“This is insane!” Kowani blurted as she shifted her eyes from the endless debris field to Nara, “what happened here?”
“How the hell would I know?” Nara retorted, her eyes never leaving the view the canopy presented them all, “more importantly, I don’t care...whatever caused this did us a favor.”
“Unless whatever did is still here…” Rex added under his breath, a sense of foreboding working its way toward conscious thought. “And it just might be, this debris is recent.” He finished pointing toward evacuating gases and sparking electrical discharges.
“I do have a fairly direct route to the fourth planet in the system, mostly free of wreckage, but it will take a little bit to get there.” Ahsoka informed them all, flashing a glance toward Rex.
Areti surprised them all as she blindly approached the canopy between Kowani and Ahsoka narrowing her eyes. An enormous top section of one of the destroyers tumbled slowly into view as Ahsoka rolled the yoke slightly to avoid collision, “These are Victory class….no topside armament.” The Chalactan added to the ongoing narrative.
“And the last section we avoided was the underside, same description.” Ahsoka said, her eyes pulling her features into a confused expression.
“So, this isn’t a military operation?” Rex asked, mirroring the bafflement.
Areti turned slightly toward the clone, “everything is a military operation.” She said bluntly, “the lack of armament only suggests the perceived security of the system.” Areti turned back toward the canopy proffering a hand forward, “these are….were...modified for transport.” She continued, her eyes remaining on the tumbling debris as her mind somersaulted in efforts to identify answers that just weren’t there. ‘I have no knowledge of this.’ She admitted to herself, feeling the nascent stares of everyone with her in the cockpit. “I didn’t do this you know.” She said aloud, remaining motionless. “If you want to waste time pointing out the obvious, take a number because my presence here was by choice.”
“N’dali’s choice….” Kowani added, and regretted immediately, “Sorry Imp….Areti…” She amended, unwilling to allow her anger to divert from the truth of the woman’s presence among them.
If Areti was phased, she didn’t express it, only motioned closer to the canopy, squinting her eyes in strained effort, “you said fourth planet, yes?”
Nara looked up, “Yes, why?”
“Because you’re going to be unpleasantly surprised if it looks anything like that.” She lifted a finger to point toward the remains of a planet taking shape in the distance. Every gaze within the small cabin reverted to the transpiring view through the canopy before them all. The sphere was half what it should be as the sickly brown and dull gray orb rotated its devasted half into full view.
“Ceti Lotaria, according to the Imperial system registry…..at least half of it anyway.” Kowani spoke quietly as the devastation elicited an onerous silence, each of them processing the destruction in their own way. They all knew there would be no further information regarding the planet outside of usefulness, inhabitants weren’t even considered casualties. Kowani inexplicably looked toward Nara as they both knew the answer to what everyone was thinking, “there wasn’t anyone on the planet’s surface.”
“How could you know that?” Areti turned to her.
“She is correct….they were removed from the system some time ago.” Nara added.
“Doesn’t answer my question.” Areti responded looking between the two of them.
Ahsoka hadn’t taken her eyes from the remains of the once vivid planet, the longitudinal split too precise to be naturally occurring. Planetary remains spewed slowly forth as they glimmered like gems in the sun’s light the closer they came. She was drawn into the colors of the lifeless remains, the garish brown and dull gray reminding her of the detritus in the wake of infection and disease.
Ahsoka yoked the vessel away from Ceti Lotaria, putting it satisfyingly behind them as they took a more direct path forward toward Conum Arnia.
“Scopes clean on the planet Ahsoka, it is intact. Little to no atmosphere though…” Kowani updated.
“Lifeforms?” Rex asked before anyone else could.
“Zero readings.” Kowani responded, clearly ready for the question. “If there were any prior to atmospheric destabilization, I do not know.”
“Destabilization?” Areti asked.
“Concentrated presence of Carbon and Sulfuric dioxides.” Kowani said aloud, reciting the scanners read outs on the monitoring screen before her.
Thousands of whispered voices flooded Ahsoka’s montral, none of them decipherable, startling her out of her thoughts regarding their destination. They all were saying the same thing, yet undeterminable as they overlapped one another with a recklessness that shocked her into a chaotic state. She whipped a glance toward Kowani who was already staring back, her eyes giant spheres of their own confusion.
“What was that?” Nara asked, both Ahsoka and Kowani spinning in their seats to see that Nara had the same look Ahsoka had identified within Kowani’s eyes.
“What was what?” Areti asked, befuddled by the comment.
“Voices…” Kowani informed those that hadn’t heard them.
“Distant voices.” Ahsoka added.
“Pleas for help.” Nara chimed in.
“From those long since passed.” Kowani continued.
“You all heard it then?” Rex asked, bemused as he scratched at his beard.
None of the three responded to the question as they looked from one to the other, “they are a warning Nara. I don’t think we should be here.” Ahsoka said flatly, although unable to translate, she understood caution in every language.
“This isn’t an investigation Ahsoka, this is about destruction. If the temple exists, it must be destroyed.” Nara replied with conviction.
“Be that as it may Nara, that was precisely what the Empire was doing…” Ahsoka said calmly.
“Which doesn’t seem to have ended very well for them…” Rex added, his own cautionary reaction remaining on high alert.
“What temple...what are you talking about?” Areti was truly at a loss.
“Clearly N’dali didn’t even know that…” Kowani chided.
“In fact, I did not.” N’dali responded over the comm, much to Kowani’s relief and delight, her demeanor shifting gears dramatically in a matter of seconds.
“You’ve been listening in the whole time then?” Kowani said, a light crack in her voice betraying the ripple of a smile N’dali had no way of seeing.
“Of course…”
Ahsoka smiled warmly toward Kowani, “N’dali we are looking for a temple on Conum Arnia.”
“That is something your team will have to figure out Ashla, I have gotten you to the system and can do no more.” N’dali responded.
“And thank you for that.” Ahsoka said, trying her best to maintain composure.
“Southern hemisphere, focus on the voices.” Nara spoke up, ignoring the pleasantries outright.
Both Ahsoka and Kowani did as suggested, finding that Nara was indeed correct. The voices, although random and chaotic seemed to emanate centrally from the southern hemisphere of the approaching planet. A green sphere began taking shape before them as it materialized with increasing detail the closer they came.
“Green? Plant life?” Rex asked, confused.
“Dioxin gas. Not only is that atmosphere degraded, but it’s also poison.” Areti said, a finger to her cheek in thought. “If that is purposeful, it wasn’t the Empire. They wouldn’t bother with toxins.”
“Right. It’s either subjugation or annihilation.” N’dali added.
“All the more reason to push on, right Nara?” Ahsoka said shaking her head, “something or someone clearly doesn’t want us down there.” Nara only grunted in rebuttal, not bothering to offer words in deference to the chiding.
Kowani, after freeing her mind from the chatter within the cockpit, continued to focus on the voices, finding that with each passing second she was able to identify a continuingly confined source, moreover, she was able to distinguish what was being said. “...repatse...tovu..nah...gur...akoma…” she recited with her eyes tightly closed.
“Danger...a great evil…..but the dialect is primitive, ancient.” N’dali voiced over the comms.
“How did you….Ani?” Ahsoka asked, astonished as she swiveled slightly to view Kowani straight on.
“Maybe I am living up to it Ahsoka.” Kowani uttered, slowly opening her eyes to return the gaze, the crack of smile spreading across her lips. “Not much different I think than what you did on Dagobah.”
“Nice job kid….” Rex said, clapping her shoulder, “now, about the danger, great evil part, N’dali is more reliable than a protocol droid, that translation has to be taken into account.”
“Superstitions…” Nara interceded quickly.
“...spoken by the living, sure….spoken by the dead takes on a different meaning Nara.” Rex fired back, a firm tone signifying his growing agitation not lost on any of them.
“Destruction then negates the dangers of evil.” Nara suggested.
Areti didn’t let the opportunity pass her by, “evil never negates evil. Destruction may only empower whatever ‘it’ is.”
Ahsoka shook her head, her Lek’ku flaunting over her shoulder in the process, “Look, this isn’t a decision any one person should make.” Nostalgia gripped her firmly as she thought warmly of Hera momentarily. “Personally, I am inclined to agree with Nara on this, despite the earlier comments.”
“I think the clone and I are in agreement.” Areti said quickly.
Kowani closed her eyes as she blew out her breath, knowing every set of eyes in the cockpit was on her. She knew Nara needed to follow through with her agenda and would do so one way or another, ‘we’re already here,’ she thought, knowing it made more sense to complete the task. She also knew there was an incredible amount of wisdom in turning around now, Rex hadn’t lived through insane missions on the whims of dumb luck. Then she thought of N’dali. If they turned around, they could find a way to deliver her to safety. She knew what N’dali would do, and she wasn’t prepared to betray the Thebeskan’s sacrifice. She winced her eyes shut tight for a moment longer then opened them, “we should proceed.” She was certain she would overhear odes of disapproval from both Rex and Areti but was pleasantly surprised to find them simply nodding in their overridden defeat.
“Had you chosen any differently I would have killed you Ani.” N’dali responded with a crackle over the comms. “On principle.” Kowani stretched a smile with lighthearted effort.
Ahsoka didn’t hesitate as she thrust the yoke forward with authority, lurching the humming vessel forward and into the greenish haze of Conum Arnia’s atmosphere.
✦
The Liberator’s canopy pushed through the last of the thick mottled green cloud cover. Gasps of awe and astonishment filled the small cockpit, each of them allowing the sight to speak for itself. Dark and light Olive greens, full scopes of deep and dark forest greens, shades of green ranging from the dark hues of Kultasse to the drab silver shimmer found in Alderranian sage, all mingling to paint the landscape appearing below them.
“The planet is covered in plant life?” Rex was the first to breach the shared silence. “How is there no sentient life here?” He added after no one else offered further analysis.
He let the question remain unanswered as he continued to survey, noting the sharp details of various foliage getting caught up in the winds the planet offered, each frond or branch tagging its neighbor in a continual green wave that carried to the horizon. Rex felt a reverence for the sights below him despite the increasingly menacing sense of danger that refused to be ignored. “I am no scientist, but this shouldn’t be possible…” He said, splaying a hand before him.
“I don’t have an answer for that.” Ahsoka said outright, beginning to harbor doubts regarding the choice to push forward.
Nara considered the clones’ comments as, she too, stared in wonder at the diversity of greenery and foliage the planet supported, brought ever more into full detail the closer they came to an unending canopy of densely packed flora. She felt a brief tinge of doubt as Ahsoka banked the ship starboard, filling the canopy with another view that didn’t differ at all from the first. “It’ll be a chore finding a place to set down I think.” She said, her unease growing by the second. ‘I am certain this is right…’ she thought blankly, trying to rouse her own confidence.
No one said a word as Ahsoka throttled down the accelerator and engaged the ships repulsors and maneuvering jets, idling the vessel closer to the tangle of the planet’s taller trees. She couldn’t ignore the nagging sense of unease that only magnified its presence with each passing second, further, she could sense the same dreadful lamentations pervading the thoughts and emotions of everyone with her. Ahsoka couldn’t help but acknowledge an intimidation within her, some eerie form of unsettling nerves that remained just out of the sight of reason. The pit of her stomach churned. Her throat felt constricted, and her chest pounded with a pressure she couldn’t identify. ‘We can’t stay here…’ she thought to herself, knowing full well everyone was doing the same.
“The trees!” Kowani blurted, annihilating the cold silence that had spread through the cockpit, a mildly chugging hum the only audible focal point. All eyes turned to her.
“What about them?” Areti was the first to ask, doing her best to mitigate the sarcasm she wrapped the question in.
“Ahsoka, those voices…...they weren’t people….” Kowani stammered as she began to visibly vibrate, “N’dali, how would I say…”
“Tar choum ganitom.”
“….Yes...we come in peace.” Kowani began bouncing in the co-pilot’s seat. Ahsoka looked over and watched as Kowani began motioning her hands in large circles with her palms turned inward, the method she had in fact taught her to calm her mind, a prelude to meditation. Ahsoka was uncertain where the theatrics were headed but decided to let the Mirialan work through her instinct.
Kowani did her best to slow her breathing at the same time she calmed her mind, the silence within the cockpit working in her favor as she began reciting the phrase… ‘tar choum ganitom…..tar choum ganitom….’ she repeated in her mind, each cadence slower as she emphasized each syllable with intent, injecting her own peace to give the them meaning beyond the superficial. Her mind offered a vision of the swaying greenery below, tossing and flaying in the winds that had no source, patterns, she noted, that were anything but natural. Limbs from some trees were moving toward her, while others were moving away. Swirling patterns cut furrows and swaths in opposing directions, folding in on themselves in ways that seemed chaotic. Kowani, entranced, continued following the trails the wind left in its wake as singular phenomena as she felt herself drawn to its grace and beauty. She noted the subtleties in the various fronds, how some were variegated with extensively bled color patterns and others were stark, almost hideous, blended together, however, they created a symphony for the senses. Kowani felt drawn into their dance as she imagined her body sailing on those winds, reaching a handout to brush the leaves that yearned to touch her skin, all the while seeking….seeking. ‘Seeking what?’ She thought to herself as she pulled up short and took back control of her subconscious. It was only then that she was able to view the larger picture, see the broader landscape and piece together each variable into a perfect vision. ‘It’s language…’ her mind understood.
Kowani opened her eyes slowly, finding herself in the pilot’s seat, the Liberator responding absolutely to her guiding hand on its yoke. She looked to her right, Ahsoka looking directly back at her with her luminous blue eyes. “What happened?”
“Glad you brought it up first…” Rex said quietly, “we were kind of hoping you could explain it.”
Kowani noted Nara’s gaze over Ahsoka’s shoulder, “It is leading us, isn’t it.” A question within a statement.
“Yes.” Kowani replied, wanting to know how she had traded places with Ahsoka but more inclined to let the mystery remain just that.
“Ani, you were speaking….” Ahsoka started, “N’dali said you were asking them to guide you, but then you started mumbling and she couldn’t translate.”
“They...it...I don’t know, but yes. We are following the winds. They will guide us to the table.” Kowani said in response, sure of the words despite the stares of concern she was getting in return. She felt within herself, knowing the path was correct and pushed the ship faster toward the southern hemisphere, following a growing swath of windblown tree limbs as they chased kilometer after kilometer. Confluences of wind from different directions closed in and joined the forward foray as Kowani throttled the reignited Ion drive. Despite the groans to the contrary, she was enthralled, guiding her ship just as the wind had guided her in her mind.
“Is there nothing but this here?” Areti asked, voicing the same concern everyone else seemed to have.
“There is a stone….the table…” Kowani replied, “beyond that, I have no idea.”
Nara braced herself as she gripped the co-pilots seat firmly, Ahsoka startled by the action, “We are here.”
“We are indeed.” Kowani responded, pulling back on the throttle and yoke simultaneously.
“We are where? It’s the same Ani.” Rex said, agitation mingling with his apprehension.
“The table.” She said, firing the repulsor again as the whine of the Ion reactor decanted to silence. She punched the landing gears and began closing in on the treetops below them.
“Uh, Ani…” Ahsoka spoke up with a certain measure of her own doubt.
“Ahsoka, trust me.” Kowani replied half turning, a gentle smile spreading across her lips. A force, a bipartisan effort of both wind and flora alike, began to pull back. Tall trees falling over unto themselves, vines and shorter shrubbery snaking and pulling themselves free, roots pulling up in massive cordons to relocate meters distant.
“Well, I’ll be…” Rex intoned with a gasping breath, gazing downward as far as he could through the semicircular canopy, watching as the greenery in all its splendor gave way to a gigantic stone slab that it had been hiding. Seconds later the ship gently set down upon its surface with a recoiling lurch.
✦
“We have about thirty minutes with these. If this takes longer we’ll have to come back to recharge him.” Kowani said, passing around rebreather masks as she slapped her helmet on her head. “R3, have us on standby, we may need to get out of here in a hurry.”
Boop...beep...whirl…
“Really?” Kowani said hastily.
“Well, you haven’t been paying much attention to him lately.” Rex said with a stifled laugh. His grin turning more serious as he turned toward Ahsoka, “what are we looking for anyway?”
“A temple.” Nara responded for her.
“Sorry, I don’t see a temple.” Rex responded too quickly, what enthusiasm he had remaining having completely given way to hesitation and concern.
“It’s there.” Kowani said stoically, activating the idle air lock doorway to the port side boarding ramp. “Let’s go.”
Ahsoka gripped her shoulder, “Are you sure about this?” She whispered lightly.
Kowani spun the helmet’s visor back toward Ahsoka in response and nodded once, then turned back and slapped the ramps actuator. A sharp hiss of stale scrubbed air shot from the seals as the toxic oxides flooded the descending ramp, Kowani making sure to engage the ‘puffer’ seal on her helmet with a satisfying ping.
The unforgiving winds that had guided them had stopped completely, the trees and ground tangle unmoving as they all planted boots to solid stone. The only sounds came from rapid breathing and sure-footed boot heels as they spread out from the ship. Each of them noted the wall of motionless greenery one hundred meters distant, an impenetrable tangle of vegetation that felt as imposing as the eerie silence itself.
‘We weren’t meant to be here…’ Rex thought to himself, fingers of both hands tickling the familiar blasters at his sides as he tried gaging the height of the trees that could just as easily close back in. “Can we just get this over with please.”
“What’s wrong Rexxy, I am certain you’ve been in worse situations…” Kowani chided.
Rex felt the waves of apprehension double their efforts, “not a very helpful comparison.” He said uneasily, ‘I’d rather face a legion of clankers…’ he thought to himself.
Ahsoka breathed in slowly, measuring her inhales and exhales to maximize the utilities of the mask as she strode slowly toward the center of the stone table, her mind in some state of quasi reality as she probed silently for the ebbs and flows of the Force. She closed her eyes to envision them, guiding her actions with implicit trust. The paths the Force took were wildly sporadic as they sought each of them, meandering paths from the cyclonic torrent at the forest’s edge, as if, it too, were mirroring Rex’s sentiments. “They pleaded for our help.” Ahsoka said suddenly, everyone stopping their cursory inspections to turn toward her. “Then we were warned to stay away.” She looked toward the tree line, “and now the Force hesitates to intervene.”
“Because it does not understand our intent.” Nara began as she narrowed her eyes.
“But the planet does…” Kowani said, Ahsoka turning to face her.
“Defy the will of the Force to help them?” Ahsoka thought aloud.
Kowani took several steps forward to place herself at the estimated center of the stone table, “no, to find a balance between them.” She said as she unclipped her saber from her belt and unholstered her side arm, lying both before her.
A loud crack sounded through the clearing followed closely by a deep tremor that vibrated through the soles of their boots. They all looked toward one another knowingly, each disarming themselves, copying Kowani’s action. The ground began rumbling instantly with tremendous force, Areti falling to a knee with a startled gasp. Ahsoka firing out a hand to either side of her, bracing herself in the process and offering aid to the sisters to her left and right. Kowani instinctively grasped the offered hand and locked her grip around it, Nara seconds behind her, pulling all three of them into the center together. Immediately, the tremors began splitting the face of the stone in archaic designs, sending splinters and fragments skyward with motes of acrid smelling dust and the tang of worked metal. Without warning, large stone plinths, three in total, rose from the desiccated rock along the cracked fringes, like saplings springing from fertile soils yearning to bask in the sun’s light. Each new geological erection stood six meters in height and three meters wide, their dull gray surfaces a misrepresentation of the perfection within. “New rules….” Ahsoka said, basking in her own bafflement in the aftershock of what had just happened.
Ahsoka stared into the eerily smooth stone facing her, the outline of her own reflection forming within its austere surface. She walked a little closer, watching as the reflection adopted her own defined features with stunning clarity. Ahsoka reached out a hand as she extended her fingers, brushing them lightly against its cool surface, tilting her head to the side as the reflective fingers touched her own.
“What is this?” Nara said to Ahsoka’s right. “This can’t be right…” Ahsoka heard her trail away, ironically mirroring her own sentiments. She turned toward her, finding that Nara was interacting with her own stone in much the same way she was, fingers outstretched, her mouth agape as if trying to form words that wouldn’t come. Nara turned to her, her eyes full and wide with confusion.
“….Ummm….” both Ahsoka and Nara turned toward Kowani, who was recoiling from her own stone. “Ahsokaaaa…..” Kowani half turned toward her.
“What do you see?” Nara was the first to ask, a dynamic enthusiasm underneath the words.
“A man...a sickly-looking man.” Kowani responded slowly, unsure how the message would be received.
“...three stones….” Ahsoka whispered to herself as she narrowed her eyes, looking from Kowani to the stone before her, then sweeping over the remainder with an uneasy feeling.
“Describe him Ani, we need to know.” Nara insisted.
Kowani turned her gaze fully to the stone before her again, wary of revisiting the sickly image and of describing him through her own words. The man stared back at her, unblinking, severe orbs of a shining crimson through which Kowani could relay nothing but torment and anger. “Severe. Harsh...cold. He has no hair, only red streaks across his scalp, ending above his brow. His motions mirror my own.” Kowani continued, raising and lowering her left arm to test the observation. Each finger moved in complete synchronization with her own movements. She reached out her right hand and swung it out before her with the same results. “His face does not change, there is no emotion, only an anger within his eyes.”
“They will not burn with anything but anger Ani….” Ahsoka said slowly, blowing out her breath as she closed her eyes, “Whatever remained of the temple has long since passed.”
Nara gasped in response, “this is the portal, isn’t it?”
“I believe so.” Ahsoka whispered her response, almost inaudible as she felt a sudden nausea work its way into her abdomen. She opened her eyes and turned fully, “Rex, can you please try raising Sabine. I think we’re going to need her help.”
“Ahsoka, you know as well as I do we can’t do that without a hyper relay….” He said despondently, “besides, we only have about fifteen minutes left…”
The chime within her helmet pierced through the jumbled miasma Kowani’s mind was becoming, entranced with the image staring back at her. Fed up with the distraction, she slammed the activator key on the side of her helm, the gaunt looking sickly man mirroring the action, “what?”
“Sabine is already on the way...I can’t reach Ashla’s comm device.” N’dali’s voice, soothing and comforting, pulled her back into herself. The sounds she heard behind the voice set her on edge as she listened closely to them. “N’dali what is happening?” She almost screamed into the audio pickup, her nerves transcending rationality in response to the repeating alarms and sonorous thuds.
“My time is up Ani.” N’dali began in response, her voice calm and serene. “I love you sista, know that.”
“N’dali no!” Kowani shouted, almost choking herself in the process on the oxygen cycler. Her mind raced beyond reason as she felt her sanity tearing itself apart. “N’dali!” She screamed repeatedly. She looked to Ahsoka and Nara wondering why they were just staring back at her. The stone swung back into full view as the bald man turned his head to face her in unison with her own movements, his lips pulled tight in a mocking gesture. She stared into his face as the receiver within her helmet carried only the hiss of static, a two-way connection that would only carry on from a lone source. His eyes narrowed as his mouth opened in silent laughter. Kowani felt nothing but rage as the image continued its mocking laughter, driving reason from every corner of her mind. She reached behind her, opening her palm as she felt the hilt of her saber slam into it.