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Chapter 17 Katrina sighed and sat back on the hard bench she had been assigned as a seat. She looked at the many heads before her and happened to glimpse the wrinkled old teach at the front of the class. The woman was droning on and on about the benefits of Imperial rule over the proposed “New Republic”. Katrina glanced around to see that most of the students weren’t paying any attention to the lecture and two had even fallen asleep. Katrina had tried to prove herself to be a good student but after the first few days it was brutally obvious that her efforts meant nothing and only wore her out. The teachers she had been assigned to and the students around her couldn’t care less if she was interested in learning or being obedient. She was either a burden to be ignored or an object to be ridiculed; there was no middle ground. She contented herself with passing the hours imagining herself far way on a tropical world, free to do was she liked, or at least feeling warm and safe at Tabi’s side. Sometimes she thought of what her life would be like once Xenritha and Cha-Lee agreed to let her go home to the Tri and begin her training in the ways of the Zanespot. Katrina knew that she had been born go protect and guard one piece of Guardian’s power in hopes that the galaxy’s creator would one day return and bring back peace and prosperity. She waited impatiently for the Zanespot of the Present and the Zanespot of the Future to realize just how much they needed her at their side. Katrina sighed. They had given her no choice in whether or not she should attend the boarding school. After they had rescued her from the jungles of Manooglious Prime they had set coordinates and entered hyperspace before Katrina could ask where they were going. Before they were half way there Katrina had fallen into a coma, stunned by the impact of the explosion of the Second Death Star. A wave of pain and death had been carried through the Force and Katrina had been hit squarely by it. “Pay attention,” the teacher snapped loudly as the metal pointer she had been holding whipped through the air of the classroom and slammed sharply against a stonewall. Both of the sleeping girls jumped to attention, looking around the room anxiously to find the problem. Those that had simply been daydreaming sat straighter in their chairs and folded their hands primly on their desktops. Katrina sighed again and pulled herself into a sitting position. “Who is the one true leader of the galaxy?” The teacher demanded as she looked at the bored faces around her. “You,” she pointed the long, thin metal rod at Katrina, “answer the question.” “No one, I guess,” Katrina squirmed under the gazes of all in the room. “Wrong. Palpatine is the true leader of the galaxy,” The teacher corrected coldly. “He-“ “Is dead,” Katrina finished for her without thinking. “You, a little girl, think you know anything at all about the great and powerful Emperor?” The teacher looked down her nose at the girl as several of the students giggled and gasped. “He died at Endor,” Katrina shrugged. “It is a known fact.” “The Emperor is far too powerful and wise to be killed by one as foolish and young as a Rebel troublemaker like Skywalker.” “No,” Katrina replied just as snottily as the teacher had spoken, “technically he was killed by Darth Vader, but it was because of Skywalker that Palpatine died.” “Get out!” The teacher shrieked and flew to open the door. “You will not dirty my class any longer, corrupting young minds with your wicked thoughts!” “Someone’s in trouble,” the girls of the class began to chant as Katrina moved to exit the door, and continued to say as the door was rudely slammed behind her. The corridor was empty and stretched far on both sides of Katrina. She stood looking back and forth and around her for long moments before finally deciding that no one was coming to sweep her away to a new punishment. With a shrug she began skipping down the hall on her way to find Tabi. “You’ve gotten yourself in trouble again,” The Weequay said in greeting as Katrina entered her chambers. “You’re grinning very mischievously, young Katrina. Madame Zinkrey will not be happy.” “She never is,” Katrina shrugged again and sat at her friend’s side as she picked up a piece of fabric to mend and an already threaded needle. Tabi winked at her once and began humming contentedly. |
