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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2972303" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 385: Back and ForthLoki dropped out of hyperspace in the middle of no where a few lightyears from Ithor. The second the ship reverted back to realspace, Marix opened up a channel to the Gate. It took some time, but soon the face of a young Alraxian girl, probably not much older than Tobias. She was one of the young Tam’Day’U that Marix remembered, though she had no name at the time, meaning that Marix only knew her face. The girl probably had a name now...all of the Tam’Day’U did...    Her silvery-green eyes widened slightly at the sight of Marix, who was still human, but easily recognizable to any Alraxian. Quickly adopting a formal tone she asked  in Alraxian, “Yes, My Lady?”    Marix hated that. Hated but...tolerated it to the point that it didn’t show on her face how much she despised being called that, “How many of our scouts have moved through the Gate in the last standard week?”    The ‘standard’ time issue was something that had driven Jyren absolutely insane over the years. He knew what a standard week was by galactic standards...but that wasn’t what the Alraxians used. Their standard for everything was off just enough to make it difficult. Thankfully, Marix didn’t have that problem. It wasn’t too terribly hard to remember who she was talking to and adjust accordingly.    The Alraxian on the other end glanced down, obviously to a console out of view of the holo, then a moment later looked back up to Marix and responded, “Four Kanyaks have left the Empire. Eight have returned.”    Exactly as was planned. Even with the fusing of the Knights and the Tam’Day’U, they were still just as punctual as ever with their jobs. Any tension created from having the cursed ones as actual Knights of the Empire did not harm their effectiveness. So nothing out of the ordinary...    But why did she still have a bad feeling about all of this?    “What is it?” Tobias asked in Trade...or Basic, depending on which side of the Gate they were on. The change in language caused her to glance over at him when normally she would have continued in her train of thought without distraction, “Is something wrong?”    “A moment,” Marix said out of the side of her mouth in Alraxian, and the girl on the other end simply nodded and waited. Her eyes still on Tobias, Marix switched to speaking in Trade, “Reach out with the Force.”    Toby blinked a couple of times before nodding and doing as he was told. After a moment, Toby’s eyes seemed to refocus on reality and he gave her a look of confusion, “...what am I looking for?”    Sighing, she couldn’t help but wish Jyren could have been there to do that instead. Tobias tried, and was strong enough in the Force to be helpful...but he just didn’t have the focus yet. Not enough, at least. Shaking her head, she instead decided to try again, herself.    After a few deep, calming breaths, Marix closed her eyes and did her best to find that...feeling. Finding it and focusing on it, she did her best to clarify it more. But it was still vague and uneasy. So she concentrated more and tried to at least get some kind of center on it. But now matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pin it down.    Finally, Marix opened her eyes and ran a hand through her short, jet black hair. Whatever it was, it was faint and elusive...for now, at least. But still...she was worried about the Empire. With the knowledge that the Vong had of the Gate’s location, and the fact that they had ‘human suits’, Marix just couldn’t shake the feeling that it was dangerous to open that Gate at all.    “Have any humans come through?” Marix finally asked the Alraxian girl, speaking in Alraxian again so as not to confuse her. Besides, she probably didn’t speak Trade, anyway.    It was, truthfully, an odd question. Though there were some humans in the Empire, none were among the Knights at all. In fact, they very rarely were involved in Alraxia’s affairs at all. They seemed quite content to sit on their worlds near the Jendari home and keep to themselves.    As was expected, the girl shook her head, “No, My Lady.”    Though the question was obviously on her tongue, she didn’t ask ‘why?’. Though the Tam’Day’U did not exist as they had before, the training never really faded from those who had lived in that small space station. And a Tam’Day’U would never question their orders. Not openly, at least. Of course, it was rare if a Knight would do that, either...or anyone, when the Empress was involved.    And then she made a decision, “Have all of those who have come through the Gate held there until I return. If they’ve already left for Alraxia, bring them back immediately. Any that have left on a scouting mission...have them held at the Gate when they return.”    “Yes, My Lady,” the girl simply nodded.    There was no ‘goodbye’ or anything similar. Marix simply shut down the transmission.     “We’re going home?” Tobias cut in just after it was shut down.    Marix looked at him again, finding it odd to see him without the silver tint to the eyes. For some reason that just seemed to go away when he morphed to Human. She’d never wondered if hers did...it had never been an issue. Forcing that to the side, she got to her feet and said over her shoulder as she was stepping out of the cockpit, “Yes.”    And then she left him alone, hoping he wouldn’t follow for once. It was getting tiring having Tobias attached to her all of the time. Sure, she knew how Jyren felt...but that didn’t mean she liked it.    This war was getting to her. Anti-Jedi movements, Ithor being poisoned, Tobias actually wanting to be a Jedi, and Jyren running off to fight and ignoring the fact that their home could be in danger. It was just...all too much. It wasn’t like the things she was used to dealing with. Simple fights where Marix knew the enemy. But here she knew nothing...and perhaps that was why she had that bad feeling.    No.    No, it was something.    And it was close to the Empire...Marix was sure of that much.</blockquote>

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