Sandy Sarna

She climbed up, letting him boost her until she could reach the side panel, and quickly disconnected the white laminate covered battery. It was roughly the same size as the battery in her old lightsaber, though its connectors were different. She wrinkled her nose while looking at the connectors then shrugged as she climbed back down off of Aidan. She would figure that all out as it went, and as Aidan had opined, she needed to trust the force. It would provide, or it would not. She grabbed her kit from near the bed and flipped open her datapad/comm. She typed off a quick message to Knight Leena and a few others who she was sure would be the most helpful in treating the plague on Felucia. She snapped the pad closed and tossed it back into her rucksack, before following Aidan into the shuttle bay. They were being loaded in earnest, and she let her presence drift out to find any parts that she could not immediately see. The only thing that stood out was a small amount amarathine tubing that was laying beside one of the workbenches. She picked it up and looked to one of the technicians who shrugged in return. So she scooped that into her rucksack and then bounded into the shuttle. She waited for Aidan to board and indicated the seat beside hers. “Hey.” She let her presence mingle with his in a way that made the twi’lek pilots head snap around quizzically before she looked back at the flight controls. “Whatever happens out there. I love you.” She placed her hand into his and held it tightly as the engines began to stir to life.

It was embarrassing of her to admit that she did not know very much at all about lightsaber crystals, how they were made or grown, or how they functioned. She had heard the word kyber before, but her training had mostly consisted of non stop combat missions since she had set the first foot into being a teenager. She had nearly a decade of experience in the Jedi Order, but... “I must admit.” She felt the quick rush of embarrassment flood over her pale face. “I may need to rely on you more than I normally do on this lightsaber building stuff..” She glanced at the chronometer that sat on the rough stone wall. “I only ever built a training lightsaber, and even that was mostly done by my master. She would get frustrated if I took a long time.” She laughed regrettably. “But I can certainly trust the force.” She looked at his grey outfit and bit her lip before shaking her head. “Yes, let's try to find the spare parts before we leave. The crystal may have to wait though until after we are done at Felucia.” She looked up to the embedded lighting panels and let a sly grin creep over her face. “Here, help me up, if I remember from when I was a kid, the ballasts in glow panels have the same kind of rapid charge batteries we need.”

Sandy took the saber staff into her hands and let her presence filter out through her fingers. Exploring every part of that hilt, the grooves, the lines, the unbuffed scratches. She let her focus find the crystal inside its housing, tracing the connections of wiring that crossed over it and connected to the slim battery inside. All pieced together in intricate detail and every part of it felt of him. Even the way the wires were tied and bundled spoke to the rigidity of his upbringing and the spartan way of life that the Knights had instilled in him. She memorized the way that the sabre fit together and then set it aside reverently, on the table beside the bed. Then, standing from where she had been sitting she walked to Aidan and grabbed the front of his robes. Deftly she tucked one flap, then the next, tying the ties together before grinning up at him. “It’s not as cool as you showing me how to polish armour, but hey at least I know a few things you don’t. You don't think there is a way to make a lightsaber crystal really quickly do you?” She kissed him again, then sat down to put her knee high boots on. She slipped them on and waited for him to finish dressing. There was much to do, and she would need to build a sabre before they left. But somewhere, in the back of her head, a small voice warned her against attachments. But that was for another time. For now she was satisfied with the here and now.

The weight of the galaxy’s needs fell like a waterfall over them, washing away the carelessness of the night before. Sandy let out a long sigh. Aidan was of course right, as he often was, and it was time to face the day. She gave him a loving peck of a kiss on the slight beard stubble that was appearing around his jawline, then pulled back the covers. It was not cold in the room, but still the coolness of the room hit her as she peeled herself from his arms and crawled out of the bed to stand on the rough stone floor. She strode the few steps to the datapad that was mounted on the low wooden table and gave a quick glance at its display. She let out another sigh, and grabbed her clothes. She gave him a grin and slipped the tunic back on from where it had been discarded before sitting down on the bed. “Looks like there is a plague on Felucia. We have a small outpost there, but it's completely overrun. It's not a combat mission, but it's an opportunity to help. I know the Imperials aren’t too fond of non combat missions, but you could come with if you wanted. The first shuttle departs in less than five hours.” She reached a hand back and let it play across his. “Plus I need to make a new lightsaber before we do anything else. Have you ever made one? I haven’t had to since I was an apprentice. I hope we have parts in stock.” And with that they were back in the cares of the galaxy. As much as they could be at least.

The sun rays played across her face with little care for how long she wanted to stay asleep. Though the sleep itself was deep and dreamless, as her conscious mind began to reassert itself, the dreams began. They were kind dreams, at least at first, they began to spiral into the tumultuous terror of the maw. She shivered, her arms tightening for a moment as she pressed her face into Aidan’s strong chest. But as quick as the dreams had come, they disappeared. Her waking mind subduing them and she awoke with a soft start. She breathed in deeply letting his aroma fill her lungs and she opened her eyes and relaxed into his presence. There was such security in his arms, and for a moment she was amazed at how safe she really felt. She could feel his strength and his love, and it was everything she had ever wanted. Saying nothing she pulled herself up and gave him a loving kiss. Then she pulled herself up even further so that she could lay her head on the pillow beside his. She had never felt so connected to another person in her life. Her voice was somewhat hoarse when she spoke. "Good Morning" And it was a good morning. A very good morning. “I love you.” She whispered. She let her eyes adjust to the morning light and let her presence expand to mingle with his again. There was no shame there, no secrets, nothing but love and satisfaction. She returned the feelings and hugged him closer.

The brush pulled painfully at the snag in her pale blonde hair. While it only came to slightly below her earlobes, it still had the distinctive ability to work its way into knots. Especially after extracurricular activities, and that thought brought a stupid smile to her face which looked even stupider in the reflection in the mirror. She glanced at Aidan, then pulled her hair back into a short ponytail that she tied back with one of the elastic bands that were so common throughout the galaxy. She shrugged on the new pale blue tunic and passed Aidan his own pair of greys. She slipped the wet towels into the drying rack then sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for Aidan. It would be more comfortable than the medical room floor for sure but she could feel the creep of doubt enter the back of her mind. Could they really maintain a relationship throughout a long and bitter war? Could they weather the long defeat? For that was what this war was beginning to look like. There was a distinct honour in fighting a long defeat to be sure, but could a relationship survive years of warfare and retreat after retreat? She couldn’t know. But for now all she could let herself think of was the present. For what good did it do her to let doubts creep in when she was fulfilling her long desired dream? So she let the doubts fall away and embraced the present. And the Imperial Knight who was beside her.

Sandy could feel her mouth standing open for a moment before she let her teeth click back together as she looked at Aidan with a mix of shock and distress. How had he never seen one of these before? True he had been raised in the military, and in a very famous family, but surely he had at least taken a old fashioned shower. But she couldn’t blame him, the imperials probably didn’t have a single water shower on any of the bases he had served at. Sonics were so much more effective. They carried with them that aire of efficiency and order that she had come to expect and appreciate about the Imperial Remnant. “Well uhh, these are..” She pointed to the clear bottles of thick liquid. “In order shampoo, conditioner, and a skin cleaning agent. It is certainly not very efficient like sonics, but there is a peace in it. Letting the water fall over you is one of the few pleasures that I have experienced in the aftermath of a battle or a mission. To get the worst of it off you need to do a bit of manual scrubbing.” She leaned forward and clicked on the sprayer so that water fell like a waterfall from the showers head. A calm heat, not too hot, not too cold. She tested it with her hand then gave him a look. "I know its not exactly imperial standards, but I can show you how it works if you want."

She clapped her hands together in almost mocking joy as she brought up the schematic of the base in her head. There was likely a quartermaster’s station nearby, likely automated, much like most of this archeological base was. Sonic showers were unlikely due to their prefabrique design and as this was a natural site, with propensity to be visited by naturalists. Even the walls were carved stone, but there would likely be a shower in her assigned quarters even if it were water based. So she nodded. “I doubt the naturalists that run this base would be much liking using sonics when water feels so much better. Come on, let's get you a new uniform, then to the shower.” She pulled him along until they came to a dispensary station manned by a young and very bored looking apprentice, wearing the soft pale blue of the Archo-Corps. The brother organization of the Agri-Corps, which had some degree of renown in Jedi circles. Sandy herself could remember the terror of not being selected for an apprenticeship and getting shipped off to the Corps. Not like anyone actually did that, but the stories had persisted. “Do you have any uniforms that would fit Knight Darkfire here? Approval Code Sarna 4499-0. If that helps.” The retort was much to be expected of a tired young apprentice. “Lady we do not carry Imperial Uniforms here. What do we look like? The rebel alliance? We don't carry the uniforms of a schismatic order.” But he did pass a set of grey jedi robes and tunics that were approximately Aidan’s size to her. And with a weary glance to her bare feet, a set of pale blue robes to her. Sandy gave Aidan an exasperated look before she brought him to the quarters she had been assigned. Not as spartan as Imperial Quarters, the refresher was at least nice and as she had expected, water based. There was a medium sized bed as well that could easily sleep two in a pinch. She indicated the refresher with its shower. “So you want to go first?”

She took several overlarge bites to match Aidans as he began to talk. He made some very good points and technically his mother was the Grandmaster right now. Which she had not really given much thought, and since she was part of the council there could be some very dire consequences. But she remembered her last conversation with Draygo and the stirrings of worry were settled. She pointed her force towards him before dipping it back into the salad box. Skewering a leaf that turned out, upon inspection, to be quite brown and faded. She grimaced and set the fork down before looking back to Aidan. They were of the same age, and though the rank difference was there, she was not a commanding officer. They were separate orders after all. “Many things were different before Serreno,I look back to just a few years back, to that stupid beach on Kashyyyk.” She smiled sadly. “And though I am embarrassed for what I once was, we have both grown into….people. I guess is the best word for it. I had a lot of trauma from my early apprenticeship which I still carried with me and you saw that when we meditated.” She let the smile grow from a sad into a full smile, letting the emotion of happiness flow into the force around them. “If it was not for you as a bedrock I would not have made it this far. Hell, I wouldn't have made it back here if it wasn’t for you.” She closed the box of salad and slid it into the trash receptacle next to their table. “I am not thinking anything I guess. I just wanted to make sure. So…” She flashed a confident smile and stood. “Now let's finish your lunch, then you were saying you needed a shower?”

All she could do was laugh, which she did as the pesky flush creeped back in around the corners of her mouth.. She held his hand tightly then went up on her toes to give his a quick kiss on the stubble that lined his chin. “Never change Aidan.” But the moment had passed, even if it was a temporary passing, and she could feel the start of hunger pains in her own stomach as well. She had waited a very long time for what was now being delayed, but she found herself alright with that prospect. The love was there, and that was all that she needed. Taking his hand she dragged him to the doorway. “Well let’s have dinner first. Then a shower. Then we will figure it out.” It was a quick walk to the dining area, the base was small, and the tiles felt cool under her bare feet. She grabbed a box of Rondarian salad and grinned sheepishly at the Imperial Knight while she waited for him to grab his. She perched on the edge of her seat and took a bite, the harsh vinegar of the dressing gliding across her tongue with all the grace of a rancor. She coughed and then took another bite before looking back up. “So what do you think? And not about the salad.” She cut off whatever joke about food that might come. Because while the romance had faded slightly, she had not let go of it. “About us?” This was a dangerous game, she knew. But it was better to go into something like this with eyes wide open.

The daylight of Ossus was beginning to fade when she unwound her arms from the Imperial Knight. She gave him another kiss, then slowly stood reaching her hands to take his to draw him up as well. She had no doubt that his back was probably killing him from so long spent on the floor of the medical bay, and there were private rooms they could occupy if he wanted. The moment for passion had departed, if only briefly. But she was not left shamed or scared as she had once thought. For the Jedi Order that she was a proud member of was no longer the jedi order of her youth. There was no shame in love. Though there was a lurking danger in it, she did not fear it, and would not let it conquer her. Restraint in all things. “Would you like to get out of this medical bay before we get scouted out by that pesky droid or wait for the padawans to find us?” She laughed softly before a stream of other thoughts began to trickle back into her mind. There was much to do, much to ask him. But that could surely wait another few hours.

The slow breathing pattern of his sleep began to change into a staccato of waking. His heartbeat following in a rapid rise before settling again into a steady rhythm. She loosened her hug, letting him adjust himself to her presence before retightening it and turning her head so that her green eyes looked into his. She gave him a wry smile. “Long time no see back at you.” She laughed softly at his comment. Matching his goofy grin with her own. But did not let it wreck the moment, she adored his humor, as corny as it may be. “Then I’ll keep it that way.” There was so much to think about. The war, the Jedi, the imperial Knights, his seeming captivity by that other Knight, but she could let it go. Instead of asking a thousand questions she just lifted her head and pulled herself up so that her face was only inches away from his. He had been here when no others could have been. He had stayed here for days to guide her back. “Thank you.” She whispered. And leaning in, almost tentatively, she kissed him.

Her knees hit the bottom of the tank with a crash that left her gasping. The fluid still in her lungs did not much help the process of course, but she managed to keep from spitting it up all over the tank as she finally found her breath, and with it the force. It flowed into her weakened muscles and her fluid-logged lungs, gently restoring her strength. She lay there for a moment, blinking her green eyes, before she reached out a thin hand and took the proffered towel from the medical droid. Her eyes found the sleeping form of Aidan Darkfire some feet away and she smiled. Slowly she got to her feet and dried the thick syrupy liquid from her skin, then she took some of the water from the tap beside the tank and used that to clean her hair. It was shorter than she was used to. Only coming to rest below the tips of her ears, so she pulled the majority of it back into a short pony tail, Before looking at herself in the mirror. Gone were the scars on her arms and abdomen from the Maw. Even the freckles that normally coated her like a fine mist were mostly absent. Though she knew that they would be back as soon as she saw the sun. She glanced back to the sleeping Darkfire and let the edges of a blush strike onto her cheeks. On silent feet, she slowly walked to the set of drawers the droid had pointed out earlier. She had to steady herself of course, but she was soon able to pull on a simple tunic that stretched to her knees. It was not her usual pale green set, but a deep blue which she struggled for several seconds to get over her stiff arms. Then she fumbled at the ties for another several seconds before she looked back to Aidan. She slowly walked to where he lay and she slowly let herself down beside him. Reaching out with the force to touch his mind. Not to wake him up, but more to assure him that she was ok and here with him. She lifted her head and set one ear against his chest, folding her arms around him in a hug. She could hear his strong heartbeat. And she smiled.

A wretched strangle of blood coughing from lungs pulverized, a final gasp, then darkness. Not hellfire or eternal peace. Just an everlasting darkness that could have been eons or even seconds. But there was a loss there. It wasn’t the stumbling loss of consciousness, or the sharp loss of a death of a friend. Just. Loss. Separation. And in that separation there was nothing. No way to calm that loss, no way to subdue it. There was no drink to tide the loss, no thing could drown the sorrow of that loss. That cruel separation. In a moment she had lost the humanity and the life that kept her happy. And no she was outside it all. Lost and alone. Had she known this was death, would she have laid it all before that Sith Lord? Did that matter? Did anything she had ever done matter in the face of that great loss and separation? There appeared to be no God, for she could not see him. There was nothing in that shimmering void of darkness. And nothing could drown the sorrow she felt for it. A heartbeat. It was not hers. For she had heard its beat in her ear a thousand times, this was a strong beat, and it carried with it a galliance that she had never borne. It was a familiar beat in its strength, and it thundered in her ears. Aidan? Was that the beat in the darkness? Its sound brought her hope and she stirred to find it. It felt like it took her years to reach towards the sound, and when she touched it light began to flood into the darkness. FIrst it was nothing, almost a pinprick, expanding to a candle, then a wave of light. And in that light He was there. Aidan? She grasped at him. Pulling herself to him from that darkness until she could see him clearly. Meditating, at peace. Looking for her. She touched him with her presence, letting herself bind to him, as an anchor steadied a ship in an ocean. She relaxed into that bond, feeling their presences intertwine for a brief instance before she was pulled away. "Aidan?" But her mouth was full of vile tasting liquid and her lungs were heaving for breath. And she was sure she was not in hell. Her eyes opened. Blinking against the liquid that filled the cloning tank.

Dark Sun had come from a man disgraced in her order, a shadow of a man she once had known. Who had followed the much treaded path from Kuat, to Kamino, to Dark Sun. If there was a hell, like the Corellians had surmised some eons before, Sandy was sure it would be filled with Jedi Masters. But she was not one of those Jedi Masters. She had sinned enough to get into hell, everyone had, and she had long fought that part of herself, but she was no mass murderer. She had never stood on a lonely bridge of a battleship and watched orbital rings melt into a planet's surface. No one in her order had. All of them were long dead. And nothing the Sith Lord could say would shake her of the convictions that had brought her to Kuat. And so, like before. She said nothing in response to the Hutt’s taunting words. Even as his orange blade leapt from his great staff and tangled with her own. But he did not press his attack. Instead, the force moved like fire through him and he opened his great mouth. She gasped as she pulled her lightsaber back and threw forward her wounded arm. A blast of stench presaged the eruption from the great Hutt. And she let the force flow through her in return. She stretched her arm out, biting through the pain, the fingers streaked bloody from the shoulder wound, as all calamitous hell was birthed onto her. Instincts and resolve brought the force to bear in front of her. As she had done before in the cavernous depths of Scarif. The force flowed from her fingers and palm as they were coated with the bile. A shield forming itself in the air in front of her, its curving sides awash in white energy. Pain, a hot as fire and deep as coal played itself across her palm as the acid made its mark. But it did not coat her body, instead flowing on either side of her as if she was a rock in the Scarif tides. Caustic bile breaking and flowing against the curved shield as she pushed forward against its mass. She could not last even an hour against the waves, and the dulling pain in her hand told her that it would not even be a minute before she would have to yield to the great sith lord. She took a staggering step forward, the shield pushing the vomit apart so she could get within reach of its source. Then as she planted her foot on the decking against the horrifying vomit, the right side of her hearing became a whine of tinnitus. As the great axe spun its way from behind her, cutting through her soft blond hair, and taking her right ear along with it before it returned to its towering master. Leaving the side of her face covered in bright red blood. But she did not need to hear to feel the force. And as His storm grew, so did hers. And she did not not to feed of the deaths of children to survive. The shield at her hand crackled with expended energy as it fought its own duel with the Lord of the Krath’s great hunger. And she moved that hand, the pain shrieking down her arm in jolts. Perhaps she was screaming as well, and she could not hear herself if she did. For there was nothing else but this fight, for if she failed here, the armies, the fleet, and Aidan would all be lost. Slowly the fingers of her hand parted as the vibroknife that had once cut the Sith began its quick return. Beckoned by the mind of its wounded Jedi Master. Its red covered blade flicking for the Sith Master's back as she made her last attempt. Little specks and filaments of the acid began to emit from the hole that was opening between her middle fingers, splashing down her tunic's sleeve. THere was a reason for the opening in the barrier-shield, one that Sandy sunk her hopes into. With a cry of determination, Sandy brought the lightsaber up, twisting her arm until she could push it through the small hole between her parted and burning fingers. The saber coughed and sputtered as it made contact with the bile and vomitus of the great Sith Lord. But it stayed true and she pushed it up and up, until both hands met behind the shield. For she had weathered his storm. Though blood made long rivulets that dripped from her chin and jaw. She had survived his hunger. And if her aim was true, she would cut his gullet with the silver-white blade. ((3)) Summary: Hand half melted, ear cut off. Vibroknife at the Hutts back, lightsaber to his throat

The knives made contact of sorts, and one even scored a furrow across the mighty Hutt, but just as the vibroknife cut through putrid flesh, the force was filled with the terror of the innocent girl. Sandy kept control of that dagger as she stumbled against the sudden onslaught of the force. As much as she wanted to cry out to demand that he let the girl go, Sandy knew there was not the time. Every breath used to speak or even utter a curse was a breath wasted in a fight like this one. So she said nothing when the young girl screamed. Flesh of two kinds ripped and bled, pain radiated like a storm through the force, and blood flowed bright red in the dark hanger. The pain washed over her like a terrible flame, amplified by the evil will of the Hutt it beat upon her like a thousand fists. Battering at the light. Eating at it. She could feel every pain of that child, not just the nerves being cut and mangled but the unspoken horrors of her short years of service. And behind it all was His hunger. He struck at Sandy’s heart. Her care, her love. But pain, both physical and mental had consumed her before. She had cut deeply into her own flesh then, eating the sad poison of despair and wishing it would kill the pain while it ate at her heart. Pain was something she had worked the last decade to stand against. She was not a child anymore, she had left the pain of Thalassia and her long captivity behind. That pain had blossomed into who she was today, she had accepted it, and built on that foundation of acceptance. And even the pain of another girl in such a situation would not break her. She let the pain bathe over her, letting it move through her. Accepting it for what it was. The pain could stop, but only when the Evil in front of her was defeated and in ruins. She could not save this girl, this hostage and shield that the Hutt had brought with him. If the girl died here, Sandy would accept that, even with the sorrow it hung on her shoulders. Acceptance. She accepted the pain and let it pass through her. Strengthening her light. And she moved, bringing the blade up, but in that moment she knew she had been too slow, the pain had been a divergence, a ploy, and it had worked. The blade caught the edge of the hutt’s weapon, reflecting it so that it bit into the flesh of her shoulder before it clattered to the decking behind her. Blood spattered red down her green tunic and she could feel her left arm throb in a sudden furious pain. But she persisted, letting the pain join the flow of the force. Letting the force grow in her until she could feel it pumping through her very veins. She brought the silver blade up and used it to channel that energy. That blade of the fallen knight Relmis. She struck thrice. Cutting for his lower abdomen, chest, and great staff. Letting her presence grow as she did so. The force following with the illumination of her pure white blade. A storm of light to blot out His darkness. For he could consume pain, shadow, and bile. But could he consume poison? Summary: Slowed by the mental attack, took damage in the shoulder/upper arm, counter attacked with three lightsaber cuts and the lightside. ((2))

That hunger, the calm malevolence, the dread and horror which radiated like waves of fire off of the Hutt struck upon Sandy with little grace. It was an ancient thing, hunger itself, and covered in a masquerade of malice. If there had ever been something that embodied the Sith Lords to Sandy Sarna, this Hutt was it. Even the humour, while it brought a wry smile to her lips gave her pause. Was this the Dark Lord? Surely it must be, something so ancient could have survived off of the darkside since the time of Marka Ragnos. But the hunger was too sharp, too piercing to be a lasting hunger. It was the hunger of the Maw. This was malice and gluttony given shape. All consuming, and it must be fed. From people, to starships, planets, to entire galaxies themselves. Leave this hunger alone now, and it would consume everything she loved. The lightsaber showed its bright white light against its glittering eyes, reflecting in cavalcade from the spittle around his great lips, making a dancing and swirling shadow that bounced across the darkening hanger. She spoke at last as she let the force flow around her, mimicking the white light of her saber. “Let the child go from here Great Hutt.” The saber flicked its tip towards the distant young girl who was cowering behind his great mass before whipping back up towards the Hutt. “I do not know you, and I do not fear you. Now I assume you will not surrender?” Her eyes flickered from the axe on his belt to the staff he held in his hand. She had never before faced such an opponent, but she had met and defeated many Sith, and every one had thought themselves unbeatable. And she was a Jedi Master. This was her duty, her great honour. She took a step forward and let the force flow around her, gathering around the weapons on her belt as she reached out with the hand that did not hold the lightsaber. The force moved and two of the vibroknives flickered off of her belt driving from her right and left in solid arcs towards the hutt’s great mass, their blades a sheen of microvibrating darkened metal guided by the force itself. While she used the force to wrench at the decking below his great mass, it was harder than a simple pull at a man's ankles, but she hoped it would provide distraction enough for the knives to find their purchase. Summary: Two vibroknives towards Sheog while pulling at the decking beneath him to distract and break his footing (padding?) ((1))

The shiver was peculiar and ran down her spine like flickering lightning. It was not the general danger sense that she had been so long accustomed to, but it was certainly something of the force. An evil, not only pure malevolence, but a familiar one, an ancient...hunger? The same hunger that had been at Onderon. That same evil that had shaken the Galactic Alliance fleet to its core. It was something galactic, a reflection of what she had felt pulling at her in the Maw. And it was here, tempting at her, luring her. She knew her face had gone pale because the soldiers gave her an appraising look as the shuttle set down in one of the many hangers that spotted the great shipyards. “My Lady?” She took a drink from her canteen and slid the clasp shut. Letting the cool taste of the water cleanse the malodorous hunger that had touched the back of her mind. She let out a long sigh that was half resignation and half excitement as she reached out with the force. To touch the thing that had left its hungry challenge. She accepted the challenge and returned it with a cool determination. The Rebel Alliance and the Jedi order had come here to confront the Evil of the Sith Lords. She would not back down from that challenge. She looked back to the soldiers. “I would advise you go ahead with the mission and clear as quickly as you can from this place. May the force be with you.” She let her presence expand and reached out to Aidan as well giving him reassurance and strength before she let her presence shrink back down around her as the soldiers began their advance. The cloak dropped away from her slender shoulders and she flicked the lightsaber from her belt. It ignited into a pale white light which she held aloft like a beacon. Waiting for this hunger to appear.

“We are attached to the Twenty-Second Orléans my lady.” Came the voice of the heavily mustachioed officer who was giving her a look of some skepticism. He wore the light blue fatigues of the royal marines from the Tapani princedoms, and it struck Sandy with little irony of how many Monarchical groups were fighting with this new rebellion. They had the Royal Hapan expeditionary force which was some kind of attempt to overthrow their own queen mother, then these Tapanis from their little principalities, then finally the Imperial Remnant itself. Who was currently the majority of the commanding fleet that was preparing for its assault overhead. Sandy would have to give that a great deal of thought. Because if they somehow made a victory out of this day and pressed on to the coreworlds would they enact their own monarchy to replace the Sith Lords? Sandy was surprised to find herself completely ungalled by that prospect and even looking forward to some good government without all the corrupt senate that they had before… But she had left the Tapani Officer waiting long enough that he had begun to speak again as the shuttle lurched below them. “And you a Jedi Master? At your age eh, must have been a tough sell to the council, or perhaps it left your knees bruised.” She gave him a wry look and he broke into laughter that was echoed by his equally mustachioed troopers in response. “Hold your neks Little master, I was only playing. No need to rip my heart out with the force, you could do that well enough with your looks.” Her smile flattened then she laughed. “No chances Lieutenant, but it is a pleasure to meet you and your men. Let’s focus on the task at hand.” They all continued laughing which brought a smile back to her lips as the shuttle began its journey towards the shipyards Administration complex. “Now, no civilian casualties. Let's show them grace and mercy should they request it.”

Sandy sat looking at her hands as the assault shuttle made its way into the dark abyss of space.She could vaguely feel her friend’s presence throughout the fleet as they began to prepare for lightspeed. She could feel Aidan and his dour determination, as well as his current guardian, Kyrie, and Leena. She gave them both a nudge of reassurance with the force then let her focus recenter on the mission at hand, letting those tendrils of the force drop away into the ether. There was much to do, and much to think on. And before she knew it, the Rebel Fleet had left Nar Shaddaa.

Had Serenno really changed him that much? She had seen many deaths in her short career as a Jedi, she had been horribly abused and even murdered by a Sith Lord, so she knew this self defeat very well. Even if it affected Aidan very differently, the root was the same. He had turned into the insular arms of his order, while she had once played a blade across her wrists. Both were equally bloody in their end. But Aidan was now horribly distant, more than he had been before their meditation, and that did hurt. But she let it go along with her anger at his order. If they tried to kill him or something that would have been a different story, but she accepted this, and let her attachment fall away. What could she say after all? Could she promise to cut every Imperial Knight down if they tried? No. With a breath it was gone, gone were the frustrations of the love she felt, frustrations with his order, with his insincere grin. And she replaced it with a relaxed love. The frustrations banished. And that was enough. She stopped as well as they together caught their breath. “Well at least I still get to see you, even with such a noble escort.” She flashed a smile to the larger Imperial Knight before looking back to Aidan. “We will get you fit for duty in no time at all.” She lowered her voice so only the two knights and herself could hear. “It is noble to fight, even in a long defeat.” They were not words about the sith conquest or the rebel defense, but the personal fight against the darkside. Its constant pressure, and its horrible face. For while they might each overcome and even vanquish the evil within themselves, one misstep and it would overcome each of them. And the path of the Imperial Knight was a lonely one. One that she would not see him walk completely alone. “Keep fighting, we will make it through.” She looked down towards her belt where the red light of a mission briefing was flashing on her commlink. She sighed and flung her arms around Aidan. Giving him a brief hug before turning to his companion and giving him a bow. “I will see you on the other side Aidan. May the force be with both of you.” But she did not tell him that she loved him. For he knew that already. And there would be plenty of time after his ordeal to figure all that out. Right?

A spike of apprehension stabbed straight through her heart at his words about the inquisitors. She had not heard any rumours of extrajudicial killings in the name of the lightside and nor did she have any great impression of darkness from Aidan. But did she deceive herself? She let the thought flow through her as fast as the apprehension had moments before. But the answer was before her no matter the direction she turned it. No one was beyond redemption. Not even Relmis, who carried the weight of millions of deaths on his shoulders, had been beyond it. What was this forlorn death cult that they would condemn someone so caring, and so talented as Aidan to death? But again she asked herself, was she in deception? She let a tendril of the force snake out and touch Aidan, not a forceful probe, but just a touch and it reassured her. There was no billowing darkness, just what she could describe as the weariness that affected anyone so long deployed. But maybe something lurked there. She glanced again to his face and gave him a warm smile as they turned for another rotation around the bustling hangers. “Surely they would not like kill you if you felt the darkness pull at you?” It was a dour and dire question, so she followed it with another less serious one. “And does he have to stay around like all the time? Can’t I check you out like a library holo from his care since I am a Jedi master?” She hoped it would make him at least crack a smile. But she knew it would only be a matter of hours before they were thrown back into the front of the war.

They started the jog at a slow pace, one that warmed tired and sore muscles from the long ride in the uncomfortable U-Wing. Though it wasn’t a true exercise in that it would not leave her panting and exhausted, she could feel how good it was for her. One could get used to relying on the force to carry them through a hard day or a hard mission. This was very different. She could feel the good it was doing her as they jogged for several minutes. But she did need to eventually speak her mind which she did after they had made it into the hangers. “Well Aidan…” She began hesitantly as she led them on the right lane footpath beside lines of X-wings and Javelin fighterbombers which were being fueled from large hovertrucks. Which could only mean one thing from their new paint and even newer uniformed crews. A large force was being sent out within the next few hours. She gulped down a breath and plunged ahead with what had been on her mind. “...Aidan, I don’t know what this escort means but I have a little clue. I care a lot about you, hell I know you could feel how I feel about you when we were meditating together before...that last mission.” She let out an anxious sigh as they made another turn beside a line of assault shuttles which were being outfitted with new munitions. “I don’t know what you are struggling with, but I want you to know I am here.” They took another turn past a small group of Jedi in their ‘Ace’ flightsuits who gave them a nervous wave which Sandy returned. “Ahg, not just here but like I want to be here for you. We are friends and I want to help you if you need help.” She flushed suddenly. “Unless I have completely misjudged what is going on then if so, I am sorry again for butting in.” She let out a laugh of frustration and spared a glance back to the Lasat then glanced to Aidan before returning her gaze to the pathway.

Though the Lestat yellow eyed gaze seemed not incredibly threatening to Sandy, it brought with it the culmination of that feeling that had been growing during the last few hours. It was a strange dread. Perhaps it was a realization of what the week of silence from the young imperial knight had been growing to. Was he in custody? Had he done some drastic thing on Serreno? But she had read that report and it was no fault of Aidan’s that they had been ambushed by sith marines. What was this then? Was this some knife held against Aidan’s throat by his order? Then her mind found its conclusion. THe Imperial Knights must think that he had begun to slip, or to fall to the darkside. But she had been with him, she had meditated with him to release all of that? But then again he had seen everything fall apart far too many times. Just as she had. They both had been fighting for the better part of a decade, since their early teens at least. Sandy even before that. And the shadow of Thalassia passed over her wit that thought. But even if that had once broken her, she had been redeemed of it. So too could Aidan. But she knew what her face must be showing to the pair of Imperial Knights. The colour had drained away from her cheery face, leaving her freckles a sharp contrast. She lifted a water bottle in her hand and let a shy smile creep back over her face before she made a bow towards the newly introduced Knight. There was no love in that bow, and she did not think her face hid her dislike of the way the Imperial Knights treated their wayward sons. She spoke formally though kindly to her friend and long time pursuit. “Knight Hunan, Knight Dakrfire.” She did not broach the door but still stood in its archway. “I was hoping that I could go on a run with Aidan, and perhaps discuss some of what had happened and get some fresh air before the next mission whisks us away again…”

Sandy futility rubbed at the slight windburn that had grazed her freckled ears as she disembarked the tattered U-Wing. The ride home had been brisk, or at least as brisk as an old model support bomber could be with its 3rd rate hyperdrive. She took in a breath and then crisply saluted the Rebel officer. It had been a pleasure to work with her, and Sandy would write as much in her report to the council. When her verbal report to the officer in charge was finished she made a beeline straight to her quarters, where she deposited her satchel and equipment before climbing into the sanisteam. A few minutes later she was changed into her exercise outfit and jogging down the concourse towards where Sandy could feel Aidan in the force. He felt different than before, almost contained, as if he was somehow restraining himself. She hoped, as she jogged through the entrance to the Imperial Knight and Exorcist wing, that he was doing better than she had last seen him. The mission led by Adenna had been a disaster, though Sandy could not blame the ex grandmaster for the situation she had gotten herself into. She had stumbled her own apprentices nearly into a death trap made by Flynn Relmis not even six months before. But what was this? She had felt deep into his heart and his very soul right before his mission. They had meditated together from across the galaxy and she had seen his struggles. His doubts, his angers. But this feeling was different and it worried her deeply. She said a quick and archaic prayer before rounding the corner to his doorway. She reached out a hesitant hand and knocked thrice upon the door. Plastering her face with a cheerful if careful smile. Whatever was bothering him, she was going to cheer him up. And what could cheer him up more than a jog and some exercise? But she had her own secret doubts.