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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1885103" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 75: Well Earned RestAt first, they’d tried to simply follow their path back. Neither Voort nor Akan could really reorient themselves after everything happened, so they wandered in a direction they’d hoped was right. Maybe it was, but the growing heat of the new day was starting to wear down on all of them. Voort seemed the most able to hide it, though he was still looking tired. Jen, who was doing better after regaining consciousness, was still feeling beat up and truly needed a long break from life. Akan hadn’t had a break for the well over thirty standard hours, and he was having trouble walking straight. Even though his Alraxian body was stronger than that of a human, he’d also not eaten much. The constant remorphing he’d had to do had used up even more energy, and the lack of enough food was just causing more troubles. Light seemed to be the wildcard of the group, though. She had not spoken at all. She’d not really done anything but start walking when they did. It would have worried Akan if he wasn’t so exhausted already. Instead, it just confused him.    But they hadn’t made it far when it had been decided that they were simply going to have to stop. This was possible, not because they found shelter. Actually, they tried looking, but failed miserably. They couldn’t see any kind of rock formation anywhere. Just sand. Thankfully, though, Voort had been intelligent enough to bring the survival kit from the speeder before going after Dark and Jen. The kit contained a tent. It was a small tent, but could provide room for two of them. Currently, Akan and Jen were passed out in the tent. Well, Akan was passed out. Jen was more resting with her eyes closed and trying not to laugh at the strange noises that Akan would make ever few minutes. Mostly they were noises one would expect from a much smaller animal. Obviously a feline one. But coming from something so much larger, it was humorous. Especially the purring sound. That was the rarest one, but something Jen was going to taunt him about when he was conscious again.     Voort sat next to the side of the tent that was currently shielded from direct sunlight. He’d had his rest already, and was both on watch and thinking. Ten minutes earlier, he’d attempted to use the emergency comm to get contact with Hansen and Landau, but after trying nearly fifty different frequencies, there was no response. Obviously, he was going to try again later, but right now he was watching Light. The Alraxian girl a good thirty meters away, sitting on top of a dune and watching nothing in particular. As she was facing the other direction, he couldn’t actually tell what she was doing. Though he could see her tail swish across the sand every few moments.     Only a few years ago he would have hated her just for having that tail. Alraxians were so close to human. Take away the ears and the tail, and they would look just like well tanned humans. Yet that tail...the ears...even the different eye shape and sharper teeth. All of that made them inferior. Different. Evil, even. It was Marix who had taught him how wrong that was. She hadn’t even tried. It was simply being around her that had shown her to be so very similar to him. To all of them. In fact, she’d even expressed the same disdain for humans that he’d learned for non-humans. Or at least, he’d thought it was disdain. Eventually Voort had learned that it was more like a form of pity. To Alraxians, humans were a very violent and volatile race of being who needed to be cared for. Almost like pets. Almost.    That had been barely a year before Calina had died. It had been a very happy time in his life. Even Marix had expressed a want to see his daughter when she was born. But that day never came. Calina had been killed just a month before she was due. Marix had then been moved to another location, and Voort found himself alone. But now things were changing. Hopefully, for the better. And despite being able to show Akan how similar the two of them were, Voort could still tell that the young would-be Jedi held a hatred for him. Hatred was the only word for it. Perhaps Akan would attempt to go through with their ‘deal’ once Sadrak was gone. Voort didn’t care anymore. He wouldn’t go through with it. He had at least one reason not to die now. At least one reason to hang on. So if he had to kill Akan, so be it. But that would likely just ruin everything Voort had changed. He’d be back to the same person he’d fought to lose. It would be a no win situation. There was a way out of it, but it was up to Akan to decided on his own. That boy would have to grow up on his own.    The comm beeped. Voort nearly jumped in surprise, but kept his composure and picked the small device up. He hit the switch and heard a familiar voice, “Titus? Titus are you there?”    “I hear you, Arik,” Voort said, smiling to himself and glad to hear the voice of his old friend.    Landau sounded relieved, “We picked up your transmission but it was too broken up. Sounds clear now, though. Where are you?”    Trying not to laugh, Voort looked up. Then all around. Then back to the ground, “Landau, I think I’ve finally found the middle of no where.”    “That bad?” asked Landau, a bit of amusement in his voice.    “It could be humid and raining,” commented Voort as he stood up and looked over towards Light again, “You think you can come pick us up?”    A pause. A long pause. Then, “If you keep the comm on I should be able to trace it.”“You’d better come alone,” Voort said, starting to walk towards Light slowly, “All four of us are here and the speeder will probably be cramped.”    “Right,” another pause. Then, “I can’t say how long it’ll be but I’ll get out there as soon as I can.”    “Thank, Arik.”    There was no pause this time. Instead, Landau said quickly, “Titus.”    “Yeah?”    “Don’t ever try that stunt again.”    This time, Voort did laugh, “What’s wrong with running off in the night?”    “What’s wrong is that you left me behind,” Landau said, a bit of a laugh in his own voice, “But I’ll deal with your insubordination later. Landau, out.”The comm did not click off. Voort also didn’t switch his off. It was going to have to stay on. Thankfully, there shouldn’t be any other use for it out here. He pocketed the comlink and stopped his walk a few steps behind Light. Her ear turned towards him slightly, but she made no other acknowledgment to his presence. For a short while he just stood there, looking across the open nothing. But then, he said quietly, “Landau’s on his way to pick us up.”    Slowly, Light nodded.    “You don’t talk anymore?” he asked, stepping over and sitting next to her.    Light sighed and spoke quietly, “Akan’s right.”    Voort had no idea what she was talking about. All that Akan had said to him was explaining what had happened to the best of his knowledge. There was nothing that needed to be ‘right’. So this had to be something else. Time to ask the obvious question, “Right about what?”    She looked over at him like he hadn’t even heard what she’d said. Or at least like he wasn’t listening. For the first time, Voort said in Shadow a lot of Marix. He’d always seen Shadow as a much more violent Marix, but here...here he could see at least a mirror of the original. But there was too much fear. And her voice was so timid that it almost seemed like she was afraid of getting yelled at. But she must have seen something in him, as Light looked back to the sand which she’d been idly drawing little faces in and said, “Can’t go on like this.”    “Like what?” Voort asked this question already knowing what she meant. However, it was probably a good thing for her to say it herself and really accept it.    “I...” Light erased one of the faces and started drawing a little Alraxian, “I have to be whole again...even if...if I don’t want to be. Akan, too.”    Hearing this, Voort simply nodded. He thought for a moment about what would be the best way to respond, then said carefully, “I know how hard it is. But I can’t help you with this, Marix...not this time.”    It was strange, he’d not even realized he’d called her Marix. Light had noticed, though. She looked up from her little drawing and gave him an almost shocked face. She was obviously about to ask something, but she stopped after opening her mouth. Closing her eyes, Light tried something else, “Please?”    Her eyes had opened again and she was giving him that big eyed look that small children used. It was genuine, but didn’t change the fact that there was nothing he could do. He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder, “No. I can’t.”    “Why...?” she was nearly begging with only that one word.    Voort shook his head, hating that he was having to say this but knowing it was right, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you anymore. You have to do that yourself.”    He then pulled his hand away and stood up. Voort looked down at Light’s drawing one last time, smiling at the small grinning face. It was childish, but strangely relieving. He turned and started to walk back to the tent, deciding to get some rest. He’d only taken a few steps when Light suddenly called to him, “You would have made a good father, Titus.”    That wasn’t Light’s voice. It was too...too. How could she have known? The clones didn’t have those memories. Yet. Yet Light did. When Voort turned back to say something, Light had already turned back and gone back to her drawing in the sand. Standing there and not knowing what to think, Voort just stared at the Alraxian girl’s back. Those were Marix’s words. The last words she’d said to him that lifetime ago. She’d known they were going to be her last words to him. But how was it possible that Light knew? She hadn’t done anything with the Force. She’d just...changed suddenly. And now she was back to being the child. The clone. Sighing, Voort turned back and tried to clear his mind.</blockquote>

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