Life Among the Stars | LizbethRocker21
~*~*~Start~*~*~
Summary: Living on the streets is tough but it can lead to a start that was never imagined.
Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas (I think), Disney (since they own pretty much everything at this point), LucasArts, BioWare, and EA. The drabbles are based off the Star Wars: The Old Republic game. I wanted to explore the lives of the characters given outside of the storyline. I love having characters interact with each other and see how they reached the point of their lives that we see them at.
~*~*~Braedon~*~*~
The young red-head peaked around the pillar, looking for Justicar soldiers. Not spotting anything, he quickly dashed to a nearby crate. Ducking behind it, he checked his surroundings once more. After the cyborg had freed him from the Justicars, his adrenaline skyrocketed as he figured out how to get back to Renny.
Trying to stay stealthy, the boy found an alley he recognized would take him close to where Renny would be waiting. The shortcut would bypass a lot of Justicar patrolling routes. He quickly scurried to the alley, blue eyes keeping a sharp look out. As he tried his best to hurry to Renny, he wondered what the cyborg and the Cathar had told her about his escape. Would she be expecting him? Or did something happen to the two that prevented them from telling her of his escape?
Shaking the negative thoughts out of his head, he continued his way to try and find Renny. He turned a corner and saw a familiar head of red hair.
"Renny!" The small girl turned around at her name. When brown eyes laid upon the teenage boy, a giant smile graced the girl's face.
"Braedon!" The 9-year-old quickly ran to him and Braedon braced himself as he caught her in his arms. He held her tightly, still afraid of losing her.
"Renny, I'm glad you're okay," Braedon mumbled into his younger sister's red-hair. The 15-year-old wondered what they would do now. Even though his name was cleared from the Justicar database, they might find themselves in the same situation later on. Somehow, he had to get them out of here. But how would he do that? He had no money, no means for support for them. Most of the time, the money he did manage to get was spent in just getting them food.
He looked down at Renny as she continued to hug him in relief.
"I knew that lady could save you!" Renny said happily. "I knew she was my second best friend in the world for a reason!"
Braedon had to laugh at his sister's enthusiasm. She was still so innocent, so sweet. He had to keep it that way.
"Come on," Braedon started, while detangling the younger red-head. "We have to find a safe place to hide from the Justicars." Seeing Renny's face go from excited to slightly scared tore at the 15-year-old's heart. He hated that she had to fear so much just for them to survive.
Pulling along his younger sister, Braedon made his way through the mazes that were the streets of the Justicar territory. If he could make it to the edge of their territory, by the speeder, they could be safe for a while. While the Justicars did keep an eye on the border of their territory, it wasn't has heavily guarded as other trade posts of their territory. They could be safe for a while. Braedon spotted a Justicar soldier and quickly ducked into a niche that was a few feet away.
After making sure Renny was behind him, Braedon peaked his head out and watched the Justicar do a slow patrol. He saw the man turn slightly before he started firing at something. Braedon ducked his head back behind the wall, not seeing who was attacking the Justicar soldier. He then felt Renny tug her hand out of his. Before he could react, the 9-year-old was racing out of the niche and running in the general area of where the Justicar had been.
"Renny!" Braedon yelled out in horror and began to run after her. His panicked run slowed down as he saw Renny give a tackle hug to the red-headed cyborg that had saved him. To the left, he saw the tall Cathar finish knocking out the Justicar soldier he had noticed moments before. He continued to the cyborg, noting her look of surprise at Renny's hug.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The girl kept saying loudly, hugging the cyborg tighter.
"Renny, don't run off like that!" Braedon scolded when he got close, his heart still beating quickly from the blind panic that had gripped him moments before. Renny turned her head from the cyborg's stomach and looked at him.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just saw them and I wanted to thank them again. I knew they could defeat that Justicar!" She exclaimed with confidence.
"We better get to a safer place," the rough looking Cathar stated gruffly. The tall male didn't look happy at all with the situation. Braedon wondered why these two were back. The red-headed cyborg nodded in agreement.
"He's right, we better move." Braedon noticed she placed a hand on Renny's back to guide her.
The four of them quickly made their way past Justicar territory and found a secluded spot near the speeder.
"I'm glad we could meet again!" Renny said happily once the four of them situated themselves. The cyborg was standing next to the Cathar while Braedon made sure he was next to Renny.
"We actually came looking for you," the cyborg replied.
"Why?" Braedon quickly questioned, suspicious.
"This place isn't safe for you," the cyborg answered back. "Even after we erased your name from the system, they might still recognize you by face." Braedon's head went down, her statement resounding a fear he already had in his heart.
"So? What are you guys gonna do about it?" He questioned her.
"I was hoping you guys would come with us," she confessed. Braedon's head snapped up. He stared at her incredulously. While her face was straight, there was a look of hope in her eyes. He looked over to the Cathar. The Cathar didn't look happy. He was scowling and looking to the side, but he wasn't stopping the cyborg. Feeling a tug on his arm, Braedon turned his attention back to his sister. Renny was looking up at him, eyes wide.
"Can we?" She pleaded to him. "They're nice people! And they can protect us!" Renny continued to plead to him. Braedon looked back over to the two Troopers. They were safer than staying here. But where would they stay? Weren't Troopers supposed to go on dangerous missions and stuff?
"Where will we stay when you have missions?" Braedon finally asked. The cyborg gave him a small smile while the Cathar looked over at him.
"You can stay with my parents." He looked over to the cyborg again.
"Why would some random strangers be willing to take us in?" The cyborg's green eyes looked at him and Renny before she replied.
"Because that's what they did with me," she replied back softly. Braedon looked back down at Renny. Her brown eyes looked up at his, pleading with him to say yes. She deserved to have a home. The cyborg and the Cathar didn't look like a conventional couple but they wanted them. Well, the cyborg did and the Cathar just seemed to be going along with what she wanted. He turned back to look at them.
"We can't go with anyone whose names we don't know," he finally replied, relenting to his sister's silent pleads.
"YAY!" Renny cheered, knowing he gave in. The cyborg smiled again while the Cathar looked away and growled slightly.
"My name is Eydonya Richtor," she introduced herself. "And this is my second in command, Aric Jorgan," she said as she pointed to the surly Cathar.
"You didn't change your name when you got married?" Renny asked innocently. At the looks of surprise on the Troopers' faces and their blush, Braedon burst out laughing.
"We're not married!" Aric growled back, the corner of his eye twitching. Braedon laughed harder while Renny looked at the two Troopers and blinked innocently.
~*~*~Eydonya~*~*~
Following after Jorgan, Eydonya scanned the Justicar area, looking for either of the two siblings. Hopefully, Braedon had enough time to leave the Justicar cells and get to Renalda. The two Troopers made their way through the gates to the Justicar territory, keeping an eye out for any Justicar soldiers. Eydonya turned on her bionic scanner, looking for body temperatures in the desolate are that was the Justicar territory. Spotting two bodies that looked smaller than the average adult, Eydonya turned to Jorgan.
"They might be over there," she said as she motioned to a small alcove about 50 meters away. Jorgan nodded in acknowledgement and the two started to head in that direction. Movement from the right caused Eydonya to stop. Spotting the Justicar soldier, she unhooked her blaster. Next to her, she felt the heat of Jorgan's blaster as he fired on the Justicar. Eydonya got off two rounds before she spotted Renalda running towards her. Quickly strapping the blaster back to her back, Eydonya walked towards Renalda, leaving Jorgan to finish the Justicar.
Eydonya was shocked when Renalda hugged her tightly upon reaching her. She noticed Braedon following behind her, a somewhat panicked expression on his face.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Renny exclaimed loudly while hugging Eydonya tighter. Eydonya's hands hovered uncertainly above the younger red-head's back, uncertain if she should hug back or not. Vaguely, Eydonya noticed Jorgan had finished the Justicar soldier.
"Renny, don't run off like that!" Braedon scolded as he got closer to the trio.
"I'm sorry," the girl apologized, still holding on to her. "I just saw them and wanted to thank them again. I knew they could defeat the Justicar!" The girl's confidence in them made Eydonya's heart swell with something warm.
"We better get to a safer place," Jorgan interrupted, face looking annoyed. An expression that seemed to rarely leave the feline features. Eydonya nodded in agreement, eyes still on the lookout for any other enemies.
"He's right, we better move." She placed a hand on Renalda's back to make sure the girl was safe. Making sure Braedon was behind her, between her and Jorgan, Eydonya proceeded to lead the foursome outside of Justicar territory. She managed to find a secluded spot near the speeder.
"I'm glad we could meet again!" Renalda said happily.
"We actually came looking for you," Eydonya confessed. Braedon looked at her suspiciously.
"Why?"
"This place isn't safe for you," she pointed out, knowing the boy would be very aware of this fact. "Even after we erased your name from the system, they might still recognize your face." Braedon's head went down, signaling to Eydonya that this concern had already crossed his mind.
"So? What are you guys gonna do about it?" He asked her.
"I was hoping you guys would come with us," Eydonya confessed. She was hoping he would understand. There was a look of disbelief in his eyes, a look Eydonya was all too familiar. She remembered when Taldulni first came to her. It terrified her. The thought of possibly finding a new home was just as terrifying as the thought of being stuck where she had been.
"Can we?" A soft voice pleading brought Eydonya out of her musings. Renalda was looking up at Braedon, hands tugging at his arm with wide eyes. "They're nice people! And they can protect us!" Braedon was looking between Renalda and the two of them. She could feel hope building up in her.
"Where will we stay when you have missions?" Braedon asked her. Eydonya smiled slightly at his forward thinking.
"You can stay with my parents," she offered. Her parents had done so much for her. She knew they would love to have children in the house again. In Eydonya's mind, this was the Force's way of making it up to her parents by taking away their only biological child.
"Why would some random strangers be willing to take us in?" The young male asked. It was good that he was cautious. It showed an analytical mind.
"Because that's what they did with me," Eydonya confessed to him softly. Braedon looked back at Renalda. The youngest red-head was still pleading at her older brother silently.
At least Eydonya knew Braedon was taking her words into consideration. It was one thing to have a stranger want to take you in. It was a different situation when that stranger had been in the same place you were. She knew what it was like to fight for food, for survival, for a future. Braedon was raising Renalda as best as he could, but they both deserved better. The two siblings deserved to have a real childhood. Every child deserved a real childhood but this was the best she could do right now. When Braedon looked back at her and Jorgan, Eydonya stood up a little straighter, waiting for his response.
"We can't go with anyone whose names we don't know," he replied. It wasn't a verbal agreement but it was just as good. Eydonya could feel herself smiling again. It was rare for her to smile so much.
"YAY!" Renalda cheered. Apparently, the smallest one knew that Braedon had given his consent as well.
Eydonya took a small glance at Jorgan. The Cathar was looking away, face in the same scowl as when she first met him.
"My name is Eydonya Richtor." She pointed to Jorgan. "And this is my second in command, Aric Jorgan." She was happy to have his consent, even if it was with his seemingly perpetual scowl.
"You didn't change your name when you got married?" Renalda asked innocently. Braedon fell into a fight of laughter almost immediately.
Any previous thought that was in Eydonya's head was wiped away. 'What?' What made the small child think they were even in a relationship? She could feel her face getting warm and she didn't understand why. For some reason, she couldn't make herself look at Jorgan to see what his reaction was to the small child's curiosity.
"We're not married!" She heard Jorgan growl back. Braedon continued to laugh while Renalda looked confused. Eydonya got the feeling as if the floor underneath her had been taken away and she was floating. Her life was going to be different but this was the family she chose for herself. Now she had to try and figure out why thinking of Jorgan being a part of her family wasn't something that seemed strange but rather… natural. Like it was supposed to be the four of them.
E nd Notes: A big shout-out to my best friend (and beta) Faylinn Night. She helped me come up with the summary (I was totally lost) and has been a wonderful encouragement for me.
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