Note to Reader: Parts 11 are all flashbacks to well before the coming of Nick and the Jedi to Anara. If you are reading this soley for those characters, feel free to skip these interludes.--kyer

New Anar City [ 41 Anaran Years previous ]

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Tarsh Anders-Tanaken laid a congratulatory hand on his subordinate's shoulder as the trial concluded. "Well done, Pohl. You cracked that conspiracy ring single-handidly! I should send you out more often. Who would have guessed that a Yarcu's Sect Directors would conspire with Raiders to defraud the government?" He beamed with pride at his star pupil and only child. The zoologist smiled back---a little less enthusiastically. For one thing, Tarsh had not sent him---he had requested to go to the Yarcu. For another, he considered the whole thing to have been a catastrophic failure from a scientific stand point. After going to the Qwanaten authorities about Northern Yarcu, he had tried to track down the escaped animal---with no success. Not even the Tracker Quads he had hired had been able to find the trail; not surprising considering it had managed to elude Traven's men. But then, he had been hoping that Traven had simply not wanted to catch the trespasser. It had given extra validity to the conspirator's claim that they had less grain than what they really did.

"Aye," Tarsh went on, fairly beaming with satisfaction, "the Qwanaten are very pleased with us---and *you* in particular. They've granted us half of the recovered foodstuffs--- er, minus taxes." His smile faded as his brain automatically switched to calculator mode to figure out how much their House had really gained.

"Mmm." Pohl murmured, his mind elsewhere. "But, you know, I did naught 'crack' the Yarcu's thievery quite singlehanded. If it wasnah for the boy--- and the.. animal.." He let the statement hang.

The Tanaken Director frowned, his aged face forming into into creases under his white hair. "Ah, aye..the boy. I am still considering your request. Adopting another House's child is a messy business."

"Faa!" Pohl exclaimed. "Oh come off it, Tarsh! Its me, Pohl, your talking to. The boy's father isnah likely to counter my claim, seeing as he is currently on his way to be shot. The Qwanaten donah give a hairy dachna what we do as long as we keep up the Tithe. The only one who could possibly object to my having a son is *you*!"

Silence as Tarsh shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Mind keeping it down a bit, Pohl?" . "We *are* in the presence of the Highers---and the *Lowers* for that matter." He smiled at the nearby Qwanaten officials, who had momentarily looked up from their consulting huddle. They looked away, busy writing reports and transcripts of the hearings to relay to the King in Old Anar. A bit closer, Matek Aka, one of the two Directors for Unaka House snorted in derision as he glanced their way. Tarsh scowled at the rough-looking, leather-clad man. His son, who knew the accomplished Hunter better than most, shook his head.

"Never mind Matek; like as not he was just agreeing with on the Tithe bit."

His father was not appeased. "I do wish you would consort more with the Qwanaten then those Unakan, Pohl. It is more..."---he searched for an approprately tactful work, seeing as this was a sore spot between the two men---"..seemly."

Deciding it might be wise to follow at least *one* of his sire's wishes, Pohl lowered his voice. "The only Unakan I 'consort' with regularly *is* Matek---and its purely business. Now, what's the problem with my having the boy? It's naught like I'm able to sire my own *as you very well know*." He practically whispered the last-- an uncomfortable subject for him---but the pallor on his father's face showed that he had struck a hit. He sent another shot, this time aimed over the head in an attempt to soften the first attack a bit. After all, they weren't really at war: Just head-butting at certain issues. "Damn it all, Tarsh, if your going to complain about the credits--- " He frowned. "That's it, isnah it? You liked the fact that I wasnah spending credit on a family."

"Na. Oh, all right---a little." the Director confessed as the younger raised a skeptical eyebrow. Trash was famous in Tanakan House for hording profits. "However, I am also concerned as to why my young and brilliant Zoological Head chose this Yarcu brat over one of our own. Surely a Tanaken child would hold more potential for excelling? Think of your---*our* name's reputation! How would it look to have this whelp fail miserably while holding the name of Anders. You have a proud heritage to keep up---and look out for. If you truly want a son, I can commission Arva to research a woman with the desired characteristics..."

"Oh, please." Pohl rolled his eyes and let his body slump dramatically in its seat, head lolling back. "I'd rather go childless than have to subjugate myself to more of her damn tests. Particles! That woman already is more familiar with my anatomy than most wives are of their husband's. And I think she made half of them up just to irk me."

"You're too paranoid." Tarsh smirked. "Has it occurred to you that Arva enjoys your company?"

"Arva enjoys rattling everyone she comes into contact with," Pohl sourly informed him. "Its a game to her. Ask Serg. Wood rot---ask half the males in all the Room Divisions."

The senior Anders gave up. After all, he owed his son some kind of successor and it was squarely his fault that Pohl was unable to have one naturally. But an Unakan! Erth... And Arva would nat be too thrilled either.

"All right, I'll sign the papers--- but I still think its a mistake. You're only 19. The boy 5. That's just a 14 year difference. Boy's arenah easy to raise, Pohl."

"*I* was easy--- or so you've bragged."

"*You* were brilliant for your age. And you kept your head buried in the Library or the labs most of the day. You didnah have the *time* to give me trouble." Both men smiled at each other; each shared a workaholic nature and were proud of it. "Now, my young father-to-be, what else is troubling you? The mysterious animal that eluded your grasp?"

Pohl nodded and stared down at his empty hands, speaking softly into them in case of eavesdroppers. "I *had* it Tarsh! Something never seen before--- at least naught in recent times. I had it--- and I *lost* it."

"So? You'll find it again. Something so unique is bound to turn up sometime."

"Mm.." Pohl sighed bitterly. "In another 400 Turns, maybe. I donah want to wait that long. Nor do I like the thought of someone else getting ahold of it. You should have seen it, Tarsh! It was almost... *cute*."

Amusement glinted from his father's eyes.

"Cute?"

"Like a cross between a chiapza and a boy. Excellent fur quality, a pleasant purring sound. Fairly docile. Think of the profit potential if they can be bred. You know, in some Yarcus the Kievet myths even include the ability to heal things with their voices. I wonder if it has a basis in fact?"

The amusement faded quickly. "Rubbish. Stories to quiet Unakan children."

"The Kievet were supposed to have been mere stories themselves." his prodigeny reminded him. "And yet I had one strapped down and ready to be studied." The thought made him morose again. "Faa..."

Tarsh chuckled good naturedly at his companion's distress. "Personally, I'm still not sure the thing wasnah just a flask-inspired dream. However, I am unduly pleased with you today. So, I am granting your account 500 extra credits. Do well with it and in a few years you should be able to fund a few exploratory expeditions. Unless you donah end up spending it all on that boy instead."

"Aven unaka-Anders-Tanaken will end up being this House's top Botanist one day." Pohl avowed. "The boy has fire."

"Donah get burnt."

Pohl waited until everyone had left the Inquisition chamber before signaling the Hunter, who had also chosen to linger behind.

The ochre-eyed Unakan with the straw-blond hair sauntered over to him. Only two inches shorter than Pohl himself, and similiar in build, Matek was a figure that commanded respect though he rarely actually demanded it. The Hunter knew what he was capable of and did not feel the need to prove his abilities. Tarsh had been close to the mark on this--- Pohl did prefer the tough Unakan to conversing with the appearance-fretting, and highly ceremonial Qwanaten Housemembers.

"Master Hunter." The words were casual, familial.

"Master Scientist." Matek returned, cocking his head in his rather laid-back version of a bow.

Pohl gave something between a conspiratorial smile and a grimace. "What did you overhear?"

"Naught much. Your getting 500 credits for your part in Trask's death, your superior still disapproves of me, and you are procurring Savin's boy as your own. Congratulations on the first and last."

Pohl acknowledged his words with a quick cock of his own head. "I figured you would care less about Trask, but.. you donah mind my taking an Unakan son?"

The response was a bored shrug. "Should I? Savin was an idiot. And from what I've heard, both Yarcu and boy are glad to be parted from each other."

Pohl nodded slowly, then raised his head and squinted at the expressionless Matek. "What else do you know about the events of my little escapade? He studied the Hunter's face closely, but Matek was too seasoned a player to give anything away there. However, the Unakan felt no reason to hide his answer.

"A bit. Do you want me recite the Yarcu's part, the Ruenam's part, your part, the boy's part, or 'the mysterious animal's'?"

The reply was given in such a quiet, dead-panned voice that the last part took a moment to register in Pohl's brain.

"So.. you heard that too. Well.. that is why I like your services, Matt--- you pay attention to all the little details." He closed his eyes and relaxed. "The usual rate?"

"For tracking a possibly beer-induced, legendary myth?" Matek allowed a small grin to form on his face. "Master Zoologist, if the creature truly exists it would be worth my while just to see it. However, if it was just a figment of your imagination?--- I'll be waiting for my pay. Doubled."

Pohl chuckled at that. The man was priceless.

"Deal."

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Nervous, Aven wiped his hand on his new apprentice-style jacket. It was crisper than his old farm clothes and not as comfortable. Pohl had discarded those, insisting that he was now Tanaken and not Unaka and thus should dress appropriately. That was fine with Aven, who was anxious to *be* Tanaken as well. He waited while his new father introduced him to some of the other Housemembers. First up was a middle-sized man with grease-stained hands and an amiable grin.

"Aven, this is Serg Mas. Serg is our Engineering Room Head."

"Hello." Aven shook the man's hand, wondering what, 'by the Prairie', an 'engineer' did.

"Hi, boy. Well, arenah you a bright looking fella?"

"For a dirt digger," came a sarcastic voice.

Pohl frowned in displeasure at the arrival of stern-faced woman. "And that is our Head of Biology Room, Arva Darsav."

"Though most of us quickly came up with our own names for her." Serg opined quietly He whispered his personal favorite into Aven's ear before Pohl could elbow the reckless man.

"Aargh?" Aven giggled.

The straight-laced woman in her perfectly starched lab coat merely cocked a disdainful eyebrow at the mechanic and boy. It was enough to make Serg look away in discomfort. Being the Biology Head had put her in a position of some power. She held the biological information on every Tanaken in New Anar Port and had the authority to update it once a year---whether or not the subject wished it. Serg found a reason to excuse himself and hastily exited.

"I suppose you had your reasons for picking up this stray waif, Pohl, but I'm currently at a loss to see them. You know, I have given your 'little deficit' my top priority---below Tarsh's personal requests that is. Why donah you come into my lab and let me get an updated bio on your progress?"

{{ When Rapars fly )) Pohl thought to himself. "Hello, Arva. Aye, I did, that's too bad, so you keep reminding me, and na thank you." He laid his hand on Aven's head. "Why donah you just *congratulate* me instead?"

"Congratulations." She bent down to study Aven's face. "Unakan, Northern Sector---some Desert Ruenam.. My, my, Pohl. You adopted yourself a little runt of a mongrel didnah you?" she smirked. Well, what's done is done. Better bring him in so I can record his semi-illustrious physiology." She took hold of Aven's arm, noting Pohl's grimace. "Rules. Even the Wonder Kid has to follow House rules", she reminded him. "Pohl--- ease."

The nickname Serg had christened the zoologist with made Pohl groan whenever he heard it. He nudged his 'son' toward the lab, knowing that Arva was well within her rights to examine the boy.

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Aven tolerated the invasive 'inspection' better than the Biologist had thought--- which did not please her. The little runt could at least have the decency to carry on a bit!

Pohl, whose sullen expression had gradually turned into a triumphant gloat as he supervised the testing, chuckled. "Give it up, Arva. The boy's got thick skin. You canah dominate* him* with your bloody testing."

"What the heck are you blathering about?" she barked at him, feeling fully irritated. Then her face took on a predatory look. "Wait a minute. Yarcus are potential infestation hazphards with all of those unclean animals. He should have a good purging." She reached for a cabinet drawer.

"Aven!" Pohl commanded in his most authoritive tone, "get yourself presentable and go find Serg. Stay with him until I come and get you."

"Hold it--!" Arva snarled.

Pohl did not give her the chance to finish. "GO!"

The boy threw on his clothing and ran out the door. Arva glared at the zoologist.

"Since when did you get a soft heart?"

"A *purging*?" Pohl's expression was a textbook example of distaste. "That's a little much even for you, Arva. Na one else had to go through that."

"How do *you* know?" the tormentor of every male Tanaken asked scathingly.

He shrugged; she pulled out the purging equiptment. "You know, I could *change* those statistics some."

Pohl blanched a bit at the not so subtle threat, sputterin: "By Anar's soil, Arva! The rest of us *do* get together to talk about things. Satisfied?"

"Interesting conversations. A pity I'm naught invited."

"Well, you certaintly have a knack for livening them up even so." He turned to leave.

"I hear you saw a Kievet on your trip." Casually spoken words that stopped him dead in his tracks.

Pohl gritted his teeth. {{ Thank you, Tarsh! }}

He tried not to react further as she stepped up around him to smile coyly into his eyes. "Was it--- "

"It was white to purplish black---" at least that which I could see was--- and na, it didnah sing flowers into being before my very eyes. Nor did it sport a bird's beak. Questions answered?" Founder, how he hated Arva's ill-timed questions! He had things to *do*.

"Actually", she replied somberly, ignoring his ill humour, "I was going to offer you the use of my personal library for research data. I donah recall seeing anything specific there on Kievet legends, but the collection *is* fairly extensive. Some of them are even survivors from the Colony before the Uprising."

The zoologist's eyes widened. "You have journals *that* old? Actual journals--- naught doctored up reproductions?"

"Like I said, naught everything got taken by the Qwanatens." raising her hand, she inspected her nails for a moment before adding softly: "Quick fingers sort of run in my family. Want to check them out?"

"Are you kidding?" Pohl grinned madly, " Some 400 -year old Journals!".

Exhaling sharply, Arva poked him in the chest with her index finger. "I was referring to my fingers."

"Huh?" She had totally lost him.

Arva shook her head, giving up---at least for now. "Some genius! "I'm scheduling you for an examination. ...Consider it a library user fee."

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Pohl flipped through another Journal. A slender hand reached over and snapped it shut.

"If you donah mind, you're supposed to be thinking along *other* lines just now," A somewhat plainative voice snapped.

"Fine."

The sooner he got this over with, Pohl thought, the sooner he could get back to searching her books. He settled back and tried to relax as he silently suffered through her batter of 'tests'. The things he put up with for his work's sake. A few minutes later, having satisfied her 'library fee' he eagerly went back to perusing the ancient books. Sliding the samples under a microscope, Arva glanced in his direction, chuckling at her latest victim's rumpled form..

"Some of your assets are showing."

He grunted, absently fixing his clothing one-handed, mind centered on the log he was reading.

Arva sighed at his lack of response and went back to gazing into her microscope. "I'm afraid that last syrum is naught looking promising. Your sperm are still woefully lacking in numbers."

Another grunt was her only answer.

"Helloo. I just said your toe has sprouted."

"Did you know," Pohl said turning a page, obviously not having heard a word she had said, "that the famous Captain Preston once held lands in Old Anar? Seems he got them from a former superior by default. This, Captain Aguira, fellow apparently went off the bend shortly after willing Preston his land. Huh, if that doesnah sound suspic--- Great Anar!" His shout startled the bored Arva so much she nearly fell off her stool.

"What?"

Pohl let out a whoop, fingers clutching the logbook as he silently read an entry.

"I dona know what has become of my old friend, Aguira. Ever since we found this new land he has become a stranger, preferring the company of that dratted 'Yer' to even me. If I had known then how these creatures were going to take over his mind, I would have ordered the men to fire on their pathetic herds and personally skewered that 'Yer'---wiley *Kievet* with my blade. But hindsight is the best sight; they have him now. They have made him an animal like themselves. He repeatedly refuses my offers to return to his home."

"Arva, you are wonderful! May I borrow this logbook---and any others that belonged to the good Captains?"

"Certainly, if you bring it back within a reasonable period."

"Thank you!" In his enthusement, he kissed her on the cheek before barelling out the door.

Arva smiled somewhat ruefully at the place he had hastily vacated. "You're welcome."

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"See, there?" Pohl pointed out an entry to Tarsh, stabbing at passages with his finger. "And here is another one. This is *proof* that the Kievet exist. Log entries written down by the very founder---or maybe I should say 'co-founder' of New Anar."

Much more subdued than his offspring, Tarsh inspected the covers, pages, color of the ink. It certaintly looked authentic. He would have to call for a general disclosure of all ancient materials---it was disconcerting to find that certain departments might have valuable documents in their possessions that were unknown to others.

Pohl thumped a book impatiently. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think I need to talk to the Department Heads. How long has Arva known about these?"

"Trask! I meant, what do you think about the entries themselves?"

"They appear authentic---but that changes little on what I said before. These entries are hundreds of Turns old. For all anyone knows these 'kievet' references could be referring to some quite ordinary animal."

"Oh, yeah. Quite ordinary." Pohl sniffed, unbelieving that his sire could be taking this news so *calmly*. "They only talked and built and so strongly influenced one founding Captain that he abandoned a long-standing friendship and disavowed his very species! Committed acts so offensive to Anaran sensibilities that the Qwanaten went to great lengths to try to obliterate his name from all of the historical records. Donah you think that's a bit of an overkill reaction to simple animals or mere myths?"

Trask rubbed his temples as they started a dull ache. "Of course. Which is why I'd prefer you'd keep quiet about this whole thing. Your on the point of obsessing on the subject. Keep it up and the Qwanaten just might notice that." He saw Pohl's incredulous stare and explained, "Any subject that provokes that kind of reaction is best treated with utmost care, or donah you see the simularities here? Really, Pohl, you are brilliant on some things and so naive on others. A lot, I think, like this Aguira Ruenam was. He too became obssessed and lost everything he had worked so hard to attain. Worse, his very House was split apart and brought to ruin over the conflict he brought on. That is what I read in these entries---trouble." He held up a hand before Pohl could counter argue. "However! I understand that you think you are too young and enegetic of mind to be concerened with dour political circles." He sighed. "And if I donah let you go find these creatures that you will sulk on me for the rest of my life. So... go ahead. But! I want you to wait at least seven Turns before you actively start an expedition. That's final. Eight years should give enough time to allay the Qwanaten in case this thing is an explosive ready to go off in our faces. Understand?" He speared his son with a look.

Feeling both pleased and frustrated, Pohl forced his muscles to relax. Seven Turns? A lot could happen in so much time. But he could see that Tarsh was not going to bend on this one, so he nodded in acceptance. Very well. I will keep the House's best interest in mind. However, the minute Matek finds something, I am going on search, Qwanaten or na.

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End of Episode Two: Part 11d

[This concludes the historical interlude. We now take you back to Nick and the Jedi!]