Mon Calamari, Later Tuesday Fandom Time
Mar. 9th, 2010 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
weetuskenraiderShe'd been on Mon Calamari quite a few times, but a year ago Tahiri would never have expected she'd be sitting in Kenth Hamner's office, looking out at the dramatic red, black, and silver landscape -- what there was of it, because there wasn't much that wasn't water -- of the planet. It was, in her opinion, gorgeous. She wouldn't even have expected to be sitting here a couple of months ago, or even a week. And yet here she was, contemplating the view outside and wondering if she'd have thought the same thing of that view before she'd faced and melded with Riina.
Han and Leia had insisted on coming with her, and her attention was half on the conversation he was having with them, assuring them that the big push he wouldn't divulge details of was plausible, and nothing as crazy as a full-out attack on occupied Coruscant. She was as relieved as the Solos were at that news, even though she knew that Jaina in Fandom had made it out of that action. She missed the Jaina here. Worried about her, too, more so than the one in Fandom.
"Well," came a familiar voice from the doorway, "looks like the rest of the gang is here."
She knew that voice, and Tahiri jumped up and exclaimed, "Corran!" Did I ever mention I go to school with the teenage version of your wife now?
Corran wasn't that tall; it always made her feel better. "In the aging flesh. It's nice to meet you, Tahiri," he replied.
Oh, ouch. Tahiri knew better than to think Corran, a former intelligence operative, would ever choose his words carelessly, and that combined with the caution in his face, voice, and Force-sense told her he must have heard what had happened to her. He was still trying to decide if she was a friend or not, and after everything she'd been through with him and Anakin, that hurt.
"I do remember you, Corran," she said, hoping she wasn't giving her reaction away, and being Tahiri she tried for a joke to ease the strain. "I'm just happy you're still talking to me after the mess I got you into at Eriadu."
Corran shrugged, still guarded. "There was plenty of blame to go around. Anyway, I turned out okay. The Givin have written a poetic theorem about you, did you know that?"
First the Shamed Ones, then the meeting with Kenth, now this? Okay, this was really getting uncomfortable. Jaina and Ben were supposed to be the important ones, not her. Time for another joke. "I shudder to think what that even means."
Luckily, Kenth interrupted before the conversation could devolve into even more discomfort, and brought out something that looked like a ball covered in fine hairs.
Tahiri knew what it was, of course, and swallowed. "A Yuuzhan Vong qahsa." She watched as Kenth ran his fingers over the ball, and it shifted into a tiny replica of a deformed Yuuzhan Vong face. "A Shamed One."
It had been sent to them by courier, and not from Supreme Overlord Shimrra or anyone under his command. Tahiri realized what that meant. "It's from the Prophet."
"Yes." Kenth seemed surprised that she'd figured it out. "We've heard of him, of course, but it's been unclear exactly what his goals are. While any division within the Yuuzhan Vong weakens them, we've never known what the rebel attitude toward the Galactic Alliance is. We know the Jedi figure into their creed, but little more than that."
"Anakin started it," Tahiri said, her mind racing. The way those classes kept coming in handy, she was going to have to get Ghanima a kriffing gift basket after this was all over. "Or, in a way he did. He and Vua Rapuung, when they rescued me on Yavin."
Kenth nodded. "There were inchoate movements after that, yes, but it's more recently -- with the rise of this prophet, Yu'shaa -- that the resistance has really taken on substance. He seems to have unified the malcontents. There are even reports of sabotage and assassination, especially on Coruscant. It's not the origin of the cult that concerns us right now, but rather the motives of the Prophet himself. Until this --" he nodded at the qahsa -- "we haven't had much to go on."
"And now you do?" Leia asked.
"I'll let you decide for yourself." He touched the qahsa again.
The face animated, and began to speak in heavily accented Basic. "I greet you. I am known as Yu'shaa, the Prophet. It may be that you have heard of me, that I am the leader of the Shamed Ones, those accursed by the gods. That is true, so far as it goes. We are treated as Shamed by our brethren-or by many of them. But we are not ac-cursed. Many of us were once honored and commended by our people. Many of us made great sacrifices for Supreme Overlord Shimrra. Yet we are treated with contempt be-cause our bodies reject the modifications and implants the Yuuzhan Vong have chosen as symbols of rank and pride.
"Before coming to this galaxy, we had little to hope for except dishonorable death. We believed the lies our leaders told us. But now the membranes have been torn from our eyes. We see that we may be redeemed by redeeming our people.
"The Jedi taught us that. The Jedi show us the way. They fight not to show their strength, but to help the weak. You may know that Anakin Solo fought beside one of our own, Vua Rapuung, and restored his honor. Thanks to the Jedi, we are not Shamed. Rather, it is Shimrra and the others who lead who are accursed, who have set our people-and the people of this galaxy-on a course that can bring only Shame to us all.
"The Jedi have helped us in the past. They have shown us a glimpse of the true path. I have seen in dreams and visions where that path leads. It leads to a planet, a planet that can I heal and redeem us, that can bring the mighty down and raise up the humble and end the terror we all find ourselves enmeshed in. It is the planet of prophecy. It is Zonama Sekot.
"I have seen this planet, but the gods have not granted me the ability to find it. I do not despair, because I believe the Jedi know where it is. Here is what I beg of you: that you take me, and me alone, to the planet of prophecy, so that I may see it for myself, so I can know that my vision was true. I wish also to I speak with the Jedi, and seek their counsel and wisdom.
"Unfortunately, I do not have the means to come and go as I please. I live within the clenched fist of Shimrra's hand, and shall need help escaping. On the planet you once called Coruscant, I await your judgment. This qahsa contains a schedule of times I might meet you in a secluded place. It also contains what I have been able to gather about the planetary defenses of Yuuzhan'tar. I give this as a gesture of good faith, but be wary-I am unsure how complete the information is.
"I look to the stars, Jedi. I look to you. All our worlds can be better, I am certain. I have information that can be of benefit-which might end the war -- but I cannot use it unless I reach Zonama Sekot. I may not speak of it here-if this falls into the wrong hands, the danger will be great, and I will not betray others. Heed my humble call, I beg you."
Han swore it was a trick; Kenth insisted the Prophet and his opposition were real. After several minutes of listening to them argue, Tahiri finally spoke up.
"It's not a setup," she said, and all of a sudden there were far too many important people looking right at her.
"Tahiri," Leia started to say, but Tahiri cut her off. She'd be mortified about that later, but right now she had to back up her statement by explaining to Kenth and Corran what she'd seen on Dagobah. That only set off another round of arguing that finally ended when Kenth admitted he wanted to send her and Corran to Coruscant to find the Prophet.
She should've known Han and Leia would balk at the idea.
"I'm laying it on the table now so we can talk about it," Kenth said. "Tahiri speaks their language and knows their ways. She's flown ships like this before. I doubt very much this mission could succeed without her."
"Well, it's blinking well going to," Corran replied. "Or I'm out."
"I'll do it," Tahiri said.
She thought Han's head was going to explode when he exclaimed, "No, you won't!"
She sighed and fought down the urge to tear up. "You mean a lot to me, Captain Solo. Both of you do. I've never really had parents -- not human ones, anyway -- and I respect you. But this is something I have to do. Jaina and Jacen do their part. Anakin did his part."
"And look how that turned out." No matter how casual Han tried to sound, Tahiri knew it hurt him to say it; it hurt her, too, even though the magnitude of the pain had diminished.
"That's the chance we take," she said very quietly, knowing the chance she took also meant one possible step closer to the future that had left Ben flinching away for her for so long, but that it needed to be done. "It's the chance you've been taking all your life." And it really hurt to say the next thing that came to mind: "I know you don't want to lose anyone else. I know you worry about Jaina and Jacen, and you don't want to add worry for me to that. But this war has gone on far too long. If things keep going like they're going, it will only end when one side is exterminated. We have to find another way. That's why Luke and Jacen went to find Zonama Sekot."
If she'd thought that would settle the argument, it didn't; they only started up one more time, this time with Tahiri and Corran, who was insisting he wouldn't go, squaring off about whether the Yuuzhan Vong's malicious nature was set in stone.
"Let me tell you something, Corran," Tahiri finally blurted out. "Before -- when I was Tahiri and Riina -- Riina helped a friend of mine out. Not me, her. Because it was right. She did exactly what I would've done. And I'm telling you now, they can change. We owe them that chance, if we want to call ourselves Jedi. That's what this mission is all about, right? If we let this door close, we may never see another one open."
"Now wait," Han said. "We've gotten a little off track here. We never settled that Tahiri can do this."
"Yes, we did." That was Leia, her Force-sense equal parts sadness and pride, and all Tahiri could think of was the younger Leia telling her that as far as she was concerned, Tahiri was family, not Sith Leia from that last weekend in Fandom.
She smiled. "Thank you."
And that was settled. Han sighed. "Well, fine. We're going too," he said in a tone that threatened to set off yet another round of argument until Corran finally gave in.
"Oh, space it," he grumbled. "Let's go see this ship we're going to use."
[OOC: Still NFI/NFB/OOC-okay, still adapted from The Final Prophecy by Greg Keyes. Y'all's gettin' spammed today. I'm so sorry. This is a lot of catchup. :/]
Han and Leia had insisted on coming with her, and her attention was half on the conversation he was having with them, assuring them that the big push he wouldn't divulge details of was plausible, and nothing as crazy as a full-out attack on occupied Coruscant. She was as relieved as the Solos were at that news, even though she knew that Jaina in Fandom had made it out of that action. She missed the Jaina here. Worried about her, too, more so than the one in Fandom.
"Well," came a familiar voice from the doorway, "looks like the rest of the gang is here."
She knew that voice, and Tahiri jumped up and exclaimed, "Corran!" Did I ever mention I go to school with the teenage version of your wife now?
Corran wasn't that tall; it always made her feel better. "In the aging flesh. It's nice to meet you, Tahiri," he replied.
Oh, ouch. Tahiri knew better than to think Corran, a former intelligence operative, would ever choose his words carelessly, and that combined with the caution in his face, voice, and Force-sense told her he must have heard what had happened to her. He was still trying to decide if she was a friend or not, and after everything she'd been through with him and Anakin, that hurt.
"I do remember you, Corran," she said, hoping she wasn't giving her reaction away, and being Tahiri she tried for a joke to ease the strain. "I'm just happy you're still talking to me after the mess I got you into at Eriadu."
Corran shrugged, still guarded. "There was plenty of blame to go around. Anyway, I turned out okay. The Givin have written a poetic theorem about you, did you know that?"
First the Shamed Ones, then the meeting with Kenth, now this? Okay, this was really getting uncomfortable. Jaina and Ben were supposed to be the important ones, not her. Time for another joke. "I shudder to think what that even means."
Luckily, Kenth interrupted before the conversation could devolve into even more discomfort, and brought out something that looked like a ball covered in fine hairs.
Tahiri knew what it was, of course, and swallowed. "A Yuuzhan Vong qahsa." She watched as Kenth ran his fingers over the ball, and it shifted into a tiny replica of a deformed Yuuzhan Vong face. "A Shamed One."
It had been sent to them by courier, and not from Supreme Overlord Shimrra or anyone under his command. Tahiri realized what that meant. "It's from the Prophet."
"Yes." Kenth seemed surprised that she'd figured it out. "We've heard of him, of course, but it's been unclear exactly what his goals are. While any division within the Yuuzhan Vong weakens them, we've never known what the rebel attitude toward the Galactic Alliance is. We know the Jedi figure into their creed, but little more than that."
"Anakin started it," Tahiri said, her mind racing. The way those classes kept coming in handy, she was going to have to get Ghanima a kriffing gift basket after this was all over. "Or, in a way he did. He and Vua Rapuung, when they rescued me on Yavin."
Kenth nodded. "There were inchoate movements after that, yes, but it's more recently -- with the rise of this prophet, Yu'shaa -- that the resistance has really taken on substance. He seems to have unified the malcontents. There are even reports of sabotage and assassination, especially on Coruscant. It's not the origin of the cult that concerns us right now, but rather the motives of the Prophet himself. Until this --" he nodded at the qahsa -- "we haven't had much to go on."
"And now you do?" Leia asked.
"I'll let you decide for yourself." He touched the qahsa again.
The face animated, and began to speak in heavily accented Basic. "I greet you. I am known as Yu'shaa, the Prophet. It may be that you have heard of me, that I am the leader of the Shamed Ones, those accursed by the gods. That is true, so far as it goes. We are treated as Shamed by our brethren-or by many of them. But we are not ac-cursed. Many of us were once honored and commended by our people. Many of us made great sacrifices for Supreme Overlord Shimrra. Yet we are treated with contempt be-cause our bodies reject the modifications and implants the Yuuzhan Vong have chosen as symbols of rank and pride.
"Before coming to this galaxy, we had little to hope for except dishonorable death. We believed the lies our leaders told us. But now the membranes have been torn from our eyes. We see that we may be redeemed by redeeming our people.
"The Jedi taught us that. The Jedi show us the way. They fight not to show their strength, but to help the weak. You may know that Anakin Solo fought beside one of our own, Vua Rapuung, and restored his honor. Thanks to the Jedi, we are not Shamed. Rather, it is Shimrra and the others who lead who are accursed, who have set our people-and the people of this galaxy-on a course that can bring only Shame to us all.
"The Jedi have helped us in the past. They have shown us a glimpse of the true path. I have seen in dreams and visions where that path leads. It leads to a planet, a planet that can I heal and redeem us, that can bring the mighty down and raise up the humble and end the terror we all find ourselves enmeshed in. It is the planet of prophecy. It is Zonama Sekot.
"I have seen this planet, but the gods have not granted me the ability to find it. I do not despair, because I believe the Jedi know where it is. Here is what I beg of you: that you take me, and me alone, to the planet of prophecy, so that I may see it for myself, so I can know that my vision was true. I wish also to I speak with the Jedi, and seek their counsel and wisdom.
"Unfortunately, I do not have the means to come and go as I please. I live within the clenched fist of Shimrra's hand, and shall need help escaping. On the planet you once called Coruscant, I await your judgment. This qahsa contains a schedule of times I might meet you in a secluded place. It also contains what I have been able to gather about the planetary defenses of Yuuzhan'tar. I give this as a gesture of good faith, but be wary-I am unsure how complete the information is.
"I look to the stars, Jedi. I look to you. All our worlds can be better, I am certain. I have information that can be of benefit-which might end the war -- but I cannot use it unless I reach Zonama Sekot. I may not speak of it here-if this falls into the wrong hands, the danger will be great, and I will not betray others. Heed my humble call, I beg you."
Han swore it was a trick; Kenth insisted the Prophet and his opposition were real. After several minutes of listening to them argue, Tahiri finally spoke up.
"It's not a setup," she said, and all of a sudden there were far too many important people looking right at her.
"Tahiri," Leia started to say, but Tahiri cut her off. She'd be mortified about that later, but right now she had to back up her statement by explaining to Kenth and Corran what she'd seen on Dagobah. That only set off another round of arguing that finally ended when Kenth admitted he wanted to send her and Corran to Coruscant to find the Prophet.
She should've known Han and Leia would balk at the idea.
"I'm laying it on the table now so we can talk about it," Kenth said. "Tahiri speaks their language and knows their ways. She's flown ships like this before. I doubt very much this mission could succeed without her."
"Well, it's blinking well going to," Corran replied. "Or I'm out."
"I'll do it," Tahiri said.
She thought Han's head was going to explode when he exclaimed, "No, you won't!"
She sighed and fought down the urge to tear up. "You mean a lot to me, Captain Solo. Both of you do. I've never really had parents -- not human ones, anyway -- and I respect you. But this is something I have to do. Jaina and Jacen do their part. Anakin did his part."
"And look how that turned out." No matter how casual Han tried to sound, Tahiri knew it hurt him to say it; it hurt her, too, even though the magnitude of the pain had diminished.
"That's the chance we take," she said very quietly, knowing the chance she took also meant one possible step closer to the future that had left Ben flinching away for her for so long, but that it needed to be done. "It's the chance you've been taking all your life." And it really hurt to say the next thing that came to mind: "I know you don't want to lose anyone else. I know you worry about Jaina and Jacen, and you don't want to add worry for me to that. But this war has gone on far too long. If things keep going like they're going, it will only end when one side is exterminated. We have to find another way. That's why Luke and Jacen went to find Zonama Sekot."
If she'd thought that would settle the argument, it didn't; they only started up one more time, this time with Tahiri and Corran, who was insisting he wouldn't go, squaring off about whether the Yuuzhan Vong's malicious nature was set in stone.
"Let me tell you something, Corran," Tahiri finally blurted out. "Before -- when I was Tahiri and Riina -- Riina helped a friend of mine out. Not me, her. Because it was right. She did exactly what I would've done. And I'm telling you now, they can change. We owe them that chance, if we want to call ourselves Jedi. That's what this mission is all about, right? If we let this door close, we may never see another one open."
"Now wait," Han said. "We've gotten a little off track here. We never settled that Tahiri can do this."
"Yes, we did." That was Leia, her Force-sense equal parts sadness and pride, and all Tahiri could think of was the younger Leia telling her that as far as she was concerned, Tahiri was family, not Sith Leia from that last weekend in Fandom.
She smiled. "Thank you."
And that was settled. Han sighed. "Well, fine. We're going too," he said in a tone that threatened to set off yet another round of argument until Corran finally gave in.
"Oh, space it," he grumbled. "Let's go see this ship we're going to use."
[OOC: Still NFI/NFB/OOC-okay, still adapted from The Final Prophecy by Greg Keyes. Y'all's gettin' spammed today. I'm so sorry. This is a lot of catchup. :/]
