Convergence/Chapter 8

8
 Jhiranae awoke shivering. While the subterranean bunker had provided shelter and safety for the night, it was hardly comfortable. Yanibar’s nighttime temperatures dropped drastically. Thankfully the wind was screened out or they would have frozen to death, daring not to use any power source for fear of detection. The archaeologists had huddled together for warmth, but it had been a long and uncomfortable night.

             She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Lingering exhaustion still sapped the strength from her limbs. Sleep had not come easily, haunted by images of burning buildings and mangled bodies. She suspected she was not alone in that affliction.

             Looking around, she saw Corian leaning against a shelf, his eyes tired but alert. His blaster was held loosely. Their eyes met briefly as he noticed her awaken.

             “Did you sleep?” she asked quietly.

             The soldier shook his head.

             “Somebody needed to keep watch.”

             “What time is it?” Jhiranae asked.

             “0610 local,” Corian answered curtly. “We should probably rouse the others. We can’t stay here.”

             Jhiranae complied, waking her companions. Out of the over three dozen archaeologists, only a handful had been rescued in the speeder. Herself, Plaspek, Kanjai, Doctor Ostrada, another Human named Messierre, and their camp cook, a crusty old Zabrak named Atlax, might be all that remained of their group. The thought threatened to draw from a deep well of grief, but Jhiranae forced herself to focus on the present. She couldn’t let her sadness overwhelm her. Not now, when so many needed her.

             As soon as they were up and rations were being distributed for a meager meal, Doctor Ostrada turned to Corian.

             “How are we doing, Lieutenant?” she asked him.

             “Not good,” he said. “Could be worse. The other members of your team are scattered, likely dead, and the Grasp have overrun our camps. We’re low on supplies and have no way to call for help or get off this planet.”

             “What’s the best case scenario?” asked Jhiranae.

             Corian scowled.

             “That is the best case scenario,” he said. “Worst case, the Grasp have identified this site and will be actively hunting us after killing or capturing everyone else.”

             Jhiranae shuddered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “But what if they don’t know we’re here?” Kanjai offered. “We did survive the night.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “They’ll find us,” Corian replied.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I’m afraid so,” Doctor Ostrada added. “We added this site to our maps and I’m sure it’s mentioned in several logs and journals.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Plus they may have captured others,” Corian pointed out. “It won’t take them long to find out we’re here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “That’s only if they are coming after us,” Kanjai countered. “The Grasp aren’t known to attack archaeological sites.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Yeah, but they did this time. They were looking for something,” Corian answered. “I’m not sure what drew them out here, but they didn’t outright destroy your camp. They could have. The attacks specifically spared any buildings with artifacts or information and were meant to flush you out of hiding.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Yet they killed several of our team members,” Doctor Ostrada pointed out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I can’t explain it all,” Corian replied. “But I have studied Grasp tactics, and believe me, they’re hunting.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What about the woman who was leading them?” Jhiranae asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Hopefully she’s dead. I’ve never heard of a living being leading Grasp droids. That alone is worth reporting—if only we could.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “If we can’t stay here, what should we do?” Doctor Ostrada asked, looking at Corian.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             He was slow to answer, and though the archaeologists were looking to him, he didn’t have a ready reply. Having stayed up all night, the soldier was not at his sharpest mentally.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I have an idea,” Jhiranae spoke up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She reached into her coat and withdrew the crumpled map.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “This map has locations we couldn’t detect from orbit. Perhaps there’s some method of hiding that will shield us or get us offworld. At any rate, it’s farther from the camp.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Won’t traveling by day be dangerous?” Kanjai asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Probably right,” Corian agreed. “But it can’t be helped. They could be here by nightfall. We should go.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Suddenly, a stifled shriek distracted them. Six pairs of eyes swiveled to see Plaspek clenching her fists, eyes squeezed shut.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “No no no no nononono,” she said breathlessly. “We can’t go up there. Those things are up there.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The words tumbled out of her mouth almost unbidden. Jhiranae and Doctor Ostrada exchanged worried glances.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “It’ll be okay,” Jhiranae told her, but the Twi’lek wasn’t listening.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “First it was the cats, and that was bad enough. Then it was the storm, okay, sure, fine. At least we still had the camp. Now there’s killer droids and they are out to KILL US!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The last words were a defiant, panicked screech. She looked at them plaintively. The other archaeologists looked at her with sympathetic but awkward expressions, momentarily at a loss for words.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We cannot go out there! Why would we go out there? They’ll kill us! Just like they killed everyone else!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Staying here isn’t safe,” Corian started, but Plaspek cut him off instantly with another verbal torrent.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Easy for you to say. You’ve got a blaster. They have blasters too! And then we’ll see how tough you are when there’s more of them than there are of you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian opened his mouth to reply to Plaspek, then closed it again. He turned to Jhiranae.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I don’t have time for this.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             He started up the staircase to get the door open. Plaspek let out a wordless cry and rushed at him in what would have been a very foolish attempt to tackle a trained soldier, but Jhiranae was too fast. She intercepted the frantic Twi’lek and swung her off to the side. Corian half-turned, saw the situation was under control, then continued to the door.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Shh,” Jhiranae told Plaspek, cradling her. “It’s okay.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “How can you say that?” Plaspek sobbed. “It’s not okay! They’re going to kill us!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “No, they won’t,” Jhiranae promised. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae wasn’t exactly confident in her ability to guarantee that outcome, but if it calmed Plaspek down, that was good enough. She didn’t exactly know what she should do, but she knew they needed to leave the shelter and that Plaspek’s panic was not helping matters. If that meant finding a way to calm her down, she would. Plaspek had been on her team for several months and she was her friend. There was no way that Jhiranae could just ignore her now, even if she was being completely nonsensical.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Plaspek’s fingers curled so tightly around Jhiranae’s shoulder that the whites of her knuckles could be seen.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “But what if it does?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The Sephi archaeologist was silent for a moment. She knew that as a team leader she was responsible for the safety of her team. Thinking of that duty sparked memories, which formed themselves into a suitable response.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Did the cats get you? Or the storm? Or the Grasp last night?” Jhiranae asked soothingly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             There was a long pause, punctuated by a sniffle.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “No,” Plaspek whimpered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “That’s right,” Jhiranae said, making the utmost effort to keep her voice low, smooth, and calm. “That’s why it’s okay.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She held Plaspek for several more minutes while Corian, Messierre, and Doctor Ostrada wrestled and pushed against the door. Plaspek sobbed uncontrollably.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Magnus. . . Tyxo. . . Idrian. . . all the others. . .” she said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Some of them might still be alive,” Jhiranae told her. “And we are still alive. That’s what keeps me going. We might be the ones to save them, but only if we keep calm.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae knew it wasn’t likely that many others were alive, if Corian had been correct, but she wouldn’t give up hope. Not yet.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I can’t do it,” Plaspek moaned. “I can’t do it. I’m not strong like you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You don’t have to be strong like me,” Jhiranae said, though she didn’t regard herself as particularly renowned with strength. “You just have to breathe.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Plaspek looked up at her and sniffled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Really?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “For right now, that’s all,” Jhiranae replied. “One challenge at a time.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Okay.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The Twi’lek’s ragged breathing was the only sound she made for several more minutes. The door finally relented and swung back with a harsh clang, and sunlight spilled into the shelter. The archaeologists and Corian blinked, turning away as their eyes adjusted. Then Corian headed up the stairs, checking for trouble.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “All clear,” he called.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We should go,” Doctor Ostrada gently told Jhiranae and Plaspek, making her way over to them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Can you do that?” Jhiranae asked Plaspek. “There’s no droids. Lieutenant Gonnard already made sure.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The Twi’lek nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “All right then, up the stairs with you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Plaspek released Jhiranae and walked listlessly up the stairs.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Good work,” Doctor Ostrada told Jhiranae.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Thank you, but I am worried about her.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You and me both. Frankly I’m surprised she’s the only one who’s snapped. We’ve all been in danger before, but not like this. We’re not soldiers.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We’ll get through it,” Jhiranae assured her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I hope you’re right,” Doctor Ostrada said doubtfully.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She pulled Jhiranae aside.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Truth be told, I’m not doing much better myself.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What do you mean?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I mean, I’m not strong under pressure like you are. Like Lieutenant Gonnard is.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You’re doing fine, Doctor. We’ll get through this,” Jhiranae told her. “We need you—your expertise, your leadership.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Dr. Ostrada shook her head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “My expertise is in meticulous analysis and administration. I can hobnob with donors and haggle with bureaucrats one day and analyze ancient ruins the next, but running for my life from the Grasp and thinking on my feet. . . I am beyond out of my element. The only reason I’m not completely broken down like Plaspek is because I don’t want to set a bad example to the others or burden them.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We are all out of our element, Nihyal,” Jhiranae assured the doctor. “Trust me, I have no idea what I’m doing. I hurt for those we lost—maybe not as much as you—but I feel that pain as well.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Jhiranae, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to minimize your pain. But you are capable of thinking on your feet and helping lead our team through a crisis. You proved that earlier when you brought everyone home after that feline attack and again after the storm.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jhiranae replied. “I only did what I had to do.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “And that’s why I think you should be in charge of our group, at least for now. If both of us are out of our element, at least you seem to be adapting better.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae looked away. She deeply respected Doctor Ostrada, and part of her knew the doctor was right. Nihyal Ostrada operated to a steady, rhythmic routine. She was a planner; improvisation outside of social settings was not her strength. At the same time, she hated the idea of undermining the expedition leader by supplanting her. Was it really supplanting if Nihyal was asking her to take over? Could she even do the job or would she get them all killed with some fatal mistake born of inexperience and unfamiliarity?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I need you to do this,” Doctor Ostrada told her. “Help Lieutenant Gonnard bring us all home. If anyone can do it, it’s the two of you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I’ll do my best,” she said. “But when this is over, I don’t want to be in charge anymore! It’s added pressure on an already impossible situation—and you’re much better at leading our usual set of activities.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You’ll be fine,” Doctor Ostrada said. “I trust you. I promise to help as much as I can and not look over your shoulder too much—but I think it’ll work better this way if everyone knows that you’re in charge, at least for now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “All right,” Jhiranae answered reluctantly. “I’ll do it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I’ll tell the others once we’re away,” Doctor Ostrada told her. “Thank you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We’re burning daylight,” Corian called down impatiently. “Let’s go!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae nodded and the two scrambled up the stairs and into the speeder. Jhiranae started it to life as Doctor Ostrada took the map, giving directions. Soon they were off, trailing a fifty-meter cloud of dust behind them as they sped across the plains, hoping the pursuit wasn’t close enough to notice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             They headed northwest. The blazing sun beat down on the rusty, battered speeder that Jhiranae had appropriated. The cooling system battled valiantly with the intensifying heat before succumbing around midday, leaving the occupants bathed in their own sweat. Jhiranae endured the discomfort stoically, knowing that it could be much worse. They didn’t dare stop to attempt repairs. She was heading for what the map labeled the Daizon Valley, which apparently would grant them access to the Tusloni Basin and all of the civilization rumored to exist there.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The kilometers ticked by slowly. Craggy mountains loomed ahead of them, forbidding obstacles that spoke doubts into Jhiranae’s mind even as they ascended through the foothills. Was there actually a pass? Worse, was the map a fake, or a product of some child’s over-active imagination? Was she dooming them all to die in Yanibar’s wilderness? The unspoken questions gnawed at her mind, but they were committed now, and it wasn’t like there were better alternatives. At least the mountains might serve as shelter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             From the back, Corian periodically scanned behind them with a pair of macrobinoculars, watching for a sign of a patrolling Harnasp. Being spotted would be disastrous. The other archaeologists were quiet, even Doctor Ostrada. Likely they were processing last night’s catastrophe. Jhiranae envied them, but she knew she had to remain focused on the present.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Shouldn’t we be close to the valley?” Kanjai asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We should,” Jhiranae admitted, “but I don’t see it. This isn’t the most precise map.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Oh indeed,” Kanjai agreed. “Hand-drawn with some mechanized markings. Not exactly a geosurvey chart.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We still should be there soon,” Doctor Ostrada put in.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Unfortunately, as Jhiranae knew well, finding a single valley amidst rolling foothills and craggy ridgelines in a speeder wasn’t so easy. Even an aerial vehicle would have difficulty spotting which passage led precisely to the Daizon Valley. The terrain was bereft of vegetation aside from small scrubby plants sparsely spread among the slopes. Rocky outcroppings, boulders, and scree colored in umber and sienna dominated the view. Jhiranae had been on many desolate and barren planets before, even ones where breathing was impossible for humanoids without a vac suit, but rarely had she seen one so tortured. The land was warped and split, as if the mountains had been warring against each other. Steep cliffs and shattered ridges where seismic forces had wrenched apart entire hills were separated by yawning chasms rather than the smooth contours of a world whose erosive processes had steadily weathered the terrain. There was some evidence of erosion, but it was violent, shaped by rushing, churning wind and water hurled against the rock by Yanibar’s storms. All in all, it was quite unsettling for Jhiranae, who harbored a subconscious feeling that at any moment, the land could rise in thunderous tumult again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae was no geologist, but these sights weren’t unusual on Yanibar. Plaspek, who was a geologist, had previously explained that around three hundred years earlier, the planet had experienced a major uptick in tectonic activity. She hadn’t been able to explain why, though, which was the unsettling part. Yanibar had probably never been a paradise, but it certainly hadn’t been as afflicted at one point. Maybe a comet had struck a moon, throwing its orbit off?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> A boulder suddenly loomed in front of them and Jhiranae quickly swerved to avoid it, cursing under her breath amidst cries and grunts from the back.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> “Sorry,” she muttered. “That one snuck up on me.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> She forced herself to focus on driving again. Idle speculation could wait until after the life-and-death search for a valley that might not exist. Weaving through yet another dusty arroyo, Jhiranae strained her eyes for anything that might indicate the entrance to the valley. Even though they were following the ridgeline of the steep cliffs, their winding path had yielded nothing but box canyons and dead ends. There was no sign of a valley.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Shouldn’t we be there by now?” she asked Doctor Ostrada.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I am as puzzled as you are,” the archaeologist replied. “According to the map scale and the speeder’s distance gauge, we should be very close, but it’s hard to say. We haven’t exactly been driving in a straight line.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “No kidding,” Jhiranae agreed, rounding a sharp bend as they entered yet another gorge.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Steep amber walls loomed over them, hemming them in. She drove another two or three kilometers deeper, not even daring to hope that this would be the elusive valley they sought. There had been too many disappointments already.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “How’s the search coming?” Kanjai asked from the back. “Making progress,” Jhiranae forced herself to say.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             It wasn’t entirely false, if process of elimination counted, but after several hours of fruitless searching through the labyrinthine mountains, she wasn’t exactly full of optimism. The hot sun felt like it was baking her and the other occupants inside the un-cooled cabin.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Water’s just about gone,” Corian reported from the back, passing up a canteen. “Here’s the last of it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Doctor Ostrada took a mouthful, then passed it to Jhiranae.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Drink it,” she said. “You need it too.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae hesitated for a moment, then complied, draining the canteen to the last drop. The water was warm and stale, but it felt good to her parched throat. The relief lasted only a few brief seconds, and then it was gone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             They had rationed their water as best they could, but humanoid water consumption in desert, even idle, required anywhere from one to two liters of water per day per person. The speeder’s cargo had included four liters of water, which wasn’t even enough for a small team out for a day. Apparently it hadn’t been repacked after the previous day’s activities—the teams usually reloaded in the morning from the camp’s vaporators. She’d grabbed the nearest vehicle when the Grasp had attacked and there hadn’t exactly been time to check its consumables. For seven people, Jhiranae knew many were already well into the stages of dehydration. She herself knew that from the dull headache and difficulty concentrating that was plaguing her. Only Plaspek didn’t seem to be suffering as much, which wasn’t surprising. Twi’leks came from a desert world. Jhiranae knew that if they didn’t find water soon, she would have to turn the map and driving duties over to Plaspek, even if she wasn’t emotionally ready to do so. She winced at the thought and kept driving. Better to cross that bridge only when necessary.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The speeder groaned as Jhiranae wound the vehicle around yet another sharp bend. There were no roads, and while the terrain was smoother lower down, that meant more time doubling back, ascending and descending. Instead, she tried to keep the speeder as high as possible, hoping to catch sight of the pass, until inevitable dead ends forced them to turn back.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What if it’s a tunnel?” Plaspek asked from the back.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae considered that, but the map did say they were looking for the “Daizon Valley,” not a tunnel. Could a valley ever be considered a tunnel? She wasn’t sure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I don’t think so,” Doctor Ostrada replied. “It’s marked as a valley on the map.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “But what if the map is wrong?” Plaspek asked plaintively.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Then I guess we’re screwed,” Corian cut in laconically.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Plaspek let out a wordless moan that threatened to escalate to a full-blown fit. Jhiranae’s expression soured a little. Having Corian provoke Plaspek was not helpful, even if Plaspek was being rather pathetic. However, she chose to overlook that and instead calm Plaspek down. She’d talk with the soldier later.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “It’s not wrong,” Jhiranae said, half-saying the words to reassure herself. “We just haven’t gotten there yet.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Doctor Ostrada said we were close an hour ago,” Plaspek pointed out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Close is relative,” Jhiranae countered. “We might be. . . very close now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She looked at Doctor Ostrada for confirmation. The Mirialan shrugged and nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I can agree with that,” she said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “There you have it,” Jhiranae added. “Very close it is.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian rolled his eyes in the back. The man was being rather sulky—which wasn’t that unusual for him—but it still wasn’t helpful. Jhiranae was as dispirited as anyone by their lack of success at finding an admittedly thin thread of hope, but she refused to succumb to the frustration. If the alternative was giving up and accepting death in the desert, she would keep driving as long as she could.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             That turned out not to be as long as she thought. About half an hour later, they ran into their first signs of trouble. As the speeder was making its way up yet another slope, threading its way around boulders and crevices, Jhiranae felt the vehicle begin to shudder and lurch. Glancing down at the displays, she cursed under her breath. The temperature gauge was spiking into dangerous red territory. No doubt some combination of the day’s heat, rough terrain, and sand kicked into the repulsorlifts had damaged the regulators. She tried slowing down a little bit, nursing the engines as the speeder wove into yet another box canyon with a sheer cliff wall at the far end. More bad luck—there was no valley here either. However, the far side of the canyon wall would at least provide some shade. Jhiranae brought them to a rocky shelf at the deepest part of the canyon and slowed the vehicle to a stop.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Why are we stopping?” Corian asked. “It’s another dead end.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Need to let the engines cool,” Jhiranae said. “And, I think I can climb up about a dozen meters to the top of the canyon wall for a better view. It’s too steep for the speeder, but I think a person could get up there.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She paused for a moment, weighing her next words, then decided in favor of an impulse she’d been considering when she’d first conceived this plan.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Would you care to join me?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Sure,” he replied simply.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae popped the hatch and emerged. It was late afternoon and while the faint breeze was some relief, she was no longer shaded inside the cabin as she made her way up the rocky incline. Corian followed her silently, and she did her best not to kick loose stones down onto his head. The intense rays of the sun raised wavering lines on the top of the cliff face. Jhiranae felt the intense heat even through the thin gloves she wore. She slowly ascended, her fingers scrabbling for handholds among the craggy cliff face. The contours of the terrain forced her closer to the cliff wall, deeper into the canyon than the speeder.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Soon she was high enough that a fall would be crippling or fatal. Jhiranae had done a fair amount of free climbing, but she wasn’t sure about Corian. Sparing a glance back at him, she saw he was managing, so she refocused her efforts on reaching the top of the canyon. Her muscles ached at the unexpected strain, and she felt dizzy. Some of that had to be from dehydration. Finally, Jhiranae’s head emerged over the top of the ridgeline. She pulled herself up until most of her torso was at the top, then crawled the rest of the way up. Lying there for several minutes, she let herself rest and catch her breath, then pulled herself to her feet slowly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian was just within arm’s reach of the top. Jhiranae offered him a hand, and he took it, allowing her to help pull him the rest of the way up. Now that they were both at the top of the ridge, Jhiranae allowed herself to survey the view, sweeping her gaze around them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> What she saw was disappointing. Barren wasteland, jagged ridges, and enormous cliffs stretched east, north, and south, demarcated by sprawling foothills and mountainous spurs. A sheer cliff wall stood eastward less than five meters away. Off to the north, she could see the mountains jutting out farther into the west than southward, just as the map portrayed. To the west, the land was less rugged but no less daunting. Jhiranae knew from their orbital surveys that it was a barren and cracked desert with little sign of ever having been inhabited. There were no real saddles between the mountains, only daunting massifs that barred the way into the Tusloni Basin. She couldn’t see into the basin itself, for the spur they were standing on continued upward, barring any view over the mountains.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Do you see anything that could be a pass?” Corian asked. “Or at least a water source?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae searched for several more seconds, straining for some sign of hope. However, she found nothing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “No,” she said defeatedly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Me neither,” Corian told her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “It doesn’t make sense,” Jhiranae remarked. “The map indicated it should be in this area. I think I can even make out some of the other features.” “Maybe the map was wrong. Or maybe an earthquake destroyed the pass,” Corian replied.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae felt that sinking feeling in her stomach again. ''Despair. ''It threatened to completely shut down what was left of her mental focus. She felt her resolve waver. Corian might be right. The feeling inside her that told her to follow the map was weaker than ever. The doubts and possibilities, both from herself and the others, threatened to overwhelm her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “It has to be out there,” Jhiranae insisted, mostly to herself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “But where?” Corian demanded brusquely. “We’ve been following the map for hours. I think it’s about time we tried something else.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae felt her parched skin crawl at his abrasive tone. She forced herself to keep her cool. Outbursts of emotion would not help here.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Like what?” she asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “We need to find water and shelter,” he said. “We’ll be more likely to find a river or something in a gully farther down the mountain.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “We have to be close to the valley,” Jhiranae answered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The feeling inside of her that she could not shake grew a little stronger, pushing back against the doubts.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “How do you know that?” Corian asked tersely.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> She shook her head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I don’t know. I just do.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Based on what? The map?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “It does show the ridgeline extending out farther in the north than to the south. It’s been reasonably accurate thus far.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “If that was the case, then we’d already be in the valley. Reasonably accurate isn’t getting us any closer to shelter or water.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The condescension in his voice was rapidly threatening to raise Jhiranae’s temper. She thought he was done, but the man kept going.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I’m starting to think this is all a wild bantha chase, this map, this planet. This whole expedition is a wild bantha chase!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> He gave a derisive, humorless laugh, and that tipped Jhiranae over the edge. She turned on him, eyes flashing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Your attitude is not helping,” she said, biting back further remarks. “It wasn’t earlier, and it’s not now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “You know what’s not helping?” Corian responded heatedly. “Wishful thinking and reliance on ancient maps and feelings over common sense and survival!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “You can take your common sense and survival back to the speeder, Lieutenant Gonnard,” Jhiranae said. “I am doing the best I can, but if you have a better plan, let’s hear it!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian scowled at her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “So, do you want me to tell you my better plan, or get back to the speeder? Because that was pretty contradictory, what you just said. . .”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae clenched her fingers into tight fists. A raw growl of frustration escaped from her throat. It wasn’t enough that she was expected to find a valley based on an ancient map while killer droids hunted them. It wasn’t enough that their water was exhausted and the desert heat would kill them within another day or so. It wasn’t enough that the other archaeologists were looking to her for emotional stability. No, on top of all that, she had to endure a condescending, smug soldier whose skills she needed but whose attitude was entirely insufferable. She seriously considered punching that scowl off his face. At the last second, she decided against it, whirling away and tossing her hat at the cliff wall ahead of her in frustration.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Suddenly depleted of energy, she sank to her knees, burying her head in her hands. Her head was pounding from heat exhaustion and stress. The situation was all so overwhelming. She had to collect her thoughts, figure out the next step in the plan, fix the speeder—and keep going. Giving up was not an option, but she needed a brief respite. Breathing for a few minutes—never mind what that irritating Corellian might think—would be good.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Well, this is awkward,” Corian’s words broke into her introspection.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae’s brows furrowed into a deep frown, her scowl matching the one on Corian’s just a minute ago. She glared over her shoulder at him for daring to interrupt her with more sardonic comments, but he wasn’t looking at her. If anything, his expression seemed puzzled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “What is it?” she asked in a low voice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Your hat. . .” he replied slowly. “It went. . . through the cliff.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae gave him a skeptical look, then sniffed dismissively.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Is the heat affecting you, Lieutenant?” she asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Do you see your hat?” Corian replied. “Look for yourself.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Half-sure this was some sort of joke, Jhiranae nevertheless relented, tossing a glance in the direction she had hurled her headgear and bracing herself for ridicule from Corian for falling for it. To her surprise, there was no sign of the hat. Standing, she looked around, then down the side of the cliff to see if she had tossed it off the edge. Nothing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Where did it go?” she asked, then suspicion struck her. “What did you do with my hat?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Nothing!” Corian replied defensively. “I’m telling you, it went through that cliff.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae stared at the cliff face, but it seemed as hard and solid as ever. That was the direction she had thrown her hat, but there was no sign of it, and there hadn’t been enough wind to carry it aloft. She walked up to it and held her hand up to the cliff wall, only a centimeter from touching it. She could feel the heat emanating from the rugged and weathered surface. It seemed to be real, but she wasn’t sure. Stretching out her hand, she moved to touch the rock—and then let out a low gasp as her fingers disappeared. Jhiranae flexed her fingers—she could still feel them, but she couldn’t see them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “What the. . .?” Corian said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I think it’s okay,” Jhiranae told him, taking a half-step forward.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Wait,” Corian told her. “Give me your hand.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Why?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Because I know what you’re about to do, and someone should be ready to pull you back if there’s trouble.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae thought he was being a little paranoid, but given the hazards they had encountered on Yanibar, it was a prudent idea. She held up one arm and he clasped it in a loose grip that she guessed could tighten in an instant. Jhiranae took a tentative step forward, bracing herself in case the wall suddenly turned out to be solid. If so, she would only intensify her headache. Instead, as her face met the rock wall, her vision distorted briefly in a ripple, and she passed through it, revealing not a wall of cliffs, but a broad valley several kilometers wide. She was standing on its rim, looking down at an enormous pass through the mountains. She even thought she saw a hint of green in the distance—that meant plant life, possibly even water.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Incredible!” she breathed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Looking over her shoulder, she saw Corian as if there was no cliff face at all between them, but he was unphased, and she realized he couldn’t see or hear her. She quickly took a step back, excitement welling within her. From the other side, the cliff appeared as daunting and solid as ever, but she now knew that wasn’t true. There was a way through the mountains.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian released her hand, his expression curious.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “What did you see?” he asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “A pass,” she told him excitedly. “A huge one. This whole cliff face isn’t real. It’s not solid. See for yourself!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian cautiously stepped forward, blaster at the ready. He disappeared into the cliff face and was gone for several seconds, then a minute, then two. Jhiranae stared after him, wondering if she should have held onto him in case of danger. Her own trip had been innocuous enough. What could be taking him so long? Had he tripped and tumbled down the side of the cliff? She thought about going in after him, but some irrational impulse told her that would be irreverent. Something about piercing the false cliff’s veil seemed to deserve privacy. Nevertheless, she was just about to go in after him when he re-emerged.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I was worried about you,” she said. “What were you doing? What did you see?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The soldier held up a handful of cloth.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I found your hat.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Jhiranae stood dumbfounded for a moment, then nodded and accepted the hat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Thank you. We should go tell the others.”