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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1906360" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 94: Moments of PeaceIt wasn’t until late that day that word finally came from Trker-Hon. A group of four Topsiders arrived at Haladin, and in broken and disjointed Basic, explained the situation. Trker-Hon was expected to return to the city within a week. So many of the nearby settlements had been ravaged by attacks(the Darks, but the Topsiders didn’t know this), that he was having to travel to farther out areas to rally support. Thankfully, though, things sounded like they were going well. There was not even a rough idea of how many Topsides would come, and that worried most of the people within Haladin. Especially because of the new reports from the desert.    The Narani were gathering to that facility. Hundreds had been seen traveling across the desert to that location, and the spies dared not get anywhere close because of the large amount of guards now set up at the base. It was also determined that the four armed humanoids were once Narani, but this was still just a guess. A good one, but a guess in the end. Recovering a body had only done so good, especially considering how bad of shape it had been in.    Akan and Shadow had spent the day on the outer edge of the city. She was teaching him many ancient rituals that reminded Akan of old stories he’d heard. Mostly of lesser developed races that worshiped the Force as magic or a divine entity. Yet, from all he knew about the Alraxians(of which, admittedly, was still very little), they were not a technologically inferior race at all. In fact, they could easily be seen as more advanced. It was just the methods that were different. According to Shadow, because of the danger that metal presented, organic technology was the focus of Alraxians. From the clothes they wore(morphsuits were a good example) to the ships themselves, everything was alive in some way. Some even intelligent species that the Alraxians simply tamed and worked with, like the Kanyak ships which were naturally herbivores that grazed on a planet in the same system as the Alraxian home planet. Yet this race still worshiped the Force in a way. Old ways did not die out like with many older cultures. It would take Akan some time to get used to it, but the principles were very similar to Jedi training. Except for one that worried him.    To the Alraxians, the Force was just the Force. It wasn’t Light, it wasn’t Dark, it just was. To any Jedi, this would have been a heretical thought, and would also cause great worry as it could be seen as leading down the Dark Path. But the Alraxians did not see it that way. It was a whole. You could not have one without the other, and both had their importance in life. Death was as much a part of life as birth, and to simply shun one without the other was unthinkable. When put that way, Akan did understand it, even though it still did feel so foreign. Shadow had tried to push him towards learning to balance the ‘sides’ of the Force, but that was the one thing Akan simply refused to do. He may not have been the best Jedi, but he wasn’t going to tempt himself with what he still saw as the Dark Side. So instead, Shadow taught him what young Alraxian children(of which his age was perfect for comparison) would learn about. Basics of history and daily rituals, along with a little morph technique added in. That was a resource she knew he should be using more than just a scratch-healer.    Jen had sat in the distance, watching them for a while, but eventually wandered back to the garrison to find the others. Akan did need to learn that he wasn’t human anymore, and her hanging around like that probably wouldn’t do anyone any good. She had found Voort with Hansen and Landau, drinking and laughing together. That wasn’t her place, either. So, without really having any problem with it, Jen went to find a place to sit by herself. Time to think was a good thing, as many things were going on that she wasn’t completely sure of.    ‘In time...you will know.’    That wasn’t a voice. What was that?! Jen looked around to confirm the fact that she was alone in her room. But no, that voice had ignored her ears and gone straight to the brain. Or maybe it wasn’t from the outside anyway? Where did that thought come from?!    ‘You must remain strong.’    There it was again. She sighed and flopped back on the bed, a hand over her face and wondering if she was losing her mind. No. No, that didn’t fit. But...what was that, then? A voice in her head? Didn’t that mean crazy? But no, this just felt different. From that part of her mind that had been giving her a sense of confusion for the last couple of days. It talked? What was it?    ‘Who I was, does not matter now. Rest now. All will be answered in time. Remain strong.’    And then it was ‘gone’. Or as gone as a voice in one’s head could be. Jen sighed again and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. Somehow, she knew she wasn’t crazy. So that meant something odd was happening...again. After all of this was over, she was going to give both Akan and Voort a good yelling at. Somehow it was there fault. Had to be. Her problems didn’t start until she’d met Akan, and then Voort just added to it. She grinned. Alright, so it wasn’t all that bad.    “Mind if I come in?” Voort’s voice caused Jen’s heart to skip a beat. She’d not been paying attention, and suddenly hearing a real voice after the non-voice was almost too much.    Sitting up, she ran a hand through her sandy hair and shrugged, “You’re allowed, I guess. Thought you were enjoying a drink.”    “I was,” responded Voort, stepping into the room and having a seat on the bed next to her. For a moment, he looked over the small Imperial Insignia that was on the now closed door, then said, “But you think I’d turn in a few moments of peace with you for a drink?”    Jen laughed and poked him, “It wouldn’t surprise me! I remember how the old soldiers used to be.”    “Well, I’m not old yet,” he said with a grin on his face, wrapping an arm around her, “Though I feel it around those two kids.”    Leaning into him some, Jen laughed again, “Kids have a habit of doing that to you...but you know that Shadow’s older than you, right?”    “Sure, go and pick holes in everything I say,” said Voort, sounding defeated and mock sighing.    “Awww...” Jen allowed herself another grin and kissed his cheek, “You do that just fine on your own, you know. Shouldn’t need my help.”    Voort gave her a hurt look, but the smile tugging at his face didn’t do anything to help his case. However, he didn’t say anything to her. Instead, he just leaned in and kissed her. After a few moments, one of them(neither really did remember) called out ‘Lights’ and the room went black.</blockquote>

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