Strendents Chapter 3: Negav

((Sorry for my absence.))

The three crew members continued moving through the city, glancing around at items, wondering what they did and just what it was they cost. It took some time, but eventually N-72 chimed up. "I believe I have figured it out. I ran comparisons with type and quantity of currency exchanged alongside composition of the sold products, filtering my searches for rare and or valuable minerals." The others turned to the hovering AI, Sarya speaking first. "Took you long enough. Care to explain?" N-72 let out short, mechanized chuckle. "Of course. The most commonly exchanged currency is what they are calling a 'skevols'. These have the lowest value with shkings or faldong gems being the next tier up. The composition and structure of these currencies are not uniform and I doubt the existence of a centralized form currency control by government or other officials." The AI paused only briefly, allowing the crew only an instant to keep up. "I have not seen them on the streets, but I have collected audio data on other forms of currency including something known as ascarlin. However, without additional information, i can not-"

N-72 was cut off by Jackson, who was looking at a store window during the speech. "You guys aren't gonna' to believe this." They gathered at the shop's display, looking in at an aged banner. The Fabric appeared to be worn and moth eaten. Any color long since faded. But its stitched in markings were all to recognizable by the crew. "Is that-?" Eric asked, quickly interrupted by Jackson. "An insurgent banner? Yah." N-72 did not vocalize anything, but several beams shot out from its casing and appeared to scan over the banner. The lights passed over the banner again and again, not stopping. Eric looked from the banner to N-72 and back again before speaking. "Whatever you're trying to scan N Seven Two, you should have already gotten."

The AI halted its scans and took a moment longer than usual to reply. "It was not that I couldn't get the data, it was that I had to confirm my findings." Sarya was the next to speak, looking directly at the AI. "That means you were unsure about something." Eric laughed quietly. "The most advanced AI of the Strendent Armada, unsure?" N-72's usually cheery sounding voice was replaced by a serious tone as it spoke again. "At first I thought my sensors were reading data from the window or dust particles, but as I repeated the scans it became conclusive. That banner is over 200 standard years old."

The group remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. Eric thought about what that could mean and questioned the AI. "But the Insurgency only arose 35 years ago." The hovering chassis made an up an down nodding movement before N-72 continued to speak. "Yes. If my readings are accurate, and I am now sure they are, the portals that lead to this realm are not only tears in space, but time as well. Considering this, to return to our home, we must not only know of dimensional travel, but time travel as well." being an engineer, Eric knew full well what that meant. His tone was not a pleasant one. "TIME TRAVEL!?!" Citizens on the streets took note of the outburst, some stopping to listen. "That is outside the realm of science! It's impossible! It can not be done! We'll be stuck here unless we find-" Sarya spoke coolly and calmly. "Some magic."

The man stopped. This confused crisis a bit, as most people who knew a naga was coming would be sprinting away as fast as their legs would carry them. Still, if he wanted to end the chase, that was his prerogative. Crisis leapt out of hiding at the man, intending to snatch him up.

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“There’s a human up ahead,” Vivian said softly, coming to a stop. Shada peeked up over the edge of Vivian’s hand.

“I don’t see anyone,” Shada said.

“He’s there, I can smell him,” Vivian said. She carefully set Shada down on the ground. Shada took a moment to get a better grip on the cloth she was using as a cloak. “I won’t hurt you, but start running. Try to pretend you’re actually a human.”

Shada looked up at Vivian’s towering figure, and thought it wouldn’t be too hard to pretend. She turned and began scrambling away as fast as her unsteady legs would take her. She ran in the direction of the human Vivian noticed. Vivian waited a while for Shada to get ahead, then began slithering in pursuit.

(((That human could be Fealaris or Mordal.)))

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“Good day, David,” A portly bartender said as David walked into a tavern. “Long time.”

“You’re doing well, I see,” David responded. “I could use a mug. And not that rot-gut that you give out. Some proper beer.”

“It’s an acquired taste,” The bartender said, pulling a mug and a bottle out from under the bar counter. “So what brings you back to Negav? I actually thought you’d be back earlier after your delivery.” He said, pouring a mug of beer for David.

“I ran into some trouble, but it worked out. I had a safe bed for the night, and I got the speeder into pristine condition.” David said, putting a few coins on the counter and taking the mug.

“A safe bed? The only ones exist here in Negav!” One of the other patrons said, somewhat incredulously.

“You just don’t know where to look,” David said.

“Oh, and you do?”

“No, but I know someone who does.” David said. “In fact, they’re in town and offering to sell their information.” The other patron just laughed. Meanwhile, another man, after considering a moment, got up and sat next to David. He had the look of an adventurer about him, dressed in a dark green cloak and tunic, and carrying a bow and quiver of arrows.

“Who is selling this information, friend,” The adventurer asked. “It might be useful to me in the coming week.

“Some friends of mine, I believe they were over in the south side. One man goes by the name of Eric, another Jackson, and a woman called Sarya. They’ve been making maps. Some of the most detailed and recent you will see,” David said. “They’re looking to set up shop somewhere here, I don’t know if they’re available yet, but it’s worth looking into.”

“Ah, I believe I will,” The adventurer said. “Might I ask who you are?”

“Call me David,” David said. The adventurer nodded and left the tavern.

((I'm going to break this next scene into a couple parts. Mostly so that the flow of time can be the same for other people posting. We don't want a long conversation going on at the same time window that someone has a single action in a conflict.))

Eric sighed and regained his calm as best he could. His tone still maintained a hint of sarcasm however. "Magic. I can't really bring myself to believe that you know. Sure, N Seven Two has recorded some anomalies thus far, but who's to say those can't be explained?" Jackson took another look at the aged cloth banner in the window. "Maybe,maybe not. Either way, there's still one thin' that needs ta' be address'd." Ignoring his companions, Jackson moved in front of the shop door and stood there. The rest of the group momentarily waited in silence before Sarya walked over to the door, turned a handle and pushed the door in. A small bell above the door rang. "Someone didn't pay attention in high school history." With that she walked in, shortly followed by the others.

The inside of the shop was well lit, but somewhat dusty and more than a little stuffy. Various items rested on shelves or tables, all looking quite dated and worn. it took little attention to realize this was a simple antique shop. But somehow it felt like it was more. Rather than collections of old furniture and decor, items of gold, silver, gems and more than a few ancient weapons dotted the displays. "Where's the shop keeper?" Eric's question was heard clearly in the small shop. Jackson put in his theory. "Maybe its auta'mated." Sarya sighed. "The door was manual, I doubt the shop is automated." Shrugging, Jackson replied. "It could 'appen."

Seemingly out of nowhere, a hunched over old man appeared behind a counter, the sound of another door closing announcing his arrival. "Welcome, welcome. I had to take care of some things in the back. Can I help you with anything today?" The group looked at the man with a slight sense of confusion. He wore a long, excessively bright robe and sported a long and wild white beard. The top of his head however, was completely devoid of hair. "I'm sorry. You appear to be confused. This is my emporium. I carry a wide selection of goods that adventurers have pawed off on me throughout the years. If you see anything you are interested in, let me know." With that the man began to walk around his store, examining several items, apparently checking to see if the people in his shop had touched anything.

N-72's voice broke the odd silence. "Actually. We are interested in the banner you have in your front display." The old man turned a quizzical face to N-72, it's statement apparently lost to him. "What an odd contraption. And an odd voice as well. Is this a new species here?" The AI was not too fond of being ignored, but had little way to express it. "I am not an organism of any sort sir, and the banner?" The shop keeper tilted his head before raising a finger in understanding. "A construct then! I have never seen one that can act for itself though." Eric spoke next, a question of his own. "So you've seen robots?" The old man turned to the engineer and spoke sharply. "They're called golems boy. Kids and their slang. But I digress. That banner has been with me now for near two hundred years. And no one has been able to tell me anything about it. I am ashamed to say I payed good coin for it too."

Eric again spoke, this time questioning what the old man said. "You have owned that for two hundred years? That's impossible. You would be dead if you had it that long." The old man took another look at the group and laughed. "I see. I see. You are new to Felarya." The confusion of the group only intensified after that. Even Sarya was starting to lose her cool. "How did you know that?" The man snickered again and responded. "Because you don't know about the soil." This set off a trigger within N-72. The AI prepared for an occasion in which questions he formulated about the data it gathered could be asked. "Yes! I have gathered information on a soil anomaly since we arrived here. I have taken samples from numerous sources yet the anomaly has remained consistent throughout. I was unable to determine its composition or nature, but we became aware of the fact that it exists. If you have any information on this subject I would be all to willing to hear every detail!." The old man again shifted his attention to N-72. "You are an odd thing. But you found out more than most newcomers usually do. The anomaly you are talking about, in short, makes lifeforms immortal, simply by being near it." If there was any piece of information that could completely dumbfound the group, that was it.

Mordal felt another presence, and sensed confusion, but danger. He Force Pushed the Naga once more to knock her over. He pointed his lightsaber at the incomig human, making sure to keep his eye on the downed Naga. "Stay back. I don't want to have to hurt you." Then he felt that it was a trap. He leaped onto a high branch, and bounded away at an incredible speed, using the tree branches.

"Immortal?!?" The three said with a great deal of surprise. N-72 merely stated, "So that was it." The old man, simply laughed. "So you truly are new here." Speaking next was Eric. He held a hint of distress in his voice as he spoke. "But we have seen people die here. How can they be immortal?" The shop keeper sighed this time. "Because the soil does not offer invincibility, only immortality. Although the soil makes one immune to disease as well." The space fairing group was not sure how much new information like this they could handle. They were highly advanced in all fields of science, yet immortality and a cure all in a single source was for them, beyond belief. N-72 however, was still more curious then setback. "But if what you have said is true sir, then how does the soil achieve this?" Leaning in towards the AI, the old man adjusted his spectacles and spoke. "No one knows. The obvious answer is magic, but no one knows for sure what kind."

The rest of the group was still shocked into silence, so N-72 continued to use this to its advantage. "While they are processing this, perhaps you can enlighten me as to the economic basics of this region?" The old man smiled at the AI before moving behind the front counter again. "I don't get many customers and I haven't had a conversation in some time. I believe I can assist you." With the man talking and N-72 taking notes of every minor detail, the rest of the crew soon recovered from the shock and listened in. It would, after all, be helpful to know how many skevols were in a shking.

“He ran off? So much for chivalry…” Shada said, watching Mordal dash away through the canopy.

“…Shada!?” A startled voice said behind her, Shada spun around to face the source, but toppled in the process. A giant hand lifted her up, and Shada found herself staring at Crisis’ huge face. “Wow, you’re really determined to get into Negav, aren’t you?” Crisis said.

“I’m glad you recognized me, Crisis. It’s good to see you to,” Shada said. “But could you put me down please? If we’re seen chatting like this, the people of Negav might suspect something.”

“Speaking of which, we are near the edge to the clearing,” Vivian said, emerging from the trees. I was planning on a rather interesting entrance to Negav, something to convince the humans of Shada’s authenticity.”

“Oh, well, can I help? My breakfast has run off,” Shada said, looking into the trees.

“Sure, just chase her into the clearing, but not into the range of the guns of Negav,” Vivian said.

“Oh, I see!” Crisis said, setting Shada down. Reorienting herself on her new legs, Shada took a few steps, than began running again. Crisis waited a little while, than began chasing after Shada.

Moments later, Shada came into the clearing, the trees falling away on either side of her. Ahead of her, she saw the walls of Negav, but they appeared massively large at her new size. Barely, she could see the guns on top turning in her direction. Behind herself, she heard Crisis crashing through the undergrowth. Shada kept running, looking over her shoulder. Behind her, Crisis came to the edge of the trees, but hid behind one as the guns of Negav fired. Shada slowed her frantic pace and watched as Crisis darted back into the jungle. Before she vanished from view, she turned her head back and briefly winked at Shada.

Breathing hard, Shada turned back to the huge walls of Negav and slowly walked in their direction.

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“Twice in one day,” David commented, hearing the guns fire a second time. “I wonder if they hit anything this time.”

“If they did, I’m pretty sure we’d here something about it,” The bartender said. “Offing one of the predators is always a cause for celebration, and you know how the soldiers celebrate. Another round?”

“No thanks, I have to get going anyway.” David said, standing up and handing a few coins to the bartender. “Besides, I’ve got to talk to the supply officer of the south wall. He wants to hire SCARAB to do a little repair work on some of the artillery.”

“Take care, David,” The bartender said.

“You too,” David said, walking out of the bar.

Mordal saw the gigantic city on the hill, with the tall walls surrounding it. He found the path leading to the main gates, so he trecked his way toward the two gaurds standing on either side. "Halt." One said, raising his sword. "What is your business here. Mordal waved his hand inconspicuously. "My business is none of your concern." THe guard lowered his sword. "Your business is none of our concern." He repeated. Mordal waved his hand once more. "You will let me inside the city." The guards repeated: "We will let you inside Negav." They opened the gates. Before Mordal could walk in, he turned to find the girl who tried to lead him into a trap earlier. He felt two larger beings close by. He hurrily walked in. Finding a pub within a few minutes, he walked inside. He accidentaly bumped into a man on his way in. "My apologies." He said with a slight bow. Mordal walked over to a chair, and sta down. He pulled his hood up.

“S’alright,” David said, after the man bumping into him apologized. Fearing he might be a thief, David checked his pockets, but everything was still there. Still, there was something a bit off about that guy. Glancing back in the bar at him, David felt a slight twinge of recognition. He wasn’t anyone he knew, but there was something familiar about him. Was it his clothes, his accent, his strange weapon? David pulled out a small communicator.

“SCARAB, go ahead and talk to the supply officer without me, I’ll meet you later,” David said.

“Acknowledged, is anything wrong?” SCARAB (who was still with the speeder) replied.

“No, I just don’t really want to listen to him ramble on. I’ll come and help you later,” David said.

“Okay, Until then,” SCARAB said. David turned off the communicator and turned back into the bar.

He walked up to the man who bumped into him earlier. “Hello there, care for a drink?” He asked.

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Shada came up to the impressive walls of Negav, and entered one of the gates to one of the city. It was more like a tunnel, given the width of the walls of Negav.

“Hold,” An armed and armored guard said, causing Shada to spin, and nearly topple to the ground. As it was, she wobbled back and forth until the man reached out to help her up.

“Easy there, miss,” The guard said. Shada looked up at him. For all her life, humans had been no larger than her hand. To see one taller than herself was quite a shock Her face paled and she mumbled briefly to herself. “They’re … huge…” She whispered.

“Aw cripes, a new arrival,” Another guard said, who was lounging back on the wall. “Good lookin’ though. Have to wonder why she’s wanderin’ around in just a blanket.”

“Private, make yourself useful and run down to the gate market and get this lady something proper to wear.” The first guard ordered. The private scolwed, but got up and walked away. “Now miss, are you alright?”

“I’m…I’m fine, I think…I’ve never seen them so…so big,” Shada mumbled, still dazed.

“You’re safe now. The naga’s can’t reach you here in Negav,” The guard said. Shada closed her eyes and shook her head, recovering from her shock. Silently, she berated herself for succumbing to the strangeness of the situation. Fortunately, the guard had misinterpreted her dazed mumblings.

“Yes, thank you,” Shada said quietly. The private returned, bearing a plain light blue robe and a few other item’s of clothing over one arm.

“Here, you can change in the guardhouse. Don’t worry, it’s empty,” The guard said, taking the clothes and handing it to Shada. The guard opened a door set into the stonework of the tunnel wall. Shada took the clothes and entered the room, closing the door behind her.

“What do the scanners say about her?” The guard asked after Shada left. The private pushed a button set into the stonework, causing a panel to slide open. A computer screen was there, displaying an ordered list of numbers and words.

“She’s human, down to her DNA. But there’s some latent magic radiatin’ from her. There’s some sort of spell on her.” The private reported after a moment, reading the screen.

“Type?” The guard asked.

“I dunno, somethin’ is fuddlin’ the readout, but it’s not illusion magic,” The private answered.

“That’s good enough. We’ll just see if the crystal likes her,” The guard answered. He was going to say more, but Shada emerged at the moment, fully dressed in the robe.

“Ah, now before I let you into the city, can you tell me what happened out there?” The guard asked. “We saw you were chased by the nagas, but how did you loose your possessions?”

“There was a group of men out there,” Shada lied, “They stopped me, they took everything. They…they…ohhh,” Shada stopped, feigning shock again, hoping it was as convincing as her genuine breakdown earlier.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Here, there’s an officer in the city, near the gate. He can provide you with whatever you need. I can take you there if you want.” The guard said.

“Yes…yes, thank you.” Shada said. The guard nodded, and led Shada into the city.

It took all her will to keep from smiling as she walked. She might have been the first Naga to ever enter this city, let alone escorted in by the humans themselves!

(((Just so you know, Crisis and Vivian are well away from the city by now.)))

It took longer than the group thought it would, but the old shop keeper told N-72 everything they would need to know about currency. He even threw in a history lesson to boot. Even with this new information, the banner in the window still bothered them. "So," Eric began speaking. "Who was it that sold you that banner any way?" The old man let out a low, drawn out whistle before responding. "It's been two hundred years boy. My body may not age any more, but my memory still needs work. All I do remember is that he found it in the jungle. And considering how dense those woods are and how things grow, there wouldn't be any traces left at all." He paused, looking towards the window where the banner was displayed. "I know nothing of it, but you seem fascinated by it and you're new here. Is it from your home dimension?" The three simply nodded. Words had been failing them recently. "I see. Sorry I can't help you more."

The group stood there for a moment before heading towards the door. Jackson turned again to the shop keeper and produced an electronic device from a pocket. "Thanks fer the 'elp. We 'eard maps were valuable and it's tha only thing we hav'ta trade." He placed the device on the shop counter and turned again to leave. The old man picked up the device and hit a few buttons. The group could hear another low whistle. "If this is your merchandise, you best set a higher price on it other than common information." Jackson smiled at the man. "Don't worry. We also came to see how valuable those are. I think you helped us with that." With that they left the store and entered the streets again. Fiddling with the device, the old man began speaking to himself. "They did seem familiar. I wonder if they knew him."

Mordal looked up at the man and smiled as he pulled his hood down. "Thank you my friend, but I am not in the mood for a drink at the moment...I have just escaped with my life from a snke woman, and early fell into a trap. The woman who nearly lured me into the trap may already be in this city...I saw her before I entered the city." He stood up, and bowed to the man. "Mordal Strideer, at your service."

“Name’s David Thorne. Good to meet you,” David said before taking a seat. “Snake woman? That was probably a naga. Relatively human from the waist up, snakelike body instead of legs, ten stories tall? I’ve never heard of them using humans to trap prey though.”

“Anyway, I take it you’re new here. You’re lucky, you know. Not only did you survive your first encounter with a naga, you came upon one of the safest places in this forsaken world. If you don’t mind a bit of advice, I’d stay in this city for a little bit. Learn about the jungles and the inhabitants. Knowledge and caution often means the difference between staying alive and becoming dinner for some half-snake.”

As David spoke, he studied Mordal, trying to find out what seemed familiar about this man. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced it was a fluke. Still, Mordal seemed pleasant enough, in a formal sort of way.

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The visit to the office had not taken long. One of the officials gave Shada enough currency to last her a couple weeks, a place to stay, and several job offers. Another one wanted to talk about Shada’s made-up robbery, but when she couldn’t provide them with few details, they concluded the latent magic in her was a badly cast amnesia spell. She was given the address of a councilor if she needed to talk further about it. Given her general ignorance of their ways in Negav, and her supposes traumatic experience, they assigned her the guard as an escort. Shada learned his name was Kaston.

Shada walked into one of the marketplaces of Negav for the first time. Never before had she seen such a large gathering of humans at one time. A naga could live like a queen if she had run of the city. But it wasn’t just their numbers, the activities of the humans fascinated her. Before, humans were something that just ran from her, occasionally trying ineffectually to fight or beg. (David Thorne was the only one she met that actually escaped from her.) But here humans were bartering, trading, haggling, talking, buying, selling, walking, serving, eating, gossiping, arguing, drinking, and gambling. It was all new to her.

The sheer variety of items that were being bout and sold also interested her. At first she was inclined to scoff at the human’s materialism, but then her eye caught a woman trying on a necklace of finely polished and carved beads. Shada caught herself wondering if she could possibly get herself one, something that would go well with her rusty red scales once she returned back to her old self. There were also market stalls selling clothing and cloth, others selling various tools and weapons, some selling carved trinkets and toys, there was a merchant peddling jewelry of silver and gold, another offering silk and lace. The most confusing, but interesting, was a shop selling scrolls and books. There were little black marks all over the paper, causing the humans to stare at them for long periods of time.

“Is this your first time in a big city, miss?” Her escort asked. He had left his armor and most of his weapons at the office.

“Please, call me Eilin,” Shada said, using her assumed name. “Yes, there’s so much going on. How do you keep track of it all?” Shada asked.

“Well, we don’t really Eilin. There’s always something new going on,” Kaston said. “Was there something in particular you wanted to see?”

“What are those people doing over there?” Shada asked, pointing at the people at the book shop who were looking at the books.

“They’re just reading the new releases, a new printing press opened up recently,” Kaston explained.

“Rea…reading?” Shada asked, confused.

“Yes, with the new press, there’s been several new bookstores opening, and…” Kaston paused, seeing Shada’s puzzled expression. “You…don’t know how to read, do you?” He asked. She only shook her head.

“Well, would you want to learn?” Kaston asked after a moment.

“Could I? I mean, I thought it took years to learn,” Shada mumbled.

“Years? If you put your mind to it, Eilin, you’ll be reading in no time,” Kaston said.

Shada thought a moment. Her purpose to coming to this city was to find David, find out any patterns he followed, and to discover any weaknesses he might have. However, she couldn’t do that with Kaston hovering over her. And she was curious also, there was more to these humans than she thought, and the concept of reading intrigued her. Besides, David tended to stay in the cities for several days usually, there’d be time later to seek him out later.

“Okay, I’ll try,” Shada said.

“Good! Now, we’re going to need some materials before you can start,” Kaston said, leading her into the book shop.

The three crew members waled down the street in relative silence. Not even N-72 tried to start a conversation. Eventually, Eric voice picked up. "Do you think it's a coincidence? The banner I mean." The peculiar accent of Jackson was the next to join in. "I doubt it. It was their debris field that sent us heah'. Maybeh one in tha same." N-72 hovered in close to the three and chimed in. "If this is true, there should still be traces of the ship they came in. Maybe even their warp drive." The AI was right, and that was the single best possibility that they had heard all day. Eric grinned from ear to ear. "N Seven Two, send a message to the Star Skimmer. Let them know to start passive scans for any familiar alloys near the surface." The AI snickered in it's inhuman tone. "I have already done this Eric. One could say you're a bit slow." Eric shrugged off the construct's insult. "Against your processor, we're all slow."

"So now that we have a plan for later, let's stay focused on the now. We need to find out exactly what people will pay for these maps." The voice came from Sarya who was already ahead of the group. "Let's rest our feet and figure it out." Looking at a store they were passing, Jackson again spoke up. "Been a while since I've read a good book. Think we 'ave a few minutes." Sarya pressed on, ignoring the request outright. Eric was the only one to respond. "We'll have time after we're done with these." He said, holding up the data pads with the maps. Shrugging, Jackson followed them.

It wasn't long before they stopped at a bench to work out their strategy. Mostly, this task fell to N-72. "I can not calculate a suitable value for these maps." Eric looked at the hovering AI awkwardly. "And why's that? You've been collecting data all day." "Yes. But the data was in relation to general goods. If we scout out the competition, I could create a formula for deciding an effective price." Jackson laughed at this suggestion, but did not seem too opposed. "Great. We getta have a nice chat with tha people we're gonna start offerin' a bettah product than."

After talking wit David, Mordal sayd goodbye and left forthe library for some answers. Mordal sat in the book shop, trying hard to learn the language of tthe people here in Negav. It was very similar to basic, his widely spread language that even aliens used in the Galaxy. He meditated on the scribbles written in the books. He was so used to learning information from the Holocrons in the Jedi temple and the Holonet. He was good friends with David Thorne since his chat with him. Mordal continued to read, especially about the many predators in Felarya.

((edit))
((was confused when darkshot put "weeks" in his post lol))

(((Um, why’d you jump ahead a few days mikeimp?)))

((okay edited it lol))

David sighed and left the bar as well, he couldn’t put off his obligations any longer. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked for the building where the artillery of Negav was stored. He hoped Mordal took him up on his advice, and thought he probably would. David wondered briefly why he had seemed familiar to him, but put it out of his mind as he arrived. He had a job to do now, and couldn’t let himself get distracted any further.

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“Using shapes to represent sounds, it’s so…simple,” Shada said, after finishing her first foray into literacy. She and Kaston sat at a table in the bustling bookstore, along with several pens, scrolls, and a couple books. “Why didn’t we think of it?” She asked herself. She froze, fearing that she may have just given herself away. But Kaston only chuckled.

“You’d be surprised how many tribes and villages forego writing. Processing paper and ink would be a rather sizeable investment with relatively little immediate return. Don’t feel bad about it,” Kaston said. Shada relaxed, she had referred to herself and her fellow nagas, but fortunately Kaston misinterpreted her. She tried to remember to guard her words better.

Still, she was finding it too easy to loose herself in this new, alien culture. That bothered her. Her sudden curiosity surprised her, and she wondered if Vivian’s spells changed more than just her body. Was her mind altered as well? Did she acquire a human’s curiosity when she took their shape? Should that frighten her or was it really a bad thing?

“Eilin? Are you alright?” Kaston asked, noticing her distress.

“I’m fine,” Shada said, shaking off her mental worry for now. “Let me go over this again, and see if I have all these, um…these letters memorized.”

Suddenly, Mordal lost his concentration as he let the books fall to the floor on accident, being thatthey were hovering around him. He felt the presence of the woman who he had met in the forest...the one that entered Negav before him. He calmed himself, lifted he books, and stacked them on the table using the Force. He quickly tried to run out the door, but unfortunately tripped over a stack of books, causing him to lose his balence. Everybody turned their gaze toward the commotion, looking upon Mordal as he crashed onto the floor.

((Sorry for my absences. I have a number of projects and tests coming up over the next two weeks.))

(((The tests and Projects come first. We'll still be here when you finish. Good luck with your projects!)))

((Ok. I'm back.))

"What is your opinion now N Seven Two?" Eric spoke the words with a hint of laughter as they exited another store. "I imagine that these maps are worth quite the small fortune indeed, based on that last few shop keepers' reactions." And indeed that was true. Others in the business of maps and navigation were simply rendered speechless. Perhaps they could really turn this situation into a profitable one. And with funds, they could very well find their way home. Eric looked down the street then back to the AI. "Let the captain know what we found out down here. See what he wants us to do next."

A few moments of silence passed. the only sign N-72 was doing anything was a blinking light on its chassis. Soon the construct returned its attention to the group. "Captain Illidar has requested that we trade our maps for the following supplies. Hydroponic fertilizers for both fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, appropriate construction materials, additional medical supplies, and if possible, a hired hand that is schooled in this "magic" phenomenon." Jackson was the next to speak up, his voice carrying a hint of irritation. "And 'ow pray tell, are we gonna carry all that'?" No sooner then he spoke, the dropship flew overhead in its silent passage towards the landing area. "That works."

Meanwhile, aboard the Star Skimmer, there was an oddity outside. An officer alerted the captain to something outside the shields. The readouts and monitors displayed it as a collection of energy ramming itself against the shields repeatedly. "What am I looking at officer?" Ilim's voice cut the silence. The officer was also looking at the readouts from another terminal across the ship, the captain's voice emitting from the overhead speakers. "I don't know sir. The readings indicate it has a similar energy output to that of lightning, but it doesn't vanish. It just keeps hitting the shields." There was a pause before the captain responded. "Is it a problem for the shield's integrity?" "No sir. It is definitely making contact with the shield, but it is not weakening it in the slightest." Tapping his fingers on the control panel, Ilim tried to make sense of this. "Keep an eye on it. If anything happens, let me know immediately. N Seven Two, allot a subroutine to monitor any fluctuations in that anomaly." The response was in N-72's voice, but seemed like a canned response. "Yes sir. Of course sir." With N-72 down on the surface, only his subroutines remained active aboard the Star Skimmer.

Mordal cursed as he fell, but quickly got up and took out his lightsaber hilt from his lightsaber holder as he glared at the woman who tried to attack him in the forest. "What are you doing here?" He damanded. "Why are you following me?"

((???))

((meh...I was bored...that and I just finished Star Wars: The Force Unleashed...so I made the energy blasts firing the Star Skimmer were from a Star Destroyer lol))

((I was building up to it, but it's supposed to be a storm sprite. I was going to introduce her as time went on.))

((ok I'll edit it...u never let me have any fun lol))