Not The Only One/Story

 "Let the Force be with you." Civriel normally took the traditional departure words of Vouroso with great faith. The goodbye phrase was also meant to be a comfort for him, spoken by his mother before he left on the morning shuttle to Aganer, the first of three taking him away from home. Far from the winding vineyards of his father's metsimary, from the wide blue ocean wrapped around the shores of the islands. Never before had he left the small blue world, and now he was on another planet, too many light years away from the only place he had ever known.

 So much as he might want to, the Great Power simply could not be with him. Not at the moment, not when he felt homesick and ill from a multi-system journey.

 It made more sense to stay in the restroom, standing over a sink, instead of going back into the atrium and trying to strike up a conversation with some of his fellow first year students. He would stay hidden, like the nervous young fool he was, even if he did miss the orientation.

 His stomach lurched. This was an appropriate punishment, was it not? A whopping attack of space sickness, even in the later stages still a major curse to his body. By the time he'd stumbled off that last transport onto the duracrete at the spaceport, his stomach had done a complete rotation at least seven times, leaving no crumb or ounce of liquid unturned. Staying curled up in his seat had only stopped the rest of his innards from coming out of his mouth. It failed to end the dance of the damned inside. And it didn't ease the feeling in his head and bones that he had fallen out an airlock.

 Six hours later, the worst of his affliction had passed, but the nausea and empty buzzing feeling in his brain were still present. And, as he observed in the mirror, he was partially pale, and somehow made out of copper. Or perhaps the lighting was just terrible. Maybe both things were true. Civriel didn't know anything anymore. All confidence in his decision to leave home had disappeared somewhere between the four cups of kahve he inhaled on the first shuttle, and the single bite of pudding he'd barely managed to swallow at the boarding house. The lady who owned the establishment had been kind enough to provide him with the only sustenance he could tolerate...a little shot of salvation in the form of Corellian whiskey. It was just enough to get him out the door and downtown to the evening orientation, the required beginning of his new life as an undergraduate.

 Or so it should have been. Only this wasn't the right direction for his life. Taking a leap of fortune, casting forth like a haturah setting out on a grand sea odessey, and listening to a call from the Force wasn't only a choice. It was more like a necessity. And yet...

 "I made a mistake," his reflection said to him.

 When he first arrived at the student center, the humming of voices from the crowds of students proved to him that many had already managed to make some sort of connections, turning strangers into potential friends. How could that be possible? Maybe they were all from Aeithera, and he was the lone alien from elsewhere.

 From across the room, the door banged open, followed by the sound of footsteps. Civriel turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on his face. Hopefully this person would go about his business and hasten back outside. As for himself, it seemed logical to stay in the 'fresher until the call came for the orientation to begin. Then he would head back to the boarding house, pack up his things, and take a taxi back to the spaceport. In the morning, he would start the long trek back home. There was nothing to keep him here.

 And then came that sudden moment, that flash of knowing he wasn't alone after all...in that moment, something unseen yet powerful hit him.

 The stranger who came into the room with a bang had the Force about him too.

 Not an overwhelming presence, but muted like his own. It had to be that way, given the state of galactic affairs. It was amazing though, just to realize there was another one like himself And on the same planet no less!

 There was a tap on his shoulder. "Come with me." It wasn't a command, but more like a request.

 Under normal circumstances, Civriel would have politely ignored an odd request from an unfamiliar person in such an unusual setting. Of course, this situation was far from normal, and it actually made sense in the most peculiar fashion. Those in charge of the universe charge could work in mysterious ways, or in illogical ways that one might call mysterious. Either way, it had means of operating which could push one in directions that might otherwise remain undiscovered by a person...avenues and roads that might lead one towards their destiny.

 So he turned from the sink and followed the stranger out the door, even though his stomach felt queasy and his head had begun to twinge from the contact with another like himself.

 Yet the future called, so he allowed himself to be pulled through the shifting throngs still in the atrium. Fluttering life energies radiated from them briefly as he tried to keep pace with his unknown guide. Civriel noted he had never been completely aware of these individual energies before now. They had been one group of living beings with a slow and steady pulse which spread outward like a ripple in still water. To be honest, he had never noticed any single energies other than those of his family and beloved. So the sensation of one life signature after another entering his mind was odd, and almost overwhelming.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> He really needed to focus on moving down the corridor...past sliding doors...and a small patch of potted ivpikkie..."How long is this bloody thing?"

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> From ahead, and through the chattering young folk, he heard the stranger laugh. "It does seem like wandering through purgatory. The university has to be even worse," his guide said in a raised voice.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "Just a little bit further."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Civriel almost tripped over someone's foot. "Pardon me for asking..."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "I'm Josym," came the reply, without a break in stride. "Who might you be?"

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> This was certainly an odd way to introduce himself, but it did fit the circumstances of the present moment. "Civriel."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "Pleased to sort of make your acquaintance," Josym called back.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Civriel noticed that there was more space and less people this far up the corridor, which helped to ease the inner turmoil in his head to some degree.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "Just a couple more steps," Josym called out. And not too much later, the journey was over.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> They stepped into a lounge area just off the corridor. "I found the missing element," Josym said to two young women sitting in matched overstuffed chairs.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Civriel stepped forward, then swayed. His head chose the worst moment to start spinning again.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Josym grabbed his elbow."Whoa, watch yourself there."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> One of the young women jumped up from her seat. "Come sit down," she said, putting her arm around his back. The other female stood up. "I'll get some water." Then she took off around the corner.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "That was Nalieza who just darted away, " Josym said. "And the nice lady holding you up is Meaithe."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> The young woman pulled him towards the chair she had just vacated. "Put yourself down there." Civriel had no problem following her direction, considering his legs decided to give out. So he fell into the chair with a thump.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "You had a long trip," Meaithe said, leaning against the wall. "Your face has the look of the waking dead upon it. Not too unlike Jos' face here a few hours ago."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Civriel gaped at them. "You're from offworld as well?"

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "Certain sure," Josym responded with a jaunty grin. "We both met on the shuttle from Coruscant. But I'm not from there. I was hatched and reared on Deiu."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "I'm from Coruscant myself," Meaithe added. "What about you?"

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "I was born on Vouroso, and haven't left there until a few days ago. This is my first venture into the galaxy."

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">    "Don't worry, it gets better," said a voice. Civriel looked up to see the other young woman. She handed him a paper cup. "The municipal water's not the greatest when it comes to taste."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "No worries about that, I assure you." He gulped down the water in one large swallow. It had a slightly metallic taste, but wasn't terribly unpleasant. "I apologize for my lack of coordination. I'm rather barmy at present."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "That only lasts for awhile," Nalieza replied. "It happens a lot, especially on your first trip in lightspeed. You'll get used to it eventually."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> He supposed that was true...assuming he chose to stay on Aeithera.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Civriel looked at them, this group of Force oddlings...did he have a reason to stay here now?

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> "You're right. I'm sure it will get easier over time."

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> Yes, he did have a reason.