She’d only gone back into the city once since then, to grab a bag of supplies, and felt no need or rush to get back to her House or Clan. She knew, better than any, that they would manage without her. Although, thinking back on it, she probably should have told Celevon. They’d known each other a while and he was her new Aedile, not that she ever heeded the rule of making sure her superiors knew where she was at all times. If they really wanted or needed to know, she was sure they could find her at will.

She finally reached the clearing she’d been heading to, and almost walking into a sleeping Eopie that had rolled onto its back, directly into her path. She smiled down at the snouted creature, and pat it’s belly before passing it by. It sorted in content as it wiggled deeper into the moss beneath it’s taut skin.

Above her a brightly colored Kiros bird sang to her. The Twi’lek had no idea how this species even got to this planet, let alone into a hidden forest, but she assumed they’d been brought here to be sold as pets, then escaped their captors. They were sweet, curious and gentle creatures. They were the easiest to tame.

The Eopie, being beasts-of-burden, were a little more difficult as they were stubborn creatures, but the particular herd she’d found had obviously been previously domesticated and knew she was a source of food. They came and took pieces of Freen-Fruit from her hands within the hour she’d found them.

The Space Squirrels had been the hardest to convince because of two things. One, they are already very sketchy and skittish creatures. The second reason was that Liera kept trying to catch and eat them. According to K’tana’s little friend, they were very familiar to a particular type of rodent that was a favorite to the monkey-lizards. K’tana managed to coax Liera into staying with the Eopies, who the dusty-lilac creature had a strange fondness for, while the Twi’lek went deeper into the trees.

It took the Krath Priestess two whole days before the first Space Squirrel to come take food from her hands. The next one took a full day. Several more, a mother and her pups came within a few hours the day after. But this one, smaller than the rest of the adults she’d seen and a burned red color, was the one she’d originally wanted to befriend. He was clever, fast and the most cautious. He’d watched her from the minute she entered the forest, she wasn’t sure why she knew that, but she did.

Yet, he was no more of a challenge then the second one she’d caught. She brought him to the glade where the other squirrels and Kiros birds had formed a perimeter around the area. A bedroll and small fire-pit were laying in the small clearing, where the Twi’lek had been spending her nights. A few times since she’d been sleeping in the forest, some large predator the she never saw, would alert the smaller animals, causing them to chirp, squeak and squeal their alarms, waking her.

This night was to be different. As she placed the little Space Squirrel on an Eopie that was walking by, she took in the remains of her supplies in the camp. She was running low on water and rations. Most of the rations had been pilfered by the birds and rodents on the first day, but she’d managed to make what was left last through until today.

Heaving a sigh and gazing around to find Liera, the Twi’lek abruptly stopped. The animals had gone suddenly silent. She jumped up the nearest tree and peered into the thicker forest, towards where the Eopies and Space Squirrels were looking so intently.

Walking silently over a well tread trail was a man. He walked as though a funeral procession shadowed him, yet he was alone. A pale form lay limp in his arms and his bowed head made it hard for K’tana to figure out who, and what, she was looking at. Then she saw them.

Leith, sleek forms stalked the man, keeping a tight semi circle around him as he walked, he was seemingly unaware. She leaped to an adjacent tree, slipping slightly and scrambling to the other side, peering around the trunk to see the man had stopped. The large predators began closing in as she saw the man’s piercing blue eyes glare over his shoulder at the tree she hid in.

As he turned, one of the rage fueled Cythraul leapt at him.

The Twi’lek flew down from the tree, rolled and landed at the man’s feet, her lightsaber ignited as the beast flew at the man. As it came to meet her blade, she felt herself get pushed to the side. She disengaged her blade as she rolled away, and spun, reigniting it. She glared over at the dark haired man, whose outstretched arm inclined that she stay back.

Marick knelt down, placing his limp friend on the ground between him and the larger male wolf. The creature sniffed Kira and growled at the former Shadow Lord. The Twi’lek stood in silence, shutting down her lightsaber and taking a step back. She could feel the other Cythraul pacing around them, could sense the other animals watching with baited breath, she just stared at the white corpse on the ground.

She heard a deep growl from behind her, and felt an overwhelming sense of threat coming from the creature. She slowly knelt down, placing her lightsaber on the mossy ground just in arms reach. She lowered her head, feeling the beast behind her sit down, it’s angry glare on her back as she took in a deep, calming breath and let her mind drift to the creature. She exuded a calming wave of empathy and the Cythraul calmed, slightly.

The Twi’lek watched the exchange of the Alpha male and the former Consul, while keeping her mind open and on all the broken hearted animals around her. A sense of sadness crept over her as she watched the Alpha sniff his daughter and let out a sad whine. K’tana watched as Marick lowered his head and the Alpha grasped Kira’s scruff, giving the Hapan one last glare as the giant wolf dragged the corpse away, his pack slowly following.

Time slowed as she waited for the animals to leave, no trace of their presence remained when the man stood. K’tana stayed on her knees as he turned to leave.

She waited until he was several feet away before she opened her mouth to speak.

“I will stay here and protect this place, with your permission Lord Consul.” she said softly, not raising her eyes to his back.

“I’m not your Lord, nor your Consul.” his even voice said in hardly a whisper, “Do as you wish.”

She turned to watch him leave, but he’d already cloaked himself in shadows and was gone.

She looked towards the trees, where the last Cythraul had been seen and inclined her head in respect for the creatures. Liera suddenly dropped from a tree branch onto the Twi’lek’s shoulder and nuzzled against her Mistress’ tear stained face. K’tana’s green eyed gaze flicked over to her companion before she reached up and pulled the monkey-lizard to her chest.

The little Kowakian struggled for a moment, before resting her head on K’tana’s shoulder and heaving a sigh. They shared each others sadness and empathy for a moment before the Krath Priestess, renewed in her focus, bent down and grasped her lightsaber.

The noise of the forest fell on deaf ears as the purple woman sauntered back to the glade. She sat herself on her bedroll, wiping her face as Liera clung to her neck, several animals around went back to their perimeter as a Eopie came a lay next to her. She crossed her legs and decided to go back to the city and claim the rest of her things the next day. Today she would fast and meditate.

Tomorrow she would make her home in the hidden forest.