The Jedi Civil War (Book 3)

[Akirapryde]

Seeing the Light
Lejár Az Idő Kerület
Eredet

Ilona walked along side Visst as her people cleaned up the Great Hall after the feast in his honor. Sure it was said that the feast was meant for all of the visitors. However it was clear by the number of locals who came to his table to greet him and thank him for returning Nezial's body, that he was the man of the hour. Everyone in the village worked to clean up the Hall and make it ready for the nightly celebration. Looking at Visst she nodded, “It is the season of the Ushare.” The word had no meaning in basic, it was a simple animal that was more closely linked to a mouse or rat than anything else. However it was highly venomous, clever and fast. “The Spirits tell us that this season, we will see great changes in us and in our views of our world. Our faith will be challenged and shown to be true.” She explained with pride while they slowly moved on.

Noting a group of her people working alone she motioned at them, “They are of the Clan Sand Raptor” she calmly said. It was clear that the rest of the community had mixed feelings about them. “Their crimes have been paid in blood as per our laws, for but many of our people still remember the tails of the war that they brought against those who Judge and the rest of our people” she explained she waited a moment before continuing, “In time, those memories will be replaced by their hard work for the community.” She motioned for Visst to stop to allow a group of workers to move a wall and add some tables. Visst watched them carefully while the three men and one woman used the force to lower the wall till it was gone and bring up a set of tables. It was something that he respected in their abilities to mold the elements to their will. “I know that they will make a place once more for themselves. They have always been a strong clan and one day they will be strong again.”

Visst nodded as she talked, “I don't understand something. When I was last here, it was only a year ago. You were only a child then, now you have a child of your own.” He inquired as they resumed walking. He was referring to the fact that when they came to Origin for the first time. She seemed no older then fifteen or at the oldest sixteen. Now, on their return, that young Princess has grown in to a lovely mature Queen with a husband and daughter of her own.

She paused to look at him for a moment, “It has been fifteen seasons since you and your friends took Nezial with you in your metal flying house. Your return was on the very day the One who Judges said it would be. Don't you remember that day?” she said speaking of the day they stood before the Great Pyramid, “I remember that day like it was yesterday. The One who Judges laid his hand upon Nezial's head then looked at you and said that you would return in fifteen seasons” she explained softly then turned back as she continued to walk Visst out of the Great Hall, “no one ever doubted you or Nezial. We knew that you two would return. As for what you say about this thing called 'year', maybe in your language year means fifteen seasons” she pondered. There was many things that Visst and her tried to over come between the language barrier. There were so many words in Basic that held no meaning in her language.

Visst looked at her, “this does not explain how you have aged and yet Nezial did not.” He pondered the issue of time and this world. There was something that was missing from his understanding and it puzzled him.

“Imagine how we feel” she said softly turning him once more, “When you left I was but a young girl. Four seasons Nezial's junior, I was there to watch her climb the steps of the Temple of White.” She paused a moment and pointed to Laci, “He is our oldest. Next season will be his one thousand seasons walking with us.” She paused seeing that she was not helping him understand. She shook her head and continued walking.

Visst only shook his head as they walked away through the village in to the night. The air on Eredet has always so dry and arid. The world was in fact a large dessert word with only a few pockets of vegetation. The night was chilled by the winds that came in from the deserts. Many of her people were finishing up last minute task before the night turned to the celebration. She remained silent as they walked. Visst could hear the voices of the spirits talking to him. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of voices all echoing in his mind. It was overwhelming for him, and she could tell. “Nezial showed you how to hear the Spirits” she asked and he nodded. “She was gifted like no other when it came to the Spirits. They talked to her all the time about things that were too dark and forbidden for many of us to understand.”

Her eyes were so soft in the moon light as she slowly turned her head to him “when you try to listen to them, feel with your heart. Just focus with your heart on one of the voices” she explained softly as she came to a stop in the center of a small foot bridge. The stream that ran under them made a soft sound as the water flowed over the small stones that lined the bed and shore line. She placed her right hand on his heart carefully and smiled as her gaze met his, “My favorite Spirit is Ne'ma” she said softly as her touch brought comfort to his mind. Slowly he could hear some of the voices drift to the back ground. It was by no easy feat though, he could feel his mind and body struggling to control all of the voices in his mind. The task was daunting on him even with her help. She continued to ease some of the voices while she explained, “Ne'ma is my Great Great Grand Mother.” she smiled broadly “There, can you hear her singing?”

Visst closed his eyes in an effort to focus harder on listening. He could hear the voice of a woman gently singing to him. The sound was comforting on his mind but as he pushed harder to hear it the more painful it became to hold on to it. He tried harder to focus his efforts but there were simply too many voices to channel out. “I know its hard. But in time you will master this task. Ne'ma would tell me, 'you can not move a mountain in one day little one'” she said with a smile removing her hand from his chest as he let go of the effort. She turned to look at the night sky, “I remember my first time I took to the skies. Ne'ma was there with me guiding me with her own winds. Oh I was so scared and excited at the same time.” She said with a glimmer in her eyes that matched the bright stars of the nebula that encircled the world they were on.

The night sky was truly remarkable to behold. Due to the three different types of stars within the same system and the nature of the atmosphere, the night sky light up with large wavy rainbows. The show was spectacular and covered the entire night sky. With each passing wind the lights danced across the night sky. Beyond the dancing lights, the nebula added its own colors to the sky. The lights of the nebula were of violent clashes of gases and gravity wells. From here, those clashes seemed more lovely than violent. Visst knew that many would say that such a world could never exist in such a location, let alone hold life there. Yet here he was on that very world, speaking to a local who was born and raised on this world. She remand silent as she looked up in to the lights of the night. “Do they have such things where you come from” she asked as her smile faded.

Watching the lights dancing across the night sky before him was a lovely sight to behold and a special phenomenon. However, he had read about such similar things on other worlds. Not nearly as intense or wide spread as what he was seeing now. “There are some. But I have never seen any like this before” he answered in his own soft and simple voice. He was still recovering from his attempt to hear the Spirits more clearly. The drain on him was clearly intense and took most of his energy. It made him weak and fatigued more than he had first believed. He knew he should be more careful next time.

“Sometimes, I do wish to see other words. But Ne'ma warns me that outside our realm is much pain and suffering.” She turned to him with a sad look in her eyes, “I spoke with a Spirit last season. He was a strange Spirit, angry and yet sad at the same time. He would tell me that he made many mistakes and he didn't like what, um, he said, um, the brotherhood? Sorority? Sect?” she paused trying to put her words together “He spoke strange words like your friends do. But he was saying he didn't like what was happening.” She paused once more as she turned to lean on the handrail of the bridge. Looking down in to the water. She waved her hand softly causing the water to slowly raise up from the stream. Carefully she played and toyed with the small tail of water just below her hand. “We have not seen war or suffering in more seasons than the oldest member of our community can remember” she said softly. There was a point to what she was getting at and Visst could tell. She was just having a problem speaking about it. Slowly she continued to play with the water in midair. She moving her hand so slightly causing the water to react to her. She motioned carefully with her hand upward and drew up the rest of the tail along with a small fish in to the air and formed the water in to a small little ball around the fish. The fish swam around inside the ball of water almost playfully.

“The only war we ever knew about, was that between the Sand Raptors and Those who Judge” she continued looking down at her little fish in the ball of water. “Ne'ma told me many moons before, that after you leave, a great metal sky house will come. It will carry in it, a woman of great anger and darkness. She will make war here on us and many will suffer because of her war. Ne'ma said that she is looking for something that is not here. But she will not believe it is not here. For this anger woman, she must find this thing that she is seeking. She will not leave our world and neither will many of those that come with her.” Her eyes never left the fish as it swam about while she spoke. “So many of my people will suffer at her hands” she said with great sadness in her voice as she motioned her hand lower. The ball of water slowly lowered in to the stream and the fish swam on through the stream. Her thoughts drifted away in that moment and beyond the bridge they were standing on. Visst couldn't help but wonder if she was listening to the Spirits while her mind was in such a moment of deep thought. She finally broke her silence, “I fear for my people, Visst” her voice was dripping with sadness and echoed the pain of her heart. “Why has the suffering from your world come to ours?”

Later that night, the villagers along with the Heroes from the Sky, gathered in the Great Hall. The hall has been transformed from a place of eating to a place of entertainment. A stage now lines the norther most wall. From this point the hall expands outwardly and spreads out. The ceiling also pitches upward. All this to allow for the best possible sound to carry through the hall. The Queen's husband looked over every detail right down to the placing of the Heroes' seats. He made sure that they had the best seats in the hall for the night's entertainment. Just as the first acts were getting underway, a pair of youths were given the honor of serving the Heroes wine and bread.

The first to entertain the Heroes was a man who read the most moving of poems. It was powerful and touching on levels that Visst was clearly moved by the words of the man's poem. He tried to translate what was said and how it was to show how everyone on this world looks up to the heroes but the feelings of the poem could not be translated. In the end he just gave up and enjoyed the next performance by a group of three young men and a young woman. They preformed a piece called “Daz” It was a mix of powerful movements of the elements with the heavy guided influence of chaos. Gusts of wind ran up and down the hall while snakes of water enter mixed with it. Plums of fire rocked out of the torches at the sounds of thunderous rock movement. The entire space above the audience was used for the piece and gave everyone the feeling of being in the center of a completely chaotic moment. It was a awesome show of control at the hands of the young students of a local master. There was not a single person left seated when the piece was over. Everyone stood and cheered once it was over.

The stage now cleared for the main show. It was Mia's turn to show her peoples praise to the Heroes from the Sky. She sadly watched as a water spirit pulled up several thin strains of water and tuned them to the sound he wanted. Mia turned to see a wind spirit doing the same thing. She closed her eyes and so much wanted to be normal like them. Her eyes slowly opened as her head slowly toward to gaze upon her mother. One of the most powerful spirit talkers known. Mia just wanted to be normal. Not more or less than anyone else, she closed her eyes softly and took a moment to pause. Taking in a deep breath she still was not sure what song she would sing for them. She heard the two behind her motion for her that they were ready.

She opened her eyes and started to sing. Her voice carried with all the softness and truth that her heart held. The sounds of the wind and water together brought a level of music to the hall that not one of the Heroes had ever heard before. While no one but the Heroes understood the word, all were touched by the emotions and feelings of her voice. But no more then a pair of listeners. Daz and Angelique both felt the emotions more deeply than anyone else. Angelique was drawn to the edge of her seat as she listened to the words and than looked over at Daz. She knew all too well what had touched Daz so deeply.

The vision was meant for both as they each saw the same thing. Slowly they descended down above a ancient temple that set high above the clouds on a mountain top. Next to the temple was a landing craft from their ship. It was clear that they were visitors to this strange world. High above them casting its soft light across the world was a blue white pulsar. With each passing pulse of the star's light, the sky light up in a rhythm of both light and sound. The twin moons reflected the light that bounced off the upper atmosphere of this strange alien world. Beyond the moons could a dark fleet of ships be seen closing in on this world. Escape was useless, there was no hope to fight or flee. They were trapped and everyone knew what they were after.

Passing through the large white marble walls of the temple the Heroes stood at one end of a large crevasse screaming for Daz to stop as he disappeared down a tunnel. They were helpless to stop what each knew had to happen. Deeper in the temple, Daz dragged the young Mia by her arm while she carried a strange large sword in her other arm. They ran to a chamber deep within the alien Temple, it was here he waved his hand at her and she dropped her head. Calling on his powers, he forced the massive door closed and locked her in the chamber alone. Something powerful was unleashed in that chamber. Once the rest of the Heroes managed to reach Daz it was over. The Chamber was opened and Mia laid dead on the ground and the Sword was gone.