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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1931288" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 109: AftermathBy the time the Alraxian(currently, it was still Akan) and Jen had gotten through the majority of the corridors leading towards the exit, they ran into Voort. It was nearly a literal running into, but Jen managed to stop before being barreled over. There was a pause, an awkward silence, then a laugh from both humans before they embraced tightly. Akan stood back, feeling out of place and not just slightly lonely. Sure, Shadow was in there, but she was currently caught up in some odd thoughts that he didn’t understand. He knew this wasn’t over. Even though Shadow’s was doing her best to think in Alraxian, the general feel did get through. While vague, it was still clear to Akan there was much more to be done. No rest. No time to think. He’d even lost track of how long they’d been on Arranis. At least a day, yes...but beyond that, it just all blurred together.    He was jolted back into the moment when Voort asked the inevitable question, “Where’s Shadow?”    Akan had at first expected Voort to be asking Jen, but he quickly noticed that both of the humans were watching him. Jen giving Akan that ‘This is your job’ look, and Voort actually looking almost...almost...worried? Interesting. Unexpected. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. And that look wasn’t going away. Akan quickly realized he’d been standing there looking blank for at least half a minute, and spoke in a voice that was almost too rushed for the actual control there was in the situation(even if Akan didn’t know it), “She’s...um...here.”    Again, he pointed to himself. Before any more questions along those lines, Akan waved them off and said, “Not important just yet. We’re both alive and...I think we’re okay. I think there’s also a consensus that this place needs to be destroyed.”    Voort and Jen exchanged a careful glance before Voort shook his head, “Hansen and what’s left of her people will need to go through here and find out everything they can. This place is obviously much bigger than we’ve explored.”    The way that Voort said that got him a near glare from both Akan and Jen. He’d sounded about like he was suggesting they should do the exploring. Now. Right away. Just them. HA! Jen, her arm around him, started to push Voort around and back towards the way out, “Let Hansen do that. A lot has happened, Titus...and I think we all need some sleep.”    As they got back to the walk out, Akan noticed something tugging at him. Something...something. It was Shadow. She was tired, still, and very weak, but something was bugging her. And she needed that addressed. So, Akan asked her question, “What happened out there, Voort?”    And then, again, they stopped. Voort paused and turned around, looking back to the Alraxian with a solemn look. He seemed to be thinking over what to say, and allowed himself a sigh before speaking, “Everything went as expected. We were losing. Horribly. In fact, it was going to be getting very bad very soon...then. Well, I just don’t know. They just all fell apart.”    It took both Akan and Jen a moment to realize that he was speaking literally. When he’d finished, the two gave each other long looks. At the same time, Akan was getting a mental ‘hmmm’ from Shadow. Her...his...their mind was racing with a thousand thoughts and Shadow actually seemed to be making sense out of them. In fact, that worried Akan. It worried him enough that he did his absolute best to avoid any kind of questions or speaking for that matter. He had taken an odd move in just walking right past the two humans without another word, and left Voort to give Jen a raised eyebrow.    She tilted her head towards the departing Alraxian and spoke quietly to Voort, “He’s...well, not just him. They both have been through a lot,” Jen went silent a moment then looked up into his eyes, “All of us have.”    They finally retreated out, finding the Topsiders and remainder of the Imperials had begun to set up a small camp. As the sun was starting its drop in the sky, this had been a good idea. A long march back so soon would have just been far too much for everyone. It took a few hours to set up the large collection of tents and equipment that had been carried across the sands from Haladin. Another hour an Shadow had assisted Akan in splitting them again. Two bodies. Two minds. One life. It was odd to be apart again, but at the same time, comforting to have some kind of solitude and privacy. Both of them were still weak, though, mentally and physically.    And after a short rest, Shadow spoke up. Her voice was still tired, but there was a strength that Akan hadn’t heard in a while, “I have to go to Coruscant as soon as possible.”    “You know I’ll come with you,” Akan responded quickly, turning to look over to her. He studied her tired face a moment and smiled slightly, “Its as important to me as it is to you, now.”    Shadow nodded slowly, idly fixing her tail fur and picking out some of the sand. When she didn’t say anything else, Akan figured he was going to have to speak up on his own. After thinking of how to word it, he said carefully, “What...what happened in there?”    That got her attention. It wasn’t the best way to put it, but it was enough. Shadow’s eyes seemed to freeze in an unblinking daze while she tried to find some way to not have to think about what had happened. When it became obvious that there wasn’t any way for her to avoid answering, she sighed and slumped down slightly, speaking to the tent’s floor, “I don’t really know. I...you were there. You felt it. You were it. I...we...metal. It shouldn’t be possible. It isn’t. It...”    She trailed off, a hand shaking slightly as her voice was. Akan gave her a careful look and wished he could do something. Not really able to think of anything else useful, he instead just nodded and said quietly, “You did it once. It did happen. Can you do it again?”    For a moment, Akan saw a quick glint of excitement in Shadow’s eyes. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and Shadow then shook her head, “Not now. It isn’t right. Its...its unnatural.”    Somehow, it was odd to hear an Alraxian say that word, especially when it came to speaking of morphing. So that in itself was worrying. Shadow could feel through the link that Akan was going to press the issue further. In fact, he’d likely succeed. But it wasn’t something she could deal with now. There was too much else. Which meant she was going to have to deflect his mind somehow.    Looking up to him, Shadow spoke carefully, “Ket Halpak. He is...was...no, is a madman. He was exiled from the Hidden Worlds years before I...before Marix left. Exiled for heresy. We do have strong knowledge about living things, but we never create life. Never copy it...that is...is an evil mockery of the true Force. Its why clones are so horrible...” Shadow went silent for a moment, trying to direct her thoughts to the places they needed to be instead of along those other paths, “He was Tam-Day-U like Marix. Even worked with her more than once...but he...he did horrible things. I can feel his touch here. Those things....they were...were Narani once. And Sadrak. Even he was just another pawn for Ket...I always thought he was dead,” she mumbled, burying her face in her hands. After that, Shadow’s voice was left in a whisper, and Akan could tell she was fighting back tears, “He should have been dead. Marix was supposed to find him and finally kill him...but...but the Empire...Akan, Halpak is the greatest threat to our people since the Sith. We have to find him. We have to finish what Marix should have done...”    Her eyes were begging him as much as her voice was. That scared Akan, and also showed that this was only the bare bones version of who this Halpak was. There was obviously too much going on right now to paint a clear picture, and Akan could wait. Shadow had made sure of one thing before they’d separated into their individual bodies again. She’d made him swear an oath. It was not, she said, a true oath to anyone but her, but it would do for now. Akan had sworn(very reluctantly) to protect his people. Alraxians. No matter what. It was under that condition that he was given this body, and that wasn’t something Akan was going to forget. If only he knew the position that really put him in. But even if Shadow had told him, he’d probably not understand. Not yet, at least.</blockquote>

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