James Tau is Dead

[James Prent]

The night sky was lit with torches. It was approaching midnight, which was the appropriate time for purification, and the crowd was angry. It had started off confused and frightened, but that had led quickly to fury, and would be a profound resentment before the night was over. A woman was pushed through the crowd, her skirt torn and her head covered up with a burlap bag. Two men flanked her, shoving her up a pair of makeshift steps and standing her on a wooden dais with her back to a pole.

Her feet were bare, and she was covered with filth. One of the men drew a knife, cutting free her hands, only to yank her arms behind her back where they were bound securely around the stake. The other man shouted in their strange language as an over-enthusiastic member of the crowd tried to pelt the woman with dung and hit him instead. After she was lashed securely upright, the bag was drawn off, leaving the girl blinking in the torchlight. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears and her short, dark hair had been shaven to the scalp on the right side of her head showing all in attendance that she had been found guilty of witchcraft.

The two men, leaders of the community, spat in her face and then turned and climbed down from the pyre. Under the dais, straw and wood were bundled, ready for the fire. More wood was piled on around her feet, and then one of the men took a torch and thrust it into the straw. It caught, burning brightly, and others surrounded the stake, lighting the pile at even intervals. Then the people withdrew, watching in silence as the witch sagged against her bonds in the growing smoke.

I was tired of fighting. Smoke swirled up around me, but all I could do was stare down at the flames, my eyes dull and bloodshot from the heat and growing smoke. The villagers were silent, watching with anticipation as the fire grew around me. They didn’t speak Basic, but a halting, rough language that I couldn’t understand. I was far away from where anyone would be looking for me – if anyone was. And to think, less than twenty-four hours ago I had thought that things were finally making a change for the better. A tear slipped from my eye, only to evaporate almost immediately.

Flames licked at my feet as I lifted my head to where I could just make out the midnight sky, and I screamed.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Twenty-four hours earlier



Crates and trunks were scattered all throughout the interior of the Black Cat, waiting to be unpacked. Some were standard fare as far as crates went, and others were much older, looking almost as if they were antiques. As of yet, nothing had been unpacked, but there would be a time for that once everything had been moved from the cargo bay.

Thankfully, that particular task was almost done, as the last trunk had been taken from the lower decks and was now being carried to the Cat.

"Last corner," s'Il said with a touch of strain in her voice.

She and James had been carting boxes for a good part of the morning, taking only a few breaks before continuing on with their task. Setting the last crate down for a moment, the Lupine let herself catch her breath. Leaning slightly against a bulkhead, she looked gratefully at James.

"Thanks again for the help, I appreciate it."

[James Prent]

I sat on a crate with an exaggerated sigh, wiping my brow and pushing damp hair off my forehead. “Well, if I’da known you had this much stuff I might have changed my mind.” I’d been a part of the Layla’s crew for five months, and I could see the changes in my body. I was leaner, and my muscles were more defined. When I wasn’t wrestling Daani into her bed, I was down in the engine room dragging containers of coolant around for Cirrsseetto. I’d come on board on the pretense that my memory of starcharts would be my ticket, but so far it seemed that I’d done everything but read starcharts.

It was a lot more fun than babysitting a diner in the wee hours, though. I looked in the pocket of my cargo pants for a stim, then stopped. I adjusted my tank top instead. “I think we almost got everythin’…”

I jumped to my feet and scooped up Tak, who’d made the mistake of standing too close to me, and held her upside down. “Where did you want this one, again? It might not fit in th’ Cat, mebbe I should put it in the hold.” Tak squealed and wriggled, but I held her tight.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Siezing the opportunity to allow more motherly instincts take over, s'Il leaned over and grasped at her daughter's wrists so that Tak was now held foot and hand between the two women.

The little girl shrieked in delight, giggling uncontrollably as she was held up in the air.

A few words in the Cathar dialect spawned even more laughter, and s'Il smiled up to James while nodding towards the hatch that led to the Cat. Thankfully, Cirr had helped move a bed into the shuttle, and while it had no sheets just yet, it was still soft enough to playfully toss the toddler on as if she was nothing but a sack of atos.

[James Prent]

After we tossed Tak onto the bed, I sat on the edge, watching s'Ilancy interact with her daughter. The fact that they were giggling in their Cathar dialect didn't matter, it was pretty obvious how much love the pair shared.

I reached down and absently scratched at my ankle, dislodging the flimsy of my father and sending it to the floor of the shuttle. I fixed my sock, and then bent down to pick up the picture and put it back in it's 'place of honor.' I looked up nonchalantly to find s'Il's eyes on me.

"So... that it then?" I offered her a half smile.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A raised brow was all she afforded James, and pulling in a breath as she let her eye wander the shuttle's interior, s'Il lowered herself down to sit on one of the trunks. Leaning forward, the Lupine pulled one of the smaller crates toward her and unclasped the latches.

"For the most part, yes." With a quick word to Tak, she pushed the crate to the side. Happily plopping herself to the deck, the little girl set about rummaging through its' contents.

s'Il reverted back to basic, "I'll just ask Cirr to move that last trunk in here - it doesn't really have anything in it that needs to be unpacked right away."

A booted foot nudged at Tak as she pulled old leatherbound books from the crate, and the youngster lightly slapped at it in childlike annoyance. An easy smile came to the Lupine's features, and she looked to James from over the top of her good eye.

"Mostly it's just full of old flimsiplast photos of family."

[James Prent]

I grunted, and turned to watch Tak as she rifled through the pages of a book. "Must be nice..." My words were softly spoken, almost under my breath.

I smiled, to take away any edge that might have been in my tone, and tried to change the subject. "So, you an' Sanis - d'ya go back a long time together?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il blinked, then leaned back on her perch slightly. She digested James' question, mulling it over for a few quiet moments as her gaze went to Tak. She watched the little girl happily fished for whatever hand-drawn pictures she could find in the pages of the book in her lap.

The Lupine leaned to the side, plucking another smaller book from the open trunk out of idleness.

"About six or seven years. Not too terribly long, but long enough. Actually, we met while he was in the middle of trying to steal something from my home back on Cathar.

"I don't even remember what it was though anymore,"

Holding the book lightly, s'Il looked back to James.

"And you? I must confess to a bit of curiosity on how you threw your lot in with Sanis."

[James Prent]

I flopped backwards on the bed, feet dangling off the side. “Oh, Sanis an’ Cirr had a late night meal at the diner I was working on Nar Shaddaa, and tried to scam dinner off me. Y’know, as per usual.” I rolled my eyes dramatically. “They brought me aboard for th’ fun of it, I think, but I’ve managed to stick around. I studied astronomic history in secondary school, and the pretense is that I’m here to read star charts, but it looks like I fit ‘errand-girl’ better. For th’ moment, at least.”

I stretched my small, five foot tall frame, and looked surreptitiously at Lok. She was watching Tak dig further into the crate, and I pulled myself into a sitting position. “So that’s how an orphan from Nar Shaddaa got to leave. Honestly, I’m grateful to be outta that place. When a girl gets down on her luck there… there are only two options. Sell yourself to a slaver, or …” I blushed lightly, casting a sideways glance at the little kid on the ground.

Considering where I came from, the subject of prostitution did not make me embarrassed, but talking about it in front of a Jedi did. As I had always said, my mother’s gift to me had been dying in childbirth. At least this way I’d had a chance to better myself. Had she raised me herself I would probably still be perpetuating the cycle of poverty on some underalley corner on the Smuggler’s Moon.

Of course, the Imperial foster program wasn’t all that great either. My thoughts were taking me places I didn’t want to remember, so I tried to think of a way to change the subject.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Still looking at her daughter, s'Il broke the silence with a firm, yet strangely tranquil tone in her voice. "I'm the last person you should be mindful of when talking of such things as prostitution. I've travelled enough in my years to see most faces this galaxy has to offer, and I'm not one to judge anyone for their actions."

A briefly coughed laugh was followed by a sidelong look to James. "I'm not exactly a model of wholesome family values myself, you know - least of all a paragon of Jedi virtue. I do what I can with what I am given, and while I can't even give my child a straight answer whenever she asks about who her father is, at least I can tell her that he is the most kind-hearted of men.

"I've done my best to preserve the teachings I was given before the Purge, but I know I fall woefully short of the standards from times past. All I can hope for is to do what I feel in my heart to be right.

"As long as you feel that leaving Nar Shaddaa was the right thing to do, I highly doubt that you have much to worry about.

"I'm always running from someone, trying to lose something; but you... "

The Lupine looked more fully at the other woman, locking eyes with James for a few silent moments before going on. "... you're running to someone, and looking for something."

A gentle smile.

"I just don't think you know who or what, quite yet."

[James Prent]

I broke the eye contact and stared at my shoes. "Maybe." A new subject! But what?

"Ah, I think we're about the same size - you don't happen to have any old clothes you don't want anymore, do you?" I indicated my tank top and pants. "Sanis let me have money for clothes shopping right when I came on board, but a few pairs of pants and some shirts... I could use some more." I grimaced eloquently.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il held her position, even if James turned away, The change in subjects was inevitable, she supposed. Perhaps she had been too forward at such an early time? It was true she and James didn't know much about each other, and it was entirely possible that the Lupine had put her foot down a bit too far ahead of where James was wanting to be.

No matter.

Turning to let an eye wander over the trunks and crates scattered about the Cat, s'Il settled on one that wasn't quite out of reach. A quick lean to the side, and she dragged it closer to her.

"I might have a few things, though don't be too disappointed if they're not your style."

A few quick motions and the lid was lifted up on its' hinges to reveal a small collection of the Lupine's wardrobe. Pulling a few shirts from their folded resting spots, she set them out on the bed for James to inspect. Two pairs of trousers followed suit, and s'Il dug deeper into the trunk.

"Living on Cathar for so long gives one a bit of a different taste for apparel," she went on, extracting another pair of pants. These were a bit older, worn and scuffed from years of use. This pair was set off to the side however, and the Lupine gave one last cursory glance into the trunk.

"I think that's about all I have that you would be interested in. My apologies that that the shirts are mostly open-backed," s'Il gave a smile, "... old traditions never really die out for people like me."

[James Prent]

I supposed she was referring to Jedi traditions, although I didn't remember anything about Jedi wearing shirts with no backs. Robes, I thought. "Anything would be great. Thank you so much." I grinned, hopping up to give the clothes a closer look.

Lok laid a pale blue cotton dress on the bed, and I fingered the thin fabric. "Wow, you don't want this?" I picked it up, noting the low cut back, and held it against me. I hesitated, and added, "Sorry t' change the subject, before. The whole looking for something - it's sorta true. I guess I've always been lookin' - and bein' on Layla is the first step."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Okay, thjis should be the last of jit."

A figure entered the shuttle, concealed from the waist up by a stack of boxes he carried in front of him.

"Wherre to?"

Cirr precariously leaned his head to the side of the payload to get a look at where he was.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As James picked up the light blue dress s'Il had set out, the Lupine's eyes lit up momentarily. It was a subtle change, but there nonetheless.

"There are a few seperate pieces that go with that dress, actually," she said, turning once more to the trunk before her. At Cirr's entrance though, s'Il looked over her shoulder at him while pulling a jewelry box out. A quick scan of the shuttle's interior and she nodded her head to the far bulkhead. "Over there, please."

[James Prent]

I grinned, gave Cirr a saucy wink, and pulled the dress over my head. Tugging the hemline down, I modeled it over my clothes. "Hey, almost a perfect fit."

I carefully peeled out of my tank top, removing it from underneath the dress, and pulled it over my head. Tak goggled at me from the floor, and then laughed, pulling on my shoelaces.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Finished with the heavy lifting, Cirr crossed his arms over his chest, casting an appreciative eye at James and her creative clothing contortions.

He allowed himself to stare, and his tail errantly slapped against s'Il's backside.

[Sanis Prent]

I gave a series of knocks at the shuttle's threshold hatch, before sticking my head through the door.

"Permission to come aboard, Oh Lady of the Dinghy?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il blinked in mild surprise as Cirr's tail made contact. The second time it flicked in her direction, the Jedi blindly reached behind, and with a deft hand caught the big Cizerack's tail in a firm grip. A fingernail scritched lightly at the tip, and she finally turned an eye to Cirr.

Her mouth opened, but the Lupine was interrupted by Sanis' knock and following request to enter. Annoyance flashed across her face.

"No."

[James Prent]

I pulled my shoes off, and hiked up the dress to unfasten my cargo pants. Pants and skirt fell down at the same time, keeping me fully covered. I sat back on the bed to pull the pants completely off, waggling my feet.

I caught Cirr staring, and shook the pants at him. "Enjoy the show?" Standing up, I gave an experimental twirl.