The Heart of a Leviathan

Chandrila- Midday

The sun beat down on the circusgoers as they ran between their parents legs, playing tag and collecting bruises. The heat hadn't really set in yet this season. It hadn't rained much this summer, so the air wasn't damp with humidity. It was easy enough for the young ones and their elders to gather under the trees that lined the public park where The Traveling Monroes had set up to cool off. They had been working on Chandrila for a couple of days, the public turning out en masse to get a sugary drink or a plate full of fried food. They were there one more night, and it was a huge turn out to send them off. The park was filled from start to finish with a wave of Chandrilans of all ages.

Toward the back of the setup, three Nautolans stood together. Two of them stretched their legs and warmed up. The third dwarfed the other two at nearly six feet seven inches. Where he was dense and heavily muscled, the other two were lithe, their bodies much more compact. They were talking among themselves between acts. If you got close, you'd hear them talking about how excited they were to get a move on to Naboo, so they could finally get out of Sith-controlled space. The third, larger Nautolan would agree, saying what they earned here would pay for all of them to get tattoos from a local artist he had met there previously, the other two teased him.

The atmosphere in the camp was jovial, there was much turmoil in the Core, and the people yearned for a bit of release. The Traveling Monroes had paid a lot of money and waited a long time for the proper permits to perform this deep in Sith Space, but it was well worth the wait. They had earned many times over their investment. People living under subjugation oftentimes were the best spenders at these events, not letting anything get in their way of having a good time.

After the three split up, the larger one went on toward a large tent adorned with a picture of him flexing shirtless, and in the other hand he was gingerly holding a speeder bike that kids could sit on so it looked like he was lifting them. As he pushed through the entrance curtains inside were a flurry of stagehands and riggers who made the show go off without a hitch. They all turned as one and greeted him by name, "Levi!" He returned their greeting with a hearty wave and a giant smile. He was reminded he had fifteen minutes until showtime, and he needed to get in costume quickly.


The stage he had just walked in on looked completely different by the time the show had started. Where once the riggers stood holding ropes and adjusting wires, now hung signs and set pieces made out of wood and duraplast. It was a wonder what a group of artists could put together in fifteen short minutes. There were bright lights focusing on the center of the stage. Basking in that light were bleachers filled to the brim with men, women, and children, all there to see "The Great Leviathan" or Levi as they called him. The smell of buttery snacks and fizzy sodas spilled out from behind the curtain, signaling the start time of the show.

As the curtains opened, the crowd was wild, screaming his name over and over, "Levi, Levi, Leviathan!" The tent shook from the energy. They were at an uproar by the time the massive Nautolan walked out, his arms oiled and pumped from a quick set of reps. He immediately began posing for the crowd, flexing in various ways, showing off his physique. They were cheering even louder now, some of the women in the audience reaching a shriek.

As the fanfare initially died down, the MC introduced him to the crowd officially, as "The Great Leviathan! The monster from the deep who can lift a speeder bike without trouble!" And with another thunderous applause, Levi flexed his arms one more time. He performed feats of strength for the crowd including lifting a speeder bike with one arm while a child sat on it, and breaking a chain in half to escape an airtight container before the time ran out. The crowd was electric the entire time, their chants from Levi's tent blending with those from the others to create a symphony of cheer that painted the afternoon sky.


"You're cornered, Sith. Quit while you're ahead." Juniper's voice was calculated, she knew better than to show emotion to a Sith Lord. This one in particular was adept at manipulating pheromones and emotions, Darth Vizex was his name. She refused to give him quarter. "I won't kill you if you just give up." Her voice came with a heavy breath, the battle taking a lot out of the sorceress.

"Bad things happen when people get pushed too far, Juniper." His voice rang back, half mechanical and half bile. It felt like he was weighing her down with every word. He moved his fingers behind his back, sending a large tree trunk hurtling at Juniper. She dodged it as it flew past her and rolled down a hill that overlooked the plains below. She picked up the faint hint of smoke on the air as she moved.

"You earned this then." Her sentence was finished by her arms extending, releasing a flash of pink lightning that overtook the sunlight beating down on them, casting a pink hue over the trees that surrounded them. The Sith Lord blocked with his lightsaber, redirecting the attack back at Juniper. She dodged just in time, the lightning exploding the ground where she had been standing. This time the Sith lunged forward, going straight for Juniper, his lightsaber making a move straight for her chest. She feinted at the last moment, her chest shifting her weight to miss the red blade from piercing her. Darth Vizex couldn't stop his inertia and went racing off the cliff, down the hill at an alarming speed.

Juniper figured that he likely would not be able to survive that fall, and if he had he would be severely injured, so she would be able to take her time getting back down there to him. That's when the scent of smoke hit her nose again, this time it carried a bit of fried meat and she sniffed again- fried dough? She turned on her heel and moved toward the edge of the cliff, looking out past the tree line to see the plume of smoke. A carnival? This late into the dry season? That's when she noticed the commotion at the bottom of the hill.

The Sith Lord didn't just survive the fall, he used the inertia to speed himself forward toward the gathered group of people. It was obvious what he had meant earlier. Juniper needed to act fast, but how would she get down in time?


By the time she made it to the flaming remnants of the circus there were no sounds but the distant screams of survivors and the crackling of fire taking its way through the open, dried, plains. Juniper panicked, looking around for whatever she could to help. In the distance, she saw a Nautolan trying to get up with a large wooden post on fire covering his chest, likely breaking a rib or an arm. Juniper made a split second decision and ran toward him, using the Force to throw the post off of him. He was trying to catch his breath, in and out of consciousness. Juniper looked around for something to help, all she could find was a half burnt banner that read "The Twin Riptides", she hurried and used it as a sling on his damaged arm.

Juniper looked down at the man, falling between consciousness, realizing that he was likely one of the only survivors. She looked up at the sky, cursing herself and the Sith that made this happen. That's when she looked over, seeing the body of Darth Vizex standing against the roaring flames overtaking the plains. Then in her head, all she could hear was "This is your fault." Over and over again it bounced around her head, making it impossible for her to think. When she finally broke free of its agony, the silhouette was gone, and she was left with a broken Nautolan.

"I'm going to save you." She whispered to the unconscious Levi, as she signaled for Misch to go get help.