TITLE: Dark Sacrifice  7/36

AUTHOR: Cara & Quintus

E-MAIL:  [email protected]

RATING: PG-13

CATEGORY: Pre-TPM, Jedi Apprentice, Original Characters

ARCHIVE: Yes. Please keep headers intact.

DISCLAIMER: Star Wars is the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. No copyright infringement intended, no profit is being made from this fiction. All original characters and story belong to the authors. 

FEEDBACK: Constructive feedback appreciated.

TIME FRAME:  Pre-TPM @ 1-2 years

DARK SACRIFICE

By Cara & Quintus

Chapter 7

Savannah, Southwest of Sahmly City

“We cannot do as you ask Master Jedi!” Kahiri’Gho wailed. “We will get lowered if anything happens to you!”

“I can take care of myself, but I’ll be happy to give you a note absolving the Scree of any and all responsibility before I head out,” Adin countered. “But, I will go.”

Kahiri’ shook his head. “No! Master Jedi, you do not understand! Animals here are dangerous! We invented towns to protect ourselves from them! You don’t want to go into the wilderness alone. You will die!”

“Were the animals always so dangerous?” Adin asked. “Ga’Scree says that they weren’t. She said that, once upon a time, Arrcats were your companions and Breeck didn’t hunt Sahmlians. Ga’Scree said that something bad happened that changed the animals on this world. Is she wrong?”

Kahiri' exchanged a frightened glance with his companions.

There is obviously a story here. My allusion to it frightens them beyond what is normal. Adin waited patiently.

“Ga’Scree is right,” Kahiri' said, rills flaring, “but it is forbidden to speak of the matter.”

The other Sahmlians murmured agreement.

"Forbidden by whom?"

The Sahmlians remained silent, but rills flared.

“Forbidden by caste leaders?” Adin asked.

More rills flared before the lead Sahmlian finally nodded. "Yes."

Adin cocked his head, feeling vibrations emanating through the Force. He concentrated, and let the vision sweep over him. His breathing quickened and he swayed on his feet as the vision played out in his mind's eye.

“Master Jedi? Are you unwell?” Kahiri' asked.

Adin took a deep breath and came back to himself, then shook his head.  “I am fine. I have a question for you, Kahiri' - a serious question.”

Kahiri’ looked at his fellow Sahmlians and flared his eye rills. Rills flared in reply. “I will answer as best I can, Master Jedi.”

“I sense that something happened on Sahmly Two a long time ago,” Adin said, clasping his hands behind his back. “I have seen in my mind a vision – the death of many Sahmlians, by off-worlders. Do you know what I am talking about?”

Two Sahmlians hissed at Kahiri’; judging by their flared rills and pensiveness, Adin figured the instructions were to deceive him. Kahiri’ appeared torn.

“If I were looking to do you harm, I would have already done it,” Adin said. “I think you are Force-sensitive, but I am extending the courtesy of telling what I know about these deaths having occurred. What I am looking for is someone who can relate the lore behind this event, and then direct me to where it happened.”

The Sahmlians sucked in breath as one.

Kahiri’ looked absolutely stricken. “No, Master Jedi! You cannot go. The place is forbidden. We do not remember it. People go there…never come back!”

“I am an Explorer,” Adin repeated, enforcing calm with a wave of a hand, “I go where no other Jedi go. I listen to stories that no other Jedi would listen to. Since you obviously do not trust me, let me tell you what I know.” He rubbed his temple. “I see a beautiful blue valley inhabited by Sahmlians. Breek dries on racks. Pet Arrcats lounge in the shade of the huts, sometimes tussling with each other, sometimes playing with the children. They guard the children from danger.”

Adin’s commentary was greeted by silence. He sensed great curiosity, so he continued.

“I see a ship landing in this valley, a starship. Instead of being frightened, the people aree curious, even so far as to walk towards it. This…thing came from the air like the gods did, and it didn’t throw spears or shoot arrows. What is there to be afraid of?”

“Then lightning came from the ship." Adin closed his eyes to better visualize. "Man people were killed, and those left were slaughtered by the ones that came off the ship. Blood ran in the grasses and pooled in the dirt When it is done, it is not done.  Someone steps off the ship and wields energy against the land itself. This Evil One poisons the land and its animals. Sahmly was changed, forever. ”

Adin opened his eyes and lowered his hand. Sahmlians congregated, standing next to the buildings or sitting on the ferrocrete pavement. They stared at him, rills flat and still.

“This is why Breek are vicious and Arrcats hate you as they hate no other. They were changed; warped and mutated. Your home was violated by those who corrupt for no reason, your consent was hardly required. If you wish to start reclaiming your world, then you can start by trusting.”

The congregation of Sahmlians looked at each other. Rill flares were minute, but noticeable. It pleased Adin that they were subdued and calm, as if carefully considering how to proceed.

“Jedi – true Jedi may not return to Sahmly Two for a very long time,” Adin cajoled, “and we can help each other – now – by pointing me toward this place. That is all you need to do. I can find it on my own. If there is a way to fix it, I will try and find it.”

Dark-skinned green arms lifted and pointed south-southwest.

“One hundred twenty kilometers,” Kahiri' said, lowering his arm. "You will know when you are there. It still smells of… death."

~~~~

The speeder slowed to a stop at a dusty, barren crossroads.  Adin checked the sensor display inside the enclosed cockpit – the better to ward off Breeck or Arrcat attacks.

Adin read everything about Sahmly Two that was commonly available while en-route to the planet. There was much that had not been recorded about the Sahmlians themselves or their culture, so much so that Adin found himself believing that Republic sociologists had been entirely deceived in their assessment of the Sahmlians as “lethargic…culturally retarded, if hospitable beings”. The Sahmlians were affable, but they were also usually skittish around non-Sahmlians.

That skittishness, observed by Adin firsthand in recent hours, confirmed the germ of an idea he’d had after exiting subspace and entering planetary orbit; the Dark Side cast a pall over the planet. It was hardly the first such Dark touched planet Adin encountered, but it was the first that still had its sentient lifeforms. The Sahmlians did not seem to have been physically affected by the power of the Dark Side as so many lesser Sahmlian creatures had. Sahmly Two is testament to the power of the Light Side, that the necessities of nature cannot be completely dominated by the Dark.

The theory became a project when Adin studied accounts regarding Breeck, and Arrcats, the top two predators on Sahmly. Local tales still recalled a time when Arrcats were companions to Sahmlians, and Breeck were little more than domesticated food-birds, once filling a role now dominated by Mastaba.  It was only with the development of steel weapons that the Sahmlians were able to penetrate Mastaba hide. Domestication and hunting of Mastabas became practical shortly thereafter. The Sahmlians regarded this dramatic change of nature as a punishment from “the Gods”, but to Adin it suggested something far more sinister.

It is not enough to say that a locale is ‘strong in the Dark Side’; Adin recalled his master's teachings, because the Dark Side is a function of nature. As Jedi, we must always remain cognizant that nature generates the Force in both Light and Dark aspects. This having been said, nature is always in the process of creation and destruction; there is no way to separate the two. It is these unnatural circumstances that can be ascribed to the Dark Side of the Force.

And here I am, on the trail of some unnatural circumstances.

Adin checked his map again. He opened the cockpit, and climbed out of the speeder. No other vehicles were around; the junction was quite rural. He hadn't seen another person for the last 100 kilometers. The crossroad had once been a 4-way north-south, east-west junction. The road was still used north, south, and east. But, the western road had fallen into disuse some half a century earlier. Tall grass grew through the cracked, weather-beaten roadbed, and flash flood ruts turned the road into a torturous path..

Adin glanced around, keeping an eye out for predators.

“I do not know if this is a particularly wise idea,” a dog-like droid said from behind Adin. “I am somewhat more durable than you are. If there is something that requires exploration, I am a logical choice for such a mission.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Bellicus,” Adin remarked, "but I am quite capable, you know. For a Jedi."  He reached down and scooping a handful of soil with a hand. The soil was rich around the capital, but there was no such thing as an open-access farm on Sahmly Two. The hostility of local animals made large-scale farming operations hazardous. Sahmlian ‘farms’ were more like armed camps, all designed to keep Arrcats and Breeck at bay. “I am sorry, my friend, but there are some things that you are not equipped for.”

“Such as?” Bellicus asked as he hopped from the speeder to scout around.

“Something happened on this world long ago,” Adin replied as he trailed the droid dog. “Something of that incident remains on Sahmly Two, and I do not speak of ruins. I speak of the Force.”

“I see,” Bellicus replied. “I have no experience of the ‘Force’.”

 “My point exactly.”

“Even so, I fail to see what this journey will accomplish,” Bellicus said, as he looked at his master. “You put yourself into danger.” He stopped and turned rearward, metallic eyes whirling. “Seven creatures between us and the speeder. Bio-readings indicate Arrcats. Small ones.”

Adin nodded. “Thank you. I felt their presence.” Unmistakably hostile presence I should have said.

The felines strode into view. Muscles bunched under sleek black hides and the bright yellow eyes burned with interest. Malice was plain in the animals as they stopped and stood poised, ready to attack. The small heads and long limbs gave the impression of deadly speed.

These are not ordinary animals looking for lunch. Very interesting. They are massing for an attack.

“Arrcats ahead of us and on the left,” Bellicus said. “They are looking to harm you.”

“Indeed they are,” Adin said, as he drew his light saber from underneath his robes and ignited it.

Bellicus’ eyes glowed red as he entered attack mode. Sharp durasteel claws extended from all four paws and a small head-mounted blaster popped out of concealment.

An idea came into Adin’s mind. He lowered a hand to waist level, palm up. A sphere of green energy and light began forming, and grew in size and intensity. The Arrcats’ stance changed from attack to confusion; hair on their backs lay down, as did ears and tails. The sphere grew in size, encompassing Adin and Bellicus, and moved toward the Arrcats. The big felines backpedaled slowly. Several cats yowled and ran as the sphere touched them. Others hissed and backed away from the green glow.

“My sensors show an energy field radiating from you, Adin,” Bellicus said. “I find it difficult to fathom how you can radiate an energy field with no circuitry or energy source.” Bellicus continued to track the cats, head cannon at the ready.

Adin grinned, pleased that his trick seemed to have at least delayed the imminent attack. He eased back on the intensity of the field he’d created, until it fit into the palm of his hand, then disappeared into nothingness.

“Now would probably be a good time to leave,” Bellicus said. “Whatever you did, you scared them into keeping their distance.”

“Yes,” Adin agreed, “but they will be back, perceiving the lack of an attack as a sign of weakness.” Just as a creature aligned to the Dark Side would. “I think I’ve seen what I came here to see. Let’s go,” he said, walking back to the speeder with Bellicus bringing up the rear.

--Continued in Chapter 8--