Chapter 1
The two found themselves deep in trouble for hours they had circled in the caves on only memory and screams. Depa was the first to speak as she held a desecrated text firm within her bronzed hands. They had just left the temple of a God of Sith that had been forgotten long ago. Now they twisted in caves. “I have a feeling that blaster fire is not really here but also a memory, I never expected this quest for Master Windu would end up quite like this. I think the statue’s offerings nearly too risky to continue to pursue.”
There was no time to explain now she took hold of him and began to run. The thought that they might be okay seemed to be at the back of her mind. As well as his own words of warning. Still She could not help but wonder if it was real blaster fire or if the Night-sister had found them. Depa had been warned of her master’s former apprentice that had gone mad. Who was also born on haruun kal, Veratrum.
He runs alongside her, trying to understand what had just happened. The echoing of blasters ringing in his head though he doesn’t sense anything actually around them other than the cave. “This way!” He says, steering her left with him when he senses a familiar part of the cave that he knows is close to the exit.
Depa followed the stranger she had met in the temples through the darkness truly unsure of what to make of this place. She did not want to come back that fear bubbled within her.
She wondered if they would make her come back only to face her fears as part of the trials for her Knight-hood as well as her face piercing. Depa breathed deeply and they stopped in the abyss for a moment to breathe. Depa’s side on the left burned with every intake. She thought of the older boy Obi- wan who could keep up on a mission by running far better than herself and said “ this is what I mean... this cave is alive...”
“That was the cave?” Aj’ak says. “It’s never done that to me before....” He stops, realizing after a moment. “The sounds. The blaster fire, and the explosions. You don’t hear it, do you?” He says, ducking at a particularly loud explosion that hears near.
“The sounds are...my memories, aren’t they? And yours was.....I could see, because it was your memory.”
Depa let out a soft little cry. What she had seen was one of the worst days of her life she had to ask him though she thought it terribly rude. ” How old were you when the Sith took away your home? From what I heard it was not the first time your spices were displaced. My own mother sold me to the Jedi as she had seen what the Sith do . I begged her not to. Still they made me go. This place wanted me to see it.... what are you running from ?”
“I...was very young.” Aj’ak says after a swallow with unseen cave wind dancing at their backs “What is anyone running from?” He adds as he feels them finally stumble out of the cave, the feeling of the sunlight on his skin confirming it to him. He steps a few paces away, sitting on a large rock and taking a few breaths to steady himself. “You know what happened to the Miraluka. What they did to us. Imagine what somebody that survived that massacre went through and that’s what I’m running from.”
“They did the same thing to my masters own people on Harrun Kal his own kind threw the book at him and the Jedi took him in. “ She looked at the coverings over as she spoke trying to read anything in his face there could be hiding. “ Despite all odds he learned Va - Padd and made a name for himself, I owe him much this document held in my hands the most. I made a promise Aj’ak I have to keep it… we have to find a way out of here.”
She seemed very low now that they had spoken once more of the genocide. Once again she had spoken without care or thought. She looked round at the blacked walls around them trying to think of what it must be like for a man who could not see . To see a glimpse of her life then go blind again. “Don’t Miraluka see through the force? Why did the color shock you so much?”
“I ‘see’ but it isn’t.....like that. Like seeing normally. It’s...sensing, more so.” Aj’ak says quietly. “Vibrations, really. Or the movement in the air. Not at all like that vision of your memory....” Depa thought only for a moment then began to hear the happy little humming of the small creatures that lived within the force. She was told once by Obi-wan that the fact she could see them was very taboo . Yoda was wary of them even though they seemed happy. Still right now they chattered around her feet in blue balls of light and some of them looked like little skinless Ewoks wielding little forks and flutes making music. Depa turned now and began to start a jog like pace. ” I hope you can spot a twig or two , If you cant you need to take a’hold of the back of my Jedi robes and not let go and use the force to bounce.... we need to go.. ”
“I can manage.” Aj’ak says. “Let’s go.” He jogs after Depa, keeping his focus on her form and the path ahead of them as they pick up pace. Nearly, he runs into roots of trees and other twigs but he always manages to just step past and sense them in time. Suddenly they burst into stunning light that burned her eyes as she was surrounded by thick jungle. On the outer rim of the path she had taken to get here a little small flying droid making all kinds off noise at her master. The little thing nudged her along as if it was upset she had been gone so long. How much time had passed in the caves? She turned up the slope.
The sun was high in the sky now and the light heated everything. It was getting harder to run here, it was not like being back at the temples. Depai slowed only a little pushing on until they made it to her small ship that she hoped they both could fit inside of without much issue. It was a good two person size .... still the little droid took up alot of room and was too fragile like some of the other Jedi’s droids to fly outside the bunker hole. Aj’ak follows after Depa , warily minding the droid he senses whirring around her and him as well when it notices him. “You stay to your side and I’ll stay to mine.” He says to the droid once on the ship, a little cramped together but managing to share the space.
’Un lucky for you. I am the worst pilot in the galaxy, also don’t mind my little friend there. She mostly is only here to help me recall buttons while I drive. ” The older man chuckled but Depa had only frowned. It was true , She had to call for help while flying so often the Jedi order had given her R-c as a flight attendant of sorts.
“You laugh now... until we really do need help and the droid is all you have.”
Aj’ak reaches, tentatively poking at the droid. “Ive neve seen one of you before.” He mutters
The little droid was just as interested in him as it was her. She flew around his head in circles making things even more crowded in the small little flight machine. Depa had a playful manner as she lectured the droid unit but Aj’ak had the feeling she wasn’t very serious.
