The Shape of destiny.

[Not Ordo]

"It's said among our people the Jedi were our saviours. They gave us what we longed to find, a home, peace, an end to our warlike self-destructive path but to this day all we have given back has been silence and the memories of a galaxy on its knees. I'd say we owe them a good deal more." Ulu's journal entry taungsday 12, 856 ABY.


Eyes the color of glacial ice watched from the ship as it eased down on the twisted landscape beneath it. Her brown waist length hair was tied back in a series of small braids that were themselves braided together and resting over her left shoulder as she stood with the team from the legendary world Zenoma Sekot.

Her mother shed her mask of calm for a moment and shuddered before returning to her usual look of ageless serenity. The ship's struts extended and slowly the Sekotan transport settled and began to quiet. The walls nearly seemed to breath as they walked out of the piece of living technology with the rest of the 12 person shaper team.

"Ulu, ensure that the local peoples know we have come to help, my basic is weak, as you well know." Her mother said as they gathered at the foot of the boarding ramp.

"Of course, Mother." The young Yuuzhan Vong woman known as Ulu replied calmly, though within herself the thoughts and legends of Jedi danced like starlight on a rolling sea.

The team quietly began walking up the boarding ramp to retrieve their equipment knowing full well these people would not welcome them at first. In time however, and with effort they may be able to show them the attrocities wrought on Alderaan could be undone and had not been done by the whole of their kind but a select few.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She was on a planet she didn’t know and in a position of insecurity as the Force was not something she could rely on. So why she asked her Padawan to leave with her best friend whilst she remained on Alderaan was unfathomable Yet there was a pull she couldn’t explain keeping her here - and she knew she couldn’t leave until something happened. But what that something was, she had no idea.

As she walked, she saw the result of the Sith’s handiwork. She was no expert on the Yuuzhan Vong. She knew Jedi Lore and some Sith history but precious little about the Yuuzhan Vong culture. Since encountering Voxyn on a few occasions, she’d done a little research. She believed their culture was centred on sacrifice and their gods, although warriors in particular were centred on the philosophy of pain.

She felt she was being drawn to a specific place but by what means she had no idea. Was this the Force at work? But she trusted the Force - even in the present circumstances - and so was prepared to see what was awaiting her.

[member="Ulu Rin"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Something in the back of her mind tugged as the small team began erecting a small structure. They would have to kill the old flora and possibly fauna before they could use their new terraforming methods to restore the world.

"Master Rin, we are ready to contact the local people and tell them we're ready to begin." a young male shaper said.

"Very well, Vek, thank you." Ulu's mother said, "Ulu is something wrong?"

"Mother, I, I think someone is coming." Ulu replied still learning to trust her feelings.

"I see. Did you hear or was it your gift that tells you this? "

"I feel someone Mother."

"Ah. I see." She said a small smile turned up the corners of the older woman's lips, "Go my dear, but be careful the Sith may yet be near."

She tried to hide her excitement but her mother knew all too well the measure of pride she had in her "gift". "Thank you mother." Ulu said as she put down her tools and began to walk away following her feelings rising and falling strength to guid her. Her black and tan pants and tank top her only garments for the work were well suited for walking and exploration. She tied her long hair back as she walked and hoped her mother was mistaken and no sith were still here.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus continued to walk - drawn inexorably to a single point by either an unknown force or the Force. As she walked she was aware of movement ahead. Her hand went instinctively to her saber hilt. Without the Force to guide her, she felt vulnerable. But despite the fact, she relaxed and carried on walking, her hands back by her sides.

Whatever was coming, it seemed to be heading straight for her. And this far away from the republic troops, her expectations of it being friendly were slim. And yet she remained calm despite the logic of the situation.

[member="Ulu Rin"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Ulu stopped and waited a moment. She could have sworn she saw movement. Slowly she heard soft steps on the path where she stood and she began to move. She boldly kept her chin high as she rounded the corner to see the being for the first time. A human, a female human, and unaccompanied was on the path before her.

Ulu wanted to start at the sight of the silver cylinder on the woman's belt but decided if it hadn't been drawn she would not do anything to incite it to be. She watched the woman unsure of what to do or say. Her glacial blue eyes stared openly and her lips pressed together tightly as she thought of what she should do. A thought formed, a hope perhaps and she slowly opened her mouth to speak.

"Are you a Jeedai?" Ulu asked barely keeping the hope from her voice and not at all from her mind.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was doubly surprised when she came face to face with the stranger. Firstly that she wasn't immediately attacked - and the second was that there was no immediate reaction to attack either. Yet here she was face to face with someone who she'd only known as an enemy.

So when she spoke, Corvus was both amazed and yet oddly not surprised. Something had brought her to this place. Was it the Force? She daren't even think about the word nowadays - for fear of some supernatural retribution - so she just let it play out as anyone else would.

"Yes, I am a Jedi." She smiled and bowed. She wasn't sure if the pronunciation was in error or a mention of the historic Je'daii Order. But her tone was soft and not correcting. "And you are?"

[member="Ulu Rin"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

The young woman continued to stare. Was it so? These beings were said to be filled with power and hearts of light. They had brought peace to the Yuuzhan Vong and in turn her ancestor Nei Rin had helped to terraform Ossus during the years before Krayt rose back to prominence.

"I am called Ulu, a shaper." She said unsure if the woman would know of her profession. Caste were a thing of the past on Zenoma Sekot among Yuuzhan Vong. "We came to help fix Alderaan and...I felt you come."

She folded her hands together in front of herself calmly. What else could ahe say?

"Did you come to arrest us great Jeedai?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was still unsure what to do - but top of the ‘not to do’ list was arrest anyone.

“Ulu, I have heard of the Yuuzhan Vong but had limited personal contact if I’m honest. But my experience so far has not been…positive.” She smiled to show that she was at least trying to convey a mood of friendliness.

“The Force, the means by which we Jedi are able to do so many of the things you may have heard about, well it is broken. Not permanently I am sure - but at least temporarily. But even with it, the Yuuzhan Vong are closed to me. Yet in some way I sensed your presence and I do not know why. I did not attempt to use the Force yet something led me here. I do not believe it was a coincidence so I am open to what you have to say.”

“This planet is not how it used to be because shaper’s did things to it. Are you saying you can undo what has been done?” She smiled again. “Please don’t think I doubt you - I do not mean to offend you, just understand you better.”

[member="Ulu Rin"]

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Ulu stood in awe that a jedi had come to them so soon. Her blue eyes closed for a moment as she thought and tried to formulate a coherent response.

"Can we undo what has been done? Yes." she said with confidence that at the very least showed she believed it to be true, "The Yuuzhan Vong you have faced are exiles. They refused to give up the old ways and embrace our new home world. We are not the same people any longer."

Ulu stepped forward and offered her hand unsure of human customs.

"Come, I will show you to the rest of us."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus took the girl's hand - unwilling to offend however genuine her intentions. "That is a standard greeting. I am a Jedi and we tend to bow," she showed Ulu what she meant, "But not all Jedi do. It is a tradition but some prefer to embrace new ways. Sometimes change is important, at other times less so." She smiled at the analogy of the Yuuzhan Vong. "And I would love to meet the rest of you."

Corvus still daren't risk using the Force, so followed based upon nothing but a gut instinct. These were different and if she - a Jedi - could not embrace that, what chance did the rest of the galaxy.

[member="Ulu Rin"]