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AmazonBabe
Aug 22nd, 2005, 12:35:44 PM
The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon on Ithor, casting long shadows through the thick trees and ferns, while those tendrils of sun light that fit through the openings spotted the ground with warm, white light.

A tall woman, with brilliant red hair accented with golden tendrils, and striking green eyes, moved out of a small hut situated on a smaller platform below one of the floating cities. A spark of sunlight hit her through the trees and she inhaled deeply, basking in it's warmth, not unlike how a flower might do.

She made her way up a long winding stairs case to another hut on a platform above hers, entering through the humble doorway. Inside, bent over a cooking pot, was an aged Ithorian, cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Master Jwartek."

The old Ithorian looked up, his eyes showing youth were his body did not, and spoke in his species distinctive dual-vocal sounds. "Good morning Ama. I hope you slept well."

The woman smiled. "I did, thank you."

Both beings spoke the same words each morning, since the day the woman had arrived on Ithor, running from the great Jedi purge.

It seemed so long ago.....

- - - - - - - - - -

Rie Mystt was born on Senoma Zekot, a planet that lived symbiotically with it’s species and planet life. The planet was believed to be a living breathing entity, and was thusly cared for carefully by it's inhabitance. Like her mother and father, she was taught about herbalism at an early age. It was through these teachings that she was found to have a unique ability to actually control plant life. Her parents suspected that she could be Force-sensitive, and called upon the Jedi to come and test her. The tests did indeed conclude Rie was Force-sensitive.

At the age of three, she was taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to learn the ways of the Jedi and to hone her herbalism skills. Through this honing, she soon picked up on using her herbalism skills to make remedies and for healing. Because of this, she was also taught the Jedi healing arts.

While at the Temple, studying to be a Jedi, she received word from her Master that her home planet had vanished, taking her parents with it. She had been taught at an early age to release her wants for material things, even to let go of those she loved. While she still loved her parents and had missed them, she accepted this news, albeit with a heavy heart. But through her Master's tutelage and guidance, she was able to cope, and deep down, she knew her parents were safe.

The years went by and she "graduated" from Padawan to Knight to Master. She had made herself instrumental in teaching the Jedi students about healing and herbalism, especially those with affinity towards this area.

Shortly after being given the honor of Master in the Jedi order, the fateful Clone Wars had begun. Many soldiers and civilians were in need during the war, and she was quickly dispatched to be a healer for one of the squads. It was not long before she was given command of a squad of troopers to lead against the Separatist armies.

During the fighting, she herself had been badly injured, and took a short leave from the fighting to heal on the planet Alderran. It was during this time that she met Squara, an Ithorian apprentice herbalist and healer. She helped Rie to heal her wounds and regain her strength. During her leave of absence, Rie learned that the war was announced as ended, and that all Jedi were to report back to the Temple on Coruscant.

Being obedient to the Order, she packed up what belongings she had, thanked Squara for her assistance, and left for Coruscant. It was on the trip back to the Temple that she learned the message that had been sent out was false. As she read the new message. her heart sank as she learned what had truly occurred.

Knowing that if the Jedi were to survive this betrayal, she had to go into hiding. She sought refuge on Ithor, seeking out Squara's master, Jwartek. He helped her to set up an out of the way hut where she would strip herself of all affiliation with the Jedi, even to giving her lightsaber to Jwartek to have destroyed. She even gave up her name, and adopted the Ithorian name Ama, which loosely translated into basic meant jungle beauty or, more simply, amazon babe.

There, she apprenticed herself to Jwartek, learing what the sage Ithorian had to offer on herbalism and healing. In secret, and when she could, she would also study her Jedi arts, without any literature, but only through what she remembered through her many years of study at the Order.

Many years passed, and through rumors spread by herself and Jwartek, she was soon thought to be a crazy hermitess that spoke to plants. It certainly gave Jwartek and herself good laughs to hear what the new banter on the streets was about the "plant lady".

- - - - - - - - - -

Now, sitting at the simple table, Ama watched Jwartek pour some stew into two deep, wooden bowls. The old Ithorian was reaching 100 standard years of age, and it showed in his wrinkled, dry skin. Ama herself wasn't exactly a young chicken herself, being about half his age, at fifty-five. What made her different from other humanoids, was that physically she looked to be in her mid-twenties. Senoma Zekotans aged slowly, so that gave her the advantage of strength and beauty, but the wisdom of old age.

She watched silently as Jwartek placed a bowl of steaming stew in front of her. She sniffed it delicately, and instantly she felt ravenous. "This smells wonderful, Master." She looked up at him quizzically. "This isn't our usual breakfast."

Jwartek eased himself into the seat opposite from her with a grunt. "Your nose is quite astute, Ama." He shook his massive hammer-like head. "No, this isn't our usual breakfast. Today, we celebrate with something a little more fancy."

She picked up her spoon and dug into the warm thick stew, and enjoying a mouthful of it. When she had swallowed, she looked at her companion. "And not only does it smell delicious, but it tastes positively sinful. What is the occasion?" She said as she stuffed another spoonful in her mouth.

The Ithorian's eyes twinkled and his dual lips smiled. In a hushed tone he said, "The Emperor is dead."

Ama half-choked, half-spit her stew out, looking up hurriedly out the two windows in the small hut before looking back at Jwartek. "Say that again?" She said as she coughed slightly and dabbed at the dribbling stew on her chin.

The Ithorian was chuckling in stereo. "I said, the Emperor is dead. And so is Vader, apparently."

Ama just sat there. Eyes fixed on the Ithorian, who was now smiling from one side of his head to the other. She narrowed her eyes. "You're not fibbing me, are you Jwartek? You're not really trying to make me go crazy, right?"

The Ithorian let out a warm, deep, booming laugh, something Ama hadn't heard in a long, long time. It brought an involuntary smile to her face. "My dear child, I speak the truth. A great battle has occurred, and the Empire's oppression has crumbled."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Could it be possible? Had the Empire fallen? Did she no longer have to hide? Suddenly she was flooded with a thousand questions. It was as if she were a young girl again, back at the Temple, having so many questions for her Master to explain.

It was during this silence that Jwartek took the opportunity to answer one of her unspoken questions. "You no longer need to hide, Ama. And... you can even use your true name." He was still smiling, though she could see a slight sadness in his eyes. This sobered her up and the flooding of questions subsided for the moment. She reached across the small table and touched his withered arm. "The only reason I would leave would to to see if others have survived. But I could never leave here permanently. And... you can still call me Ama."

This seemed to cheer the old Ithorian up a bit and he stuck his spoon in the stew. "Well, like I said," his two voices echoed in the small hut, "we are celebrating. Now eat up before it gets cold. You know how much I hate having to reheat things."

Ama smiled back at the Ithorian and both dug into their respective bowls. The mood was suddenly very light in the room, much lighter than it had been in years. And as if to show this, a large bird landed atop a branch to a tree outside, moving the branch so that the sun could break through and shine it's warm light through the window and upon the two occupants in the hut. The bird, despite it's size, sang a light musical tune, adding to the music of the sun's light.

It was indeed a day to celebrate and remember.

AmazonBabe
Aug 23rd, 2005, 03:51:38 PM
Ama spent the rest of the day tending to her small green house, adjacent to her hut. Jwartek had some healings to attend to, and had left after breakfast to keep his appointments.

As she moved about the green house, she stopped in front of an unusual looking plant. It had a thin, yet sturdy stem, with large tear-drop shaped leaves, with tiny tendrils and curling vines descending from the base of the leaves. At the top of the stem stood a tear-drop-like bulb, covered in smooth shiny green matter, glinting as though made of scales. As she brought her hand near it to stroke the bulb, it moved slightly, exposing it’s “chin” to let her hand caress it’s underside. It made a content rustling sound as she rubbed it gently. “You know... I never thought I’d actually see the day I could venture forth from here.” She spoke quietly to the plant, as it enjoyed it’s “belly” rub, wrapping several thin vine-like tendrils to keep her hand from moving.

Behind her, a much larger vine poked her shoulder and she looked over to it, poking it back with her free hand. As she poked it, another vine found her ankle and gently wrapped itself around it. “Don’t be silly. I didn’t say I would leave permanently. This place has become too much like my home.” She poked the vine again, which prompted it to slide it’s adjoining vine away from her ankle. “And you are too much like my children.”

The bulb-like plant she had been caressing was still rustling, it’s version of a purr. Though she loved all her plants and creations, this one was her favorite; a hybrid of several species of plants and animal DNA, creating a plant that could easily fend for itself.

She gently untangled herself from it’s grasp and stopped rubbing it’s “belly”. It seemed content for the moment and swiveled it’s “head” to one side, “eyeing” a large beetle fluttering in the green house. As the beetle got into reach of the plant, a pink vine, almost like a tongue, snaked out from it’s mouth, sticking to the beetle and bringing it back to the plant, who happily crunched on it’s newly found snack with thorny teeth.

Ama, having finished her chores at tending to the plants in the green house, went back to her hut. There she sat herself on the one simple chair in the single-room hut, that housed a bed, stove, cold box, and table. To the side stood a small curtain that separated the fresher from the rest of the room. She sighed and looked about her. It was about mid-day and close to the mid-day meal. But she wasn’t hungry. She was still contemplating about leaving, about setting forth to seek out any other Jedi that may have survived.

“By the Force, I hope some have survived.”

She smiled inwardly at whispered mention of the Force. She hadn’t used a phrase like that since the day she’d gone into hiding. It felt so foreign to speak like that, and yet, so right.

Not knowing what else to do, she decided to meditate, and closed her eyes where she sat.

- - - - - - - - - -

A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her meditation and she looked up into the kind eyes of Jwartek. She smiled and swivled her head to look outside. It was dark.

The Ithorian opened his mouths to speak, but Ama’s stomach interrupted him by emitting an involuntarily grumbled. He frowned. “Ama... have you eaten anything today?”

She looked somewhat sheepish. “Not since this morning.”

The Ithorian “tisked” at her. “This is not like you, Ama.”

“I know, Master. I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” She smiled. “Of course, that’s not much of an excuse to ignore my health.”

“And you most of all should know that one needs a healthy body if one is to keep others healthy.” Jwartek gestured for Ama to follow him. “I will fix you some supper as well as bestow a gift upon you.”

She frowned as she followed him up the stone steps outside to his hut. “You know I can’t accept gifts. Not as a...” She paused, unsure about finishing her thought.

“A Jedi?” Jwartek finished her sentence, letting one eye swivel slightly to watch her reaction. “Today, you will accept this gift. After this morning’s news, you deserve it.”

She resigned herself to his insistence. She knew how stubborn the old Ithorian could be, and had no energy to argue with him today.

Once they’d reached his hut, he handed her a plate of simple fruits and cheeses, and both sat down at his table to eat. As they ate quietly, he reached into the pockets of his robe and pulled out a wrinkled envelope, passing it to her. “Inside, you will find your gift.” He popped another grape into one of his mouths.

Letting out a soft sigh, she reached out and grabbed the envelope, opening it slowly. Inside, she found a rectangular sheet of cardboard paper, and a small electronic pad. Pulling out both, she saw the sheet of cardboard paper was a transport ticket and the electronic pad holding a small amount of credits.

“I know it’s not much, but I wanted to help you on your start to find other Jedi.” She was about to protest, knowing how little he had, but he raised a withered hand. “And don’t argue this one with me, Ama. I assure you, you would lose.” She shut her mouth, and looked back at the two items.

She could think of only one thing to say, and looking back up, she smiled as a single tear ran down her fair cheek. “Thank you.”

The old Ithorian returned the smile. “You are welcome, child. I do hope your search reveals more jedi that lived through that fateful day so many years ago.” He chuckled softly. “I think now, the galaxy could use them more than ever for guidance.”

Ama nodded her head slowly, knowing that tonight she would pack what little she had, and head out tomorrow into a realm she had not ventured into for a long time.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, each being enjoying the company and bond of friendship.