Wanderers 1. First Awakening. Chapter 4

[random_xtras]

"You can't get married, can you?" said Mykayla softly, her eyes on her small brother as he splashed around in the big pan of water that Sadri had filled and set in the middle of the living room for him to bath in. "Because the authorities don't count Ven as human."

"And I'm a Jedi. I'm not supposed to attach myself to anything save the Force. We can't marry, or have family. I don't even know my real parents." Sadri sighed. "I'd be booted out of the Order if anything happened." She chuckled. "So you can see we have a problem on both ends. Interesting that for all the talk of being devoted only to the Force, we Jedi are spending a lot of time embroiled in this stupid war."

Mykayla glanced over to where Ramada sat dozing on one of the couches with Zipporah cuddled in her arms. "That never works. God made man and woman to be together. Two sides of the coin. Only a very few are created to go through life alone."

"Water bug!" Zach cupped his hands and then squeezed them together, chuckling as the resultant spout of water hit the bemused Jedi in the face.

Sadri squealed and ducked, but even the Force couldn't stop her from getting wet. She laughed, flicking her fingers in the air and using the Force to create small splashes in the tub that made the little boy crow with delight.

"You know that they've only lived for ten years, right? It's disgusting what they've done...." She stared blankly into the water. "I figured I'd just let myself be their friend, and then...." Another sigh. "They have spent every minute of those ten years learning how to be someone else's implements of destruction. And we - the Jedi - seem to have no qualms about sending them to die. I might not be relentlessly spiritual, but I know that they're people, not soulless machines. I couldn't be in love with Ven if he was."

"God's weeping for them," said Mykayla softly. "And...especially for Scrat."

"You don't seem too suprised at their age." Sadri gave her a sharp look. "Might I ask why?"

"Zipporah's birth mother was an adult at six months, after being grown in a tank from artificially combined and altered DNA." Mykayla glanced at the baby again. "She's six now."

"I see." Sadri blinked.

"That's interesting," Ramada said suddenly, looking up from where she'd been focusing on Zipporah. "I have a question for you, Sadri. Does the growth...ever taper off?"

The blond Jedi shook her head. "Even if things were different, I'd outlive him. He'd be dead at age forty."

"Makes no sense to me." Ramada frowned, an unfocused look appearing in her red-white-and-blue eyes. "Even from a pragmatic point of view. Would you not want maximum efficiency?"

"I'm not sure," Sadri said a little too curtly, then inhaled deeply. "Sorry. I just...."

"No, I understand. I'm just playing out a hypothesis here...." Ramada looked down at the baby again. "What could we do...?"

Sadri looked at Mykayla. "Is she always like that?"

"Zipporah is going to live at least four hundred years," said the lilac-haired girl softly, clearly off on her own tangent as she tussled gently with Zach. "That's how old the Woestijn Feen live. The Professor isn't sure yet how the accelerated healing factor will affect the lifespan of the Schattenfeen. And he said he hates to think how his own extended life span will be translated to his children."

Ramada's voice suddenly got louder. "...like a virus. That's exactly it. Sadri, you need to get me in touch with Sal."

"Why?"

"I think I can buy you some time. I just need to know what they did to make these guys."

"What?"

Mykayla chuckled. "Alright, Zach, I'm getting wrinkled fingers. It's time for you to come out of the water."

"Jav told me he'd work on getting in contact with Sal." Sadri looked at the Indian woman and smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. If at any time my scientific geekery can make someone's life better, I like it." Ramada waved her hand in an 'it's nothing' gesture and went back to cuddling with Zipporah.

Sadri's grin widened slightly as she unfolded a fluffy purple towel and wrapped Zach in it as Mykayla lifted the boy out of the water. "There, no more pie now, eh?" She stuck her tongue out at him, making a silly face.

He laughed and snagged it with his stubby, nail-less fingers, then grinned widely as her eyes crossed in surprise. "Gotcha!"

"Zach, let go. What did Mama tell you about that?" said Mykayla sternly.

"My hands're clean." He frowned in confusion and let go.

Sadri laughed and leaned close to him, lowering her voice to a conspiratal whisper. "Good catch."

He nuzzled his face against hers affectionately, then cuddled under her chin.

Sadri swallowed a slight lump and looked up. "So what else do you want to do today? It'll get mighty boring if all you see while you're here is the Temple." Checking her chrono, she realized that it was only midafternoon. "We've still got a good chunk of the day."

"I wanna go help clones...I need a Pepsi," muttered Ramada.

"She's not going to be worth much till she gets that done," said Mykayla apologetically as she lifted the pair of tiny tan pants that Mace had brought to the suite that morning and tried to slip them over Zach's feet.

"It's okay." Sadri chuckled. "I enjoy being in the company of people who think I'm right. Normally everyone accuses me of being a bleeding heart...." She blinked as a chiming from her comlink cut her off. Pulling it out of her robes, she smiled and raised it to her mouth. "Jav does it again. It's Sal."

"Sal?" Zach looked up from trying to pull the pants over his fat tummy. "Sal Dumbydore? HEY SAL! IT'S ZACKY!!"

"Zach! Stop." Mykayla put her hand over his mouth.

Sadri laughed. "I hope you heard that," she said, adjusting the settings so that everyone could hear.

"Yes, b'y." The voice was scratchy and there was static, but it most definitely was that of the mysterious Newfoundlander who'd stirred Haven up for a short while. "Hey, Zach, how are ye doin'? So, Oboa, Jav tells me that 'Mada there wants to speak wit' me about my boys or something?"

Sadri looked at Ramada, who nodded. "She'd like to see the template."

"Yer in luck then, I was headin' back tonight fer a day. Tell ye what, I'll bring her along. I makes up some story about scientific endeavours and she can see whatever she needs to see."

Ramada squealed. "I can't believe you remember, Sal. It was what, three days back at Haven?"

The other woman's voice chuckled. "Any time there's a huge fire, the event sticks in me mind. Now get yerself ready 'coz where I'm takin' ye, it's gonna scare the osik out of ye."

"Picking up some Mando'a, are we, Sal?" Sadri laughed.

"Can't be helped, Oboa. Ye picks up what ye does and generally the cusses come first. Lissen, 'Mada: I can meet ye at the docking bay at the Temple. We'll travel through the night and I can have ye back here t'morrow night, how does 'at sound?"

Ramada stood up and walked toward where Sadri had laid the comlink on the table. "Sure."

"Mady, wait," said Mykayla, her eyes unfocused. "What about David?"

"Well, I'll just have to explain what's going on," she said. "I think he'll understand."

"If it's the space travel that worries you...well, don't. It's painless." Sadri smiled.

"By the l'ard t'undrin.... Dave's there with ye?" Sal's voice laughed. "Well then fer sure you makes sure he's okay wit' it, b'y, because if he gets on me case.... Well, we're not leavin till 2200 at least, so ye got some time t' think about it. I'm around, so just call me back when ye know, a'right?"

Sal cut the comlink and Sadri and Ramada stared at each other for a second. "Thanks," was all Sadri could manage yet again.

"I'm looking forward to it." Ramada turned to hand Zipporah to Mykayla, but then stopped and cocked her head at the preoccupied look on her friend's face. "Mykey? Is something wrong?"

The younger girl blinked and looked up, then pushed herself to her feet and put her hands on the Indian girl's arms. "The Lord bless you and keep you, Mady." She swallowed and tried to smile, then took her little daughter and tucked her into the sling before dropping to the floor and crawling out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Sadri leaned over to watch her till she disapeared into her room, then looked down at Zach, who was standing in the tub with his pants on. "Oh!" She picked him up and dried him off again, then set him on the couch.

"I don't know," said Ramada. "I think this situation is affecting all of us. You have to admit this is strange for us. But there's something you need to know before I go and do this. I'm doing this for one reason: because I've come to consider you a friend, and I'd like to do something to make you a little more happy. If I can set you up to have a future... well then it's the least I could do."

Sadri just sat there, staring at her hands.

Ramada stood up and walked down the hall, pausing outside the door to Mykayla's room as she heard the girl speaking in her prayer language, the words seeming to tear themselves out of her between sobs.

-God, whatever she's saying. I agree with it,- she thought, her mind flashing back to a gunshot and an answered prayer.

Shuddering, she turned away to the room she shared with David and quirked a wry grin as she saw him laying sprawled on his face on the bed. Grin changing to a smirk, she sat next to him and jiggled the bed till he groaned. "Hey, hon, I'm going to another planet for the night."

"Fine. Just stop shaking the #$+& bed." He groped for a pillow and pulled it over his head. "I love you."

"Love you too." She stood and walked back to the living room.


* * *


"What's that smell?" Mykayla wrinkled her nose and gripped her crutches more firmly.

"Stinks," announced Zach from where he cuddled in Sadri's arms as they walked through the cafeteria.

"That, friends, is Jedi Temple Food." Sadri made a face. "I never eat here if I can avoid it."

"No wonder Jedis is weird." Zach's golden eyes looked up at her over the hands pressed over his nose.

"Zach, that isn't nice," Mykayla reprimanded, then froze as she heard a being with a long, waving neck say something derogatory about her little brother and about Mace. Pulling up her sleeve, she concentrated, then touched the creature in passing and bit back a grin as it toppled into its bowl.

"That was spectacular," said Sadri, watching Yarael Poof tip into his soup. "He wasn't my favourite Master, anyway."

"Um, shouldn't we rescue him?" Mykayla paused and looked back with a concerned frown. "He could drown."

"Depa's got him," said a male voice. "Hi, I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Mykayla turned and blinked at the handsome young man with the scruffy beard, her eyes narrowing at the inquisitive light in his eyes.

"What are you up to this evening, Obi?" Sadri asked with a grin. "This is Mykayla, and her little brother Zach. Doubtless you've heard all the fracas, being on the Council and all...."

"Yes," he said, giving Mykayla a charming grin that she responded to with a slight scowl. "Master Windu says that you're here to learn something."

Mykayla cocked her head, the scowl fading into a grin that made Sadri pause and look.

"We're still working on figuring that out," the blond Jedi said with a smile, lifting the hem of her robe to Zach so he could use it as a filter and grinning as he pressed it tightly over his nose and mouth. "Can we get out of here? I think the smell is making everyone ill."

"You haven't changed," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. "Still disliking the food?"

"When the food stops being horrible, I'll start liking it." She led the way out into a much cleaner-smelling hallway.

Obi-Wan chuckled, then ducked his head to look at Zach's hands before including both girls in his smile. "Mykayla, would you care to have a guided tour of the city?"

"No thank you." Her grin didn't change. "Sadri's going to show me some interesting spots a little later."

"This would just be a quick sweep over the rooftops in my new speeder." He turned up the boyish charm.

"I don't make a practise of going places alone with men I've never met before. But thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Kenobi. Maybe I'll see you later."

"I'd like that." He offered his hand.

Mykayla giggled, ignoring Sadri's warning gesture as she took it and zapped him just hard enough to give him pins and needles.

"Well, isn't that interesting." His smile didn't falter as he shook feeling back into his hand. "Might I ask where you picked up that ability?"

"Discretion was never your strong suit, eh Obi?" asked Sadri, shaking her head with her grin firmly in place. "If there's something you'd like to know - ask."

"Is he bein' bad?" Zach's round face creased into a feirce scowl.

"No, Zach, just overly curious." Mykayla quirked an eyebrow. "You know, Mr. Kenobi, where I come from it's considered extremely rude for those who can read thoughts to attempt to do so without permission. Can we go see those hatchlings now, Sadri?"

"Of course," said Sadri, still shaking her head at Obi-Wan. "Come on, they're this way."


* * *


"Sadri, is this supposed to move?" Mykayla poked the blue root vegetable with the tip of one finger, eyebrows raising as it twitched quite noticably. "Zach, please stop jumping off the couch."

"It's ripe," said Sadri, eyeballing it as she concentrated on rolling ground nerf meat into balls. "If it twitches, it's ripe. Don't worry, it's not sentient. The cells react to pressure, that's all."

"Do any of the rest of these move?" Mykayla shooke wisps of hair away from her face and studied the other things strewed over the counter. "Zach, don't jump off the table."

"No, but those big black globes fart when you stab them." Sadri's mouth twitched. "They're Alderaanian clams. When I went there for my cultural training, we used to eat them in bucketfuls."

"But they have no shells...." Mykayla picked one up and gave it a quizzical look. "Zach, lightsabers aren't toys."

"No, they don't.... Should they?" The blond Jedi glanced at her.

"On my homeworld a clam is a bivalvular shellfish." Mykayla set the clam back down and resumed slicing the twitching root. "Zach, stop licking the window."

"Oh." Sadri grinned. "Interesting. I think clams like that exist on Naboo or something.... Hey - how d'you know what Zach is up to? I mean, I get the general picture, but...."

"David taught me to track things by sound." The lilac-haired girl finished the root and started on another. "Zach, please don't hide the lightsaber under the couch."

Sadri looked at her waist where both her lightsabers dangled safely from her belt. "Whose is that, anyway?" she asked, dropping the nerf balls into a pot of water.

Mykayla shot a startled glance at her, then looked toward the living room. "Mercy.... I have no idea. This isn't going to start an incident, is it?"

"I don't think so. Nobody's gone anywhere since we got back last night, right?" Sadri raised an eyebrow. "Nonetheless, I think I should put it somewhere safer." Drying her hands on a towel, she went into the living room and retrieved it.

"It's a little too dangerous if you sit on it," she told Zach gently as she took it out from under him. "You might lose a leg." She clipped it to her belt as she walked back to the kitchen, then stopped and scowled, listening to the lightsabers clank together. "I feel like a Life Day tree," she muttered.

"He could have gotten it last night as we went through the cafeteria," said Mykayla wryly. "You've seen how fast he is. He's pretty good at hiding things without meaning to, too." She cocked her head and once more studied the assorted foodstuffs. "The vegetables are done. What do I do with the clams?"

Sadri grinned. "You never know.... Um, just stick 'em in the blue pressure cooker there. They puff up and get less gooey when you cook them that way." She shook her head, attempting to get stray locks of hair out of her face. "It took me forever to get used to eating raw clams...so ever since I've decided I'd cook them. It's not like I'd ever be back on Alderaan, anyway."

"I like raw salmon...." Mykayla looked around as the door opened and Zach's happy clamoring abruptly cut off. "Hello?"

"It's me," said Mace. "I've brought... a guest."

The lilac-haired girl exchanged a glance with Sadri at the wry tone in his voice, then wiped her hands and crutched toward the door, only to stop and stare at the being who stood behind the dark-skinned Jedi. "Oh, mercy."

Sadri leaned back slightly to see past her, then dropped the nerf ball pot onto the stove with a huge crash.

"Sorry," she mouthed, wincing.

The big golden being twitched long pointed ears at the sound, then perked them toward her, his dark copper eyes narrowed in determination.

"What... where did you find him?" stammered Mykayla.

"He found me in the marketplace as I showed Zipporah to a vendor of baby clothing," said Mace quietly. "He was very insistant that he come back here with me."

Sadri turned around and walked over to the door, watching that glow move around the massive winged man. "Why?"

"Because he's Wüste Fee," said Mykayla softly, crutching toward him.

"Ja." The stranger's voice was a deep, soft rumble. "Like the little vone."

Mykyala shook her head. "She's not of your people. The Professor created her mother's people later. She's half Schatten Fee."

"She is still vone of my people," he said firmly, putting his ears back. "I haven't seen vone of my people in too long. I von't leave her."

"Uh...huh." Sadri's eyes were wide. She didn't understand anything of the conversation, but could clearly ascertain that baby Zipporah and this newcomer were similar. Different - but similar. "Why don't...we all come inside?"

There was a slight thump from the hallway, and all eyes turned toward it in time to see David stagger into the room, eyes narrowed in rage.

"Where the #$+& is Ramada?" he growled. "What did she mean, 'going to another planet?' And why the #$+& aren't you with her, kid?"

Sadri raised a finger and turned toward him. "Rest assured Ramada's alright, but, uh...." She gestured toward the party about to enter her living room, then shook her head, at a loss for words.

David noticed the newcomer and scowled. "Who the #$+& are you?"

"My name is Sonnejäger," rumbled the winged man softly, his ears going back again. "Who is the leader of this family?"

"What?" David frowned at him.

"Who is the leader of the family that this baby belongs to?" repeated Sonnejäger, pointing toward the lump in the front of Mace's robe.

"The kid's hers." David pointed to Mykayla at the same time as Zach said, "He's the old guy", and pointed to him.

"Mykayla is Zipporah's mother," noted Mace, his expression strangely untroubled. "I would recommend that you speak to her if you have any questions about the child."

"Wait a minute, buddy. If you're thinking that she kidnapped the kid or something...." David walked over and planted himself aggressively in front of the larger man, eyes narrowed dangerously though he was clearly losing the fight against gravity.

"I vant to be adopted into your family." The words were so low that he nearly missed them.

"What?" He frowned.

"I vant to be adopted into your family," repeated Sonnejäger, his ears drooping as his gaze lowered to the floor.

"No." David scowled.

"Yes," said Mykayla softly, pressing a hand over her mouth.

"Yeah! You can be parta our family!" Zach grinned over the back of the nearer couch.

"Whatever!" David swore and turned back to his room.

Sadri scowled as he stalked off, then smiled around. "Come in, sit down, and talk to each other, alright? I'm going to go and talk to David...." Still scowling to herself, she followed the dark-haired man.

Mykayla looked after her with a troubled expression, but then turned toward the tall stranger and gestured that he should come and sit on one of the couches.

"Danke." He did so, his big frame drooping wearily as he fidgeted with his wings till he found a way for them to fit comfortably.

"Bitte," she replied softly, taking a place next to Mace on the other couch.

"You speak my language?" He looked up.

"No. Only one similar." She accepted Zipporah and smiled down at the tiny girl's wide eyes.

"Ah." He watched as she tucked the baby into her sling, then perked his ears toward Zach, who was leaning against the other arm of the couch and watching him. "You know of the Professor?"

"I've met him." She looked up. "He's Zipporah's father."

"He still lives? It's been a long time."

"He's still alive," said Mykayla softly. "It was part of his payment for causing the Woestijn Feen to be."

"Ah. Ja. I remember that part of the story." Sonnejäger's ears tracked Zach as he hopped off the couch and wandered into the kitchen. "Vhat are the Schattenfeen?"

"They look like your people, and come from your people." Mykayla leaned against Mace and rubbed Zipporah's back, then looked up as Sadri came back and flopped gracefully down on the other side of her. "But they heal much faster and can travel through the shadows. And they never sleep."

"Zipporah sleeps," rumbled Mace softly.

"She's only half Schattenfeen," said Mykayla.

"How did that occur?" asked Mace. "Her...unique heritage?"

Mykayla glanced up at him, then at Sadri as the blond Jedi sat upright, green eyes fixed on Sonnejäger as she plainly waited her turn to ask a question. "It isn't so unique. She's the youngest of four children."

"Then why is she here with you?" asked Sadri.

"Because the Professor has powerful enemies in the ruling race of that Earth." Mykayla wrapped her arms protectively around the child in her robe. "There are machines and other creations, as well as living drones, keyed into his DNA so that they can hunt him down. He and Copelia have sent all of their children away a couple years after their births. Copelia nearly died when Zipporah was born, so I cared for her while Henry cared for Copelia. Then, when it was time for me to go, Copelia insisted that Zipporah was my child and asked me to take her with me."

-And that 'Professor Henry' is Zipporah's father.- Mace glanced at Sadri.

"I see," he said aloud, his brow furrowed as he contemplated what Mykayla had said. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"Happened after I left? Or happened that the Drow should hunt Henry?" The lilac-haired girl asked without looking up.

"After... after you left," said Sadri, voicing Mace's thoughts as they came to her through their Force-bond. "And why? Why would someone hunt someone else, deem them unworthy to live because of their... genes?"

"The Drow don't hunt the Professor because of his genes," Sonnejäger spoke up unexpectedly. "They hunt him because he set my people free instead of handing us over to them after he had caused us to be."

"Oh," said Sadri. "I apologize. Why, then, would it be necessary to hand you over?"

"Because they had commissioned him to create the Woestijn Feen as a slave army." Mykayla's soft words fell like lead weights.

"What?" Sadri's voice, though level and even, was a whisper. "That's disgusting." She shook her head.

Mace looked at her strangely, clearly not understanding and surprised by her sentiments. Then he glanced down at Mykayla as she moved away from him and went to sit beside Sonnejäger.

"All men are created of God, Mr. Windu." Her big eyes seemed to look into the core of his soul and grieve for what she failed to see there. "He knows every one before they were born. And He calls them all by name, even though they are denied that right by other men. All human beings are created to be free; to live, to love, to grow, and to glory in their Creator. Being formed in a tank doesn't negate that."

Sadri stood up suddenly, without word or flourish, and walked silently down the hall.

Mace barely noticed as he fixed his eyes on Mykayla and suddenly saw her plainly. She was vividly clear, in all his fields of vision. She stood as a vivid, flawless pillar of adamantine crystal. Her purpose, her life - and her Master. Her words rang with a truth that shook him to his core. Suddenly he wondered.

About everything.

He sat there looking, searching, feeling for a shatterpoint - something he could say or do that would change this situation...and he found none.

This was going to stay exactly how it was.

"I understand," he said softly.

"Do you?" Mykayla turned her head and was suddenly only a small girl with a baby in her robe, looking toward a little brother who walked in with his face covered in clam goo.

"I do," said Mace, his voice even softer. "And...and I don't know what to think."

He rose and bowed slightly to all present, then left without another word.

Mykayla watched him go, then turned to look up at the being beside her. "Would you watch Zach for me? I need to go and pray. Just keep him here in the living room and don't let him jump off things."

"Ja, I'll do it." Sonnejäger took the clam that Zach offered him, then reached out and gently lifted the little boy into his lap.

Mykayla smiled at the soft tug on her heart, then got to her feet and slowly crutched out of the room.


* * *


"You know," David stared down at the bottle he held in his hand, "I never thought she'd be interested in me." He eyeballed the new guy out of the corner of his eye. "Me. A washed-up psycho. Someone that beautiful and that ridiculously smart - #$&+, she makes me feel like an idiot sometimes...."

"But you love her," rumbled Sonnejäger from where he crouched at the end of the other couch with a similar bottle resting on his knee.

David sighed. "Yeah, I do. And now...." His eyes grew wide. "Now we get here and it turns out she's going to have a baby." He shivered. "I have no idea what the #$+& I'm going to do about that."

The big alien flicked his ears back and forth, then put them back, dark coppery wings rustling as he stirred. "I don't understand. How can you not know vhat to do?"

"I wasn't exactly raised to expect a family," said David, a hint of bitterness in his voice as he took another drink. "I don't know a #$+& thing about any of it."

"Ah." Sonnejäger's impassive face managed to convey sympathy, though David was too drunk to notice. "If you keep drinking that it'll destroy your brain, mein freund."

The Jewish man laughed. "My brain? I don't need it."

"You need it to take care of Ramada und the baby," returned Sonnejäger mildly, wrapping his tail around his waist and taking a long pull from his own bottle.

David's grey eyes became fixated on the ceiling. "I can't protect them," he said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She died in my arms and I couldn't do anything then. What makes you think I can do anything now? I can't protect anyone I love from getting killed."

"Ramada isn't dead now."

"You're right." David's eyes narrowed. "She's not, and it's all thanks to a God that I've spent my whole #$+& life cursing and running from." Another sigh escaped the man. "That's not making me feel any $#%& better, buddy."

Sonnejäger studied him for a moment, brow furrowed slightly as though he were weighing his words. Then he sighed and finished his bottle, setting it aside and then doing something with his hands before lifting one and looking at the pool of flame that danced in his palm.

David raised an eyebrow and tried to sit up- was the big guy making fire? He wanted to say something, but the alcohol and the stress finally overtook him. He slumped back on the couch with a soft snore, his bottle thumping gently to the floor in an upright position.