Empathy Chapter 1 "The Witches of Dathomir"

Jedi Master Krinta Fro stepped down from her personal Jedi starfighter and smoothed the folds of her cloak with her hands. She was an Iktatchi of average height, her face was neither attractive nor ugly for her race, and she couldn't care either way. She was a respected Jedi Master and member of the High Jedi Council. She had earned both the respect and the tittles that she now possessed, as did all Jedi Masters. But even members of the High Council found themselves in situations that made them feel uncertain, and Krinta Fro was defiantly in one such situation. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nostrils, getting the "smell" of the planet.

"What's the matter, Master. Are you sensing danger." Jedi Knight Jon Hagan asked as he jumped down from his own Starfighter. He was a young human with sandy blond hair. He wore a traditional Jedi tunic but not the Jedi robes, he always said that all they did was get in the way. That was one of many ways that Hagan was different from Krinta. Where she was not a fan of lightsaber combat, it was his main passion. Where she enjoyed plants and wildlife, he never felt comfortable when not on Corruscant. Yes, they could not be more different, but one thing was for certain. Jon Hagan was Krinta Fro's greatest challenge and crowning achievement, for she was the Jedi Master who had trained him from a reckless and wild Padawan into one of the Orders best Jedi Knights. She never trained a Padawan before him and she never would train one again if she could help it. And seeing him now as a Jedi Knight couldn't make her more proud.

"Only a fool doesn't sense danger on Dathomir." She answered sternly, then turned to face him and broke out into a smile. "Its good to see you again, Hagan."

"Like wise, Master Fro." Answered her former padawan with a slight bow. "I apologize for not being present when this mission was assigned."

"No need for apologies. The Council didn't expect you to fly half way across the Galaxy just to stand in a room for five minutes while we verbally say what could easily be deliver by a holomessage." Krinta Fro said lightheartedly. "We needed a skilled negotiator and so I offered to fill that role, but The Council also recognized the danger that this mission may represent, so they wished for me to be accompanied by a skilled warrior, and so I requested you."

"So am I your body guard now, Master?" Hagan asked, clearly liking the idea.

"I'm the last person who needs guarding." Krinto Fro said, she wasn't boasting or arrogant about her fighting skills, she merely saw them for what they were, and that was highly advanced." That being said, let's hope that neither of us needs to call upon our battle skills. This is a negotiation mission, let's hope it stays that way. Still, be on your guard, this place is drowning in the dark side of The Force." She stopped talking abruptly, cocked her head and said, "Our escort is here."

Without warning dozens of Nightsisters began dropping from the trees around them, some carried black knives and swords, others aimed purple energy bows. Half of them were wrapped in pitch black cloth that wrapped around their torso, legs, and head, the other half were hidden under deap maroon hoods. In either case, all that could be seen of the nightsisters faces were their eyes, eyes filled with primative fear and hate.

Master Fro and Hagan were instantly and completely surrounded. Fro felt Hagan tense for battle, but she, instead, stood tall and straight with her hands crossed formally across one another. She didn't even flinch, nor did she move when two Nightsisters edged cautiously towards them and relieved the Jedi of their lightsabers. Fro sensed Hagan about to protest so she silenced him with a mental nudge.

"I apologize for such a rude first encounter," One of the Nightsisters said while dropping her maroon hood. " The clan as a whole isn't very trusting of Jedi. " This Nightsister had a pale white face, save for some tribal tattoos on her cheeks. On her left cheek were three parallel scars that looked like they had been given to her by a wild animal. She had short black hair that rested gently on her shoulders and bright silver eyes. She was young, and, aside from the scars, beautiful.

"Even when those Jedi came to you at your request?" Hagan asked before Fro could say anything. She reprimanded him with another, less gentle, mental nudge. He returned a psychic nudge telling her that he got the message.

"Yes, even then." The night sister looked irritated, violent even, but on the flip of a switch her expression changed to the polar opposite. "I am Avaola Veil of the Bloody Rancor clan. We sent to you because Mother June of the Echoing Ravine clan is wanting to absorb our clan into her own. Our clan has no desire to join the Echoing Ravine but if we refuse she is threatening to slaughter all of us. Its either join, or die." She let her voice trail off for dramatic effect before adding,"And that's why we asked for Jedi help."

Krinta Fro could sense genuine worry in this womam. All she wanted to do is protect her clan, but she couldn't help but find this entire situation suspicious, and so did the entire Jedi council. Hagan's presence was a testimony to that suspicion.

"It is a bit, unordinary, for the nightsisters to ask for Jedi help in a dispute such as this, or any dispute for that matter." Krinta Fro said, picking her words cautiously.

"That is just testimony to the desperation we feel." Avaola lowered her head and looked up at Master Krinta Fro like a frightened child looked up at an angery adult. "I hope you didn't come all this way just to tell use that you won't help. If you leave, I don't know what me and my sisters will do." Her voice was quite now, and her demeanor was that of silent resignation.

Master Fro would have needed to be blind not to notice that Avaola was merely attempting to gain her sympathy, but she would also have been a liar if she had claimed that Avaola hadn't  been successful in doing so.

"Of course we will negotiate on your behalf." Said Master Fro with a smile.

"Excellent." Avaola said with reinforced enthusiasm. "Charcoal and Fangless will transport you to the agreed meeting ground. We had better hurry or else we will be late."

"I'm sorry, but who are Charcoal and Fangless?" Hagan asked before Master Fro could.

"They are." Avaola gestured behind her as two giant rancors stomped out of the lush forest into the clearing where they all stood.

"Oh." Master Fro and Knight Hagan both blurted out in unison.

                        ------

Krinta Fro had never had the chance to ride on the back of a rancor before, and now that she was doing it she wished that she could have long ago. Even here on Dathomir there was a certain serenity she felt when she was close to animals so she opened up a telepathic link to the rancor, the one that they named Fangless, and they communicated together. No, she could not "speak" to the rancor but instead they communicated by passing impulses common to all living things between each other.

Fangless was old, and tame. He had been given his name due to a gum disease that caused him to loose his teeth. As the elderly often did, Fangless told her a story using the basic means of communication established between them, and Krinta Fro was amazed by the intelligence possessed by this creature. Fangless told her of a time when he'd become lost. He was only a baby at the time and he was separated from his mother. He communicated feelings of fear and loneliness. But then a creature, Fro had never sensed this creature before, had taken him in despite him being from another species entirely. The creature fed and cares for him as if he were its own child, until one day it, "mother" as Fangless referred to it, was killed and eaten by an adult rancor. Once again Fangless was alone and scared until a Nightsister found him and tamed him.

Krinta listened to his story and projected feelings of warmth and care when he told of being scared, and understanding when he told of the death of his "mother". She sensed a bond forming between her and Fangless and knew that, even if she didn't have the assistance of a Nightsister, she would be able to ride Fangless on her own. Before Krinta realized it half an hour had pasted, and they had arrived at the meeting ground. Master Fro dismantled Fangless and the rancor sent her one last impulse that was both shocking and humbling at the same time. He sent her the unmistakable sense of friendship. Master Fro accepted the impulse and returned it in kind before she severed the link. The Force was truly amazing, in the most unexpected places it still filled Master Fro with wonder and taught her valuable lessons. Although she doubted she would ever see Fangless again the bond that they had formed would last a very long time and the memory of the encounter would last even longer.

Then Krinta Fro snapped back to the present. She was standing in an opening lighted by torches. In and around the trees she saw countless Nightsisters and in the Force she sensed countless more. Despite that only a single entity captured her attention. Sitting on a throne made of wood and thousands of bones coming in a variety of shapes and sizes sat Mother June. Around her neck was a necklace made of dried vine with little green stones dangling from it. She was dressed in a loose, and noticeably thin, black dress with stripes of maroon interwoven. The dress had two slits on either side running the whole way from her hips to her feet. Her hair was tightened into a ponytail in the very center of her head and the hair falling down the back of her head and partly onto her back. Her face was covered in tattoos that zigzagged around her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her features were soft, yet sharped, and carried the youthful completion of years Krinta Fro had since doubled. Avaola was beautiful but, Krinta Fro had to admit, Mother June was absolutely stunning. Master Fro steared herself, despite her outward appearance this woman was threatening to slaughter innocent people just for defying her and that made her ugly in the Iktatchi's eyes.

"Jedi, you have intrude onto Dathomir. I am Mother June and this is my planet. These woods are my woods and those rancors are my rancors." She said raising her hands to gesture at all the land around them. She sat back and rested her hands on the throne once more and smiled kindly at the two Jedi guests. "But I welcome you here, to bask in the beauty of my world."

Krinta Fro took a step forward and spoke in a powerful and political voice. "Dathomir is a beautiful world indeed, truly, I am humbled by your hospitality." She bowed low towards Mother June, with her arms spread out to either side. Upon completing the bow she spoke again. "But Mother June I am here to tell you that this is not your planet, these are not your trees, and they are not your rancors." Krinta Fro said pointing to the rancors. "Instead this planet belongs to all Nightsisters, and that includes all clans, Bloody Rancor and Echoing Ravine alike." Krinta Fro locked eyes with Mother June who was sitting comfortably in her chair smiling at Master Fro, amused. "I am here to tell you that you cannot impose your rule upon others because all Nightsisters have rights and rights mean that they have a choice. And no one can take that away from them, not even you, Mother June."

Mother June, who looked as though she were holding back laughter throughout the entire speach, finally caved and began chuckling gleefully. "You still think this is a negotiations meeting." She chuckled. She put the back of her hand across her mouth in order to hold back the laughter. She let out a deep breath upon swallowing back her laughter, turned her gaze to Hagan, and batted her long, luscious eyelashes. "And what are your thoughts on all this, my brooding male?"

Jon Hagan stepped forward and cleared his throat. Master Fro sensed him thinking desperately for the right words to say. She sent him a telepathic wave of reassurance. "I agree with Master Fro. Everyone has a choice and you can't take that away from them."

In a movement majestic in nature Mother June crossed her right leg over her left which caused it to fall out of the slit in her dress, revealing the entire length of her pale, smooth leg. She the rested her elbow on her knee and her chin in her cupped hand. "And if I were to ask you to stand at my side and be my personal warrior and mate, what would you think then?"

Krinta Fro held her breath, surely Hagan wouldn't fall so easily to seduction, even for a woman as attractive as Mother June. She knew he had more resilience than that, and yet still she found herself frightened that he may actually accept.

"Then I would be reduced to believing that you are a mad woman, because I am not that susceptible to evil." Krinta Fro found herself beaming, she had never been more proud of him in her life.

Mother June sat back in her throne once more. "To bad. I could have used a Jedi Knight to train the males for the coming war. " She said in disinterested dismissal.

"If I can help it there will be no war. All Dathomirians can live together in peace!" Krinta Fro said in a powerfully strong voice. She looked all around at the Nightsisters and then back to Mother June, only to find that she had been consumed by another fit of laughter.

"Foolish Master Jedi." She churled, "I'm not talking about war with my fellow sisters. How can I conquer more clans when every clan on Dathomir already calls me its Mother?" She chuckled gleefully, having to bite down on the back of her hand to fight back the laughter.

"What?!" Krinta Fro and Jon Hagan said in unison and disbelief. If what she was saying was true then she and Hagan were in big trouble. The council had suspected that this could be a trap, now Fro feared that they were right and that she and Hagan might soon be dead.

"What? You still believe I am trying to conquer the Bleeding Rancors or something like that?" She put a single finger over her lips to hold back her amusement, but visibly found it difficult. "Stupid Jedi, I lured you here in order to send a message to your fellow Jedi."

"And what message is that?" Krinta Fro asked in a challenging tone.

Mother June leaned forward on her throne, and for the first time since they met all kindness and amusement was washed from her face, leaving behind only a cold, empty glare. "Your deaths." She said flatly.

Suddenly Master Krinta Fro was aware just how many Nightsisters there were because all of them were drawing knives, and aiming bows at her and her former padawan. She didn't have much time to act, so she thrust out her hand and summoned both her own lightsaber and the lightsaber of her companion and activated both. She held out the blue blade towards Hagan and allowed him to summon it from her hand into his own. Purple arrows were flying at them from all directions, and Nightsisteres with swords and daggers were charging towards them. She formed a mental link with Hagan and gave him a very strong and urgent desire to run: he obeyed the impulse and she followed

The way was being blocked by a dozen Nightsisters, some holding swords, others holding bows, all of them looking to kill them. Both Jon Hagan and Krinta Fro thrust out their hands simultaneously and struck them with a combined telekinetic wave. The group of Nightsisters were lifted from their feet and sent flying several meters backwards. Two of the Nightsisters struck trees and broke against them. Krinta Fro and Jon Hagan ran past the rest of them, following the trail that the rancors left for them that lead back to their ships.

Krinta Fro heard the sizzle in the air and then thud against the ground as a hundred arrows rained down just behind them. They ran in the dark, following only the light of there lightsabers and the Force. She had no idea how long they had been running but she sensed that the Nightsisters were catching up: Hagan must have sensed it too.

"Keep running!" He yelled. By the time she sensed what he was about to do it was too late.

"Hagan, don't!" She screamed but she already knew that it was all for nothing.

Hagan stopped abruptly, took his lightsaber in a two handed grip and leapt back towards the charging Nightsister army. Krinta didn't look back, but she sensed two Nightsisters die, then a moment later another. Then she sensed Jon Hagan fall to the ground in pain as an energy arrow shot through his right knee.

Krinta Fro couldn't help herself, she stopped and looked back at him laying on the ground surrounded by Nightsisters. His face was twisted in pain. He looked afraid and alone. She formed a mental link with him once more, and sent him soothing waves of positive emotions. "Goodbye, Jon Hagan. You have been a good friend." She spoke in his mind. She senses that despite his pain he felt on overwhelming internal peace. "As have you, Master." He replied. Mother June loomed over him, apparently she wanted to kill him herself. "May the Force we wi-" Hagan's last words were cut short as a red line shot from Mother Jades hand and through his heart.

Krinta Fro felt an overwhelming sense of remorse but she would not let his sacrifice be in vein. She knew his body would never be recovered from this planet and she could not bring herself to let this good man be left completely here on this wretched planet. She reached out her hand and summoned his lightsaber to her hand. For a millisecond she stared at its black surface feeling painful loss. A purple arrow cut through the air and grazed a thin line across her left horn, snapping her back to reality. She turned and ran, augmenting her speed with the Force faster than she had ever done before. She forgot about the Nightsisters behind her she just ran. She ran for Hagan, and put her entire mind to running in order to keep her mind off the pain. She reached her Starfighter and within a few seconds she was flying off the surface of the planet and into space. She punched in the coordinates for Corruscant and upon being swallowed by the blue tunnel of hyper space she let loose and began to mourn.

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