Rating: PG-13.
Category: Category: Introspective/bonding
Archive: Jediprudes, everybody else - just ask!
Warnings: none.
Spoilers: none.
Feedback: Please! Please! Please! *Gryns* amberlfc@y...
Disclaimer: All characters and settings belonging to the great George Lucas are to be regarded as his personal creations. I am just a very poor woman with an overactive imagination… and a very persistent plot bunny.
Special Thanks To Hypatia for giving me great advice and being a kind listener. Also, thanks to my wonderful beta reader for putting up with all my doubts.
Part 1
Setting: Coruscant, Pre TPM.
Shaena was simply another human living within the glorious city of Coruscant, the jewel of the core worlds. However, the gleaming city top hid the Real Coruscant from the eyes of the galaxy. Many levels below the sunlit rooftops of the Senate Building and the Ancient Towering Jedi Temple lay the living breathing Coruscant.
While ordinances for keeping the city clean of refuse were strictly enforced, little could be done about the pollution choking the air of this great city. The air was filled with thousands of passing vehicles, and transports. The many spaceports this great city held added to the problem. The common citizen had to wear protective clothing and equipment while traveling out of the protective confines of their particular building. Many however were too poor to afford the elegant air filters that the upper class used, designed to slip invisibly within what ever breathing orifice your particular race used. Most made do with a basic air mask device that allowed them to breath freely when traveling from building to building.
The bottom dwellers, as the more well off citizens called them, however usually could not even afford the cheapest of these devices. They had to scrape together what they could, usually a thin scarf was all they could find to protect their lungs from the punishing air. They lived on the very lowest of the civilized levels of the city. The levels below these were forbidden areas where no one was officially allowed access.
Shaena however long ago found ways past the large bolted security doors that blocked the ways down into the bowels of Coruscant. Long ago, these buildings were inhabited; a resourceful person could scavenge something of a life from these ruins of the past. But one had to be very careful, there were many rumors of the dangers that waited for the unwary, hidden in the darkness below the feet of proud Coruscant.
Shaena was returning from a successful trip through an abandoned airshaft, when she heard a strange sound. Her hands froze on the shield plate that covered the opening to the shaft. She heard the sound again; it was like a low cry. It was hard to tell where it was coming from; the thick metal of the grate muffled her hearing. Carefully, she opened the grate and slipped down to the hard duracrete floor.
The cry seemed to be coming from somewhere to her left Cautiously she moved against the wall towards the sound. Her hazel eyes blinked to try to focus in the darkness that was past the open doorway. The cry was a little clearer now, it sounded too much like a baby's cry. But that had to be impossible. Most people avoided being this close to lower levels.
Shaena hesitated, her curiosity warring with her common sense. The cry increased in its urgency. If that was a baby then why was no one taking care of it? Making a quick decision, she pulled out one of her essential luxuries, a very small hand light. Shining the light into the darkness, she could see some crates and other rubbish formed together to create some semblance of furniture. There room was bare otherwise. A rather strong unpleasant odor assaulted her nose. She wrinkled her nose in distasted and pulled her scarf up around her face to try to block it. There was another open doorway that led deeper into the darkened chambers. The cry seemed to be coming from there.
Moving around some strewn boxes, she made her way towards the doorway. Shining the light through the doorway she could she nothing but a large pile of rags that lay in the middle of the room. The smell was stronger here, causing her to gag even through the blocking scarf. It reminded her strongly of the faint smell that wafted up from the very depths of the city. There was a small movement from the pile of rags, the cry louder now, closer. Shaena walked slowly around the pile of rags, her light flashing as she kept looking around for any threat. The rags moved again, she crouched down and quickly pulled back the tattered bit of cloth that covered the crying moving mass.
Shaena was surprised by what she saw. It was most defiantly a baby, which was what she was expecting. What surprised her was the horrible condition the little creature was in. What she could see from her poor light source caused her heart to ache, the baby was painfully thin, its tender skin was covered in fierce red insect bites, and its shabby rag it wore as a diaper was the source of much of the stench that permeated the shabby chamber. Shaena's maternal instincts overcame her disgust and she lifted the wailing baby into her arms, cooing softly to sooth its cries. Her light shined on something else that lay within that makeshift bed. Tucking the little one in the crook of her right arm, she carefully moved the rest of the rags that covered the pile. She drew back in utter revulsion and shock. Lying on the bed was the decaying corpse of the poor baby's mother. Pulling the baby even closer to her as if to protect it from this horror, she ran out the doorway.
Stumbling over some crates in the outer room in her haste she found herself falling forward towards the ground. Quickly twisting so she didn't fall on the baby, she slammed her shoulder against the hard duracrete. Pain flashed behind her eyes and her vision clouded over. She lay there on the ground for a few minutes until the frightened cry of the baby pierce through her dazed mind.
Shaena slid herself painfully to lie against the cold wall, cooing to baby to try to calm it down, trying to catch her breath. What should she do, what could she do? The mother was dead, and the baby did not seem to have anyone else. She could not leave it here to die. By the gods, her shoulder hurt. First she needed to get this baby some nourishment, and then she would worry about her own pains. Shaena gritted her teeth against the fiery pain in her shoulder as she pulled herself to her feet. Fortunately her little hole in the wall was only a few levels above this one.
The baby's cries softened as she brought it out into the fresher air of the darkened corridor. Now the only trick would be to figure out how to climb that narrow maintenance ladder encumbered by a sick baby and quite possibly a dislocated shoulder. Gazing up at the long climb of the ladder, Shaena paused for a long moment. Cradling the baby carefully with her bad arm, she pulled her pack from her back. After a moment's thought she pulled her tattered coat off as well. She swaddled the baby in the warm folds of her oversized coat. She laid the baby gently on the ground, and then opened her pack. She emptied out the few items that she scrounged that day. Taking the baby up into her arms again, she carefully put the baby into her pack. Closing the opening enough to make sure that the babe would not fall out, yet open enough that there would still be air. She shouldered the pack with a pained hiss. Hugging her hurt left arm against her body, she began to climb the ladder using her right arm.
~*~*~*~
The trip to her dwelling would normally take her about fifteen minutes, it now took her almost an hour. She had to stop and hold herself steady to catch her breath as her shoulder throbbed in agony. Since before the climb the baby had not made a single peep and Shaena was growing concerned.
Finally she made it to her door, really nothing more then a piece of cloth drawn across a small cut out in an old wall. Much of her dwelling was reminiscent of that dark hole where she found the little one. Though, much cleaner and the stench of death did not fill the air. The only things of value Shaena had she carried with her. Shaena turned on one of her few lights, the electricity tapped from the building's main line. She pulled the pack off her back, her eyes dancing with the pain of moving her injured shoulder. She quickly yet gently pulled the baby out of it. The baby opened its eyes and made a weak attempt at reaching towards her with a tiny hand. Shaena nearly wept with relief at seeing at least some life in the little body.
Shaena brought the baby into her fresher. This place was a fortunate find for her. It had mostly functional water and such, again tapped in from the building's main line. Turning on the lights in the fresher, she took a closer look at her little charge. She made a soft sound of dismay; the poor child was in such a state. She quickly washed the baby in warm water. Under the bites, the baby's skin was flushed a bright scarlet and was hot to the touch. This little one was sick, very sick.
She had never been around children before, what do they eat? What kind of care do they need? Shaena sighed in frustration. This is beyond her limited knowledge. She rewrapped the baby in her coat and brought it out into her main room. Think… She must think! What can she feed this little one? Milk… Only she had none. Her rations consisted of what she could scrounge up for the day. She laid the baby down on her small bedding pile. She fished in her money pouch to see what she had.
She quickly counted what little money she found. Her heart fell, there was not nearly enough for medicine and food for the baby. No respectable doctor would take a bottom dweller in his or her office in the first place. Any that would see them would require more money for a fee than she had. She had to try something; she could not just let this little life be wasted. The Jedi Temple! They had healers! If they refused to help her, she could leave the child there.
"Well little one, would you like to go to the temple?" She asked the baby quietly. The baby giggled softly and smiled brightly at her. "He just likes the sound of my voice." She told herself, losing herself in his deep blue eyes. She shook herself out of her daze. It was a long way to the temple. A long climb to where she could catch an air taxi. That would use all of her slender reserves, but she would not fail this child.
She paused in her thoughts. Why was she trying so hard to save this child? She mused for a moment. A debt… she owed her life to someone who she could never repay. Someone brought her to that poor orphanage, she too was very sick. Unfortunately that orphanage was closed down five years ago. Otherwise she would take the child there. She did not know where any other was. This child needed help now; she could not spare the time in looking for another orphanage.
Shaena pulled her injured arm against her chest, and then pulled her spare shirt over her head, keeping the arm under it. With some clever maneuvering she tied her belt over the tunic, making the arm somewhat stable. With her good arm she put her precious bundle back in her pack and left her humble home without a backward glance.
~*~*~*~
Part 2
Shaena's slender body ached with weariness. The climb was excruciatingly slow. Fortunately just five levels above hers, one could take an elevator towards the top of the building where one could catch an air taxi. She sat down on one of the padded benches that the elevator provided, shivers of pain and fatigue echoing though her body. She took the precious bundle out of her carry sack. He did not look good at all; his breathing was becoming shallower and his deep blue eyes had a worrying glassy look to them.
Shaena laid the baby on the bench next to her, and then pulled out her canteen of water. Pouring a little in the cap, she dipped her finger in the water then gently traced the water along the baby's cracked lips. Shaena sighed in frustration; the lift was taking far to long for her liking. Several times on the trip, the elevator stopped and someone got on or off. The higher they went the more passengers there were, and the better classed. Shaena pointedly ignored the sidelong glances she was receiving. One particularly dressy lady made a comment about offensive odors and it was all Shaena could do not to shoot that lady a heated glare.
Finally, the elevator stopped at the top of the building. Shaena bundled the baby close against her body to protect it from the winds that whipped around the taller buildings. She looked around searching for an air taxi. She made several attempts but was pointedly ignored for the most part in difference to potentially higher paying customers. Shaena was about to give up in utter despair when she spied a very dubious and rather battered cab that the other taxis positively dwarfed.
Shaena walked up to the small decrepit air taxi. It had seen better days, so had its aged pilot who was waiting out side of the diminutive cab. "Please sir, I need to get to the temple." Shaena asked pleadingly. The elderly human took in her appearance and was about to refuse her when the baby decided to start crying. Shaena opened her carry sack and cooed at the upset baby. "Hush little one. All will be well, I promise you."
The pilot sighed deeply, and ran a hand through his thinning white hair. He could not abandon a mother and an ill child, regardless of credits. His wife would kill him if she ever found out. "C'mon" he told her in a gruff voice, then led her into his cab. He carefully strapped them in the passenger area, and then disappeared into the cockpit.
Shaena sighed in relief; they would get to the temple, but what then? She only hoped that they got there in time, the baby was getting worse. His cries were stuttered and hoarse coming out of his sore throat. Again, she slowly gave water to the baby, ignoring the spectacular scenery that passed outside her view port.
~*~*~*~
Night was beginning to fall over the galactic capitol. The agile air taxi weaved in and out of traffic with an improbable speed. Still the journey from the other side of Coruscant took far longer then Shaena would have like. The little baby that had entered her life so suddenly was sleeping fitfully cradled in her good arm. Shaena's other arm had gone thankfully numb a while back. The Temple was her only hope for saving this lost one's life.
The taxi docked at the traffic terminal for the temple. Shaena offered her last credits to the aged pilot who only shook his head in refusal. Unbelieving Shaena insisted that the kind man have the credits. The pilot firmly told her to go take care of that baby. Shaena thanked the man with heartfelt gratitude and stepped out onto the open-air docking platform. She took a deep breath; the air was remarkably clear and fresh. She never had such a sweet cool breeze surrounding her. She looked up at the temple in awe. It dominated the entire skyline. Its graceful spirals towered many meters over the surrounding buildings. The entire temple was lit up with warm lights, which made the building sparkle like some rare treasure. Few people walked in and out through an arched entrance, some were the legendary Jedi clad in their flowing robes, and some were mortals like her going about whatever business they had at this time in the early evening.
Shaena took a nervous gulp. While some might take the sight to be serene and peaceful, Shaena could only feel dwarfed and intimidated by this bastion of the mystifying force. She hugged the babe close to her body to protect its weakened body from the wind and walked out from the protection the bulk of the taxi provided and began the short walk that led her to the entrance into the Temple of the Jedi. Shaena's heart was beating a mile a minute. She had never been so nervous or frightened as she was at this moment. Circles of doubt flowed through her mind. One of her sort simply did not disturb the sanctuary of the Jedi. What would they think of her audacity? She hesitated at the great doors that led into the Temple. Could she just walk right in? As her thoughts turned to leaving, a gentle hand softly touched her arm. "Help you, I can?" a concerned gravelly voice asked her. She spun around in a startled jump, her shoulder slamming painfully into the metal door. The warm mossy green eyes of a diminutive humanoid with antennae like ears stared up at her in concern. I was all too much for her; the returning pain, the fact that she had not eaten for two days, and had no sleep either suddenly caught up to her. Shaena's vision slowly began to fade into strange blurs of dark browns, soft greens, and cool whites as the world spun around her. Voices speaking in strange tongues floated through her awareness until soon she knew nothing more.
~*~*~*~
Shaena slowly regained consciousness, her mind trying to catalog her many pains. To her surprise, she just felt comfortable and warm. Even the old injury to her knee did not ache. There were strange sounds around her. An insistent beeping, hushed voices coming from somewhere and the vague whir of droids were the few that she could pick out. Something was missing however. Shaena's mind thought about it groggily for a few minutes before she sat straight up in the bed. Where was the baby?
"Oh you are awake I see." A soothing young woman's voice spoke.
Shaena turned her head in the direction of the voice, standing in a doorway holding a covered tray was a young Twi'lek girl dressed in soft green robes. The girl smiled warmly at her and walked towards the bed and set the tray down on a table near the bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked Shaena while checking over the monitoring machines.
"The child? Did he survive? Where is he?" Shaena asked in a rush, trying to get out of the bed, only to be gently pushed back by a strong caring hand.
"Shh, the baby is fine, although it is a very good thing that you brought him here when you did. How did you allow him to get into such poor condition?" She asked, her voice reproving.
Shaena fell back onto the bed in relief. The little one is well she did not fail him. Aware of the questioning eyes waiting patiently for her reply she looked up at the healer. "I did not allow it. I found him down in the lower levels of the city. " Shaena sighed. "The poor child's mother was... It was horrible. I could not leave him there to die!" She said defensively.
"Ahh, so you found the child and brought him here. " The healer asked. At Shaena's nod, she smiled. "Why here? Why not a doctor or perhaps an orphanage?"
"I have no money to feed the little one, let alone get the medical attention he needed. The only orphanage I knew of shut down 5 years ago. He did not have the time for me to go hunting down another one." She said tiredly. The whole ordeal taxed her last energy. Now this questioning, though she expected as much. "Listen, can I go now? I did what I could for the child." Shaena snapped at the sweet-faced healer. She only wanted to go home and forget about everything.
The healer nodded with a sigh. "Your shoulder has been cared for. Just take it easy. " She pointed at some folded clothes on a chair. "Your garments are there. You are free to get dressed at your leisure." The healer turned to leave, but then Shaena called out for her to stop.
"The baby… what will happen to him?" She asked softly.
The healer smiled brightly, " He has been found to be force sensitive. He will be cared for here in the temple. Perhaps someday he will be a great Jedi."
Shaena felt a heavy weight lift from her heart. The child's future would be very bright. He would be loved and raised with care. She looked up into the deep eyes of the healer, her eyes glistening with the light of tears. "Thank you… thank you for everything."
"It is we who thank you, for bringing him to us. Good journey." With that the healer turned and left the room.
Shortly Shaena was guided out of the temple and with a last glance behind her she stepped into a taxi and left on the journey back to her life. She could not help feeling like she was leaving behind her heart, deep within that spectacular temple.
~*~*~*~
Part 3
A few weeks later…
Shaena groaned in frustration as she made the trip back to the hole she slept in. She used to call it home, hell it was her home until that fateful day when she found him. She had thought that after bringing the child to the temple and they took him in that she had done her part. In all logical sense she did more then was called for in such situations. Nobody else she knew would have gone to the lengths she did. Most of them would have just left the child where they found him. Then why did she feel this deep heart wrenching guilt for abandoning him? Abandoned? they took him in, he is safe and warm he was not abandoned. But, you left him there with people you do not know, her heart whispered to her. She was about to tell her rebellious heart to be quiet when she stopped suddenly before turning the corridor that led to her hole. Something was wrong
Shaena peeked her head around the corner; standing outside of her curtain was a uniformed peacekeeper. She whipped her head back and pressed back against the cool duracrete wall. Damn! They found out that she was tapping illegally into the buildings main lines. She knew she should have left immediately but took one last look down the corridor. There was someone else there talking to the peacekeeper. Shaena felt a wave of déjà vu flow through her at the sight of the diminutive robed figure. He turned his head to look at her with those eyes that seemed to see into the depths of your soul. Shaena felt a recognizing shock and saw those eyes widen in surprise. The sound of her racing heart seemed to fill the room with its loud beat. She felt herself going closer and closer to those mossy eyes, closer to the creature that, though small, seemed to command more presence then any other person she had met. She felt something strangely familiar reaching out for her, calling to her.
The peacekeeper turned to see what the other was looking at and then quickly shouted something at her. That broke the spell on Shaena and she was shocked to find herself standing still at the corner to the corridor. Quickly she recovered from her shock and turned to run back down the corridor. She heard footsteps running behind her. She felt a hand trying to grasp at her coveralls when she reached her escape route. Quickly she took a dive down into a hole in the duracrete wall. Though she expected the sudden slide downwards it still ripped a gasp from her lips. She heard a muffled curse as she slid down into enveloping darkness.
She slid for a short time before hitting the landing hard. She took out her hand light and shone it in the darkness gathering her bearings. She heard a scuffling noise coming down the hole. Shaena cursed softly to herself and rolled to her feet and hit a dead run deeper into the dark corridor. She could think of only one place where they would likely not follow, the lower levels.
When she reached her entrance down into the depths of the lower levels she was shocked. There was now a large metal plate covering the old grate. Terror rose up into her throat, she was just here an couple of hours ago how did they… Her thought was broken off as she heard approaching footsteps. Again she ran away from the sound of those footsteps.
Shaena ran for some time, up ladders, down corridors through places only a bottom dweller would know about. Always behind her she could hear those ever-present footsteps. Eventually she ran out of places she could hide, she could only keep going. Shaena's breath was labored from her efforts, her side burned with the effort of keeping ahead of those phantom footsteps.
She turned a corner to see that small figure standing there calmly in the middle of the corridor. His stance was one of patient anticipation, his eyes shown no surprise of her sudden appearance. Shaena was shocked to think that this frail creature was the one who pursued her through the depths of the edge levels. His remarkable ears were perked up as if awaiting an answer to an unspoken question.
Shaena slumped against the wall with her head hung low, catching her breath, trying to calm her thoughts. She looked up through her shaggy blonde hair at him. Suddenly she chuckled and a wry smile crossed her lips as she pushed herself away from the cold wall and walked slowly towards the waiting creature. Stopping before him and crouching down so she could meet him eye to eye.
"Yes?" She said simply with resigned humor flashing in her eyes.
"Talk we must… hmmm, needed are you…. yes" He said simply.
"What can one such as I do for one such as you?" She replied to him.
"Need you I do not, needs you does the young child brought you to the temple." He said gravely.
Shaena's face grew ashen at his words and instinctively she turned and looked in the direction of the temple, as if trying to see the child through miles of air and duracrete. "I will come."
~TBC
