Corellia

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala had been too enveloped in her own thoughts of what she had been about to say to Kandor moments before to try to even begin to understand what the Wookiee had said to her. Then again, she hadn't been around him much to have picked up Shyriiwook.

 

She'd felt Kandor tense slightly in her arms once she'd started the first part of the vows and wondered for the briefest moment if this had been the right time and place to offer up this commitment to him, to them. As he repeated the vow back to her, she understood that it had caught him off-guard, genuinely surprising him. To be honest she'd caught herself off-guard as well, when, at a loss for words, she'd decided action was the better course.

 

All anxiety left her as his lips met hers and she returned his kiss with as much passion before he broke the kiss and reminded her of their guest.

 

"Kandor..." Mirdala whispered quietly as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "I think you'll have to explain a bit more than that." As the flush crept back up her cheeks, she laughed slightly as an odd sort of giddiness overtook her. "What you just witnessed...between Kandor and I...in our culture was a constitutes a marriage ceremony." She looked back up at Kandor, then amended. "It's very practical actually. No big fuss like aruetiise affairs. Manda knows I've had enough of that kind of affair in this last year to last me a lifetime!"

 

"But," she continued, her smile only slightly fading as she looked back at the Wookiee, "that's not why we asked you here. Or, at least, why I'm glad you stayed after helping me. You might have noticed I've got a homicidal Sith with a quite personal vendetta against me on my six."

 

She opened her mouth to say more but stopped. "And I just realized I can actually understand little of what you'd say to me. Shyriiwook wasn't something I picked up while in the Mandalore Sector. You're actually the first I've ever met. I'd hoped to send Kandor on a supply run while you and I talked, but that won't be possible if I can't understand you."

[Moon Knight]

Opening one of his belt pouches, Kandor winced slightly. "She might not be the most cooperative translator," he said, producing his positronic processor, Flirt, "but she did belong to a Wookiee once. She'll have to do at least until the Justice and 2277 get here."

 

Fett switched on the palm-sized droid, not normally willing to endure her tendency to prattle on and offer her unwanted input on his usual situations and so keeping her powered down when not in use. The beskar'ad's eyes lit up and her cheery voice immediately issued forth. "Oh! Master Kirlocca! So nice to see you again. Remember when I got the chance to cozy up to the droid brain running the Imperial--"

 

Kandor cut her off. "Flirt, catching up can wait," he said. "Mirdala doesn't know Shyriiwook. I just need you to translate for Kirlocca and keep your commentary to a minimum."

 

"Master! I'm a slicer, not a protocol droid," Flirt objected.

 

"You're whatever I say you are, unless you'd rather be deactivated," he said menacingly, although he was clearly in good spirits. It was against the droid's programming to actually deny his request.

 

The droid made a mechanical sighing sound. "Very well," she said.

 

"Good," Fett replied, handing the droid to Mirdala. "Now, we don't have a lick of skraan in this place and we might have to live out of it for a while, so I'll go for that supply run."

 

He winked at Mirdala as he turned to leave. "And don't worry, it won't just be ration packs."

 

Besides, he had a feeling he knew what Mirdala was going to talk to Kirlocca about, and it was a conversation he very much needed to happen. If she didn't want him around for it, the best thing he could do for either of them was to give her that space.

 

He put his buy'ce back on as he left. Shopping, like nearly everything else for him, was a full-armor activity.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca watched in silence as the two Mandalorians made their exchanges. It seemed weird to him that he was a witness for two human marriage proposals, yet never caught on to what was going on. But it was a part of life that he just didn't understand. He shifted himself to let for Fett to leave the room. There was a clear hint that something was coming from Mirdala, so Kirlocca moved to let her speak.

 

<< I am glad that you and Fett have decided to become a pair. He has been a good friend of mine for a while. I hope the best for you two... >>

 

Kirlocca let his words hang in the air. If there was something to be asked, he wanted it to be well known that he was open to hear it.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala smirked with amusement as Kandor dealt with the slicer droid before handing it over to her. She'd always thought the little droid rather odd, but Flirt had never let Kandor down before and Mirdala doubted she'd do so now.

 

“Better not be,” Mirdala teased back as he donned his helmet and was out the door. He knew her well enough to know she'd still need some time to clear her head after her discussion with Kirlocca and that meant one thing - cooking. She just hoped that any ration packs he purchased would merely be to restock the safe house’s emergency supply.

 

Kirlocca’s voice caught her attention as she moved over to sit at one of the ends of the large sofa. Vi'ika padded over to her as Flirt translated for Kirlocca, but couldn't stop herself from adding. “A pair! Oh! Did he finally ask you?”

 

Mirdala looked down at the small droid, a little shocked. “Uh...sort of? I actually initiated it, but he mentioned it the other night without actually saying the vows…”

 

The droid emitted a sound that very closely approximated a giggle that was quickly stifled as Mirdala narrowed her eyes.

 

“It's done now either way. Not sure why it would matter to anyone but the two of us,” Mirdala waved her hand dismissively before turning back to Kirlocca.

 

“You know now that I'm Force-sensitive and likely picked up on the other abilities if Kandor or my brothers didn't already fill you in,” she paused, finding this to be harder to admit than she'd thought. Choosing instead to think out loud, she spoke.

 

“All my life I've fought to suppress that power because of the potential danger. Maybe because of how Force Users are treated in my home sector, maybe because I was worried about being forced to become jetii or the fear of falling to darkness and becoming a demagolka, a monster. It's a part of me I've always feared, always hated because it made me a danger and different to those around me.”

 

She paused, drawing in a slow breath. “Lately, it's been getting stronger, past my ability to control. Aryian gave me some meditation information, but never actually showed me what it meant to practice. They did help…shab Kandor finding that information when we first met up after the end of the war scared me half to death because I didn't know how he'd react. We didn't exactly start off on the best foot…”

 

As she shifted on the sofa, the subject changed as well. “I've never wanted to join either Order. I'm a Mandalorian first and foremost. A Seeker who has sworn an oath to protect the sector. How can I do that if I could one day become the type of problem I eliminate?”

 

“I've resisted the idea of Force training for so long and I really don't like being forced into it, but I feel I have little choice. This is the way I was born and I can either continue to fight it or find someone I can trust to help me harness it.”

 

“I do want to be clear that it's circumstances that are doing the ‘forcing’ not Kandor, not my brothers, and not my father. I've just been stubbornly ignoring the facts before me until now. I need your help Kirlocca, as Kandor's friend, please.”

[Aira Cadan]

The alarm hadn't stopped us. Rather, it had fueled our speed, and so we pounded down the halls until we arrived at the air ventilation systems. Apollo quickly inserted the cure. Now we just needed to keep it safe until everyone had been cured.

 

There were a few moments of silence. We had agreed that since Black Fist was already attacking, we'd be best here, as the last line of defense. Several other members of the crew joined us. I was ready; centered, focused, and still as the Force poured into and through me. Suddenly there was a huge wave of death through the Force. I winced and glanced at Apollo. "What was that? Something just wiped out a bunch of ships."

 

He looked serious. "This ship has some of the best defenses in the galaxy...and some of the best offensive weaponry too."

 

A few moments later, my comm chimed and Dashel's furry face appeared. “Aira, Delaney--Black Fist will soon be aboard this ship," he said. "If they have any sense, they’ll occupy us here in the docking bay while infiltrating smaller teams that will head for strategic areas of the ship. That makes you and yours a prime target in the air circulation area and bridge. May the Force be with you, Dash out.”

 

I nodded. I could sense them now...and something else. Coming from the crew. It was almost akin to battle meditation, or like the Jedi mind meld I had used at the space station base. But for untrained people to do something like this was unheard of...

 

I didn't have much time to think about it, though. As valiant as Dashel and the others were being, there were just a ton of mercs. And they were bound and determined to stop us from curing these people. So it wasn't that surprising that it didn't take long for them to reach us--albeit in much smaller numbers than I expected. The people here were putting up an excellent fight. I lit my lightsaber, glad for it's familiar feel in my hand, and stepped up to take point.

 

Our battle line came in waves. We'd fight through one, have a brief respite, and then another would come. The respites actually worked to our advantage, allowing us to catch our breath between fights. No matter what, no one got through.

 

And then a chime sounded from the machine behind us. I glanced at the gauge. 100%. I let a relieved smile come to my face. The cure had been spread throughout the entire ship. They were free. Now we just had to finish this out.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca looked at Mirdala as she finished her story and request of him. He knew the question was coming before she even let her first word leave her mouth, and he already knew his answer. He had problems with the Jedi Order in the past for training those outside of the Order and got a ton of slack for it. Now wasn't a time for a change of heart either.

 

<< Of course I will give you what you need. That is something that I will always give those who ask for it. >>

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

As Flirt translated, the young Mandalorian woman seemed to relax as she reached out a hand to scratch the large sandhound behind the ears. "Thank you." She gave a small laugh. "I have no idea where to even begin. I know that a lot of it does seem to be closely tied to my empathic abilities. There have been more than a few spontaneous telekinesis events lately, mainly when I've been really upset, angry, or scared. I think that's what worries him so much." Her eyes fell to the door that Kandor had disappeared through a few minutes before.

 

"Aside from losing me, I think Kandor's greatest fear would be losing me to the Dark Side of the Force," her voice was quiet and she felt a shiver of her own run down her spine. Ca had come so close to taking her over which ultimately would have resulted in bringing both of Kandor's nightmares to fruition. "This Ab'ki...and her seemingly single-minded hatred towards me, it is a strong force to contend with on its own. I sense something far larger looming on the horizon and I need to be as prepared as possible to defend against it, for myself as well my riduur." It felt odd to call someone "husband" again, and her mind was still reeling from the earlier exchange. A large part of her was slightly in disbelief that she'd found it within herself to trust someone to that degree again.

 

"There have been times," she amended, fueled by her reeling mind," that I could swear I've caught flashes of her hatred. High emotional times, like this one, mainly when I've been happy or extremely content. Times few and far between when your family is being hunted, though richer, I think."

 

She gave another laugh, "I'm sorry. I'm babbling on like an idiot."

[Moon Knight]

ShadowFett's approach to shopping was like his approach to combat.

 

The first step was preparedness. Over the last few months he'd gotten a heavy dose of Mandalorian cooking, more than he'd ever had, even growing up. A good portion of those meals had been cooked by Mirdala, but during her training on Tatooine, he and the Omicrons had often taken shifts putting some skraan together. All this meant that he had a good idea what sort of ingredients she usually worked with and basic knowledge of the common recipes. In addition to that, he'd had a chance to live out of this safehouse for a few weeks shortly after he'd bought and renovated it, so he already knew the area and had been to the local grocery store before, giving him knowledge of its layout, which he supplemented by calling up the public map in his buy'ce.

 

The Mando'ad left his weapons in the speeder, not wanting to cause more of a public disturbance than showing up in his beskar'gam already would. Thankfully, there was little worry of the police getting called on him in any case, since he was still a CoreSec officer. Still, when he headed inside he drew a few stares and one of the employees quickly approached him. The kid was just a teenager wearing a quaint uniform and clearly didn't know what to do. "Uh, sir. Can I help you with anything?"

 

"Just here to shop," Fett answered nonchalantly, moving past him and grabbing a hovercart. Using the floor plan, he quickly isolated the aisles where he would find the products he sought and moved directly to each one. The trick was that one couldn't expect a grocery store on Corellia to stock the same foods -- especially fresh meats and produce -- that could be found on Concord Dawn. However, certain ingredients, spices, and vegetable analogues were nearly universal, and Fett quickly filled his cart with the closest approximations to his intended items that he could find, aiming for enough stores for about a week before one of them would need to come back, if they found themselves needing to stay longer. At this point there was no certainty as to the duration of their stay, but rather it depended entirely on what the team was able to turn up in the meantime.

 

About fifteen minutes after arrival, Fett had filled the cart with a sufficient variety of goods that he was certain several meals could be created or improvised out of it. He also grabbed a box of ration bars. For the reserves, he thought.

 

Standing in line for checkout was a little awkward as the elderly woman in front of him seemed incapable of moving faster than an Umgullian blob and apparently didn't speak Basic, and the young mother behind him tried in vain to shush her two young sons who thought that Fett's armor was about the most "wizard" thing they'd ever seen. But it wasn't long before Fett had been rung out and he paid with cash, as he usually did. His old paranoid beroya habits had led to his credits being spread out across several bank accounts, none of which bore anything resembling his real name, and he owned very few means of paying other than with credit chips, which he used for all but the most expensive transactions.

 

Fett quickly loaded up his speeder and began to head back to the safehouse, his wife, and his Wookiee friend.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca shook his head after Mirdala had finished speaking. She had used some words that he did not know, but still picked up on the whole story she was telling. It was a minor difference between Mirdala and Fett, she used more of her native tongue then her now husband.

 

<< Rambling is never done in vain. It still speaks volumes of what is in your heart and mind. For instances, your 'ramblings' informed me that there is a real connection between you and Ab'ki. Your mind is letting this woman in. There are techniques to block and shield your mind. It sounds like this Ab'Ki has used the power known as Subjugate upon you. It allows for someone to inflict damage upon another mind, weakening them. You can battle against that with Force Suppression. It's a technique of drawing the Force upon yourself, lowering your output of Force energy, which many feeling you would feel your presence die off almost. It makes it harder for mental attacks, especially for someone who is not trained in hours of meditation to build up walls and resistance from another Force user. It would sever you well to learn the first. >>

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala's brow furrowed. What the Jedi Master had said didn't make much sense to her considering her on-going personal efforts to hide her Force abilities from others that could detect them for most of her life. She opted to keep her opinion to herself since she knew there was much about the Force she didn't know and she was quite willing to keep an open mind to what Kirlocca was so graciously offering to teach her.

 

"So you draw the Force to you, ramping your signature, but then use it as a blanket to hide?" It was the nearest approximation she could make to how she'd interpreted his words. "What do I do?"

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca didn't react too much as he stepped a foot forward and sat down on the ground, indicating for Mirdala to do the same.

 

<< Not really hide yourself, but make yourself small. Some call it the Art of Small. Let us close our eyes and focus inward. This exercise will complete two things of training for you. One, to teach you to become more aware of the Force around you, and two, to let you feel your own presence and others. This will help you make yourself small in the Force to go without being detected. >>

 

The Jedi Master closed his own eyes without looking at Mirdala and began to fall into a mediation like trance, using the Force to reach out to Mirdala to help guide her through what she would need. He know spoke within her mind, allowing for her to be guided in a different way. "Still everything around you, block it out, concentrate solely upon you. Even so untrained you will be able to feel the currents of the Force flow like a river. Take a moment to drop in it and let it consume you..." Kirlocca waited about five minutes before speaking within her mind again. "Now focus upon me... Like a warm glow that is close to you. Now feel yourself. Project your will upon yourself to get smaller... smaller... smaller... smaller..." Kirlocca allowed for her to now come into her own form of exploring...

[Dashel Illioni]

From my first leap to the last slash of my lightsaber, the battle of the landing bay passed as a series of half felt images and targets. The Force was with me, my guide and ally, and allowed me to flow through the battle. The crew of the Refuge followed behind me, driving into the invaders, first stopping them and then forcing them to withdraw towards their landing craft where they stood against us one final time. Despite support fire from the crews of the landing craft, we managed to board them and hunt their crew down one by one.

 

Most chose not to surrender and I felt every death, friendly and enemy, as we ended this threat to the ship. I felt diminished by every loss, sadness mingling with the joy of success. Anger at the pain and suffering caused by unmitigated greed and hatred added additional color and mingled with the others. My training kept me centered, yet my emotions swirled outside the core of calm that was the Force flowing through me. It seemed in my new awareness of the Force that started at the Coruscant Memorial, that when a battle occurred in the real world, it was mirrored in my sense of the Force.

 

When the final call came in that the bay was secure, I felt relief at being alive and the relief of those around me. Captain Shiani called seconds after the last call and congratulated us on stopping Black Fist inside the landing bay. She then reminded us that smaller teams had indeed penetrated into the ship and that some of the crew needed reinforcements. She began dispatching all but those few guarding the fewer than half dozen surviving pirates captured to various parts of the ship.

 

The Force told me where I needed to before she even requested that Aira and I bring reinforcements to the bridge. From the background of her call, I heard the sound of blasterfire. Shouts told me that they needed help now.

 

I called to a half dozen crew within easy reach and moved out towards the bridge. We soon met small squads of invaders at various intersections, who slowed us down but could not stop our march towards the bridge. One of those small groups wounded me, a searing, burning wound to my upper left arm that occurred when we were ambushed from a side passage and I was busy with another group in front of me.

 

A quick pause allowed me to heal the wound enough that it could not impede the movement of my arm. One of the crewman detailed as a medic told me that it would need further attention after the battle. First, though, we needed to relieve those defending the bridge.

 

One of the crewman with me stopped us briefly at a panel in the wall and quickly brought a schematic of the ship onto the monitor there. A series of rapid finger jabs and swipes quickly determine the quickest path to the bridge and internal sensors showed us where ambushes awaited us. After that, the small groups became more like nuisances to be swatted than the threats they formerly were and we soon sighted the where the defenders and attackers traded fire just before the final doors that led to the bridge.

 

I motioned for my remaining companions to take cover. A feeling, a hunch from the Force told me we needed to pause so that a piece of this puzzle might fall into place. Confused, I joined them and turned towards the ranking member and motioned for her to have her troops hold fire. Closing my eyes, I focused deeply on the currents in the Force and turned towards a grate that in my memory led to a maintenance tunnel.

 

The young woman leading the other crew members look towards me and opened her mouth to speak. Probably wanted to ask why we weren’t attacking. She never got to start as the gate swung open with a clang and a familiar face popped out of the maintenance tunnel it formerly covered.

 

“Miss me boss?” ask Delaney, who stopped speaking, stopped moving when a dozen blasters pointed towards her.

 

“She’s with me,” I said to calm the situation before she became a casualty. I narrowed my eyes at her and offered her my hand. She bore a few small wounds and one a large burn, probably from a near miss of baster bolt.

 

By some grace of the Force, the mercs firing on the bridge defenders failed to notice us.

 

Once out of the small tube, she turned and reached back in and dragged out a belt fed, crew served grenade launcher and her rifle. Behind the launcher came a second crewman who turned out to be the gunner for the weapon.

 

A glance towards the young woman and I knew what her suddenly grim smile meant. The grenade launcher was quickly set up and aimed at the middle of the group attacking the bridge. I lifted my bracer and opened a channel to the bridge.

 

“Captain,” I whispered, “On my mark, have your people grab whatever cover they can.”

 

“Roger that,” she said back just as quietly.

 

I turned towards the leader of the relief force who flashed me a thumbs up and tapped the should of the launchers gunner.

 

“Mark” I shouted as the launcher chuffed and the roar of a dozen or more blasters announced our presence to those attacking the bridge. The battle ended before the launcher even needed reloading when the last attacker felled, blasted from a grenade and a dozen rifles at once.

 

We advanced cautiously until our two groups met. Wounds decorated everyone, but we all shared the small smiles of those alive to celebrate the end of a battle. I found myself bone tired despite the Force flowing through me, I knew those without the Force must be feeling the fatigue of battle even worse than I did.

 

The Captain motioned for Delaney and I to join her on the bridge. We followed her there and into her ready room where she motioned for us to take a seat across from her desk.

 

“I have asked Knight Aira to join us here. I’d like to ask the two of you a few questions before you depart. First, though, there’s somone whom wants to speak with you.”

She turned a screen towards me. I saw Kala’s face there, wearing the broad grin she always affected after a successful battle.

 

“Hey Dash,” she said, “we are finishing the mop up of the pirates out here. Managed to grab a small shuttle that tucks nicely into are landing bay. Needs some work and some cleaning but I am sure Burksed is up to the work.”

 

I simply shook my head at her, not surprised by her initiative after all these years. Still, sometimes I wished she were a normal HRD.

“Good job,” was all I could say in the end.

 

“How’s my sister?” came from somewhere one the bridge.

 

“She’s sitting next to Dash and unlike him seems to be unwounded,” shouted Kala, “now get back on that sensor system and make sure there’s none of those trapped fighters out there. See you later Dash. Out.”

 

The screen went blank just as a crewman delivered hot caf to the captain who motioned for us to help ourselves.

 

“Now comes the hard part. Cleaning up and going home.” I felt the wave of emotion that came off of her from that simple statement. A second later the Force equivalent went through my senses. I looked over to see that Delaney felt the same thing. I would need to find her a Master or undertake her training on my own.

 

I closed my eyes and sent calm through the Force to the captain who smiled over at me.

 

“Thanks for that,” she said. “Now, if you excuse me there’s something I need to announce to my crew.” Delaney and I watched her toggle a couple of switches on the surface of her desk and with tears streaming down her face announce, “Attention everyone, now hear this. Jedi Knight Aira Cadan, Jedi Master Dashel Illioni, and our own Apollo have brought and successfully distributed the cure we looked so long for. People, we are going home.”

 

She smiled at us, tears streaming down her face and dripping on the surface of her desk.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala shifted to the side of the sofa and used her left arm to push herself to her feet, ignoring the dull consistent ache in her right shoulder and ankle as she took up a sitting position on the floor across from Kirlocca. Vi'ika nudged her slightly, both empathically and with her muzzle, whining her concern. Smiling as she crossed her left leg in front of her and left her right extended, Mirdala rested her head against the massive hounds and gave her a reassuring scratch behind the ears. "It'll be okay, Vi'ika. I want to do this. Master Kirlocca is here and can help if anything happens. He's a friend, remember? We trust him."

 

In a lot of ways, it felt as though she'd said that last part for her own benefit rather than her canine hunt-partners. Even though they'd both been part of the same group, Mirdala hadn't had much direct interaction with the Jedi Master. Knowing how important making sure that she had the right person to train her was to Kandor, Mirdala knew there was little to fear other than what she decided to cling to. It was time to leave it behind.

 

Taking his lead she closed her own eyes and slowly began to open herself to what she hoped was the Force. The way it had slid alongside her empathic abilities made it difficult. When she brushed Nek's mind, she realized she'd been doing the latter. 'Similar, yet different.' That's what Buir said when I first asked him why the monsters in my childhood nightmares were real. That was the first time TeVerd had explained to her the other gift she'd inherited from Manda knew where.

 

Kirlocca may think her untrained in the ways of the Force, but she'd been trained in empathic shielding techniques since she was a toddler. It was now just a trick of finding the right "frequency" within herself and the courage to open herself to it. Doing her best to still the errant thoughts that seemed to continually bubble to the surface, she focused on Kirlocca's presence.

 

Like a river, huh, now where have I heard that one before? She smiled thinking of her times with TeVerd near the spring cave or the river close to her home on Shogun. That was what she pictured now as she gradually shifted along the empathic currents that connected her family and this time dove deeper within the river that she felt swirling around her.

 

It seemed the harder she tried to reign in and still her thoughts, the more the current seemed to fight her. Mirdala's quick mind had been another gift from the Manda and her instincts told her to stop fighting and let things simply flow through her. Suddenly she felt the pull and draw that she'd sensed on Hoth and hesitated from following it further, unsure of what it held for her.

 

Kirlocca's voice came to her again through the Force, as though he'd known what she'd found and was now doing his part in teaching her how to silence this particular pathway. His presence was so great within the flow, that Mirdala had little trouble focusing on it and tearing herself away from the other siren call. From there it was only a matter of shifting her focus inward, instead of outward. She could sense the damage within her own body, a harsh reminder to losing herself fully to the Force's call, but she could also sense the healing that had taken place not just within her own physical form, but within her soul as well.

 

Taking a deep breath, she followed the Wookiee's guidance and focused on drawing further and further within herself until she felt she was exuding no less than any normal being in the area. She was surprised to find she wasn't cut off from her bond with Vi'ika, but remembered the feeling from when she'd instinctively shut down both her empathic and Force abilities when she'd left her home sector with her first husband, Tracyn.

 

Another deeper breath and a chill ran down her spine from the experience. She opened her jade eyes and looked at the Wookie Master. "That was...different."

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca nodded his head as he could feel the progress that Mirdala was making. As she had opened her eyes to speak, Kirlocca tilted his head slightly to the left and grinned. It was a familiar tick he had developed over the years, and one he did for his own comfort very subconsciously.

 

<< Yes, the first steps inward always feel different then what one might expect. It is very easy to fall back onto that technique when you need a break or a fighting chance to hide. But a more concentrated mind and more focus will help you get to that state quicker and more effectively. But you do not always need to hide. Fights come to those who make a stand. A technique like Precognition is very useful, but we are in no place to learn that one quite yet. At least not here. But what I will pass on is a Hibernation Trance. It can be useful for healing and recovery after a fight and you need to mend. We will brush the surface so that you can heal your body a bit more, and gain an understanding on how to do so. >>

 

Kirlocca now closed his eyes again, expecting for Mirdala to do the same. He reached out to her through the Force and touched her mind very calmly and faintly. He then spoke again to her through her mind. "Focus upon your breathing... slow it down... will it down... your metabolism will slow down with it upon your beckon call within the Force. In this state you will need to be careful, as doing so without a wet climate could result in death after a week." Kirlocca then nudged Mirdala in the Force and gave her mind a push in the right direction to go. "... Breathe in.... breathe out... slow it down..." Kirlocca kept his mind alert as he focused upon Serenity, a Force power trance that he had learned through his own training of creating Wru'torr. It would help him recover more fully as Mirdala practiced her now hibernation trance. Although, the Jedi Master could sense that the time alone that they had would soon be over, as Fett would not be gone for very long.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Nodding, Mirdala closed her eyes and let the Force flow through her once more, seeking to return to the point before where she'd been able to sense the injuries she'd sustained from her fall on Hoth. Now that she'd become more attuned to the Force's frequency, Mirdala could more easily begin to separate it from the empathic bond she shared with the other Ageless. Drawing on that difference, she was able to leverage her focus to more deeply feel the residual work the bacta treatment from earlier had done and the work her body still had yet to do.

 

Once more she followed Master Kirlocca's guidance and felt her body relax as Vi'ika responded by easing her to the floor so she was laying down. The raven-furred sandhound cocked her head slightly at the changes she was sensing coming from Mirdala, but took up silent guard next to her as Mirdala used the Force to slow her vitals so her body could focus on healing. It wasn't something she'd been wholly unfamiliar with, as it had been what Sandy had taught her in the bowels of Uhalú's dungeons. Under Kirlocca's guidance, it was, not surprisingly, more effective.

[Moon Knight]

Returning to the safehouse, Kandor grabbed the first load of supplies and headed inside. He was somewhat surprised to find Mirdala and Kirlocca comatose in the living area, Mirdala laid out on the floor with Vi'ika laying next to her. The sandhound perked her head up when she saw him, but didn't appear agitated.

 

Hopefully some kind of Force trance, he thought, setting the groceries down on the counter and popping off his buy'ce to place next to them. He considered for a moment checking their vitals, but the safehouse systems had not reported any environmental or security irregularities, so he had to assume that this was intentional. Indeed, he was a bit gratified to confirm that Mirdala had indeed spoken to Kirlocca about receiving some training related to her Force gifts -- although she had tentatively come around to the idea on Hoth, they'd had the discussion while she'd been recovering from hypothermia and a concussion. Actually following through with it without further debate meant that she was ready to stop running and start taking control of her abilities. To Fett, it was one of the most important things she could do.

 

For now the Mando'ad decided he would rather not disturb them and continued to make a few more trips out to the speeder to unload the rest of his purchases. They would emerge from their trance when the lesson was over.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca spent most of his time monitoring Mirdala and her vitals and Force signature. He was well aware of Fett reentering the safe house, and his projecting emotions and thoughts gave no sign of worry, so the Wookiee felt no need to stand up, as he was not in as deep of a trance as Mirdala was, but with he movement, it gave way to Kirlocca to wake Mirdala. Slowly the Jedi Master began to stand up, opening his eyes and reaching into Mirdala's mind once more, but this time he also spoke out loud as he nudged her to come back to a normal state.

 

<< Wake and return... It is your time to return... >>

 

Kirlocca gave a stretch and made sure that his clothing was still decent, along with his lightsaber still attached to his belt. He took a glance down at the beast next to Mirdala's body. It was calm and alert, yet the Wookiee knew from his time in the Shadowlands that such a beast was probably the most fearsome creature he could ever encounter if he found himself on the wrong side of the beast's emotions or the owners commands. He became thoughtful of his time on Kashyyyk, but it was short lived as he could suddenly feel sorrow and pain within the Force. The disturbance was strong, but not quite as strong as things he had felt in the past, but strong enough to draw his attention. His time n exile had made him more aware of the pain in the galaxy and the death that was brought on by wars. His own time of being the front lined Jedi in such circumstances left him paralyzed to feel smaller turmoils within the Force, but not anymore. The disturbance forced Kirlocca to stagger and find a chair to fall into.

[Aira Cadan]

And suddenly, it seemed, there were no more waves of mercs. I reached out with the Force, and sensed that all remaining Black Fist forces were converging on the bridge. I allowed my group a brief respite to catch their breaths, then pushed them on. We made our way to the bridge, taking the most direct route, trying to come up behind the mercs assaulting it so we could catch them in a crossfire with our people on the bridge. But by the time we got there, there wasn't much left to do. A rocket launcher exploded, finishing off the rest of them just as we came up, and just like that, the battle was over.

 

We approached as the rest of the bridge defenders did so as well, and it was a big, tired, happy group. Apollo immediately hugged his sister. Tears of emotion were streaming down her face. I exchanged a small smile with Master Illioni. We had done what we had set out to do, and made the galaxy a safer place in the process. A normal day in the life of a Jedi.

 

Shiani motioned for us to come to her ready room. I was grateful for the chance to sit down. "Now comes the hard part," Shiani said. I nodded. Sometimes the cleanup was more challenging than the fight itself, but it was a hopeful sort of work, and that would bouy everyone's spirits. She was almost overcome with emotion, but I sensed Dashel send a wave of calm over her. She smiled. "Thanks for that. Now if you'll excuse me, there's something I need to announce to my crew."

 

I smiled, a real full smile this time.

 

"Attention everyone, now hear this. Jedi Knight Aira Cadan, Jedi Master Dashel Illioni, and our own Apollo have brought and successfully distributed the cure we looked so long for. People, we are going home."

 

Cheers erupted from the people on the bridge behind us, and I could feel similar waves of disbelief and overwhelming joy echo through the whole ship. I closed my eyes and savored it. This injustice had been righted. It was a good day.

 

After a moment, I rose and headed back out to the bridge. When Apollo saw me, he ran up to me and hugged me. "Aira, we did it!"

 

I couldn't help but laugh. "We did it," I echoed. "You did it. This is all thanks to you."

 

He shook his head. "I'd still be in a Black Fist prison cell if not for you. And Master Dashel, of course," he added.

 

I just smiled.

 

***

 

There was a feast a few hours later. Shiani had ordered that everyone stop in their clean up efforts to attend, and no one had the heart to disagree. It was a time of laughter and celebration. I was struck with how close these people all were. Their bond went deep, deeper than it even should be given their time and experience together. I had a feeling it had to do with the low-level Force sensitivity I sensed in all of them.

 

Apollo was the only outsider. He sat next to his sister, and spent a lot of time talking with her and catching up, as well as answering questions from the rest of the people, but between times, I thought I felt him feeling a bit out of place. I always tried to talk to him during those times. It had to be hard to be the only non-Force-sensitive person here. He was a bridge between the crew and the rest of the galaxy, neither truly part of either group. As a Jedi, I knew how that felt, especially nowadays with the Jedi Order spread so thin.

 

Afterward, Dashel and I said our goodbyes to the crew. It was time for us to move on, to let these people get back to their lives. I made sure they knew they could always call on me, and that I'd come as quickly as I could if they ever needed the help of a Jedi.

 

We were walking back to our ships, Apollo and Shiani accompanying us. I felt strange emotions coming off of Apollo, and finally, he fell back a little from the main group, motioning for me to do the same.

 

"What are you planning on doing now?" he asked me.

 

I shrugged. "There is a new grandmaster of our Order who wants all the Jedi to return to our headquarters. I'm not sure what he wants, but I figured I'd go. What are you going to do?"

 

He looked uncertainly. "I guess...go back to my life. Not that there's anything to go back to. I quit my job to pursue this cure. I just..."

 

"What?"

 

"I just wish I could continue to do something significant. Researching this cure...it made me feel like I've been wasting my life up until now. I wish I could do something like you Jedi do--go around righting wrongs."

 

I thought about it. "You know, Apollo, maybe you could get a job working for the Jedi. It wouldn't be a job with much travel, but at least you'd be support staff for people who, as you say, 'go around righting wrongs'."

 

He looked pensive. "That might be interesting. I guess I could at least look into it. How would I go about doing that?"

 

I shrugged. "Probably best to go to the Jedi Temple. Why don't you come with me? I'm going that way after all, and you'd need a Jedi to get you in anyway. Our temples are hidden."

 

He smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay with you then."

 

Dashel's hint earlier about Apollo and I beginning to have feelings for each other rang in my ears. I couldn't deny that I was glad we weren't going to be separated just yet. But I had only just met him, and while we now felt the bond that shared battle brought, I was sure that we were just friends.

 

We caught up to the others in the hangar. I smiled at my fellow Jedi. "Well, Master Dash, I guess this is it. I'm sure I'll see you around. Thank you for everything."

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Hearing Kirlocca's command through the force, Mirdala began to pull herself slowly out of the hibernation trance, allowing her body to adjust back to the waking world. She was vaguely aware of Kandor's presence, steady as always, and she was able to sense him more through the Force than she ever had before. Finally, her eyes opened and she started to ease herself up with Vi'ika's help.

 

Then she felt like she'd been gut-punched, the feeling over in a matter of seconds, but there and unseen. Bracing herself on her hands and knees, she looked back over her shoulder to Kirlocca who was now seated in one of the chairs. Vi'ika whined slightly and ducked her head under Mirdala's arm to give the woman better balance as she rose again, not feeling quite as sore as she had before her short lessons with the Wookiee. "Something's happened," she said, attempting to fill in the blanks for her husband. "I don't know what, but it was big. I don't know that I would have even felt it had I not been in the trance with Kirlocca."

[Moon Knight]

When Kirlocca and Mirdala staggered, Kandor quickly rose to help his riduur, but Vi'ika beat him to it so he paused halfway and looked at the Wookiee. He suspected he knew what they were feeling -- the sharp, sickly, gut-wrenching sensation of a disturbance in the Force was something that Isolder had experienced on several occasions during the war, and the harsh memories of those events still resonated within his successor as Moon Knight. He also knew that those disturbances happened instantly with respect to the event that triggered them, the first thing to deliver the news to jetiise and other Force sensitives.

 

He headed over to the terminal in the room and initiated a search for news about a large-scale disaster or terrorist attack, but he knew that it would be at least a few minutes before the news teams picked up on whatever had happened, and it could have been anywhere in the galaxy. It was a lot of news to search.

 

"When the news gets out we'll know what happened," he said. "Unless you have an idea already, Kirlocca?"

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca kept his eyes narrowed and looking away slightly until he heard his name spoken. It took him a minute of seeing Fett and Mirdala's eyes upon him before he realized what question was asked of him.

 

<< No... I can provide nothing. I only know that there is much pain and sorrow within the Force all of sudden. Death I fear may have come in a large ratio recently... >>

 

Kirlocca tried to focus upon the Force and feel what exactly may have happened, but he could feel nothing. Deciding upon not wanting to linger upon it too much right now, he changed the subject.

 

<< What is the plan for you two now?... >>

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

From where she'd settled on the couch, Mirdala glanced up at Kandor, "Right now? I'm kicking Kandor out of the kitchen so I can clear my head a bit. Might check in with 2277 to see if he's close?" she suggested as she rose. "Immediate future? Lay low here like my Buir, my father," she added for Kirlocca's benefit, "said, I guess." The young woman shook her head, still not liking the idea despite knowing she wasn't nearly back to full strength following their little excursion to Hoth. "Long term, I'm going to make Ab'ki wish she'd never heard of the Mandalore sector, let alone my family. Ab'ki pirunir sur'haaise." Her jaw was set as her eyes met Kandor's before she relaxed a bit knowing there was little she could do about her vexation at this moment.

 

"She's going to make Ab'ki's eyes water," Flirt translated happily to basic for the Wookiee.

 

Mirdala was half way across the room to the kitchen area when she turned, scooped up the droid, and brought it to Kandor. As she placed it in his hand, she reached up and pulled him close so that his forehead rested against hers briefly. "I'll be fine. You two go catch up, maybe see what that Force-thing was about, and I'll make us something to eat." Vi'ika padded over and dutifully sat next to her hunt partner and gave a small wuff, that caused Mirdala to laugh. "I don't think she's going to let me from her sight for a bit. Besides, I still have my implant and will let you know if I need anything. I feel better after all of that. I promise."

[Moon Knight]

Kandor nodded. It was a big stretch for Mirdala to actively embrace her Force abilities like she'd been challenged to do in her session with Kirlocca, and he knew well by now that it would help her process everything to spend some time cooking, an activity which was almost meditative to her. He also knew he could help her process everything by talking through it with her, but there would be plenty of time for that later. "We'll be close by," he said in Mando'a, then gave her a smile. "You're doing the right thing."

 

"He says that you'll be close--" Flirt began, but Kandor rolled his eyes and shut her off before returning her to his belt pouch.

 

Fett parted with Mirdala and gestured for Kirlocca to follow him, grabbing his buy'ce and putting it back on, then establishing its wireless link to the safehouse computer so it would transmit him whatever it found in the news. As far as 2277, the beskar'ad had dropped him an update in the last few minutes, seemed he was about an hour out.

 

When he and the jetii got outside the safehouse, he picked a simple walking route around the block that would give Mirdala enough time to cook. "Thank you for being willing to give Mirdala some instruction," he said as they started to walk. "Ab'ki and her agents have proven themselves very capable, and there are dangerous times ahead of us. Winning would mean nothing if I lost Mirdala to the dark side in the process."

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca walked slowly next to Fett and seemed to keep his eyes focused upon something not seen. He kept his pace with his Mandalorian friend and kept his eyes somewhere between where his next footstep was and some distant place that could not be seen by anyone other then himself.

 

<< Mirdala's will is a lot stronger then maybe you think. She wouldn't walk that path, her mind is more made up than any Jedi I've ever met. Her will is is something that I don't think can be bent or broken. >>

 

Kirlocca allowed for a moment to think about Fett's words of dangerous times coming. They were indeed upon the horizon and the Jedi Master could feel within the Force a dangerous path for many. He felt certain that dark days were indeed going to dawn upon the galaxy and cause a great stir in those who were not ready.

[Moon Knight]

Fett regarded the Wookiee carefully. "That same will places the welfare of her family over her own safety. While that is noble, she may even slip into darkness to bring an end to their persecution if she believes she must," he said. "She is very strong, and I hope you are right that she will never walk that path, but if there's any chance that making the right move now will save her from that fate, I have to see it done." He didn't want to get into all the Moon Knight memories that dealt with it. Maybe he was being a bit paranoid, and he'd been accused of that before. But the way Isolder had struggled to untangle himself every time he drew on that power, sometimes toiling for days to purge the darkness from himself... if he was going to lose her, it couldn't be because he failed her on this. Being prepared could win that fight before it ever happened.

 

The Mando'ad continued to walk, leaving the subject there for now. There was a ton of work to be done. "Where are you off to after this?" he asked. "Assuming I live through all this, I may end up founding a new organization based out of the Enigma. Something to stand against the Sith and other threats without the limited jurisdiction or rules of CoreSec. One word and you could have a place in it."

 

Many jetiise were practically vigilantes already, hence the few that had been Moon Knights. Fett hadn't done much planning in earnest for the theoretical organization, but having Kirlocca be a part of it would be a substantial mark in its favor. It did remind him that during the conversation he and Mirdala had had about it on Hapes, she'd pointed out that Soresh Delavvo -- whose steading they'd been using on Concord Dawn -- was a member of the CorSec anti-piracy force and thus a potential point of contact. While they were here on Corellia, it might be worth meeting up with him and talking things over, assuming he was still stationed nearby. He made a mental note to ask about it later.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca allowed for Fett's concerns to be noted, but he also understood that his perspective on the situation was a bit skewed towards her like any protective husband would be. He would look at Fett differently if he didn't take his stance. And Kirlocca also understood that Fett's past left his mindset upon the situation with a great impression. So much like is Mandalorian friend, the Jedi Master dropped the subject and kept walking. It was after a few steps that Fett posed a question that took Kirlocca off guard. Although he had already thought about, he still wasn't sure of his answer. Truth be told, he still wasn't sure. There is a pressing need to asses this whole bounty on Force Users and get to the bottom of it. But that could be left for another time or another Jedi. So for now, he left that part of Fett's question left unanswered.

 

<< I can support your stance on forming a group like that. It is greatly needed, but I wouldn't bank on me so yet. The Jedi Order just got back after the whole Faust, Onderin, and Darex thing. They need to regroup and come up with a plan quickly. I may have made a mistake in leaving them as soon as I did. Plus with the whole bounty on Force Users...>>

 

Kirlocca left his own words hanging, but not on purpose. He literally had no idea what he was doing by this point. He felt no real pull to stay with the Jedi Order and help, yet for some reason, he felt very compelled to race across the galaxy from Tython to Corellia to help Fett. He held no conception as to what he was supposed to be doing anymore.

[Moon Knight]

Kandor glanced up at his towering jetii friend. "If you need to go back, I understand," he said. They had rounded the block by now and were coming back around to the safehouse. "Mirdala's training is important, but whatever I think of the Jedi Order, if your leadership can help it survive then it has to be a priority." He did rather hope Kirlocca would stay for a little while, of course, but if the Order was in serious trouble then the droten of the galaxy would have lost one one of the few serious forces for good that acted in their defense. Starlisk and Trevelian had saved the whole galaxy but died in the process; Fett understood that they had been members of the Council and it would make sense that the loss of their leadership could have shaken things up.

 

He climbed the steps back to the safehouse and together they entered and were greeted by the scent of whatever Mirdala was prepping. His active lifestyle kept his appetite healthy, and though he had managed to get by on ration bars and whatever else he could scrounge up for years, he had recently found that he had a great appreciation for Mandalorian food when it was available. He hoped Kirlocca could tolerate heturam, but also knew that Mirdala could improvise to suit just about any taste. Kandor honestly had no idea what Wookiees ate, but he imagined they ate a lot of it.

[Dashel Illioni]

I was standing at the door of the landing bay waiting for Aira to arrive. A smile graced my face at seeing her with Apollo, seeing them so amenable, yet still friends. I wondered if I could have been wrong about the feelings the two might have been developing.

 

Then I realized that I might have been meddling in something that should be private between the two and laughed at my own folly.

My laughter caught Aira’s attention and I bowed to her and Apollo.

 

“Your sister told me that you are headed to the Jedi temple with Aira,” I said. “So she suggested that your people and the Jedi needed an exchange of ambassadors. Congratulations, Ambassador Apollo. May the Force be with you.”

 

I let Apollo absorb the news for a moment or two before continuing.

 

“Your sister wanted to go home immediately to liberate your people within the Palawan system, but I convinced her to take a small detail to pick up three Jedi to assist in the liberation. Kala and all but Delaney will also be going with the GrassTiger and serve as the beginning of a permanent Jedi mission to your people for the exchange of ideas, information and other sundries.”

 

Turning to Aira, I said, “As for me, I’ll be disembarking once the new Jedi delegation arrives. Its about time for me to check in at Tython with the newly minted Jedi council. Aira, when we met back on Coruscant, I never thought we’d end up fighting together or against such odds. But this has been a pleasure and I look forward to working with you again or maybe to the day when you complete your training and make you a Master.”

 

Composing myself I walked with them to the the boarding ramp to Aira’s ship. I said goodbye to Aira and Apollo before they raised the ramp and then went to the small shuttle captured by Kala and the Tiger’s crew to check on Delaney and our cargo. The repairs made the shuttle ready to go at least as far as Burksed’s repair garage on Tython. In its hold rested the carbonite slab we’d recovered on BlackFists station, a box labeled ‘do not open until on Tython’ and a few other belongings.

 

Delany smiled at me from the shuttle’s cockpit. “Hey Dash,” she said quietly and returned to checking out the shuttle’s systems.

 

There was an edge of sadness to both her voice and her aura in the Force. I understood. For the first time in her life, she was leaving her sister and going on a mission of her own. Separating the two sisters felt weird but I knew it was for both their benefits.

 

“Hey kid,” I said, “You about ready? It won’t be long to the rendezvous.”

 

“I know,” said Delaney, her voice heavy and resigned.

 

I wanted to smile but needed to be serious as I said, “Delaney, you know your Force sensitive right? A little behind in training but you have other skills as useful If you want to start training.”

 

Her aura shifted from sadness to outright shock.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Do you want to be a Jedi?”

 

17 year old Zeltran women can be very demonstrative when their happy. Delaney’s subsequent hug nearly knocked me over and I would have tripped over some unsecured cargo were it not for Jedi reflexes.

 

“Yes,” she said, “when do I start?”

 

“You already have, but I’ll make things formal when you return from your mission for that ritual you requested.”

“As you say,” she said, hesitating a moment before she added, ”Master.”

 

“Oh no, not me. That would be a conflict of interest and not in both our interests.”

 

She eyed me suspiciously and warily. “Why can’t I be your apprentice?”

 

A mischievous smile crossed my face. “I want you trained by the best, by a Master I trust to train apprentices who can give you his full and undivided attention. He goes by the name of Erath.”

 

“The Barabel?” she asked with just a little fear in her voice.

 

“Yes , he should be an excellent match for you.”

 

She shuddered a moment, then quietly considered the idea. I wondered at the whiplash change and felt a bit of pride at her thoughtfulness.

“It just might work,” was her reply.

 

I turned and left the shuttle to go bring a few more supplies aboard the shuttle. The crew of the Refuge had shown gratitude for our help, a gratitude I did not make heavy demands of. Besides, the Jedi had promised to provide more than enough to replenish the small amount we took aboard the shuttle.

 

It wasn’t long before we reached the rendezvous point and we stood to greet the new Jedi mission to the Palawanese.

 

The captain, Delaney, and I stood patiently while the boarding ramp lowered. To my surprise, my wife, her abdomen no longer swollen, ran down the ramp ahead of Master Erath and now Master Luo. Close behind them came an unfamiliar droid pushing a stroller with two very young infants on board.

 

Before I could say a word to ask about them, I found myself being hugged by my wife no less fiercely than Delaney had so few hours ago. Only this time I was ready and definitely returned the hug and kissed her passionately for a good measure. I’d missed her, missed the birth of our children yet took comfort in both of us accepting it as our fate as servants of the Force.

 

We separated when a rumbling voice interrupted us.

 

“Shouldn’t you two leave space for the Force?” asked Master Erath.

 

We both turned, smiled, and simultaneously shook our heads no and then pointedly ignored him for a few seconds more just to annoy the cantankerous old Jedi.

 

He knew exactly what we were up to and continued speaking. “So, your wife and children our here, go be with them before we leave. I’ll want to talk to you about this new apprentice of mine before we leave. I understand she’s not even had a hopefull’s training and has been living without adult supervision.”

 

Everyone present but the Captain and Delaney laughed. Master Erath’s sense of humor was well known if you had been around him long enough. He and the Captain quickly excused themselves headed for her ready room to discuss the new treaty while I became acquainted with my wife and my newborn twins.

 

Later that day, I found myself changing the younger twin when Master Erath came into the room. My wife took the older and left the room to begin launch prep.

 

“I am going to Palawar with my new apprentice Dash,” he said without preamble. “You’ve given me quite the bag of knots to unravel, but I think she’s worth the trouble like you were all those years ago. There is one thing, what is the ‘hand’ thing you promised her.”

 

I explained it to him in minute detail while a thoughtful smile crossed his face.

 

“You are going to delay the ritual until she’s a knight,” he said.

 

I tilted my head at him in curiosity.

 

“That bond should be attempted between two people fully conversant with the Force and with both parties as Jedi. Besides, your going to want me to push her hard and she doesn’t need you distracting her.”

 

“As you say Erath.”

 

“That, and while training she had a vision of finding supplies for that ritual on PalawaR III.”

 

Neither her vision or that Master Erath had already started her training surprised me.

 

All too soon, we all parted, the Refuge, GrassTiger [/i] and its Jedi contingent headed for the Palawar system while we began the long trek to the temple on Tython.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

The kitchen was one of the places Mirdala felt most relaxed. Things made sense here. You gather the right combination of ingredients, prepare them, allow the right amount of time and heat, and at the end of it you get an expected result. There was comfort in the ritual and a few minutes of that familiarity is what Mirdala had sorely needed to get herself recentered after the events of the last forty-eight standard hours.

 

She was a wife again, though this time it was to a man how valued her as a person as much, if not more, than he valued her skills beside him in battle. Despite being the one to make the choice to bridge that gap and say the words, she was still wrapping her head around it. Something about her encounter with Ca and the imminent threat of Ab’ki’s vengeance had given her the perspective she’d needed to truly ask herself how much Kandor really meant to her.

 

The more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder about why, despite lack of Force-sensitivity or empathic connection to her, he’d been able to reach her the way he had. Vi’ika’s head lifting at the sound of someone approaching stilled her meal preparation as she reached for the hold out blaster she’d had the sand hound recover from her duffel. A half-second later, she withdrew when she felt Kirlocca’s presence at the edge of her senses.

 

As the two of them entered the safehouse and made themselves comfortable, Mirdala put the lid back on the pot to simmer and joined them in the living room, settling next to Kandor on the couch. As his arm folded around her, she decided there were some mysteries that were better left unquestioned.

 

“It’ll still be about a half hour. Figured stew would be the best option since I don’t have a clue what Wookiees eat, or how much. Plus it keeps and Kandor can make his as spicy as he wants,” she elbowed him lightly in jest.

 

“I don’t know what your plans are, Master Kirlocca,” she began a moment later, “But you’re welcome to stay with us, unless you’re needed elsewhere.” She couldn’t explain why, but she felt as though the Wookiee seemed a bit lost for some reason. “A half hour of meditation and hibernation is hardly all of the training I need, if we’re being honest. I would welcome your continued help.”

 

She gripped Kandor’s hand in hers adding, “I don’t know what roads lie ahead for any of us, but I know preparation is the key to coming out ahead on any challenge or battle.”

[Wookiee Jedi]

The smell of the room was something that Kirlocca had never smelt before. Although, it smelled good regardless. As he sat down, Mirdala had asked the same question as Fett did. For some reason, he still felt a weird sense of vagueness over what he should be doing. On the one hand, the Jedi Order was all he had ever really known, up until his time with the Augury. Ever since then, his stance with the Jedi Order was a rocky one. He knew that the Jedi Order will carry on, it always did. It would survive without him like it did before and will after. The Sith would continue to do what they do and cause chaos and death where they walked. It was the way the galaxy worked. It was the way the Force worked.

 

The Jedi Master let out a sigh, a rather loud one at that too. He knew what Mirdala had said was correct. She did not get enough training, and she would need more. And for some reason, he felt more relaxed and open here then he did with the Jedi Order. He looked down and kept his gaze downward for a second as he spoke, only raising his head after he finished speaking.

 

<< You are correct. You did not receive enough training. And my record will show that I have never left someone half trained. >>