Clone Wars Underground: Chapter 28

 

Moltok

 

Balen’wa, Moltok’s current High Master Gardener, frowned at the flowers dug up and turned upside down in their habitats. Balen’wa’s position of High Master made him the effective leader of the religion and the government on Moltok, a position he upheld with pious guidance for nearly five decades. Recently, the war that ravaged the galaxy was quelled. Although the people were the same, the worlds and senate were intact, there was a galaxy of difference between the words “republic” and “empire”. Being on the losing side of that conflict meant that the victors would be coming to Moltok soon to survey their bounty. They wouldn’t be coming as a republic, to bind up wounds and re-plant seeds of trust. They would be coming as an empire, to tie down governments and subvert populations. He was over a hundred years old and had seen the rise and fall of several political groups. Most involved individual systems. Never had he seen a movement as large and forceful as a Galactic Empire declaring all the spoils to themselves and all the rights to obtain them. 

“Something must be done! This is heresy.” His assistant was pacing up and down the ruined landscaping. Balen’wa simply nodded. Generally, there was very little controversy with the Dinante Fli’R. There was only one group of people who defied the government and therefore, the Fli’R itself. These were made up of lost souls who misbehaved and suffered consequences. They were those who chose to have children outside of religious tradition and had those illegitimate offspring taken from them. In an act of anger, some have blamed the state for their woes. It really was of little concern when compared to the bigger issue of the Empire. The flowers they disturbed were only one sort, a family of tiny-petaled white flower called “child’s delight”. This choice of flower was certainly connected to the vengeful sinners.

Balen’wa hardly heard the rantings of his councilor. The planet was about to be controlled again, and this time by a much crueler master. Balen’wa still needed to be the popular leader of his people. He needed a way to salvage his people’s trust in his leadership. There was nothing worse to keeping power than then an upset population. Well, maybe a controlling empire looming over your shoulder. Maybe if he dealt personally with the Empire, he would be able to keep his position and some of his sovereignty. There would still be backlash. He needed something special to secure his legitimacy. 

 

Nightfall

 

The dark hallways of the archive library twisted and turned like a path through an overgrown garden. At the entrance to the hall was a series of data terminals that housed most of the information in the archives. The rest of the long, winding walkway housed artifacts important to the people and culture of Moltok. These were items not on display at any museum. They were considered vital to the safety and security of the Ho’din. 

Anali stepped lightly on the vine-woven floor. She was silent and kept to the shadows, even though she knew the security system was offline. The rest of her team had done an excellent job with the distraction in the gardens, now it was her turn. Her fitted jumpsuit gave her maximum maneuverability. She had plenty of practice sneaking around her family home as a child. Back then, she would pull her skirts off and climb garden walls in her leggings, following the lead of her older brother. She would spy on her parents and pretend she was a secret agent in a spy-holo. Looking back on things, maybe she was never cut out for the life her parents wanted for her.

And now here I am sneaking though archives hunting for treasure. That’s not what her mother would call it. She was committing a crime. She took a calculated breath. It was far too late to worry about that. Besides, if it can save lives then it’s worth upsetting a few stuffy old Ho’din. She imagined the look on that self-righteous Balen’wa’s face when he found out. It served him right for throwing younglings into the forest depths. A smile crossed her lips and she continued down the hallway to a small alcove. Nestled inside the alcove was a shelf of books. These weren’t on data cards, they were written on sheets of flimsi that were bound together into physical books. She thumbed through them with a gloved hand until she came to the one that she wanted. It was a record of legends. It wasn’t a fairytale book or some other fantastical retelling for younglings, it was labelled as a record. The book was thin enough that when she slid it from the shelf, there was no indication of anything missing. Hopefully it would remain that way. Hopefully she could sneak back out and the missing book would go completely undetected. She looked at the unremarkable book. It’s not like anyone reads this stuff anyway. 

She made her way to the carpet district. It was the lowest level the Ho’din could build on the trees without pushing into the thick brush of the forest’s understory. The smaller trees, giant bushes, and curling vines created a matted layer of green that spread out around the tree trunks. This lowest level of the city sat just above that carpet of leaves and bush, earning it the name the Carpet District. It looked like a green carpet spread out below the city. Wooden walkways seemed to float over the green carpet connecting dwellings and shops between tree trunks. Being under most of the city meant that the faint light from the sun didn’t reach her neighborhood hardly at all. The denizens of the Carpet District took to growing plants with phosphorescent properties to add to the dim light. Plants glowed in faint blues and greens, coloring buildings and pathways in a pale cool light. Neon lichen spread itself on wooden surfaces and tiny golden light bugs floated in the open spaces. It was like another world entirely. Anali loved it. The underbrush was so thick that she imagined stepping off the wooden pathways onto the lush green carpet of leaves and vines. She knew she would fall through and be lost to the depths of the forest, but the leaves grew thick enough that it gave the illusion of a solid surface.

She felt so at home among the deep forest, so she rented herself a small place down here, hidden in the leaves. The population of the carpet district accepted her as they did anyone who found themselves there, because the carpet district was a place you had to go out of your way to find. It was a place that no one was ever looking for but found when there was nowhere else to go. It was a place for beings like her and Fawn and the others who had lost everything. Vendors sat on either side of the walkways on strung-together platforms spread with rugs or large leaves. Anali stopped at the same place every day on her way home. It was an elderly Ho’din who sold grain cakes. The cakes were baked with spices and herbs that Anali swore she could smell the moment she entered the district. 

“How are the trees today, Kendi?” Anali asked the old vendor. 

“Whispering the best secrets, as always.” The elderly Ho’din had a broad smile but no teeth. 

“Oh, no. I’ve been found out then.” Anali returned a conspiratorial smile and picked up an herbed cake.  She handed Kendi a few credits. 

“Careful, Lenna. Something is coming soon. Something dangerous.” The old Ho’din looked somber. Lenna was a term used for younger family members on Moltok. It meant that Kendi saw her as one of their own. Anali didn’t know if Kendi could really talk to the trees, but she couldn’t doubt the idea of it. There was something alive about Moltok and the Ho’din were most attuned to it.

            Anali walked to her under-city home in silence, listening to the sounds of the insects and leaves swaying in an occasional breeze. Her home was little more than a hut centered around an old survival plasti-dome. The original dome was kit equipped with a small environmental unit, cooking unit, and fresher that was connected to the district sewer line. The pod had been expanded by its previous inhabitant to include another small room with a wood-plank floor and woven walls. It was small, much smaller than any place Anali knew before, but it was private, and she was alone. 

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