Rubble sat in Shaak Ti's quarters, mediating. Two weeks had passed since he had been apprenticed. Three since Jalaen had died. "Shaak Ti, do you miss Jalaen?" Rubble asked out of the blue.
Shaak Ti looked up. "Of course I do, Rubble," Shaak Ti replied. "I was with her on Belderone. I have no clue how Kaleesh slaves managed to sneak into the Republic."
"Simple," Rubble responded, yellow eyes locking with Shaak Ti's brown ones. "The Invisible market."
"All those Kaleesh, cheering Jalaen, shouting her name… She was loved," Shaak Ti said, and hugged Rubble.
"Qymaen and Ronderu were crushed," Rubble responded. "I want to go home to Kalee," Rubble revealed. "I want to help those in sorrow. I'm here for infinite sadness. What I'm doing about it is comforting those who mourn."
Shaak Ti looked at Rubble. "You heard something on Mon Calamari, didn't you?"
"Yes," Rubble confessed. "Jalaen was murdered. More specifically, assassinated."
"No," Shaak Ti said, eyes widening. "By who?"
"The TechnoUnion," Rubble admitted.
Shaak Ti hung her head. "But we'll never be able to prove it!"
"Exactly," Rubble said sorrowfully, and then looked up. "Shaak Ti, can we go back to Kalee? Please?"
Shaak Ti stood. "I'll ask the Council."
000
Sabri shook Rubble. "You intend to go without us?! No way is that happening!" Sabri shouted.
Vex tried to bat Sabri with his paw, but ended up falling over.
"Sabri, this is family business. My cousin was murdered." Rubble picked up Vex, and started out the door. "I'll see you when I get back."
Rik looked at Sabri, confused. "Why is he leaving?" Rik asked.
"Rubble's heading to Kalee," Sabri said with a huff. "He's ditched us."
Rik nodded. "But over the murder of his cousin?" Rik questioned. "Stop being callus."
Sabri blew some of her black hair out of her eyes. "I don't care."
Rik saw Kit Fisto striding in his direction. "Master's coming, I have to go," Rik said hurriedly.
Sabri looked angrily after her guy friends who had just ditched her.
000
"Are you ready, Shaakie?" Rubble asked, sitting in the pilot's seat of the cruiser.
"I'd like to see your piloting skills," Shaak Ti admitted.
Rubble turned on the engines, letting them warm up. He slowly lifted off, and carefully flew out of the sky lanes into the atmosphere of Coruscant. Typing in the hyperspace coordinates, Rubble leaped to hyperspace after the shuttle left the planet's gravitational pull. "Kalee, here I come," Rubble said under his breath. "I'll avenge your death, Jalaen."