SWTFW 08 - "The El-Aurians"

A Chapter by dw817

Rebecca noticed Luke's look of apprehension, giggled, and explained. "I'm an El-Aurian, Luke. We are a race of listeners. Over hundreds of years our kind has learned to become the best in our field."

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THE FORCE WITHIN
© May 2017 Written by David Wicker
Please do not reprint without permission

CHAPTER 8 - "THE EL-AURIANS"
[ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ]

* * *

This entry is Rated: EVERYONE

Jan was beside herself with rage.

Not so much for the Empire but for herself. Despite the successful destruction of the Death Star, she should've anticipated that there would be a retaliatory attack. She should've !

She clicked on a control near the ceiling and a 3-dimensional display of the moon's surface and incoming enemy craft appeared.

Two pinpoints of blue appeared on the outer edges. Someone was trying to communicate. She reached out with her fingers to touch the two dots.

"Yes ?" she asked.

"Madam." a voice respectfully sounded. "We are aware of an incoming attack. Shall we raise the shields ?"

The shields ! But that project was months away from being completed. Surely they couldn't be completed now.

"What's the status of the shield generator ?" she inquired.

There was a pause and the voice returned. "It hasn't been finalized, but according to what we've done here, we have shield capability - should you wish it."

There was another pause before the voice continued. "However, one of two things could happen."

"Explain."

"The shield generator could repel the attack or it could burn up our artificial atmosphere. We have no way of knowing as we haven't fully tested them yet."

Jan pulled back and looked at the salvo of enemy ships. If she waited much longer, it would be too late !

. . .

Back on Tatooine, Luke felt strange. While Rebecca was politely asking questions, it felt to him as if he had no choice but to answer them.

At the end of the questioning, he felt as if he were somehow violated. As if Rebecca had used some special innate ability to get the entire truth out of him.

She noticed Luke's look of apprehension, giggled, and explained. "I'm an El-Aurian, Luke. We are a race of listeners. Over hundreds of years our kind has learned to become one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable races in the galaxy - by listening."

"Don't feel bad. I take after my Mom - she's really good at this sort of thing."

Luke spoke, "So, it wasn't that I was just weak - "

She interrupted, "No. Not at all. You HAD to answer my questions, and I did listen to your answers very carefully. Now, do you have any questions for me ?"

Luke shook his head, still not entirely sure of how she did what she did.

She nodded, "Probably for the best then. And now that I know what is going on with you, I will tell you. You are suffering from Dark Fever. It is a rare condition that affects beginner Jedis who are just now coming in to their own in understanding the Force."

"It's the dark half of your conscience calling you to join the dark side of the force."

She sniffed and turned to look out a window. "While you do have a choice, the dark side can be very alluring. It's all to easy to fall in to the dark ways rather than the light. And I will tell you, if you choose the light side of the force, it will be a constant uphill journey."

"Many times in your Jedi training, the dark side will call to you. Waiting for you to slip up, or have a moment of weakness - just once ! And then it will try to take over your mind."

"It is a mental condition that can be treated fairly easily. You just need to occupy yourself with something small and free of emotion - and not dwell on your dead relatives, this Obi-Wan, or the fact that princess Leia turned you down."

She leaned closer until she was looking right at Luke's eyes. "All these negative things strengthen and feed the dark side of the force, and you don't want to do that. Do you understand ?"

* * *

Luke looked out the window. Outside he could see some jawas auctioning off his landspeeder. He did sell it, yes, but it didn't make it any easier to watch the transaction of a beloved vehicle being sold to others for likely ten times the price.

Rebecca looked at Luke and read his body language immediately. "That was your speeder ?"

Luke nodded.

Rebecca pulled close and tenderly put a hand on his cheek. "Then you really don't have anywhere to go from here, now do you, Luke ?"

Luke shook his head.

Rebecca laughed slightly, "Well, you can always come with me !"

Luke asked, "What do you do ?"

"Well my whole family is a race of listeners, and they have applied themselves towards politics and governorships - and good for them, but that's not for me !"

"What do you do ?" Luke repeated.

She gave Luke a toothy smile. "Scavenge ! Me and my brother, we're scavengers. The best in the business, really. Like for instance with the recent destruction of the Death Star, yes, the whole galaxy knows. Anyways, with its destruction, there will be a lot of good salvage left over."

Luke was curious, "Won't the Empire have already picked up everything ?"

She tilted her head, "Oh yeah. Maybe a few important bits. But they leave the good stuff behind."

"What is the good stuff, you might ask ?" she said, not giving Luke a chance to speak.

"Well all the star recorders, black boxes, and outright money or items of distinct wealth will be gone. Taken by the Empire. No, what we will find will be duranium clusters and other semi-precious metals that the Empire just won't take the time to retrieve."

She held her thumb up and grinned, "They fetch a good price !"

Luke was still a little tired and sat down in a chair to take it all in.

Rebecca came up to him and brushed her hand against his hair, "Would it be such a bad thing to join me and my brother in salvaging ? It'll cure your dark fever and - who knows ? you just might become good at scavenging and give up becoming a Jedi."

Luke held up a protective hand, "I need time to think."

Rebecca nodded. "Alright, flyboy. I'll come back the next day same time. But then I gotta leave and get back to salvaging afore all the duranium in that sector is gone. We're not the only scavengers in the galaxy."

With that she stepped out.

Suddenly Luke heard an oily and tempting voice in his head. "She's nothing but a trash collector ! You can do better. I see great things in mind for you Luke, great things ! Succumb to the dark side ! It's so easy. I don't even need an answer. Just relax and - stop resisting !"

Luke got back in the bed. Pinched the bridge above his nose in frustration, and slept.

. . .

Back at Yavin command, Jan jerked forward back to the console. "Engage them !"

"Madam ?"

"Engage those shields now ! While we still have time !"

There was a flurry of other voices now talking over each other on the communication. A short moment later a blue hue appeared above the capitals of Yavin.

"Madam, the defense shields are engaged. I'll monitor here to let you know their stability."

(to be continued)

END OF CHAPTER 8