029 - Week 3 Day 5: Hide and Seek

Once Lo vanished into the forest, her eyes glanced upward. Through the gaps in the canopy she spotted the orange fade into purple. The night began to bite at her heels and it was only a matter of time until it engulfed her. Anxiety threatened to raze any hope she had, but the bothan swallowed it down. She needed to survive.

With adrenaline in her veins, the padawan pushed deeper into the forest. She ignored the weigh on her limbs or mind. Around her, conifer trees twisted into each other and locked their branches. Their thick shapes more shadow than tree now. Her breath pushed out in a rapid rhythm. It burned while she navigated her way past the jutting obstructions in her way.

A root became a stepping stone when her foot smacked it then shot herself into the air. She flipped midair back onto her feet. Losing no ground, Lo's wild eyes scanned the surrounding foliage. Smaller creatures scattered at her approach and disappeared into their burrows. Their scrambling threatened to attract far worse attention.

Onward she kept going.

Everywhere she looked, the needled leaves overlapped pathways and blocked her. It all trapped her in the open. At the rate the sun started to fade, she had to find shelter fast. She dared not try to survive the night in the open.

When Lo landed her last jump, her head turned and spotted it. Her figure straightened as an idea sprouted in her mind.

A small, deep hole had worn itself into the roots of the conifer's base. With a cautious step, the young bothan stepped forward. She expected some creature to charge at her, but she saw no obvious evidence of a resident. Lo hesitated until a distant bellow forced her choice.

She jerked her head into the direction then let the fear drive her inside. Her figure twisted midway inside. With outstretched arms, Lo focused on the force within her. Dirt quivered before it shoved itself into the entrance then sealed her inside.

Xid tailed the young prisoner with his macrobinoculars. Alongside Lea and a small group, they stood in a small position several kilometers ahead. His head shifted right then zoomed in on the Bothan's enclosed figure. Despite the missing finger, she managed to push past her shock. He noted the missing finger then gave a soft, under his breath sigh.

"Apprentice Deenia just added to the difficulty of her survival rate. She's missing a finger which has put her in shock. At the rate she's pushing herself, she'll collapse sooner than later." He offered Lea the macrobinoculars so she could see the same conclusion.
"It's almost like she doesn't want the Bothan to survive."

“More likely, she does not care.” Lea answered. “From what I have seen of the girl, she is not all that impressive.”

“Maybe, but I believe Nimm and others thought the same of me.” Xid countered then glanced around.

The darkness started to gain ground on the fading light and soon they would be unable to observe anymore.  

“At this point, if she didn’t care… Why should we bother wasting our time on this?”

“Do you have anything better to do? Besides, playing nice with Nimm now could be useful in the long run.”

"I could think of a few better things to do than this. Including improving the turrets around the base or cleaning out Navi's memory storage." Xid spoke, his mind trying to stop thinking about Jaslyn.

He adjusted his movement for a more comfortable posture. Navi had been sent ahead to stalk the padawan and she had yet to see him. By this time, the young female bolted into a cave of roots then sealed herself in. A decent tactic for a short term. A few creatures on Ryloth could burrow and only needed minutes to dig her back out.

"The dirt's too loose. She's not going to last in there if something burrows in." Xid stated out loud.

His figure tensed as he continued to look into the foliage. Nothing moved, but it would change as the night progressed.

“We likely won’t be staying on this world too long. Too many hutts. We don’t want to improve the turrets too much, in case they have to be left behind. As for helping Nimm? We can do that for a bit. If it gets too bothersome, we will find something else to do. Something more useful for us.” Lea eyed her apprentice. “This is, after all, just a favor for Nimm. If she asks too much, then the favor will not be continued.”

“As for the self-burial? Most creatures here prefer easier-to-snatch food. If you feel it is too risky, you could always send Navi out to keep predators away.”

"As useful as Navi is, I doubt he'll be very effective against a Reel'an or something larger. Not without revealing to the prisoner we're here and that might cause her to run off. I rather not do more work than is needed."

Xid paused for a moment. His gloved hand scratched his jaw and a thought occurred to him. He took one last look through the macrobinoculars for signs of animals.

"I might have an idea. If we can locate a creature, kill it and smear blood on Navi... he could spend all night luring creatures away with the scent."

“Or just strap a carcass to him?” Lea suggested.

“I’m worried that added weight might affect his mobility. Also, if it falls off then we won’t be around to reattach it.”
It appeared nothing was around, at least to his naked eye.  

“While entertaining as a concept, I was not actually considering to strap on a nerf. Some small vermin would be more relevant.”

“I didn’t think you were, but the fastenings might become damaged if the creature hits Navi and even a small addition of weight can affect his ability to regain his balance. It’s why most of his additions are built as light as possible.”

“Well, not all creatures are baited by mere blood. How about a reasonably small chunk of some animal?”

“I think you just enjoy Navi hating you for his suffering.” Xid blinked then gave her a look.

“You haven’t installed any olfactory sensors in him, have you?”

“No, but I figured the scent of blood and movement might mimic a wounded animal.”

“In the water, mere blood is effective as bait. On land, less so. A small chunk, say a few centimeters on each side, should be more than adequate, and that won’t weigh Navi down.”

Xid let out a sigh and conceded to his master's logic. Even if he wanted to argue, her logic and stubbornness outweighed his own at this point. The earlier experience had been an exhausting one.

"All right, I'll yield. However, unless we find an animal this plan won't happen. I'll summon Navi over while you locate the bait. We'll have to kill it away from the prisoner or our efforts will be worthless."

He paused a moment to gesture for the macrobinoculars. "I'll need those. Unlike you, I can't see very well in the dark."

While she didn’t say it out loud, Lea thought about how fixing that flaw would be one of the advantages of him going through Sithification. “A sound plan.” Lea answered, handing him the macrobinoculars. “After this night, we should make certain that some of Nimm’s minions take care of the night shifts. You can’t effectively fight while holding macrobinoculars.”

"If what you said is true, it’s not likely she’ll survive past the night. She likely depended heavily on the locals or her master." Xid took the device as he pressed a few buttons on a wrist comm.

Deep in the woods, Navi stalked the young Bothan. Its compact form darted underneath foliage from one spot to another. With a zoom from its bright red eyes, it whistled then clicked in annoyance. The quarry had buried herself into a local hole like vermin.

Before it explored the outside for a way in, a request for its presence happened. Indifferent to its earlier task, the droid began to scramble back to the two Sith.

When Xid spotted his creation approach him, he had detached from Lea. Darkness started to settle in and his eyesight failed to see even beyond his hands. He set down the macrobinoculars—which had night vision installed—and hit the wrist comm.

"All right, found Navi. Let me know if you find anything." He kept his lightsaber close to him as he ventured out.

Lea nodded, then ran off, seeking prey. At the present, she did not need to keep close to her apprentice. While he was not as efficient in combat during the night now as he would eventually become, he was not nearly as useless as her earlier statement had implied. For one, he had his Sith reflexes and instincts, for another he was smart enough to know his limitations. It did take some time to find a suitable creature, as not that many of the native creatures were night-active, but she did eventually find one, some small, furred creature that was not at all resistant to lightsaber strikes.

Grabbing the carcass, she ran back to where she sensed her apprentice. “This should serve adequately.” she said to him.

Xid and Navi made their way back to Lea. The little droid glanced at her then Xid before it gave a curious whistle. Naturally the boy avoided his creation's inquiry and moved closer to his master. His hand stretched out and gestured for her to pass the dead carcass to him.
"We have a vibro-knife, right? The lightsabers will just cauterize the wounds and stop the bleeding."

Another demanding click with a whistle emitted from Navi, who wanted to know the purpose of this.

“What for?” Lea said, grabbing the creature with both hands, at which point she ripped it in half, then bit off a chunk that she spit out into her hand. “This should work.”

"A vibro-blade would've been more accurate and you have no idea where that's been. It could be infected with Ryloth parasites or disease." Xid commented, his eyes widened and the scent of blood hit him.

By this time, Navi had gotten impatient. It pranced around and shook, its attention directly on him. He sighed then turned to his droid.

"Navi, we're going to need you to lure away the creatures. So you're going to carry around a bit of extra weight for most of the night. Nothing too big."

Xid pointed to the ground in front of him.

"Now, sit."

Begrudgingly, the small droid scurried to his feet and sat down. A deep protesting click echoed from its modular.

“There are no parasites on this planet that pose a threat to either of us. I checked before we traveled here.” Lea spat out what little blood remained in her mouth. While it wasn’t harmful, that did not mean it had a good flavor. “Do remind me next time not to bite these creatures though… They do not have a particularly good flavor.”

"You're also tasting it raw. So that's not helping."

Xid shook his head, his lips curled into an amused smile. Then both of them began to tie pieces of remains against Navi's outside. It took some improvisation as some pieces stuck while others fell off the moment he moved. During this time, Xid made observations on design improvements.

Humiliated and irritated, Navi shot into the darkness. Sounds of large and small animals drew closer then immediately changed their direction. For now, it appeared the idea worked.

Xid kept his macrobinoculars pointing in the direction Navi vanished in. The sith apprentice stretched out the ground, his clothes a barrier from the cold ground.

“I can’t argue against that.” Lea answered, smiling at him. “Now, I think it is time for you to explain your reaction to Apprentice Caxal’s prisoner. You recognized her, did you not?”

“I’m not really sure this is the time to discuss that.” Xid pretended to let the watch distract him.

“This is exactly the time to discuss it.” Lea stated resolutely, knowing that right now her apprentice could not run off like he undoubtedly wanted to. He was far too afraid of his own past.

Xid let out a deep breath then lowered the device. His eyes looked at Lea and immediately knew if he fought, he risked defeat.

"Yes, but it's... complicated. I don't like the idea that she's suffering and I can't stop it. Honestly, I didn't think I would cross paths with her or Master Rothul again. Now, I can't stop the memories or emotions that flood through my mind."

“The past is always complicated. That will never change. Either she will turn, or she will suffer until she dies. It is how most Sith deal with captive Jedi.” Lea was at least trying to make him relax. “You know, she might accept her fate more easily and therefore suffer less if she sees how well you have adapted to the Sith way.”

"I don't know. It's interesting, I never thought about her much until now. Even when we became padawans, we left hidden messages. It was discouraged due to attachment, but she made it hard to not want to break rules." A small chuckle at the memory, his posture relaxed.
For a bitter moment, his mind reflected on what could've been and what it was. He took a deep breath then continued.

"It could be better to let her believe I'm dead rather than face her. I don't know how she will react to seeing me alive. She might adjust and grow or crumble."

Lea shook her head. Of course he tries to evade it. “Nice try, Xid. You will face her. How she handles it is neither my nor your problem. You need to face her for your own sake, not for hers.”

Xid turned to face Lea, his body adjusted to his side as he shot off with his answer. "First off, even if I wanted to, that's up to Apprentice Caxal ultimately. I doubt you or I want to owe him a favor later. Second of all, I can't handle emotional distractions. Not in front of other Sith."

“Oh, I have no intention of owing him any favors. If anything, disrupting his prisoner’s resistance by letting her see you will mean that he owes us, not the other way around.” She leant over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You, my dear apprentice, have a problem with emotional distractions no matter the circumstances. It is better that you start to learn how to deal with that here, where fewer Sith are around to notice, than having it rear its head where those with real power in the Empire are found.”

Xid accepted her kiss as he softened his resistance, but anxiety still remained. The emotions he swore were dead scared him. They left him struggling to understand his dislike about the whole thing.

"Why do I feel like my choice has been taken away from me?" His voice didn't accuse her, but stated in a matter of fact tone.

Lea grinned at him. She had not exactly been subtle about it.

He couldn't help, but wonder if he wanted to do this.

"She stirs up so many emotions I thought I had forgotten. I don't know if I can endure it if she still resists turning. She was one of the few younglings not to see my obsession with machines as negative. Though, I will admit she got me in to more trouble breaking rules than anyone else." Xid chuckled a bit at the thought.

It was clear to Lea that he had once had feelings for that prisoner. She could not let him go on without dealing with those. If necessary, she would use all the tricks her master taught her to make sure that that prisoner posed no lasting threat. “I will be at your side when you face her. Together, we will prove to her that the imperial way is the right way. The fact that she had a disregard for the rules proves that she is more susceptible to being turned. Perhaps we should advice Apprentice Caxal about that trait of hers? He might find that useful in turning her.”

'Xid digested her words as a calm washed over his anxiety, a temporary balm for his nerves. He adjusted to pull closer to Lea and continued to extend his force Sense to the surroundings. It appeared his plan with Lea's improvements proved effective.

"If he's interacted with her at all, I'm sure he's aware of it. Maybe. Then again, she might've changed more than I have. The way she was talking in the arena… was strange."

“You would be surprised how little some Sith pick up. Besides, we have no idea how long he has held her prisoner. As for how she spoke?`I don’t know what that was, but it did not sound like a normal Jedi Padawan. Of the things she spoke of that I recognized, at least one referred to things from the times before the Jedi and Sith orders were formed. Not exactly subjects I recall ever studying back when I was a padawan.”

"They aren't. In fact, I never learned about the Rakata from the Jedi at all." Xid admitted, his arms wrapped around himself.

"Jaslyn wasn't allowed there and I have no idea how she could've known anything. The Republic only allowed two Jedi. Sela was only allowed because of me."

“She must have had another source than you. The question is which one.” Lea said, having realized quickly that it would almost certainly not work to ask him what place he spoke of.

Xid lowered his head into his crossed arms.

"If it was another source... I worry what else she encountered. Rakata were dangerous for a reason during their era. We can't let it fall into Republic hands or who knows what damage they will cause with it."

“They were widespread once, were they not?”

“According to him, they were. I don’t fully trust what he told me since the Rakata did imprison him.” Xid trailed off and became silent, he focused on his breathing to retain control of his emotions. It didn’t work nearly as well as he had hoped.

“Since almost no trace remains, someone must really have hated them to so thoroughly wipe out all but a few traces of them.”

“He did.”

“No single individual could wipe away an entire empire, nor would a single individual intimately familiar with their ways miss key locations.”

“Sorry, he hated them enough to help that movement. He helped ignite the sparks and others carried the flame. He might’ve not done it himself, but considering what he knew… something in my soul thinks he played a big role in it. He was a monster.”  

“If others burned the Rakatans away… They clearly did not fully succeed in wiping them all away. So I wonder, which locations did they miss?” She wanted to know who this mysterious ‘he’ was, but she also knew that asking that question would almost certainly shut her apprentice up again.

“True and I don’t know. It’s hard to know for sure.”  

“What do you think is most likely? Multiple locations far apart or locations in relatively close proximity?”

"I'm leaning to wide spread rather than close together. Consider how the Empire took on the Republic. They went after key targets then spread, the nearby locations easier to take because of it. It might also explain why some locations weren't touched." It made sense to Xid the more he talked about it.

Belsavis wasn't touched from what he could tell. If it was near something, why wouldn't they have gotten rid of it when the war broke out. Not unless... no one knew where it was.

Xid muttered under his breath, "Maybe that's why Belsavis was an ideal location. It was away from everything."

“Divide and conquer is a sound strategy. Let us assume that these two locations are not in close proximity. Is Belsavis in Core worlds or the deep core?” Lea made an educated guess, based on the fact that all the early galactic civilizations she knew of had been based in one or both of those regions.

“I-I’m not sure. We left from Coruscant, but took a more erratic route. Not straightforward. I only saw the night sky once when we switched starships.”

“The best way, as you know, for determining roughly where you are in the galaxy, or at least how far out from the core you are, is the number of visible stars in the night sky. I haven’t been in the deep core myself, but I have heard that the stars are so dense there that there is almost no night. Even the Core worlds have a denser spread of stars than I grew up with in the Inner Rim.”

Xid paused to think. His chin now rested on his arms as he tried to recall it. “It had far less than that. I don’t think it was in the Inner Rim or Core. Maybe the Mid or Outer Rim?”

Lea thought for a moment before answering. “Hmm… That could indicate that the other location is either somewhere else in the outer reaches of the galaxy, or deeper, nearer the core. While it would be an interesting exercise to locate those locations down by ourselves, I don’t think we have enough to track either of them down without expending a lot of time. Perhaps that might better be left to Imperial Intelligence or the Ministry of war? Or at least, leave it to them to narrow things down?”

“I’m not sure I like that idea…” Xid bit his lower lip.

Seating herself beside him, Lea leaned closer to him, using her proximity to calm him. “If the republic went to great lengths to keep its location secret from even the Jedi Order, then they are afraid of whatever is there. Both the Ministry of War and Imperial Intelligence can be quite pragmatic. If they can’t seize it from the republic, then they will see to it that the republic also loses access to it.”

Instinctively, Xid closed the gap between them. Something about her touch helped to sooth over the climbing anxiousness within him. Perhaps it related to their trauma from the past or fact he loved her, the answers weren’t clear for him now.

“True, but I worry what they could do with it if they gain access.”

“Would you prefer the Republic retain their current access instead?”

“No. I don’t. The Republic has shown itself to be run by liars and deception. If they didn’t need someone with the force or talent with machines, I doubt they would’ve asked for aid from the Jedi Order at all. Sela and I didn’t even realize it was a prison until after we got there.” Xid admitted, honestly.  

She sensed the honesty in her apprentice. “And that is why it has to be dealt with, one way or another. The fact that it is a prison is something we can use to make sure that the appropriate resources are put into locating it. Once they find it, we can, with my master’s help, see to it that we get what we need from it, even as the Republic is deprived of everything they have there. Once we have what we need, we destroy the rest. We can’t have the Republic taking anything back afterwards.”

It was a simple solution in Lea’s mind. Highly pragmatic, really. She thought back on what he had said and recalled the mention of a Jedi Master. “When it comes to that Jedi Master? It would be ideal if he dies. I can’t recall even a single instance of a Jedi Master taking up the Imperial cause. Nor for that matter recall much of any abandoning their order. What was it the Jedi called them again, the Masters who abandoned their foolish ideology? The Lost Seven?”

Sensing the topic change with Lea's last question, Xid eagerly took it. The prior subject left him emotionally strained and weary.

"I don't know, Lea." He doubted their lessons lingered much on it. It amused him in a bitter way that the Darths and Jedi Masters shared the ability to be flawed. The admiration had become nothing more than ashes now.

He licked his lips. "Master Rothul and Sela, they were close companions. While she frowned and discouraged my talent with machines, he accepted it. A rarity in a Jedi as old as he was."

“Jedi, especially the older ones, have always been afraid of that which they could not control, yet the more they seek to control, the more slips through their fingers.”

Another breath escaped into the cold air as the mist passed away into the night.

"He won't turn. I know him well enough to be sure about that. With him poisoned, it's only a matter of time before he passes and joins Sela in the force. They were close from what I could tell. It's painful to think about it."

“Of course he won’t. He would rather die than betray his cause, no matter how misguided it is. Unfortunately for him, dying is what he is now.
Would it not be satisfying for him to see what has become of you before he dies?”

“He would be horrified. Especially since he encouraged my talents rather than discouraged them. I even helped him find a tracker in a communication device. That was before we were ambushed by the Empire and our transport fell off a cliff.” Xid knew this was true.

Dom’s expression even twisted into something angry or warped in his head. A vision distant from the warm smiles or words of praise during his Padawan years.

“I never met him, but I think I can imagine just the sort of expression he would have. Rather like that of my family, should they ever see me now.”

“If you had to, do you think you could end their lives?” It was an odd question that came from Xid.

Lea thought for a few moments, not having considered that situation. “It would not be easy. I would prefer to try to make them see the truth. . . But like me, they can be quite stubborn.” Lea mused a little. “I don’t even know how many of them there are now.”

"I guess that's one perk of not having any blood related family around. I don't think I could, no matter how hard I tried. Even the mention of Master Rothul hurts and I know it shouldn't. That life is behind me so... why can't I let it go?"

“You haven’t faced it yet, just as I haven’t faced those I left behind. Knowing what I now know, I would not hesitate in making the same decision again . . . but it is interesting to think about what might have been.”

“I faced some of what I left behind on Feena, but not everything. I have no doubt that my master will make me face that element of my past one day, though I know not when.”

"I think you will handle it better than I do. After what happened on Feena, I didn't want to think about or remember my past. The possibilities vs reality stirs questions I'm afraid of. I look back on it and realize a harsh truth..." Xid let the last statement trail off, unsure if he should share it or keep it to himself.

“What truth?” Lea said, asking the obvious question.

“I was broken before I was captured. I just didn’t want to see it.”

“I would like to think that I have at least started to fix you.” she tucked herself in under his arm, giving him some of the comfort she knew he needed.

Her heat was inviting enough his arm curled and kept her close. Xid rested his temple against her and let the touch center him enough to continue. “Maybe, but I feel it’s only the surface damage you’ve touched. Words, memories, and more just lingering there.”

“You have been stubbornly resisting revealing your deepest trauma. Unfortunately, that has to be dealt with before you can fully embrace your destiny.” She did not look up at him, but he would sense her reaching out through their bond. “Fortunately for you, my method of treating the lesser trauma can be quite enjoyable for us both, as are the rewards for when you take important steps on your own.”

“What if my destiny is being a monster? One that will burn whatever he touches?”

“If that is your destiny, then you will be my monster.” she smiled at the thought. “But I strongly doubt that is your fate. Well, except in the eyes of the Jedi, of course.”

“I have a feeling you wouldn’t doubt it if you saw or experienced what I did. I’ve never hurt in that way, but I don’t regret what I did. The galaxy is better off without a darkness like him.” Xid instinctively squeezed Lea tightly against him.  

“And that is why I do not believe that is your fate. You are too good-hearted to become such a monster.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.” she stated confidently as he held her close.

After she sealed the entrance, Lo took a step forward then stumbled. Her arms shot out to hit something solid and loose. She assumed it to be the ground. A small pain traveled up from her palms and drew an instinctual flinch.

Darkness stole her vision and left her helpless. She didn't know what her condition was as she swallowed her fear. With each breath, she thought she inhaled sand more than air itself. A gritty and rough sensation traveled down her throat before it settled in her lungs.

"Calm down, calm down." Lo pleaded in a harsh whisper.

She took what little courage she could then grope for her arm. A fabric like texture brushed against her fingers. The young bothan nearly jumped at the surprise. Her eyes widened though she still couldn't see, her fingers gradually tightened her grip on a fold. A small tug indicated it came from her pants.

"Okay, that's a start." She listened to her voice to try and sooth her nerves.

Ever slowly, Lo began to follow the trail. First she touched loose dirt or gravel with the side of her hand. Ignoring the failure, the Padawan adjusted her course into the opposite direction. At least, she hoped so.

Minutes lengthened into hours thanks to her lost sense of time until she found the back of her other hand. Anxiety thickened in her throat as she followed the indentations of the knuckles. Lo expected to find the tapered cylinder or the joints. A cold realization hit her hard when she didn't find the base.

Of course, she watched the Sith clip it off. She wasn't stupid, but she still felt it there. Lo imagined herself bending it and her mind pulsed a phantom pain of the movement. An ache for the loss.

The shock of everything had died down mentally, but physical it peaked. She continued to tremble across her body. Trying to distract herself, Lo's hand moved up her arm to her neck. The hard metal from her shock collar met her touch.

"Okay, this will be an issue..." Lo commented to her self.

Her damaged hand flattened against the ground. She then pushed herself across it until she hit something solid, possibly the hole's wall. With a small sigh, Lo pressed against it. Her eyes closed while she focused inward.

It took several moments to find a stable rhythm. The first few breaths caused her fur to bristle and her body to tensed in place. She expected to hear the collar's familiar crackle. It didn't happen. As the realization washed over her, Lo continued to breath in then out. Her heart slowed. She cleared her mind for the first time in what felt like weeks.

Immediately, her master's image surfaced into her thoughts. A subtle pain rippled throughout her chest. It caused her to flinch with guilt. Another deep breath then she pushed past it, her very soul cracking along the way.

Lo repeated her master's name over and over to herself. Through her bond, she reached out. He had to be on the planet, she hoped. Farther she through their bond for his familiar force.

She hit a wall. A red hot pain in her core mixed with a cold chill down her spine. The Bothan blinked in stunned silence. A wetness edged at the corners of her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. Though she couldn't see in the dark, her arms managed to wrap about herself.

It wouldn't take long before her mental and physical exhaust numbed the pain. Sadly, it would not a peaceful slumber.