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| - (Tuil) You climb up the steep Cliff Road The mountain road rises steeply as it nears the narrower Cliff Road, and the terrain becomes more rugged. Now the tailings pond from the mine can be clearly seen through the scrub brush to the left - its toxic aquamarine surface deceptively inviting in the sun. As it ascends through a cleft in the Cliff wall, the road becomes even narrower and bumpier as it rises, winding its way through torturous corkscrew curves and up the mountain side. Here there is little in the way of plant life. A few low scrubby grayish-green bushes and minor groupings of small cacti provide the only color relief from the various shades of dun colored rock. After a while the sound of rushing water can be heard, and as the road progresses upward, this becomes a roar as the water channels turbulently through the Ka'tem Gorge. The road ends in a rather large clearing, the far end of which leads to the Suspension Bridge. A variety of rusted mining equipment lines the edges of the clearing, most of it covered with cinch vine. (Yoda) A hot wind lifts off from the desert below, ruffling the stiff leaves of scrub and setting their tight brambles quivering. The wind brings dust with it, swirling and billowing between the trees. Further down the path, the old suspension bridge sways gently back and forth, and the old durasteel cables make suspicious popping sounds as they shift. In much less of a hurry to make its way up the mountain than the wind, a small bundle of weathered cloth take slow, careful steps up the path. A particularly heavy gust billows past, rippling the old garments and pushing a hood off a small green head. The bundle stops and the head looks up to the sky thoughtfully, frowning. Long, pointed ears perk and the bundled creature heaves a heavy sigh. (Tuil) Tuil has been trudging around looking for someone. Hot, dusty and sweaty, he wipes at his forehead with a hand after he pulls off a glove. As he peers around some more, he catches sight of a bundle of cloth that moves and heads in that direction, intrigued. (Yoda) The bundle of cloth shambles over to the side of the path, dropping a small bit of wood to the ground and rummaging about in the brambles of the scrub. As Tuil approaches, the pointed ears perk again. The small creature appears to be tugging at something deep in the brambles. "Mmmmm. Mmmmmmmm!" the creature grunts in a high-pitched voice, "Out! Come out, ling nut! Hungry I am." Silver Speeder Limousine arrives at the Cliff Road (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, A silver speeder hums up the cliff road, floating on a cushion of air. Though brand-new, it is not without some dents and scratches. As it approaches the narrowing of the road, it begins to slow, first a little and then a great deal. Finally it comes to a full stop ... (Tuil) As he nears now that this other being has stopped, Tuil looks it over and frowns, doubting he's going to get much help if that's what he is looking for. Calling out, he asks, "Hey there. Can you give me some assistance? Yeah, you. I need some directions." Just then, a speeder stops and Tuil turns to see what its business is here. (Yoda) The small creature pays Tuil no heed. Instead, he hunkers down, planting his feet carefully and leans back. The bramble bush leans a little with him, but the tiny creature obviously isn't strong enough do much to the bush. The tiny creature grunts again, dislodging its hands from the ling-nut bush and picking up its cane. "If stubborn you are," mutters the small green creature, "How will you make others?!" The small creature snorts, and then turns back to Tuil and the approaching limousine. His eyes widen at the slick-looking craft, "Ooooooh. Fancy, fancy!" The creature takes a couple steps to the front of the limousine and taps the butt of his cane on the hood a couple of times. (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, A tinted window slides down and the driver coughs. "Ahem--native--whatever you are--please don't do that. Say! Is there an alternate route over the Ka'tem Gorge?" (Tuil) Tuil looks at the speeder and then this being and cracks a smile. He walks over and looks at the little thing and waits for it to answer, but he adds simply, "I'm looking for directions too." (Yoda) "Directions? Everyone's looking for directions," the creature says contemplatively. He clutches his cane in his gnarled hands and looks down thoughtfully, "Which way is forward, they ask me, and which way is back? Which way to the light, and which way to the darkness?" The little creature gives the limousine's headlight a last, thoughtful tap, and then looks up with a hearty laugh, "Big important men from the Core want to know: which way over the Ka'tem Gorge? Tell you, I could. But hard is it to think when hungry. Do important men carry food in their shiny-shinies, mmmmmmm?" (Tuil) Tuil looks at his dusty grey uniform and pats himself done, noticing for the first time his own hunger after all the walking around. "I don't have anything on me, sorry... But that nut!" His eyes light up as he puts it together. "I could help you get that!" (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, The driver looks worried. He activates the limousine intercom and mutters, "Supreme Justice, there is a creature out here who claims to have an alternate route. But he demands food!" A soft voice murmurs something over the intercom; the driver seems reassured. He takes out a can and proffers it through the open window. "Carbonated lum, sir Abyssin," he says, tone of voice suggesting a complete ignorance of Byss and its species. "Very good. Minor alcoholic kick." (Yoda) The creature hobbles quickly and greedily towards the can, snatching it quickly out of the driver's hands. He looks back over his shoulder to Tuil. "Mmmmmph! Try, if you can, Core man," he says, "But stubborn are the ling-bushes." He points his cane accusingly at the bush he struggled with, "He does not want to share his riches. Not like Big Just Core man." The creature pops the top of his can and it fizzles up quickly. He sniffs the bubbles cautiously and wrickles his nose. Then, he lifts the can to his mouth and takes an experimental swig. "Ohhhh!" he says with a smile that flashes his small, sharp teeth, "Good! Bubbles! Hahhahahaha." He sneezes. (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, "It's kind of cute," the driver mutters to himself, then turns a bit pink when he realizes the intercom is still on. "Er--that is--" "I am not concerned," says the soft voice tolerantly. "We have all day." (Tuil) Tuil watches the being play with the can and then he walks over to the bush. He pokes around at it with his boot and then bends over to try for the nut. "Hmmm mmmm.... Ha!" He pulls hard, but as his hand breaks free, he sees that all he has is a bundle of twigs. "Mmmm." Tuil frowns. (Yoda) "Why must you get over Ka'tem Gorge?" the creature says. He guzzles more from the can and wipes his face on a worn sleeve, "What is wrong with Bridge, hmmmm? Other ways over the Gorge there are, but maybe not for a big shiny shiny like this." The creature looks back to Tuil and laughs, "Ling bush is clever, hmmmmm?" Seeming to forget, for a moment, the limousine, he hobbles back to the bush and hunkers down beside it, "Why is he stubborn, hmmmmm? Can we convince him to let go?" (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, One of the doors of the limousine slides open with a soft hiss, and a thin vapor pours from inside. Then the robed figure of Palpatine steps out, testing his footing and relaxing. He sighs. "That's enough, I think, Morcar. You don't need to go on any further, just keep the limousine here. I will travel the rest of the way on foot--it should be safe, Byss is a law-abiding Republic world." (Tuil) Holding twigs and leaves and looking dusty and sweaty with his hair tousled, Tuil looks at Palpatine and frowns. Thinking about the nut though, he wants it more than ever, so he closes his eyes and focuses on it as best he can while reaching again for it... "I got it...? I got it!" He smiles and pulls hard. (Yoda) The small green creature watches Tuil intently as he yanks on the ling-nut. He takes another guzzle from his can, and gives the ling-nut bush a secret smile. (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, Palpatine moves past ling-nut bush, Yoda, and Tuil alike, and approaches the suspension bridge at a deliberate pace, picking his way up the path. (Tuil) Handing the nut to the little green being, Tuil smiles and notes, "I could see it and I felt it move towards my hand... But what am I talking about? You don't know anything about the Force, do you, little guy? Here you go. Now, can you tell me how to get back to town?" (Yoda) The little creature pops the nut into his mouth and cruches down on it with a cracking sound. His jaw works in small circles. "Mmmmmm. Good nut," he says. He washes the nut down with the last of the drink, and tucks the can away into his robe, "Mmmmm, the Force. Jedi, are you?" (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, Palpatine steadies himself against a rock face, taking a deep breath. "Oh dear," he mutters to himself. "Need to take better care of myself." (Tuil) Still on the ground and occasionally check out Palpatine's progress to see that he doesn't fall and hurt himself, Tuil shakes his head. "Nah. I read about them and sometimes I can see things, but... I went with the Navy." He shrugs and then gets to his feet fast. "You okay there, Uncle?" he calls, concern rising in his voice. (Yoda) The small creature leans on his cane and looks between Palpatine and Tuil silently. (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, Palpatine calls back, "I'm fine. In truth, it's a little embarrassing, young Lindo ... too many rich meals, not enough exercise. A thoroughly mundane problem, but one I should work on! This will be good for me." (Tuil) "Right..." Tuil's voice is lower and perhaps only the little green being can hear his word. Looking down, he comments for the small creature, "He knows my family. He's been around forever, but sometimes I don't think he can last too much longer..." (Yoda) "_That_ is the way of the Force," the little creature says. He lifts his cane and points it at Tuil. "Things come into being, things pass away. Life and death. The Force is not a choice. Navy, Jedi. It matters not." (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, Palpatine smoothes his robes with his hands, then straightens up and tilts back his head. "This is a lovely world," he says to himself. "It looks so beautiful. Hard to believe it's poisonous." (Tuil) Tuil smiles despite himself. "Hey, you sound just like my books!" Suddenly he narrows his eyes. "You're not from around here, are you???" (Yoda) "Why do you say it?" the creature asks, cocking its head. But he looks, then, to Palpatine. "Poison, do you say?" (Palpatine) From Silver Speeder Limousine, Palpatine turns around with a blink of surprise. "Oh--my, yes. This entire planet is toxic, didn't you know? Mining residua." (Tuil) "Ewwww!" Tuil pales. "I hope the Navy has a bacta tank waiting for me! On this mission I may have more than I bargained for. But Corus II was getting to be so boring..." He pales /and/ frowns. (Yoda) The small green creature giggles and shakes his head. "Poisonous? Unhealthy, do I look? Too long in your shiny-shiny have you been. The world grows, and hurts and heals. Feel sick, do you, Core man?" (Palpatine) Palpatine laughs softly. "Not that kind of poison, young Lindo," he says. "But industrial waste in great quantities. The deserts are full of mutant life forms, I am told." He takes a step closer, sizing up the small green creature with a thoughtful expression. "You believe the problem will pass naturally?" (Tuil) Young Lindo looks at the little green thing and starts to reconsider his statement that he thinks the green thing is not from around here. Tuil looks him over and then glances at the bush from which came the nut that the little being just ingested. He waits to hear it comment. (Yoda) "What would you do?" the creature asks Palpatine. His eyes flick over to Tuil. (Palpatine) Palpatine tilts his head to one side. "It is not really my business what to do," he says calmly. "I have simply been asked to visit Byss and look around. To assess the problem and to understand it. And then, perhaps, to provide a statement the Senate, should they request one." (Tuil) The little thing's question is rather cogent and Tuil looks as if he has decided it's not some kind of freaky Byss mutant. Glancing at Palpatine, he asks, "It's so close to the Core, it's in the Core... Couldn't it be terraformed?" (Palpatine) Palpatine's face hardens just a little. "Byss is a planet whose mines have represented incredible productivity. There are -strong, rooted interests- which would prevent it." (Yoda) "What about the Abyssins?" the creature asks. He leans forward and peers closely at Palpatine. (Palpatine) Palpatine smiles a world-weary smile. "High Chief Polg Vrash was a personal friend of mine," he says. "His loss is to be regretted--not only because of his forthright ways and commitment to the ideals of the Republic, but also because few are as brave as he was--and even fewer, since that airspeeder accident." (Tuil) "They could be sent to the Outer Rim, a new, clean home." Tuil listens to Palpatine's recollection and shrugs. "A people without their champion, maybe a fresh start is what they need." (Yoda) The creature frowns and looks to Tuil. "You want to change the planet. Send away the people. So bad, is it, to take the fruits of the world and use them for the good?" The creature pauses, and looks down to the dirt path, "How did you bring forth the ling-nut from the bush?" (Palpatine) Palpatine's face retains its hint of underlying steel. "I would prefer not to see the Byss people uprooted," he says. "For the record." (Tuil) "Uhhhh, I sensed the Force around it and inside it since it's a living thing, right?" Tuil responses as if this green thing knows what he is talking about since it seems it does. Caught between Palpatine and the green creature, he shrugs and remarks, "I just thought that with special interests in control and their leader gone, a fresh start would be an easier path." (Yoda) "One says the poison is from the mining," the small creature says, "The other thinks the poison is from the off-worlders. Which is true?" Yoda frowns at Tuil's respose about the ling-nut. "Read too many books, you do. What does it mean? How do you make the stubborn ling-bush give his riches?" (Palpatine) Palpatine's face reveals very little now. He looks placidly from Tuil to Yoda and back, observing them both. Then he chuckles. "Jedi philosophy, I fear, is an area of which I know little. Myself, I fear I am something of a conservative." (Tuil) Palpatine's comment offers Tuil a chance to laugh a bit and help break his own sense of tension. Looking at Yoda, he remarks, "Well, the offworlders who run the mines are the ones releasing the poisons in the first place. And yeah, I do read too many books. I guess I just wasn't meant to be a Jedi after all." Despite the break and the laugh, his smile fades at this self-realization. (Yoda) "So certain are you?" the creature asks. He sighs heavily and points his cane over the Gorge, "A Jedi learns not what he knows from a book. He learns from his heart. Go. See what you will see within the mines. This old will need looking after." (Palpatine) Palpatine smiles. "I'm not as frail as I look," he says. "There is something about the legal profession which ages one prematurely; but I am essentially healthy." (Tuil) "Even so, I'll walk with you aways just to make sure. If you stumble and crack your head, I'd never forgive myself." Tuil shrugs. (Palpatine) Palpatine laughs. "My sense of balance only grows better with age, young Lindo," he says, "but I suppose you can come along." (Yoda) The small creature keeps an eye on the pair, but his eyes now have a distant sort of look about them. Perhapsthe alcohol is kicking in. (Tuil) Looking keenly at Yoda, Tuil nods to him and calls, "I hope you enjoyed the nut. I'll catch a ride back into town." He falls in beside and behind Palpatine. (Palpatine) Palpatine moves toward the bridge at a slow, stately walk, smiling to himself. "Tuil," he says as he steps up onto the bridge, "perhaps one day you will be a Jedi. I hear that there is a Jedi Master named Yoda who often meditates on Coruscant ... maybe you could seek him out."
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