Chapter 9

Nutmeg was curled up under a blanket on the couch a book in her lap. She sipped her earthy blend of tea as she turned the page eagerly.

This book spoke of the leader of a broken kingdom trying to hold everything together and the people in need that he was unable to help due to the attacking forces who had risen up from the ashes of a fallen empire of evil. In the midst of the war there was a girl who had no place in all of it. She was neutral and while she favored the kingdom she was unable to do anything. Nutmeg loved reading adventure books. They made her crave her own grand adventure.

She put down the book a moment to go use the bathroom. When she was done she took a moment to study her appearance in the bathroom mirror. She noticed that as she had aged her eyes had become more blue-grey, although they did still contain a good amount of green. She also noticed a thin wavy yellow line that curved around the center of her iris. Nutmeg's dirty blonde hair had gained more length and her face had also lost some of its child like roundness and gained some depth.

She walked back down stairs to pick up her tea. Nutmeg would have expected she would enjoy the next few days to herself and she was enjoying them so far but she did miss Axle.

Nutmeg began to think about Axle's mission. He had been hired to handle highly dangerous negotiations between several crime gangs, quite a few of which he was wanted by, which included the Pikes, the Red Claws, and Feral, Bellum's cousin's, pirates. Axle of course was wanted by plenty of other syndicates. Those few were just the only ones that would be present. She gulped another sip of her previously hot tea as she thought.

Mopar and Lepor would be arriving on day eight of her solitude to meet Axle for another mission that Nutmeg would be allowed to attend. Axle wouldn't arrive until later the next definitely wasn't looking forward to a day alone with Lepor and Mopar or the mission with them that followed. She had come to dislike the two of them since Axle told her what they really thought about her. Her thoughts drifted back to that day. That was the day things had become complicated.

She had found out that she was supposedly a force user. She had had cold hard reality smack her in the face as she found out that if others thought the same as Axle and Umum she could be in danger. Axle had also told her not to care what anyone else thought. It was good advice in certain situations other times not. For example if Nutmeg were to say have her mind set on a stupid idea, no one could deter her from it. Other circumstances it was good advice. Say people were just trying to bring her down than it would be wise not to care what they think.

"That day felt like years ago…" Nutmeg said allowed to herself.

Cavern trotted up with his food bowl grasped in his jaws the meaning clear that he was hungry. She walked into the kitchen, took the bowl from him, filled it up and put it down on the mat where Cavern ate. After he was done he curled up on the couch next to Nutmeg and she began again to read.

The next morning Nutmeg had begun to miss Axle a bit more. She had been left alone for this long before but for some reason Nutmeg just missed Axle more than usual. She hadn't been left alone for longer than a week before. Usually if Axle was on an extensive mission she would be brought along.

Nutmeg looked out the window at the swirling snow. It was a light snowfall for the time of year. They would probably only receive a about half a foot if it continued at this rate.

She all of a sudden heard her comn beep. She picked it up off her bedside table and picked up. The fuzzy hologram of Axle sprung up.

"Hey Axle!" Nutmeg exclaimed happily.

"Sup kid?" he replied

"Not much. You?"

"Not much, although considering the circumstances that's probably a good thing."

"Yeah I guess so."

"You're not getting into too much trouble are you? No one's dead?"

"No," Nutmeg replied rolling her eyes.

"Aright good," Axle smirked. " Well I'm just checking up on you kid. I've got to get back to work. I'll see you in a few days though."

"Aright."

"See ya kid."

"Bye Axle," Nutmeg said sadly. The transmission cut out.

Nutmeg through the next day battled the crippling boredom that threatened her. She was able to conquer it later with the discovery of some paper and pencils. She drew everything and anything she could think of. After that got old however she was stuck with nothing to do again. She had also finished her book and two others after that one within the day.

The next day Nutmeg decided to study the Shadows mechanisms while listening to music. The following four days were dedicated to Nutmeg practicing with her energy bow. She had actually become quite good with it. Finally it was her seventh day alone.

It was now about nine o'clock at night. She was currently eating dinner. It was her last day alone and Mopar a Lepor would be arriving tomorrow unfortunately. Axle would arrive the next day. She missed Axle alot and was excited to see him again.

She was eating another re-hydrated meal. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. Either way she was looking forward to some real food.

After Nutmeg was done she headed up stairs to and curled up in her bed. She had awoken late that morning so she couldn't say she was tired but she was responsible enough to know when she should be asleep. So slept she did…

Bang.

Bang.

BANG

Startled, Nutmeg's eyes flew open. Pale early morning sunlight filtered through her bedroom window which she quickly rushed to. The snowfall had increased substantially so much that she had to squint to see through it. In the air there were three huge ships and in the far distance on the ground there was the Shadow.

Nutmeg's eyes went wide. Why was Axle here? And more importantly why were there three other ships with him.

All of a sudden Nutmeg's comn beeped. She picked up immediately. A blue hologram of a disheveled looking Axle sprung up from the comn.

"Axle what's going on?!" Nutmeg cried.

"Look kid I dont have alot of time to explain but I screwed up! They put a tracker on the Shadow and followed me here. Now I can't even lead them away because the Shadow's broken. Anyway, they're here for me! You need to stay hidden Nutmeg. Do you understand me? Stay there!"

"Axle-!" Nutmeg was cut off by an explosion of snow. The largest ship had shot at the Shadow but missed by only about a yard. When she looked back at the comn Axle's hologram had cut out.

Nutmeg couldn't stay put! Axle needed her help and they would just take her anyway when they searched the house which they inevitably would.

She ran down the stairs, suited up in her winter gear and grabbed her energy bow and a pair of macrobinoculars. Cavern trotted up begging for attention. Nutmeg grabbed Cavern's specially made coat and put it on him. Mastiffs were known for being vicious. She needed him. She then opened the door. As soon as she walked out of the house snow pummeled her covered face.

Through the macrobinoculars she saw that the three ships were heading down getting ready to land next to the Shadow. The only reason her eyes weren't blinded by the snow and wind was because of the goggles covering her eyes. Nutmeg made a run for the Shadow. After awhile of running Nutmeg could see Axle had left the Shadow and was making a move for the opposite direction. The troops that had been sent after Axle were quickly gaining. Nutmeg ran towards them, Cavern gaining ground faster than her.

Cavern broke through the troops teeth bared and snarling. Nutmeg forced her way in as well her energy bow drawn and ready to fire. A look of horror spread across Axle's face at her appearance but Nutmeg didn't care.

The scum looked faintly amused if anything. Nutmeg even heard a few snicker. Anger and adrenaline flooded through her veins. She let one of her arrows loose she missed her mark by an inch but Cavern understood well enough that these people were not their friends. He attached himself to one of their legs quickly ripping through flesh.

Nutmeg quickly made her way to Axle's side.

"What are you doing here kid?!" he hissed to her as he kicked one of the Weequay pirates in the stomach, finishing him off with a blaster.

"I'm here because you need help."

"Well no offence but I'm not any better off with you here in danger than you in the house." he stated as he threw a Rodian off his back.

"You know they would have searched the house." Nutmeg said as she loosened another arrow from her bow.

"You're getting better with that thing." Axle exclaimed to her.

Nutmeg beamed. "Thanks!"

Suddenly Axle was thrown back away from Nutmeg. Nutmeg saw Cavern leap on top of another Pike that was getting ready to fire upon Axle.

All of a sudden fear coursed through Nutmeg. There was three of them including Cavern and who knew how many of the Pikes and Red Claws. Nutmeg out of desperation started firing more arrows.

The snow had begun to fall harder and harder so that she couldn't see anything that wasn't close to her. She looked back at Cavern to see him struggling on the ground. His paw had been shot. Axle had been cornered but he was still fighting like mad. Suddenly his blaster had been relinquished of his hands and there was a Red Claw sword at his neck.

Nutmeg felt a huge surge of anger and fear. Her hands strangely yet automatically rose dropping her bow into the snow as she felt something flow through her.

The weapons of the enemy flew away from their grip in to the air. Some of the soldiers surrounding her as well were pushed back.

The feeling of anger passed and she was left with only fear. Did I just do that?! She thought. Nutmeg stared at her hands in shock. Soldiers had began to advance towards her and she backed away. Nutmeg picked up her bow and aimed at one of them but one of the others pushed her into the snow knocking the bow from her hands.

She looked at Axle who had been restrained but was now fighting and fighting with a new strength that he hadn't had before.

Nutmeg tried to stand up and fight but she quickly was grabbed on to. She ripped herself away but in a moment the armored fist of a Besalisk had come into contact with her face.

A sharp pain stabbed at her upper lip and she felt her nose crunch. The scarf covering her mouth and nose was thrown away. Nutmeg's mouth filled with blood. She had landed face first into the snow. Tears welled in her eyes making her vision go blurry but she did see that the snow beneath her was red. Her nose throbbed and she felt her lip gush blood.

There was a voice that rang above the chaos. "Kid!" It was Axle! "KID!" Nutmeg tried to yell back but she choked. "NUTMEG!"

"Axle!" she forced out. She tried to force herself up. "Axle!" she wailed again in desperation but there was no response.

No. He couldn't be gone. Axle couldn't be gone! Nutmeg sobbed his name over and over again with no response. The only noise that was there was the whistling of the wind until she heard the ship lift off along with the other two. That could only mean one thing. They had gotten what they came for…

Nutmeg lay huddled there. She was trying to conserve the body heat she had left. She had to save her energy. The snow had created a thin blanket on top of her and she was no doubt cold but there was no way she'd be able to find her way back to the house in the blizzard. Right now she needed to rest. Shivers ran their way through her body and her teeth chattered like mad. She closed her eyes tighter and tensed up more trying to block out the harsh weather. The blood and tears had even frozen on her face.

Nutmeg couldn't bear the fact that Axle was gone. It wasn't possible. Maybe this was all some sick nightmare. She had had stunningly real nightmares before. Another tear dropped out of her closed eyes, immediately frozen my the harsh cold.

The cold had begun to burn her fingertips along with her feet hands and face awhile ago but only now did she feel it start to cause the larger limbs pain. She drew in her knees to her chest further if possible but it didn't make a difference.

Nutmeg felt strong arms around her. They were warm, hot even. Her slow mind was barely aware of them and yet they were there. All of a sudden hot air clung to her body and she made out voices.

"Crank the heat all the way up. She's not doing great."

A wonderfly burning object was placed on her chest, another on her head.

"Can you grab me some more thermo-packs" the strange voice said.

Soon enough these objects had been placed on various parts of her body. Until yet again Nutmeg slept…

An uncomfortable heat clung to her skin. She rolled over and felt warm objects roll off of her. The heat was still pressing.

"Axle," she groaned. "The heating system's broken again!"

Nutmeg opened her eyes to see unfamiliar surroundings.

"What the heck!" she cried. She sat bolt upright. Dizziness brought her back down quickly however.

None other than the human Lepor walked in. "Oh look someone decided to wake up." she teased

"What?" Nutmeg exclaimed confused. "What's going on? Where's Ax-!" Nutmeg choked.

Everything at once came flooding back. They had taken him. Axle was gone. No! It wasn't true! Axle isn't gone! He's still here! He has to be! Nutmeg internally screamed. He would never leave me!

Lepor interrupted her thoughts. "You almost froze to death, you managed to break your nose and cut your lip open, that's what happened!" she exclaimed. "You're welcome by the way."

Nutmeg felt a rush of anger at her. How dare she antagonize me when I'm obviously hurting! She stormed out of the room a shut herself into the next empty one she saw. Nutmeg curled up into a tiny ball in the corner. Sobs racked her body and she pressed her bruised face into her knees. Tears soaked onto her jeans. Nutmeg only now realized she had been stripped of her winter gear.

How could Axle be gone? What in the universe would she do without him? He had been her closest friend, her brother. She didn't have anyone else. She licked a tear from her lips and felt her tongue run over the bacta patch on her lip.

Axle had been there for her as long as she could remember. Nutmeg didn't have anything or anyone to fall back on. Her parents were dead, she didn't have a single living relative she knew of and she had no friends. Even Unum had left. Unum… Maybe Nutmeg could track Unum down wherever she went.

All of a sudden Nutmeg froze remembering what she had done. It was instinctive, automatic. She wouldn't have been able to stop it if she tried. Her hands shot up and she had ripped the weapons from the scum's hands with her mind. No, she corrected herself. With the Force…

"Alright so this Unum Ursa character apparently works with the Republic."

"The Republic?" Nutmeg asked

"Yeah." Mopar said. "Luckily enough for you we've worked with them before so we're friendly enough."

"Ok."

"I guess we can just drop you off with someone else from the Republic and they'll take you to her"

"I guess so," Nutmeg replied dismally.

Nutmeg walked down the ramp of Mopar and Lepor's ship Cavern at her heels, his paw bandaged, to see a small woman awaiting her arrival.

"Hi there sweetheart," she said brightly. "My name's Olle."

"Hi," Nutmeg said dismally.

"Why the long face dear?" Olle asked delicately

"I'm just tired," Nutmeg lied.

"Alright then deary."

Nutmeg suffered a long trip in hyperspace with Olle's small talk to the base that Unum was stationed at. She finally made it and wished Olle goodbye politely although thankful to be rid of her.

Nutmeg walked down the long hallway of quarters with Cavern. Until she came across the room number that Olle had recommended her to. She knocked on the door and soon enough the Togruta came out to greet her.

"Nutmeg." Unum said surprised.

"I'm ready to believe."