Gone Fishin'

Gone Fishin'

The evening was still, the water in the crocoaw padis disturbed only by the occasional bubble or spiked fin breaking its surface. A man, stooped with age and wrapped tightly against the cold, sat on a simple tripod and rehooked his fishing rod. 

Marv was a patient man, and quietly proud of it. Too much haste, too much hot-headedness had surrounded him for much of his life in this disturbed galaxy. He'd seen where it led - mostly to far-too-early deaths: against the Empire, or the Separatists before that, or even just from an unlucky sea-swoop crash like young Cody. 

Marv’s bushy eyebrows knitted. It was strange that Cody’s name would resurface after so many decades. They had both been mere teenagers when Cody'd died back on Marv’s homeward, and the two of them had not even been close at marine college. Such a waste of potential. No, patience was a virtue alright, and Marv excelled at it.

“Its incredible isn't it? How fast they've taken off?”

“Huh?” mumbled Marv, startled from his thoughts. “Fast?” He looked at the speaker. She was young - probably not too much older than Cody come to think of it - a human, with tousled, shoulder length brown hair. Her name was Hestia.

“The plants I mean.” the newcomer gestured to crocoaw stems. The green hollow shoots were at least a foot above the surface of the padi field and were close to crowding out the entire flooded area. It had only been a matter of weeks since the crocoaw seeds were planted by Marv, Hestia and two of the other Jedi initiates. Well, Hestia had done most of the work, Marv clarified to himself, as the young woman had used the Force to “punch” the crocoaw seeds a metre deep jnto the soil. No wasted potential there.

“Lynus says it is still a good couple of months before the grains will start to form, but I still think the growth is phenomenal, you know?” Hestia continued with an earnest smile.

“How is your practice coming along, Marv?”

The Jedi initiates stranded on Ator Hollos didn't have free time as such - not with the effort required to grow food for their almost subsistence diet; the Force lessons and training; not to mention the cautious forays to scout for missing Jedi Master Kyle Katarn. The initiates did, however, have some unstructured time for self-directed learning and practice.

“Slow and steady, slow and steady. You know I can almost sense when the fish are going to bite. I've caught one guppy”, he patted the silver fish in his basket, “but it's the rainbow roughie I'm trying for. How about you?” he added almost as an after thought. 

“That's great, Marv.” Hestia placed an encouraging arm on his shoulder. “I'm working on listening into the Living Force, but there is too much that I can't attune with the little critters I'm focusing on.”

“Oh I'm sure you're making good progress. Show me what you can do?”

Hestia breathed out slowed, closed her eye, and raised her arm. Marv studied her face. There was a look of deep concentration, eyes initially squeezed shut but then easing. Hestia sucked in her cheeks and Marv couldn't help but notice she looked more gaunt than when they had first met those weeks back on Sullust. This planet was taking its toll on them all, even those still possessing the vigour of youth.

Hestia's eyes opened and Marv flicked his away only to have his breath caught. 

 

Two orbs of water hovered well above the cracoaw stems, their surfaces pulsing and rippling. Even more remarkable, each contained a perfectly content fish swimming circuits within the orbs. For a moment, it seemed one of the fish looked directly at Marv with its three eyes - a rainbow roughie!

Marv slowly reached for his net, only to have the orbs - and their fishy treasures - fall back into the padi with a splash.

“See what a mean, Marv!” grumbled Hestia. “I only wanted to lift up the fish but those damn frogs were levitated too.”

Marv hadn't noticed any frogs, and the woman’s frustration confused him. “Ah youngling. I didn't see any failure or any frogs for that matter.  I saw success - and you've opened my eyes to a whole new world of fishing! With you by my side, we'll be able to feed the enclave!” Now it was his turn to pat Hestia’s shoulder in encouragement. 

Hestia laughed, then let out a sigh. “Thanks Marv, but you know I don't eat meat. Maybe I need to work with more complex minds - those fish are slippery in more way than one… maybe I'll retry with Druffin’s lizard…,” she mused and walked off toward a cluster of the alien trainees.

“At least think of Naothi and Itacil,” Marv called after her half-heartedly, “those boys need their protein!”

When she didn't respond, Marv turned back toward the now still padi waters. He sucked his teeth for a moment, straightened his cap, and then unbaited his hook. Then he closed his eyes; raised his hand; and began to focus. The waters began to ripple. 

Sometimes, all you needed was the right inspiration…

Behind the scenes

Marv, Hestia and Bacta