Ashla, Babe, I know you can hear me. Remember when I patched this into your comm. in case of emergency? Well.. this is one of those. Answer back. I need to talk to you. Make sure Vahn is asleep, and Charles isn't following you.
*After long wait, a click, a buzz, and some odd beeps can be heard on the comm. Then, the static seems doubled, and a tiny voice comes onto the comm.*
Mum! I'm he'e, wot happened!?
I don't know what happened, Ash, but I need you to help me find out. You are a very important witness, and this is a big responsability. Are you ready for it?
Aye, Mum, I'm 'eady.
Okay.. I just need to ask you a few questions. I'm missing bits of memory. Now.. I'm told that Keren and Stlian and I were fighting. Is this true?
I don't know.. you we'e a'guing with Uncle Ke'en.. he was ve'y c'oss and wo''ied but you wanted to do something fo' a mission. It was about that thing I told him.. about you and Uncle Zan's G'andfathe'. Uncle Ian was just watching, I think. He was upset afte' you sent me downstai's, though. I didn't see him, but I knew.
Good... good.. Okay, now, do you know what I was doing with Vahn that made Keren so upset?
A little bit.. I saw you f'om the hall by the lib'a'y.. You we'e t'ying to make a Smokey. You did something else, though.. and you we'e laughing and not 'ight. *She starts sounding a little scared and quiet* You we'e just like the monste'.. f'om ou' d'eams, befo'e Sayon t'apped him. You matched just what he told me you would be like, and I got sca'ed, and didn't do anything. Then Mr. Plo came inside, and he got ang'y with Uncle Zan's G'andfathe', and they fought, and Mr. Plo got zapped with lightning! And Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' made a fi'eball, too, but you's et his. Then you' fi'eball died, and you fell down, and I 'an back to the lib'a'y befo'e anyone saw me. I didn't tell Ke'en wot you looked like, though..
I see.. don't worry about telling Keren. It's all right if you did. You're not in trouble.
...but I DIDN'T tell him! I only said you t'ied to make a smokey! Then he went away to look fo' you, and came back late' ca''ying you. You still couldn't walk, I guess.
Understood. What happened after that? Who all was there?
Uncle Ke'en, Uncle Ian, and you, and me, and To'in.
Were Father and Zan there at all?
No, they we'e only on the comm. afte' Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' came to get me.
Wait. When did Vahn get there?
I don't know... I didn't see him befo'e, he just came down the stai's to get me. He said you we'en't well, and that I'd be staying with him fo' a little while as you got bette'. So I followed him, and we bo''owed Uncle Zan's ship, and we went to space and talked to eve'yone else on the Comm.
Vahn flew a ship?? ...and used a comm.??
Well... Nnn..nno..... I tu'ned the comm. on fo' him... and.. *She mumbles almost inaudibly* ..and I flew the ship.
YOU FLEW ZAN'S STARSHIP!!!??? ...I Wait what?? I'm not even mad! I'm... I'm impressed, actually. You can FLY??
Aye. Uncle Zan said I could fly if I ate pie in my pajamas, and I made su'e I had a pie, so it's OK.
I'm going to pretend I know what that means, for now, and ask you a few more questions.... When did Torin get there?
Smokey found him when I was fixing the lights. I think he was sca'ed of Smokey.. but Uncle Ian found him, too, and b'ought him upstai's to look fo' his things. You and Uncle Ke'en we'e all 'eady a'guing. Then you told me to go downstai's and play with Smokey, so I did it, and I stayed the'e until Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' came fo' me.
I see.. so after Torin arrived, you didn't see anything that went on? Anything at all?
Nothing..
Did you sense anything?
Well Uncle Ke'en was still wo''ied.. and Uncle Ian got ve'y upset, and did something odd like a mission. Then you we'e sca'ed and hu't like a mission failed. Then I hea'd a blast, and a lot of 'uckuss and things got ve'y confusing.
Did you sense anything else from Stlian? ...or anything at all from Torin?
To'in's only new.. I can't tell when something's f'om him o' not.. Oh! But I know he was sca'ed of Smokey! ...but that was befo'e I went downstai's. Uncle Ian is hiding f'om me, though.. I can't hea' him anymo'e..
I see.. but nothing out of place.. nothing like-- *She pauses a minute, to think of how to put this delicately* Do you remember when Sayon became one with the force? What you told me you saw? .......anything like that?
You think Uncle Ian is DEAD!!?? *The little voice shreiks* Is THAT why nobody wants to tell me what's happened? Is THAT why I'm going away?
Ssshhh.. No, Ashla, listen to me. I think he is -not- dead. I don't remember sensing anything like that either, and if you didn't, then I'm twice as suspicious. However he may be in trouble. Now quiet, and don't wake Vahn. Settle down.. are you in your right mind?
I think so... it's OK.
Good. You've been very helpful and observant, Ashla, and I'm very proud of you. Now you must be very quiet and sly, too. Don't let anyone know I've been asking you questions. Don't volunteer any information. If someone asks you, you may say we spoke. You may say I asked how you were doing, and where you were. You may say we used a comm.link. You may say I was giving you lessons. It's OK, because these are not lies. You may NOT say anything else about our conversation, and if they try to get you to, you say "I don't feel comfortable speaking about it" and DON'T let them get anything out of you. This is a mission, Ashla. Do you understand.
I understand.
Good girl... I love you, Ashla. Tell the others I love them, too. Good-bye, now, and mind that Vahn isn't awake. May the force be with you.
The fo'ce be with you, too, Mum..
*END*
Comments
*After long wait, a click, a buzz, and some odd beeps can be heard on the comm. Then, the static seems doubled, and a tiny voice comes onto the comm.*
Mum! I'm he'e, wot happened!?
I don't know what happened, Ash, but I need you to help me find out. You are a very important witness, and this is a big responsability. Are you ready for it?
Aye, Mum, I'm 'eady.
Okay.. I just need to ask you a few questions. I'm missing bits of memory. Now.. I'm told that Keren and Stlian and I were fighting. Is this true?
I don't know.. you we'e a'guing with Uncle Ke'en.. he was ve'y c'oss and wo''ied but you wanted to do something fo' a mission. It was about that thing I told him.. about you and Uncle Zan's G'andfathe'. Uncle Ian was just watching, I think. He was upset afte' you sent me downstai's, though. I didn't see him, but I knew.
Good... good.. Okay, now, do you know what I was doing with Vahn that made Keren so upset?
A little bit.. I saw you f'om the hall by the lib'a'y.. You we'e t'ying to make a Smokey. You did something else, though.. and you we'e laughing and not 'ight. *She starts sounding a little scared and quiet* You we'e just like the monste'.. f'om ou' d'eams, befo'e Sayon t'apped him. You matched just what he told me you would be like, and I got sca'ed, and didn't do anything. Then Mr. Plo came inside, and he got ang'y with Uncle Zan's G'andfathe', and they fought, and Mr. Plo got zapped with lightning! And Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' made a fi'eball, too, but you's et his. Then you' fi'eball died, and you fell down, and I 'an back to the lib'a'y befo'e anyone saw me. I didn't tell Ke'en wot you looked like, though..
I see.. don't worry about telling Keren. It's all right if you did. You're not in trouble.
...but I DIDN'T tell him! I only said you t'ied to make a smokey! Then he went away to look fo' you, and came back late' ca''ying you. You still couldn't walk, I guess.
Understood. What happened after that? Who all was there?
Uncle Ke'en, Uncle Ian, and you, and me, and To'in.
Were Father and Zan there at all?
No, they we'e only on the comm. afte' Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' came to get me.
Wait. When did Vahn get there?
I don't know... I didn't see him befo'e, he just came down the stai's to get me. He said you we'en't well, and that I'd be staying with him fo' a little while as you got bette'. So I followed him, and we bo''owed Uncle Zan's ship, and we went to space and talked to eve'yone else on the Comm.
Vahn flew a ship?? ...and used a comm.??
Well... Nnn..nno..... I tu'ned the comm. on fo' him... and.. *She mumbles almost inaudibly* ..and I flew the ship.
YOU FLEW ZAN'S STARSHIP!!!??? ...I Wait what?? I'm not even mad! I'm... I'm impressed, actually. You can FLY??
Aye. Uncle Zan said I could fly if I ate pie in my pajamas, and I made su'e I had a pie, so it's OK.
I'm going to pretend I know what that means, for now, and ask you a few more questions.... When did Torin get there?
Smokey found him when I was fixing the lights. I think he was sca'ed of Smokey.. but Uncle Ian found him, too, and b'ought him upstai's to look fo' his things. You and Uncle Ke'en we'e all 'eady a'guing. Then you told me to go downstai's and play with Smokey, so I did it, and I stayed the'e until Uncle Zan's G'andfathe' came fo' me.
I see.. so after Torin arrived, you didn't see anything that went on? Anything at all?
Nothing..
Did you sense anything?
Well Uncle Ke'en was still wo''ied.. and Uncle Ian got ve'y upset, and did something odd like a mission. Then you we'e sca'ed and hu't like a mission failed. Then I hea'd a blast, and a lot of 'uckuss and things got ve'y confusing.
Did you sense anything else from Stlian? ...or anything at all from Torin?
To'in's only new.. I can't tell when something's f'om him o' not.. Oh! But I know he was sca'ed of Smokey! ...but that was befo'e I went downstai's. Uncle Ian is hiding f'om me, though.. I can't hea' him anymo'e..
I see.. but nothing out of place.. nothing like-- *She pauses a minute, to think of how to put this delicately* Do you remember when Sayon became one with the force? What you told me you saw? .......anything like that?
You think Uncle Ian is DEAD!!?? *The little voice shreiks* Is THAT why nobody wants to tell me what's happened? Is THAT why I'm going away?
Ssshhh.. No, Ashla, listen to me. I think he is -not- dead. I don't remember sensing anything like that either, and if you didn't, then I'm twice as suspicious. However he may be in trouble. Now quiet, and don't wake Vahn. Settle down.. are you in your right mind?
I think so... it's OK.
Good. You've been very helpful and observant, Ashla, and I'm very proud of you. Now you must be very quiet and sly, too. Don't let anyone know I've been asking you questions. Don't volunteer any information. If someone asks you, you may say we spoke. You may say I asked how you were doing, and where you were. You may say we used a comm.link. You may say I was giving you lessons. It's OK, because these are not lies. You may NOT say anything else about our conversation, and if they try to get you to, you say "I don't feel comfortable speaking about it" and DON'T let them get anything out of you. This is a mission, Ashla. Do you understand.
I understand.
Good girl... I love you, Ashla. Tell the others I love them, too. Good-bye, now, and mind that Vahn isn't awake. May the force be with you.
The fo'ce be with you, too, Mum..
*END*
Comments
