Zeana walked slowly behind Logan, and the scientist, feeling a little unnerved.  Some of the
group believed that they were safe now with the Progie, but she knew different.  Many of the
things she passed as they walked, she remembered from her vision.  She sighed deeply, feeling
impending doom lurking about her. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she whispered softly.

  The little boy turned toward her, “About what? We’re just going to Kas’ tille’s lab for a while.”

  Zeana sighed softly, “I think our party should move on, staying here could bring the Abissen
forces to you.”

  Kas’ tille looked back at her, “I’ve discussed this all ready with your parents and grandfather
this morning.  The Abissens know of our camp here, so there all ready was danger.  You will
stay as long as you need, then we will move our camp.”

“Your people most likely know that we’re are here and might attack soon.”

Kas’ tille’s eyes flashed in anger, “They are no longer my people, understand?”

  Zeana nodded, surprised by his sudden outburst.  She rested her arms comfortably behind her
back, and looked up to the alien once more.  “Kas’ tille, will they attack soon?”

“Most likely,” he replied.
 

“Why are your p… the Abissens trying warring with the Progie?”

  Kas’ tille was silent for a while before responding.  Through angry emotions he began to
speak.  “The Abissens once had a world in which they shared with many races, yours being the
most abundant.  The foolish race polluted the world and squandered all of the resources; it is
now uninhabitable. After this happened they began a search for a new world they use and throw
away.  The race wants to take over all of the land, and use its resources for trade and
manufacturing, but in order to use all of the land they must get rid of inhabitants that are taking up
space.  The Progie were in the way of construction and economy, therefore the government
thought it right to murder them and take over, depriving the few who live their homeland.”

She glanced worriedly at Logan, “Are the Progie able to fight them?”
 

 Kas’ tille glanced at the young boy solemnly, “The Progie are very pacifistic wilderness dwellers
and no nothing of technology, especially the kind that the Abissens have. Despite this, I’ve done
my best in helping the people build their defenses; there will most definitely come a time when
they will need what I can provide.”

  The scientist made his way through the clearing, and wiped the sweat from his face.  Humidity
had a way of engulfing beings; it may be hot on planets like Tatooine, but those types of heat
were only dry, and didn’t seem to penetrate people to the extreme that the jungles of Ithor did.

  As he walked into his lab, he breathed in deeply, and felt relieved by the cool air his small office
provided.  While going through his papers and experiments, he talked to Zeana, continuing the
conversation.  “To help these people was one of the greatest things I could’ve chosen. Some of
the elders actually believe that I am some type of higher being, but what the Progie have truly
given me is the understanding of true innocence and contentment.  I can be myself around these
people, while at my old home I would be beaten for the smallest liberal thought.  The Abissens
are desperate to cling to the illusion of security provided by monarchies and dictatorships.
They’re paranoid, and will kill anyone that they think may be a potential threat. I was lucky to
only be banished.”

“Why are they so scared?”

  Kas’ tille put down some papers, and went to inspect some tubes and flasks.  “For a long time,
before they became technological and met other races, the Abissens were barbarians.  For
centuries, they lived in fear of each other and were brutal to those who didn’t look at them right.
They got tired of the fear and senselessness, and began to crave order, then, later, power.  Now,
they’ve ended up where they had begun: paranoid and foolhardy. Striving for power and all the
while driving themselves back. They never rationalize or ask what they’re doing, they just go
after power and murder innocents.
What they believe that they are holding onto, is something that they don’t have and never will
unless the paranoia ends.”
 

  Zeana leaned towards him, feeling suddenly very curious. “What attracts you to the Progie so?
They have their own problems, as well don’t they? No race is perfect.”

  Kas’ tille stared at her for a while. “Yes, they have their own problems, but theirs seem more
about defending themselves than anything else.  The Progie interest me because their society,
although primitive, is very cooperative.  They work together to survive, only kill when they have
to, and pray to their gods for the spirits of people and animals who are going to Hanaku.”

“Hanaku?”

  “It’s an old heaven of sorts. A different plane of the universe on which the spirit is once again
created. Call in reincarnation to a different level.”

“How is Hanaku like an ancient heaven?”

  “In the fact that life on the other planes is supposed to be blissful and stress free.  The Progie
don’t have a bad afterlife plane, they don’t believe that bad people exist.”

“If only that were true,” Zeana replied quietly.

Kas’ tille nodded, giving her indication that he agreed.  As he turned back to his experiments,
saying nothing more in Logan’s presence.

Out of respect for the young one’s beliefs and innocence, Zeana stayed quiet as well, and saved
her other questions for later.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Zander looked up at his friend through his bangs, raising an eyebrow.  “You were spying
weren’t you?”

  Cyera went red, she had only asked about the necklace that he now wore, nothing more.  She
knew then that she shouldn’t have been prying, but she had been worried about him, she’d
thought that he had been going back into depression.  “I…. I…” she stuttered.

“You were! Cyera!” he looked at her angrily, then quickly calmed himself as he remembered
what Jaden had told him about temper.  He sighed deeply, “That was private, Cyera, I really
wish you didn’t pry into stuff like that.”

  “I didn’t hear anything, Zan, I promise. I only looked in for a few minutes because I was
worried about you; the way you left me yesterday made me think that you were going into
depression.”

  “I wasn’t happy with myself, but I’m not nearly as bad as before.  Cyera if you’re going to help,
I need you to not wig over small things.  Spying isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

  Cyera nodded solemnly, “All right, but I need to ask you one question.”  Her teal eyes looked
deeply into Zander’s brown eyes probing them with uncertain worry.

Zander nodded slowly, looking at her with the same intensity.

“Are you truly all right now?  No more tough acts, Zan, I want to know.”

  Zander’s gaze lowered, “I think that with some time I’ll be ok.”  He looked up at her once
more, “Now my question, can I be sure that I talk you about anything?”

Cyera grinned, “Absolutely anything, always.”

  Zander gave her a thankful smile, feeling a little support comforting him.  He had reached a
point were he knew his problems and how to solve them, but he was unsure of himself, therefore
unsure if he could solve his problems.  Another person behind him made him feel much better.

 “So,” she ventured again, “What did you’re dad say?”

  At first, Zander replied with a venomous look, but he calmed himself and began to answer her
question. “Well… I apologized, we got into the analyzing that you and I did, and I got some
emotions out.  He promised that he’d make an effort to be around more, assured me that I
wasn’t a screw-up and was in fact accepted, and then told me about some of the struggles he
had with emotions.”

  Zander’s fingers held the charm on his necklace.  “Apparently, Dad had struggles overcoming
his fear, and grandpa had given this to him.”  Zander grinned a bit, “He told me that grandpa and
even my great-grandpa suffers from fear and anger.  I think it’s an on-going family trait.”

  Cyera looked at him with mock-sternness.  “Your not going to start blaming genes and
chromosomes now, are you?”

  Zander rolled his eyes, “Don’t be a twip… Come on, I think we’re expected back for lunch.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Jaden looked at his daughter calmly.  “I understand that your mother has been putting you
under a lot of pressure, however, you have to understand things from her side.  She only wants
you to recognize your full potential in academics.”

  Zeana sighed once more; her father was not helping her feel any better.  A few minutes ago she
and her mother had got into a fight about some other club that she could join: yet another club
that would add to stress and take away from the joys in life.  “I’m beginning to think that she only
wants to brag about me, it’s not about potential anymore.”

  Again, her father responded in a calm reply, trying to make her see her mother’s point of view.
She didn’t want to hear it any more.  She just wanted to be a child again… she was only twelve.
Was it too much to ask for a little free time in the day?  Zander seemed to have it so easy: he did
whatever he wanted to whether people liked it or not.  Inwardly, she wished that she had the
courage to do the same, but no, she wanted only to please so that people would greet her with a
smile.  Why do I care so much?

  With a great sigh, she leaned against her chair, ignoring her father’s speech.  She looked up at
her father when he planted a kiss on her forehead.  “I know that it’s not easy, but I’m here for
you.  I still think, however, that you should bring this subject up with your mother.”

  Zeana felt certain that her mother wouldn’t listen if she talked about it, but said nothing because
she didn’t feel like arguing.

  She looked up absent-mindedly as her brother and his friend came walking through the door.
Logan and Kas’ tille were still at the scientist’s office going over the latest research.  He told her
that tonight the Progie would dance under the moonlight to honor the goddess Kusjjye: the queen
of the gods.  Something told her that it would be quite an evening.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Zeana sat next to her brother, avoiding another lecture from Krysta.  She’d given up on trying
to make her mother see things from her prospective, and though she tried, seeing her mother’s
point of view on the clubs seemed impossible.  Quickly, she shook her head, willing the thoughts
away.  This was her time to relax a little; it was, after all, a celebration.

  Zeana looked up to see Kas’ tille venturing toward their group.  She smiled politely and moved
to give her room.

“Suck-up,” Zander muttered under his breath.

  She gave him a deadly glare in retaliation, deciding that it would be unwise to start a fight.
Cyera got him back for her, elbowing him in the ribs.

“Ow!  Cyera!”

  The Progie turned toward the boy who had cried out, and he smiled sheepishly.  “Sorry,” he
said, rubbing his side.

  When they turned back around, Zander glared viciously at his friend.  He didn’t do any more,
as his father was watching him; however, Cyera learned just how intimidating her friend’s glares
can be.

Cyera moved back, bumping into Kaster.  “Oh, sorry Kas.”

  He smiled, “It’s all right.”  Kaster looked up at Zander, and folded his arms.  He was not
frightened by his cousin’s glares; he’d gotten worse glares from his father when he was stressed.
“Zander, will you please stop glaring.”

  Zander snorted, but complied.  He admitted that he did deserve to elbowed, but only to
himself. Sighing, he turned back to the Progie dancing around the fire.  He’d read about many
cultures that had done this in old times; it was surprising to him how cultures across the galaxy
seemed much alike in one way or another.
 

  The fire grew large, and the flames turned a purple hue.  Zeana, Cyera, and Kaster gawked at
it; the people hadn’t even added anything, yet it had turned from a bright red to a soft purple.

  Zander eyed it curiously, “Perhaps it’s something about the wood,” he said quietly, more to
himself than to anyone else.

  Kas’ tille nodded, “You are correct.  Once the fire burns deep into the wood, it changes.  The
particles in the middle of the bark are different from that of the outside.  It’s quite interesting.”

  He sat down on the log with the children and lowered his voice so that only they could hear.
“The Progie believe that their gods change the color to show that they are listening, and are ready
for an offering.”

“Offering?”  Zeana asked softly, her eyes still locked on the fire.

  “A shrubbery made by the village, and a large sting of beads.  The plants symbolize the tribe’s
connection to nature. The beads have markings of the gods, progie, and plants on them, and so
symbolize the balance between life and the holders of life.”

  Kaster took his eyes off of the scene for a while, glancing about him nervously. He had a
strange feeling; the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he began to shiver.  Taking a deep
breath, he looked up at his cousins, who seemed to notice it as well.

  Zeana’s eyes were wide with fear, and images from her visions began to come.  Zander sat up
straighter than he had been, and was looking around suspiciously.

  The Mindwalkers were in battle position; lightsabers ignited.  Something told Kaster, that this wasn’t
going to be a normal and happy ceremony.