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The flocks of morning songbirds fluttered out of the rain-soaked undergrowth as the Sith Infiltrator returned to its place on the ground. Maul clapped his hands out in front of him and began walking back towards the craft. Perfection, as usual, he thought, admiring his expert use of the Force to rearrange his prized ship. He stepped in a puddle.
"Wait!" Maul whirled around. Xarae was stumbling up the hill towards him. "Wait!!" she yelled again, coming up to the Infiltrator's natural platform. Maul sighed in exasperation and crossed his arms.
"What is it?" He asked the girl in annoyance. "I was just leaving."
"I know..." She tried to catch her breath. "I just.... wanted to give you something before you... left." She brought out two bundles from her layers of fur and cloth. "I want you to have these so my parents don't include them in my dowry." Maul reached out and took the objects from Xarae's outstretched hands.
"What are they?"
"One... is an expensive sword. And the other is a jewel." Maul gave her a suspicious look and unwrapped the smaller of the two. A glimmering black crystal gleamed out at him. The Sith picked it up out of the cloth by the cord it was on and held it out in the rain to look at it. Slowly he glanced from the jewel to Xarae, then back again.
"You wore this." She nodded. Maul slowly put the crystal back and wrapped it up again. He didn't bother looking at the saber as he reached and tucked them both into the many folds of his cloak and tunics. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them for you." Maul turned to leave.
"Wait!!" Again he turned and faced Xarae.
"What is it now?"
"I just wanted to say... goodbye," she said tentatively. Maul gave her a strange, cold look.
"Goodbye," he spit sternly, storming back towards his craft.
"No!" Xarae took a few steps towards him until they stood face to face in the rain. She nervously took a deep breath. "Like this." Standing on her tip-toes, she gently pecked him on the cheek. Maul's angry expression faded. Xarae was silent for a moment. "Now you say goodbye." Xarae said quietly. Maul rubbed his cheek in disbelief.
"Goodbye," he said quietly, still rubbing his tattooed face. He took a few slow, shocked paces towards the ship before taking one last, final look back at Xarae. She waved a little.
"Goodbye." He couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up at the sight of a saddened Xarae standing in the rain. Maul took a few steps into the craft, then, without looking back, shut the cold metal doors.
The sublight engines started up about a minute later. Xarae watched the craft hover a little, wobbling. She backed away, down the hill a bit, from the roar of the engines. She shielded her eyes from the wind generated, and before she knew what had happened, the silvery ship was merely a speck in the dark sign.
Xarae ran out into the clearing and looked up into the sky. The rain fell on her face, in her eyes, as she searched in vain for the ship. She walked around, looking up, before tripping and falling in a mud puddle. Xarae looked down at her now muddy clothes. A knot rose in her throat as the reality of Maul's leaving sunk in.
"Don't cry Xarae..." she said to herself out loud. She wiped the rain from her nose and eyes with her sleeve. "Don't cry now." Xarae looked hopefully up at the sky. He's never coming back... she thought. "NO! that's not true... He told me..." Xarae held her head in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. She took a deep breath.
Maul ran the cold steel through his fingers. He tossed the sword in the air, then caught it again on the bejeweled handle. Quite a piece of work... he thought, further examining the saber Xarae had given him.
"Beautiful," he whispered to himself before placing it safely back into its small compartment. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair. The past week had been hard on him, both mentally and physically. He needed to rest. And so Maul anticipated his return to Coruscant and his life there. But strangely, he was not looking forward to seeing his master. I just need a few days rest, that's all... He pushed the problem of somehow doing something for the native girl to the back of his mind. Maul slowly closed his eyes.
The dozing Sith was awakened not five minutes later by a horrible racket in the bowels of the ship. Maul jumped out of his chair and made his way groggily to the noise. Asleep at the helm... what's WRONG with you? He quickly shed his heavy cloak and climbed through a panel into the inner workings of the Infiltrator. Soon he came to the source of the grinding noise. The strip of cloth he had used as a makeshift bolt or weld had burned though, dropping electrical wires into the whirring generator below.
"Already?" he said out loud. This should have lasted more than just a day or so. He repaired it quickly and squirmed out of the hot crawl space. Maul wiped his brow and shut the opening with a metallic clang.
"Something must be wrong... The ship shouldn't be generating that much heat within only a day of flight time..." Maul worried to himself. He picked up his cloak and walked back to the cockpit. Why am I so hot? He wiped the beads of sweat from his face and neck before pulling off his topmost tunic.
I better not be sick... Wearily he sat back down and put his hand over his face. The tattooed man sat that way until, suddenly, a sharp pain shot down his right leg. Maul winced as the pain bolted through him. Just as the first wave of pain had subsided, another, stronger one came. This one was centered on the inside of his thigh. He cursed loudly and curled up in a ball. The throbbing hot pain came again and again, until he couldn't stand it anymore. In frustration, Maul tore off all his clothing. He cursed again and punched a dent in the controls in front of him upon seeing no signs of injury of otherwise on his black and red flesh.
Xarae's tattoo bled. Red rivulets of it wound down her right leg. Kiruon said it was normal for it to bleed, but Xarae was worried. What if there are complications? What if they did something wrong? she thought to herself as she gently poked at her inflamed flesh that night. The horrible black marking that defaced her upper thigh hurt like nothing she had ever felt before. That is, if she didn't count all the times her father has beaten her. Xarae stared through the darkness at the tattoo. Just one small decoration had claimed to her. The ancient symbols spelled out her future husband's name. Marked like cattle, she thought, scowling at the itchy tattoo. At least the worst is over with. She quickly skimmed over the wedding preparations and rituals in her brain. First, there was the tattoo, Nu'kai; then her 'firebath', Kala-kura, where all her body hair was burned off permanently with acidic herbs; Halan-kuo, her three-day fast; Tet-samat, the cutting off of all of her long, silky hair that was supposed to represent shedding all of her childish ways; and then, the wedding itself. But hopefully she wouldn't have to go through with the last two, which take place on the same day. That is, if Lord Maul keeps his promise to me. Xarae sighed and laid back down in her cot. She turned away from her wedding gown and fought again the pain in her leg to fall asleep.
Xarae ran her hand gently through the freshly-dug soil. The dark sanguine of it was almost like blood. Lifting her hands, the dirt fell through her frail fingers. She looked up. Through her black veil, she could see the rows and rows of graves. Around her, the tall buildings of the city rose into the clouds. They seemed to sway menacingly. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as a cold wind blew at her long, heavy dress. She felt herself longing for him as a tear rolled down her cheek. How badly she needed his shoulder to cry on... Xarae traced the letters on the grave with her finger.
"Xianen..." The name escaped her lips like that of a forgotten soldier. "Xianen," she whispered again.
Xarae woke up abruptly. She glanced around the darkened hut, her chest heaving. Sighing, she wiped the sweat from her brow. Another nightmare... She put her head in her hands and began to cry.
"You were talking in your sleep again last night," Aldebarron said matter-of-factly, shoving a piece of bread in his mouth. Xarae looked up from her own breakfast.
"What was I saying?" Her brother shrugged.
"Some name...Xianen or something." Xarae looked at the ground. "Over and over again. And that other name also. Khameir." Xarae avoided his curious stares.
"I had another nightmare..." she said quietly. Before her brother could question her any further, Xarae stood up and cleaned her leftovers. "If anyone wants me, I'll be picking herbs for my wedding." She hurried outside, away from her overly curious brother.
Xarae limped down the main path in the village. Her tattoo still ached. She expected that. Xarae moaned a little and shifted her weight to the other leg, so her limp worsened. But her mind wasn't on her pain. She was pondering about her nightmares. What could they mean? The feelings in these nightmares were so intense... That name hold so many emotions... Xarae ran the name through her head, hoping to maybe bring forth memories of her dream. But it was so vivid... how could I forget it? She thought of the name again. Xianen. It brought tears to her eyes, yet she wasn't sure why. This dead... person from her nightmare... she vowed to find out more. At least it was more clear than the first one... She remembered the first nightmare, the blood, the flowers, Maul, the child... The child... She stopped in her tracks. The memories of her first strange nightmare, of Maul holding a child, flooded back to her in full detail.
"His name was Xianen." Her frightening epiphany made Xarae shiver. That grave, was one of a mere child!! She put her hand over her mouth. What other kind of horrible things will my mind conjure up?? Horrified at herself, Xarae ran the rest of the way to the Southern Lowlands.
Xarae shifted the basket of herbs from one shoulder to the next. The sweet scents of the plants took her mind off of the pain in her leg and the horrible nightmares as she limped along the path home. The herbs were for her wedding. Her gown would be scented with them, her hair treated, the food seasoned with the various herbs. Xarae took a deep breath. That was one thing she wouldn't mind about her wedding - the special herbal baths and massages beforehand. I'm going to smell and feel like a goddess! she thought, already excitedly dreaming of the ingredients she would put in her perfumes. A rumble of thunder in the distance warned her of an approaching storm. I better hurry home... Xarae quickened her pace. Suddenly, she felt something. Something... happened. Xarae stopped in her tracks and glanced around. Something was happening, something tragic. She felt it in her gut, as if she had been punched in the stomach. Xarae heard a scream come from the direction of village.
"Kiruon..." Xarae dropped the basket and sprinted for the village. She ran along the winding path before smashing into her oldest brother's son, Erdani. The boy was gasping for air.
"Mama told me to get you... It's... Kiruon... Something..." He tried to catch his breath.
"What?!" Xarae took him by the collar and shook his small ten-year-old body.
"Her baby... Something's happened with the baby..."
Maul bowed so that his horns tapped the cold marble floor, where red shadows of the city outside fell like light off a mirror.
"If that is all, you may be dismissed." His master's gravelly voice faded as he turned from his protege to face the crimson Coruscant sunset.
"Master, if you will, I have... one other..."
"Go ahead," Sidious said unemotionally.
"The girl, back on Akirion, master... I... I wish to bring her back here." The old man turned to face him.
"Do you have reasons, my apprentice?" Maul swallowed hard.
"She possesses incredible Force abilities. She has never been trained, yet still can heal, read minds, even predict events. We also..." He paused. "She also seems to have a Force connection to me, master." Sidious gazed at Maul from under his hood. "It seems that when she feels pain, I do also." Sidious leaned back in his chair.
"I see. So you believe that meeting her is the will of the Force, and now the Force wishes you to bring her here?" Maul made no pause.
"Yes master." Sidious nodded knowingly. Maul stood still for a moment while his master pondered.
"You may bring the girl back in a week's time. Her fate will be decided when she is returned here." Sidious waved him away. "You are dismissed."
Maul literally ran from the room, almost forgetting to bow before
leaving. He was stunned that Sidious had said yes! He was almost certain
that he would have denied his request to bring her back. But... he had to
wait a week. I can't wait that long! He began walking towards his own
personal quarters.
It figures he had dreams of her. When he awoke, he could not remember them, however. He was sweating. He glanced outside. The sun was just slipping below the horizon of the city. Maul sighed. I will never get rested if I cannot manage to sleep for more than 20 minutes! He cursed Xarae and the way he desired her.
"Damn that woman..." he muttered, walking away towards the training room, lightsaber in hand.
Xarae handed her sister another jug of water. The woman took it from her and slowly sipped from it. Xarae watched Kiruon's worn, shaky hands. Blood was encrusted around her fingernails and between her fingers, in the folds of her callused skin. She set the jug back in Xarae's hands before laying down again. The short-haired woman gazed into nothingness.
"You... get some rest. I'll be back later," Xarae said quietly, pulling a blanket over her sister's shivering body. She stepped out of the hut into the rain. Kind-hearted Brigmtouie was waiting there, wringing her skirt with worry.
"How is she? Is she alright?" The woman's green eyes blazed. Xarae sighed.
"She's still very shocked about it all... She's resting right now."
"I feel so badly for the poor dear... what a horrible thing to have happen to you," she said over the pitter-patter of the rain. "The funeral will be so unbearably sad..." She trailed off. Xarae looked at the ground. The raindrops fell into the muddy puddles that covered the ground, spotting them with ripples. The reflection of her saddened face flickered as the sky's tears interrupted it. She couldn't help but feel her sister's pain like it was her own. Somehow, the empathy in her heart transformed into sympathy for her sister and her premature child. She wanted to say she knew how it felt. I cannot say that! How dare I even think it!! She shivered as her clothes began to soak through. Why couldn't it be someone else? she thought as Brigmtouie scuttled out of the storm. Why do things have to change? Why couldn't Kiruon stay like she was? Why did she have to marry that swine? The tears welled in her eyes from anger. Anger at Hilaxede. Anger at the change. She ran her hand over her slick wet hair. I'll make things right again, I swear I will. I'll make things happy again. Xarae clenched a fist.
The cold hiss of Maul's lightsaber echoed through the training room as he disengaged it. He knelt down, the tired muscles on his legs shuddering as he balanced his weight on his toes. He was waiting for Sidious. It had been eight days since his return from Akirion, and his master had told him the previous day he would inform his apprentice of when he was to go and fetch the girl.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he set down his hot lightsaber on the ground with a clank and took a deep breath.
"You skills are diminishing, Maul." Sidious's obviously frustrated voice made him start. "And you didn't detect my presence." Maul watched the shadow of his master fall across the floor and sizzling peices of dystroyed training droids.
"Master, I apologise..." he said, getting to his feet. "My mind is elsewhere at the moment..."
"It has been since you returned." Maul turned to face the dark, cloaked figure behind him, a sort of guilty look on his face.
"Master I..." Sidious cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Fetch the girl if it shall help your concentration. Bring her before me, and we will decide her fate." Maul cleared his throat and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, my Lord."
