Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Sapphire winced, at her own ignominious fiasco only seconds before, and at a roomful of startled rebels studying her. She had pounced and clawed at the Rebellion Commander known as Antilles like a crazed womp rat. And as suddenly as it had started, she ceased her attack, finding herself staring in a daze at her own crystal pendant dangling before her--from Skywalker's hand. A familiar and latent energy seemed to pulsate from it, its invisible tendrils calming her senses.
Luke maintain his solemn jedi composure, only this time the strained lines around the edges of his eyes gave him away.
"Tell me, princess Lufsa, can you comprehend what just happened to yourself?" He turned his glance and fixed it intently on the glowing lavender rock, watching its soothing, swirling movement. "Was it something hidden from you? A past that perhaps your father would have preferred buried?" He probed gently, like he is coaxing a child.
Leia stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on Sapphire's quivering shoulder," whatever caused that spasm of attack, we are now sure that this crystal holds the key to negating that effect," she conceded.
Han's forehead was creased and his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "And I'm not too sure I want to know what it is," he said dryly "No offense, but it almost smells like you've got the Sith in your blood, your highness."
Sapphire's vision spun. She wasn't about to take this spiel from pacifists! Such audacity from commoners, she noted sourly, would never have been tolerated in her father'c court. With her best efforts she threw Skywalker a stone cold stare. And didn't she know so well that the Jedis are the very people who sowed the seed of discord amongst her people, and had led to the cold blooded extermination of the Chitoz? It was genocide. Whole religions were lost to this dark era. Through the generations, revivial of the ancient cult of the chitoz Goddess, Shwara, had been stymied time and again by the coercion of these despicable Jedis. Hadn't she heard enough of such horrors from her royal aunts?
No, she must get out of their stronghold. And she knew she had to think quick.

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