| Title: The World We Loved Author: Anna Disclaimers: Not mine! None of them! Okay...maybe a few, but most of them belong to Jude and George and Zahn. Notes: Ever heard the song "The World" by Collective Soul? Excellent song! It's what I always listen to as I write this story. So, if you can find it, listen to it! Special Thanks to all of you who've reviewed. I need the feedback, and I love you all for helping me! Chapter Rating: *shrug* PG-ish? Chapter Five Cerasi listened to the many debates going on in the Senate Chambers. She'd been sitting still for nearly three hours before they announced that "the Senate would now hear the ambassador of Melida/Daan". The platform floated out to the middle of the room, by far the most exciting thing that had happened so far, and she told them about the many atrocities her planet had faced. She recalled how the Elders had gone to war with their own children, how many of her friends had died, how all the children had lost at least one member of their families. "That was why Nield and I decided to unite the Young-all the children tired of the bloodshed-underground. We've lived in the sewers for several years now. Only recently have we felt it safe to come above ground." she clenched her jaw, fighting back the agony these memories brought. "I awakened from a coma to find that we, the children, were only safe in Zehava because our parents and grandparents retreated to the wilderness." The officials were silent, horrified at what she had told them. "And you wish us to intervene in your war?" Senator Felaw asked finally. "I do not wish for you to aid the bloodshed. I ask that you...do something to keep the peace, so that Melida/Daan will have a future. I fear--" she swallowed hard, then continued, "I fear my own father. The Elders will kill us because we oppose them and Melida and Daan children no longer hate each other. I ask that you keep the Young safe, so that when the Elders are gone, we can heal the wasteland our planet has become." Stealing a glance away from the Chancellor, she noticed Senator Palpatine staring at her. //Speak up!// she silently willed him. ~He's not just old, he's...bitter.~ Cerasi frowned slightly at that thought. ~No, no, really! Or he's crazy. His thoughts are fuzzy.~ //Weird,// Cerasi agreed. "I believe that we cannot allow this tragedy to continue," Palpatine said. She was vaguely aware of several other Senators joining Palpatine. She was focusing her attention on finding the source of this...blackness. There was no better way to describe the cold, devious, calculating hatred she was feeling. The only thing she did know was that the blackness wasn't hers. "Congratulations," Qui-Gon said as she joined him in the lobby. "I heard your campaign was a success." "I hope so," Cerasi replied, smiling. Whatever she'd felt back in the Chamber had made her sick; then, when she tried to focus harder on it, it disappeared. It had been like having a vault slam shut as she was about to enter. "I didn't find out anything new," Cerasi told Shora. In fact, she had, but she was in no mood to exploit various Senators tonight. "Nothing?" Shora laughed. "Am I supposed to believe you? You listen to me, Cerasi-" "There's nothing! I was busy asking them for help!" "Don't lie to me!" Cerasi flipped off the com. Part of her mind was reminding her how close her planet was to peace; the other part of her mind was calling Shora every obscenity she knew. "What's wrong?" she heard Obi-Wan ask behind her. "Nothing," she replied. It wasn't a lie; her telling Shora "nothing" had caused problems. Cerasi had always been told by her father that the Senate took as much time as they could to decide on a single course of action. It turned out that this was the one thing he hadn't lied to her about. "Cerasi?" Obi-Wan called from outside her chamber door. She didn't answer; she was busy. "Hey, Cerasi? I'm coming in." she remained silent as he stepped inside and followed the scrubbing sounds to her refresher unit. She did look up briefly enough to notice his confusion. Just the feeling of confusion overwhelmed her, and she scrubbed harder. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Nothing," she said. That word was becoming her first response to everything lately, but she added, "Well, I mean, I'm done now." she scrubbed at one last spot and then stood up. "Your droids aren't very thorough." Obi-Wan chuckled. "Come on, let's go to dinner." Cerasi finished her meal quickly, having spoiled her appetite earlier with dozens of snacks with Obi-Wan. The halls were quiet, and Cerasi raced to the Jedi Temple library, unnoticed by anyone. She searched through file after file until she found what she had been searching for after all. Vornskrs. The word felt welcoming to her, and she read everything she could find on them. The library didn't have nearly enough to appease her curiosity, but with what she had read she put together that Vornskrs were large four-legged animals only on one planet (the planet Jedi avoided, but it was less than clear on why). But most interesting of all was their ability to hunt Force users. Myrkr...that was where she had to go. If she hurried, she could get there, get one of these canines...yes, get one and come back before Shora called again. Cerasi wasn't as unnoticed as she hoped. Yoda had been silent for an unusually long amount of time as he and Qui-Gon studied far off places in the Star Maps room. "Something troubles you, Master?" Qui-Gon asked quietly. He shifted his gaze to look at the smaller Jedi, then froze in surprise. He had honestly never seen a look like that on the little man's face. Yoda was the first person to come to Qui-Gon's mind when he heard the word "calm", but now the other Master looked tense and wary. "Troubles me your apprentice's friend does," Yoda admitted. Qui-Gon drew in a deep breath and moved to the next map. "Perhaps you could tell me why," he prompted. "Sense something in her I do...changes in her I feel, never felt such things in a living being before have I." "In a living being?" Yoda nodded slightly. "Unrest in her there is...physical, and mental it is..." his strange yellow-green eyes studied Qui-Gon for a moment. "Dangerous she could become." "Master?" Obi-Wan asked from the doorway. Qui-Gon turned to look at his apprentice, relieved to find that he had not heard the conversation. "Yes?" "I...I can't find Cerasi...I think she might have..." he looked from his boots to Yoda, then quickly to his Master. "I think she might have snuck aboard a ship." "What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon stepped towards the boy. "Because that's the last place I saw her; at the landing pads, and she's not here in the temple, and she's not at the Senate." Obi-Wan was trying desperately to remain calm. "Then we'll go get the ID's of all the ships that were on the landing pad and ask them if they have her on board," Qui-Gon told him soberly. Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to lead the way out, completely missing the looks of apprehension the two Masters shared. ***End Part Five*** |
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