Private Judith

[Ben Khal]

Private quarters of Master Morgun Jai
Jedi Temple, Coruscant
POV: Oukranos Cthylla​

“Are you sure it is wise to send Ben on this mission?”

Oukranos had spoken very little for the majority of this meeting, content to sit and listen to the Chief of Internal Affairs as he had so many times before. But now his piercing blue eyes were laser focused on Master Jai, who had just given him orders to take his new Hapan apprentice to Ukatis, of all places.

“I would not ask it of you if I were not sure,” Jai replied, frowning. The Korunnai paced the room, narrow shafts of light passing over his bald head and coarse robes from the vertical blinds covering the windows. His quarters were spartan and sparsely decorated, devoid of all worldly possessions. He had devoted his life to serving the Order and the galaxy at large. “I believe it would be a good experience for him. Perhaps he would find it enlightening.”

Or perhaps it would only make things worse, Oukranos thought grimly. A boy from a planet where women dominated men, visiting a world where men dominated women. It sounded like a recipe for disaster. Or the premise of a comedy.

“Do you also doubt my decision to send you to Ukatis, Master Oukranos?”

Oukranos raised an eyebrow. He had been to the planet before, once by accident and again on purpose, but he was largely unfamiliar with their customs. What little he did know, he found… difficult to ignore. “I would not say I am the best possible choice. Perhaps it would be preferable if Princess Corazona undertook this task with her apprentice,” he suggested.

“No.” Jai scratched his cheek. “This situation calls for a neutral stance. Her familiarity with the planet is invaluable, but she will inevitably be biased. Her Padawan does not have the authority to challenge her decisions.”

“If it is her decision to put an end to the abuses which are tolerated on Ukatis, I will not challenge her.”

With a faint sigh, Master Jai sank down onto the meditation mat across from him. “I am not so certain that she would,” he said.

"You don't know her."

"Neither do you." Jai held Oukranos' gaze unwaveringly. "That is why I want you to accompany her with your Padawan. To ensure above all that balance is achieved, even in the event that the situation becomes... complicated.”

"I understand," Oukranos muttered, though he didn't like the implications. "I will go to Ukatis..." He bowed his head. "With Ben and Corazona."

Ukatis
One day later​

Ben stood on the ground outside the shuttle, looking around. He was grateful to be off the ship after such a long and tedious journey, though he wasn’t exactly impressed by what he saw.

In his research, words like “agriworld” and “rural” were used to describe Ukatis. Now that he was seeing the real thing in person, those terms seemed almost deliberately vague and inadequate. This planet was easily the most rustic place he had visited so far. Over the tall grasses of the field where they had landed, he could see what appeared to be a quaint little village, but otherwise they were surrounded on all sides by thick, untamed forest.

He glanced back toward the loading ramp, trying not to feel anxious. Master Oukranos and Knight von Ascania were still aboard, preparing to disembark. They had been sent here to investigate reports of a rogue Force User. Ben’s debriefing had been short and scant on details; he knew only that the rogue was a woman and belonged to the lowest class on Ukatis, the common peasant laborer. But his master had been sure to impress upon the boy that the situation should be handled swiftly and carefully. How they were going to do both, he didn’t know—but not wasting any time seemed like a good start.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had spent much of the journey in meditation.

There had been problems like this before on Ukatis- most notably, a Sith who'd assisted the local Lord of a village in rounding up and imprisoning force sensitive individuals - but this report had troubled her for a number of reasons. First, its brevity and lack of detail was telling. Second, the person of interest was a young woman from a poor village.

Third, the official account sent to the Alliance bore the stamp of a noble house. Already, Cora found herself piecing these fragments into a story without the nuance of detail to fill in the gasps.

After departing from her cabin, Cora found herself looking out of the transport's viewport. Ben was a good student. He was quiet and respectful, followed instructions dutifully and had never made a scene in any of her classes. Only now did she wonder if his compliant attitude was because he'd been raised to view women as superior to men.

"Do you think this will be good for him?"

Cora looked back to Master Oukranos. He'd been to Ukatis before, had seen its people up close. Her tone held uncertainty.

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

Oukranos was checking one last time to make sure he had everything he needed. The presence of his lightsaber on his hip didn't hide the fact that he was a Jedi, but instead of traditional robes he had donned a Ukatian adjacent-style suit consisting of a light blue shirt tucked into dark gray pants, with practical boots. He had no cloak, and nothing was loose or trailing. The weather in this region, he'd been told, was warm at this time of year.

"Do you think this will be good for him?"

The Pylantian looked at Corazona, then past her at the fidgeting Ben. He took a moment to consider her question before answering, "I don’t know. I hope so."

She had been quiet for much of the trip, keeping to herself. Whether that was normal for her, he wasn’t sure. He really ought to have known her better by now—she had just been named Keeper of First Knowledge, which meant that she was technically his boss. But Oukranos was a deeply private person with few friends to begin with, and apart from both being teachers, they seemed to have little in common with one another. Perhaps they would get to know each other more now that she was on her home turf.

“If you’re ready, we should get going,” he said, heading down the ramp.

Ben immediately turned around to face the elder Jedi, standing at attention. "Where should we start?" he asked.

Oukranos pursed his lips. “The report is very... vague. But we know she came from the village.” He gestured toward the nearby settlement. “I propose that we make a few inquiries there, try to learn as much as we can.”

Ben looked at Cora. “What do you think, ma’am?”

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The knight's lips pursed in a thoughtful frown. She hoped so, too.

After following Oukranos down the ramp, Cora tapped the bracer on her wrist, producing a holomap. She pinched and zoomed several times until the rudimentary schematics representing the nearby village came into view.

"Laparoh," she began by identifying the village by name. "The people here work mostly as weavers and cloth makers. I'm told they keep small herds, but not enough to meet demand, so they purchase sheared wool from merchants that travel from nearby farmlands."

As they made their way through the grass and toward the town, they'd eventually come to follow a path of packed dirt. Footprints, wheels, and hooves had flattened the earth somewhat, though a few gentle bumps still remained. Cora deactivated the map.

"The people here may not be accustomed to certain aspects of modern technology," she glanced to Oukranos, aware that he had first hand experience after crash landing into a Ukatian field.

"Or Jedi, for that matter. I'd tread carefully with questioning. Make a little conversation, ask them how their work fares, that sort of thing first.”

Cora waved a hand vaguely in front of her. It had taken her a little time to answer Ben's question in a roundabout way.

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

They walked and listened as Corazona provided some background for the village of Laparoh. Ben kept his head down, looking at the dirt where footprints, hooves and wheel marks were imprinted in the mud like fossils from another age. Wheels? By the Force, did they not even have landspeeders here?

As if on cue, Cora mentioned the low tech of Ukatis, warning them of the potential wariness of the locals. “Are these villagers considered impoverished by your standards?” Ben posed his question as carefully as he could. “Or is this the, um—the norm for Ukatian settlements?”

They approached the village gate. It was but a few rudimentary buildings on either side of a wide main street, at the other end of which there was a hill with an old fortress built on top. Ben couldn’t help but feel a flash of excitement. He had learned about feudalism from his readings—in the event that this area was attacked by an army, the villagers would abandon their homes and flee into the fortress for safety. This particular castle looked a little dilapidated, however, its original purpose perhaps lost even as the town in its shadow endured.

The people walking past them stared. Unlike Oukranos, Ben was in Jedi robes, not bothering to hide what he was at all. Though as he felt glaring eyes upon him, he started to wish he had donned a disguise.

"I'd tread carefully with questioning. Make a little conversation, ask them how their work fares, that sort of thing first.”

"Do you suppose they already know why we're here?" the Hapan Padawan asked in a whisper.

Oukranos didn't respond, his blue eyes staring off into the distance. He idly played with a small gold pendant which hung on a thin chain around his neck, partially hidden under his collar. “I don’t think she’s a weaver,” he said suddenly.

"The rogue? What makes you say that?"

"According to the report, her last name was Shepherd. Judith Shepherd." Oukranos continued to fiddle with his necklace, though Ben could see now that he was being vigilant, feeling around them for any signs of trouble. “She's probably a shepherdess, or the daughter of one. Out in the hills for most of the day, away from the village, tending her flock...”

"Huh." Ben blinked. “Should we go ask the shepherds then?”

“Hey, Jedi!”

They turned and saw an old woman approaching from across the road, though as she came closer it became apparent she wasn’t old so much as weathered, her skin brown as leather after a lifetime under the sun. Her back was hunched, but with the aid of a cane and a corset, was able to maintain a dignified posture. In her mouth there was but one remaining tooth, which she was very possessive of, constantly worrying it with her tongue whenever she wasn’t speaking as if afraid it would fall out like the rest.

“Are you looking for Judi?” she asked. "You won't find her here."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora frowned a little at Ben's question. It wasn't an expression of offense, and her brow crinkled in thought. "Much of Ukatis is rural. Some towns are a little more well off than others, but I think it's fair to say that many people here live this way."

The tunic she wore, while crafted from cortosis weave and silk, was distinctly Ukatian in design. Upper-class Ukatian, which would leave little room for question of her station, for better or for worse. Perhaps worse, if the looks they were garnering were any indication. The opinions regarding Jedi differed from region to region. Some looked at them with disdain, others with indifference, and others still seemed to cautiously embrace the religious monks from off-world.

"Shepherd," Cora repeated in a thoughtful murmur. She glanced first to Ben, then to the Master Jedi. Her gaze lingered on the fingers Oukranos had curled around his pendant, but attention was quickly drawn to the rasping voice of an older woman across the street.

As the group moved closer, Cora nodded. "We are, ma'am. Do you know where we might find her?"

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

"Much of Ukatis is rural. Some towns are a little more well off than others, but I think it's fair to say that many people here live this way."

Force, that's terrible. The boy was too polite to give voice to such thoughts, though, so he let the matter drop. It would only prove a depressing distraction from the mission at hand.

"We are, ma'am. Do you know where we might find her?"

“She’s run off into the forest to hide,” the older woman replied, gesturing vaguely toward the south. “The duchess and her men are after her. Or hasn’t your mystic force told you all about it?”

“It’s been a bit scant on details in this case,” Oukranos said. “If I may ask, who are you?”

“I’m Miss Shepherd, Judi’s auntie. After her mother died I raised her as my own. She’s always been a stubborn girl, but I never saw any signs or portents of magic powers from her until… Well, until she used them on the duchess’ son. Killed his lordship, just like that!”

A shepherd girl with no training had used the Force to kill a nobleman—this story was starting to sound a lot more complicated than Ben expected. He was snapped out of his thoughts as his master asked another question: “Why did she kill him?”

“She was out tending the flock when he and his men came riding over the hills and saw her sitting there alone…” She trailed off, her weathered face as inscrutable as a stone statue. “Well, there was nothing to be done. He was of noble blood, you see. Happens to lots of lowborn girls. She would’ve done well to just accept it, but like I said, she’s stubborn.”

Cold understanding seeped into Ben as she spoke. Beside him Oukranos seemed to have gone very still, almost like he was holding his breath. "The duchess is the one who sent us the report," he said at last. "What does she want? Revenge?"

"I don't know what she wants," Miss Shepherd replied, her tone making it sound like an insult. "Her son is dead, and Judi is with child. Maybe she wants another heir."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had gone completely still, as though the blood in her veins refused to flow. Oukranos and Ben seemed to share her sentiment of shock and disgust.

Her gaze locked onto the distant line of the forest Miss Shepherd had motioned to. A swell of anger and sorrow hit the knight, potent and fierce. She let it wash over her for a few moments, then stemmed the tide of her rage before it could drag her down to someplace dark. A deep sense of shame swept through her. Not just for her inward reaction, but for the implied actions of her countrymen.

The parallels to her own life were achingly similar.

"Did she kill him while he was assaulting her? How far along is Judith?"

Her voice was cold and distant, as if she were asking the forest rather than the woman. Instead of dancing around things, her questions were unusually forward.

The gears in Cora's mind turned. If Judi had killed him while being attacked, and was now far along enough to be noticeably pregnant, then she had a hunch that Miss Shepherd'd guess might be correct. Otherwise, the duchess might've gone after Judi sooner - after her son had been killed.

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

"Did she kill him while he was assaulting her? How far along is Judith?"”

“No, it couldn’t have been the first time. She only told me what had happened after he was dead, and she was already with child by then. The duchess’ men came and took her away. She was in prison for about four months, then she escaped. I suppose she must be pretty far along by now.”

Ben was appalled. His anger and disgust were visceral, only intensifying as further details of what had happened to the girl were revealed. This kind of behavior most certainly was not tolerated on Hapes—hell, he couldn’t think of a civilized planet in the galaxy which held such attitudes. What was wrong with these people?

Perhaps sensing their judgement, Miss Shepherd shielded her eyes with one hand. “Gods as my witnesses, I thought she had been seduced. I figured one of the boys in the village had lured her astray—”

“Miss Shepherd,” Oukranos interrupted her not unkindly, but with a sense of urgency. “Since you have given us your side of the story, I take it you know we are not here to do the duchess’ bidding?”

“I had an inkling,” she agreed. “They say Jedi hate the nobility—you even defied the king himself. If anyone can help Judi now, it would have to be you.”

“We are sworn to safeguard peace and justice. Is there anything more you can tell us?”

She looked around, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “The duchess has a mystic in her employ called Blaise the Magus. I don’t know if he’ll be any match for you, but Judi’s certainly no match for him.”

“Thank you,” Oukranos said. “We will deal with the duchess and her mystic.” Turning to Ben and Cora, he added, “It sounds like we had better head into the forest to look for her. We can ride those creatures you use for transportation here—I forget what they are called. It would be less conspicuous than speeder bikes.” Not to mention easier to control in such a thickly wooded area.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

On the long list of ills purported by the Ukatian aristocracy, repeatedly assaulting then imprisoning a pregnant shepherd girl was high among them. It was not the sort of thing she'd been privy to growing up, shielded as she was. The nature of the power imbalance between men and women – and rich and poor - had revealed itself in full strength during her engagement and ensuing marriage, but somehow, Ukatis still found new ways to surprise and disappoint her.

Much like Ben, Cora was appalled. She did not wear it as much in her stony countenance, but inside, she both reviled her countrymen and felt a deep sense of sorrowful empathy for Judith. She placed a hand on the Padawan's shoulder, only for a moment before it fell away.

"Horses," Cora supplied. She paused to try and clear her throat, finding it rather tight. "Do you happen to have a stable, Miss Shepherd? Or know anyone who might let us borrow mounts?"

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

“There’s a stable near the town’s southern entrance,” Miss Shepherd replied, gesturing. “May the gods be with you.”

---

Ben did not like the horses. They were skittish creatures, liable to bolt at the first sign of something frightening. Perhaps if he were an experienced equestrian, he wouldn’t have had such a hard time. But even the gentle mare he was given to ride seemed to sense his wariness, and mirrored his distrust back at him.

The trio started on the path away from the village. Oukranos led the way, relying on the Force to guide him to Judith. It wasn’t long before they diverged from the road and entered the wilderness. As the trees thickened, they had no choice but to tread carefully.

The slower pace naturally engendered conversation; they had little else to do to pass the time. Ben was practically bursting at the seams with questions and thoughts aimed at Cora, though he wasn’t sure how best to phrase them. She was still his superior in both rank and sex—he couldn’t risk offending her. Yet as he glanced at her stony expression, he wondered above all why the Princess of Ukatis didn't do more to stop this evil. Perhaps she had already tried, and was unable to change things...

“I suspect Judith will be wary, if not openly hostile toward us,” Oukranos said suddenly. “We must assuage her suspicions and get her to safety. She will need medical attention as well. As for the duchess and her forces, we will deal with her when the time comes. Our first priorities are Judith and the baby.”

Ben frowned at the mention of the baby. “What will be done with the child?” he asked, glancing toward Cora.

Oukranos, whose back was turned, thought the question was directed at him. "It will remain with its mother. If she does not want it, someone else will. Perhaps, if it is Force sensitive, the Order will take it for training."

"I mean—what do Ukatians normally do with such a child?" Ben tried to clarify, his grip on the horse's reins tightening. "When there's no duchess trying to claim it, would it still be allowed to live?"

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora enjoyed riding; it was one of the few activities that she could do in peace without pushback from Horace. Even with no destination in mind, there was something almost meditative in journeying on horseback.

As they shifted from packed dirt roads to the more shrouded forests paths, Cora's unease heightened. She felt almost guilty for finding a spark of delight, however small, in feeling the wind through her hair.

As their pace slowed and conversation began, Cora fixed her eyes to Oukranos' back as he spoke. She only murmured in agreement. He was right; Judith and the baby were their priority.

She'd caught Ben's glance toward her, and only when he clarified his question did she glance back. Then, she turned her gaze away, directing it to the dappled sunlight peeking through the canopy of leaves and branches.

"It depends on the family," she supplied after a long moment. "In some instances, the child and its mother are sent far away. The…father's estate sends money to support them."

Hush money, essentially. Many would say that it was the kinder option. Some believed it to be impractical, and she'd heard whisperings of such in the court. Each noble family had their own way of dealing with bastards.

"Some families do not see the…well, the benefit in that."

Cora did not answer Ben's question directly, but her tone held the somber note of unpleasant implication. Moreover, she was too ashamed to face the Padawan as she spoke.

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

Ben’s frown deepened as Cora gave her answer, turning her face away from him as she spoke. “On Hapes, if a man is accused of assaulting a woman, he is condemned to death," he said. Despite the severity of the penalty, assaults still occasionally occurred. "If a child is conceived, the woman decides what becomes of it. Usually the pregnancy is terminated, so that she will not have to endure birthing the offspring of her attacker. The man's bloodline is ended, and the child will not have to live with the shame."

"Why do you feel a need to compare your world to this one?" Oukranos asked.

Ben flushed. "I don't mean to be rude," he said. "It's just... interesting to me, how cultures differ. Ukatis and Hapes are like polar opposites."

"It seems to me that Hapes and Ukatis are more alike than different." His master's tone was firm yet gentle. "Both of you have described imperfect, unjust solutions. Whether men or women are in charge, the children become casualties. There must be a balance between the two."

"Men and women are not equal," Ben muttered, though his face only grew even more red as he heard Oukranos chuckle wryly. "You don't understand. You're not human."

"Again, we're not as different as you think." Oukranos shifted in his saddle. "We have to deal with this sort of thing too, though it's mercifully rare for us. When I was a Padawan, I was..." He trailed off, as if thinking better of telling his story to them. "Well, never mind. Ukatian, Hapan, or Pylantian, we are all Jedi. We do things the Jedi way."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had not been to Hapes. She did not have any close friends or contacts who were Hapan. It was possible that Ben was the first Hapan she'd interacted with, and while she was aware of their matriarchal culture, she had never been exposed to it before now.

It was almost shocking to hear the Hapan take. Nauseating, really, as the parallels couldn't help but draw themselves. She couldn't help a spark of jealousy that, under Hapan law, she would've been protected in her own actions.

"We work within the bounds of a planetary culture as much as we can," she said gently to Ben. "Until we cannot. I was raised on Ukatis, and I still find this situation…"

Cora trailed, searching for a word to describe her aching revulsion and shame.

"…deeply unpleasant."

She'd done her best to temper those feelings, but it was hard with so many biases rooted in her own history of mistreatment by Ukatian men. No small part of her wanted to wrap one arm around Judith to keep her close, and use the other arm to shove the duchess from a high tower.

Oukranos trailed off too, and the knight fixed his back with a curious gaze. Whatever it was he'd begun to say, he'd elected not to continue.

"Class plays a part in this, too. Had Judith been a highborn woman, she may have been forced to wed her attacker, depending on negotiations between their families. If not, she might be sent her away to live with a relative in the countryside."

She shrugged, her tone lightening just a tad to something more conversational. Cora had seen as much when she'd been up close and personal with the court.

"Had he been lowborn and she highborn, he'd be jailed or executed."

By now, Cora had turned her attention away from the forest and back towards the men.

"How would Pylantian laws handle this sort of situation, Master Oukranos?"

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

"How would Pylantian laws handle this sort of situation, Master Oukranos?"

“Because violence of any kind is so rare for us, we do not have prisons, nor have we ever implemented capital punishment,” Oukranos replied. “Instead, we have rehabilitation centers. Violent offenders are sent there to receive treatment, though it might be more accurate to say they are contained and studied by doctors seeking to understand the nature of their sickness.”

“Sickness?” Ben balked. “Calling them sick makes it sound like they aren’t responsible for their crimes. Some people are just evil.”

“‘Evil’ is a loan word from Basic. We have no equivalent in our languages. What you call evil, we would call abnormal, deviant, or sick. Evil is a spiritual sickness. That is how we see it.”

Ben didn’t agree, but he didn’t argue. “What would you do with Judith?” he asked.

“She would be given a choice. She could keep the baby, or give it up for adoption. Regardless of her decision, she would face no stigma. She wouldn’t need to carry the child to term or give birth, either—we’ve had artificial wombs in our hospitals for the past sixty years, ever since we were introduced to the galaxy’s advanced medical technologies. It redefined our legal definition of personhood.”

“That’s it?” Ben muttered. He wasn’t sure what else he expected from the peaceful Pylantians, but his master’s conciliatory answer left him unsettled. Rather than confront his feelings, he deflected them, turning his attention back to the planet he was all too ready to scapegoat. "Maybe Ukatis would benefit from that technology. If they could get access to it..."

They had reached a clearing. Oukranos came to a halt, looking around. Then he pointed to the right, where the land sloped upward. “There’s a hunting party on that hill.” He turned to Cora. “If these people are nobles, and they recognize you, will it be a problem for us?” He wasn't sure of the extent of the enmity between Cora and other members of Ukatis' ruling class.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"You don't have prisons?"

Cora's face pinched in surprise - it was hard to imagine a society nearly untouched by violence. Did it have something to do with Pylantian biology, she wondered, or did their years in isolation allow them to breed a more nurturing environment for their people? It wasn't an attack on her or Ukatis, but another gust of shame swept through her.

"I'm not certain if artificial wombs would go over well," she chimed in. "Even if we ignore the logistics - only the university hospital in the capital might be able to support technology like that - the concept is…"

Creepy, she wanted to say. Instead, she trailed off while Oukranos brought their attention to a group of hunters ahead.

"I don't know," she answered. "Some revere the royal family, some dislike them. Even still, their power and status is respected."

Despite her separation from the crown, Cora was still seen to be part of the royal family, at least socially. That was not a favor to her, but a decision made by the crown in order to avoid anymore unrest with their populace and the meddlesome Alliance.

Cora had kept her distance. She lacked any real political power, so she hadn't tried to flex what she did not have.

As an afterthought, she drew the hood of her cloak over her head and tucked her hair back.

“You should approach them first, not me.” Cora looked to Oukranos. “They’ll respect the word of a man more easily than that of a woman.”

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

"You don't have prisons?"

Oukranos shook his head. “We have no natural predators, so we never evolved to compete for survival. We have arguments, misunderstandings, and occasionally the odd skirmish—but we don’t wage war the way other species do. That’s why Kassogtha and I don’t fight in battles, even though we are capable of defending ourselves like any other Jedi.”

Ben’s suggestion that Ukatis use artificial wombs didn’t seem to go over well. Cora was careful not to voice her opinion, but Oukranos didn't let the comment slide. “It would treat the symptoms, perhaps, but it wouldn’t cure the root causes of Ukatis’ problems. Or it might only make it easier to hide the abuse.”

“Forget I said anything,” Ben almost snapped, on the defensive. Force forbid he offer a suggestion that would only make the lives of Ukatis' women worse.

Once again, he felt an unfamiliar disquiet rising in him. Hapes was a matriarchy, and they had access to such advanced tech; they could very well implement the same solution as the Pylantians without much issue, yet they didn’t. Perhaps it was only because he wasn’t a woman and couldn't possibly understand. It was none of a man’s business, anyway...

In an effort to lighten the mood, Oukranos remarked, “To be frank, I’m surprised artificial wombs aren’t more common in general. I am told that childbirth is a very painful and tedious process for humans.”

“It isn’t like that for Pylantians?” Even as Ben posed the question, he pictured Oukranos’ wife, Master Kassogtha Cthylla, with her boneless, gelatinous mass of a body covered in dozens of eyes, mouths, and pseudopods, somehow giving birth. It then occurred to him that perhaps he was a little too curious—and imaginative—for his own good.

Oukranos watched in amusement as the wheels in his horrified apprentice’s head turned, then at last simply replied, “No.”

It was at that point that they reached the clearing. Cora pulled up her hood, just in case, while Oukranos led the way toward the hunting party, keeping a steady pace.

“You should approach them first, not me. They’ll respect the word of a man more easily than that of a woman.”

Ben made a face, then reached back and pulled his hood up too.

As soon as the party spotted them, the horses arranged themselves in a defensive formation. One rider in a lightly armored uniform went forth to meet them, raising a hand in greeting. “Hello travelers. What brings you here?”

“I am Master Oukranos of the Jedi Order,” Oukranos replied, raising his hand in a similar fashion. “The duchess of these lands summoned us here.”

The herald’s friendly mien dropped. “Follow me, sir.”

He led them toward the center of the formation. There, a small and slender figure sat side-saddle on a white mare. The duchess was unexpectedly youthful, appearing to be in her early or mid thirties. She wore a drab gown of brown and blue silk and a black gable hood, leaving only a small portion of pale blonde hair at the front of her head exposed. Her skin had a silvery pallor, and her eyes were large and blue and serious.

“I bid you welcome, Master Jedi,” she said with a graceful bow. “I am Alecto Kennet, Duchess of Carolus. I am sorry I was not able to meet with you upon your arrival.”

“No apologies are necessary,” Oukranos said. They wouldn’t have been able to speak to Miss Shepherd if the duchess had caught them first, after all. “Has the situation you described in your report changed?”

“It is much the same.” The duchess gestured to her left with a gloved hand. “The girl Judith is hiding in a cave over there. Every time one of my men has approached the entrance, they are shoved back as if by an invisible hand. Or worse, they are smothered to death. She refuses to come out, nor will she listen to reason.” Turning her gaze back to Oukranos, she added, "I do not wish to see her come to harm. That is why I haven't stormed the cave to draw her out by force. But I am concerned that she will attack others who may venture here unwittingly, and meet a similar fate."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

“It isn’t like that for Pylantians?” Even as Ben posed the question, he pictured Oukranos’ wife, Master Kassogtha Cthylla, with her boneless, gelatinous mass of a body covered in dozens of eyes, mouths, and pseudopods, somehow giving birth. It then occurred to him that perhaps he was a little too curious—and imaginative—for his own good.

For a moment, Ben and Cora shared the same thought process. Before her imagination could get too colorful, she forcibly wiped it clean. A faint tinge of pink dusted her cheeks. Pregnancy was a tricky issue for the princess, but here, motherhood was considered one of the most important achievements a woman could aspire to. No matter what form it allegedly came in.

When it came to Ukatis, the knight tended to shy away from conversations like this. Still, she couldn't help but find them fascinating. When people in Alliance space spoke of her home world, it was either with disdain or pity. No one ever lauded the little agricultural world for its natural beauty or her hardworking people.

As they approached the hunting party and announced themselves as Jedi, one could practically feel the temperature drop a few degrees. The mounts parted, letting the trio through to meet the duchess.

The Duchess of Carolus. Cora turned the name over in her mind, trying to pin down any notable figures or events attached to the house. At one point, she'd memorized the names and faces of nearly every ranking member of the Ukatian aristocracy. What took her notice was the fact that the duchess appeared to be around the same age as Cora's own mother. She squinted – no, perhaps a bit younger.

The knight followed the motion of a gloved hand as it gestured toward the cave. She frowned, imagining a frightened, pregnant girl hiding from her abuser.

Cora's fingers tightened where they held the reins of the horse. She did not need to imagine such a thing, and fought down a swell of emotion before it could break the passive mask of her face.

"May I ask, Duchess, what triggered the...incident?"

She was not trying to stoke the fire, nor was she trying to sate her own morbid sense of curiosity – any details could help them safely recover Judith. Or so, she told herself.

Ben Khal

 

[Ben Khal]

The duchess’ story was well-crafted, provided one didn’t bother to scratch the surface. She didn’t mention the background events that had led to Judith’s hiding in the cave, or even how she had stumbled upon the Force sensitive girl in the first place.

Corazona posed the obvious question.

"May I ask, Duchess, what triggered the... incident?"

“As I detailed in my report, a murder was committed. Judith was brought to my attention as a suspect—”

“Before you continue, I must warn you,” Oukranos interrupted. “Any lies or falsehood you speak, I will see through them.” His statuesque gaze was nearly hypnotic as he focused on her, and only her. “Who was murdered?”

Her eyes were drawn to his, and slowly but surely the walls came down. “My son,” she said softly. “Henrik. He took her against her will. She slew him, but by then she was already with child. I had her detained and questioned. She was found to be insane.”

“What brought you to that conclusion?”

“She expressed a desire to harm herself and her unborn child,” the duchess replied, fiddling nervously with her sleeve. “After five months’ time, she escaped her cell and fled here. My men pursued her, but she evaded them.”

“Why did it take her five months to try and escape?” Ben muttered, scowling beneath his hood.

“Blaise the Magus countered her powers.” Her fiddling with her sleeve became more pronounced. “They said he was the greatest mystic in the world. But one day he disappeared, and that was when Judith escaped.”

Ben’s brow furrowed. It seemed improbable that Judith could have overpowered this Magus. More likely he had deliberately betrayed the duchess, acting as Judith’s accomplice—though not necessarily one with good intentions for her.

“I see.” Oukranos glanced toward the cave, frowning. “Why didn’t you mention this in your report?”

“I… I thought I did.”

The Force found no deception in her answer. Oukranos held her gaze, probing deeper. “Your memories have been altered,” he concluded. “Sloppily, but enough to accomplish a certain goal. Don’t fret, now. Can you think of a reason why Blaise would betray you?”

“I do not know. I…” The duchess swallowed, her throat bobbing visibly. “I was terrified. You Force Users—your powers are so devastating, so unpredictable. Whole armies cannot stand against even one of you, let alone two…”

A sound suddenly emanated from the cave. It sounded like a cry, human and yet distorted, muffled through layers of rock and soil. The duchess stared at the cave’s yawning mouth as if it might swallow her whole. Yet she calmed her startled horse and kept her back straight as she faced the Jedi once more. “I fear her time has come,” she said. “You must put a stop to this madness, before it is too late.”

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As the duchess' story unfolded further, Cora found her attention drawn to Oukranos. Specifically, the way he started at the noblewoman as if he were gazing into her soul.

The details proved to be gruesome little things. Repeated assaults, the intervention of Blaise the Magus, and Judith's alleged insanity.

"When a Force user's control slips, they can become destructive," Cora said quietly. It was no wonder that Judith, alone and frightened, had lashed out in desperation. The duchess was something of a victim in all this too, given the apparent alteration of her memories. Who knew how many gruesome details had yet to be discovered.

What joy it is to be a woman, she thought bitterly.

A wail suddenly reverberated through the cavern, loud and desperate enough to spook the horses. Cora's eyes widened, and she turned her mount towards the cave.

"I will go to her," she said. "The most important thing right now is Judith and her baby." Dismounting the mare, she handed the reins to Ben without another word. Beneath her hood, blue eyes were flared in alarm. Cora gave the duchess a curt bow of her head before she began to move towards the cave one careful step at a time.

"Judith," she called softly, projecting an air of calm into the Force that she hoped the girl might pick up on. "Are you alright? My name is Cora. I'm a Jedi, and I'm here to help you and your baby."

Her movements were kept slow and cautious, both hands raised to chest level with palms turned outward. She didn't know if Judith would allow her to get close – or even into the cave at all.

Ben Khal