The Hunters and the Hunted 8

In all the excitement and madness I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday, the actual day I had been born and not the day my family had always celebrated. I didn’t consider this day particularly special, it was an unfamiliar date to me and I had insisted that everyone in my family just ignore it. My birthday had always been celebrated on the day that I had been found and not born; I had seen no reason to change that. For the second year in a row, despite my requests to not recognise this day, everyone had utterly disregarded me on this matter. It seemed my family and friends liked having any excuse to celebrate and nothing I said or did would change that. I had to admit a little part of me was pleased.

Although my instinct was to read Thrawn’s letter right away, it was the package from my family that I opened first. I slid the little recording into my player. I knew instantly that Bedi had been the instigator despite the fact that it was my father who had made the holo. My father’s image shimmered into place, he looked a little uncomfortable and I knew that just out of the holo-emitter’s range, Bedi was urging him to speak. My father usually wrote to me on a datacard.

“Well…erm... as you can see, Merly we’ve totally ignored your wishes again. Actually it was Bel and Bedi’s idea but we all agreed this is a special day and it should be treated as such. So you will be the one person in this family who gets to celebrate two birthdays instead of one. Mostly everyone here just misses you and this was a decent excuse to send you a small care package from home. But since your real birthday, your found day is still the main event we just sent little, silly things this time.”

He stopped for a moment and his holo image shimmered.

“Anyway, I hope that you are safe and well. Vahlek said that when he left Coruscant you looked much better and your last letter confirmed that you were still among the land of the living. I do worry about you…oh Bedi is poking me to tell you that Rys got a job as a back up singer and she dropped by last week to see how you were doing. There is a data chip in this parcel some where with her address on it. Apart from that, honey, there is nothing new to tell you and mostly we all wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Vahl said he’d send you something separate, he’s off world right now doing goodness knows what.”

Suddenly everyone was trying to crowd into the capture and I laughed as Bedi and Bel shoved in by my father. The holo-capture platform at the docking bay was small.

“We love you and miss you! Take care of yourself, love.” My father said and was then drowned out as the other two yelled birthday wishes. I guessed they had over loaded the holo recorder because it shut off suddenly.

I unwrapped the small gifts which had been carefully mailed to me and smiled, Tatooine salt sweets, a large packet of my favourite blend of mek’kefa beans, a small holo capture of everyone I could put on a shelf and a little bottle of my father’s self made alcoholic poison. It was a small piece of home and it made me long to go back. I missed them all. I also sometimes missed my life there and how it had been before I had come to work for the Empire but given the chance, I wouldn’t change how things had turned out.

The next thing I opened came from Shiv who, unlike my father, had no problems with making a hologram for me.

“Hey Rim Girl!

I know you said not to fuss but hell, it’s your real birthday so we all decided to ignore you! Birthdays should be celebrated. And don’t shake your head at me!

I heard that you guys were off battling the rebels somewhere but the HoloNet news is sketchy right now so how about sending some details? It would be nice to know that you are still in one piece.

Here on Coruscant, it is the same old same old. There was no big move to Naboo this year though. The Emperor has withdrawn a lot from the public eye and Sate Pestage isn’t interested in the usual change over so everyone stayed put. I can’t say that I am sorry. The move was always a big pain in the rear to co ordinate. Besides I have other more pressing things to deal with at the moment.

Pestage is a strange man, downright creepy actually but I guess that should not be too surprising seeing as whose footsteps he’s following in. He’s on really chummy terms with Ysanne Isard so I guess things, from an Intel point of view, will get tighter. Isard is a real piece of work and lately she has been digging her claws into a lot of things. I can’t talk about them here but I’ll fill you in when you get back. Ever since Tygs’s arrest the atmosphere at court amongst us lowly Palace workers is tense to say the least.

Anyway I didn’t start this holo to whine at you, I can do that when you come back, you are coming back at some point aren’t you or did that manic ex-flame of yours scare you off Coruscant for life? I hope not, I miss you, you know. So have a happy day. The little gift is from Me, Ynyth, Bobbyn and Cati, yes I told her. I know it’s not the birthday you really celebrate but we have something else planned for that. Still you were born on this day so we decided to make it a big deal, deal with it! Oh Cati says not to get blown up or anything, that would be a bad way to celebrate! Love you lots!” Shiv ended the holo with a kiss kiss motion.

I opened the little package and grinned. They had sent me a set of holo-dramas, the first two seasons of my favourite show. A gripping drama set during the Clone War times called Lost Brotherhood. I had complained because I kept missing episodes due to various incidents, accidents and being hauled off planet with Lord Vader. Now I had something to watch aside from the boring junk that was transmitted over the ship’s internal entertainment channel.

My uncle had written me a letter, instead of his usual datacard messages. His handwriting was slanted, old fashioned and surprisingly neat.

Lei-lei,

I know you will be making ‘that face’ but a day of birth should be celebrated. Your father told me that they are mailing you something from home and asked if I wanted to be included but I had already made some plans so I begged off this time. I would have recoded a datachip but the damn recorder is broken, so I am doing this the old fashioned way.

I am currently on Anzat. Earlier today I met with someone who might be able to help me understand where Jyrki got a hold of the Scha’ad’uk. I once trained under this man, who is as ancient as he is wise, and I thought that he would have some answers for me. Unfortunately he was unable to help as much as I had hoped.

There are a number of the Scha’ad’uk unaccounted for, worth a huge amount of money in the collectors circles. He was very distressed to hear what had happened. It is an offence to misuse the assassin’s blade in this manner. I could tell you the tradition of the knives but that would take me a day’s worth of writing and I think that’s a tale better told in person. He was able to point in me in the right direction as to how Jyrki may have gotten a hold of the blade though, so we will see what information that turns up. I am grateful for your patience in this matter with Jyrki; I know it has not been easy for you. I promise you I will deal with him.

Now on to other things, I was on Nar Shaddaa a week ago and happened on a small shop that specializes in custom holograms of all kinds. I know that despite your gregariousness and ability to make friends you still get a bit lonely especially when you are in space with Vader so I had this made for you. It is a mini holo-pet. They were able to take one of the images I had of Kahvi and turn her into one of these holo-pets. They come in all sorts of sizes including life size, but the holo-transmitter for the life-size was too big to post. I also thought that the mini-pet would be something that you could sit on your desk, a little bit of whimsy for you.

I hope that you are well and fully recovered and that you are having a glorious day. Will see you soon enough I imagine. Stay out of trouble.

All my love,
Zte’sa Vahlek

I took the little holo transmitter which was as large as the palm of my hand and set it on the table in front of the couch, then turned it on. Much to my utter delight suddenly a small blue-glowing bearded jax hologram popped up and began to run around the table doing all the things that bearded jaxes do. I briefly skimmed through the instruction manual that had come with it and was delighted to find out that I could name my holo-pet and get it to do tricks. It was the perfect thing and I loved my uncle for it. I sat and looked at the gifts and the messages. Despite what I had told everyone about not celebrating this day I was grateful no one ever listened to me. Before I opened Thrawn’s parcel I got up and made a cup of tea, saving and savouring the best for last.

A mia’ Tekari,

The Chiss have a saying; Sweetest is the fruit that is just out of reach. And, indeed, this is how you are for me at this very moment. Here, in the deep black of these Unknown Regions so far away, I am forced to come to terms with the fact that there is someone in my life for whom I care deeply, despite my initial desire to avoid all attachments of any sort. Have I learned how to tell you that I miss you with the appropriate language yet? I think so. If you are smiling as you read this then I have already achieved part of my goal.

I distinctly recall you mentioning that this was the date of your birth, although not the day you celebrate it on and no doubt you told everyone in your family and small circle of close friends to ignore it again. I am also absolutely certain everyone important in your life has disregarded this request. As you can see, I am no exception.

I once told you, on my home world we celebrate birthdays with a mixture of solemnity and quiet reflection. The idea being to look back over the year that has passed and see where improvements could be made, what mistakes were made and what was good, well done and praiseworthy. When I first experienced how humans celebrated a birthday I was horrified at the crassness of it, the sheer madness of the partying and the gayety of it all.

To me, as a Chiss, this was not a worthy way of marking the passage of one’s life. The birthday celebrations I observed at the Academy on Carida were raucous, loud affairs that usually involved a great deal of alcohol and tended to end badly with fist fights and an over abundance of testosterone induced emotion. Still, these events were rites of passage and as I observed more of them I began to see that human birthday traditions such as parties, the giving of gifts and mementos were not so much about being boorish or self centered but rather just a very different way of recognizing the span of a life time. Humans, I have come to understand, do not need a specific or special day to reflect up on their lives, they have a tendency to do this when ever the moment suits them.

Were I with you on Coruscant and had time permitted I would have taken you out to dinner at that lovely little bistro you like so much. I am certain that you have the perfect designer dress from Cati for such an occasion somewhere in your closet, something pretty and flattering to show off your beauty as well as be seductive enough to make me want to utterly misbehave.

Dinner would be a delicious, flirtatious affair throughout which I am sure you would tease me to distraction using your feminine wiles and your delightful force talent. While, I would do my best to maintain my cool in public, I would be forced to devise my plan of retaliation. I, too, can be subtle as you well know. I am certain you can imagine the things I am capable of and I can picture the blush on your cheeks as you read this. You have no idea how much that thought pleases me.

In-between all of these games of seduction, we would talk about everything and anything, as we always do, and I would learn a multitude of new things about you that I had never known before.

After dinner, I believe that going dancing at Geddy’s or taking in a show at the Opera House would be in order, here I would do my very best to seduce you with delicate caresses and warm whispers so that by the time we returned home you would not be able to resist my nefarious plans for the rest of the night.

Once home, we might step out onto the balcony with a night cap of brandy but chances are greater that I would simply whisk you off to bed and celebrate the day that you were born to the absolute best of my ability for as long as my stamina and your desire hold up. Perhaps it would not be the loud, drunken and often wild revels which I have observed in the past, but I assure you it would be an evening neither you nor I would forget.

Sadly, my dear, we are not afforded this luxury so you will have to make do with my words, your imagination and this small gift I am sending which I have had in my possession for some time now.

I bought it from a small shop on Corellia, a place called Vosteo’s. I had thought about presenting it to you while we were on Coruscant, an early celebration of this day, but circumstances brought on by your friend Jyrki prevented that. I had then hoped a quick meeting that had been planned with Lord Vader might provide the opportunity to give it to you in person but this meeting was cancelled. The rebels Lord Vader is intent on chasing took precedence over the strategic planning session. So as a last resort I have once again abused Jarack’s good nature and asked him to deliver it to you while he is on a mission for me, hopefully in time for your birthday.

Now, I am afraid I must end this if it is to reach you in time. I know that this letter will be bittersweet. The mixture of longing and desire, tied up with distance is difficult. Believe me when I say that you are not alone in feeling this. You are in my thoughts, tekari, and as distracting as this is it is also a comfort. Be well.

Ilath’mera’talashti’Ia,
Mitth’raw’nuruodo

I sat with trembling fingers and unwrapped the perfectly folded paper that covered Thrawn’s gift. I was careful not to tear it because it was beautiful, elegant and had been hand made, hand painted so that I wondered if it was from Csilla. Hidden by the exquisite wrapping was a small, round box made from what at first glance looked like bone. The little box which sat in the palm of my hand was lovely and delicate. Both box and lid were decorated with intricate and beautiful carvings that were of a style familiar to me. I smiled when I recognised cracker-berry flowers. I cupped both hands around it and closed my eyes to see if it would give up any memories.

It was Navaari I saw, sitting someplace cold. He was carefully putting the finishing touches into the bone box he had made. There was a smile on his face, he was speaking with someone but I couldn’t see who. I couldn’t tell what he had said but there was laughter.

The image faded quickly but it had been enough. I lifted the lid to the box and my heart skipped a beat. The pendant dangled from its chain as I lifted it from its little nest. The setting was of a simple design made from Corellian silver. It showed off the oval stone which was about the same size as the top of my thumb without over shadowing it.

I played with it in my fingers. I didn’t have to look hard to find the stone’s inner fire. It was one of the most exquisite examples of milky ma’arilite, as well as one of the largest that I had ever seen in my life. I didn’t dare to think what a piece such as this was worth as I unclasped the pendant I always wore and fastened the new one around my neck. The blue-green fire that danced in the stone was astonishing in its brilliance and was as vibrant as the little round one I usually wore was subtle. I curled my hand around the stone and listened for any of its memories but the only thing that came to me was a strong sense of longing mixed with great affection. Underneath the pendant was a short letter, folded up neatly to fit into the box.

Sj’iu tekari,

You will never know how sorry I am that I cannot place this piece around your neck myself and see the look in your eyes when the stone shows itself to you. As you have surmised by now, it was Kirja’navaar’inkjerii that carved the small box. I had spoken to him some time ago about your familial discovery including your date of birth. The Dantassi believe greatly in honouring the day of one’s birth so, on arrangement, we met not too long ago and he showed me what he had done to commemorate your birthday. It was the perfect container for the pendant I had found on Corellia.

Kirja’navaar’inkjerii joked about my lack of imagination, saying that you already had a ma’arilite pendant. I told him of your love and fascination for the stone and he shared with me the story of how he showed you Hjallian sky fire. A small part of me wished I could have been there to share this moment with you but of course given the circumstances at that time perhaps it is a good thing I wasn’t there at all. He remarked that the piece I found resonates with the same colours you saw that night. Indeed, it is one of the most brilliant examples of this stone that I have ever seen.

The Mon Calamari I purchased the pendant from told me that setting is new but that the actual stone is quite old. He mentioned that it had been in private collection for a very long time and the only reason it was now on sale was that the owner had passed away and his estate had been sold off. I do not know if there will be any unpleasant memories in the piece, I hope not.

In difference to the small pendant I gave you so long ago, this one is neither subtle nor secret. It is vibrant and dances with colour. Yet, true to form if you hold it up to the light you can see the translucent nature of the stone. It is a beautiful piece meant to be worn by a beautiful woman not tucked away in some collection drawer never to be seen.

I hope that for a small pocket of time on this one day you have found peace and joy. I also hope that despite your pleas that this day to go unrecognized this was not the case. You are a bright spark in what is more often than not a dark galaxy. So, with that I wish you a happy birthday.

A’mera
Za’ar

I re-read Thrawn's letter and decided that his eloquence was a form of Chiss torture. His words created an ache and a longing in me that I had not thought possible. Bittersweet he had written and he had summed up my emotions so well that not for the first time did I wonder if he had me under constant surveillance.

With a deep sigh I sat back and absently played with the new pendant that hung around my neck, staring at the reminders that I was not alone in spite of how I sometimes felt. With these thoughts in my head I went to bed. I was exhausted and I had expected to sleep like a stone but that was not the case, instead I dreamt.