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It's going to be OK 4/8/22
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
Cheerie stood at the ramp of the Gungnir looking out at the vast Desert. Her heart was heavy with concern. It was more then enough to attract her Master's attention.
It wasn't cold but she still pulled her little cloak around her tightly.
She heard Durro’s foots, but felt his presence long before she heard his approach. It was a strange sensation, but one she was trying to learn to live with.
"Master," she said softly as he approach.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
"Cheerie." Durro responds cheerfully. "We're almost ready to leave, are you ready?"
He stops, seeing and feeling a general sense of her mood.
"Is something wrong?"
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
"Yes Master," she said but her voice and emotions betrayed her true feelings.
Her head slumped, "I" she said softly then paused as she moved her foot around under her. "Um, well, I, um we," she tried to get her words together.
"Last night, and yesterday," we were all excited to go. But now, some. Well all of us are scared," she admitted.
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
Durro squats down to be at eye-level.
"Alright, what's everyone afraid of?" He asks gently.
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
She frowned, "we you are the only aliens we have ever met. Well besides the ones who enslaved us. Even the woman who rescued us was of our people."
She didn’t look up as she continued, "i know its stupid but well, what if their not like you and more like those who enslaved us."
"Last night we all had another shared dream. It was of a little girl, she was my age. And they killed her. They celebrated her death,"
Cheerie's eyes were filled with tears as she looked up, "why do they do that? And how can you be sure their not like those who enslaved us? And Tesara is scared of them too cause they want to kill Astra. And....." her rapid fire questions only appear to continue.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
"Cheerie, calm down." Durro says softly, projecting a sense of calm as he speaks.
"Breath, just like we've taught you." He closes his eyes and models the meditative breaths.
"Remember what we've taught you; when you're calm, at peace, you can hear the Force whisper. What does it tell you about these people?"
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
She takes a step back and tries to calm down. "But how do you know," she said with a frown.
Cheerie fell silent and drew in a deep breath as she tried to calm down.
"There is something very dangerous here with us Master," Cheerie finally admitted. "We all sensed it during the night," she added.
Shaking her, as if to throw off the fear and sense of dread. "Master, is it true that they kill children?"
She gazed upon with pleading eyss, "this is what we were shown."
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
Durro sighs and looks her in her wide red eyes.
"Not as a regular practice." He says. "As you heard, during storms like the one yesterday insects called Stormriders 'choose' certain members of the population. They believe that those chosen can take messages to the life beyond this one. The stormriders can choose anyone, even a child. As far as I know, that is the only time they 'kill children'."
"It seems odd, even wrong to us. But it's what these people believe and we're not able to change it. Change is up to them. I know these people to be kind and hospitable. If we respect them, they'll respect us."
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
Cheerie frowned, "but they want to kill Astra." There was genuine concern in the little girl's voice. "Tesara said so. They had to escape the village or Astra would be killed!"
She moved to be closer to Durro, "what if they try to kill you Master?" She looked down again, "who will protect us from the slavers."
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
"Tesara was afraid." Durro says patiently. "That's OK, everybody is afraid sometimes. Bravery is doing what's right even when you're afraid."
"We can't let fear control us, we must instead control our fear. Maybe there is danger here. If there is, we'll face it together. We'll be afraid, but we'll do what we must anyway."
He smiles reassuringly and adds;
"Besides, nobody knows that Astra was 'chosen' except for offworlders. None of the villagers know. So Astra isn't in any immediate danger."
"Now come, breath a few more times for me. Feel your fear and anxiety, and let them go."
Durro models, guiding her in what to do.
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
She tries then frowns again, "but Tesara is brave and Astra is brave, but Handyman had me rush to go get them. And they were scared that Astra was going to be killed. If the Villagers didn’t know, why were they scared?"
She tries again to breath, nearly catching her breath. "And then there is that thing. That thing out there. Its dangerous, Master. I felt it in the Force. It was so powerful, so....."
She tried again to breath and let her fears subside. She just barely managed, "dangerous Master. What if it wants to hurt us?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
"Remember what I said; we all are afraid, and sometimes we forget to be brave. Tesara and Astra reacted out of fear, but Tesara is going with us so she's doing what's right even though she's afraid. Now she's acting brave."
"As for the thing in the storm:" he smiles at her and lowers his voice, like sharing a secret. "...I saw it, and talked to it. Yes, it's scary; it's ancient and powerful, older than anything I've ever seen before. I was afraid too, more than I've been in a while. But I talked to it and it means us no harm. In fact, it saved my life, once."
He smiles reassuringly.
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
It was in that moment @Durro Thel-Tanis knew what was driving this fear in Cheerie. Her lack of reaction to his statement told him that she too had seen it.
She looked down in guilt as she knew she had been caught. Her eyes welled up with tears, "i wanted to meditate with you. So I followed you, but then i saw it....and it saw me Master."
Her voice trembled, "i was so scared I...," she stuttered, "I can't remember when i had soiled myself before. I didn't mean to...."
"Its dangerous Master....." she nearly whispered. "I saw worlds burning under it...."
She started to sob, "i am sorry Master....but I can't find my brave knowing its out there and it knows me....." she fell silent as she just sobbed softly.
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
Durro reaches over and pulls Cheerie into a hug; holding her firmly against his chest. He projects calm and peace into the Force, hoping she feels it.
"Of course it's dangerous." He says softly. "Anything that old and powerful is. It's done things neither of us can imagine, seen things we can't comprehend. At the same time, it means us no harm. You're safe here, with us. Nobody here will let anything happen to you or the others."
He continues to hold her, comforting her.
"And of course you can meditate with me, anytime. All you have to do is ask."
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/08/2022
@Durro Thel-Tanis felt her arms coil around him as she buried her face within his robes. She opened up as her tears flowed.
For the first time since her liberation, Cheerie stopped being the strong one of the group. Instead, she finally just allowed herself to be a little girl. She cried harder, and Durro could feel her pains and fears washing over her.
She cried for the murder of her parents. She cried for her enslavement. She cried for her fellow Chiss slaves. She cried for all the times she refused to cry in front of the other girls.
Here in his arms, she felt the love of the father who was taken from her. She needed him now like never before.
She just cried.....
Durro Thel-Tanis — 04/08/2022
...and Durro lets her, just holding her for however long it takes until the crying subsides.
@TheTraveler
TheTraveler — 04/09/2022
Long after Cheerie stopped crying and after she had went to fetch the other, @Durro Thel-Tanis stood once more in the cargo hold of the Gungnir looking out to the vest desert. He had never been to Tatooine, but he had imagined this is what it would've looked like. For as far as the eyes could see, there was nothing but sand and the occasional rock out cropping.
Without warning, Durro’s mind felt a pull. Then the world around him changed as if he were bring pulled from the Gungnir its self.
Just beyond the sight, Durro’s mind saw the approach of Sand Skimmersike they had seen on Lanus of this universe. The craft were loaded with warriors and on a course for the Gungnir and beyond.
The markings were different than what he had seen at the village, and Durro could guess it was from another village.
Desert and rocks blew past as his mind steemed to travel the distance. Far beyond the distant mountains, his mind traveled. Hundreds of kilometers passed in a blink of an eyes, and yet the journey was laid out before him.
Through a vast sea of sand to a small rock island, and for the first time on this world Durro saw trees.
Lush green trees like on Lanus of his memories stood on this island in the middle of a desert ocean. Through the trees and to a light green lake, with a waterfall on the far side.
There a woman stood on the banks of the lake waiting for him.
One word formed in his mind, 'come'
Durro felt the invitation, and knew it was for him alone.
As his mind snapped back, and once more he was standing back in the cargo bay of tje Gungnir. Just over the horizon, he saw the craft approaching.
Image
The single word echoed in his mind, "come"
(/end)
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