Star Wars_ I, Jedi - Michael A. Stackpole [179]
I slowly sat. Highlights skittered silver over his gold down as he drew himself together in the middle of the room. I sensed a great solemnity about him, and knew what he was about to do was not something he did lightly. “Elegos, you need not tell me anything that will jeopardize you or your people. In fact, it might be best if you don’t.”
“No, I know I can trust you.” The Caamasi gave me a beneficient smile. “Even under pain of death you would not surrender this secret.”
Not knowing what to say, I just sat back and let my bandaged hands lie on my belly.
“You will recall I told you that memories of momentous events become strong and almost tangible to us?”
I nodded. “Killing someone would create such a memory.”
“Correct, or other things like the birth of a child, or meeting someone famous, or being present at some significant event.” Elegos’ expression softened slightly. “Among the Caamasi we refer to these memories as memnii. They are memories invested with emotion and sensory data and, even sometimes, intangible things that escape quantification. They are more fine in detail than any holograph, and more precious to us than any material possession.”
He brushed his fingertips lightly across the purple striping on his shoulders and around his eyes. “The truly significant thing about memnii is that we can share them with others. The ability to transfer them is limited by consanguinity, which is why our clans often intermarry, making certain there are open avenues of communication between groups. Because we can share these memories, because they come across with full impact, they have more completely allowed us to communicate within our species. This is why we have avoided violence and look to help others find peace.
“My markings are common among the Kla, the maternal clan into which I was born. It is fairly easy for me to transfer a memnis to another member of the Kla clan or to my father’s clan, the A clan.”
My head came up. “My grandfather knew a Caamasi named Ylenic It’kla.”
“My mother’s brother. We share the maternal line. I knew him well and we were very proud of his being a Jedi.” Elegos’ face took on a very happy expression. “You must understand, we Caamasi discovered something special about the Jedi. While only three or four generations of separation could all but block the transfer of memnii between Caamasi, when one of us came to know a Jedi and form a bond with him, we could transfer to him a memnis. This is nothing short of a miracle, and when my uncle became a Jedi, the Kla clan’s pride swelled incredibly. It is through a memnis my uncle gave to me that I recognized you. You have Nejaa’s eyes, his scent and his sense.”
“Your uncle was Ylenic? Where is he? Can he tell me more about Nejaa?”
Elegos blinked his eyes rapidly and covered his face with his hands for a second. I started to get out of my chair, but he held a hand out to stop me, then composed himself. “Forgive me. My uncle was not on Caamas when our world was immolated. He was visiting a friend on Alderaan and convinced that friend to provide a safe haven for other Caamasi survivors. He and others of our leaders who had survived decided that we also had to spread out, and to mix our clans in all these new settlements. While Alderaan might be the largest settlement, it would not be the only one.”
I felt my blood run cold. “He died on Alderaan.”
Elegos nodded slowly. “He had eluded the Emperor’s Jedi hunters for years, but he could not elude a world’s destruction.”
“What was the memory of my grandfather he gave to you? Can you give it to me?”
Elegos shook his head. “I do not think you are quite enough a Jedi, nor enough of a friend, for us to be able to do this yet.” He hesitated. “And I am not certain you would want this memory. It is of your grandfather’s death.”
I sank back in the chair and closed my eyes. What I knew of my grandfather’s