Strendents Chapter 3: Negav

"Let's just say I'm well equipped." He took out a metalic sphere with blue markings. "If I was in a Predator's stomach, I could activate this and cause an electrical field. I wouldn't get hurt though because of my sheilds. Even if that didn't work, my armor is very high tech." He looked up at Crisis. "And another thing, I went looking for Crisis because I knew a good story would persuade her that I am a "person." He used his fingers to quote the last word.

/End <The Engineers>
/Reviewing data...

/Preparing summary...

Cartography mech [Mapper-7] was released today on a primary test run. The landing was miscalculated but systems withheld. Operations proceeded smoothly until the appearance of another predator class [naga]. Another human, [David Thorne] appeared to lend aid and aided in averting [casualties]. The technology that [David] had access to is remarkably similar to that of our own. An advanced AI known as [SCARAB] accompanies him. [David] has thus far been able to inform us that the nearby settlement is [friendly] and is a city that was able to establish itself through sheer force alone. In [twelve] standard hours, the mapping crew will be sent down to investigate the possibility of entering trade with our available [maps].

End result: Mission Success

Note: Continue investigation on soil anomaly.

/End Summary


//Start <Negav>

Time elapsed since previous entry: 1 day


Several hours later, an alarm in the mens bunk went off. Hitting the off button with the flat of his hand, Jackson sat upright. Eric's bed was empty and already made.Jackson assumed that Eric was probably in the mess hall already. Gathering his effects, Jackson left the room and entered the narrow corridor outside. Surprisingly, Sarya was already there. Leaning against the wall, she spoke with a rather uninterested tone. "Is Eric still asleep then?" Jackson looked behind him before closing the door, just to make sure. "Naw. He's already off doin' somthin'." With that the two of them moved off to the mess hall. They would want to eat before they left.

Eric however, did not have food on his mind at the moment. He was in the docking bay making adjustments to the Mapper-7's calibrations. On the way in, he noticed that David's speeder was still there. "He must have accepted the Captain's offer then." ,he mumbled to himself before getting to work.

Eric wasn’t the only one in the cargo bay. SCARAB was also there, maneuvering one last piece of fitted hull to the speeder’s frame. It clicked into place perfectly, and SCARAB applied bolts to affix it to the frame. Moments later, it began running a fine visual scanner over the seam, to ensure that air resistance was at a minimum. Satisfied, it hovered back a couple meters and observed the whole vehicle.

One couldn’t tell that it had received such punishment the previous day. It appeared just as shapely and streamlined as the day it rolled off the factory assembly line. The only difference was that some of the hull plates bore a smooth coating that was newer, and appeared even more silvery than the rest of the craft. Though it did not show, SCARAB was proud of the restoration he had did on the speeder.

His top half swiveled, bringing one of his visual sensors to bear on Eric. After a moment, it glided over to Eric’s position.

“Good morning, Eric. May I assist you in your efforts?” SCARAB asked. “Mr. Thorne and I had something we wished to discuss with you.”

<><><><><><>
“Interesting…” Shada said. Mordal had only explained why it wasn’t that big a risk, but still hadn’t said why he sought out Crisis in the first place. His cageyness only made her all the more curious, but she was patient. She wouldn’t force the answer, she would wait for it.

“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Crisis and Rua, but I think I should be going,” Shada said, slithering off. “Take care Mordal, I hope I can see you in action sometime.”

Not even stopping his work, Eric began speaking to the AI. "Thank you for the offer, but I prefer to do this by hand." Jumping into the Mapper-7's cockpit, he quickly began to unfasten the covering to the control panel. "What is it you wanted to talk about then?" There was a quick, sizable arc of electricity and Eric pulled away from his work rapidly, uttering an obscenity. He shook his hand in the air but quickly returned to his task.

“Just before the naga’s attack, Mr. Thorne had mentioned returning a colleague to our original dimension. Though we did not elaborate at the time, you had expressed an interest in ‘pooling our resources.’” SCARAB said.

“The method we used to return a colleague was best described as an artificial dimensional anomaly generator. Unfortunately, said generator was destroyed before Mr. Thorne and I could use it. We have not been able to construct a new generator, as we were able to understand only a fraction of the technology. However, I did take detailed scans of the device before it was destroyed.”

“It used a good deal of unstable, exotic matter in it’s construction. We don’t know how it kept the exotic matter from reacting with standard matter. Anyway, in our Galaxy, we had developed the technology to create and control exotic matter, though the facilities took up many cubic kilometers. Though your technology is similar to ours, David had hoped that you possessed more efficient technology for the creation of exotic matter.”

Most of the conversation was lost on Eric as he worked. The term "exotic matter" however, caught his attention. "N Seven Two found an anomaly within this planet's soil. The nature of it is unknown, but could that possibly be the matter you are speaking of?" Before the AI would have time to respond however, Eric's name was called out. The voice belonged to Sarya who was standing at the base of the massive mech. "Jackson and I wondered where you were and we assumed as such. I guess you missed breakfast so you can just eat a ration on our way down then. Let's get moving." Turning, Sarya walked further across the hangar to a dropship that was being loaded up for departure. Eric closed the control panel of the Mapper-7 and began to climb down from the top. "You know, you could have grabbed me something from the mess hall!" He shouted after the weapons technician. The reply was quick and almost insulting. "I never got that message Eric."

Sighing, Eric continued to climb down to the deck and spoke again to SCARAB. "So... about the soil?"

“No, actually,” SCARAB stated, “In all the scans Mr. Thorne and I have taken, the matter making up the soil appears to be perfectly ordinary atomically. We have yet to identify the source of it’s regenerative properties, though we have come up with many educated guesses. I believe something within the planet emits radiation that enhances cellular growth and immune system function, but I have little evidence. But that is a separate mystery.”

“Anyway, in the galaxy that I am from, ‘exotic matter’ is the term used to denote matter made, at least partially, from unusual subatomic particles. Antimatter is a common example of exotic matter. Usually, exotic matter degrades within milliseconds, or reacts violently when exposed to normal matter. It's also been known to have strange effects on the laws of physics.”

“Yet the generator had components of both normal and exotic matter. Scientifically, that generator should not have been able to exist. Yet it did. I had to suspend analysis on that problem, or I would freeze digitally.”

As he spoke, he activated his TComS system and sent a brief message to David Thorne, asking him to pick up a meal at the mess hall and bring it to the docking bay.

Eric had a faint idea what the AI was talking about, and understood the dilemma. Unfortunately, the only solution he could give now would be something that he didn't even slightly understand himself, and that he felt the AI would dismiss due to logic functions. "Must be magic then." Again they were interrupted. This time by the voice of N-72. "Excuse me if I may, but I believe that could be the reason. While we have observed this magic and document it as an actual occurence, it defies every single one of my calculations. Needless to say, even if we do not comprehend its method or function, we can not dismiss the possibility." Eric searched for the closest speaker and fired a retort to the AI. "And how long were you listening?" N-72 chuckled in its robotic tone and responded. "I am omnipotent. I am god." Jackson sighed before even considering to reply to N-72. "Still not funny." The AI tried as hard as it could to sound irritated in its final message of the moment. "I thought that one would get a response for sure."

Eric shrugged his shoulders and continued to the dropship. "I'm sure you remember N Seven Two SCARAB." He chuckled slightly and stopped short of the dropship's loading ramp. Jackson and Sarya were already inside along with a pair of fully armed combat troops. Leaning forward, Sarya spoke to the engineer. "Come on mech head, we're leaving."

“I do. It is good to meet you N seven two. Anyway, I am ready to agree at this point. Even though I cannot explain it, I have seen magic enough to know that it exists and that it works,” SCARAB stated. “Even David has managed to use it once or twice, though he did nothing more than set fire to his shirt sleeve. Fortunately, there was a small stream nearby.”

“Come now, I had just started practicing it,” David said, walking up to the robot. “I got your message SCARAB,” He added, handing a small Styrofoam box to Eric. The aroma of fruit, toast, and sausage seeped from the box’ lid. “Anyway, thanks again Eric. I’d like to stop in at Negav myself, so I hope you won’t mind if I tag along until we get there.”

Laughing, Eric took the box. "Thanks for that." As for David's question, he couldn't answer that himself. And upon looking around the room, it became apparent that no one else in the room could answer that question either. "Hey Sarya, where's the Captain?" Sarya tapped the dropship pilot on the shoulder and the ship began to lift off the hangar floor. "He's dealing with an issue with the Star Skimmer's shields. He doesn't need to see us off for this one." Eric agreed and climbed in as Sarya continued to speak. "We aren't however going to pass up the opportunity of an escort. See you down below then David." Returning to her seat, the back door to the dropship closed and the vessel began to maneuver out of the hangar, towards the open sky.

“Until then,” David said, heading for his own vehicle.

“SCARAB, looks like you’ve outdone yourself this time. The speeder looks brand new,” David said, coming up to the speeder and running a hand along the smooth surface.

“Indeed, though I cannot take credit for all of the work. I obtained a good deal of components and assistance from the Star Skimmer’s crew. They are very efficient,” SCARAB said.

Using a small ladder that a technician had provided, David climbed up to the cockpit, opened the canopy and got into the pilot’s seat. He smiled as he looked over the renovated controls. SCARAB, meanwhile, lowered itself into one of the back seats, which now was molded to accommodate the robot’s spherical shape.

“It certainly looks good, let’s see how it runs,” David said, pushing a few buttons on the controls. The cockpit lights lit up, and quietly the systems of the speeder primed themselves for flight. The engines came to life, but they had been serviced and were quieter and smoother than before. The small speeder lifted off of the cargo bay floor, and the landing gear retracted. With slight touches on the control yoke, David guided the speeder out of the docking bay and into open air. Quickly, he guided the speeder down to it’s optimum flight altitude.

“Incredible! Simply incredible!” David said, testing out the capabilities of the speeder, flying in a series of complicated midair maneuvers. “You are magnificent, SCARAB!”

Adjusting overhead controls and checking various instruments, the dropship pilots distanced the vessel from the Star Skimmer, gradually bringing it lower as they passed over the trees below. "Our approach looks clean. We'll be touching down in a clearing near a gate of the city. The captain wants us to be ready to pick you up at a moment's notice, just in case." Jackson moved up to the pilots and looked through the front viewport at the city below them. "And when we need'a lift, we just reach ya on the regulah frequency, right?" The dropship pilots nodded in confirmation as they continued on their way.

Eric had some questions about the city that he hoped would be answered, but he felt like sharing anyway. "How many other species do you think there are in that cit alone? Humanoid ones I mean." They've only seen one new species so far, but the idea of this world being a dimensional hub had them thinking that nearly anything could be possible. The next voice to fill the cabin was from N-72. "It seems that the closer we get to this city, I am picking up a greater density of anomalies. I suspect this "magic" may be to blame."

“I suppose that’s enough messing around,” David said, leveling the flight of the speeder and keeping pace with the dropship.

<><><><><><><>
After leaving Crisis, Rua, and Mordal, Shada had simply kept tabs the large ship that had picked up David. When the forest canopy obstructed her view, she slithered up one of the trees and continued her vigil from the branches. When the Star Skimmer moved, she followed either on the ground or through the intertwining branches of the huge trees.

From her position in the tree branches, Shada watched as the dropship and David’s speeder left the Star Skimmer. Noting their path, she dropped down to the ground. Slithering quickly, she hoped to arrive at their destination before they did.

After a short while she stopped in surprise. The forest abruptly ended. There was no transition; one moment there were thick trees, the next a field of grass and shrubs. Shada found herself at the edge of a massive clearing. A clearing with a massive, high walled fortress sitting at the far end. She thought she saw movement atop the walls.

There was a puff of smoke from something, a loud bang, and a brief whistleing. Something slammed into the ground with incredible force and a blasting crash. She threw up her arms to protect her face from the launched debris, and cried out as bits of stone dug into all over her body.

Shada didn’t know what she was dealing with, but she knew she was out of her league. She bolted back into the forest, as another bang and whistle sounded. The trunk of a nearby tree suddenly exploded into splinters, causing the tree to topple to the ground. Even when the barrage of splinters pierced her, she continued fleeing, until whatever it was decided to stop shooting her.

“I’m going to need help with this one,” Shada commented to no one in particular, wincing as she pulled out a sliver of wood from her arm. It seemed that David again found refuge. Heading back into the woods, she began looking for Crisis, Rua, and Mordal. She hoped they had not gone far since their meeting yesterday.

<><><><><><>
David cocked his head as the sounds of the distant artillery firing came to his ears. “The cannons of Negav. We’re getting close,” he commented.

(I'm going to take out Mordal, and put my Jedi character into the story. His name is Mordal Stridder.)

Mordal stretched. "Well, I'd better get going. I need to go to the city to the north. Godbye Crisis. Goodbye Rua." With that, he walked away.
><><><><><><><><><><

Mordal Stridder was in his Jedi Interceptor Starship, fighting the Imperial TIE Fighters in space. His ship was badly crippled. He needed to make the jump to Hyperspace. "Deenine, put up the emergency shields!" He yelled at his yellow R-2 Astromech droid. The droid responded with whistles and beeps as it ativated the emergency shields. The Hyperspace coordinates were set for the Outer Rim near Tatooine, and the ship jumped into Hyperspace just as a criticle blow from a TIE Fighter hit the right wing.

Another figure watched the two ships descend as he stood on the parapets of the fortress that had so suddenly appeared hearing the canon fire he turned to see a naga slither back into the forest, "seems I made it just in time for a party... but alas business first." Fealaris pulled his hood up and headed into the jungles toward Negav.

Mordal suddenly came out of Hyperspace, and was spinning out of control. He crash landed in a clearing. R2-T9 popped out of the droid compartment, and the cockpit opened. Mordal unstrapped his seat belt, and climed out. He looked around, wondering what had just happened. "Where are we?" He asked to o one in particular.

((Sorry for my absence.))

Sarya let out a sharp whistle as he observed the artillery fire below. "Their weapons technology is old, but it seems to be effective." Jackson laughed at this comment and replied himself. "Just don't be tellin' THEM that they have inferyer weap'nry. They may not like it." The dropship pilots tried numerous methods of communication, trying to find a way to communicate with the city's defense. If they conducted themselves in any manner similar to any stronghold Eric had ever seen, they were trying to contact them just as well. Because of this theory, they held the dropship back, not willing to get to close without finding out if they were welcome.

It wasn't long before a connection was made over a radio frequency. There was a short conversation between the pilots and whatever was controlling the defenses and soon the dropship resumed its course, flying over the city walls. "There's going to be an empty square not too far in. We're dropping you three off there and picking up in five standard hours." The voice of the co-pilot was heard loud and clear amongst the group. As the ship lowered towards the LZ, a small metallic sphere, devoid of any features save a small screen on what appeared to be its front floated in the air in the passenger cabin aboard the dropship. From within the sphere, the familiar voice of N-72 chimed in. "It seems we are preparing to land. Is everything in order then?" Eric, Jackson, and Sarya all gave signs of an affirmative as the dropship touched down. The next voice to come from the sphere was not of the AI, but of captain Ilim Illidar. His face displayed on the floating sphere's screen. "I apologize for not being able to brief you fully, so I will explain in more detail now. This is a simple intel gathering mission. The priorities here are not within standard operations. The specific intel you will be gathering is on the economic system. We will be able to sustain ourselves on the Skimmer for a time, but trade will most likely be a necessity later. N Seven Two will gather the data, you three just make sure he doesn't get stolen. Captain Illidar, over and out." With that the captain's visage vanished and again N-72's voice sounded from the object. "Excellent. Shall we proceed?"

Mordal heard gunfire in the distance, so he whipped out his lightsaber. It activated with a hiss, and hummed as he held it. He looked around, trying to find the source of the gun fire.

“Well, looks like Eric and co are going in for a landing,” David said, watching the dropship veer off to land. “Fire up the radio for a second, SCARAB.”

“Well, I have a couple matters to attend to. Thanks again for the bed and breakfast,” David said once the line to the dropship had been established. “You have my frequency if you ever need a convenient distraction. See you later.”

“Allow me to add my thanks as well,” SCARAB added, before it shut off the radio. “Your repair crews are very efficient.”

There was a faint beep as SCARAB shut off the radio. The speeder swerved off to land elsewhere in the city.

“I spoke with Eric concerning the gate this morning,” SCARAB said after a moment.

“Well, did you learn anything?” David asked.

“Yes. Unfortunately, it seems that the technology aboard the Star Skimmer is not up to rebuilding the rift generator. It appears that they might be less advanced in the fields of quantum physics than we are. Eric could only suggest magic as a possibility,” SCARAB explained.

“I might do the same in the same situation, except the wizards we’ve spoken to know even less,” David said.

<><><><><><><><><><><>
“There you are!” Shada said, finally catching up to Crisis.

“Shada? I didn’t expect- Oh, my goodness! Are you okay? What happened?!” Crisis exclaimed upon seeing Shada’s battered form.

“I’ll be fine. See, it’s already healing,” Shada said, “There was this one walled city of humans in a clearing. They began shooting something when I came into the clearing.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry! I should have warned you about Negav,” Crisis said.

“Negav? Is that what it’s called? Oh…Um, can you cast any illusion spells?” Shada asked.

“Illusion spells? No, but I know someone who might. She’s not too far from here. Come on! I’ll take you to her!” Crisis said, leading Shada through the jungle.

(((To the other RP’ers: I’m not ignoring you, but I have something I want to do to Shada first.)))

Regardless of how safe they may be, the trio each had a standard issue automatic rifle. There were however, no clips or ammo. These weapons did not use projectiles. Jumping the short distance from dropship to ground, the three began to walk into the city with N-72 floating lazilly behind them. Soon the dropship began to rise and the pilot's voice rang over their communicators. "Make sure you're back here at the right time. I don't like being kept waiting." Eric laughed and Sarya spoke back as the dropship took to the sky soundlessly. "At least we wont be coming back with hostiles on our heels. Relax a bit."

As the group walked up and down the streets, they received a few odd looks, mostly of curiosity. The most noticeable thing however were the vast number of street vendors. Covered stalls to beat the heat carried a wide variety of goods, all of which the group had never seen before. To make matters even more confusing, these vendors kept waving items in their faces, claiming them to be invaluable adventuring tools, unique everyday items, or just rambling on in a language they couldn't understand. The one thing that seemed constant however were what they were using as price. "You getting all of this N Seven Two?" The AI responded but didn't seem to enthusiastic. "Of course. However, even though I know the approximate values of this currency, we do not know what any of these items do so all we have is estimated value. Since there are also three types, I am not sure which is more valuable than the others. I suggest we find someone who has the time to aid us in this matter."

Mordal deactivated his lightsaber, and hooked it to his belt. "Come on, Teenine." He said to his droid. They waled through the forest, amazed by the gigantic fauna. "Well, I highly doubt this is Kaashyyyk." Mordal comented. Suddenly, he heard voices nearby. He leaped to a high branch to get a better view, and stopped dead in his tracts when he saw two Nagas heading straight for him at an incredible speed. Mordal had no idea what they were, but he decided to get out of there, fast. "Artoo! Get back to the ship!" Mordal yelled as he jumped off he branch, and landed on the ground. As Mordal landed, he tucked and rolled, then Force ran in the opposite direction of the two Nagas.

David gently guided the speeder down to land on a brick platform next to a rather small stone tower.

“Stay with the speeder, SCARAB. If anyone starts any trouble, take off and signal me,” David said, opening the canopy and removing his seat belts. After SCARAB acknowledged him, David jumped out and went to the doorway at the base of the stone tower.

The inside of the tower looked like a bizarre merger between a arcane study and a technician’s repair shop. There were numerous shelves lining the walls, filled with things such as books written in strange languages, gems, bones, potions, yet also had modern tools, gadgets, and pieces of technology and machinery. There were several large tables, one filled with an array of beakers, flasks, burners, and other items of an alchemists’ trade. The other had a partially disassembled robot on it, along with several components. The entire place was lit with several electrical lights strung around the room. To one side, there was a desk, with a grey haired man dressed in robes sitting behind it. He looked up from his scrolls as David entered.

“Well, my boy, I’d thought you’d might come back,” the man said.

“Hello Arthan, it’s been a while,” David answered, “Have you found out anything?”

“Well, no, I’m sorry to say,” Arthan said, holding up one of his scrolls. “But I must say, this gate of yours is a delightful puzzle! I’ve spent many wonderful hours pondering it and experimenting. I’m not far along yet, but it’s the journey, not the end, that counts.”

“I’m glad your enjoying yourself, but what about the exotic matter?” David asked.

“Ah, that is one of the biggest obstacle on this path,” Arthan replied. “Speculating on the bricks and mortar of the universe is fascinating, but what you described is very dangerous. There have been wizards before I that have speculated on it. Possibly a powerful enough spell could summon it, but controlling it in such a fashion is beyond me. Perhaps if I could build some of these ‘electromagnets’ found in technology, and inscribe several magical runes upon it, I could summon some without danger. But summoning, even safely, is leagues away from actually using it.”

“Oh…well, thanks for trying, Arthan. Is there anything I can do for you?” David asked.

“Is my daughter safe in the bowl?” Arthan asked.

“She is. Cypress sends her greetings,” David replied.

“Then I am content. Don’t worry, in time, the answers will come to me. And we have all the time we need,” Arthan said. “This will take quite a combination of magic and technology. A fascinating problem indeed!”

“Thanks Arthan,” David said. “If there isn’t anything I can do, I’ll head out then.”

“Anytime, my friend. You are always welcome in my home,” Arthan replied.

<><><><><><><><>
The two nagas paused and glanced over at the fleeing human.

“Do you want to catch this one? He looks like a fast one.” Crisis asked.

“No, I’d prefer to keep going,” Shada replied, “I’m still full from yesterday. You go after him if you want, I remember the way to your friend’s. You could catch up after you have breakfast.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later! Bye!” Crisis said cheerfully, waving. She turned around to chase after the running human.

<><><><><><><><>
Shada stopped when she came to a river meandering through the jungle. Nearby she could hear the rushing of a waterfall. Relaxing peacefully in the pristine waters was a pale, violet skinned naga with white hair and light blue scales. She looked up with a sexy smile as Shada came into view.

“Well, who do we have here? A pleasure to meet you,” The naga said.

“Hello, you’re Vivian aren’t you? Crisis said I could find you here,” Shada said. “I’m Shada.”

“Did she? I’ll have to thank her for sending me such a pretty new friend,” Vivian said. “You should try the water here, it’s sooo relaxing.” She added, beckoning with the tip of her tail.

‘Um, perhaps another time,” Shada said. “Actually, Crisis said you could help me with something. I need to get into this one city,”

“Oh? Any particular city you had in mind.” Vivian asked.

“Crisis called it Negav,” Shada replied.

“Negav?” Vivian replied, concerned. She got up from the water to look Shada in the eye. “Shada, honey, that’s very dangerous. They have ways of knowing if one of us is among them. Even fairies have a very hard time of it. Are you sure of this?”

“If it can be done, I’m going to try it,” Shada said. “Can you help me.”

“It’s not a matter of if I can or not, honey,” Vivian replied. “It’s a matter of if I should. Do you know what the humans would try to do to you if they found you?”

“I have a good idea,” Shada said. “I’ve dealt with humans before. Cunning and dangerous ones.”

“You’re determined to go on with this? Well, I’ve been thinking of a way to get through their gates. It’ll take the best magic to fool them. Come on, Shada honey, we’ve got some work to do,” Vivian said.

Mordal kept running, feeling the one Naga catching up to him. He skidded to a halt, and charged up a Force Push. He held it for three seconds, and aimed it at the Naga's head. Direct hit. The Naga was knocked over as if someone punched her hard in the mouth. Mordal continued to run."That should hold her for a moment." Mordal said to himself.

Crisis cried out as she was ‘hit’, flailing as she fell face forward into the ground.

“Ow, what was that?” She asked no one in particular, picking herself up from the ground. She shook her head briefly, and looked for her prey. He had managed to put some distance in between them. But the chase was still on.

Instead of pursuing directly like she did last time, she followed the human stealthily. She darted quickly from cover to cover with surprising grace and agility.

<><><><><><><><>
The glaring light faded from Shada’s view as the last of Vivian’s spells took effect. As soon as she could see again, she looked around. Plants that were once easily slithered over were now as tall has herself. The river, which was only a good sized stream to a naga, was now a formidable and dangerous barrier. Vivian, who was once slightly shorter than herself, now towered above her.

“Aren’t you simply cute like that!” Vivian said, smiling down at Shada.

“Well, I- Woah!” Shada yelped as she suddenly sprawled down onto the ground. Sitting up, Shada looked at herself. Her tail was gone, replaced by a pair of human legs.

“Wait, you transformed me?” A startled Shada asked, running a hand along her ankle and feeling at her toes. She wiggled them, feeling the strange sensation.

“It’s the only way I could think of to get around Negav’s security. They’d be able to tell if you were a proper sized naga if I only shrunk you. But since you are actually a human now, perhaps their magical devices will miss you,” Vivian explained.

“Will I have to come back to you to change back?” Shada asked, carefully trying to balance herself on her two unfamiliar feet. She wobbled back and forth a little bit.

“No, the spells have words you can say to reverse their effect,” Vivian explained. “There’s one to return you to your original size, and one to change you back into a naga. You need to be careful though, once you change back, you can’t return to being a human again.”

“Thanks Vivian!” Shada said. “Now to get back to Negav.” She took a step forward, holding a nearby plant for stability.

“It’ll take you too long to get there on foot alone, plus it’ll be dangerous,” Vivian said. “I’ll take you there.” She added, scooping up Shada in one huge hand. With the other, she produced a bit of cloth and handed it to Shada. “Oh, and clothing. Humans always seem to be wearing the silly things, so you’ll have to also. Wrap this around yourself, you can say you were robbed or something.” Shada did as she was bidden as Vivian slithered in the direction of Negav.

Mordal stopped, and felt his surroundings with the Force. "I know you're out there." He called out.