Anything But Ordinary

[Giger]

A tattered young woman - no older than 25 - wearing dirty torn clothes rushes inside out of the cold. The howling wind, crashing thunder, cracking lightning and unwelcoming rain outside reflect the urgency and fear in her eyes as she pulls her son along with her. As she enters the building, her pursuers stop, look, and then retreat back into the shadows of the night. She cautiously looks behind her to make sure that she is safe.

Her son is in a much worse state than her. No more than seven years old and wearing nothing but a very long saturated shirt that goes down to his feet, no shoes, a dirty face, lacerations all over his body, and completely bald, he curiously looks around the unfamiliar - yet pleasingly warm - place.

The mother calls out to anybody who may be around the Jedi recruitment centre...

"Somebody help us! Please!"

[Zeke]

"Help? What's wrong?"

Zeke approaches from the side, looking worriedly at the soaked pair.

"What's the matter?"

[Giger]

"Please. You have to protect my son. These people - they're after him..."

She speaks so fast and irrationally. It's hard to understand everything she says in such a traumatized state. The child looks up at the man and smiles despite his serious wounds - a small pool of blood already forming at his feet as it runs down his legs.

"Please, you have to take him in! They'll kill him if they get him!"

The mother is already on her way out of the door, still mumbling amid her tears. The boy is stood by the Jedi, looking at his mother with confusion written on his face. She disappears out of the door and into the dark night, amid the rain and mist. A scream follows shortly. More than likely hers. Giger breaks out into tears as he makes for the door, hoping against hope that they haven't gotten to her...

[Zeke]

Zeke stops the child, a difficult task. He's slick with his own blood, how he's still standing is anyone's guess.

"Whoa, pal, chill! What's going on here? We've got to get you fixed up, look at you! What happened?"

Zeke gets this terrible sinking feeling that its too late to save the mother, so he's going to focus on this kid. He pulls a comlink.

"Can I get someone with some medical skill down here?"

[Giger]

The child simply looks up at the Jedi, blinking away the tears. Whether he's mute or simply not talking due to shock is anyone's guess. Though telepathically, several childrens voices struggle to be heard in Zeke's mind, all of them uttering the same fistorted sentence...

The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone. The bad peeple came. They killed everyone...........

Not quite everyone. Little Giger was the lucky one.

Or perhaps he wasn't so lucky.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia rushed into the room when she heard the cries. She grew pale at the sight of the young boy bleeding. "Zeke what has happened. She ran to the child and ran her hands over him, checking for wounds.


Calling on the force, Maia let it fill her. She closed her eyes and concentrated on healing him. She could feel his wounds healing but she feared for his poor broken heart.

"Who screamed?"

[Zeke]

Zeke put a hand to his head and knelt on the floor next to the boy.

"Whoa, slow down, slow down...Who is they? Who are these bad people?"

[Giger]

Giger looked up at the man blankly. Apparently he couldn't hear the voices. He stared at him through innocent, tearful eyes as if asking why he couldn't save his mother. He didn't see her die. He just knew.

Maia came running in and attempted to heal him. The wounds would heal, no doubt. But the scars would remain. Little reminders of the torment and fear that would follow the child for many years to come. His expression changed to one of happiness as he smiled up at Maia. His mother - the only person who had ever cared for him - was probably dead. Perhaps Giger had nominated her to carry the torch without her knowing it.

Weak with lack of precious blood, Giger fell to the floor unconscious without a sound save a thud on the marble floor. Ironically lying in his own crimson vitae.

[Maia Tharrinn]

. Maia gathered the small child into her arms. Tears sprung to her eyes. She could feel his pain and hurt. She cuddled him close to her. "It will be ok little one. I will take care of you. Zeke we must get him to the med-bay," she said softly, her worried eyes found Zeke's. "He has lost so much blood and his poor heart has been trough to much."

She began to hum a little lullaby, hoping the child heard and took comfort.

[Giger]

Several hours later, Giger awoke in a white bed made of plasticrete. The room was warmly lit and very spacious. At least three metres separated each bed. Apart from him, the room was empty. Though his condition was stable he was still too weak to do much, including support himself and so could not sit up or get out of the bed. He was so weak that the sheets felt very tight around him, though they were not tucked in or restricting him in any way.

A glass of water lay on the medical gurney next to his bed, but he could not reach it. He sighed and closed his eyes again. Perhaps in a few hours he could get up and look for somebody. He was so confused by this strange place. It was all unknown to him and made him anxious. A small amount of fear built up inside of him. After all - he didn't know whether or not this place contained any bad people.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia stood outside the door to the boys room. She had been asking about his injuries. Worry lined her face. It seemed he would be ok Physically but she could feel the fear wafting off of him. Maia placed her small hand against the door, tears stung her eyes. She knew the fear and pain he suffered. Maia to had come from a dark past. She had lost everything she ha loved.

She entered the room. Her eyes searching the boys face in the dim light. She called on the force to send a cam wave to him. She wanted him to feel her kind intentions. Maia sat down in the chair next to the bed. He looked so small and lost in the twisted sheet.

"My name is Maia little one. You have nothing to fear here. You are safe and I will see to it that you stay that way." Maia's soft voice broke the silence of the room. Her soft hand pushed the hair back from his forehead...

[Giger]

Giger relaxed slightly. He was still terrified beyond belief, but not nearly as much as he was when he was alone a few minutes ago. Though confusion overflowed in his mind, he had a slight feeling that things would make some sense soon. And he suspected that he wouldn't be leaving this place any time soon. That was a welcome thought for now. He smiled up at Maia. He thought to himself "My name's Giger!" but couldn't say it. He glanced over at the water he couldn't reach because the sheets were too heavy for him to lift off.

[Maia Tharrinn]

Maia winced slightly at the loud thoughts of the child. His force voice rang loud and clear in her mind. Her soft smile grew wider. "Hello Giger, it is a pleasure to meet you." She wanted to reassure him more but word's to a child were just that, words. Instead she would show him he need not fear. Nor worry.

She watched his eyes flicker longingly to the glass of water. Her heart went out to the still weak child. "If you need anything Giger Just think it or ask if for it. Someone will be sure to get it for you little one." Maia lifted the glass and slipped her hand under the boys head. Lifting him gently. She placed the rim of the cup to his lips. "We are all here to help you." She said through the force, she made sure she sent comforting waves so he would not become frightened by her voice filling his mind.

[Giger]

He didn't drink too much. He was too scared to. This "Maia" seemed to be nice but he wasn't to sure. Time would tell. And it seemed like he would be here for a while. But then, something caught the corner of Giger's eye. Several young children ran past the doors to the infirmary.

Perhaps this wasn't such a bad place after all.