The Return to the Sapphire Archipelago
Starfang’s small star skiff exits hyperspace near Shili, directing its path towards what initially seems to be an ordinary star. Quickly, it expands in size, soon occupying the entire viewport. The planet reveals itself in full splendor, showcasing breathtaking oceans intermingling with vast landscapes. Its surface is a tapestry of vivid colors, from the lush, expansive tundras to the dense, vibrant forests, embodying the sacred essence of the planet. This world, renowned for its natural beauty, stands as a jewel of the galaxy, with its unique ecosystems and cultural heritage drawing the gaze of any onlooker.
“There you are,” Starfang murmurs, her gaze fixed on the shimmering blue expanses below. She inputs commands into the console with precision, guiding the skiff in a steep descent towards the planet’s surface. They approach one of the larger landmasses, where a cluster of small islands emerges from the sapphire sea. These islands are crowned with rugged hills and cliffs, their slopes adorned with the planet’s signature, vibrant colorful grasslands. At the heart of this archipelago, the islands converge around a crater, now a tranquil bay, its waters a mirror reflecting the sky above.
As they draw closer to the surface, the skiff skims the ocean’s surface, sending ripples across the calm waters. On the shores at the base of the cliffs, children and families revel in the sunlit waters—diving with grace or scaling the daunting cliffs with an ease that belies their peril. Starfang guides the skiff in a gentle arc around this lively scene, careful to maintain a safe distance. Her craft stirs large waves, teasing the playful children, before it gently dips into the water and then soars out again, mimicking a majestic whale breaching in the sunlight.
With a satisfied grin, Starfang sets a course towards a pine forest adjacent to the cliffs. Nestled on the slope is a nearly invisible docking platform, cleverly integrated into the landscape. As she approaches one of the docking stations, mechanical arms extend from the cliffside, securing the skiff with a magnetic grip that holds it firmly in place.
Starfang grabs her bag, equipped with the essentials, and makes her way to the lift that descends into the heart of the Togruta town. Nearly invisible from above, its architecture harmonizes perfectly with the majestic forest around it. The homes, seamlessly blending into the woodland, appear as natural extensions of the forest itself, embodying the Togruta’s deep connection to their environment.
A group of Togruta stands before her, friends and family from her past weaving around her.
“It’s so good to see you again,” says one of the elder Togruta with a friendly tone and a scolding look.
“Hello Mother,” Starfang embraces the woman and the man next to her.
“Your escape from the university has caused quite an uproar! I don’t think they will allow you back in!”
“Well, that’s not why I’m here,” Starfang replies, the mood becoming heavier for a few moments following her words.
“Despite everything, it’s good to see all of you again, even if I wish the circumstances were better.”
Starfang looks around; the small town of the tribe is more active than she remembers. Many faces from the Azure Cliffs Confederacy are visiting, and she recognizes some from the past. It’s no surprise, as it is not an everyday occurrence that the last honors are paid to one of the Cliffhaven Witches. Starfang makes her way with her family and friends to one of the forest houses, artfully concealed among the trees. The evening passes with her sharing tales of her adventures, her voice rising and falling with the rhythm of her stories, as her elders chide her gently, their affectionate scolds woven between laughter. As the night deepens and the conversation lulls, a quiet urge pulls her towards the balcony, where she embraces the cool wind against her skin. Alone with the night, she thinks to herself, “Do you feel it all?”
In the early morning, she feels someone waking her, hands on her face blocking her sight. She kneels on the ground outside, ‘What happened, how did I get here?’ the young Togruta wonders to herself.
“Do you feel that?” asks a mysterious voice. ‘What might she mean… the wind? The warmth on my skin? Her hands on my face?’ she ponders in silence and notices a stiffness in her body, barely able to move, as if paralyzed.
“All of that,” the voice says, removing the hands.
Starfang first looks back at the woman, a Togruta, who resembles her grandmother from old holograms when she was still a middle-aged woman. Starfang stares in shock at the woman. What is she doing here and above all, where am I? She looks around; above her is the ocean, held back by a vibrant field of the Force. In the distance, the walls of a massive, burnt-out volcano, and beneath her, the branch of a gigantic, mysterious, alien-like tree. Its branches, resembling the lekku of the Togruta, spread out from the ground in many directions. Its pinecones are made of a soft, glowing material that radiates a gentle warmth. The tree seems to breathe, alive.
“Have you forgotten everything I taught you as a child? Have you suddenly grown up?” the mysterious Togruta says with a smile, and it hits Starfang like a bolt of lightning: ‘Of course, I’m in a dream.’
“We’re waiting for you,” the figure vanishes and reappears on the ground amidst a circle of several Togruta witches and witchers. Starfang now stands up consciously and well aware of where she is; the paralysis fades. She takes a step into the air and begins to float towards the group…
Then suddenly, a groan, she’s stuck in a tunnel to another world, moving towards the light! Sounds of heavy machinery surround her, springing to life and beginning to operate, a supercomputer of immense power! She opens her eyes, groaning as her brain returns to full cognitive capabilities. “…aaaAH!!!”
“Why must they always be so dramatic…”
Starfang gets up and begins her new day in her old homeland.