(L,F&E 85) Changes

[kalenath]

((Ah GREAT... I mucked up the numbers... AGAIN... *sigh* It was SO much easier when I had this all planned out as a 10 chapter story. Ah well, only 15 more to go...))

 

<The Stormhawk>

 

At first it was dark, it was cold. She was floating. Things she could not see were moving around in the darkness around her. But she wasn’t afraid. On some level, she knew she should be afraid, but she wasn’t. Was she dreaming? Was this a vision of some kind? What was going on? What had happened? Where was she? Those questions should have bothered her, should have frightened her. But they didn’t. Then… something changed. She felt movement around her, odd movement. Nothing hurt, but… Was she moving or was whatever she seemed to be in moving? Everything faded and then…she woke.

 

Sarai Kalenath lay in her bunk for a long moment, scared out of her mind. She glanced at the chrono and sighed. She had slept for three hours this time, the last time it had been two since her previous nightmare. Always the same thing. But she never remembered them. It was driving her nuts. She shook her head slowly and rose carefully from her bunk, careful not to disturb the other sleepers. The guard at the door looked at her. She had to admit, it made her feel safer to have a regular guard at the door, even if it was just traditional for Bladeborn dormitories. Of course this dormitory was set up for initiate Bladeborn as well as people who were simply studying with them, so… She came up to the guard and spoke softly.

 

“Is Mama available?” She smoothed her sleeping robe and checked her sword out of reflex. Bladeborn slept with their weapons, they went everywhere with them. While she was not Force sensitive, she considered herself a trainee Bladeborn. “I need to talk to someone…”

 

“Mama retired an hour ago.” Zana said gently. She was very young and still an initiate but top of her class hence her posting to guard duty. “Is it an emergency? I can get her up. If not, I think Kicota is available.”

 

“No… Not an emergency. Kicota…? Is she…?” Sarai had to think about that for a moment. “I never talked to her. She is the Sitolon queen, right?” She wasn’t sure she had met that one. She had met Ecien and Nana and Majistrona. But not Kicota she didn’t think. She had dealt with a bunch of them while being trained as a copy of Sara Kalenath, but not Kicota she didn't think.

 

“She is nice.” Zana said quietly. “I heard you thrashing. Your nightmares are not going away? I thought Ona gave you something for them.” She sounded worried as she looked Sarai over and other girl sighed.

 

“No. The pills Ona gave me worked for a little while, but now…I dunno.” Sarai did not like showing weakness. She gave a small squeak as Zana embraced her. “Hey…”

 

“My relief is here…” Zana said softly as a shadowed form stepped into the room and nodded to her. “Come on.” She led Sarai from the room into a brightly lit corridor, girl’s eyes blinking rapidly to adjust.

 

“It should wait until morning.” Sarai said quietly, but knew better than to fight. Zana might be small, but the young Bladeborn could pick her up and carry her easily, the girl was that strong. “It’s not that important. I know Ona is asleep, and Mama…”

 

“I can feel your distress, Sarai. You know neither of them would mind.” Zana said quietly. “But we can talk to Kicota. I know she is up.”

 

“But…” Sarai paused, her hands going to her sleeping robe. She wasn’t dressed for walking about. Zana was not dissuaded.

 

“No ‘buts’ trainee. Come on.” Zana took the young looking girl by the arm and led her through the bowels of the ship they called home now. “You need help.”

 

It was not a far walk. Ever as large as the Stormhawk was, it was still a starship. Most of its internal space was given over to engines, weapons, life support, repair facilities and the like. They did have a great deal of latitude on how they set up the areas however. The actual crew of the ship was miniscule compared to the space aboard, which was good, considering that so many refuges had been crammed in almost with no warning at all. Sarai was not sure what had happened on the Sitolon homeship and she was not about to ask. She knew that Istara was involved somehow, but why or what had happened, she had no clue. Zana led her through the seemingly endless corridors until they came to a hatch with two huge black forms standing beside it. Sarai could not repress a shiver. Her first clear memories were of large black bugs doing things to her. But they had never hurt her that she could remember. A crazy female Force user had hurt her, the bugs had not. She was sure they had done horrible things before she remembered, but she couldn’t actually remember what. She was glad of that. Zana saluted as was proper, a moment after, Sarai did likewise, kicking herself for being too petrified to be polite. Zana smiled and put an arm around her shoulders.

 

“Is the queen available?” Zana asked softly. “This young one needs to talk to an elder female.” She gave Sarai’s shoulders a squeeze.

 

“Yes, she is available.” Sarai tried not to wince as she recognized the voice. Grun’Das’ voice was literally the first thing she remembered. He had wiped her mind and when she had woken the first time, he had been there. He had soothed her back to sleep with gentle words, and then she had woken in Samuel’s care. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that she had been in deep, deep trouble. It had worked out in the end, but… Grun’das made a human sounding sigh and spoke to Sarai. “Be at peace, young one. No one here will harm you. You have my oath on that.”

 

Sarai knew that. She knew that Will and his family would kill anyone who hurt her, let alone what the Bladeborn would do. It just… She nodded to Grun’Das and followed Zana into the queen’s chamber. Inside it was dark, but both could see a bit. It was gloomy, but not oppressive. Somehow the gloom was…gentle? That made no sense. Maybe it was the feelings of peace that swept over them as they entered. Maybe it was the fact that both knew they were in no danger in a room that any horror holo-vid director would have had things jumping out at people from the shadows in. The floor was covered, as were the walls and ceiling, with a substance that felt more organic that deck plating, but was hard enough to be secure footing. Small ridges and hollows showed all over, some of the hollows filled with white sacks of Sitolon young in larva stage.

 

“Zana…Sarai…” A melodious voice came to them from a near distance. “Be with you in…a moment.” A grunt of effort came from the gloom and both women stared as a silver form appeared, hoisting something the wriggled. “If I had possessed half a clue about what was involved with being fertile…” She placed the bundle she was carrying in an alcove that had apparently been built expressly for it as tightly as it fit. “…I would have told Grun’das and this whole flarging swarm to shove it.” Sarai had to bite back a laugh at the queen’s sour tone. From Zana’s expression, the Bladeborn was feeling the humor as well. An absolutely gorgeous silver skinned form strode from the partial darkness into the dim light of the doorway to look at the both of them. “Well, initiates? What can I do for you?”

 

“I…” Sarai bit her lip. Her problems were not bad. “I think I should go…” She broke off as Zana clouted her on the arm and not gently. “Hey!”

 

“Jina asked me to ward this yougn one." Sarai blinekd. The Jedi had? Why? "My sister is still having nightmares.” Zana said, ignoring the sharp look Sarai gave her. “Despite the medications, despite everything we have done. I… I fear for her…” The Bladeborn’s worried tone had Sarai pause the rebuke that was forming on her lips. Jina and Zana were afraid? For her? “Can you help?” Zana asked softly.

 

“I don’t know, Zana.” Kicota leaned down close to scrutinize Sarai who tried not to flinch as six eyes looked her over. “We hurt you.” The pain in Kicota’s voice was palpable. “If we can do anything to help, we will.”

 

“It wasn’t you…” Sarai met the gaze of the insect and was falling, slowly, so slowly into that jeweled regard. It felt safe and warm and comforting. “You were under orders…”

 

“It does not matter, child. For child you are. You are an innocent who was used, by us at our master’s command.” Kicota’s smaller manipulators came down slowly and took Sarai’s hands in gentle grips. “His ends may have been just, and for the best… But his means were ruthless. You are not the only innocent we hurt on his orders.” There was rage and sorrow in the queen’s voice now and Sarai was moved to speak. "But we hurt you."

 

“You never hurt me.” Sarai protested, her eyes still drawn to the glittering silver eyes of the huge insect that held her gently. “You could have, you didn’t. Grun’Das could have hurt me, heck, he could have eaten me. He didn’t. I don’t blame you.” Was she falling? Or floating now? She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t.

 

“Rest, child. No nightmares will disturb you now.” KIcota’s voice came from far, far away as the soft darkness took her in, enfolding her in gentle arms and held her tight against the horrors that dwelt inside her mind. Zana’s voice sounded, close by, singing a lullaby. It was so pretty, she barely could muster the strength to listen. Then she knew no more.

[kalenath]

She didn’t want to wake up, but someone was insisting. Whoever it was wouldn’t stop shaking her. Someone whose voice and gentle hands she knew she recognized even if it was so hard to think. She grimaced as feelings started pouring through the haze of sleep that still clouded her mind. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, and she felt generally lousy. Sarai groaned softly as she came to full consciousness.

 

“Sarai?” Sharra Kalenath’s worried voice pulled at her as she tried to huddle in on herself, tried to keep the warm feelings that had suffused her from leaving her. “Come on girl, you need to eat and drink something. Here is something for you to drink.” A straw found her mouth and she drank carefully and slowly. This was hardly the first time she had woken after long periods in bed. She drank her fill and the straw withdrew.

 

“Was comfy…” Sarai complained as she stretched and opened her eyes. What met them had her freezing. She wasn’t in her room with her fellow initiates into sword training. She wasn’t even in Medical. She was lying on a bed that moved beneath her as if alive. The room around her was not a standard shipboard room. She was… “What the…?” Her face flushed as she tried to cover herself and Sharra smiled gently as she covered the girl with a blanket. “Where…?” She looked around but did not recognize the room. It seemed almost alive, the walls, the floor, the ceiling all pulsed with life and the light that suffused it came from something less harsh than normal glow panels. “What the heck…?” Where was her robe? Her sword? What the hell had happened?

 

“Easy, Sarai. Easy.” Sharra’s voice was gentle as she eased the girl into a sitting position. “You scared us.” The Kalenath matriarch sat down beside the girl and held her close. Sarai stared at her. Was Sharra about to cry? “How do you feel?”

 

“Hungry…” Sarai said after a minute of moving her fingers and toes. “Nothing hurts. I just feel strange.”

 

“We will get you something to eat in a moment, Sarai.” Sharra gave her adopted daughter a hug. “Can you define how you feel?”

 

“Little pins and needles all over my body.” Sarai said softly. “It kind of feels like…” She broke off, her face going ashen. “No…” The last time she had such feelings, her body had been finishing the change into a genetic duplicate of Sara Kalenath! “No…!” She shook her head trying to deny it, but the feelings were exactly the same.

 

“Sarai…” Sharra hugged the girl tighter. “Relax. I am here. I won’t let anything happen to you. Easy. girl… Easy…”

 

“I can’t go through that again, Sharra. I can’t!” Sara cried as she tried to retreat; only to be stymied by Sharra’s strong arms which held her tight enough that she could feel the woman’s heart beating. “Please… No…”

 

“It is okay, Sarai.” Sharra said into the girl’s ear softly. “It’s okay to be scared. I am too. I don’t want anything to happen to you, daughter.” She started a gentle massage, trying to keep the girl calm.

 

“Why…?” Sarai asked in a dazed voice. “Why do this to me again? What have I done to them to deserve this? Why did she…? I trusted Kicota…”

 

“Kicota did not do this to you, Sarai.” Sharra said softly. “As soon as she realized what was happening, she reported it to the medics. She has been working around the chrono with them to find a way to stop it.”

 

“It doesn’t make sense.” Sarai said softly. “The docs on the homeship said I was fine… They said I was not going to change any more…” Sharra did not answer her and Sarai stared at the older woman. “Sharra?”

 

“What do you remember of what they did?” Sharra asked in a tone that Sarai did not quite understand. Was it rage or pain? Or both? “Or were you asleep through the tests?”

 

“I slept through a lot of what they did.” Sarai admitted a bit sheepishly. “I was so afraid, they said my fear was throwing their instruments off. They were gentle though.” She laughed a little self consciously. “They called me ‘little larva’.” She smiled in memory but she stiffened as Sharra did. “What?”

 

“We think they did this to you, Sarai.” Sharra said finally. “We think… that they set you up to change again after a certain period of time. Kicota is…incensed. I have never seen her so angry.” Sharra’s face went far away, and Sarai was suddenly glad for it. She felt fear but knew somehow that Sharra was not angry with her. Sharra only looked like that when she was inches from a killing rage. “She considers you family, as we do. For someone to do this to you without your knowledge or consent…”

 

“Do what? The feelings are fading.” Sarai asked with a bit of heat in her tone. “Sharra… I feel fine now that my headache has gone. I had no nightmares for the first time in days. I slept fine last night.” Sharra looked at her and sighed.

 

“Sarai… You talked to Kicota three nights ago.” The girl stared at the older woman and Sharra continued. “You have been unconscious in Medical and in here, since she could not wake you up the next morning. We only figured out exactly what was happening last night. Kicota and Grun’das figured it out, and… I thought I knew how angry that big black bug could get. I was wrong. He put a hole clean through a durasteel bulkhead and Kicota is not much better. Any and all of us are going to kill the ones who did this to you. I swear it.” Her voice went toneless as she spoke and Sarai shivered in her grip. This woman could be terrifying, just like her husband.

 

“Sharra…” Sarai said in a tiny voice. “You are scaring me…”

 

“I am sorry, daughter.” Sharra rubbed her hand along Sarai’s scalp and petted her gently. It felt…odd, but not wrong. Sarai watched open mouthed as Sharra, the tough as nails warrior woman, started to cry. “We have been so scared for you. We didn’t know if you would wake, or when. Or if you would remember us. We can’t stop it, Sarai.”

 

“Where is Kicota?” Sarai asked through the gray haze that filled her vision after Sharra’s confession. “I need…”

 

“I am here, Sarai.” The Sitolon queen’s soft voice came from the side and Sarai’s eyes went wide as she saw one wall bulge and then retract as if alive. The silver skinned bug walked in, her posture bent, old and tired. “I am sorry. We tried to stop it. It’s not what we did to you. I swear it. What we did to you was a retrovirus. It did its work and ended. It was designed that way.” The bug sounded almost desperate. “We did not do this…”

 

“I believe you.” Sarai said in the silence that followed the queen’s heartfelt declaration. “But if you didn’t…Who did?”

 

“Sarai, there is only one race I know of who can do this kind of thing. Make rapid sweeping genetic changes without killing a subject. Mine.” Kicota’s voice held measureless anger now. “I swear to you, I will have the truth out of Majistrona if I have to go to that ship and beat it out of her.” The huge insect knelt at the end of Sarai’s bed. “But for now, we have to help you. And we will, my daughter.”

 

“What…?” Sarai felt faint. “What am I changing into?” Neither answered her and she snarled at them. ”What am I changing into?” She struggled free of Sharra’s arms, Sharra let her go. She staggered forward, seeing a dim reflection of herself in Kicota’s glossy hide. Then it became clear and she screamed.

 

Her hair was gone. On top of her head two knobby protrusions moved faintly. Her skull had changed shape, into a triangular form she recognized and her eyes… Four small hollows showed where two eyes had been. Her nose was gone; in its place were two smaller eyes. Her chin was receding and two mandible like objects were starting to emerge from the sides of her face. To her horrified eyes, she could see tiny protrusions on her body above the shoulders and at the hips. New arms and legs probably. And her skin… It looked more chitin than human flesh! She was becoming a Sitolon!

 

“No!” She screamed and screamed and screamed. She barely felt the hiss of a hypo. She never felt the hands that laid her gently back on the bed. She never heard the soft comforting words that Sharra and Kicota said to her as she finally drifted off, still screaming.

[kalenath]

“Damn them.” Kicota’s voice held hate now. “Damn them all.” She watched as Sharra laid the unconscious girl back out on the soft bed that had been prepared for her and stood. The woman’s sense in the Force was a solid mass of rage and hate as well. “They had no right to do this.”

 

“Have they responded to your contacts?” Sharra asked in a quiet tone that promised that someone was going to die in a messy fashion. “We have heard from Will and the others, somewhat.”

 

“No.” Kicota said flatly. “I don’t think they want to talk to me for some reason. Bets on what it is?” A gentle claw ran the length of the girl’s shuddering body without actually touching her. Even in sleep, her body was morphing, changing. The rage in her voice gave Sharra’s a run for its money. “She is an innocent. To do this… To an innocent…” The queen’s voice held sorrow now. “This poor girl…After what we did to her, for them to do this to her…We won’t be able to undo this. Once it’s done, it’s done. It may wipe her mind as what we did. Even if not, it will be permanent. Just like we couldn’t change her back to her previous form… This is going to drive her mad, Sharra. This is my responsibility… I…”She paused in mid rant as Sharra laid a hand on her thorax carapace, where a shoulder would be on a human.

 

“No, it’s not.” Sharra said quietly. “You have been punishing yourself too much. You did everything you possibly could for her. You are the only chance she has now. You heard the medics. They can’t stop it, and trying to will hurt or kill her.”

 

“I can’t trust myself, Sharra.” Kicota said sadly. “I see her, suffering. And all I can do is watch. I want to hold her tight, I want to soothe her pain, I want to undo what those scum on the homeship did. And I can’t. I can’t…” The sorrowful queen repeated. “Nothing can stop it without killing her, and they knew it.”

 

“Kicota…” Sharra said quietly. “Can you help her at all? Or would it be more merciful to end her suffering now?” Ordinarily, she would never suggest such a thing. But this was no ordinary situation.

 

“I don’t know.” The Sitolon queen admitted in a tired voice. “I just don’t know. Ordinarily, I would press to help her no matter what. But… this…This obscenity…It may be more merciful to keep her asleep until she drifts away peacefully.” The two females exited the room and stopped as they saw what awaited them. A long row of black skinned bugs, at least twenty of them, stood at attention before them both. One stepped forward and bowed to them both. The insect queen and the human female shared a glance and then Kicota shut the door behind them.

 

“My queen… Matriarch Kalenath.” Grun’Das voice was level, perfectly controlled. “We stand ready to obey your orders. What do you wish?”

 

“What I wish, I cannot have.” Kicota said quietly in a voice of steel. “No matter the provocation –and there was provocation- we cannot have civil war between the swarms at this time. For now, your orders are this: No one, and I repeat, no one besides myself or matriarch Kalenath enters that room. We may clear others, but for now, we alone are to enter.” She waved behind her. “She will sleep for some time again, until she is ready for…” Kicota stumbled a bit over her words, showing just how upset she was. “…larvahood. Your orders are to protect her. If it comes down to me or her, you will protect her.” Sharra stared at the huge bug and Grun’das started to speak.

 

“My queen… I...” He shook his head slowly. “You cannot…” He broke off as Kicota made a sound that Sharra did not recognize. But the human did not need to recognize it to understand that the queen had just growled an obscenity at her chief guard.

 

“You will protect her.” The queen’s voice was soft and menacing now. “Am I understood?” All of the black skinned bugs saluted and she moved off, Sharra following, stunned. After a few steps, Sharra spoek.

 

“Kicota… I…” The human woman wasn’t sure what to say or do. This was totally outside her knowledge base. She sighed and took refuge in what she did know. “What do you need from me?”

 

“I need you to merge you mind with mine when I try to contact Majistrona again.” Kicota said without pausing. “I will need your help to convey exactly what I think of that shutta and her brainless scum. I thank you for accepting me and mine into your extended family. That miserable excuse for a queen hurt our daughter. I want to tell her exactly what we think of her.” Her tone now could have cut through steel.

 

“Kicota…” Sharra was not sure she liked this change in the normally upbeat and kindly queen. “Be careful…”

 

“I am not going to start a war, Sharra. Much as I want to.” The silver skinned queen replied as she stopped in her nesting chamber and sat heavily. Now her tone held bottomless sorrow. “For the first time in my life…. I wish I could cry… I truly do…”

 

“Can I…?” Sharra asked and then hesitated as she shook her head. “I don’t know how to ask this.”

 

“Ask what you will, Sharra.” Kicota replied unenthusiastically. “We have been through hell in the last three days. Your daughter is becoming my daughter and neither of us can help her. I feel so helpless, so useless.”

 

“Can I hug you?” Sharra asked delicately. “Maybe you can’t cry. But I can cry for us both.” Kicota opened her arms, leaving the large manipulators down so Sharra could step up and then when Sharra embraced her, hugged the woman lightly with her top arms. “I don’t want to lose her. You said it may wipe her memory. I don’t want to lose her…”

 

“Even if it does wipe her mind, Sharra.” Kicota promised. “I will not let her forget you, ever. Sister of pain, sister of home and hearth. Sisters.” Sharra stared the bug in the eyes and Kicota had a sad smile in her voice when she spoke again. “We didn’t have a lot in common before you accepted us into your family, Sharra Kalenath, but this we will always share. She is our adopted daughter –yours and mine-, and anyone else who tries to hurt her will die.”

 

“I can live with that.” Sharrra said as tears started falling.

[kalenath]

We expected your contact. The mind voice of Majistrona, the hive queen of the Sitolon on the homeship was pensive. We had no choice. We will take care of her.

 

Right… Kicota replied in a sarcastic tone. You lying shutta. How many other lies will you tell us today?

 

Sharra did not move from her spot under Kicota’s head, where the queen’s antennae rested on her skull, but her face creased in a sad smile as Kicota gave voice to the anger, pain and fear that both felt. Both had taken some time to recover from the emotional upheavals they had suffered. Both agreed that neither really wanted to start a war, although both desired vengeance deeply. Majistrona and her swarm had hurt a member of their family and they wanted blood. Sharra had not been sure at all about it when Kicota had pledged her swarm to the Kalenath family in recognition of the massive service that Samuel had done for them, but now, she liked Kicota and knew that the huge bug would die for her or any of the family if need be. Sharra understood, she felt the same way. Maybe it was a mother thing…

 

We never lied to you. Majistrona said quietly. We would have told you.

 

Before or after she became a larva? This came from Sharra and the bitterness in her voice was conspicuous. Istara was right, you are a lying witch.

 

Have you heard from Istara? Majistrona’s voice was cautious now. She needs help.

 

Flarg you witch. Not yours. Sharra said caustically as she went back to her previous subject. What did you do to Sarai?

 

Sharra, it’s very important that I speak with Istara as soon as possible. Majistrona’s voice was sad now, sad and tired. She needs more information.

 

More lies? This was from Kicota. How many people must you lie to, Majistrona? How many lives must you destroy?

 

It was needed. Majistrona said softly, obviously distressed. If Istara had not pushed the issue, if Sharlina had not gone berserk, if they hadn’t run…

 

If they had let you lock them up? If we had simply done was we are told? Sharra asked hotly. Like good little slaves or drones?

 

It is not like that, Sharra… Majistrona’s voice was sharp now. You do not know how this has hurt us, how we debated, how we tried for months to find another way. We will take Sarai in and take care of her.

 

Over my dead body. Kicota replied softly but firmly. And the bodies of all my swarm, Sharra’s family, the Bladeborn and probably Cranna’s people and the Stormhawk crew as well. Steel rang in her mental voice now. Go ahead, make our day, you witch with a capital ‘B’!

 

Kicota… You cannot mean that… The shock in Majistrona’s voice was clear. You would pit the swarms against each other? A civil war?

 

You have hurt a child I hurt before. You have altered a child we love without her permission. There was no give in Kicota’s mental voice. You will have driven her mad. The only information we need from you is this: Will the change wipe her mind?

 

No! It was hard to believe that Majistrona could more shocked than she had been, but she managed. We would not do that to her. Her mind is her own; we would not simply wipe it.

 

No. Sharra replied savagely. That would have been merciful, wouldn’t it?

 

Sharra… Majistrona’s voice was just tired now. It is not like that. We need her. She is our only chance to end this without the Seven sacrificing themselves.

 

So instead, you sacrifice her? Kicota’s voice held disbelief. Did you even bother to ask for her help? Then Kicota made a human sounding sigh. No, of course not. It is ‘for the greater good’. Isn’t it? Do you have any idea how Will is going to react to this? Or Istara? Or Michelle, Mira, Jina? Nia and Idjit will likely feel the exact same way! Any and all of them! You are flarging dead, do you know that?

 

Yes, we know. The ancient Sitolon’s mental voice was flat now. She will need help you cannot give. We will rendezvous…

 

Ah, so you can steal her or take this ship? Sharra snarled. I don’t think so!

 

Calm down, Sharra! Majistrona barked at her. I know how this looks to you, but you do not have all the information. If you will let me explain…

 

Kriff you. Sharra sent back just as angrily. You lying sack of osik. You better stay away from us. Pray Will doesn’t find you. Unless you like nukes going off in your face.

 

Sharra! The old Sitolon queen cried, but both of them cut the connection.

 

“Ow…” Sharra winced as her head started to hurt but relaxed as cooling, soothing energy flowed through her from Kicota. “Thanks.” She felt worry from the bug’s mind, transferred through the mental touch that was fading rapidly. She smirked. “It was a bluff. He wouldn’t. He doesn’t use nukes anymore. Unless he has no choice.”

 

“No problem. I liked feeling her scared.” Kicota replied nastily as she eased her friend into a standing position. Sitolon arms were not comfortable seats, but Sharra had not complained. “Well, now we know.”

 

“Yeah. If she wasn’t lying about that.” Sharra agreed sourly. “I will take this watch. What foods do you think we should have ready in case she wakes?”

 

“I don’t think she was lying. She seemed honestly upset. But I can’t really tell.” Kicota made a soft noise of discouragement. “As for food… Soft things. Porridge, soup, that kind of thing. Easy to swallow, easy to digest, but with plenty of protein and nutrients. She will need a straw since her jaw has been absorbed. Her internal organs are changing as well. She won’t be up to solid foods for quite a while. Once she finishes the change, we can see how to feed her. If she is like my larvae, I can feed her. If not, we will find a way.” The medical matters seemed to help Kicota settle a bit. She had been a healer before a queen. “I can’t believe Majistrona just did that to Sarai. I just can’t believe it...That is the kind of evil thing my people would have done. They were supposed to have ethics.”

 

Sharra grimaced, reminded again that Kicota was the last queen of an offshoot of the Sitolon race. They were an offshoot that had all been driven mad by experiments to make them into living weapons and destroyed by Will. Saved by the efforts of Will’s father, the remnants of the ‘Dark Cousins’, as the Sitolon called them, had sworn allegiance to Will’s family. To say they were incensed by this would be massively understating the case. They were not the only ones talking about war, the Stormhawk crew and Istara’s Bladeborn were also furious.

 

“Nobody is perfect.”Sharra said unhappily. “But you are right. I never would have expected this of her.” An alarm klaxon sounded and she snarled. “Oh, what now?”

 

“We need a Sitolon in hangar bay three.” Came an automated voice over the loudspeaker. “As soon as possible.”

 

“Stay with Sarai!” Kicota said as she started off. “I will find out what is going on and contact you.” The guards had already formed up to protect the girl’s room as Sharra started for it. As Kicota ran, her mind was heavy.

 

I truly wish this day would end. Is there no limit to the horrors we must face from my own kind?

Edited September 27, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

<Hangar bay three>

 

“I know how this looks.” A scared young voice was saying as Kicota ran onto the hangar bay. “But I can explain…”

 

“You move, you die.” Came a snarling tone from what had to be a Stormhawk marine. “On the floor, now and keep your claws still.”

 

Kicota came to a sudden stop as she saw a ring of Bladeborn surrounded by a ring of Stormhawk Marines. All had weapons out and ready and all were staring with barely disguised malice at the form that lay within the ring. A Sitolon! A very young one if Kicota was not mistaken. The larva’s skin had barely hardened, and it was hard to say what color…she…? Yes, it was female. It was hard to say what color the skin actually was, considering that the entire body was covered in muck. Kicota was sure she did not want to know where the muck had come from. The young one was barely the size of a human adult and it was easy to see she was terrified.

 

“What the hell?” Kicota asked in the sudden silence that greeted her arrival. The small Sitolon looked at her, her posture frightened.

 

“Queen!” The barely mature Sitolon called without moving. “I beg you! Please hear me out. I know not why these are angry, what I have done. But I bear a message from my mother, Holianahyatoujikaimnana.”

 

“What did you say?” Kicota suddenly felt faint. Nana was dead, and Nana had not been fertile. Had she been? The young queen shook her head and took two steps forward. “What is your name, young one?”

 

“I am Ji.” The extremely young Sitolon said in a scared tone. “I do not know what has happened. I do not know why all of these are angry with me. What have I done?”

 

One syllable in her name? She had just turned from Larva to fully fledged Sitolon and had not molted, so she was less than fifty standard years old. Larva hatched at forty years or so, then molted at fifty years. IF she was telling the truth. It had come to this, Kicota thought sadly. She couldn’t trust her own people. Kicota had not gone through the same thing, her own gestation and upbringing had been accelerated, but with Samuel Kalenath’s help, she had managed to survive and thrive.

 

“What has she done?” Kicota asked then nearest soldier, whose weapon did not move from the small Sitolon. “Marine?”

 

“It was hiding in a cargo pod.” The Marine said, her voice taut. “When it opened the hatch, the life sensors tripped and alerted us.” Kicota shook her head slowly. This ship was a maze of traps, sensors and hidden weapons. No one sane tried to sneak aboard it. They had paranoia down to an art after so long on the run.

 

“’She’, Marine…” Kicota replied softly but with command in her voice. “…not ‘it’.” The silver skinned bug made a human sounding sigh. “Child… Ji…You chose a very bad time to come here.”

 

“I don’t know what is going on!” Ji protested. “I was warm, then… I was cold. I came to awareness in the pod. It was dark. There was a recording in there, along with food and water. She said she was likely dead. She said that I had to stop something awful from happening. Or help if I could. But I have no idea what she was talking about.” The young bug was babbling now. “What have I done?”

 

“You, yourself have done nothing.” Kicota said heavily. “But beings of your swarm have changed a young human female genetically. Into one of us. Without her consent.” Any one of those would have earned Kicota’s ire. All of them together? There were times when she missed being evil.

 

“What?” The recently hatched larva could not have faked that burst of indignation, anger and fear, there was simply no way. “Oh no… They did it…” Her voice was stunned now. “They really did it. She said they were going to do something awful, but that… That goes against everything I was taught as a larva, everything. It breaks every single medical ethic we have. We don’t do things like that… I…” She broke off and her head slumped to the deck and her voice held sorrow now. “My life is yours…” She bared her neck in silence and waited.

 

The Marines and Bladeborn looked at Kicota who looked at the young one and shook her head. She stepped forward, the armed beings making way for her. She moved to where the young one lay and knelt down beside the prostrate child.

 

“Easy, young one. Have you checked the pod?” Kicota asked the marines softly. The marines shook their heads. The Bladeborn did not move, but a sense of negative came through the Force, all of them were focused on the young Sitolon to the exclusion of all else.

 

“No, Ma’am.” The one she had spoke to replied evenly. “We were trying to figure out what to do with it-her…When you arrived.”

 

“I will take responsibility for this young one.” Kicota replied as she looked the young insect over and tried not to wince. Ji was a serious mess. “Check the pod, carefully. My people’s tech does not always look like it should. On second thought... Ji… Do not move…” She commanded. The younger insect did not move as Kicota rose and started for the open cargo pod she could now see nearby. “My people can be insidious about traps.” She reached the pod’s hatch and paused as an irate voice sounded.

 

“What do you think you are doing, Kicota?” Stormhawk Boss entered the bay and started towards her. “Your people need you. Checking odd places for traps is what soldiers are for.”

 

“I have no mature drones yet, and my soldiers are all busy. I am not going to put any of your people in danger. And anyone else entering here may be in danger, Boss.” Kicota replied evenly as she looked into the pod. “Yuck…” She exclaimed as she saw what was inside. “Well… It’s clear there was a larva living in here…Nothing else could make such a mess.” Boss came up beside her and a low whistle came from the helmet of the armored form. Nothing else in the galaxy could make quite as much of a mess as a Sitolon larva unattended.

 

“I…” Ji started to speak, but froze in place as several weapons moved to cover her. “I didn’t know what to do. She said to hide, to stay hidden. But I ran out of food and water…”

 

“How long were you in there, Ji?” Kicota asked softly, her head swiveling from the cargo pod to the prostrate bug. “Do you know?”

 

“I don’t.” The bug admitted softly. “She didn’t include a chrono. I think that was intentional. She told me that I would sleep a lot, use less air, food and water that way.”

 

“Ji…” Kicota’s voice was soft now. “What is this odd lining inside…?” The queen touched it and did not react as Boss hissed.

 

“Kicota…” Boss strode to where she stood and pushed her claw out of the way, she did not resist. “You are too valuable to risk. Your people need you.”

 

“I am not about to make one of my swarm take a risk I… am…unwilli-” She paused as she touched the fleshy substance on the inside of the open hatch again in disbelief. “Oh my god…” She looked from the pod to the young Sitolon. “Ji…Is this lining what I think it is?” It felt like a lining that was used to line Sitolon nurseries, to keep larva from feeling any minds from outside. It cut Sitolon mental communication off completely. It was intended to shelter the young, to protect them from stray thoughts until they could control the access to their minds. But in this case…

 

“She said… I had to be brave... I had to hide…” Ji replied softly. “I had to stay hidden from everyone. She… I…” The bug sounded nearly in tears. Kicota looked fully at the small bug. “Once the door closed, I was cut off. I couldn’t hear anything. In my mind…” She was shivering in place with remembered fear and pain.

 

“Ji…” Her voice was soft, gentle, kind and worried now. “How long has it been since you connected to any of our people?” A very good question. Sitolon were a social species, they relied on each other to keep themselves sane. If this one had been cut off for any significant length of time…

 

“I don’t know.” Ji admitted, her voice scared. “I couldn’t tell how long I was in there. A long time. An eternity, it felt like.” Kicota looked at the Marine who had spoken, who looked baffled at this turn of events.

 

“How long has this pod been here?” Kicota asked softly as she looked it over. “Can you tell?” The marines wall looked at Boss who nodded slightly.

 

“It came over with the other contents that were transferred from the homeship in the last shipment. Five days.” Boss said after a moment, obviously he had queried the ship’s stores lists. “It was to be moved to long term storage shortly. Good thing she got out now, she might have spent years in there before anyone found it and opened it.” Kicota shuddered a little at that. A horrid fate, entombed alive.

 

“You said Holianahyatoujikaimnana sent a message with you?” Kicota said quietly, her hearts racing. To place a larva in what was, in effect, a sensory deprivation chamber for Sitolon spoke of either total disregard for the larva’s safety and sanity or total desperation. “May I see it?”

 

“It’s inside my head, queen. She implanted it.” Ji’s voice was soft now. “I don’t know if I am able to give it to you. I have been…so…so…” She was shuddering and Kicota moved through the ring of troops to the young one’s side, a gentle claw stroking, soothing. “I… I am sorry…”

 

“Not your fault, youngling.” Kicota said softly as she continued her soft stroking. It soothed the young one, a rhythmic motion that stimulated nerve clusters and blood vessels just under the carapace even through the muck. It was something the queen had learned to help tend her own larva, none of whom would be ready to come out of their larva sacks for at least three decades. “It’s okay. Sleep…”

 

“I…” Ji relaxed as her body slowly did as instructed. “I am sorry I made such a mess…”

 

“It is okay, Ji.” Kicota replied, her voice soothing. “Sleep. It will be okay.”

[kalenath]

“What the fu-…” Sharra’s soft exclamation cut off abruptly as Kicota carried the still form of Ji into the heart of her nesting chamber. “Kicota…?” Sharra’s voice was cautious as she approached slowly.

 

“How is Sarai?” Kicota asked as she walked carefully, focusing to keep her burden from dragging. “Has she woken at all?”

 

“No.” Sharra said as she stared from the huge silver skinned bug to the one covered in muck. “What is going on?”

 

“Oh Sharra…” Kicota sounded virtually in tears. “I need your help. This young one was put in a cargo pod, hidden from my people, apparently by Nana. Istara’s mentor. She said she had a message for me, but she is quite a bit of a mess, distraught and needs a lot of care.”

 

“Nana?” Sharra said dubiously. “Didn’t Nana die when the Imperials attacked the homeship?”

 

“Yes, she did.” Kicota set the still form down at her feet and started a massage of the younger insect’s thorax. “But she was not killed by the Imperials.”

 

“Oh no…” Sharra’s voice was horrified as she started connecting the dots. “So this one…is a refugee?” She knelt down beside the disparate pair and sighed. “How can I help?”

 

“She is having trouble breathing.” Kicota said gratefully. “I am stimulating her lungs, but we need to clean the muck off of her. She was lying in her own filth inside a cargo pod for at least a week. Some of it has caked around her airholes. I need you to help clean her. Can you?”

 

“What kind of a question is that, Kicota?” Sharra asked kindly as she started for where the queen kept cleaning supplies. “I have a kid and help out in the nursery. I know all about messy children.”

 

“How is James?” Kicota asked as she eased Ji into what would be a more comfortable position. “I know he is with the other kids, but…”

 

“He is fine. I checked on him while you were gone. Vid cams are wonderful thing. He is, at the moment, building a huge castle from blocks with the help of his peers.” Sharra said with a slightly sappy smile on her face as she returned with a bucket fill of water and several cloths. “I assume this is going to be a hand’s on cleaning?”

 

“Yeah.” Kicota said dubiously as she examined the sleeping young one. “She made a right mess of herself. And who knows how thick some of the muck is? I will hold her; you try and be as gentle as you can. The carapace around the airholes in particular is sensitive at that age.”

 

“Okay…” Sharra said dubiously, but then dipped a rag in the bucket and started scrubbing. “What is her name?”

 

“My name is Ji!” The young Sitolon said, coming awake suddenly. “Hey! Ow! That hurts!” She cried as she tried to get away from Sharra’s scrubbing touch. But Kicota had her pinned in place, her arms and legs immobile.

 

“Ji, don’t move.” Kicota commanded and the smaller insect stiffened in place. “We have to clean you off, get the muck away from your airholes at the very least.” Her antennae came down and caressed the younger one’s head. “This will not be pleasant. I hoped you would remain asleep for it.” She spoke softly, lovingly now. “That’s a larva, good larva… Easy…” She crooned as Sharra carefully scrubbed away at the soft belly scales.

 

“Hurts…” Ji’s voice was strangled, pain filled. “It hurts… Please…”

 

“Ji…” Sharra’s hands were gentle as she cleaned the caked filth off the small insect, “We have to get the muck off. We don’t want you suffocating.” Her voice held sorrow now. Nana had died of suffocation. She had liked Nana.“Just little more.” Ji screamed as Sharra’s hands pulled at a rough patch and then Sharra’s hands were soothing. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry Ji, that was the worst part of this patch…It should be easier now. For this piece anyway.”

 

“Promise…?” Jia asked in a dazed, scared voice. She was so young.

 

“I promise, Ji.” Sharra replied as her hands soothed the patch where the facing of the carapace had been pulled away from the insect’s skin. It had been thoroughly caked by the filth. “There now, is that better?” Ji relaxed slowly as the pain ebbed.

 

“Y… Yes…” Ji said quietly. “Are… Am I a mess like that everywhere?”She asked in a scared voice. “It was dark in the pod. I couldn’t see myself.”

 

“I am afraid so, Ji. At least your antennae are not covered. They are dirty but not covered. I will clean then gently when you sleep.” Kicota replied, her voice steady. “We will be as gentle as we can.” Ji tensed as Sharra’s gentle hands found another sore spot.”Easy, Ji, easy…”

 

“Am I going to survive this?” Ji asked softly as Sharra worked another nasty patch from her body. “Ow!” The bug groaned softly, trying to be brave.

 

“Yes.” Kicota’s voice was as soft and gentle as her grip, but Ji relaxed. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Ji.”

 

“Do what you have to do…” Ji replied and then bit back another scream as Sharra carefully pried up another patch. “Just… hurry…”

 

<A nasty time later>

 

It took almost thirty minutes for the two females to clean the youngling’s carapace of filth. By the time the cleaning was done, Ji was shivering in Kicota’s claws, trying to stay awake. Once the cleaning was done and the mess deposited in a convenient disposal bin, then the two women started bandaging the wounds with organic bandages that Kicota provided and the young one relaxed as the pain ebbed. She sighed as she started to lose the battle to stay conscious.

 

“I…” Ji’s voice was low and sleepy now. “I have to tell you…”

 

“Rest, Ji.” Kicota’s voice was kind as she carefully salved the wounds that showed on the young one’s body. “You can tell me in the morning…”

 

“I need… to… ohhh…” Ji relaxed into sleep and her tenseness faded as she lost consciousness.

 

“Will you be okay?” Sharra asked softly as Kicota laid Ji down at her feet and sat beside the slumbering young one. “If so, I need to check on James.”

 

“If anything changes, Sharra, I have your com.” Kicota replied in a quiet tone so as not to disturb the slumbering insect at her feet. “Go, my friend. Take care of your child. This one, I think is my problem now.” Sharra patted the silver skinned queen on the arm and left without another word. Kicota waited a moment after her friend had left and then eased the young insect into a more comfortable position. “It will be a long night, Ji. But I promise you, we will take care of you. And the answers you have can wait until morning.” She slowly and carefully started wiping muck from the slumbering bug's antennae.

[kalenath]

“I… What…?” Ji’s scared voice had Kicota waking from her semi doze. The queen had spent most of the night ready to move, trying to rest while maintaining her vigilance. Luckily she could go for long periods without true rest. “Queen…I…”

 

“Good morning.” Kicota said gently as she turned to face the young one who had stiffened in shock and surprise. Ji tried to move from her sleeping position in Kicota’s arms and then stopped, unsure what to do. “How do you feel?” The queen bug asked as she laid the young insect down on her own four feet. She looked the young one over and Ji assumed a submissive pose. Her carapace was bronze, marred by the gray of the bandages, but it looked to be in much better shape now that she had slept. Her antennae were perky too, but then they flipped down, showing her distress.

 

“Uh… Sore and stiff… Queen…I…” Ji was obviously not sure what to do or how. This had likely never been covered in Larva protocol training. Queens did not do this for adult Sitolon, even very young ones. “What did I do?” She asked in a daze.

 

“Aside from being one heck of a mess, and then falling asleep, you did nothing.” Kicota replied with gentle humor. “Are you hungry?”

 

“I…” Ji relaxed slightly, there was certainly no way she was going to fight the huge being that held her. Kicota did not have to be gentle. “Yes, I am hungry. But I am not sure I can keep it down.”

 

“Okay. I will feed you and then I need to check on our other problem larva.” Kicota started working her smaller manipulators to the sides, to places she had put food for Ji. She hadn’t wanted to move the hurt one too much. “Let me know if you feel bad.” She took a long sip of the water and, with a graceful move, extended the tube that was her tongue to the smaller insect. Ji took the drink gratefully and then stiffened.

 

“You…” Her voice was stunned. “You would feed me…? As one of yours…? I… I am not yours… Am I?”

 

“You are now, Ji.” Kicota replied as she retracted her tongue to take a bite to pass to the young one. “You are my responsibility. Your swarm queen has proven to me that she is incapable of being trusted, or taking care of her own.” She passed the bite to Ji, who ate slowly and then swallowed carefully. Kicota nodded. The young one was not stupid. “I will take care of you.”

 

“What do I say?” Ji asked in a daze. “What do I do? They never talked about anything like this when they taught me etiquette…”

 

“This is a unique situation, Ji. “ Kicota replied as she stroked the young one’s carapace again. Ji relaxed as the massage soothed her. “You can choose to accept, or not. I recommend you accept.” There was no menace in her words, but no mercy either. If Ji didn’t accept, Kicota would have no choice but to kill her. The queen would make it quick and merciful, but still… Ji was silent for along moment before replying in a formal voice.

 

“I accept.” Ji ate what was provided and then drank what Kicota gave her. The queen did it in slow, careful pieces, small enough to be easy to swallow, large enough to nourish. Ji finally nodded and sat down to digest it. After a few moments she spoke again. “Did they kill my mother? She… She thought they would.”

 

“We think so, Ji.” Kicota said gently. “Nana is dead, that we know. Istara believes they did. But why would they do that? Unless they were fighting… well… us…” Kicota made a soft noise of remembered pain. Thousands of years of hive mind linked madness was not forgotten in a few months of sanity. “The non-mad members of our race don’t kill each other.”

 

“She said they were going to do something awful.” Ji replied, her voice strengthening. “She said it wouldn’t likely work anyway, all it would do is cost a young human her self and sanity. She disagreed vehemently with their decision. She… She…” Ji was shuddering now and Kicota held her as the younger insect tried to regain control of herself. “She told me it was wrong, what they were planning. That the Seven would never forgive it.”

 

“They won’t.” A new voice came from nearby and both insects turned to see Sharra Kalenath enter the nesting chamber. “Good morning Ji. Is Sarai awake, Kicota?”

 

“Not yet, but soon, Sharra.” Kicota replied as Ji tried to make herself very small. “I ordered some porridge and soup, it’s on the tray by the door.” Kicota shook her head as the young bug in her grip tried to shy away as Sharra came closer. “Easy Ji, she won’t hurt you.”

 

“Not unless you deserve it.” Sharra agreed quietly as she laid a gentle hand on Ji’s carapace. “Or you roll in filth again. Don’t do that.” This last was a command, but in a humorous tone.

 

“I…” Ji shook herself and calmed slightly. “I won’t… matriarch Kalenath.”

 

“Call me Sharra, Ji.” Sharra said gently as she came close and the bug gave a squeak as Sharra hugged her gently. “You are part of the family now. I…” Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the shriek of fear that came from nearby. “Sarai!” Sharra ran towards the room, followed by Kicota, Ji trailed along behind, but stopped when the guards by the door blocked her path. Their weapons were pointed at her.

 

“I’ll just…” Ji said slowly as she took a careful step back. “Wait here…” She sank onto her haunches only to stiffen as Kicota came back to the door.

 

“No, let her through. She needs to see what her former swarm has done.” Kicota’s voice was sad and somber now. “Come Ji.”

 

Ji stepped forward, her posture frightened as the huge guards made way for her. They were even larger than Kicota, so they dwarfed her. Kicota took Ji’s manipulators in hers and pulled her into the room. Ji went rigid in shock as she saw Sharra sitting on the bed, holding…

 

“Oh my god… I am sorry, sister.” Ji’s voice was soft, and then her fear was replaced by rage. “What can I do? Tell me what I can do…”

 

The form that looked up at her was barely recognizable as having been human. The girls face was much more insect-like now, triangular with the mandibles under the six eyes that made up a Sitolon’s vision apparatus. Antennae had sprouted fully from her head and she bowed her head again. She was making sobbing noises into Sharra’s shoulder. Not that she could cry anymore. The rest of her body was covered in chitin now, and various bumps and protrusions proclaimed her change accelerating.

 

“There has to be something we can do…” Ji cried as she took a step forward, wanting to help, to console. “Please…”

 

“There is a tray just outside, Ji.” Kicota said quietly. “Can you get it and bring it in?”

 

“As you command…My queen…” Ji replied with one final despairing look at what had been a young human girl. “Anything I can do to help.” As she stepped outside, she heard the girl speak in an odd tone, halfway between human and Sitolon speech patterns.

 

“Who is that?” The hybrid being asked in a dazed and scared voice. “I don’t recognize her.”

 

“My queen?” Ji looked at Kicota who nodded. “My name is Ji.” The young insect said as she brought the tray in and carried it towards the bed. “I am a sister of yours now. I am sorry… Sarai…is it?”

 

“That… was my name…” Sarai said in a tone of fear and shock. “Now? I…don’t know…”

 

“That is still your name.” Ji replied as she set the tray down. “No one will dare to take your name from you, sister. Not while I live.” She did not expect the hybrid being to hiss.

 

“Why do you call me sister?” Sarai said in a tone of disbelief. “I had no family until Maria adopted me, until Sharra and Will took me in when she died. And now I am a monster.” Sharra hugged her but Sarai was not mollified.

 

“No, you are not.” Ji replied tautly before Sharra or Kicota could. “You have had something monstrous done to you. You are not a monster. You need to eat, sister. Come… eat…”

 

“I… I can’t eat like this…” Sarai said as she crumbled into Sharra’s embrace. Both older females looked at Ji who snarled at Sarai. Sarai for her part jumped. “What?”

 

“So you are just going to give up? Let the scum who did this unforgiveable thing to you win? What kind of fighter are you?” Ji asked in an acid etched tone. The she relaxed and her tone eased a little. “Eat, sister.” Sarai looked at Ji and then sighed. She sat still while Ji filled a straw and held it out to her, then sipped it gingerly. Ji did this again, and again, until Sarai pushed the straw away.

 

“I can’t eat anymore.” Sarai said in a dazed tone. She nodded to Ji who put the straw aback in the bowl she had gotten it from and covered it up. “Thank you.”

 

“You are welcome.” Ji replied as she came back to the bed. “You need your strength for what is coming.”

 

“What…” Sarai looked from Kicota to Sharra and back to Ji. “What is coming?”

 

“Sarai…” Kicota said softly.

 

“No.” Sarai said quietly, hugging Sharra again but then moving away for her. “What is coming?”

 

“You haven’t told her?” Ji’s voice was horrified now. “Why not?”

 

“We haven’t had time.” Sharra said in mild reproof. “Things have been a little crazy.” Between Sarai’s collapsing, her starting to change and Ji’s own abrupt arrival… yes things had been nuts.

 

“Ah…” Ji flinched as she realized both the matriarchs were looking at her. “Good point. I apologize if I have transgressed, matriarchs…”

 

“If you had…” Kicota said gently as she moved to stand beside Ji. “…you would know.” A human sounding sigh came from the large bug and she spoke to Sarai. “I know you are scared Sarai, and you have reason. But now, you are awake and aware. We have time to explain. What you are going through is not natural but it follows certain natural paths. Your body is changing into one of us. In the near future, your body will excrete a cocoon and you will sleep for some time while the larger changes take place.”

 

“Like… Like when you molt?” Sarai had been so curious about the Sitolon, Kicota remembered with a pang. Her voice quavered a little. “What am I going to be?”

 

“You will be yourself…” Ji replied before either of the others could. “I…” She shook her head slowly, something was wrong.

 

“Ji?” Kicota asked softly as she moved to take the tray from the younger insect. “What is wrong?”

 

I…” Ji seemed to stiffen and when she spoke again, it was not in her voice. Sharra and Kicota moved between Ji and Sarai but Ji did not move, and the voice… Both knew it!

 

“Greetings to Sarai Kalenath in this time of woe. I am Holianahyatoujikaimnana. I do not know if you remember me or not, but we met once while the doctors were working on you. Before my queen decided on this madness.” The voice sounded both sad and angry now. “I have left another message for your family in the mind of this larva, I hope to get her free, get her clear before they realize what I have done. But this message is for you, Sarai Kalenath. I am so sorry child.” Ji’s posture slumped as if the one who had imprinted the message had. “What they have done to you is unforgiveable. WHY they did it is worse. They seek to control the machines that are the curse of our race through you.” Gasps came from Sarai, Kicota and Sharra. Sharra hugged Sarai tighter. “They speak in platitudes now ‘for the greater good’ and ‘the end justifies the means’. They have forgotten why this whole mess happened in the first place. I have spent many weeks speaking to Agnosa and I understand what they do not. What they have done is awful, what is worse is that it will not work. They have hurt you, with no way to undo what they did, for no gain.” The sheer pain the recorded message was almost palpable.

 

“You must tell your family. They must stay away from Majistrona and her swarm. For so long, they were my swarm, but no longer. If they can do this to an innocent, then they are no kin of mine. I ask for asylum for the larva who bears this message. She is also an innocent. To get her free, I have had to hurt her, to cut her off from our people. She will understand, and likely she will forgive me. But I can never forgive myself. Ji, I know you can hear my words. I am sorry. Protect Sarai, Ji. She will need all the help she can get.” Now the voice turned pensive. “I… My life is forfeit now, for disobeying the queen’s express commands.” Now sorrow was heard in the recorded voice. “Live long and fruitful lives, Ji and Sarai. Stay away from Majistrona and her followers. I am sorry… My daughter… I am sorry I will not see you grow to be an adult, to see you excel the way you will.”

 

“Daughter…?” Kicota’s voice was hushed, awed. But the voice of the dead Sitolon was continuing.

 

“I have left such information as I could acquire in my daughter’s mind. I had to get her away, they threatened her, to keep me in line.” Sharra hissed at that, but remained silent. “They will not keep me in line. What they have done to Sarai is wrong. Why they did it is wrong. I will not remain silent now that my daughter is safe. Please… Matriarch Kalenath, Queen Kicota, if you hear this, keep her safe. They did something to her, something I have been unable to determine the nature of. They cannot track her, or control her against her will, that at least I was able to do. And please… Tell Istara I am sorry and give her my love. My daughter, live well and free. Protect Sarai, she did not deserve this. I am Holianahyatoujikaimnana, former subordinate queen of the homeship hive. But no longer. My mother shall hear my opinion if I have to beat down her door and explain it to her at swordpoint.” With that, Ji fell to the floor, her limbs askew. She shuddered as her air holes were blocked, but did not move.

 

“Ji!” Kicota darted to where the young insect was lying and pulled her up so she could breathe. “Nana was your mother?” She asked as muted sobs came from the bronze skinned bug.

 

“They killed her…” Ji’s voice was soft, scared, young and so alone sounding. “Why did they have to kill her?”

 

“Ji, it’s important. Nana was your mother?” Kicota pressed. “There is only one queen in a swarm.”

 

“Majistrona made me from Nana’s genetic material.” Ji replied in a monotone. “I heard the doctors and caregivers in the nursery talking to her occasionally. She said… She said my mother was too independent. That they needed to control her… That is all I am… a control device!” Now she was wailing in anger and fear. “She taught me, she raised me from the beginning. From the moment I could think, she was there, teaching me, instructing me, answering my questions. And they killed her! I am just a thing to them…”

 

“Maybe to them, Ji.” Kicota soothed the younger bug with gentle massages. “But not to her. And not to us.” Ji stiffened and then, she nodded slowly. She looked at the huge bug that held her gently and then slowly extricated herself from Kicota’s grip. She walked to where Sarai and Sharra were watching her and slowly, stiffly knelt before Sarai.

 

“My sword, my service, my life, my death. I am yours, Sarai Kalenath.” Kicota gasped, but did not move as Ji swore her life to Sarai. “Sword and soul, blood and bone. May my own blade end me if I transgress.”

 

“You are…” Sarai’s voice was awed, scared almost. “Bladeborn…?”

 

“I am. My mother taught me much while I was a larva.” Ji’s voice was hard now. “And I am your sister, sworn to serve, to guard and protect you. Even if my mother had not demanded it of me, what they did to you is unforgivable. By our people’s laws, you are a victim and must be protected until our people can render judgment on the actions of those who hurt you. But no matter what, this will remain. Now and always, I am yours, Sarai.”

 

“I…” Sarai stiffened and her voice turned shrill. “Oh my god… Sharra! Where are you?”

 

“I am right here, Sarai…” Sharra said as she hugged the girl who was her daughter. “What is wrong?”

 

“I can’t see!” Sarai said in a terrified tone. “I could, and now I can’t…I just went blind!” Her hands went to Sharra’s and grasped them tightly, terrified.

 

“Then let me be your eyes.” Ji said in a quiet tone as her antennae came down and touched the girl on the forehead. Sarai gasped and then relaxed. “Better?”

 

“Is… Is that what I look like?” Sarai asked dubiously. She reached up and touched her face and then shivered a little. “You cannot stand that way forever, Ji.”

 

“Watch me.” Ji’s voice brooked no argument. “You are my liege now, Sarai. Anything I can do to help you, to aid you, to comfort you, you have but to ask.”

 

“Ji…” Kicota shook her head. “I am not going to ask if you are sure or not. I can feel your sincerity. But both of you will need medical attention. I will summon Ona.” She chuckled. “I better give her clearance to enter or I will lose a bunch of guards trying to keep her out…”

[kalenath]

“Well, isn’t this interesting.” Another voice sounded and Ji looked with half her eyes. A black furred Bothan in a medical tunic carrying a pack of medical supplies smiled at the odd group as she entered. “Glad you told the guards not to stop me.” Ona of the Bladeborn said as she entered. “I received your summons, Kicota.” She looked at Sarai and the bug who had her antennae on Sarai’s head and paused. “What seems to be the problem?” She asked kindly as she came to the bed.

 

“I can’t see, Ona.” Sarai’s tone spoke of barely repressed terror. “It just… happened. It all went black. Ji here is letting me borrow her eyes.”

 

“Handy ability.” Ona said with no trace of sarcasm. “Kicota… Sharra…? I need some privacy.”

 

“If you need anything at all Ona, feel free to call.” The queen bug rose from where she had been squatting and move dot the door before pausing. “Sharra?”

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.” Sharra said quietly from her seat on the bed. “You saved my life after all, more than once. It’s just…” She broke off as Sarai put her head on the woman’s shoulder.

 

“Mom, it’s okay…” Sharra froze at Sarai’s words. Sarai had never called her ‘Mom’. Always ‘Sharra’, or ‘Ma’am’, never ‘Mom’. “It will be okay.”

 

“I will keep you informed.” Ona said quietly as Sharra hugged Sarai and then rose. Without a word the female human left the room and the door irised shut behind her. “Okay, Sarai, Ji… Let’s see what I can do to help.” Her fingers were gentle as she ran them over the non-human skull that Sarai now possessed. She made a humming noise as she worked.

 

“Ona…” Sarai said in a low tone, so as not to distract the healer.

 

“Yes, Sarai?” The healer said as she nodded and started pulling medical gear from her satchel. “What is it?”

 

“Am I going to die?” She could not keep a quaver from her voice. “I mean… I…” She was shaking now, Ona looked at her and would have spoken, but paused as Ji spoke gently.

 

“Everything mortal dies, Sarai. Galaxies, stars, planets, animals, people… Everything has a finite span. We are born, we live and we die.” But then young Sitolon's voice turned firm. “But you are not going to die any time soon if I have anything to say about it. Let the healer work.”

 

“Wow.” Ona had a hint of appreciation in her voice as she ran a scanner over Sarai’s head. “I couldn’t have said that better myself. What is your name, young queen?”

 

“I am not a queen.” Ji replied calmly. “I am sterile. My name is Ji. I have sworn to Kicota and to Sarai.”

 

“You act like a responsible queen.” Ona replied just as evenly as Ji had spoken. “Responsibility and duty are not empty words around us, and you it seems.” She was careful to avoid the antennae that still touched Sarai’s head as she ran her fingers along it, seeking, scanning, trying to find the problem.

 

“Indeed.” Ji replied as she kept her place. “I have a request of your order, when you have time. But later.”

 

“Later then.” Ona sighed as she sat back. “Sarai… I am sorry. I can’t fix this. Your optic nerves have detached from your… eyes…” She growled slightly. “I am assuming that they will branch out, that they will reconnect. Until then… Until you have finished changing, I could do more harm than good if I try to repair anything.”

 

“Might this be intentional?” Sarai asked delicately. Ji stiffened and Ona looked at her. “After all, what kind of escape would I be able to attempt if I can’t see?’

 

“I…” Ji started to speak and then broke off. “Before this travesty, I would have said ‘No’… But then again, I would have said that none of my people could have done such an evil thing as what they did to you. Until we know what is happening and if it will stop, I will be your eyes.”

 

“Ji…” Sarai’s voice was annoyed now. “You cannot sit there for the rest of my life.” Ji didn’t move and Sarai made a noise somewhere between a snort, a sigh and a groan. “Ji…I…” She gasped as she curled up on herself, making small noises of pain.

 

“Sarai!” Ji cried as she extended her arms to hold the hybrid female up. “Ona? What do I do?”

 

“Lay her down gently on the bed.” Ona replied as she checked a hypospray. “Sarai… You need to sleep now.” Ji lowered Sarai onto the bed and the girl immediately curled into a ball.

 

“No…” Sarai gasped as she curled up tighter. “No, please don’t make me sleep…”

 

“Sarai…” Ona’s voice was gentle and her hands were soothing as they traced the girl’s shuddering form. “You must. Your body is trying to do something it cannot while you are awake.”

 

“Your body is starting to cocoon itself, Sarai.” Ji replied when Ona turned a sorrowful glance her way. “This is proceeding much faster than one of my people would. I believe you will spend at most a day, perhaps two, in the cocoon. I will ward you. You have my word, my liege.” Ona drew a deep breath at the word ‘liege’, but Ji’s focus was on Sarai. “I will ward you.”

 

“No, Ji…” Sarai replied sympathetically, her own pain forgotten at Ji’s fierce words. “You need to heal too. I could feel your own pain through the link you gave me to see through.” A hiss came from Ona, but Ji ignored her. “Ji, please… My mother and Kicota will ward me. You need to heal. Please, Ji…”

 

“I gave you my word.” Ji had no give at all in her voice. “I am not leaving you.”

 

“And if I order you to go?” Sarai said quietly. Ji retreated a step, her posture defiant. “Ji…”

 

“Don’t do this, Sarai…” Ji asked in a dazed and scared voice. “Please, don’t send me away…”

 

“She is not.” Ona replied, her voice gentle and kind. “She is doing what any liege would, a good one anyway. She is taking care of her retainer.” Ji turned an incredulous look at the Bothan, who bowed to her. “She is in no danger, Ji. You are.” Ji retreated a step, holding her claws up in a warding gesture, but Ona did not move.

 

“Ji? What is wrong?” Sarai’s voice was horror-struck. “Ona? What is happening?”

 

“Sarai…It’s okay, we caught it in time.” Ona’s voice was kind. “I wish Mama hadn’t been called away, but I can handle this. Can you sleep or do you need help to sleep?” She sat on the bed beside Sarai and her hand was gentle as it traced the girl’s misshapen head.

 

“I…” Sarai’s voice was tired now. “I can sleep. Ji… Go with her. Heal, my friend. I am not sending you away.”

 

“Promise?” Ji asked in a very young voice.

 

“I promise.” Sarai said and then she sighed and fell unconscious. Ona shook her head slowly and laid the girl out straight before covering her with a sheet that writhed as if alive.

 

“Come Ji.” Ona said as she rose. “Come with me and let us take care of you.” Ji did not move, her face on the girl in the bed, her posture unsure. “Your liege is under close medical scrutiny. No one will dare try and keep you from her. Not now.” Ona laid a gentle hand on the bug’s thorax and winced. “You need help.”

 

“I…” Ji shook her head and then turned to look at the Bothan. “You…sneaky…healer…” She said plainly and then she collapsed in a heap. Ona put away the hypo she had injected the bug with and made a gesture. The slumbering bug rose from the floor, supported by the Force.

 

“Only with those I love girl. Only with those I love…”

[kalenath]

<Four hours later>

 

“How bad is she?” Kicota asked quietly as she entered the medical ward of the renegade battlecruiser Stormhawk. “I could feel her pain, but she controlled it well.”

 

“Bad.” Ona replied as she stripped off the gloves that she had worn while operating. “She didn’t get the chance to mature completely as a larva, did she?”

 

“I don’t know.” Kicota said, her eyes going to the scans of the slumbering insect who lay upside down on the operating table under the scrutiny of a pair of nurses. Sitolon required a somewhat flexible approach to surgery. Even trying to anesthetize one had issues, since they didn’t breath from mouths. “Oh my…” She inhaled sharply as the scans made sense to her.

 

“Yes. Her circulatory system is well developed. Now that we have rerouted her aorta, circulation should be unimpeded.” Ona said as she moved to her desk. “Her brain and nervous systems are fully developed. Her lungs are a bit on the immature side, but should grow now that there is space for them to. The rest…” She shrugged and sat. “We will have to see. I did what I could.”

 

“No one could have done more Ona.” Kicota’s voice was sad now. “No wonder she was such a mess. Her excretory system was incomplete. I could sense there were problems. I intended to call you as soon as we had her stable. But I never dreamed they would be so widespread.”

 

“Well, she is alive.” Ona replied as she scrutinized the readouts. “And she is going to stay that way. She will likely be uncomfortable for some time; I had to move a number of things around to make them fit. Kicota… I didn’t have a choice…” Ona had a sick look on her face now. “I had to remove her reproductive apparatus. It was starting to go septic. It was causing her a great deal of pain and poisoning her. I hated doing it, but I had to. She would have been fertile. If this hadn’t happened, she would have been a queen.”

 

“I know, Ona, I know.” Kicota bowed her head. “Removing her from the protected environment of the nursery and placing her in such a nasty environment for so long… It saved her life, got her to us, but at a dreadful cost…” She sighed and changed the subject. “Sarai is cocooned now. Her body is maturing rapidly, far more rapidly than it should. We are having difficulty keeping her fed.”

 

“At least she doesn’t crave living flesh.” Ona said with a shudder. That was no joke. Kicota’s people had craved living flesh, preferable sentient living flesh, before Samuel Kalenath had cured them of their genetic madness. “Anything I can do to help?”

 

“She is confused when she is awake, which isn’t often. She is calling out for Ji.” Kicota replied unhappily. “When do you think Ji will wake?” Ona sighed.

 

“I don’t know.” The Bothan admitted sorrowfully. “From what I know… A normal one of your people, even a youngling, should be awake by now. As messed up as she was and is inside? If she isn’t awake in three hours I am going to wake her as gently as I can.” The Bothan paused and then spoke again. Tears were streaming down her face as the empathic healer tried to control herself. “She said something, in her sleep, before we put her under completely. She was calling out to her mother, begging her to come back, not to leave her. She called for her mother by name, Kicota.” Kicota sighed and Ona nodded slowly. “I…We need to know. Is she Nana’s daughter?”

 

“Yes.” Kicota replied sympathetically. “Apparently, they cloned her as a control of sorts. Apparently Nana was hard to keep under control.”

 

“I bet.” Ona had met Holianahyatoujikaimnana and had respected the bug. Hearing that she had died had been a blow. How she had died had infuriated the Bothan, as well as many of Istara’s Bladeborn. Which was nothing on how Istara felt. “She is one of us, isn’t she? Even if she does not wear a brand, or carry a blade, she is one of us. You heard what she said to Sarai.” It wasn’t a question.

 

“I heard.” Kicota said calmly. “It is her choice. Not ours.”

 

“Agreed.” Ona replied in an even way. “We will do what we can to aid our new sister and her liege.” She paused as an icon lit on one of the wall screens and she smiled. “She is waking. Come on…”

 

Ona led the way into the surgical suite and waved the nurses out. They left without protest, everyone knew Ona. It was not long before they heard an odd sound from Ji. It was almost a yawn, almost.

 

“Good morning, Ji.” Ona said, careful to stay out of reach. “How do you feel?”

 

“You drugged me…” Ji’s tone said she wasn’t sure how to react. “Why am I upside down?” She asked, trying to right herself.

 

“Easy, Ji.” Kicopta said as she moved to restrain the younger insect. “You needed surgery to correct some issues inside your body. The best way to get at Sitolon anatomy…” She broke off as Ji nodded slightly.

 

“…is from the underside. The carapace is thinner. The best way to anesthetize one of us is gas through the air holes on the underside of the abdomen.” Her eyes turned to Ona and she sighed. “How bad was it, healer? I feel… strange…”

 

“It was bad, Ji.” Ona replied, laying a gentle hand on one of the recumbent bug’s upper arms. “I had to do some major repairs and some serious sleight of hand to get everything to fit right. Good news is you will live. Bad news… You will need quite a bit more corrective surgery eventually.”

 

“I don’t hurt now.” Ji said in a somewhat surprised tone. “How much of that is the drugs?”

 

“Some.” Ona said as she stroked the chitin of Ji’s arm. “Part of it… Ji, I am sorry. I had to remove some things. They were putrefying.”

 

“I understand.” Ji replied. Then she stiffened. “Sarai… I have to…” She tried to get up and stopped as Kicota laid a strong claw on her underside and held her in place almost effortlessly. “Queen… I must…” Her voice broke off in strain as something hurt.

 

“You must heal.” Kicota’s reply brooked no argument. “If you hurt yourself, how can you help Sarai?”

 

“But… My duty…” Ji said almost plaintively. “I must be with her…”

 

“We will move you to her side.” Ona said quietly. “But you must listen to us. Please, Ji.” One’s voice held tears now although she controlled them. She was so empathic it hurt just to listen to her at times. “You nearly died, young one. Do not be stubborn again please. Do not scare us like that.”

 

“I…” Ji slumped in surrender. “I apologize healer. I knew I hurt, but not the extent. I feel… Strange now. But I must be with Sarai.”

 

“We know.” Ona replied kindly. “And we will move you now to her side. But you are not to try and walk. If I have to, I will drug you to keep you from moving. If you try and move, try and walk, you can hurt yourself very badly, and never feel it while the drugs are in your system. Until your body has recovered from my ham handed butchery, you are going to be in pain, and feel very odd. Pain will slow your recovery, so tell me when things start to hurt, okay?”

 

“Okay healer.” Ji said in a small voice. “Sarai called you...Ona? My mother spoke of you. I… I need to talk to one of your masterblades. Whenever it is convenient.”

 

“Only two are available at the moment.” Ona said as she unhooked the various IV and monitor lines in preparation to moving Ji. “Chari is overall charge and Reekia is supervising training in Istara’s absence. But I know either would have time for you. Do you want me to ask when one of them would be available?”

 

“I would appreciate it.” Ji said, trying not to move as Ona worked. “Ona… You had to take them out, didn’t you?” Ona froze in place and Ji continued, her voice sad. “I could tell something was wrong, something was off. It was centered on my reproductive system. Now… It’s not.”

 

“Yes Ji.” Ona said in a sorrowful tone. “I had no choice. They were rotting, killing you.”

 

“I understand, Ona.” Ji’s voice was sympathetic. “I do not blame you. If anything I am grateful. Being a retainer is no place for a reproducing female.” She started to shift in place but stopped at a cough from Kicota.

 

“Ji…” Kicota’s voice was hard now. “If you move, you may start to bleed again. Do not waste Ona’s time.”

 

“Yes, your majesty.” Ji replied in a demure voice. “I will obey the healers, I will do as instructed.”

 

“For how long, I wonder?” Ona said with a smirk as she moved a gurney into position to take the insect. “I don’t know you but I have known a lot of young Bladeborn.”

 

“I…” Ji made a human sounding sigh and then spoke formally. “I will obey your instruction, healer. But I must see to my liege.”

 

“I know.” Ona replied, her face sad but proud. “Okay, let’s get you back to your duty. And remember, if anything hurts or feels wrong, call me at once. You will do Sarai no good if you collapse.”

 

“Listen to the healer, Ji.” Kicoat said sternly as she moved to help shift the younger bug to the gurney. “She knows what she is talking about.”

 

“I always listen to healers.” Ji protested without moving. “I may not do as they wish, but I always listen…”

 

“Well, now you are going listen and to do as I wish. Is that clear, young one?” There was a distinct aura of menace in Ona’s tone now. Ji looked at her before nodding slightly. “Good girl. Let’s get you back to Sarai before she wakes up…”

[kalenath]

Sarai woke up with a scream. She had been sleeping peacefully, and then, she had seen a horrifying image of her, what had Kicota and Ona called Ji? Her retainer? Yes. She had seen a horrifying image of her retainer lying on the floor, her throat chitin cut open, her lifeblood pooling around her slumped form and the knife that Ji had used to end her own life falling from a limp claw.

 

“Ji!” She called, afraid that all she would hear was dead silence. But a soft, gentle voice spoke from nearby.

 

“I am here, Sarai, my liege. Be at peace.” A gentle touch smoothed the folds of silk that covered her and Sarai subsided. “Are you hungry?”

 

“I…” Sarai was quivering with reaction, both at her horrifying nightmare and the fact that yes, Ji was there this time. She remembered calling for Ji and being told that her retainer was in surgery before. “I had a dream… It was…”

 

“Easy…” Ji’s voice was calm and soothing as that same hand soothed her through the silk that surrounded her changing form. “It was just a dream. Just a dream, Sarai. I have bad dreams myself.”

 

“I saw you kill yourself for me, Ji.” Sarai retorted angrily. “Don’t tell me it was just a dream!” A long silence followed her snarled retort and then Ji spoke again.

 

“I cannot say that it is impossible for such a thing to come to pass, Sarai, much as I wish to comfort you.” The insect’s voice was sad now. “But I would have to be given a very good reason. Which I do not have at this moment. Tomorrow? Next year? I do not know. But for now, I am here and you are safe.”

 

“I… I am sorry, Ji.” Sarai felt so weak, so puny now. Everything she was, everything she had wanted to be was gone. Now she was just a misshapen fleshy thing in a pile of silk. “I shouldn’t be angry at you, but it felt so real.”

 

“Have you ever had visions before, Sarai?” Ji asked softly as someone, probably her, moved a flap of silk away from Sarai’s face in preparation for feeding her. “Do you know the difference between a dream and a vision?”

 

“The difference between a dream and a vision?” Sarai asked carefully as a straw found her mouth. She sucked slowly, savoring the rich taste of the soup that passed through her mouth and down her throat. It was odd. She could talk while eating, Sitolon had different anatomy from humans after all, but she was ingrained not to. Finally, she had eaten her fill and the straw withdrew. “I thought only Force users could have visions.”

 

“Actually no.” Ji said softly and that gentle hand or claw was soothing her again. “As I understand it, anyone can have visions. Force user visions are generally clearer however. This may have been your subconscious pulling images out and tweaking them in a dreamscape. Or it may not have been. I do not know. I am… not that well schooled in such things.”

 

“Don’t let me be the cause of your death, please, Ji…” Sarai was fading, she knew she was. But she had to say this. “I couldn’t live with it. Please…”

 

“You are strong, Sarai.” The voice was gentle, soothing now and eased her into sleep again. “Sleep, liege. I will be here when you wake.”

 

Ji felt the being within the cocoon slip into sleep and sighed softly as she pulled away carefully. Ona had allowed her to remain, but she had to stay in a specially made motorized chair that Kicota had asked the Stormhawk crew to fabricate. It supported the young insect’s body gently without blocking any of her airholes and for the moment, she was grateful for the support. She was exhausted. Between the stress of the various things that had happened and Sarai’s infirmity, if it actually was that, Ji was completely drained. She looked up tiredly as the door opened and she paused as Kicota beckoned her out. Instinctively she wanted to obey the queen, but her duty was to Sarai… She slumped, indecisive, until Sharra came in with a smile.

 

“I assume this duty. No harm will come to your liege while I ward.” Sarai’s adopted human mother said formally as she sat by the bed where her daughter slept. “I will call you when she starts to wake. Answer the queen’s summons.” Ji wanted to bow to Sharra, but the chair wouldn’t allow it. Instead she nodded and directed the chair to carefully exit the room, cursing the stupid machine quietly.

 

Ji moved the chair carefully through the obstacle course that was Kicota’s nesting chamber, aware that a path had been cleared for it. Kicota was nothing if not thorough. The silver skinned queen was deep in conversation with another form, one that Ji did not recognize. A female Twilek, red skinned and… Ji stared for a moment before continuing. The sword at her waist proclaimed who she was.

 

“Queen Kicota, Masterblade Chari.” Ji stopped the chair and nodded to them both. “I am honored with this audience.”

 

“Come off it, Ji.” Kicota said sourly. “You asked to talk to a masterblade. Chari is here, but she does not have a great deal of time.” Ji looked at the Twi’lek who scowled, but her scowl seemed forced somehow, as if she were secretly amused.

 

“I will make what time I need.” The masterblade said quietly. “What can I do for you, Ji?”

 

“I have a dilemma, Masterblade Chari.” Ji said as she settled herself in the supports, it did not feel right to be sitting on anything. “My mentor trained me in many things, but it was all mental. I do not know if any of it has transferred to the physical. She taught me many things about the Code. But I have not faced a Trial.” Chari had been smiling as Ji had spoken, but at the end of her sentence, Chari’s face froze.

 

“Ji…” Kicota’s voice was worried.” You are in no shape to be doing anything for the moment.”

 

“I know.” Ji replied quietly. “But I must do this, soon. Masterblade…?” She looked at Chari who was scrutinizing her.

 

“You will need to heal, and then be tested.” Chari said after a few moments of scrutiny. “The Trial is dangerous enough when the seeker is hale. But I see no reason to say no, sister.”

 

“I thank you, masterblade.” Ji replied in formal tones. “And now… I must speak of a worry I have. You heard what Sarai said?” Both of the females in front of her nodded. “I believe it was a vision, I felt a disturbance in the Force. She has the Force. She did not before this, did she?” The masterblade and queen looked at each other and Ji nodded. “We must help her.”

 

“We will.” Chari’s voice held no qualms at all. “Ji, hold out your arm.” Ji held out her lower manipulator and Chari took it in gentle hands. A pulse of power was felt and then Chari released it. “Well met, initiate Ji.”

 

“I am honored.” Ji replied formally as she retracted her arm, now with the markings of the Bladeborn indelibly imprinted on the chitin. “I must return to Sarai but I need to give you the message I have for you as well, Queen Kicota.”

 

“I ask you to wait until we know that Sarai is out of danger.” Kicota replied with a trace of command in her voice. “One problem at a time, eh, Ji?”

 

“One problem at a time, queen Kicota.” Ji nodded to both since she still could not bow and turned the chair to go back into the room with her liege and her liege’s mother. One problem at a time…

Edited August 14, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

This time when Saria woke, she knew something had changed. Besides her. Something was pushing her to move, to pull, to be free of the clinging thing that held her. She grunted with effort as she tried to move her body and then relaxed as a soft voice came to her auditory apparatus.

 

“Good morning, Sarai.” Ji’s voice was calm, gentle and soothing as always. “Is it time?”

 

“How should I know?” Sarai protested halfheartedly. “I feel… odd. But then again, nothing about this whole thing is normal.” She sighed and then pushed hard with her… her claws. She could tell she was larger than she had been, but how much bigger she had no idea. She could feel the things at the ends of all four arms now. She could feel the edges of her sanity start to fray but she relaxed as Ji spoke softly.

 

“I am here, Sarai. You are safe.” A feeling of joy and well being swept through her. Ji must have connected her mind to Sarai’s again. It felt good…safe… “It’s okay, my liege. You must do this, and then we can help you.”

 

“What I wouldn’t give…” Sarai grunted with effort as she forced her claws to dig deep into the thick silk surrounding her. “…For a lousy can opener. Or a pair of scissors…”

 

“You have claws now, Sarai.” Ji’s voice was calm and gentle. “Use them. Open them and close them, they will cut.” Saria cursed in Huttese, she had been learning a lot of things around the Bladeborn, and closed what would have been her fingers. A sudden tearing sound had Ji exclaim in joy. “That’s it! Sarai, that’s it. Keep it up!”

 

“This not as easy as it looks, Ji!” Sarai complained as she fought the silk that held her. “Why can’t you help me again?”

 

“Part of it is traditional. Part is evolutionary. You have to be strong enough to get out, or… you won’t survive.” Ji replied. “I can offer encouragement, advice… But…” Suddenly her voice was sad. “I won’t leave you to face it alone.” She continued almost inaudibly. “Like I did.”

 

“Ji…” Sarai paused her struggles. “You… Oh my god… You were alone in the pod when you did this, weren’t you?”

 

“Less talking, more cutting, Sarai.” Ji said in a snarky voice. “Come on, they are holding dinner for you and me. The sooner you get out of that mess, the sooner we can eat. I don’t know about you, but I am hungry!”

 

“You did this…Alone and in the dark…?” Saria wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but pain was high on the list. She tore at the bonds holding her and quickly her claws reached through the cocoon that held her. In moments she was struggling to pull her head from it and shook her head as she got a face full of something nasty. “Gah! This stuff stinks…” She struggled to get the rest of it off of her.

 

“What do you expect?” Ji asked sourly. “You have been living in it for the last two and half days.”

 

Sarai paused and then raised her head to look at the being who had become more than a friend, more than a retainer. She stepped carefully out of the remnants of the cocoon and took a shaky step towards Ji who knelt formally.

 

“Well met, my liege.” Ji said, bowing her head. “I offer again, myself and service.”

 

“They let you out of the chair?” Sarai asked softly as she looked at Ji with more than the two eyes she had been born human with. She looked at Ji and then down at herself. “I…What the…?” Her skin was not silver, black, bronze or any other normal Sitolon color. It was gold! “Ji…?” Her voice was tautly controlled. “What am I?”

 

“You are Saria, my friend and liege.” Ji said as she rose slowly to meet Sarai’s eyes calmly. Then her voice turned humorous. “Who else would you be?”

 

“You…are bad…” Sarai said as she tried, without success to keep from laughing. “Come here…” She opened her four arms and Ji came into them slowly, carefully. They embraced slowly, carefully. “Thank you, sister.” She said softly into Ji’s ear hole. Then she stiffened. “Ji... What is wrong?”

 

“I don’t know.” Ji said quietly. “The adults won’t tell me. You needed me. I guess… I guess I was hurt worse than I thought.” She did not resist as Saria held her at arm’s length and looked her over.

 

“You look fine, externally.” Sarai was confused. Something was wrong. “Ji… Are you in pain?”

 

“A bit.” Ji replied as she stepped away from Sarai slowly. “You likely will find many things come naturally. Try walking to me.” Sarai looked at her and Ji indicated the floor. “Please?”

 

“You are not worried about what they have not told you?” Sarai asked as she took a cautious step and then another. Four legs made for very solid balance but it took a little getting used to. She had to move one, and then the opposite diagonal one, then to repeat. “This is… strange…”

 

“They likely have a good reason for not telling me. I am more worried about you, Sarai.” Ji’s voice was quiet as Sarai walked stiffly to her. “It will come naturally, give it time.”

 

“How long were you in that pod alone, Ji?” Sarai pressed. “You woke up and emerged from your larva sack alone and in the dark. How long?”

 

“I don’t know.” Ji replied. “If you are done discussing history, we have a meal waiting.”

 

“This discussion is not over, Ji.” Sarai shook herself, and froze as she felt things shift on her body. “Is this normal?”

 

“Is anything about you normal, Sarai?” Ji asked in a wickedly humorous tone. Sarai barked a laugh and Ji nodded. “Your body will settle. Give it time.” She opened the door and walked out before Sarai. She spoke as Saria approached the door. “Matriarchs, I give you my liege, Sarai.”

 

Sarai stepped out after Ji and stopped as she saw Sharra and Kicota standing in the middle of the nesting chamber. Sarai’s eyes were so sharp she could see each and every single imperfection on the walls. She could see the tracks of tears down Sharra’s face, even in the half darkness that shrouded the chamber. She could see Kicota’s antennae come forward and then go back. Sarai took a step and stopped.

 

“I don’t know what to do…” Sarai said softly. “I have no wish to give offense…”

 

“Ji…” Kicota spoke softly but clearly. “Instruct our sister on the proper etiquette.” Sarai bristled, but then relaxed herself consciously. She was a newcomer onto Kicota’s turf, she had to play by the queen’s rules.

 

“When a queen comes into the territory of another queen…” Ji said softly. “...strict protocol must be followed.” She paused as Sarai recoiled slightly. “Sarai, be at peace.”

 

“I am a queen?” Sarai stared at herself. She couldn’t tell any difference. “No… No, this cannot be…”

 

“Sarai…” Kicota said softly. “It is not your fault.” She paused as Sara, dredging up protocol from somewhere inside her mind, went to her knees before the older queen. “Sarai! No!”

 

“One queen… One swarm…” Sarai said softly as her claws sought the chitin over largest artery they could reach. “I will not…” She broke off as strong claws took hers in hand and held her despite her struggles. The silver skinned queen held her in place easily, both Sharra and Ji staring in horror as the two queen’s struggled. “Kicota… I must…”

 

“You must…” The older queen said implacably. “…relax. You are reacting on instinct. Instinct that is not applicable here, Sarai. We are not in conflict, sister, daughter. Please, Sarai… Hear me…” The sheer pain in the older queen’s voice brought Sarai up short.

 

“I could… cause problems for you. I could… I don’t want to hurt you or yours!” Sarai wailed. “I…”

 

“Sarai…” Kicota’s voice was gentle now. “Trust me.” Her antennae came down and touched Sarai on the head. Peace and well being flooded through her, calming, relaxing the scared young queen. “Easy, daughter. That rule was from our earliest days. A very uncivilized time. It governed the problems that could happen when there were two mature queens in a swarm. I don’t think you are ready to bear young yet, are you?” The queen’s voice was humorous.

 

“I…No.” Sarai sighed and slumped. When she spoke again, her voice held rueful humor. “I just made a complete fool of myself, didn’t I?”

 

“Welcome to my world, Sarai.” Kicota said with an evil chuckle. “You okay now?”

 

“I think so. How many more landmines am I likely to step on in this… mess…?” Sarai asked petulantly as the elder queen released her and stepped back. “I don’t want to cause problems.”

 

“You won’t. And even if you do, we will deal with them.” Kicota promised. “Come, we all could use a meal. I think Ji has a message for us to hear.”

 

“Sharra…I…” Sarai rose slowly and did not move as Sharra came close. “I don’t know what to say or do.”

 

“Then don’t say anything.” Sharra said as she embraced the golden skinned insect, eliciting a yip of dismay from Sarai who froze in place, afraid of hurting her. “You are still Sarai, still my adopted daughter, not matter your form.” Sarai paused for a moment before slowly and gently embracing the human woman who still loved her.

 

“Indeed.” Kicota said kindly as she started towards where a meal was laid out so that all could get at it easily. “We are all family now. On that note, let’s eat!”

[kalenath]

It took a great deal of getting used to. Sarai mused as she ate carefully. This body was so different, but it felt…right, as odd as that sounded to her. Everything fit, she didn’t actually stumble over anything when she walked, if she let it… Her musing broke off as she felt something touch her mind. A whisper of thought quested through her that was not hers. At first she thought it was Ji or Kicota asking a personal question, but then she stiffened. It wasn’t either of them!

 

Child, we must speak with you. You remember me. Sarai tried to speak, and found that she couldn’t. She remembered Majistrona’s voice. Her body continued to eat, and the others continued to talk quietly amongst themselves. Sarai, we need to talk. She saw Ji looking at her but she couldn’t speak aloud, even to her retainer. She felt fear and then she felt anger. It is all right child, we mean no harm…

 

No harm? Sarai snarled inside her mind. No harm? She asked incredulously. You have an odd definition of ‘no harm’, Majistrona. I trusted you! The pain in her mental tone shook Sarai, and then she focused herself as the Bladeborn had taught her. Get out of my mind!

 

Sarai, please listen. Majistrona’s voice was sad and sick now. You must listen. We need you.

 

To bear young or to be a key? Sarai replied with heat. You killed your own daughter, you witch! Why the hell would I trust you?

 

Nana… Majistrona’s mental voice was very sad now. She rebelled. We did not have a choice but to sequester her. We did not slay her. Sarai, please listen. You are far more important than you know.

 

Oh, yeah. The bitterness in Sarai’s mental tone could have cut permacrete. You want me to throw myself at the nanite swarm. She felt shock from the hivemind and she continued sourly. You know, if you had asked, I might have done as you wished. But you didn’t. I couldn’t be trusted to do as you wished, so you changed me against my will. I trusted you, you violated that trust. So my only response to you now and forever is this: Flarg you! She screamed in her mind with enough force that she was left shaking. She jumped as four gentle arms enfolded her.

 

“Easy…” Kicota’s voice was soft and gentle as Sarai shuddered in her grip. “That was… impressive. Most impressive.”

 

“Ki…Kicota…” Sarai was shivering now, her energy spent. “Did you hear her?”

 

“No.” Kicota said as she rubbed Sarai’s carapace gently, stimulating circulation. “I assume it was Majistrona.”

 

“She…” Sarai was relaxing now. “I couldn’t talk. I tried. I really tried…”

 

“Shhh…” Kicota soothed the younger queen with gentle voice and touch. “It’s okay. You threw her out. I heard you say ‘Flarg You’. Actually I bet every single Sitolon in the hivemind heard that as loudly as you projected it. Well done. I will teach you how to keep her out. Part of it is instinctive, as you just showed. Part is training, which I will give you. But for now…” Something warm and soothing settled over Sarai and she relaxed fully as the warmth permeated her body. “She can’t touch you or take control of you again unless you choose to let her in.”

 

“Thank you.” Sarai said gratefully. “It was odd though. She sounded…scared.”

 

“As well she should be.” Sharra said as she stepped closer, her hand tracing Sarai’s left lower manipulator. “After what she did to you, none of us want anything to do with her, and if Will finds her… Well… Things are going to go boom.”

 

“I don’t know.” Sarai said softly. “It didn’t feel like she was afraid for herself. I couldn’t tell what she was afraid for.” She sighed. “Will your shield hold her out?” She asked Kicota as the older queen withdrew a step.

 

“Yes, for now.” Kicota nodded to Sarai and resumed her spot. “Of course, if that echutta is capable of anything in the very near future, I would be surprised. The sheer power you threw at her stunned meand I wasn’t even the target.” The droll humor in her tone had both Sharra and Ji chuckling. “Remind me not to tick you off anytime soon.”

 

Sarai was chuckling as she went back to her meal. It was very odd, having four arms instead of two. But it worked. She finished her meal and looked up to find Ji watching her.

 

“I failed you…again…” Ji’s voice was soft, sad. Sarai didn’t hesitate, she moved to stand beside her retainer and hugged her. “Sarai…”

 

“Not your fault, Ji.” Sarai said gently. “Not your fault at all. Okay…” She looked at Kicota who nodded to her and Sharra who also nodded. “I think we are ready for your message.”

 

“Finally.” Ji said in a sour voice. “This compulsion has been tickling away at my mind ever since I woke up in the pod.” She paused as Sarai snickered. “What?”

 

“Are Sitolon ticklish?” Sarai asked in a devilish tone. She stopped as Kicota and Sharra both glared at her. She laughed self consciously. “Well… I have always wondered…”

 

“No, Sarai.” Ji replied with solemn dignity that was undone when she snickered as well. “We are not.” Then she sobered. She bowed her head and assumed a formal stance. Sarai moved to sit beside Kicota and the elder queen laid an arm over the younger one. When Ji spoke again, it was in the voice of a dead being.

 

“Greetings. I am Holianahyatoujikaimnana. I expect that this message is being heard by Kicota. I hope that Sarai and Sharra Kalenath are also hearing this. I have left this message in the mind of my daughter, a being created for the purpose of keeping me in line. It was not an onerous burden, being a mother and mentor, but the shackles were there even if they could not be seen. I bear ill tidings. We have all been misled.”

 

A pin dropping the nesting chamber old have sounded like a grenade going off in the silence that followed that soft statement. Sarai looked from Sharra to Kicota, but both were focused on Ji and Sarai turned her head back to look at Ji who was speaking again.

 

“I am sorry. Words cannot say how sorry I am. I tried to get them to see reason, to understand. I was different from my kin. I was never content to stay and work. I wanted to see what was out there. I wandered the galaxy for centuries, seeking answers, seeking some form of enlightenment. But when my queen -my mother- called, I returned to the swarm, only to find it not as I had left it. Maybe it was me who had changed, I don’t know. I could not simply obey without question as I had when I was a youngling. Maybe I was corrupted by such thoughts as freedom of speech, freedom of expression… I don’t know. I do know that I did not fit in. They tried to make me welcome again, make me fit, and I could not. So they…” The voice broke off for a moment and then resumed. “They tried harder to make me fit. My mother decided that I needed something else to focus on so they made a new life from my cells. They decided that I needed to learn responsibility. They made me a mother against my will.”

 

Again, that horrified silence rang through the chamber. Sarai shivered little, and then felt warm bodies on both sides of her. Now Nana’s voice was sad, but proud.

 

“Don’t get me wrong. I love Ji. She is the brightest star in my life. Even Istara, as smart and strong as she is, cannot compare to my daughter. No other being in the galaxy is as smart, as skilled, as funny or as beautiful as Ji. Of course, I may be a bit biased.” A sad laugh came from Ji’s mouth. “She may not understand what has happened. I hope she does not understand. Now, I must get her to safety. Things have become simple again, and at the same time much more complex. The Seven are rising and my people are reacting as I feared they would. This message must reach the Seven. ‘You have been lied to’.”

 

Again a pause and this time, Sarai was watching Ji as the young insect shuddered a little from the strain. She tried to send energy to her retainer and was not sure if she succeeded, but Ji did straighten.

 

“You have been told, ‘The Seven will rise and the galaxy will quake at their footsteps. One to kill, one to mirror, one to focus, one to guard, one to guide, one to love, one to remember. The threat will be conquered and peace will return.’ This is…not the whole truth. The whole prophecy is: ‘The Seven will rise and fall. The first will fall mortally struck as he kills, the second will fall into the darkness that consumes her soul. The third will be struck down by the fourth while she is focused. The fourth will slay herself in remorse. The fifth will be burned alive by his own inner fire and the sixth… she will be cast forever into the void, to cry her lament throughout eternity. The seventh…she will forget all that she is and was. She will be a computer, no longer a living soul, just a shell. This is the only way to beat the horror that is coming. This is the fate of the Seven.’.”

 

“Oh my god…” Sharra’s voice was horrified. “Will, Nia… No…” She was crying and Sarai leaned close to the woman who had been so kind to her. She hugged Sharra and she felt Kicota join the hug.

 

“I am sorry.” Nana’s voice continued from Ji. “I wish I had better tidings. My people have hidden this prophecy. They believe the threat can be stopped another way. This is why they altered Sarai. She will be unique, a key, if you will. My people will do whatever it takes to get the poor girl back, to try and stop the prophecy. They believe they can, they are wrong. They are so wrong. If Firdlump gets his hands on Sarai, he will use her to try and control the nanite swarms. But it won’t work. I don’t know a lot, but I do know that. They have ignored the fact that he has changed the codes. Even if Saria can access the machines due to her genetics, she cannot command them and would be consumed. I do not know who Agnosa was, she was not a healer, no matter her protestations. She knows too much about the nanites to have been a simple healer, even one who was lost to her own ambition as she claims. It is unimportant. Her desire to stop the machines is fervent, making her my one true ally in this mess. She has protested as strongly as I have, and she has been censured as strongly as I have been for defying the will of the swarm. But I cannot, indeed I will not stand by and let this travesty go unchallenged. No matter what, I am still what I was when I left the swarm as a youngling. Loyalty. Duty. Honor. Respect. Vigilance. Prowess. Humility. Courtesy. Valor. Service. Sacrifice. I am Bladeborn and there is a clear evil being done here, to an innocent no less. I will make sure Sarai and Ji get clear and then I will act. Perhaps I cannot win, perhaps trying to make the queen see reason is a fool’s errand, perhaps all I can do is send my daughter off to safety while I die heroically, or stupidly. But it does not matter. I am Holianahyatoujikaimnana, proud mother of Ji and warrior of the Bladeborn. No matter what, the swarm will remember this day. I love you Ji. Live well, my daughter.”

 

Ji stopped talking and the collapsed in heap. Sarai was at her side in an instant holding her as the bronze skinned insect shuddered in grief. Sarai held Ji for several minutes before she spoke.

 

“Queen Kicota.” She felt Ji stiffen under her, but kept grip gentle. “Is it possible that I am a key of some kind?”

 

“Possible? Yes.” Kicota replied after a moment of thought. “Probable? I don’t know. This is… unsettling.”

 

“Then we had better find out.” Sarai said in the silence that greeted the queen’s words. “And you, Ji… have a Trial to face.”

 

“My liege… I…” Ji looked up into Sarai’s eyes and stopped.

 

“Your mother was one of the greatest beings I have ever been privileged to meet, Ji.” Sarai’s voice was quiet now. “And I will need your guidance when I join the Bladeborn. Because I need the focus now more than ever.”

 

For just a moment, silence reigned in the nesting chamber before storm of protests flew from Sharra and Kicota. But Ji just met Sarai’s eyes calmly and nodded. She knew.

Edited August 14, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

Sarai was actually quite used to this feeling. But she never liked feeling helpless. She focused her mind as her instructors had taught and concentrated on her breathing again. After a moment, she stilled, her mind and body going slower and slower as she sought the peace that had eluded her. Finally, she let the breath that she had been holding out and opened her eyes to darkness. The blindfold that covered all of her eyes was thick. She nodded slowly and felt the instructor look at her and nod. A whistle was the only warning she had, but it was enough.

 

A wooden sword came in from her left aiming at her front leg to disable her, slow her down. She countered, her left side blade coming out of its scabbard in an arc that both parried and countered the attack. Then she felt an attack coming from the back. Her right side sword came out and went back, without conscious thought. The impact jarred her arm, but she threw her opponent back. Then attacks were coming from both sides, from the front, from the back, all around her. She was pressed to her limits, trying to stop all of the blades, but that was impossible. One managed to get through her guard, slamming into her right arm with enough force to momentarily stun it, the training blade falling from nerveless fingers. Her lower right arm came up in a warding move and a sword bounced off the heavy claw with a crack. She focused, trying to block with her left side sword, and then another hit got through, this time on her left rear leg, she went down, but her blade was still up and blocking. She fought on, trying to keep from crying out as more and more hits scored her carapace. Then…

 

<Enough.> The harsh bark from the instructor cut through the hubbub like a lightsaber. Saria’s blindfold flew off into the hands of the female Wookiee who knelt in front of the dueling circle, watching.

 

All motion stopped and all six of her opponents froze, two in mid swing. They all retreated a step and bowed to the kneeling instructor. Sarai rose slowly, her leg hurting like fire and bowed formally to the instructor before assuming a ready position. She did not wince, did not even move as the instructor rose for her kneeling position and strode to where Sarai was standing. Reekia, training master for Istara’s Bladeborn walked around Sarai shaking her head.

 

<That was…> Reekia’s voice was sour. <…acceptable, I suppose. You should have taken more time to get used to this form, initiate.> Saria did not move or speak, she knew better. She bit back a cry as a steel blade tapped her sore leg. <Bruised, not broken.> The Wookiee’s voice was soft. <Good thing too, do you have any idea what Ona would do to us? Let alone Kicota or Sharra?> The Wookiee was smiling somewhat sadly as she resumed her spot. “You cannot push yourself beyond your limits, Initiate Sarai. You will hurt yourself if you continue this recklessness.> Sarai bowed, accepting the rebuke. <This portion of the Initiate’s Trial is done. Your next test awaits.> Reekia waved and Sarai bowed formally before leaving through the hole that formed in the ring of Bladeborn that surrounded her. As she left, she heard Reeki’s soft words. <May the Force be with you, young one. You will need it…>

 

When Sarai entered the next testing chamber she found the room pitch black. She took a step in and did not flinch as the door hissed shut behind her. Istara had instituted a number of changes in the way that Bladeborn did things. With knowledge she had gleaned from the Sitolon, Istara had reintroduced a number of trials that initiate Bladeborn were supposed to face before they could even think of facing the actual Trial that would make them full-fledged Bladeborn. The idea was to cut down on the number of initiates that went mad during their Trial and it seemed to work. None of the initiates had been permanently harmed in the Trials since Istara had taken over. Not all had passed, but none had gone mad, and all would be able to retake their Trial, eventually. She looked around, but saw nothing. Sitolon eyes were good, but she needed SOME light. She called on the Force, but it felt fuzzy, as if…

 

“You are stupid.” Sarai froze at the voice that came out of the darkness. Sara? “Pitiful, pathetic little girl. Why don’t you run home to your new mama?”

 

“Sara…?” Sarai slumped in place, her hearts throbbing. “No. I won’t argue with you.”

 

“Always whining. Always crying for Mama.” The girl who she had been genetically changed to mimic’s voice was scathing now. “You are a wimp! Run along home, little girl. Leave the adult matters to the adults.”

 

“Sara, no…” Sarai felt sorrow come, but let it pass by. “I won’t fight you.” She bit back a scream as something slammed into her. She hadn’t sensed an attack. “Sara… no… I won’t fight you.”

 

“I know.” Sara’s voice was mocking now. “It burns you doesn’t it? To know the truth.”

 

“Sara…” Sarai breathed slowly, trying to retain her focus. “No… This is a trick, a trap…” Now something hit her sore arm and she could not restrain a groan that made it past her control.

 

“Weak, silly little girl.” Sara’s voice was circling her in the darkness now. “What did Mom see in you? You are nothing but a copy! A pale, weak copy!”

 

“That is not true, Sara.” Sarai said without moving. She was being baited. “Maria loved me. Not as much as she loved you, for you were her birth daughter, but she loved me.” Something slammed into her again, this time on her bad leg and she went down momentarily, but rose slowly.

 

“Liar.” The voice was seeping into her head now. “Weak, little copycat liar. You never loved her. You just wanted someone to protect you. Someone strong and daring like you could never be.”

 

“I…” Sarai felt rage boil up inside her, but then she paused as she thought about that. When she spoke it was sad and sincere. “You are right.”

 

“What?” The voice from the darkness sounded unsure now.

 

“Maybe I am weak, Sara. If you really are Sara.” Sarai said softly, sadly. “But I wanted stability. I wanted peace, and comfort, and Maria gave me that. I needed a rock to lean against and she gave me that. If that makes me weak, so be it. But I loved her for it. And I miss her. Oh my god I miss her…” She couldn’t withstand the grief that flew through her; she collapsed to her knees, keening softly. “She was the only strong thing in my life, and now she is gone and I couldn’t do anything… I...” She shook herself and focused, falling to pieces would not help. She rose slowly to her feet and her voice turned hard. “But she taught me things as well. Go ahead, hit me again… Hurt me again. Go ahead, call me names, and hurt me as only a sibling can. But you will not break me. You will not break my love for her, for you. You will not…” She broke off as the room suddenly became bright and a black robed form with its face hooded was standing just out of reach. Now her voice was hard. “You will not change me.”

 

“Good.” Sara’s voice came from under the hood. “Well done, sister.” She reached up and lowered her hood. Sarai was stunned to see her sister crying softly. “I am sorry, Sarai… They needed to push you emotionally and this was the best way.”

 

“Sara…” Sarai’s voice was horrified and then it softened. “Come here…” She held out all four hands and Sara came into her embrace gratefully. But Sarai stiffened, what she felt from Sara was a muddled mess of jagged emotions and raw feelings. ”Oh my god, Sara… what has happened to you?”

 

“I am growing up, Sarai.” Sara replied as she hugged the insect that had been her foster sister. “My body is changing, not as drastically as yours did, but significantly. They say I will likely be ready to face my own Trial in a year or so. They think my system will stabilize about that time. I hope so. Until then, I must remain as I am, solitary. I have my books, I have my studies, and I have the Bladeborn. I am learning so much, about things I had no clue about.”

 

“Oh Sara…” Sarai was shuddering as she held her sister. “I have been so scared for you. Are you happy?” She asked softly.

 

“Happy?” Sara shook her head. “No. But happiness is not the be all and end all of our existence. I am content.” Sarai looked at her and Sara smiled. “Oh, I have the odd bad day, the odd mood. But I would not give up being an adult for anything. There is so much to learn, Sarai, so much to see and do. I guess in a way, I am happy. Are you?”

 

“Not really.” Sarai admitted a bit sourly. “So many changes, so quickly… I am kind of punch drunk by it all. But all I can do is keep going.”

 

“Yeah, that is all any of us can do sometimes.” Sara replied softly as she hugged her adopted sister again. “Be well, Sarai Kalenath. I know mom is proud of you, no matter where she is now.” Then, like a waft of a dream, she was gone.

 

“Be well, Sara Kalenath Ordo.” Sarai said to the emptiness. “She is proud of you too.” Then the door opened again and a red skinned form entered. Sarai stiffened and then saluted. “Masterblade Chari…”

 

“You have passed the test of endurance; you have passed the test of emotion. Now you must face the test of education.” Chari said with a smile. “Come.” She said with a wave.

 

“Joy.” Saria said with a shudder. “Why do I get the feeling I am going to have a lot of homework after this…?”

[kalenath]

“That was…” Saria was snarling at herself and everything else as she made her way back to the Sitolon section of the ship. “Absolutely unbelievable.”

 

“Was there a problem with the test, my liege?” Ji asked from where she sat. She was still far from fully healed and after she had spent time standing, walking and as a mobile audio recorder, Ona had made her displeasure known quite firmly. Ji was to remain in the chair at all times until further notice. She held a tray holding food and drinks for both of them, Sarai noticed with a pang. “Come, eat.”

 

“No…” Sarai admitted softly as she walked and sat beside Ji’s chair. “Not really. I just… I don’t remember my previous life, so I have no idea if I ever learned where the flarg Bestine is, who the heck was Supreme Chancellor before Janarus, or if I ever really knew what the hell the usual prey of a rancor is. So many questions and I have no idea of I passed the tests or not.”

 

“You passed.” Ji said as she held out a small fruit to Saria who looked at her and then took it and ate a bit of it daintily. Sarai looked at her over the fruit and Ji shrugged with all four shoulders. “If you had failed, they would have told you to seek more training. They didn’t, did they?” Sarai thought about that for a moment, ate the rest of the fruit and then shook her head a little dubiously. “So you didn’t fail.”

 

“But I couldn’t answer half the questions.” Sarai protested as she took a chunk of bread Ji handed her and swallowed half of it in one bite. “What kind of education does that show?”

 

“It shows that you are smart, capable and able to learn.” Ji said quietly as she drank from specialized container intended for Sitolon. “But then again, I knew that. Why do you think I chose you as my liege?” Now her voice was haughty, but marred by a snicker.

 

“And you…Are full of it.” Sarai said with a laugh, her dark mood dissipating. But when it did, she sensed something. This Force stuff was weird, but as predicted, much of it was instinctive to this body. She felt pain from Ji and not just pain. Desolation. “Ji?” She asked softly. “What is wrong?” Ji did not answer, instead the bronze skinned bug took another bite of food and looked away. “Ji…” Sarai’s voice turned hard. “Ji, look at me, please…”

 

“Sarai… I…” Ji’s voice was soft as she did what Sarai ordered. “I don’t want to stress you.”

 

“What is wrong, Ji?” Sarai asked, her feelings suddenly taking a nosedive. She could feel Ji’s concern, her fear, her… “Oh no… Ji…” She dropped her food and reached for her friend. “You didn’t pass, did you?”

 

“I failed the test of endurance.” Ji replied softly as she remained still in Saria’s claws. “Reekia wouldn’t let me proceed. I…” She bowed her head, ashamed. “I couldn’t even hold a sword for five minutes. I am too weak to… to…”

 

“Ji…” Sarai said in a long suffering tone. “You were hurt. Your body has not healed yet.” She broke off as Ji turned away. “Ji?”

 

“I am as strong as I am going to be.” Ji replied softly and sadly. “Some retainer, huh?”

 

“What do you mean, Ji?” Sarai pressed when Ji did not answer her. “Ji?”

 

“I woke alone, in the dark.” Ji was shuddering a little and Sarai took her retainer in gentle arms. “I struggled to get free when no one came at my calls. I didn’t know. I had no idea I woke up early. That I wasn’t supposed to wake for two or three more days. That my changing wasn’t done.” Sarai hissed in horror and Ji’s words tumbled out. “I hurt myself, badly. Ona and the healers here have done what they can, but…” She broke off and slumped. “They can’t fix me, Sarai. I am broken, useless.”

 

“No, you are not.” Sarai said fiercely as she hugged Ji tight. “Our people cannot help you, but I know some people who can.” Ji froze, the only people who could heal her would likely be Majistrona’s swarm… The ones who had…

 

“Sarai… No…” Ji’s voice held honest to the Force fear now. “If they get you…”

 

“They won’t.” Sarai’s voice was flat now. “Come with me.” She rose and waited while Ji activated her chair. Ji tried again.

 

“Sarai…” Ji shook her head. “I know you are stubborn, but these beings have millennia of finding ways to manipulate people like us.”

 

“I know.” Sarai said coldly. “I wonder… Your mother said that they ‘did’ something to you. I wonder what it might have been. Might it have caused your early release from your cocoon? Come with me.” She started off, waiting for Ji to follow in her chair.

 

“What are you going to do, Sarai?” Ji asked after they had gone a few steps. “I mean… These people have a lot of skill in manipulating people like us. What can you do?”

 

“Something rash.” Saria replied in a hard tone.

[kalenath]

I knew you would contact us again. Majistrona’s mental voice was soft and gentle. We need to talk.

 

No. Saria said sternly. I am going to talk, you are going to listen. I know you have been moving things behind the scenes for centuries, so you have probably outthought anything and everything I could possibly do in this situation. Almost.

 

What situation would that be, child? Majistrona’s voice was actually confused. Or sounded that way. We have had no… She broke off as Sarai grunted in pain. What have you done to yourself?

 

Ask your pet seer! Sarai grunted as she forced her pain back. Ask Jainine.

 

Sarai… No… Majistrona sounded horrified now. What have you done?

 

I swallowed a class A thermal detonator right before I contacted you. It is set for deadman activation on a biometric trigger and on a timer. Sarai snarled at the hiss of horror that came from Majistrona. You want me, I want answers. Or I am vaporizing myself.

 

Your parents won’t let you do that. They will stop you. Majistrona said, recovering. They love you.

 

Yeah, which is why I left the Stormhawk an hour ago on a ‘borrowed’ transport. Sarai grunted again, it really hurt, the ball in her gut. But you wouldn’t know anything about that either, would you?

 

Sarai, listen to me, please… Majistrona was pleading now. Right, wrong or indifferent, we did what we did. We do need you. What do you want to know?

 

What did you do to Ji? Sarai cursed as the mental touch withdrew a bit. Damn you answer me! She thundered. I know you foresaw this. I know you planned all of this. Did you plan for me to vaporize myself? Did you plan for that, you evil echutta? I will deny both you and Firdlump the prize that is me, I swear to the Force I will!

 

Sarai… please… don’t… Majistrona’s voice was soft, scared now. I understand your anger, and you have cause.

 

They just told you I am not bluffing, didn’t they? Sarai said with an evil smirk in her voice. Nice having people who can see things in the Force, isn’t it. After all, if you plan for all contingencies, often all you have to do is kill your own fracking daughter! Or leave a larva to wake in the dark, terrified and alone, so that you can manipulate me into doing as you wish. Fine. What. Did. You. Do. To. Ji?

 

We gave her a time release drug that would wake her after three days. Majistrona’s voice was flat now, she was trying to be emotionless, but fear seeped through. We assumed the Stormhawk crew would find her quickly… She broke off as Sarai screamed at her.

 

Don't lie to me, you harpy! Sara took a moment to calm herself before she spoke again. This whole time, this whole thing, you were planning this whole mess, weren’t you? Nana’s rebellion, her secreting her daughter to keep her safe, Ji’s waking in the dark, alone and injuring herself, my change... All this was planned. To get me into your claws. Well… You got what you wanted. You got an Alpha Queen. Well done. And now you have lost her. I will not work with you. Now or ever.

 

Sarai… No… Majistrona’s voice was horrified now. Don’t do this…

 

I know you are tracking the Stormhawk, so do they. Sarai said flatly. I am not aboard it at the moment. They will remain in the Bakura system until you arrive this time. You will rendezvous. You will destealth your ship and shuttle a medical crew over to tend Ji. You will remain under the guns of the Stormhawk until Ji is healed. Then you will leave. If you do anything out of the ordinary, I will blow myself up. I swear it!

 

Sarai… Majistrona sounded as if she was crying now. No…

 

You decided that trust was not important enough to keep. Sarai snarled at her. You hurt someone I care a great deal for. If your medics do anything at all to Ji besides heal her, I will hear about it in moments and I will blow myself up, I swear it to you. If you brainwash her, which I know you can do, despite your precious ethics, I will know about it and I will blow myself up. You have exactly twenty three hours and sixteen minutes to get your team to the Stormhawk, get Ji on the road to recovery and then get the hell out of our lives. Maybe you can track me, disable me, hold me and operate on me to remove the bomb before that. But I activated the anti tampering circuits so the moment you pull it out it goes off. Go ahead and try you shutta. Please. I will not be your pawn, or anyone's!

 

We won’t. Majistrona said in a defeated tone. For what it is worth, Sarai, I am sorry.

 

I wish I could believe you. Saria snarled and cut the connection. She leaned back and winced as her gut hurt again. “Ow…”

 

“Your body has more sense than you do. You are crazy, you know that?” Her companion in the transport said quietly. “Of all the people you could have taken hostage, why did you take yourself?” Sarai stayed where she was, at the airlock. She could activate it and blow herself out into space without endangering her companion. She would too, if it came down to it.

 

“Only person I could legally take hostage.” Sarai replied as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position. “Well... Now we wait.” She grunted as she shifted a little. “At least the coating on the detonator will keep it from activating in my stomach acids. Now if only it was slightly less uncomfortable.”

 

“Of course you are uncomfortable, Sarai.” Stormhawk Nine, leader of Guardian Squadron and fighter pilot extraordinaire, said softly as she piloted the ship. “You have almost an ounce of baradium in your gut. You were crazy as a human and you are crazy as a bug.”

 

“Guilty as charged, Nine.“ The bug in question shook her head. “You know they are going to try and track us.” Sarai said softly. “This thing can’t outrun starfighters.”

 

“Let them.” Nine said with a feral gleam in her eyes. “They are not the only ones with surprises in reserve.” She smiled as she surveyed the plot of the Bakura system. It was a nice place to hide, far enough off the beaten track that no one was likely to stumble onto either the Sitolon homeship or the Stormhawk, even of both were unstealthed for long periods of time. Which was the whole plan…

[kalenath]

It had been, well…boring. Barring a planned message on the hour, every hour that they did not reply to, the two females, the Cathar and the Sitolon, were pretty much cut off from everything. Of course, that was the plan. Hide. The small transport stuck to the wall of its hiding place, its systems shut down except for basic life support. They had brought non-powered board games and some books, but they did not want to run the lights much either. So, they talked.

 

“I still think you are crazy, young lady, um, bug, um queen, whatever you are...” Stormhawk Nine said as she moved a physical piece to dominate the actual dejarik board that they were playing on. Most people played holo versions of the game, but since they were using so little power, well, they had improvised. At the moment, Nine was winning handily. The Cathar had been part of the Stormhawk crew for a long, long time. She had been rescued from slavers and had demanded the right to fight as a member of the crew. She had learned as much as the crew had been willing to teach her, and then had actually apprenticed under Will Kalenath as a fighter pilot. Her postings, first to command of Silver Squadron, a group of aces aboard the Stormhawk, and then to Guardian Squadron, who she served an unofficial mother to, were due to ability more than anything else. She was also quite good at Dejarik, as she demonstrated when she trounced yet another of Sarai’s pieces. “There. Beat that.”

 

“Wow…” Sarai said quietly as she surveyed the damage the Cathar had done to her side and shook her head slowly. “I don’t think I can…I should have known better than to pit an Aklay against a Rancor… but…” She shrugged as she resigned the game. “It’s all learning. And as long as people are not actually shooting at me, I will keep right on learning. And yes, I think I am crazy too. This ball in my gut hurts…”

 

“Can I do anything?” Nine asked softly. “I know most analgesics don’t work on Sitolon, but I can try something. Would a massage help?”

 

“Ah, no…” Sarai said as she grumbled. “Massage might set it off. It’s on a hair…. trigger…” She paused. What had she just sensed?

 

“You ate something that is on a hair trigger?” Nine exclaimed as she backed away slightly, for all the good it would do her. She had volunteered for this however and she recovered quickly. “You are crazy…” She broke off as she realized that Sarai was not paying attention to her. “Sarai…?”

 

“Last message said that the Sitolon medics were aboard.” Sarai said quietly. They had set it up so that the Stormhawk would broadcast an omnidirectional message every hour on the hour. “…that the team was treating Ji under close supervision. Nothing since.”

 

“It’s only been twenty minutes, Sarai.” Nine pointed out calmly. “What do you think?”

 

“Something’s…” Sarai was looking about, but not seeing the ship, her senses were casting out, far, far beyond the confines of the ship. She cast them far beyond the small cave in the crater of the moon that they had landed in before powering down. The idea was simple. They had found a hole, hidden in it, powered down and become part of the rock of the moon. But… “…wrong…” Her voice was quiet, concerned. She looked at Nine. “How quick can you power this thing up?”

 

“Quick. What is it?” Nine asked as she moved towards the cockpit. She didn’t know the Force from a hole in the head, but she did accept that it existed. Only an idiot did otherwise. “Can you tell?”

 

“No…” Sarai was still questing with her mind, trying to pinpoint the source of her unease. “The last update from the Stormhawk said ‘All clear’. But what are the odds that they will play by the rules I set?”

 

“Slim to none from what you have said. They want you bad.” Nine snarled as she sat and started keying commands. “Four minutes to full power. Even at full, the stealth plating should give us some protection from detection and hiding in the small cave was a good idea too.”

 

“These are people who have hidden for millennia, Nine.” Sarai said quietly. “I can tell that they are definitely my people, but how far away, or what they are doing, I can’t tell.”

 

“They are not your people.” Nine said with heat. “They changed you against your will, lied to all of us..I… Oh…” She broke off and grimaced. “Sarai…!” She called as the Force seemed to wrap the ship in gentle bands. She was struggling against what held her but could not move.

 

“I WARNED YOU!” Sarai yelled at nothing as she dove for the airlock. “Back off, YOU WITCH!” She screamed as she slammed the hatch shut behind her. She could feel the Force trying to grab her, hold her in place and she slapped her claw on her remote activator of the bomb in her gut and screamed in her mind. I said back off!

 

Calm down, Sarai, we just want to talk. The mental voice of Majistrona’s champion, Stuiamlanakolatalinecien. Sarai had called the bug Ecien with everyone else and counted her a friend. Not anymore. Sarai… please… just listen for a moment. It’s okay. Everything will be fine, Let us help you. The kind voice suffused her being, probing for her plans, seeking to sap her will and keep her from her chosen course. It didn’t work.

 

I told your shutta of a mother, and I am going to tell you. Sarai gathered herself as she reached for the exterior hatch controls. Flarg off! She cut the connection with finality as Ecien tried to speak.

 

The ship suddenly shuddered and then it was free of whatever had held it as whoever held her released her to keep her from suiciding. The sound of the engines built to a roar and Sarai was pushed back as the inertial compensators tried to keep up as they spun up from idleness. Nine’s voice came over the com.

 

“We are free, for the moment, Sarai. But we have company.” The fighter pilot’s voice was calm, but underneath it lay worry. “I count five fighters and a larger thing after us. I haven’t seen that type of ship before.” Sarai activated the vid pickup that was mounted in the airlock and nodded as she looked at it. It was a bit bigger than a standard shuttle. It looked like cross between a tadpole and a firaxa shark. It was organic looking and had several tentacle looking things coming off the front of it.

 

“Some kind of capture ship. Looks like an airlock on the front. If I blow myself out the lock and don’t blow the bomb quickly, they freeze me with the Force, scoop me up with the tentacles and run.” She snorted. “And then they vaporize themselves when they try and take it out, but hey, no biggie. I assume they are jamming long range comms.”

 

“Yep.” Nine agreed. “We are on our own. But this Correllian mouse has teeth!” A hum built in the bowels of the transport and then a crack sounded. “What the kriff-…?” Nine was cursing in several languages by the sound of it now. “How the hell did they just disable my guns without shooting at me?”

 

“Nine, just evade long enough to give me space to cycle the airlock.” Saria shook her head as an indrawn breath came from the com. “What?”

 

“That thing you called a ‘capture ship’ is too close now. They are staying with me no matter what I do.” Nine’s voice was melancholy now. “I am sorry… I should be able to evade them…”

 

“It’s all right Nine.” Saria said quietly. “They are reading your mind, even through the nerve amplifier. They probably also have a seer. Plan ‘B’.”

 

“Sarai…” Nine said dubiously, but the Sitolon was in motion. Nine spoke again, sad. “I am sorry…”

 

“So am I.”

 

<On the capture ship>

 

“What are they doing?” Ecien was shaking her head as she supervised the specialized team that would snatch Sarai and then remove the bomb that the girl had implanted herself with. The fleeing transport was maneuvering hard but quickly being overhauled. “They cannot outrun or out maneuver us. They are outmatched.”

 

“Do you really want to know?” Her medical specialist asked sourly. Agnosa was being a pain in the shebs as usual. Of course, being stuck as a disembodied head in a droid body would likely be a downer to just about anyone. “Or are you just stating the obvious because you can?”

 

“If you don’t have anything useful to say, Agnosa, then please be quiet.” Ecien turned to the other special member of her team, the single non Sitolon aboard. “Well?”

 

“I can’t tell…” The Togruta’s voice was soft, concerned. Jedi Master Ashla Ti shook her head slowly. “She is upset, and that is clouding… Oh dear… Back us off!” The Jedi’s face contorted with pain.

 

“What?” Ecien asked softly as the capture ship slowed. “What do you see?”

 

“She is overreacting as I warned you. Tell her!” Ashla Ti was nearly distraught. “Tell her we are backing off now! Calm her… No…” She hissed softly as an escape pod flew from the ship ahead of them. “Oh no… Saria… No, don’t!” She was shaking head slowly as she turned to Ecien.

 

“She is in the pod?” Ecien asked softly and then her entire being when still as the pod exploded in a cloud of nuclear fire. The screen polarized to keep the flash from blinding them, but when it cleared the pod was gone, atomized in the explosion of a large thermal detonator. “No…” Her voice was horrified now. She cast out with her mind, seeking the angry young one who she had tried so hard to explain things to, but there was nothing. Nothing at all. “No…It’s got to be a trick, a fake…a…” She watched the transport they had been chasing rock across her screen, her mind stunned out of words. The blast had been close enough to cause a great deal of damage to the ship they had been chasing, it spun away on a ballistic trajectory, away from where the Stormhawk was turning towards them now.

 

“Multiple hostile fightercraft approaching!” The pilot called. “Our stealth is compromised! Their weapons are live, they are targeting us!”

 

“The homeship?” Ecien asked as she quickly computed a jump to hyperspace. The jump they had preplanned would not work now, they were short the mass of one Sitolon. The small fighters that had come with her attached themselves to the capture ship, none were large enough to jump to lightspeed on their own. “Are they clear?”

 

“Yes.” The pilot reported. “We are in trouble! Missile launch, multiple missile launches. Ten, no, fourteen proton torpedoes inbound. Ecien…!” He called, desperate.

 

“It’s set.” Ecien’s voice was sad and sick now. “Go.” She slumped as the ship shuddered and then outsped light to safety. “Why…?” She asked the two with her. “There was no need for that…We needed her… We didn’t want her to die…Why would she do that?”

 

“Be a slave? Or die?” Agnosa replied with a snarl. “I would choose death if you scum would let me.”

 

“She wasn’t a slave!” Ecien retorted just as angrily, with sadness mixed in. “She was a sister! A queen. There was no need for that! We needed her.”

 

“I disagree.” Agnosa said sadly. “”You may have forgotten what freedom IS Ecien, but some of us have not. You would have bound her, twisted her into your webs so tightly that she would not have been able to move, to think for herself. You changed her against her will, planned to use her for your own ends. But you forgot the simplest truth… Every sentient has a will of it’s own and not all are okay with being used as pawns. You wanted to subvert her will, you failed. And now you get to explain to Majistrona and the Seven, why a youngling immolated herself to keep out of your claws. Sucks to be you.” She finished in a nasty tone.

 

“Shut up, Agnosa!” Ecien’s voice was dangerous now. “You are one to talk, lying to all of us the way you did.”

 

“I told you the truth and you would not hear it.” Agnosa’s voice was sad now. “How many innocents will pay for your blunders, hmmm? My penance is everlasting, brat. Yours is just starting. Killing your sister, no biggie, the swarm demanded it so you did it. This poor child? Oh well… She wasn’t that important now was she…?”

 

“Agnosa…Be silent.” Ecien hit a control on her remote and the droid body that housed Agnosa sparked and died. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would keep her silent for a time. “Ashla Ti?”

 

“Leave me out of this.” The Jedi master replied softly as she sat to meditate. “You placed us in this position, where an innocent who was integral to the future paths was not only altered, but now is dead because of your actions. I warned you of this outcome. We all warned you. The future is now much darker due to this one action. The ‘needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one’ as your mother is so fond of saying. But enough. This outcome was foreseen, and you ignored our counsel. So be it. We will not counsel you further simply to be ignored.”

 

“Jedi…” Ecien sat near the Jedi, her posture dejected. “I don’t know what to do.”

 

“Then you better figure out what to do, Bladeborn.” Ashla Ti said softly, and then closed her eyes and started her meditation. A soft, sad smile creased her features and then was gone.

[kalenath]

At first it was dark, it was cold. She was floating. Things she could not see were moving around in the darkness around her. But she wasn’t afraid. On some level, she knew she should be afraid, but she wasn’t. Was she dreaming? Was this a vision of some kind? What was going on? What had happened? Where was she? Those questions should have bothered her, should have frightened her. But they didn’t. Then… something changed. She felt movement around her, odd movement. Nothing hurt, but… Was she moving or was whatever she seemed to be in moving? Everything faded and then…she woke.

 

“Ow…” Ji groaned as pain lanced through her entire being, it seemed to be focused on her abdomen. “Ow… Not fun… Not fun…”

 

“Easy, Ji… Easy…” Ji relaxed as Kicota’s soft words percolated through her pain filled skull. A gentle, soothing rub started on her carapace and she relaxed further. “It’s okay. You are okay.” The pain vanished as if it had never been.

 

“What…?” Ji stiffened as memory flooded through her. “No! Sarai…! I…” Sarai had promised Ji that she would help, but she was going to do ‘something rash’. “They… What did they do…? I saw medical drones… They came?”

 

“Easy, Ji…Yes they came. They treated you and then they left. Be calm.” Kicota’s soft voice held command now and Ji relaxed against her will. “You have been asleep for some time. We made sure they did not thing to you except healing the damage they caused.”

 

“Kicota…” Ji opened her eyes and was not surprised to find them covered by silk. She was cocooned again, in a healing cocoon. “Did… Did Sarai go through with it? Is she…?” She felt sadness from nearby and she stiffened. “Kicota… please…”

 

“We haven’t heard from her, Ji. Majistrona lied of course.” Kicota’s voice held hatred now. “They went after Sarai, some kind of stealthed ships. She knew they would not keep their word. She knew that they would go after her. She hid to try and draw out the time you had to heal. There was an explosion and we haven’t heard from her since.”

 

“No…” Ji cast out with her mind, seeking to find the mind that she had imprinted to. She found nothing but blackness where a bright mind had been. “No…” Her voice was horrified now. “I can’t believe… No she didn’t. She wouldn’t have left me alone. She can’t have…” She was heaving in grief when gentle claws hugged her. Something familiar touched her and she relaxed. "She didn't." She said with relief.

 

“You are not alone, Ji. No matter what…” Kicota held her close and gentle. “You are not alone. You are part of my swarm, to protect, to nurture, to love. I think she had multiple plans, just in case. But she didn’t tell us any of them.”

 

“We wouldn’t have approved, likely.” Ji responded, her voice low and filled with grief and pain. “What…Um… What did they do to me?” She asked in a small voice. She felt… good, now that her pain had ebbed.

 

“They put you in a maker, Ji.” Kicota replied evenly. “They repaired most of the damage, replaced various things that the medics had to remove and did it all in less than an hour.” Now her voice was sour. “Almost makes you think they planned for it. You are being regenerated. Once the regeneration is complete, your body will mature as it should have originally.”

 

“Do you mean I am going to be…” Ji paused unsure. “…fertile…?” Two fertile queens in one swarm was bad.

 

“Eventually.” Kicota’s voice was kind now as Ji flinched. “Ji… It’s okay. How long until a mature queen bears her first larva? Usually. My case was odd due to the changes Samuel had to make in my genetic structure.”

 

“Oh…” Ji felt embarrassed now. Sitolon queens did not bear young until their second or third molting, a hundred to a hundred and fifty standard years. Ji was barely forty. “I… uh…” She laughed a bit self-consciously. “That won’t be a problem for you now will it?” A gentle touch soothed her again.

 

“It would not be a problem anyway, Ji.” Kicota’s voice was sad now. “Sarai and I were talking about options for whenever she would start to bear.”

 

“She is not dead.” Ji said softly but with conviction. “She is not.” Then she paused. Why did she still hurt? Her guts were aching, and it was centered… around her stomach! Her stomach? Sarai had said... What had she said...? She could hear Sarai talking to Majistrona as if she had been listening in. She flinched. Sarai had swallowed a bomb…! “She is alive.”

 

“We don’t know, Ji.” Sharra Kalenath’s voice came from nearby and a different touch soothed the cocoon she was encased it. “Search And Rescue has found the transport that she and Nine took. It’s a mess.”

 

“She is not dead…I can feel her. She is in pain, scared out of her mind. I am trying to keep her calm.” Ji felt herself slipping into unconsciousness and managed to grate the words out before sleep took her again. “But she needs you, Kicota… Hangar three. As soon as possible…She took… the cargo pod…” She never heard Kicota’s exclamation of shock or the hasty departure of the queen. She never felt the soft touch that Sharra laid on her cocoon or the soft words that Sharra murmured. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t smile, it was impossible for Sitolon to physically smile as humans did. But she was at peace as darkness took her in comforting claws this time. She knew…

[kalenath]

<Hangar bay three>

 

Kicota came running onto the hangar bay and stopped short on seeing the mess that greeted her. The small transport that Sarai and Nine had been on was sitting on the deck, half its hull scorched by a close range explosion. To her horror, she saw that the cargo pod that Ji had been hidden in WAS gone from where it had been shoved for cleaning.

 

What did you do, you crazy larva?

 

She shook her head and started for the ship, aware of rescue teams and medical personnel trying to get into it. She stayed out of their way. Then she stiffened as she saw a brown robed form standing near a wall. What was he doing here?

 

“Easy there!” The rescue team leader said as the team worked to get the airlock open. It had apparently taken the brunt of the explosion that had scored the hull, blown the communications antennae off and basically made one hell of a mess of the small ship. “If we hurt anyone inside this mess…”

 

“There is only one life I can sense aboard. She is trapped in the cockpit.” A figure in Jedi robes strode through the chaos as if unaware of the many hate filled eyes that followed him. “I can get you in quickly.” The rescue team leader mulled for a moment and nodded reluctantly.

 

“Have at.” He said sourly as he stepped back. “But carefully.”

 

“I know.” The Jedi replied as he drew his lightsaber. The snap hiss of the blue blade igniting silenced all the mutters around the deck, and he ignored the various weapons that were pointed at him. He deftly inserted the blade into the fused door and started to cut it out. “That… should…” He paused as the door slammed open. He smiled a bit sadly and deactivated his saber. “There you go.” He nodded to the team lead and started to go back the way he had come.

 

The medical team rushed into the ship, but the rescue team leader paused, looking from the cut open airlock to the Jedi. When he spoke it was grudging, but heartfelt.

 

“Thank you, Jedi Sigmundson.” The team leader nodded to the Jedi looked at Kicota and started into the ship.

 

“Why did you do that?” Kicota asked softly. “They have fusion torches. They would have cut through almost as quickly.” She shook her head slowly. “You took a hell of a risk, coming here and igniting your blade.” The crew could have shot him, many of the still wanted to shoot him. He had hunted the ship and her crew for years, using fair means and foul.

 

“I know.” Jedi Knight Markus Sigmundson shook his head. “What I did to this ship, to her crew while hunting it… I cannot undo that. All I can do is try to make amends the best I can. Helping people in need is what Jedi are supposed to do.” He bowed his head. “When they are not idiots like I was anyway…”

 

“For my daughter, thank you, Jedi.” Kicota sighed as a medic came to the airlock of the broken ship and beckoned to her urgently. “Now you better go before the crew gets any more upset.”

 

“You are welcome.” He replied and then he was gone as quietly and quickly as he had arrived.

 

Kicoat came to the hatch of the transport and made a noise of disbelief. The interior was as much of a mess as the exterior. She stiffened and then relaxed as she heard Stormhawk Nine protesting.

 

“I am fine! I am fine!” The Cathar was shouting. “Get her out of there!”

 

The rescue team needed no urging and was working to cut open the cargo pod that sat in the middle of the main compartment of the ship. Kicota shook her head. What had possessed that girl? Was Sarai actually crazy? Maybe. If anyone had a right to mental instability, she did. Then they cut through the door to the pod and Kicota’s mind was immediately assailed by feelings of raw panic.

 

NononononononononononopleasenononononononoohmygodMomKicotaGrundasanyoneanyone…someonetalktomepleasewhereiseveryonewhatishappeningohnosomeonetalktome….

 

Easy, Sarai, we are here. Kicota sent what comfort she could, but did not crowd the medics. Easy girl… It’s okay…

 

Kicota…? The soft mental voice was absolutely terrified. Is this a dream? I can’t tell…

 

“It’s no dream Sarai.” Kicota pitched her voice to reach the interior of the pod where the medics had moved and the panic subsided a little. “I am here, you are safe.” Then she laughed sourly. “Of course, you may not be when Sharra finds out what you did…” She stepped to the pod, the rescue team making way for her. She looked in and winced.

 

Sarai lay on her side just inside the small pod, a large weeping hole in her abdomen. The medics were working despite the close quarters. Ona had started cross training the Bladeborn medical staff with the Stormhawk crew and all had taken crash courses in Sitolon anatomy. The gold skinned bug was shivering, moving, obviously trying not to move, to struggle as the medics worked on a horrific wound on her abdomen. The lining that shrouded the pod had cut her off from mental communication just as it had cut her life signs to any scanners. An effective hiding place, but a brutal one for Sarai. She was flinching, moving.

 

“Can you keep her still?” One of the medics asked softly. “We need to get at the wound, but if she starts thrashing….” Sarai could eviscerate a human, even one in armor, with a careless swipe of her claws by accident.

 

“Sarai…” Kicota moved to sit beside her daughter, ignoring the squelches and crackling underfoot. No one had cleaned the pod since Ji had been in it and it stank. “Easy, girl. I’m here…” She laid her antennae on the young one’s head and Sarai immediately relaxed. “Let the medics work.”

 

“Thought…” Sarai gasped in both pain and fear as her body released from its bone deep terror. “I thought I imagined your voice. I did… I think... I know I heard Ji’s voice telling me to be calm, to stay calm…But that’s impossible. Couldn’t hear a thing once I shut the door.” She slowly, so slowly, relaxed and the medics moved in, wary of the clawed arms. “I…” She slumped. “Hurt…” Her voice was so young and afraid now.

 

“I know…” Kicota soothed Saria with gentle touches that stayed well clear of the abdomen where the medics were working. “What did you do girl? Besides hide in this mess?”

 

“Contingency plan.” Saria’s voice eased as the prolonged contact with the queen soothed her mind. “We figured that Majistrona and her people had put too much effort into changing me, they had to try and get me back…” She grunted in pain as the medics worked but did not move.

 

“Easy…Sarai… Easy…” Kicota soothed the hurt young one with gentle voice and touch as the medics worked to stem the flow of ichor from her wound. “Shhh… That’s a good girl…” Kicota crooned as Sarai forced herself to relax. “We found your message. Your mom wants to tan your hide, you know that?”

 

“Better to ask…” Saria grunted again, but softer this time. “…forgiveness than permission. Tell… Sharrra… I’m…” Her voice trailed off and Kicota shook her gently, and the less gently. The girl did not respond.

 

“Sarai?” Kicota’s voice changed to alarm as she could feel the youngling’s life fading. “Sarai! Damn it! Stay awake! What is happening?” She demanded as the medics started moving faster. Then the Force showed her what was happening inside Sarai’s body and she shivered slightly. “Aw crap! She is hemorrhaging!” The medics started running fluids into the unconscious insect, trying to keep her alive.

 

“We need to get her to surgery. Ona and L’trask are prepping for her now.” The head medic replied as he backed up a little. “Can you…?” He broke off as he watched Kicota carefully hoist Sarai up in her arms, careful not to jar the wounded abdomen. “Wow, you are better than a gurney…”

 

“How far…?” Kicota asked evenly as she took a careful step out of the pod and relaxed as she saw a full on emergency transport team waiting with a gurney and better life support gear. “Let’s get her there…”

[kalenath]

<Two hours later>

 

“How are you, Nine?” Kicota asked softly as she entered the medical ward again. Stormhawk Nine was in a wheelchair, and would be for a little while. The piece of metal that the close proximity explosion of the large thermal detonator had blasted off of the cockpit roof had missed her head, but slammed clean through her upper left leg, ripping and tearing. She was lucky to be alive. “I see the regen is working.” Nine nodded a bit dubiously as she looked at her leg. It was odd, seeing a large slug shaped thing wrapped around her leg, but hey, if it worked, and it did, why be squeamish?

 

“Feels icky, but I am not complaining. It is healing fast. Thanks, Kicota.” Nine nodded to her but did not smile. All of her attention was on the window where the two females could see a black furred form and a green scaled form, both in surgical scrubs, working on a large golden form. “I expect you want to know why we did what we did. Why she did what she did.”

 

“Wouldn’t hurt.” Kicota said noncommittally. “Sharra is so going to tan Sarai’s hide for scaring us like that.” She shook her head. “We got her message after you left the ship. Did Boss know?”

 

“No.” Nine said softly. “We didn’t want anyone to know where we were going. Or what our contingency plans were. We didn’t know if they could sense us, or read our minds, or what…” Nine grimaced, her long brown fur waving in distress. “They did, but it took them a while to locate us. I couldn’t fly, they froze me. She busted me loose somehow, but everything I did, they countered. I should have…” Bitterness sang in her tone now.

 

“Nine…” Kicota knelt beside the Cathar’s chair. “It is not your fault. They are very, very good at what they do. They have had to be. Don’t blame yourself for not being able to counter their tricks.”

 

“Listen to her, Nine.” Both of the females looked up to see Sharra come into the room, followed by Stormhawk Boss and…

 

“Will!” Nine said as she tried to sit up straighter, but hissed as Kicota held her down. “Kicota…”

 

“Don’t move too much, Nine.” Will Kalenath said softly as he came into the room and squatted on his heels by the chair she was in. He took her hands in gentle grips and she stiffened, unsure. This man was lethal when any of his family were hurt, and Sarai had been hurt, again. He shook his head slowly and smiled at her. “It’s okay, Nine. I am not angry with you. But if you hurt yourself further, the docs will get mad at you. And if I am the cause… they get mad at me.” He shuddered dramatically, his silver armor glistening in the light. “So don’t. I don’t want them mad at me.” His grin was gentle now and she shuddered and then to her horror, she started to cry. Will shook his head, rose slightly and gently embraced her.

 

“I couldn’t…” The Cathar was shaking in remembered fear and pain. “I couldn’t do a Force be damned thing until she busted me loose somehow, all I could do was sit there…They had me, her, us…”

 

“It is not your fault, Nine.” Will said as he gave her a squeeze. “They have had millennia to learn, to adapt, to plan for things. And…they cheat.” Now his grin was savage. “Of course, so do we. Not your fault.” He shook her gently again. “Clear?” This last was in a menacing tone and Nine surprised herself with a laugh.

 

“Clear.” Nine said softly. Then she grinned. She reached up and hugged him, then released him quickly. “Now let me go before Sharra gets mad at me.” She shook herself as Will did just that, but he did not release her hand, he squatted back by her chair and looked out to where Ona and L’trask were working. Sharra came and stood on the other side, a gentle hand coming down to rest on the Cathar’s unbruised shoulder. Nine had been thrown around a lot in the explosion that had hurt her.

 

“We got the message.” Boss said softly. “While I may disagree with your methods, I cannot disagree with the results. Ji was dying and now she is not. But what the hell did Sarai do to herself?”

 

“Plan B.” Nine said with a scowl. “She came to me, asked for my silence. She said it would not endanger the ship, just her. The swarm did not want the ship, she said, just her.” Nine shrugged slowly and grimaced as something hurt, but continued. “I disagreed, but she was very persuasive. I am still not sure why I agreed with her. But she was damned persuasive.”

 

“Nine…” Kicota said softly. “May I touch you?”

 

“Have at.” Nine said and sat very still as Kicota’s antennae came down to gently brush her head. Her eyes closed and her voice was odd. “That is…so weird…” Kicota retracted her antennae and Nine smiled at the bug. “Do I pass your inspection?”

 

“I thought for a moment she might have manipulated your mind.” Kicota said softly. Everyone in the room beside her hissed in disbelief and she shrugged all four shoulders. “I don’t know if she can do that or not. I am betting she can, but it leaves recognizable marks in the mind and there are no such traces in Nine’s mind. How long did you and she argue?”

 

“And how did you do it without internal security hearing you?” Boss asked with a glare that showed through the helmet he never took off. “It is not supposed to be possible for people to conspire aboard.”

 

“We talked…” Nine thought back and shrugged, wincing again. “About thirty minutes I think. I had heard about Ji of course, but I hadn’t met her. She said she had a plan, and yes, she did. A crazy one, but a plan. Boss… You know there are places aboard that the monitors don’t show…” She grinned slightly as the armored form jerked. “Yep.”

 

“Nine…” Boss’s tone was exasperated now. “You sneaky pilots. You did it again, didn’t you? You went into the Dragon quarters didn’t you?” It wasn’t really a question. “If you stupid pilots want to practice your intercourse skills, do it in your quarters. You know Internal Security doesn’t actually tape that kind of thing. The Dragons…”

 

“Don’t really mind.” Will said when Boss tapered off and looked at him. “They remember what it was to be mortal with mortal feelings and desires. It… It reminds them of what they were, what they fight to protect.” He bowed his head slowly, but then looked Nine in the eyes. “Ok, so you ‘borrowed’ the transport. Why take the cargo pod?”

 

“That was the plan.” Nine grimaced, she hadn’t liked the plan when Sarai had proposed it, and now that she had time to reflect she was obviously questioning her sanity. “It hid her mentally, from what I understand.”

 

“The lining inside it cut her off from the hivemind and hid her from sensor and the Force. But… It would have been unbearable, to be utterly alone, floating in an empty void…” Kicota agreed, her tone horrified. “To do such a thing… It’s unthinkable.”

 

“Sarai said the same thing.” Nine slumped in place. “We prepared as best we could. I snagged one of the surgical droids that were in stores, I know I am in trouble for that…” Boss glowered at her and she continued. “Then we left. Plan was to find a rock, hook to it and power down and stay hidden. We didn’t plan on them being able to track her.” Nine shook her head. “We should have…”

 

“Hindsight is always clearer than foresight, Nine…” Kicota soothed her with a gentle tone. “…but nowhere remotely as valuable. There was no way you could have known. Heck we didn’t know they could do that. What happened then?”

 

“Well…” Nine shook her head again, but did not resist as Will and Sharra both squeezed her hands. “She activated the bomb. Plan was to have the droid cut it out of her, it was on a two minute timer, drop the droid and the bomb out the airlock. She jumps into the pod as it goes off, boom, she is dead to their senses and no body, they leave.” Nine shook her head again, sadly. “They were too close. They would have seen the droid visually, known it wasn’t her. So she slapped the droid into the escape pod with the bomb and launched it. I don’t know why the droid hurt her so badly. I heard her cry out, but I couldn’t leave the cockpit. Bomb went off too close… Blew the hell out of the ship. I woke up when the medics came in. That is all I know.”

 

“I think the droid was rushed.” Kicota said softly when silence greeted the end of Nine’s speech. “And it probably wasn’t programmed with our physiology. No wonder it hurt her. I am amazed it didn’t kill her.” She looked at Boss. “Well…?”

 

“Nine…” Boss had a scowl in his voice now. “You broke the rules. To save a life, but you broke the rules. You could have put this ship in danger. The Sitolon didn't want us, but... You know better.” Nine nodded softly. When Boss spoke again, it was sour. “I will put it to the crew tonight, although I highly doubt anyone will push for a formal court, consider yourself grounded. At least until you leg heals. And... You are confined to quarters until further notice. After you are released from medical that is. What news on Sarai?”

 

All of the beings looked through the window in time to see Ona step back from the operating table, look at them and flash a thumb’s up. The tension in the room seemed to evaporate.

 

“I am sorry Boss.” Nine said softly. “There was no time.”

 

“Next time ask permission, please?” Boss sounded sad and tired now. “I really don’t like the medication that my armor gives me for indigestion…” He came close and patted her on the shoulder. “Try not to cut it so close. You scared the hell out of us.”

 

“No excuse sir.” Nine agreed softly, her head drooping. The others, seeing her drooping, took their leave quickly, leaving Will to stand by the now sleeping Cathar. He gave her hand a chaste kiss and walked away quickly.

[kalenath]

“Well…” The soft voice greeted Kicota as she entered her nesting chamber. “That was…unexpected.” Sharra sat in a chair that Kicota had installed near the center for her, her face sad.

 

“By lots of people.” Kicota agreed as she sat in her customary spot in the middle of the chamber. “Oh Sharra…” Grief, fear, sadness, pride, horror, and relief all mixed into one tired tone. “Is it always like this, being a parent around people like us?”

 

“No.” Sharra said softly. “Sometimes it gets exciting.” She smirked as Kicota stared at her. “I am joking, Kicota. Yes… It often is. Around my family anyway.” Now her tone was just sad. “Sometimes I so wish…”

 

“Hey…Come here…” Kicota replied softly as she pulled the human into a gentle embrace. Sharra was crying softly as the tension she had been under dissipated. “It’s okay. She is alive. You are going to read her the riot act I assume when she wakes up. And when you are done with her, I am going to read her the riot act. We may disagree with how she did what she did, but do we disagree with the result?”

 

“No. Ji is alive and healing well.” Sharra said and then she chuckled softly. “If you had asked me, even a month ago, if I could have counted people like you and Ji as members of my family, my response would not have been no, but ‘Hell no!’ Now…” She stroked one of the arms that held her. “Thank you.”

 

“You are welcome.” Kicota said gently. “Did Ona talk to you?”

 

“She did.” Sharra said a bit dubiously. “I didn’t understand what she meant. Sarai has extra bits inside her? Some in her brain, some in the rest of her body? Those kept her alive and helped her regenerate? I thought she was a queen, but immature… What does this mean?”

 

“She is an immature queen.” Kicota agreed. “But not a normal one of my kind. I have never seen a being like Sarai will be. There are legends among my people of queens who ruled more than one swarm.” Kicota made a human sounding sigh. Odd how human the huge bug could sound. “Sharra… Any of my people who took the kind of injury that Sarai did would have died, let alone being stuck in what amounted to a sensory deprivation chamber.” A shudder ran through Kicota’s body but she was careful not to jar Sharra who was staring at the queen in disbelief. “I believe that Sarai is an alpha queen like she yelled at Ecien. If that is the case…” Kicota slumped in place.

 

“She is young and not very experienced.” Sharra said softly. “But she is bright. When she planned, she planned as well as she could. I disagree with WHAT she planned, but her sole focus, her only focus apparently according to Ji and Nine, was to protect her people, who were Ji at that moment. No matter the cost to her, she protected her people.”

 

“I am not saying she would not make a good queen because all that I have seen says she would, better than me anyway...” Kicota replied evenly. “What I am saying is that… I don’t know if I can follow her. I… I am different, Sharra, my people are different.”

 

“So what?” Sharra said angrily enough that Kicota stared at her. “So what?” She repeated in a slightly less antagonizing tone. “Kicota… We don’t care what you were. We only care what you are. You are family. Period.” She shook her head and changed the subject. “Sarai is not entirely stable. You know this, I know this. That is probably why Majistrona wanted her back, to keep her under control.”

 

“All that would have done is driven her even more mad.” Kicota said by way of agreement. “Maybe…” She mused. “I don’t know. Ji will be waking shortly, and we will have to tell her something.”

 

“Does it matter?” Sharra said softly. “She swore a binding oath to Sarai. Do you really think she is going to care whether Sarai will be alone or some kind of queen of queens?”

 

“Queen of queens… Hmmm…” Kicota made a disgruntled sound. “Yeah… I guess that works. You humans, always with your imprecisions.”

 

“Sue me.” Sharra said with a wide smile as she hugged Kicota again. “Sarai is going to need a lot of help, a lot of comfort and encouragement. And she also will likely need a swift boot in the abdomen on occasion.”

 

“Sounds like dealing with soldiers…” Kicota said with a smile in her voice. “Now I wonder why that might be…?” She said facetiously. Sharra was a soldier, and had commanded soldiers.

 

“Hush you…” Sharra mock scowled as she aimed a swat at the bug’s arm and missed by a mile intentionally. Even here, even now, even in jest, one did not strike a Sitolon queen in her nesting chamber. The guards that lurked in the shadows had no sense of humor. “So… now what?”

 

“Now…” Kicota’s voice was soft, worried. “I don’t know. We need information on Alpha queens. We can’t trust anything that Majistrona might tell us.” She shook her head in a distinctly human gesture. “The only other source of information would be our people on Aldereen, but…” She broke off dubiously.

 

“But what?” Sharra pressed when Kicota did not continue. “Problems?”

 

“Yeah.” Kicota replied softly. “They don’t like us, the beings of my people who did not settle there. They… well, they changed themselves genetically to suit their environment and altered their physical form. I think… I think they did it to dissociate themselves from what my people did so long ago now that we KNOW what that was…” Now her voice was sour. “I guess I don’t blame Majistrona for not talking about that. It isn’t every day that a race nearly wipes themselves out and starts a potentially galaxy wide catastrophe.”

 

“Thank goodness.” Sharra agreed. “So… Wait… If you go…”

 

“If I or any of my people go, they won’t talk to us. They likely won’t even let us land.” Kicota said dubiously. “The only people they might talk to are Ji and Sarai, but neither of them are likely to be mobile soon.”

 

“Thank the Force.” Sharra said fervently. “The mischief those two get up to apart is bad enough. Put them together… The universe will tremble.”

 

“True,” Kicota agreed with a laugh. “I don’t think it’s a secret per say… Maybe a queen thing. But maybe they will talk to me since my skin changed color. But…”

 

“But what?” Sharra asked as she leaned back looking the silver skinned queen over before looking Kicota in the eye again. “Kicota?”

 

“They do not speak to the hivemind.” Kicota’s voice was soft. “We think they can hear, but they do not respond.”

 

“Then how can you…” Sharra froze in place, her face going pale. “Oh no… No nonononono. Not going to happen, Kicota…”

 

“Sharra, it’s likely the only way.” Kicota replied evenly. “They will talk to a queen, but only face to face. They are an ordered race, but…strict.”

 

“What did they do if the Dark Cousins landed there?” Sharra queried. “They had to have done so, at least once in the history…” She broke off as Kicota stiffened in place. “Kicota…?”

 

“The swarm that attempted to land was slaughtered.” Kicota replied softly. “They swarmed from the ship and met death. The rulers of the planet killed the entire hive that the ship landed in. Explosive charges had been planted in the walls of the hive. They killed the whole hive, the leaders of the planet did. Drones, warriors, larva, the queen, everyone. Thousands gone in minutes to prevent the spread of madness. That is how strict they are.”

 

“Flarg me….” Sharra breathed out in horror. “But… if you go…”

 

“Maybe I can talk to them if I get closer.” Kicota’s voice broke off as another spoke. Both turned and froze.

 

“Or maybe you should send someone who was not affiliated with you while you were mad.” Ji stood in the doorway to the room where Sarai had lain to change, her posture erect. Her skin shone bronze and her voice was soft now. “I meant no discourtesy. The monitors go both ways, matriarchs.” She bowed formally, thorax to the floor. “I serve the swarm.” She said quietly as she rose.

 

“Ji…” Kicota’s voice was horrified. “How did you…Oh…” She made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. “The maker dissolved and left you in a normal sleep like it was intended, didn’t it? And our talking woke you.”

 

“I woke to hear you speaking. As it pertained to my liege I listened…” Ji broke off as Sharra rose, an angry look on her face.

 

“Eavesdropping is not polite, young one.” Sharra stalked towards the young bug, who wisely did not move. “Head to floor! Now!” The bug obeyed, lowering her head to the floor and raising her abdomen up.

 

“Matriarch, my apologies.” Ji spoke quickly but did as instructed. She stayed in place as Sharra reached back and slapped her rear abdomen hard right on the sensitive carapace over her airholes. “Ow! I…”

 

“Stand. Still.” Sharra commanded as she continued to spank the errant bug. “First you pay for your discourtesy and for not telling us about Sarai’s insane plan. Then we can discuss the future.” The guards around the room and Kicota looked at each other and then pointedly ignored Ji’s impassioned looks and shrill cries as Sharra did her duty as matriarch.

[kalenath]

Sarai was floating. She didn’t hurt, but something was pulling her. She knew that something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She thought back. She had done what she planned, to save Ji. Her plan, such as it had been, had worked, fairly well. She had not expected the discomfort to be so immediate however. The pain in her gut had been totally eclipsed by the silence in her head. The hum of many voices had freaked her out at the beginning, but the sudden lack of them had actually been physically painful. She sighed, and was immediately aware of a concerned voice. It took her a moment to recognize it. Ona, healer of the Bladeborn. Why was she so fuzzy? She decided she had to be drugged, probably in recovery, maybe post operation.

 

“Sarai…” Ona’s voice was gentle but concerned. “You should not be awake yet girl. Let me adjust your meds.”

 

“Ona…” Sarai managed to get words out somehow. “Something is wrong.” She tried to focus on the healer but her eyes would not focus. “Ji… Something is wrong with Ji…”

 

“Sarai…” Ona’s voice was mildly exasperated now. “You have a lot of healing to do still. What possessed you to use a clunker like that XM-8 surgical unit to cut you open? It took half your stomach with the bomb.”

 

“Planned that.” Sarai did not struggle as Ona came close and fiddled with medical gear. She didn’t react as Ona froze in place, simply spoke quietly. “Bomb was on a dead man’s switch and hair trigger. Had to take a lot of the surrounding tissue to make sure it wouldn’t trigger early. Had to send the droid with the mess into the pod… It worked…” She protested faintly as Ona hissed in disbelief.

 

“You are crazy girl.” Ona sighed as she manipulated controls. “And you are going back to sleep. Now.”

 

“Please…” Sarai did not resist the waves of lethargy that flowed through her, not that she could have even if she had wanted to. “Check on Ji. Something is wrong… Something… Please Ona…” She was still begging as she relaxed into sleep.

 

***

 

The black furred Bothan shook her head slowly as she scrutinized her patient. She felt her colleague approach and nodded to the Trandoshan. L’trask’s voice was quiet so as not to disturb the sleeping insect.

 

“I will stay with her. You need rest.” The chief healer of the Stormhawk was very good at his job. Ona admitted, in her private mind, that he was a better surgeon than she was. She was better at some things, she could touch heal minor wounds of one thing, but his skill at repairing wounds was unreal. As was his level of compassion. She wondered sometimes if L’trask had the Force even if she couldn’t sense it in him. He sure acted telepathic at times. “You can check on Ji too.”

 

“Do I really look that bad?” She asked softly, smoothing her head fur slightly. The surgical caps always messed it up. She glared at the other healer as he smiled. “Don’t answer that.” She said with a grin as he closed his mouth with a click. “Yeah, I will check on Ji. Keep me posted?” She wasn’t really the medical person in charge here. He was, but he accorded her all the courtesy of an equal.

 

“You know I will.” L’trask nodded to her and sat at the monitor station. The ICU was set up so that any of the twenty beds in it could be monitored or handled from the main desk. Luckily, only two beds were occupied. Sarai was in one that had been specially constructed for her. Sitolon did not fit into normal human sized beds after all. The other held an unfortunate engine tech who had been caught in a power surge. The Duros was unconscious and Ona was actually glad of it. The being was in such pain from the massive burns he had taken that it was all she could do not to burst into tears every time she came by and Ninety Three was awake. Sometimes being an empath was a serious pain in the shebs. She focused on L’trask as the Trandoshan spoke again. “Go.” His voice was gentle, but held command.”

 

Ona smiled at the chief healer and left Medical. It was so odd, being aboard this ship. For so long, the renegade battlecruiser Stormhawk had been an enemy of the Empire. It still was, technically. The Bladeborn who followed Istara did not serve the Empire currently, or… something. Ona was not sure about this at all. It had been her entire life. To be Bladeborn was to serve the Empire. But not anymore. It hurt, to be directionless, to be considered renegades and traitors by all who they had served. It hurt worse knowing that they had been set up and being able to do nothing about it. But she trusted Istara to find them a way that would work. All she had to do was… She paused at the hatch to the Sitolon quarters. What was that sound? The hatch opened and she frankly stared at the sight that greeted her. It wasn’t every day that one saw a huge bug getting spanked by a human. Ji was crying out softly as Sharra Kalenath hit her on the underside of the abdomen. As soon as she entered the room, Ona knew exactly how sensitive the carapace over the airholes was. She could acutely feel Ji’s pain and it brought tears to her eyes, but she shook herself and focused.

 

“Do I want to know?” Ona asked in the silence that greeted her appearance. “Or… Not…?” She asked dubiously as Kicota, the Sitolon queen of the swarm that called the Stormhawk home, looked at her.

 

“Not.” Kicota said flatly. “We are discussing courtesy.”

 

“Oh.” Ona grimaced slightly and nodded to Kicota. “None of my business then. My business though… Sarai woke for a little while, she is sleeping again. She asked me to check on Ji, apparently she felt something from her retainer. I wonder what that might have been.” Ona’s voice held sarcasm now and she shook her head as she yawned. “Oh well… You don’t need me. I’m heading for my bunk.”

 

“Ona… Wait…” Sharra slapped the shivering bug one final time and rose to stride towards the Bothan. ”Thank you.” She threw her arms around the Bothan, who stiffened in surprise, but then relaxed. Sharra was a law unto herself and the two females, the Bothan and the human had come to know and like one another. She returned the embrace. “For everything. I know this is not easy for you, for any of your kin. Thank you for being patient.”

 

“Ah Sharra…” Ona smiled as she embraced the woman gratefully. The care, worry and love that Sharra exuded were enough to salve her soul for the time being. “Thank you. This has been… rough. It will be rough. But we will persevere.”

 

“Of course you will.” Sharra said, giving the Bothan another squeeze. “Tomorrow morning, could you ask Chari and Reekia to join us? We need to talk, you all, Kicota and I. We need to make some plans.”

 

“We could do it now…” Ona yawned hugely again and grimaced at Sharra’s expression. “We could!”

 

“I don’t doubt that you could.” Kicota replied evenly. “But it is not an emergency. Thank you for saving our daughter, healer. Again.” The gratitude in the Sitolon queen’s voice was clear and eased Ona’s empathy a bit more.

 

“It’s what I do.” Ona said. She gave Sharra another squeeze, and then bowed to Kicota. She started for her quarters with a lighter heart. She truly liked Sharra and Kicota. Was that so odd? Maybe. The again, she had a history of loving some very unlikely people. She smiled as she entered the quarters she had been assigned and her mate was waiting for her with a steaming cup in hand. “I see your agents have been hard at work.” She sighed as she took the cup and sipped it, her favorite hot drink.

 

“Yeah.” Jon, the other healer of the Bladeborn smiled at the female who completed him. “Come on, Ona. You need to get clean and then you need to sleep.” He took her coat and slowly, carefully, removed it from first one arm and then the other. Ona transferred the cup she was holding between hands as she did. She didn’t mind his pampering her. Neither was ever going to be lazy.

 

“I dunno Jon…” Ona replied, sipping the hot tea as he hung up her coat. “I am fairly well stoked. It’s been… an exciting day.” She paused as he smiled at her. He had a lecherous grin that had her smiling in kind.

 

“Oh I think I can figure out a way to tire you out. After you bathe.” He took her arm in his hands and led her gently towards the refresher. “We want you clean… before we get you sweaty.”

 

“Oh Jon,…” Ona was smiling widely now as she finished her tea. “You say the nicest things…”

 

“Only to you, Ona.” Jon replied with a smirk. “I have a reputation to maintain after all with everyone else.” He took the cup from her and, slowly, languidly, embraced his mate. “Only with you can I be myself. The man I want to be.”

 

“I don’t care who you want to be.” Ona replied as she started to get ready to bathe. It had bothered her a great deal, when she had started, to have to remove her legs before bathing. But the mechanical devices were not perfectly waterproof and when they got soaked bad things tended to happen. Now? She was still bothered, but dealt with it. She pulled herself towards the tub, leaving the legs to lie where they were. “You are mine. Period.” She grinned as he bowed. “Now get my bath ready and set up dinner.” She knew he had dinner ready. This was a game to them. Sometimes she was the mistress, sometimes he was the master, but it was all in fun. Tonight was her turn.

 

“As you command, mistress…” Jon said with a smirk as he fell into character as well, bowing deeply and formally “I know better than to disobey your orders.” He nodded as the bath finished filling. “Your bath, mistress. You massage will be ready momentarily.”

 

Ona grinned. This would be a night to remember. Tomorrow could take care of tomorrow, for now, she had tonight.

 

She mused as she soaked, cleaning the grime and worry from her body. Sarai and Ji would be a handful, no question. But they were also family now. Sarai would face her Trial soon, and Ji… Likely she would as well. She would have to be ready. Hopefully nothing would go wrong. She jerked a little as her mate’s hands started massaging her shoulders where they came out of water. Then she smiled again. Time for worries after the bath and play.

[kalenath]

Sarai was blissfully unaware of the controversy that had sparked as soon as her kin had met for breakfast. She slept on in Medical, healing. She was totally unaware of the conversation or the divergent paths that it sparked, all of which concerned her greatly.

 

<You cannot be serious!> Masterblade Reekia of the Bladeborn’s impassioned howl cut through the hubbub that was growing in the nesting chamber. Even in Shyriiwook, the wookiee language, her disbelief was plain. <Please tell me you are not serious.>

 

<I do not like it either, Reekia.> Kicota replied in the same language. Everyone on the Stormhawk understood some Shyriiwook, and all of the Kalenath family understood it well. Kicota had learned from one of her guards who, well, had learned it from some less than savory choices. <None of us do. But we need more information. If she is an Alpha Queen…> Kicota slumped a little in place. <We need to know.>

 

“How will that change things?” Chari, the other masterblade present on the Stormhawk currently, asked quietly in the silence that followed Kicota’s statement. “She needs to take her Trial. We need Mama Lizard for that and we have no idea when she will be back.”

 

“Mama Lizard, Istara and I…” Kicota replied evenly. “…discussed various things before they left. The Trial your initiates face to become full Bladeborn was one of them. But I know that neither of you trust me and I will not ask you to. We can wait.”

 

“Begging your pardon, Matriarchs, Masterblades…” Ji’s voice was very polite and formal. She was not going to give Sharra reason to spank her again. “Why must we face the Trial before going to Aldereen?” She winced as Sharra Kalenath looked at her crossly and spoke hastily. “My apologies if I have offended…” She broke off as Sharra made a sound more suited to an angry Nexu.

 

“You need to learn when to keep your mouth shut, Ji.” Sharra said in a dire tone. “Yes, you have a stake in this, both for yourself and for Sarai. You were included in this meeting as a courtesy. Do not make me instruct you in proper decorum again.” Ji actually recoiled away from the smaller, slighter human, and her arms came up in warding gestures. “Go check on Sarai.” Her tone brooked no argument.

 

“At once ,Matriarch Kalenath!” Ji saluted formally before almost running from the room. A soft laugh swept the room after her exit, and Ona broke the silence that descended with a laugh.

 

“Wow…” The black furred Bothan grinned. She exuded contentment now and everyone knew why. “You do know how to keep your fledglings in line don’t you, Sharra?”

 

“Why do you think they call me the ‘Krayt Lady’?” Sharra asked with a smirk. “At least Bladeborn are highly disciplined. This lot? Not so much, most of them, when they come to us. But by the Force, they are when they leave.”

 

“I’ll say.” Kicota’s voice held awe. “You say that to me in that tone and I want to jump.”

 

“Good, it works.” Sharra laughed with the others for a moment before sighing. “But we still need to figure out what to do about Sarai. Ona, how long will she be in recovery?”

 

“Another day or so, max.” Ona replied quietly. “She is regenerating faster than anything I have ever seen. You really think she is an Alpha Queen, Kicota?”

 

“We know little about Alpha Queens, Ona…” Kicota relied sourly. “…and what little I do know, we can’t trust since it came from Majistrona.” A soft growl swept the room at that name. Some things were unforgivable and changing a young human woman into a Sitolon against her will was fairly high on that list. “Aldereen seems to be our best bet for finding information on Alpha Queens. Even some folk tales would be better than the nothing we have currently.

 

“I looked up Aldereen this morning when you asked to meet.” Chari said quietly. “There is not much available on the net about it. But what is there is odd. They don’t look like your people.”

 

“They…” Kicota’s voice was dubious now. “…they are not. Anymore anyway. We are different species, we cannot interbreed.” All eyes in the room were on her now and she shrugged all four shoulders. “Before the catastrophe that decimated my race and destroyed our homeworld, a sect of my people had colonized the planet. But they were… odd.”

 

“Odd for this group?” Sharra asked with a laugh and a wave that encompassed the Bothan healer, the red skinned Twi’lek masterblade, the Wookiee masterblade, herself and the bug queen. The others laughed with her, but all eyes were on the bug queen. “You are kidding, right?”

 

“I wish…” Kicota replied. “The records we have are not clear. What IS clear is that they changed themselves a great deal genetically. They have six limbs where we have eight. Beyond that…?” She shrugged again. “I don’t know. And I have no idea who might have more information.”

 

“The Jedi Archives might have more information.” Chari said when no one else spoke up. “The problem would be getting in there and out again.”

 

“I might know a way…” Sharra mused softly. “But I need to think on it for a bit. For now, we get Sarai up and mobile, get her and Ji into training. Prepare them for the Trial. While we are doing that, we can lay some groundwork for them to get to Aldereen if it comes to that. I assume both will have to go?”

 

“Probably.” Kicota did not sound happy. “I dislike putting Sarai in any kind of danger. Part of that is genetic, she is a queen. And if I am right, my superior at that. Hold on…” She seemed to think for a moment and then called to the shadows that surrounded the nesting chamber. “Grun’das. What are your thoughts?” Sharra and all three of the Bladeborn stiffened as one of the shadows came alive and a huge black skinned bug stepped out of the shadows to bow formally to Kicota. It was easy to forget the guards were there all of the time.

 

“Danger, my queen.” The bug said softly. “There is danger in this course. To Saria and young Ji.”

 

“Can you be more specific?” Kicota asked quietly. Her chief guard had been given infusions of the Force from a seer and it had produced some odd effects. Sometimes he had visions. Sometimes they were even clear. “About the nature of the danger?”

 

“No, my queen.” The huge bug sounded sorrowful now. “All I can sense is if they go, they will be in great danger. Possible from multiple sources.”

 

“Thank you, Grun’das.” Kicota replied in formal tones. “Resume your post.”

 

“Either way, if they go, they are not going alone.” Sharra said as Grun’das withdrew back into the shadows. “On that note, we all have duties to attend now. Meet again tomorrow? Maybe with Sarai and Ji if she can keep her mouth shut?” Another laugh swept the room and all nodded. “Until tomorrow then, unless you need me for anything, I think my son needs me.”

 

The group rose except for Kictoa and started for the exit. But Sharra paused as the Wookiee beckoned to her. “Yes, Reekia? Problem?”

 

<It is not a problem, per say…> Was the female Wookiee embarrassed? <I probably should not be bothering you about this…>

 

<Sister of trees, we are in this together.> Sharra replied kindly in Shyriiwook. She had learned a long time ago to speak what humans could of the language of the forest dwellers. Not all of the language was feasible for beings with human vocal cords, but Sharra tried and Reekia appreciated the gesture. <What is the problem?>

 

<I…> Reekia actually fidgeted a bit, her hands going to her sword hilt and then to her head fur. <I do not know. I have never, ever in my life felt like this. It is not lust, anger or caring, or anything I know about. I have meditated on it, worked to keep it at bay and it won’t stay controlled. I do not know what I am feeling or why.>

 

“Reekia…” Sharra had to speak in Basic, her throat was starting hurt. “I am hardly the being to speak to about feelings. You should ask Ona.”

 

<I… I cannot…> Reekia admitted softly. <You see… I only have the feelings when one of your extended family is nearby.>

 

“Oh?” Sharra asked a bit dubiously. “Who?” Reekia looked away and Sharra sighed. “Reekia spit it out, it can’t be but so bad. Who do you hate so much?”

 

<Um… It is not hate. I know that much…> Reekia admitted sheepishly. <And… Um… I only feel it around the gray furred patriarch named Olanagychew.>

 

“You…” Sharra had not been aware her eyes could get that wide and not fall out of her head. “You are not kidding are you?” Reekia hung her head and Sharra sighed. “Just when I thought life was getting back on track… Come on…” She sighed again. “Let’s go have a nice little chat, you and I. You can help me change the baby.”

 

<What am I feeling?> Reekia asked softly. <He is an enemy, but an honorable one. I have never felt like this, even with Idjit.>

 

“This is a discussion for in private, Reekia. Come on.” Sharra’s tone brooked no argument and Reekia followed meekly. She wasn’t stupid. And only a stupid person crossed Sharra Kalenath.

[kalenath]

“Ok, spill it, sister of trees.” Sharra said softly as she leaned against the wall in the one place on the Stormhawk that security cameras did not cover, her infant son in hand. James was sleeping after being fed. “You feel something for Olana?”

 

<I…> Reekia, Masterblade of the Bladeborn, was obviously very uncomfortable. <Yes, I do. But I do not know what it is. It is hot and cold, both soft and hard at the same time. Even when I felt I was in love with…> She broke off, her face going slack. <No…>

 

“Reekia, listen to me.” Sharra spoke with kindness, but with experience as well. “Olana cannot stand the Sith. He shot me, the mate of a being he has a life debt to, when I stupidly got between a Sith and his bowcaster. An accident, but he shot me. You are Bladeborn, not Sith, but he spent forty years in a slave mine, worked nearly to death by Sith. He saw his father, mother and several siblings killed by Sith or worked to death in that mine. Then he was rescued by Will. Olana and his sister are the only survivors of his entire clan. You understand about hate. You understand about how your people can hate, Reekia.” Sharra stopped taking and lowered her head. “He hates anyone who served the Empire. He hates you more than any of the others, you represent everything he detests. You were on the Dark Council for goodness sakes.”

 

<I know.> Reekia sounded miserable now. <Even if I was just on the Council as a showpiece, a frontwookiee if you will, as a symbolic thing. Mainly I was there because the Emperor wanted someone he could trust. The Order’s loyalty was unquestioned. Most Sith can be trusted about as far as you can throw a star. My own past… I understand how he feels, better than you would think…> Her shoulders slumped and she sat heavily on the floor. <Trugoy found ME in a slave mine. I was… five…? Six standard years old? I don’t know. A guard was beating me to death, I lashed out with the Dark Side and then… Trugoy was there. He took me away, gave me a better life. My whole family died there. I was born there, so I do understand the hate.>

 

“Where?” Sharra asked softly, her face intent. “Did Trugoy say where he found you?”

 

<No.> Reekia paused, her eyes alight with curiosity. <He never did. Is it important?>

 

“It might be.” Sharra said softly. “Then again, it might not. Let me be sure I understand you properly. I do not claim to be a linguist or a protocol droid and Shyriiwook is not my primary language. You have some kind of feeling for Olanagychew, my husband’s companion.” Reekia nodded silently. “You do not know what those feelings are.” Reekia nodded again. Sharra blew out a long breath and spoke calmly. “Do you want me to look into this? To… ask…?”

 

<I do not know what to ask or how.> Reekia admitted, her face crestfallen. <I have never had this kind of thing happen before. I… um…>

 

“Reekia…” Sharra froze in place as something hit her with the subtlety of a hammer to the head. “Have you…ever…? Um…Been with a male Wookiee?”

 

<No.> The Masterblade admitted slowly. <None of my people have become Bladeborn. I was the only Wookiee that Trugoy found and trained. They made a number of allowances for me, but I advanced on merit. My control as better than any others so when the Emperor demanded one of the Masterblades to serve on the Council, I was chosen.>

 

“Oh… boy…” Sharra shook her head slowly. “Then it makes sense, what you are feeling.”

 

<I am glad it makes sense to you, because it makes none to me.> Reekia said with a snarl. <What does it mean?>

 

<It means you are in love.> The new voice had both females spinning in place. Reekia had her warblade up and ready, Sharra had her blaster in hand, but both lowered their weapons as they saw the speaker, a small female Wookiee with a silver mask over her face. She spoke softly and sadly. <I apologize for listening in on a private conversation. I heard Shyriiwook and was intrigued. My apologies to both of you.>

 

“No apologies needed, Finnerroo.” Sharra replied as she holstered her blaster. “I apologize for disturbing you.”

 

<You didn’t.> The sole Wookiee that flew with the Dragons, the squadron of odd fighter pilots who had been the Republic premier impossible mission force, shrugged. <I… It is so lonely in here now…With the others gone.> Half of the squadron had been wiped out in a battle with Republic Intelligence’s Special Branch. It was unclear whether or not they would be able to be cloned again. The machinery in the Dragon areas was automated, and inaccessible.

 

“You don’t have to stay in here, Finerroo.” Sharra protested as she stepped towards the Wookiee in the silver mask. The Dragon quarters on the Stormhawk were a closed off section, off the main ship security grid and so the one place where Sharra could be sure no one would hear her talk to Reekia. She had thought the surviving Dragons, including her adopted daughter Brianna, were sleeping. “You are welcome with us, anytime Finerroo. You know that.”

 

<I am a monster, Sharra.> The small Wookiee shook her head. <Monsters have no place in polite society.>

 

<Who said anything about polite society?> Reekia asked softly, her blade returning to her back. <I know about being a monster. A…pet…> She bowed her head. She held out empty hands to the masked Wookiee. <I am Reekia, formerly of the Sith Empire, now… I am nothing…> Her voice held sorrow and fear now. <A leech, a hindrance, a problem… All of these and more, I am. I should go…>

 

“Reekia…” Sharra shook her head and then, in a swift move, embraced the huge furred form. Reekia froze in place, unsure of what to do. “Calm down. It’s okay. It will be okay.”

 

<Sharra… No… You must not…> The Wookiee masterblade protested. <I do not want to hurt you.>

 

“Then don’t.” Sharra said softly as she ruffled the Wookiee’s fur a little. “You have strict control or you would not have survived what you did. We have to find a better way, for you and your people. Matter of fact…” The germ of an idea was starting to sprout. “Finerroo… Is Surioa available?”

 

<She is… um…> Fineroo sighed. <She won’t leave her lab. Says it is too important to wait. I worry about her.>

 

“We will see about that.” Sharra said in a soft, determined voice. “Finerroo… I need to ask you something embarrassing…” She broke off as Finerroo snorted a laugh.

 

<Yes, I understand. I had cubs, including a daughter.> She looked at Reekia and her gaze was sorrowful. <I do not know what you went through, sister of trees, but I can imagine. May I ask what your name was …before…?>

 

<Before my Trial?” Reekia asked softly, her face downcast. <I barely remember that time. I was… not very coherent.>

 

<We will need to find out.> Finerro said gently. <If you are to court the one who has drawn your attention.>

 

<Wait… what?> Reekia barked in shock. <I… I cannot do that… I am… I am…> She trailed off as both Sharra and Finerroo looked at her steadily. <I can’t…> She backed away, running from the two other females. Sharra looked at Finerroo and sighed.

 

“I will take Surioa, can you talk to Reekia?” Sharra asked with a smile. “I may have an idea that will help all of us. Including you. It might even get you home again.”

 

<If it will let me see my mate and cubs again, Sharra, you have but to ask.> Finerroo said quietly but there was a smile in her voice that did not show on the impassive mask that covered her face. <I understand her feelings now. I was no better my first time.>

 

“Were any of us? You are only a first timer once after all.” Sharra asked with a smirk but then she sobered. “Be careful. Finerroo, she is likely not very stable right now.” Sharra warned. “I know you are tough, but she dealt with Sith Lords on a daily basis.”

 

<Teach your grandmother to suck eggs, Sharra.> Finerro replied evenly. <She is hardly the first young one I have had to coach through this kind of thing. The first dark side using female maybe, but hardly the first female.>

 

“It’s easy to forget how old you actually are, Finerroo.” Sharra smiled as she embraced the other female. She ruffled Finerroo’s fur and the female wookiee growled in mock aggravation. The Wookiee was easily the oldest of the Dragons and had two children with her life mate. But she had volunteered when the Republic had called for fighter pilots to form Dragon Squadron, not having any idea what was involved.

 

<I just got my fur straight, Sharra!> The Wookiee complained as she started for the door to follow Reekia, smoothing her fur carefully. <Now I will look like a walking carpet.>

 

“Do you ever not?” Sharra asked slyly and then ducked as Fineroo threw a ball of fur at her. She laughed and grinned. “Beware of flying furballs… Ahhhh!” She cried as Fineroo hit her square with another. “I will get you for that…” But Finerroo was gone and Sharra straightened, her expression turning serious. “Now to speak to Dragon Six and then... Olana….”

[kalenath]

Reekia of the Bladeborn was aware of scrutiny as she stalked back towards the Bladeborn quarters. At least no one was openly hostile. Of course, it probably would have been stupid for anyone to be openly hostile, seeing as how she was 1) fairly large for a Wookiee, 2) Carrying a full size warblade, and 3) Obviously upset. But then she felt another presence, a sad one. She paused at a cross corridor, seeing the brown furred form with the silver mask that she had met earlier. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. She had only met other Wookiees in battle, fighting as a member of the Bladeborn. She was not expecting the sadness and kindness in the other Wookiee’s sense in the Force, or the compassion that sounded when Finerroo spoke.

 

<Come.> Finerroo started off and Reekia, unsure, followed slowly. Finerroo’s barks were soft now. <You do not know what to do or why, do you?>

 

<No.> Reekia admitted softly. <I wish Mama Lizard was here.>

 

<No offense intended to your formidable clan mother…” Finerro said quietly as she led Reekia deep into the bowels of the ship. <But she is not of the People of the Trees. You are.>

 

<This will complicate things.> Reekia was not expecting Finerroo to bark a laugh. <What?> She asked with a scowl.

 

<Of course it will complicate things, young one. Things are only simple in stories, in tales told by firesides.> Reekia bristled a bit and Finerro nodded sagely. < I do use the term ‘young one’ advisedly…> Finerroo nodded as Reekia looked at her. <I have seen over two hundred and twenty summers. I have born two cubs, a strong son and a beautiful daughter with the male I loved. How many summers have you seen?> Her calm gaze held Reekia and the proud Bladeborn finally lowered her gaze and nodded.

 

<Thirty four…> Reekia said softly. <I think…I do not know for sure. I think I was five or six when Trugoy found me. I do not know for sure. Time blurred in the mines…>

 

<Well…> Finerro sighed and opened a door to… wonder. She waved for Reekia to follow her as she stepped into what looked at best like a garden gone berserk and at worst like a jungle. In the middle of a spacecraft? Finerroo nodded at Reekia’s stunned expression. <This was my garden when I served on the ship before Coruscant. They built it at my request. I could have asked for them to bring a wrooshoo tree and they likely would have. The droids tended it while I slept, but they did not prune it as it should have been. I find I enjoy the comfort of something wild, even here. Something of home.> Her sense in the Force was sad now. <I cannot ever go home now. My family has mourned me and moved on.>

 

<But…> Reekia was almost overwhelmed by the smells, the sights of so many green, living things. She saw flowers she had no names for, hanging plants of all descriptions, all circling what looked like a small forest pond. She knew, intellectually, that she was standing in a spacecraft. She looked behind her, and yes, the hatch was there. But everywhere else, the plants dominated. She shook her head. <Why can’t you go home?>

 

<I died at Coruscant, Reekia of the Bladeborn.> Finerroo said quietly as she sat in a clear spot and started examining some of the flowers nearby. <My family moved on. They grieved for me as was right and proper, and then they moved on. Am I the Wookiee whose ship was blasted out of the sky there, or just a copy? I do not know…> She shrugged. <But that does not mean I cannot offer you some advice if you wish.>

 

<I thought the Dragons hated the Sith.> Reekia said softly as she sat down near the hatch. The grass underfoot was soft. Hard to believe a deck was underneath it. <Why help me?>

 

<We do hate the Empire in general and Sith in particular. Part is our oaths to defend the Republic, part is implanted in the devices inside our brains. But as you all are fond of saying, you are not Sith, you are Bladeborn. Actions, Reekia of the Bladeborn, actions speak louder than words and your actions have been most confusing. Until now. You are hardly the first female I have counseled on such things.> Finerroo had a smile in her barking now even if her impassive silver mask did not move. <I knew that my own daughter would need this discussion someday. But I will never see her again. So…> She looked at Reekia. <Speak your mind, young one.>

 

<Why me? Why now?> Reekia asked, her strong posture bending into one of despair. <I haven’t felt this way since my childish infatuation with Idjit.>

 

<How many male Wookiees have you been around who were not trying to kill you?> Finerroo asked in a calm tone. <Have you ever had anything like a normal relationship?>

 

<Normal?> Reekia asked incredulously, and then she paused as she realized that Finerroo was absolutely serious. <Uh… None…And...no.>

 

<Well, then…> Finerroo nodded to the Bladeborn. <We need to work through this. You know what will happen if you approach Olanagychew at this moment.> Reekia nodded soberly. A fight, likely to the death. <So…. Let us talk, you and I.>

 

<About what?> Reekia asked softly but she was relaxing. Something about this… This matriarch, had her relaxing She knew this was wrong, that she should be on guard, but it was odd. She felt safe here. In the presence of this dangerous being who could likely give her a run for her money in sheer viciousness, she was relaxing. <I feel…> She paused. She wasn’t being manipulated, in any way except the kindness that was pouring off of Finerroo now. Her eyes narrowed. The older Wookiee felt like Mama Lizard, a lot like Mama Lizard actually. <Who were you? Really?>

 

<My name is Finerroo. I am Dragon Three, executive officer of the Dragons that remain under Will. Before that, I was Finerroo, soldier of the Republic.> Finerroo nodded to Reekia and then continued. <Before that? I was Finerroo, a priestess of the Green Goddess on Kashyyk.> Reekia’s eyes went wide at that. A priestess? In the Forces? What the…? < I can help you sister, if you wish it.>

 

<I…> Reekia paused and then shuddered. <This is so alien to me. I have to remain in control, or I will hurt people, cause problems… I don’t want to cause problems. This will cause problems.>

 

<Maybe.> Finerroo nodded. <But you need this. You need this…> She repeated softly. <So… When you saw Olana the first time, what did you feel?>

 

<I don’t know.> Reekia admitted. <It felt a lot like the feelings I had for Idjit at first. Hot and cold at the same time, and…> She sighed as she started to pour out her feelings. This would likely be a long, long day. But if this Finerro was anything like she felt like, maybe she would be able to work this out. She truly hoped so.

[kalenath]

<You cannot be serious!> The roar from the gray furred Wookiee was deafening in the small room, but Sharra Kalenath was unmoved. Olanagychew liked Sharra a lot. But this… <Please tell me you are kidding, Sharra… Please…?>

 

“I wish I could Olana.” Sharra was sitting down, outwardly was indifferent to the upset Wookiee who was stalking around the room now, obviously beyond distressed. “Everyone I have spoken to however, agrees. Including Finerroo. You know how hard she is to fool.”

 

<Sharra…> Olanagychew’s eyes were bleak now. <You cannot be asking…> He broke off as Sharra snarled at him.

 

“Calm down, my friend.” Sharra put actions to words and relaxed herself. “I am not asking anything, Olana.” Sharra corrected him, almost gently. “I am not saying anything other than what she feels. What you do with that information is up to you.” Sharra sighed softly now. “But I will say this. She is scared.” The gray furred Wookiee’s eyes went wide at that, but Sharra raised a hand. “She is going to react as she was trained. She cannot do anything else, Olana. She gets scared, she gets angry, she harnesses the power as she was taught and uses it to protect herself.”

 

<Well, what am I supposed to do?> Olanagychew asked sourly. <Maybe she isn’t a Sith. But…> He shook his head. <At least they don’t wear black.>

 

“True.” Sharra said softly. “Have you… talked to any of them? At all?”

 

<No.> Olana said flatly. <I have avoided them. The female…> He sighed. <I could tell she was studying me, but I assumed it was as a potential enemy… A potential threat. Not… this…>

 

"Olana, she is confused." Sharra’s voice was soft and worried. "She is directionless now. When Trugoy died, the Bladeborn lost their way, the sole solid thing in their existence was their service to the Empire, and then, it was gone. She doesn’t know what to do. And now… This… As you said.”

 

<How old is she?> Olana asked softly, his face away from Sharra. <Do you know?>

 

“She doesn’t know exactly.” Sharra replied. “She was taken by Trugoy from a slave pit while she was very young. She was born in that pit, Olana. You know what she went through there. You know. You hate the Sith, yes, everyone knows that. And so does she. With very much the same reason.”

 

<She served them.> Olana protested, his face hard as he turned back to look at the mate of his best friend. <Don’t tell me she didn’t.> Sharra nodded.

 

“Yes she did and on the Dark Council no less. She didn’t have a choice.>” Olana froze at the pain in her tone. “It hurt her, Olana. It hurt her badly to be around such a concentration of evil power. Ask Ona sometime about the mental wounds that Reekai suffered. She didn’t have a choice.> Sharra repeated. “Have you seen any of how the Bladeborn train? What they believe? Or why?”

 

<No.> Olana said softly. <I didn’t want to take the chance of…> He whined mournfully. <…hurting someone by accident again.>

 

“Olana…” Sharra sighed. Not this again. “It wasn’t your fault. If it was anyone’s, it was mine for getting between you and your target. I know better than that. I am not going to say they are all good people, although some of them are. Just… Can you at least look at her before you storm off and throw things? You don’t even need to talk. Just watch the Order train a bit. I will be there.” She paused as Olana went totally still. “And I can guarantee you that no one is going to raise a weapon at me or you. Because Sarai, Ji and Kicota are also going to be there.”

 

<This is crazy, Sharra…> Olana protested. <Even for you this is crazy…>

 

“Olana…” Sharra slumped a bit in place. “I am not asking you to do anything. Just… watch. Okay?”

 

<I have a really bad feeling about this…> But the huge Wookiee nodded dubiously.

 

“I understand your feelings Olana.” Sharra said quietly with no trace of triumph in her voice. “I do. I was not a prisoner for as long as you, nor in a slave mine. But you know what they did to me.”

 

Olana looked at the mate of his best friend and nodded soberly. She did know what it was to be a prisoner of the Sith. Even before the nasty scum Ravishaw had implanted her with devices to control and track her, she had been tortured and interrogated by Sith trying to find and capture Will. Finding out about that had nearly cost Will his tenuous grip on sanity. The gray furred Wookiee sighed and his dark brown eyes were bleak when he looked at Sharra.

 

<What do you want me to do?> He asked softly.

 

“Sarai and Ji will both be out of Medical in the morning. They will be in with the rest of the Bladeborn for drills.” Sharra nodded back, soberly. “Come with me, and watch the drills. Nothing more.”

 

<This is a bad idea, Sharra.> Olanagychew had done a lot of crazy things in his life, both before and after meeting Will. But this… <A very bad idea…>

 

“And leaving her to muddle through this on her own is a good idea?” Sharra asked caustically. “Do you want her to lose control? You know how unpredictable females can be. Especially female Wookiees. If she goes into heat…” Olana actually winced and Sharra sighed sadly. “I know you blame yourself, it was not your fault.”

 

<I will be there, Sharra Kalenath.> Olanagychew snarled softly. <But… Do not try and match make me again. Ever. You cannot change me.> With that, he was gone. For a long moment after he was gone, Sharra sat in place, her face a mask. Then a single tear fell down her face.

 

<If I don’t who will, my friend?> Her voice held measureless pain now. <You won’t let anyone else get close enough. You have cause, but…> She bowed her head as tears came freely now. <It was not your fault…>