3I'm... not in a good spot mentally right now. I don't want to get into the specifics as I don't want a thousand different people messaging me, but it's not fun. I just found this fic I was working on a few years ago that I finally got to finishing the first chapter of, which almost certainly means that like everything else I've posted, it'll be unfinished. But I decided to share it with you guys because it involves a fan character I made that's near and dear to me.
Also, side note, this takes place in the same continuity as OotB. Probably about the same time as the first chapter began, not entirely sure, but the two exist along side each other.
With that said,
Enjoy!
The sound of sand and gravel crunched from under the quickened footsteps of the Geonosian.
Filkiz Telso. A resident of the Stalgasin hive and strategist to the great and feared Archduke Poggler the Lesser. Though returning to his personal dwelling in the prestigious hive, it in truth had never been home to him, not really. His motive for spending over a decade as a strategic analyst, to ensure the safety and upward mobility of a people, his people that he had not lived among in many years had all but died since the War had been birthed.
He wanted what all the rest of his brothers and sisters did, for true lasting peace and prosperity for Geonosis… but not through the path they followed now. He had seen too much, lived a life of a far different contrast and tone to believe that this path would be what they needed. What he needed.
His mind and thoughts returned back to his setting, he reached the white, albeit worn and dust stained door to his home of almost thirteen years, sliding open to greet him. Walking through, his sharp taloned toes now clacked and tapped on the hard floor inside. Across from Filkiz, sitting on a brown sheeted mattress of a lower bunk, was a smaller winged grub of a Geonosian. A data pad laid in his hands no doubt playing some loud and eye catching game that children were addicted to if unsupervised by their parents. His wings, while still not yet full grown, extended occasionally as they flitted and buzzed with excitement. He turned his head and soon abandoned the game he played to greet the second occupant, standing up from the bed and soon embracing Filkiz with a hug.
"Welcome home, Father." The young Geonosian said with glee.
"Thank you, Garam." Filkiz answered, his face curving into a smile looking down at his treasured offspring. "You remember what I told you about being on that for too long?"
With something akin to a groan or sigh, Garam replied "Yeah, I know. "An hour and half before a break." I'm over ten years old now, Dulgdrè! You don't need to treat me like a child!"
"Well, contrary to what our elders would say, ten years does not count as being a young adult where it matters." Filkiz said. "But I don't want to get into that topic right now. I have some news to share."
Garam's face raised in a similar fashion to human eyebrows lifting with intrigue. "What kind of news?"
"Sit and I'll tell."
Obeying without question, Garam quickly scurried back onto his bed with his legs soon crossed and his head perked and ready for what his father had to inform him of.
Filkiz chuckled internally at this display that proved his theory on his people's mental maturity rate. Focusing back to the matter at hand, he looked to his son with a calm yet serious look.
"Son, we're going a trip in the next few days."
"You mean to another hive? Because I kind of don't like the looks all the wingless dro- sorry, the wingless Geonosians give me."
"No, Garam. I mean we're headed off world. We're leaving Geonosis."
Once again, Garam's brows raised in a very human like fashion. "Wha? Why?"
Giving a sighing chirp, Filkiz stepped closer to his son before kneeling down to his level and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You know about those stories I used to tell you? About what I did before you were born and how I met some extraordinary beings in my time?"
"Does this have anything to do with "my gift?"
"...It might."
"I knew it… I'm one of them… a Jedi."
Filkiz chuckled externally this time before continuing. "No, son. But you could be one. I've tried my best to steer you away from that one-sided propaganda the Archduke will have everyone else believe about the Jedi and the Republic. How they're evil and wish to enslave our people for their own desires. That there is good and bad on every side. Even here at home, at places where there should be none."
"Dulgdrè… I don't understand.." Garam said clearly confused.
"I know, Garam. But I hope that you will in time. I have a ship in a hangar that I'm prepping for our trip. Once we leave, we're going to meet up with some people. They're going to help us start new lives."
"Are they Jedi?" Garam asked.
"Some of them are. They can help you learn to control your gift. But only if you wish to. You might not given…"
"What?"
"I'll tell you later. But I want you to know something: you are so special. You're not just another face or tool for someone to use. You're not a drone, or worker, or anything that our castes say you are. You are Garam Telso. You ar-"
Before his father could finish, a flash of something encased Garam's mind, filling it with shock and dread right before the door to their home opened back up. No sooner than it did, a loud warbling sound echoed through the room. It would continue to echo in his head long after the green shockwave collide with his father's back, shredding apart his wings, opening up his flesh and muscle for him to see as he lay limply in front of him.
Two Geonosians armed with the same weapon that maimed his father stood inside as another stepped in to stand between them. His cane made from the bone of his former adversary, like many other things, clacked on the tiles below. But this was different. Louder as opposed to soft, challenging as opposed to gentle. This meant to display terror and fear to all those who heard it. And as Garam looked toward the Poggler the Lesser, Archduke of Geonosis, he could feel nothing else.
The elder Geonosian made a motion with his free hand towards the wounded father and his trembling son. "Hold him." He said in their native tongue.
Without a word, the two guard swiftly made the gap and wrestled a struggling Garam from his bed and his Dulgdrè, whom had not moved.
Slowly, Poggler advanced on the fallen and former winged subordinate of his, and as he coldly and carelessly rolled him over with his cane, a shallow and pained breath escaped Filkiz' throat. That was where it soon was pointed towards next, holding him place.
"In the thirteen years I've known you, Filkiz, all of the years of service to the people of Geonosis and to me, I've suspected you of many things. But until this day, they never once included sloppy. But I suppose attachment to a mentally stunted freak might do that."
With all the strength left in his body, the wounded Filkiz yelled out in anger "DON'T YOU DARE SA-"
A quick yet powerful smack of the Archduke's cane silenced his tirade along with eliciting a loud cry of pain. Pain that his terrified son was forced to feel all of fully unadulterated.
"STOP!" He cried out whilst feebly attempting to force himself free from the two guards holding his wrists.
"Though it may provide you some solace knowing this." Poggler said looking at the traumatized child before turning back towards his father. "I won't kill him. You, of course, have committed too many crimes to be spared, but your son has his fair share of uses. Uses that my friend Count Dooku will be most intrigued to explore."
"No…"
"Oh, yes, Filkiz. You must have known this day would come. From the second you claimed that mutated grub as your own, you preordained this moment. But think of it this way: what more impressive way to meet your end is there for our people… than me?"
Without another word, the tip of the bone left his throat and was plunged swiftly into the right side of his chest.
If there were any noise, any gory visceral sound or cry of pain or agony, Garam couldn't hear it. There was only a sight, one that would play before him many times in his life that would haunt him for many a year. A sight that pushed his already scarred mind over the edge and flooded it with an emotion he knew not laid within him to such raw intensity and power. And with it and a blood curdling scream, he thrust his hands backwards with enough force to send the two guards holding him into place towards the walls behind them. Lines of broken dirt and stone cracked under their impaction, which drew the gaze of the Archduke towards the scene unfolding. Without thinking, simply acting on the burning sensation consuming him, Garam lifted his hand, and wrestled Poggler's cane, the very cane used to stab his father from his. But what the elder Geonosian wasn't prepared for was what he did with his other hand. He pushed him back towards the wall behind him, creating with such sheer force a miniature crater. So dazed was he that before he could even process the pain he felt did his cane suddenly reunite with him, indented deep into the wall and through his left wing.
With all obstacles dealt with, Garam rushed to his father, his eyes unable to wrest themselves from the gaping bleeding hole in his chest.
Filkiz, slowly blinking towards him with condensation beginning to form said weakly and almost in whisper "Take.. this."
Garam saw a small holocommunicator in his right hand before snatching it in his own.
"Father." He whimpered with tears of his own now forming. "Dulgdrè please.."
"Get to.. Hang-ar sev-en. Ship. Use ho-lo….. Garam… I… l-o-ve y-"
A final shallow breath left Filkiz Telso. And no movement neither inside nor out left his body.
Garam looked to his father one last time before seeing the Archduke struggle to free himself. Without thinking, he flew out of the room, flew faster than he ever felt his wings took him. Not once did he look back.
A ring to his holocommunicator awoke him from his sleep. Sleep that he had barely been a few hours into before being dragged back into consciousness by the beeping of the device on his bedside table.
Nevertheless, the bearded Jedi Master stood up and took the few steps needed to reach it. Ignoring his partial state of undress, he clicked the button and before him appeared the sight of a Geonosian, panicked and flying at what seemed record speeds while panting frequently.
"Hello?! Please help me!" Cried a adolescent male sounding voice. Not in the typical native language know for his kind, but in Basic.
The Jedi's mind flashed with urgency at this revelation. "Garam? Garam Telso, is that you? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"You- you know my name?!" The young grub replied in shock.
"Yes. I am an acqua- a friend of your father." He corrected. "What's happening? Where is he?"
"Something terrible is going on! My Dulgdrè.. said we were leaving Geonosis- they came with the Archduke." Garam explained in a fear ridden and panting state. "My Dulgdrè..! They.. he's.."
"Young one, please! Calm yourself! I will do everything I can to help you. Can you tell me where you are now?"
"I.. I'm in the tunnels of my hive. My father said to head to a ship in hangar seven."
"Do you know the way?" Obi-Wan asked. Not a shred of information could be spared if he wished to ensure the young Geonosian's safety.
"I.. yes. I think I do." Garam answered.
"Find your way there. I will help you with piloting the ship once you arrive. Help is on its way." The Jedi said with all the assurance he could convey to the frightened child.
"Ok. Thank you, sir."
"Garam, I.. must leave you for a moment. I have to contact my crew so that we may take our ship to Geonosis. I shall return immediately afterwards. I will help you, I promise."
"O.. ok." Garam replied with evident fear.
"Trust yourself, young one. Your father did and so do I."
With that, the image soon changed in the span of a few seconds to that of a male in armor bearing a crew cut hairstyle.
"General, you called?"
"Yes, Cody. Prepare the ship for departure immediately. We're arriving to Geonosis earlier than scheduled."
"Right away, sir!"
Garam collapsed to the sand covered floor. His energy for flight had been pushed well beyond its limits and through the combined trauma witnessed not five minutes ago, he was lucky he had not passed out long before then.
Garam's eyes slowly shut in exhaustion. His father was gone, his life as he knew it was shattered right before him and soon, he no doubt would be too. There was nothing left to fight for, even if he could.
But his mind soon remembered what he had done. To the guards holding him in place while he saw his father being murdered. To his killer. And then it went to what his Dulgdrè had said before:
"You are so special. You're not just another face or tool for someone to use. You're not a drone, or worker, or anything that our castes say you are. You are Garam Telso."
And then to what the Human called Obi-Wan said:
"Trust yourself, young one. Your father did, and so do I."
His eyes fluttered open. Before them was a crevice with the faint appearance of light from outside.
With a long and strained grunt, Garam lifted himself up, and soon found that his strength, while still plagued with the horror he felt, was rejuvenated little by little with every step he took forward. By the time he reached the edge of the curved wall, what lay before him beyond it made him intake a sharp gasp.
It was a ship. Pill shaped with rounded wings jutting out of each side with colors of rusted bronze and blue adorning it. From what Garam's education provided, it appeared to be a landing transport seen regularly dropping supplies to the hive's inhabitants.
It was hope. Hope for Garam to see another day. To prove what his Dulgdrè had said about him was true.
Quickly gathering what replenished strength he had in him, Garam hurried towards the outer hull of the craft and saw the button to the exit ramp. Soon after pressing it, the door opened, the ramp extended out in three quick stages, and a loud piercing screech echoed throughout the hangar. Garam recognized it as an alert siren. A call to either an intruder or unauthorized departure. Or one yet to happen.
Without a moment's thought, the young grub entered the ship. No sooner than the door resealed itself and that he found himself looking towards the controls, the holocommunicator in his hand rang. Clicking it on, the sight of Obi-Wan Kenobi greeted him again.
"Garam, are you alright?" He asked with concern.
"Yes." He answered. "I've found the ship."
"Good. My crew and I are preparing to jump to lightspeed as we speak. Can you pilot your way out?"
Uncertainty soon flooded Garam's body. His father had given him training on basic piloting; how to start up a craft and guide it. But those lessons never consisted on flying anywhere beyond the planet's atmospheric barrier, nor did it include how to outmaneuver and evade any obstacle that wasn't practically standing still.
"I… I can take it out." He said clearly with apprencion dripping from his voice.
"Alright." Obi-Wan said to him. "I can help you guide the ship out of the atmosphere. We should be less than minute from you afterwards."
This revelation did wonders for Garam's waining confidence for his chances. "Ok, then."
Seating himself into the main chair, he flipped the ignition, and began to go through all the procedures of readying the engines, drag flaps and any internal systems.
With literally no time left to spare, he gripped the two handles of the Y shaped wheel and pushed forward, the inside of the ship lurching with it as it moved out of the dark cave of the hangar and into the midday light of the world outside it.
The Venator class Star Destroyer exited Hyperspace over the rust orange tinted world before them. Tactical teams were already in position, awaiting an attack from any enemy forces that were almost certain to pick up on their hasty arrival.
Obi-Wan stood at the center of the main bridge, looking out towards the sea of asteroids that surrounded the planet while stretching out with the Force, hoping to find his tour quarry before those pursuing him beat them to it. Cody hurried towards his commanding officer with a pale look on his face.
"General, we've just received word that the Geonosians are sending a fleet in retaliation to our own. We may be able to last five, maybe ten minutes before we're overwhelmed."
"I'm well aware we don't have the fire power for an all out assault, Cody. But we're not leaving until we find the ch-"
The Jedi's sentence died in his mouth as his senses picked up on a far off, but very strong and lively presence coming over the ring of space debris to the left.
Unfortunately, the small ship it emanated from was being followed by several Vulture class starships.
The hololink on Obi-Wan's belt suddenly went off and he wasted no time answering.
"They're right on top of me! I don't know if I can make it!"
"Keep your course, Garam! I'm coming to help."
Not even giving time to pass authority of the bridge to Cody, Obi-Wan dashed out the main doors en route to the hangar below.
Garam's ship began to shake and convulse whilst several alarms and warnings began to go off at once. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer with how things were. Not only was he out numbered and gunned, the shuttle he was in wasn't meant to last much out in deep space.
Out in the distance he could see the Republic cruiser that he desperately tried to reach. But as the alarms continued to sound and an automated voice sounded off that oxygen levels were depleting, all hope of making it to the ship were but a fleeting fancy in his mind.
As the Vulture droids continued to fire, he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But was only greeted by the silence of space. Right before the starships behind him began firing again, but this time toward something heading the opposite direction.
Garam barely had the time to notice a triangular ship coated in red and white speed past his own whilst firing at the droids behind him. As it did, he felt an almost warm sensation come from the ship, as if he could sense the life form piloting it. He had no time to ponder this odd sensation as he was too prefixed on the spectacle before him and watched from the window as the red and white ship made quick work of the Vultures behind him.
After the last ship has been blasted into oblivion, his hololink began to ring. Garam answered and was once again greeted by the sight of the bearded human.
"Are you alright, Garam?" He asked with concern.
"Yes, sir. Though I don't think my ship can reach yours."
"Not to worry, young one. I've just instructed my crew to engage the tractor beam aboard the cruiser. We should be along shortly."
Sure enough, he was rocked slightly as the ship lurched towards the cruiser before it.
After a few minutes, he felt the interior of the ship shake with a loud thud. Looking out through the cracked window, Garam could see the ship was surrounded by long silver walls with several humanoid beings in white armor rushing in through the doors on either side. Before fear could overtake him of the horrors he heard from drones about the Clone Troopers, he also saw the red and white ship land in the room next to his own. Stealing his courage, he pressed the button on the battered console that extended the loading ramp.
Slowly, he walked down the ramp with caution and was thankfully greeted by the sight of Obi-Wan stepping out of his own ship.
"That was very brave of you, Garam. Your father would be proud."
Hearing mention of his Dulgdrè allowed all the horrid memories to resurface from the fear adrenaline that kept them at bay.
"He.. he said we were going to leave Geonosis. That we.. we were going to meet up with someone."
"Yes, young one. I believe he intended to meet with my crew and me to arrange for passage to Coruscant."
"But then the Archduke came and he… he…"
Finally, the last of Garam's strength faded and he broke down in front of the the Jedi Master and crew before him. Too prefixed in his sorrow was he that he didn't notice the bearded human place his arms around the weeping child. Out of instinct, his body reciprocated the gesture as his hands gripped the back of his robes.
"I am so sorry, Garam. I wish I could have been there to stop it."
"M-my Dulgdrè.. said that there would be Jedi we would meet."
"I believe he meant me, Garam. Your father made contact with the Jedi Council and begged for your acceptance into the Order. And while they were a little reluctant to do so, given your age, I had spoken up and suggested that I may be able to train you in the ways of the Force."
"Wh- why was my age a concern? And what's "The Force?"
"That will be something I will share with you at a later time. For now, let's find you a place to stay aboard the ship, shall we?"
The Geonosian child slowly nodded and followed the Jedi Master out of the room. He was tired, he was hurt and would never be the same. But he was alive. And was grateful that he had someone looking after him.
The bacta being applied to Poggle's wing slowly began to harden as he focused his attention towards the elderly human occupying his room's main Hololink.
"And you were unable to offer a strong enough counter attack?" Count Dooku enquired.
"No. Their ship quickly retreated back into hyperspace before we could deal any major damage to their systems."
"This is… unfortunate, Poggle. To have one of your people exhibit Force based abilities was an anomaly I was looking forward to exploring the origins of. But sadly, it would seem the Jedi have once again claimed another member to their sad and failing Order."
"My Lord… could we not send out spies to retrieve the boy? What of your assassin?"
"My assassin is no longer in my employ, Poggle. But rest assured, I have contacts in the galaxy that will be able to keep an eye on the young Geonosian. Should he present a concern, I'll keep you… informed. For now, I would take rest to heal your wounds if I were you."
The transmission ended and left the Archduke alone with no one but the medical droid tending to his fractured wing.
"Get out…" He said with a growl.
"But sir, your wound has not been completely hea-"
"GET OUT!"
The medical droid quickly obeyed his master's orders. As soon as the door shut, the livid and almost feral Geonosian went to work smashing and destroying all personal effects and ornaments on his desk in a fit of rage. Once the floor below his feet was riddle with glass, he let out a powerful scream.
"I WILL find you! No matter where in the galaxy you may be, I will not forget what you have done to me! So run and hide, Garam Telso. It will only be a reprieve from your inevitable end!"
End of chapter. Depression fucking sucks. Assuming that's what I even still have.
Also quick side note, Filkiz is based off of Flik from A Bug's Life. Get it? A bug defying his colony to- never mind.
I may do more with this, I may not. I really don't know what my life is anymore.
JediAlexColbent