"Here we are," he said as she entered the cockpit several hours later. He had just brought the ship out of the last hyperspace jump and entered the system. "The Tanagis system, outermost of Cataan's colonies."
Marin slid into her customary seat, staring out at the planet below them, the mottled brown and green marble below them. Hesitantly, she poked a few buttons on the console, trying to bring up info on the planet.
"Panel on your right," he told her.
She blushed. "Sorry.." she said softly, hoping she hadn't accidentally activated the weapons or something. Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she studied the indicated panel, slowly typing in her request.
He looked to see which console she had touched earlier and made a few minor adjustments.
"No harm done," he told her as she was punching in her request. "It would have just made the cabin a little cooler."
Her face reddened in embarrassment. "Sorry..." she said again. "I haven't had much experience with computers before..."
"Eventually, you'll learn everything about this ship and know your way around a computer. It will take time, but you will.
Marin nodded, nervously chewing her lip for a moment as she watched the mottled marble of the planet grow larger in the forward viewport. "So... what happens after we land?"
"There is another room there that you can use for your quarters," Jarius told her. "There is a sparring area in the hanger, a range where you'll learn your blaster weapons. Also, there are other areas around the planet that we'll travel to for different parts of your training."
"I get my own room again...?" Her tone was breathlessly excited. She was really enjoying the space after the year or so sharing a dormitory with the other orphans.
He looked at her, noting her excitement and understood. This was all new to her. She could barely sit still, and after a moment, she decided to go and gather duffle he'd given her the day before.
It didn't take too long for him to settle through the atmosphere and start heading for the entrance to the hanger, covered and concealed by the growth and trees that covered the area. It a few minutes, they were inside and he started to power down the engines.
Marin had felt the ship settle, even how gentle it was. As soon as she knew they were down, she headed towards the hatch and waited for him, the duffle over her shoulder.
He walked into the corridor, a duffle of his own in hand and his helmet back on. Without a word, he unlocked and began opening the boarding ramp so they could exit.
She followed him, looking out at the lush forest beyond the hangar as her feet touched the permacrete. For a moment, she just stood there, inhaling the crisp air. After a moment, she looked up at him, and slipped her hand into his.
He noticed this and looked at her. 'Probably the closest thing she's ever had to a father' he thought as he nodded and closed his hand a little around hers to let her know. "Through the door, last left down the hall."
With a nod, Marin made her way from the hangar, following his directions until she came to her destination.
He watched her go down the hall and started to head to his room, setting his bad down on the bunk in the room. He walked over to an old wooden casement that stood tall against the wall and opened the doors. Taking his helmet off and putting in on the special shelf at the top of the open area.
With a sigh, Marin sank onto the bunk, noting the neatly folded blanket and sheets on the end. Sheets... she'd never had any. With wide eyes, she pulled the stack to her and ran her fingers over the soft fibers. After a few moments, she set them aside and pulled the duffel onto the bed, sorting through it as she began to put her clothes and other things away on the shelves she could reach.
With a grunt, Marin sat down on the edge of the bunk and pulled off her boots, wincing. They'd pinched her toes a little bit, but she hoped that they would form to her foot before too long. There had even been towels in the duffel. With a smile, she grabbed two, and ducked into the fresher that she'd spotted along the back wall of her room.
With a grin, she noticed that there was a second set of controls set at a height that she could reach. She pondered for a moment what that could mean, but shrugged and pulled off the coverall and dumped it in the laundry before she turned on the water.
Heading back into the hall, he started to hear the sounds of a shower starting, so he heading into the living area of the safehouse and sat down at a computer terminal and logged in for a moment, checking accounts and messages before he logged out and went to the kitchen to start making some behot.
Marin stood under the hot water for several minutes, letting it was the grime off her skin and relax her muscles before she turned it off and padded back into her room, pulling on a loose tunic and pants along with her boots before she brushed her hair out and pulled it back into a ponytail. Hanging her towels on a hook that had been placed near the door to the 'fresher, she slipped out into the hallway, the smells of food drawing her towards the kitchen.
"I don't know when was the last time you had a warm meal," he said as she entered the kitchen, just as he was finishing putting ingredients into the pot. "This will take just a little bit."
"I... honestly don't know..." she admitted quietly, slipping into one of the chairs around the table, her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Mostly, it was whatever I could...steal. The Orphanage didn't really feed us much."
He shook his head at the comment, stirring the contents of the pot as they began to heat. "If the Corellians put as much effort into their other programs as they do CorSec and their Defense Force, it would be completely different for you." He checked the pot and grabbed two bowls and put bread on the table before he started to dip some stew into the bowls.
She shrugged. "I'm just glad to be away from there... so many of the others were... scared of my... abilities..." She looked down at the table for a moment.
He nodded again as he set the bowls on the table and started to sit in his chair, reaching for a spoon. "People have always been afraid of what they do not understand. Always have, and will always do so."
"It was...scary at times... When I first started manifesting my abilities, they kinda freaked." Her left hand unconsciously slid down over her side, over a long scar that ran diagonally across her stomach, though it was well hidden under her tunic.
It caught his attention instantly. "Attacked because of it?"
She nodded silently, looking down into the steaming contents of her bowl before she took a slow bite. It sure smelled good, and it made her stomach rumble as she lifted the spoon to her mouth and took a bite. After a moment, she spoke. "I was...5 I think. Things just started... happening. At the time, I couldn't control it, and they kinda freaked out... They...came at me with a knife..." She broke off, biting her lip as she tried not to cry.
"Hence why you started to learn how to handle one yourself," he said, more statement than anything else as he took some bread and started eating. "It is a handy weapon to know."
She nodded. "It was my only option at the time... .and why I kept the knife hidden..."
"Till it broke on my armor," he said half-jokingly. "Those that I got you will do for training, but eventually we'll fashion you some that will be suited for only you."
She laughed a little. "Well, I hadn't counted on going up against someone in armor..." She smiled at that. "I'd like that. I think I have a talent for the knife..."
"There are many different weapons that you will learn."
"I know..." she said with a smile. "It's just the first one I learned, so I'm comfortable with it." She fell silent then, turning back to her stew. It was delicious and filling, the meat had soaked up some of the broth, but was still very savory. She ate until she couldn't, and was surprised that she saw the bottom of her bowl.
"There is more," he said as he motioned to the pot.
"You're used to knives from the Coronet streets," he said as they came to a stop in a section of the woods not far from the hangar. "But you have never picked up - much less fired - a blaster before in your life. Correct?"
Marin nodded. "I've never used one before... not even really sure how they work, to be honest.." She tucked her shoulder-length dark hair behind her ears as she looked up at him.
He pulled out a small holdout blaster, a good enough size to fit her hand. "The safety is here," he said as he knelt down and showed her all of the main points on the blaster. "As well as the selector switch for stun and kill. Rear sight is here...front sight here. When you line it up, it should look like this..." He held it at her eye level to see how they lined up. "With me so far?"
"Mhmm." She nodded, reaching out with her small hand to locate each element as he pointed it out. When he held the blaster up to her eye level, she squinted, looking through the sight. A gasp of surprise fell from her lips. "Everything looks... big!"
"It will for a while, because you're young," he said with a chuckle. "They'll seem small later. Okay, take the blaster in your hands...do not touch the trigger until I say."
She nodded, and carefully took the blaster from him, wrapping her fingers around the grip, and laying her index finger along the barrel like she'd seen him do. Slowly, she lifted it to her eyelevel again, nervously checking to make sure she'd pointed away from them.
He corrected her grip just slightly, to match what he'd always been trained. "Remember the positioning...in time, it'll be second nature. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. And always grip it two handed...never use a single-hand unless it is necessary."
Marin nodded again, studying how he'd adjusted her hand positioning. "Why one-handed as a last resort...?" she asked curiously.
"Two-handed gives you a more stable shooting platform," he told her. "And I said 'necessary'...there will be situations where you'll need to shoot one-handed."
She pondered that for a moment before she nodded, steadying her her left hand with her right ans she sighted down the short barrel. It did make it easier to see things through the sights.
"Okay, there is your target, fifty yards down range," he said as he pointed in the direction to a target he'd set up earlier. "I'm not looking for a center shot right now. I just want you to get used to shooting it."
"Alright..." Marin adjusted her grip slightly, unconsciously spreading her feet as she sighted on the target he'd indicated. A bead of sweat traced down her forehead as she lifted the barrel, taking a slow breath before she squeezed the trigger.
He pulled a set of field glasses and checked the target. "Good hit for your first shot. Good stance as well. Okay, keep firing."
Nervously chewing her lip, she nodded and adjusted her stance a little bit, taking another tslow breath before she fired again - twice.
He was starting to become more impressed as these two shots were grouped close to the first. "Very good precision...now, lower your aim just a bit."
For a moment, she frowned, sighting along the barrel as she studied the target through it. After a moment, she lifted the blaster to firing position again, though not as high as before. Again, two shots found their way to the target before she lowered the small weapon and wiped at her forehead.
He looked down range with the field glasses and could not help but smile. "Very, very good for your first try. Are you sure you've never fired a blaster before?"
"Yes..." she said, looking up at him. "I didn't have access to one... all I could ever get my hands on was a knife."
"A past life maybe," he said quietly with a smile. "Check your charge level."
Glancing down, she noticed the power level indicator had fallen to about 75%. "I've got about ...75% charge left..."
"You have about fifteen shots left," he told her. "Do you want to put the rest downrange?"
Marin shrugged, grinning a little. "Why not...?" She checked where he was, adjusting her grip on the small blaster as she pointed it at the ground, like she'd seen him do. Then, she adjusted her stance and lifted the blaster again, sighting down the length of the barrel. After a moment, she began firing, this time in groups of three - until the charge was exhausted.
"Very good...now, if you'll excuse me," he said as he holstered the blaster and popped up a fresh target. "My turn to practice."
With a nod, Marin stepped away from her stop, and found a rock to sit on as she watched him. She noticed that he'd set down the field glasses, and she picked them up, holding them to her eyes as she studied the target.
He had his eyes closed for a moment, relaxing just a little bit. His hand was a blur as it went to the custom blaster as his right thigh. As it cleared the holster, his left hand went to grip and his eyes met up with the sights, keeping it lined up. As soon as the top of the sights reached the center of the target, he fired three shots in rapid succession.
Marin gasped, almost dropping the field glasses. 'How had he moved so fast...?'
He holstered the blaster, waited for a moment, and repeated the action again without breaking timing. Three more times, he repeated the same method till the charge was used up. Knowing how his shots lined up, he ejected the powerpack from the grip and slammed another one home before he holstered the blaster again.
Marin just sat there, watching him. After a moment, she slowly opened up, and then she ...felt him. That was a huge shock to her. She'd never felt anyone that strong before. And even when she'd hidden on his ship, she been so closed down that she'd barely felt him.
"You're not the only one sensitive to the Force," he told he as he kept looking downrange. "I am too."
She just gaped at him. It was a minute or two before she found her voice. "I... didn't know... Is that why you offered to take me off Corellia...?"
He nodded softly. "Part of it. With the ability to touch the Force comes a great responsibility, like nothing anyone else who doesn't feel it will ever know."
"And... the rest...?" she asked quietly, looking up at his face as she wrapped her arms around her knees.
"I don't know how I can explain it to you," He told her as he sat down next to her. "The Force lets one who can touch it do things that are considered extraordinary. It can be the way to doing great things...
or unspeakable horrors."
"So...why even offer it to me? I'm just a kid?" The question was blunt, but honest
"Growing up on the streets of Coronet, how do you think you would have ended up?" Before she could answer, he asked a few more questions. "Would you have known what the right thing to have done would be? Or would you grow thinking and acting only for yourself...leave everyone else to their own?"
"Probably more worried about just surviving..." she admitted after a moment, looking at her hands. "But I've always tried not to hurt people... even though I was stealing to eat..."
"Whatever comes in your heart," he told her. "The Force can amplify it. There have been great people...and there have been those that are responsible for terrible things. Your desire to try not to hurt people...when you've told me you've acted only in defense...that's important. And it reinforces the fact that I made a sound decision to offer you another life."
Again she nodded, thinking about that. She was glad that she was away from that... hell. There were some events in her past she wished had never happened, but now she had a chance to move on. After a few minutes of contemplative silence (as much as a six-year old could handle), she stood. "I'm glad you gave me the offer of a new life, Jarius..." Her words were soft, but sincere as she slipped her hand into his again.
He held hers for a moment. "There was purpose to our meeting on the ship. The Force works in mysterious ways," he told her softly. "Lets go back inside, and we'll cover some other things before lunch."
"Okay." She looked up at him, curling her fingers around his as the walked back inside. "Can I help with lunch? I'm not the best, but..."
"Good time then." He said as they walked inside the hanger. He went into a seperate room, pulling the holdout blaster and its holster out and placed it in its spot on the rack. After putting the powerpack for it and his blaster into the proper chargers, he closed the door and secured it before heading into the kitchen.
Marin was already waiting for him, swinging her feet back and forth above the floor from the stool she sat on. She was still having to find ways to bring things to her height.
He smiled and pulled a pan out from its place and started to see about a few ingredients out for a simple lunch.
Marin leaned against the counter, watching him with interest. "How can I help?"
"There's a container of boonta spice on the rack behind you," he said as he started to warm the pan. "Its labeled."
"Okay..." Marin looked around, and spotted the rack. Clambering easily down from the stool, she pushed it over to the other counter and climbed up again, sounding out the words on the labels until she found the right one. Climbing down from the stool again, she walked over and set it on the counter next to him.
He nodded, making another note on things to teach her. "One of the things I was told when I started learning, and has helped me out," he said as he started to sprinkle a little of the seasoning on some meat before he started rubbing it in. "Is that you want to be careful with how much seasoning you use. Too much and you overpower the taste of the meat." That done, he put it in the hot pan to start cooking it.
"And if you don't use very much, it can make it... bland?" she asked, pulling the stool back over before she perched on it again, watching as he worked. She made a face when she mentioned bland food.
"It can," he said as he flipped the meat to cook the other side. "It always depends on what you're cooking."
Marin chewed her lip in thought. "I've never really had meat before until... yesterday. Mostly it was just porridge at the orphanage, or fruit and veggies I could... swipe easily."
"Its a good source of energy, along with some other things," Jarius told her. He finished with the meat and kept the pan hot as he took out a package of certain vegetables and put them in the pan to sear.
She smiled. "That stew you made yesterday was good... what was that...?"
The vegetables are from one of the inner planets. I do some occasional trading with them from time to time...all the meat is the locale wildlife."
"It was good... and I wasn't hungry later..." she told him with a smile.
"You've been used to what they had at the orphanage...which would probably not even fill a Given...and they don't have to eat."
That really made her giggle. But he was right. "It always left me hungry... and I always kinda felt tired later..."
"Later on, you'll get an idea of what will keep you going for a while."
He finished searing the vegetables and split them with the meat on two plates, reaching over to grab some bread to go with them.
Climbing down from the stool again, Marin pushed it back to the island before she went to the table. "That smells really good..." she admitted, feeling her mouth water in anticipation, just from the aroma.
"Just as simple as it can be," he said as he put the plates on the table. "A simple meal can be the best...or so I've heard the Lady Karrde say one time anyway."
"Who's that...?" Marin asked, frowning slightly as she took a napkin.
"That's right," he said, remembering that she was new to many things. "There is a Jedi family on Cataan..the homeworld for this colony system and several others. The matriarch of the family has shared recipes over the local net before...it is one of her sayings. They are a well-known family to just about all Cataani."
She nodded. "Sounds like she knows cooking..." When he set the plate down in front of her, Marin had to bite down hard on the instinct to just dive in. Taking a slow breath, she began eating, but slower than her instincts wanted her to.
"Slow is good," he told her. "You eat too fast and you'll start to feel sick."
Marin flushed. "Sorry..."
He gave a sign of it being alright and started eating himself.
