Xan sat for a few hours contemplating the info he had received and the more he went over it in his mind the more he didn't like it. finally it grew light enough to call Callista to breakfast and he mentally reached out and nudged her. 'Rise and shine jijtchi....lots to do today.'
'Coming, Jaj'tich....' her words were still slurred slightly with sleep. She rolled off her bunk and made her way to the 'fresher, grabbing a clean coverall. A few minutes later, she trudged into the house combing her fingers through her still-damp hair. As she sat down, she tried to stifle a yawn. "What's the plan for today, Jaj'tich...?"
"I talked to Mon Mothma today and we are back in service.....and this is rather interesting....Have you heard of Saleucami?"
"Saleucami....? Yes, I have...why?"
"That's our next port of call. We are going searching for a Jedi I know." Her head came up in surprise. "More survived?" She thought back to what At'ika and his men had done for Bardan. "Who..?"
"Have you come across the name Gavin Dabri'Meem yet?"
"Dabri'Meem? No..." she trailed off in thought as something was jogged in her memory. It was hazy, and she shook it off.
"Your mind says different....I felt it.....follow that train of thought, jijtchi." She gave him a look of complete bewilderment. "I don't know what to tell you, Jaj'tich...I don't remember anything about him, but apparently I heard something...."She thought a moment. "I think maybe my father mentioned him once when I was very young..."
"You got some of those files handy, see if you can dig up a holo mentioning him." She frowned and dug in the pocket of her coverall. "How did you...?" She glanced down, and busied herself entering commands for a few moments before she handed it to him.
"I didn't know you had the actual pad on you....I just knew you had it handy." Xan frowned, "The force works in strange ways." She gave him a sideways look. "That it does...Like I said, I don't really know anything about him...what information we have is there..."
Xan nodded and pressed the controls. Her father's face appeared on the screen again. "Callista is growing quickly now. We do still have some friends among those in the Temple. Master Dabri'Meem got a message to us recently, letting us know that she would be watched over should we choose to go through with what we plan to do....." he stopped then, his voice husky with unshed tears. After a few moments, he continued. "She will be placed with a non-Jedi family, and told nothing of her heritage so that she may live in peace without fear for her life...." The message faded, and Callista looked away briefly.
"Well now I can see how his plan backfired on him. If Dabri'Meem went missing you would have no one to watch over you. And that happened." Callista fought tears again. "Yeah, it didn't work at all...."
"Things worked out for you just not in the way intended, jijtchi. It may be hard, but let go of that bitterness." She nodded and took a slow breath. "Ni ceta....I'm glad they have..." she smiled a little.
"Well, curious to find Master Dabri'Meem yet?"
"Very much. I'd like to meet him..."
"Well it looks like we are taking the Blade, jijtchi....the Bringer is in no shape to go anywhere."
Sighing, she agreed. "Alright....Lill'ika's still needed here...?"
"That's up to Lilly....and she needs to get active herself again soon....Desk jobs don't suit her and you never know. We might need her after a bit." Lilly walked in then, yawning. She had just woken up and she looked like hell and went for a cup of caf.
"Well, about time Weshtiir.....looks like we are back in service."
"Oh.... all of us? Where are we headed?" She took a sip of the caf and winced. "Whoa... way to strong - did you make this, Xamesh?"
"Saleucami.....you remember Master Gavin."
"I do..."
"Well it seems that he's gone missing and the last report is he was on Saleucami." he handed her the padd. Lilly took it and looked at it and took to drinking a glass of blue milk and read over the info, nodding. "Hmm, it will be nice to see Master Gavin again, it's been too long."
Callista looked thoughtful now, and sipped her own caf slowly as she pondered the message her father had left.
"That is if he is still alive....and if he couldn't keep tabs on Tiirzemesh there was something wrong."
"Maybe he was too busy covering his ass. Doesn't hurt to find out does it?" Callista frowned at Lilly.
"Weshtiir...he promised my father he would....no one expected what would happen..."
"Hmmm, yes that's true. Still, its better than sitting here doing harvest - it is still a few weeks away." She handed the pad back to Xan.
"Very well it's settled....Lilly you fly. And when we get in space we both need to do something for Tiirzemesh that we have overlooked so far." Callista looked up at that. "What do you mean, Jaj'tich..?"
Lilly nodded and smiled. "I'll start pre flight." She walked out of the house, and to the Blade. Xan winked at Callista. "You'll see." Lilly was soon done the preflight and waited for Xan and Callista. Xan boarded the Blade and strapped in next to Lilly, waiting for Callista to strap in. She slid into the third seat, and gave him a thumbs up. "All set...."
"Punch it, Weshtiir." Lilly took off smoothly, and once clear of Naboo's gravity well she jumped to hyperspace and looked to Xan, smiling. Xan smiled and unstrapped, walked into the lounge where he waited for Lilly and Callista to join him. Lilly unstrapped as well, and joined Xan quickly, smiling.
Callista rose, looking confused. On the way, she stopped in her bunk and gathered a few things she had found among her father's belongings, and slipped them into her pocket before she joined them. Lilly stood next to Xan, remaining quiet but watching.
As Callista entered the lounge he motioned for her to sit on the decking. He did likewise as did Lilly. He then brought out his lightsaber and saw that Lilly did the same. "What do you notice about our lightsabers, jijtchi?" Callista frowned, and focused on them in the Force. "They both have crystals...and they feel more a part of you ...than mine does.....because I didn't make it?" she guessed.
Xan nodded. "We made our sabers to be extensions of ourselves, which is what the lightsaber is. You have been using a training blade and now the time has come for you to make your own weapon." he smiled.
"A training blade..?" She looked a little confused.
Lilly brought out parts and laid them on the table in front of Callista; there were many different parts. She then spoke softly. "Your blade was for training, If at all you slipped you wouldn't hurt yourself badly. It's effective; but not as effective as your own. It is time for you to do so. Reach out in the Force and let it guide you, Cal'ika."
Callista nodded slowly and pulled the training saber from her belt, laying it on the table. Slowly, she reached out to handle each of the parts one at a time, getting a sense of them and how they would fit together. Xan stopped her briefly before continuing. "Now, I noticed something....you have some items of your own in your pockets, jijtchi."
She flushed, and dug into the pocket of her coverall. "Elek, I do, Jaj'tich..." Carefully, she pulled them from her pocket one by one, and laid them on the table. Her father's lightsaber...the one she had retrieved during her muun'bajir on Tattooine....a heavy bronze medallion on a chain.....and a large purple crystal. "The last two...I found them on Tattooine among my father's things..."
Xan used the Force to levitate the amethyst in front of the three of them. "Interesting....an Adegan crystal....amethyst."
"Those are rare now.... Not easily found, if my memory serves me, Xamesh." Lilly observed.
"Indeed.....the last one I saw of this type was a part of Master Windu's saber." Xan said interested.
"I remember that, Xamesh.... it is very interesting how she has come to own this crystal." Lilly opened her own saber and started to tinker with the insides, looking up every once in awhile.
"Is it large enough to make two focusing crystals..? What do you mean, Weshtiir..?" Callista asked.
Lilly looked at Callista and smiled. "As we said, the last one to own such a crystal was Master Windu. These are as rare as my own." She pulled out two very dark navy blue crystals. "I find it strange you came across this... it's a very unique crystal." Callista shrugged, not understanding the significance of the crystal. "I just found it among his things....what's so special about it...?"
"It's rare... no one has seen one since Master Windu's time." She put her own crystals back in her saber. "Cal'ika you need to understand, some crystals are rare because of there color, size, or how they effect lightsaber... that is why to this date no two lightsabers are the same."
"But why are these so rare...?" she turned the amethyst over slowly in her fingers. It was heavy.
"Thanks to the self imposed Emperor, he sealed off all caves where the crystals are grown. It is getting harder to find them. As for yours, its the color and the size. Last time I saw one that big was when I was but a Padawan and my father showed me one he had found on Coruscant."
Callista nodded thoughtfully. "I have no idea where he would have gotten such a large one from..."
"The caves on Ossus....that's where most of the Adegan crystals grow, jijtchi. And from the looks of it, this one was saved for a special purpose."
"I'm honestly surprised it wasn't destroyed..."
"Your father must have wanted it safe for some reason, things happen for a reason, jijtchi." She finished tinkering with her saber and watched Callista.
Xan smiled. "Well it's big enough that you won't need any other crystals for the matrix, jijtchi. Now you should get to work.....make it an extension of yourself, jijtchi." She looked slightly bewildered. "I'll have to cut the crystal down....is that possible..?"
Xan nodded. "There is a lascutter in with the tools you have there. Trust the Force and it will guide you rightly here." "Have faith in yourself, jijtchi." She nodded, and picked up the tool he indicated, studying the crystal for a moment in the Force.
Carefully, she picked up the crystal, holding it delicately as she focused on her first cut. It wasn't easy. The lascutter bit into the smooth surface of the crystal, but didn't melt it. Instead, the crystal spilt into two smaller chunks, which she shaped carefully before setting the tool down again. Lilly watched Callista with a careful eye to see what she would create.
Then, Callista began reaching for the parts that were laid out on the table, and slowly, two hilts began to take shape in front of her. It far more detailed work than putting an engine back together, and a fine sheen of sweat covered her forehead as she slotted the crystals into their focusing chambers at last.
Closing the casings, she picked up the lascutter again, and dialed back the power setting, turning it into an etching rather than a cutting tool. Under her steady touch, Coruscanii characters began to appear down the smooth metal. She sensed Xan's faint surprise as he picked up on her thoughts. Finally, she sat back and set down the lascutter, letting out a slow breath as she did so.
"Interesting....and breath taking." Xan said. Lilly studied them and nodded slowly. "Very unique and like you in so many ways, Cal'ika. Take it and turn it on, give it a try." Callista smiled and rose, hefting the two hilts for a moment. A slow smile spread over her features as she thumbed both blades to life. They cast a deep amethyst glow over her, and she began to slowly run through the first few moves of her Teras Kasi form.
Lilly watched with a little bit of pride, she also thought it was funny that now both of Xan's Padawans were dual wielders. She spoke to Xan as she watched. "You realize Xamesh, this is two for dual wielders for lightsabers?" Xan nodded and said nothing for a minute but then turned to Lilly. "Doesn't mean I can't find holes in both of your techniques."
Lilly laughed. "Care to try Xamesh.... I think you'll be out numbered." Callista paused, and grinned as she listened to their banter. Closing down her sabers, she hooked them to her belt. "What's this...?" She grinned, sensing the rivalry between them. Xan stood up and in doing so his knees cracked loudly. He walked over to Callista as he saw the medallion. "That is a JedCred, jijtchi."
"A what..?" Lilly remained sitting for the time being as Xan spoke.
"A JedCred.....A Corellian Jedi tradition. You see any time a Corellian Jedi was made a Master he or she would commission the Corellian Central Bank to mint a series of coins baring their likeness on them. These coins were termed Jedi Credits or JedCreds. They were given to friends and family to celebrate the fact the person made their Mastership." Callista's mouth fell open in surprise, and she palmed the medallion off the table, and turned it over in her palm. It did indeed bear her father's likeness on it.
"Your father may have been one of the last Corellian Jedi to do such before Order 66." Callista nodded silently, and ran her thumb over the surface of it. It was smooth, and faintly warm. "I wonder if he forgot he had it...." she mused quietly.
"I doubt it jijtchi....if he was seen wearing it by any Imperial officer, he'd be executed." She shook her head. "Not what I meant....I think he hid it from himself..."
"Why do you think that now?" Xan asked. She shrugged. "It's a feeling...from those holos....he must have hid it from himself because he couldn't bear the reminder of what he had become....what he had lost..." She stopped, and choked back a sob. Xan said nothing, but he hugged her. She buried her face in his shoulder, her tears drenching his shirt as she wept....for what her father had lost.
Lilly stood and hugged Callista from behind. "That was your old life... this is your new life and you are loved and cared for, Cal'ika." She sniffled and nodded. As much as it hurt....finding that medallion, and what it meant felt as if she had some closure considering her birth parents. She leaned against Xan again, and felt Lilly embrace both of them. "I'm glad that you found me, Jaj'tich..."
"I'm glad too, jijtchi." he said and let go. "It seems that my life is a bit more complete now." Lilly also let go and smiled at the younger woman. Callista smiled, and hugged him again. "Let's go find Master Dabri'Meem, shall we?" Xan heard the proximity sensor beep "Coming up on Saleucami now." Lilly laughed and smiled. "You mean the fun in the sun starts soon?"
Xan groaned. "I wouldn't call Saleucami a tourist hot spot unless you count the lava, Weshtiir." Callista smirked. "Yeah, not the first place I'd pick for a vacation..."
"I like fire, Xamesh!" She laughed loudly again. "Lilly please; let's get down to the surface and see what clues we can pick up, eh?"
"All right, All right!" She slid in the pilot's seat and starts to guide the ship down towards the surface. "We'd best be careful.....Jaj'tich....should we go in beskar'gam...? It's bound to get a little rough.."
"No too much attention in that....I want as little of a scene as possible....locals here haven't seen many Jedi, so our robes won't be a give away."
"Are you sure that's wise....?"
Lilly finally landed the ship softly and nodded. "He's sure Cal'ika, we are a rare sight now." Lilly threw on her cloak, did the clasp up and threw up the hood and smiled.
"Alright...." Callista donned her own cloak, and clipped her lightsabers to her belt.
Lilly's lightsaber did it's disappearing trick and she walked over to the closet and opened it and Iggy walked out. "Iggy I need you to run scans of the planet for anything Force Sensitive or usual."
"Yes Mistress. Shall I relay that to your comms?" the droid said.
"Yes please, Iggy. Also I need you to secure the ship and if there is any Imp activity let us know, please."
"Roger Mistress.....security will be armed once you exit the ship."
"Thank-you Iggy... also please put Cal'ika into your memory bank if you haven't yet. Seeing as I believe this is your first meeting." Callista looked sideways at the droid. Lilly looked at Callista and smiled. "By the way this is Iggy, Xan reprogrammed him a long time ago. We'd be lost without him, wouldn't we, Xamesh?" She laughed again.
Xan nodded and Iggy beeped again. "Recognition systems activated." a few seconds later he beeped again and said. "Pleasure to meet you, Mistress Cal'ika." Callista grinned. The droid had even picked up her nickname... "And you, Iggy..." Lilly nodded and looked to Xan. "Is there anything else we need Iggy to do while we're gone, Xamesh?"
"Iggy, run code 5 to the brain trust and keep her Excellency informed of our movements." Xan said and Iggy just beeped again. Lilly nodded and opened the hatch, walking out and looking around carefully. "Come on jijtchi....let's go," Xan said to Callista. She sighed and made sure her sabers were concealed beneath her robe as she joined Xan.
Lilly walked towards the small village and looked over at Xan and Callista. "Xamesh, what is going to be our cover story?" "That I haven't though of...ideas?"
"We can easily pass as a family, Xamesh." Callista nodded in agreement and tucked her Padawan braid up into her ponytail, easily concealing it.
"Good. Now let's go see if any villagers have news." Callista fell into step beside him, and dug her pad out of her pocket again, familiarizing herself with the description of Master Dabri'Meem.
"Weshtiir you ask questions....I'm going to pull a ruse....that I can't speak Basic."
"And me, Jaj'tich...?"
"Are you speaking Coruscanii, Xamesh? Or something else?"
"You can ask questions with Lilly or you can follow the same ruse...but your Coruscanii is still weak."
"She could act as the young child, Xamesh, we don't need her to speak lots and you can give her stuff through telepathy." Callista nodded. "If it's alright, I think I'll just observe..." Xan nodded. "Let's get going then."
"All right." Lilly walked into the village and went up a villager and spoke. "Hello, how are you?" The gruff looking man grunts but said nothing and continued to work on his water pump. Callista traded a look with Xan. 'This could be harder than we thought, Jaj'tich..' Xan replied telepathically, 'I know....not exactly trusting of outsiders, these people.'
Lilly frowned and spokes once more. "I am looking for info one a outsider... who do I need to speak to with?"
"I know nothing bout any outsider....and if I did I wouldn't tell you anyway."
"Well in truth he has been here for ten years. It is a matter of importance."
"Importance? Pah! Offworlders ain't important; now scram will ya? I want to get this water pump working or my wife and kids will not have any water."
"May I look at it, sir? I have a knowledge of such things." Callista traded a look with Xan again. 'We might need to track him down on our own, Jaj'tich.'
'I had a feeling. And if Lilly isn't careful this is going to get violent.' The man turned to Lilly and he didn't look happy. "I said I'll fix it....how bout you scram before I turn you into fodder?" Callista gently laid her hand on Lilly's arm and shook her head. 'Don't push him, Weshtiir...' Lilly felt this and sighed walking off before she looked at them and spoke softly. "We have to find him."
Xan said aloud in Coruscanii. "Ze maak jimet. Khoshir!" We will look. Patience. Lilly nodded. "I know, Xamesh." Callista didn't understand the exact words, but she caught the meaning anyway. "So where do we start, Jaj'tich...where do you think he would be...? What are his skills...?"
"I never knew Gavin real well before hand....but if I recall he was in investigations...which means he's good at being undercover as well as we are."
"So we're ghosts, chasing a ghost." Lilly grumbled.
"Basically, Weshtiir....and I don't like that."
"Nor do I, Xamesh... ghosts chasing a ghost is never a good idea." Callista sighed. "Can I help in any way? Jaj'tich? Do you happen to know who trained my father? Was it Dabri'Meem?"
"Let me get Iggy on that." Xan said and he activated his comm. "Iggy, dig into the Jedi files and see the list of Gavin Dabri'Meem's apprentices."
Iggy's voice responded."I have the list, Master....any specific name?" Xan said, "Halon Gseran."
Iggy responded, "Affirmative, Master...Halon Gseran was trained by Gavin Dabri'Meem and made his Knighthood 32 years before the Purge began. Do you require more info?" Xan smiled to himself. "No Iggy, that's good for now, Xan out." Callista paled slightly. Thirty-two years....She dug into her pocket, and fingered the medallion again.
"Interesting. Thoughts anyone?" Lilly spoke up, "He could have died in the purge, or he is dead from old age."
"No, he's not dead..." Callista whispered. "I ...can feel it somehow..."
"No, he couldn't be dead....especially if Mothma's reports were correct. but where does that leave us?" Xan mused.
"Lost, Xamesh, we could start looking at outward caves to find him. He might be there, or he is here right under our noses." Callista looked over at Xan. She didn't dare say it aloud. 'Jaj'tich...the medallion....what if...?'
"What if what, jijtchi?" Lilly looked to Callista with wonder and waited for her to speak again. Callista took a slow breath. "I know that objects can retain an imprint of people that handled them....what if there was a way to use the medallion to find him...?"
"Impression reading...now that's a skill neither of us has....go for it, jijtchi." Xan said smiling, impressed by his padawan. Lilly was very impressed and stood next to Xan, putting an arm around his shoulder and sighed. Callista nodded a little nervous now, as she carefully withdrew the medallion concealing it within her robe.
Hesitant, she reached into the Force wrapping her awareness around it, and felt the energies attached to it. Her father's presence was very strong...but there was another second one beneath the first...it felt different than that of her father...more focused. She dug deeper into that feeling, and let it fill her until she could distinguish between the two. She opened her eyes, looking up at Xan as she did so. "I think I can find him, Jaj'tich..."
"Then lead the way, Cal'ika." Xan said. Nodding, she slipped the medallion back into her pocket, fingering it as she traced the presence she felt. "Weshtiir is right....he's near the caves..." Lilly waited for the pair to move ahead, she should follow behind them. Lilly blinked and looked to Xan and smiled. "It seems I am more open today, Xamesh."
Xan laughed ."'Bout time, Weshtiir...just make sure you don't drop your guard....for all we know Gavin may have been corrupted." Lilly nodded. "All right Xamesh, I will be mindful." Callista looked between them. "Maybe I should be the one to approach him...?"
"A good idea, jijtchi....I suggest one thing though. Greet him in Old Corellian, that way he knows you are from there as well."
"Agreed..." She knew that was wise. While her presence would be familiar, her appearance would not be. Lilly followed behind the two keeping an eye out for people trying to follow them. Cautiously, Callista traced his presence in the Force, using the tiniest thread she could manage. It was one thing to track another in the Force, but it was a different matter entirely to blatantly announce yourself. Finally, she saw the caves ahead of them. "Jaj'tich...I think I should go ahead alone...can you join me when I tell you...?"
Xan nodded. "Lilly should come with me though."
"I know...but I feel I need to meet him alone first..."
Xan nodded again. "Go ahead, jijtchi...I'll hear you when you call." She nodded silently, and slipped the medallion back into her pocket as she climbed into the network of caves. The air was cool and damp ...refreshing after the sticky heat outside.
Slowly, she worked her way deeper into the cave. Lilly waited with Xan and watched Callista with the Force. Callista crept farther into the dim caves, and her senses prickled. He was close... She had barely finished the thought when she felt him beside her. She resisted the urge to flinch, and said simply. "Khasaan'l, Chumani..." (hello, friend..)
"Ol'val, Selba." (Hello, young one) an older human with blue eyes and a thick beard said. "Rare to hear the old tongue spoken by a young one such as yourself....but how did you find me, child?" She blushed. "This...." she pulled the medallion from the pocket of her coverall. The bronze was warm in her palm as she passed it to him, and opened herself to him in the Force. "I was the daughter of Halon Gseran..."
"You....little Cal'ika?" the man said. "You don't look like her...you look more like a Jedi I used to know."
"I...can explain...." she sighed. "It's a long story...." She nervously twisted the hem of her robe between her fingers. " As I said, I was the daughter of Halon Gseran...he..." she stopped and took a breath. "He ....was torn apart by that which he feared to lose...he tried to kill me not too long ago...and now he is dead..."
"Dead....torn apart? Halon....my padawan fell to the darkness?" She nodded and pulled her pad from the pocket of her coverall. Finding the journal entries, she passed it to him wordlessly. "It's all there..." Gavin took the pad and perused through it and once done he frowned. "If not for the Purge, I would've watched over you kid, but I couldn't be fighting of the Imps and protect you at the same time."
"I know....I had a bit of help in that area....which brings me to your first question. You said I didn't look like the girl you remember...I am Callista Gseran, though I gave up that name when I went through the Ziitshpaak..." She used the Coruscanii word, and saw his eyes widen slightly. "Xan found me on Corellia a few months ago....I have been training with him and his wife since then. After...my father died....I chose the Ziitshpaak. They are my family now..."
"Qenadius is your Master...interesting.....the old devil still goes strong, huh? But wife....who's that?" Gavin said. Callista smiled slightly. "Lilly Tenshine..." She knew very well what had happened to Lilly, and how hard Xan had worked with her to overcome that.
Gavin's jaw dropped slightly. "Tenshine ...wonders never cease. I assume they are here with you then, but I'll wait for a reunion with them later." He looked at her. "So you went Coruscanii eh? Since you won't share your clan name, I assume, what is the name you do go by now?" Callista chewed her lip for a moment. "Anija Ordo...." She saw his eyebrows climb into his hairline again.
"Ordo? you mean Xan got you involved with the Mando'ade too? He's a good guy, but man - he's got more crossed wires than a Neimoidian protocol droid some days." She couldn't help it, and she snickered. "It's alright....and yes, he did...I've been formally adopted into his clan..." and she told him briefly of her own muun'bajir on Tattooine. "As to my clan name...I would be honored to share that with you..." she blushed again.
Gavin smiled. "Well I'm not telling anyone....not even Xan." She grinned. "It's Tiirzemesh....Warrior Shaman..."
"That damn tongue never did make sense to me....but the name fits. So let me guess; you work with that Rebel Alliance I keep hearing about." She nodded. "Correct....Jaj'tich, Lill'ika, and I work intelligence for them..." she saw him frown slightly at the unfamiliar word. "Jaj'tich means 'master' in Coruscanii. From what I understand, they went public a few days ago, after Mand'alor gave them his support..."
Gavin smiled at that. "Good for the Mando'ade....by the way... who is Mand'alor now? Mereel's been dead for a long time now." "Yes, he has..." She sobered slightly. "The current Mand'alor is Giarc Ordo..."
Gavin nearly fell down after hearing that. "That bloody Qenadius....he always picks the right people to get behind, doesn't he? So I guess I take your orders from time to time eh, ner'vod?"
"Me? How do you figure?" She was baffled by that comment.
"You carry the Ordo name...in that culture you are royalty now." Gavin explained. "But if you get a big head on me, I'll whip your shebs still, are we clear?" he said with a wink.
"Elek...."
"Good...so why did you come looking for me anyway?" he asked.
"We...got some info that said you might be here...We weren't sure if you still were, given the current situation..."
"Yeah and it's getting worse. Imp patrols have doubled in the last cycle....I think they may have gotten the same leads you have on me."
"We can get you off-planet...though you'd probably have to talk to Jaj'tich for specifics...." she shrugged and stood up. "May I bring them in now?"
"Knock yourself out, kid." Gavin said. She smiled, and reached out to Xan. 'Jaj'tich....please come in now...' Xan felt her call and turned to Lilly. "After you, jijtchi," he said to his wife playfully. She growled at him playfully and walked ahead, entering the cave. As she did so, she lowered her hood. She hadn't changed that much since the last time Gavin had seen her. Her eyes were red now and she had her hair in a tighter braid. She stop behind Callista and nodded her head with respect.
Xan walked in and said, "Well you've looked better, ner'vod, but then again you age faster than me." Callista hid a grin. Lilly laughed at Xan's comment and smiled. "He ages faster then any of us, Xan."
Gavin smirked."Yeah but tell me something, Hutt friend. How did you manage to get Lilly to marry you? You ain't a great looker like me, now are you?" Gavin said just as playfully. Callista snickered, and ducked her head at the looks she got from both Xan and Gavin.
Gavin spoke again, "So, I take it you intend to get me off this rock then. The Blade still going, Lill'ika?"
"Yes Gavin the Blade is still going, just as strong as ever...as to why I married him... I don't know I guess you can say he grew on me." She laughed and then rested her head on Xan's right shoulder.
"I figured as much....whatever jijtchi means, I'm picking that much up from Xan. Good to see I'm not out of touch there." He laughed. Callista smiled. "It means 'young one'..."
"So you're his new one then. Xan, you get all the damn luck. Or is that the will of the Force?" Gavin winked at her.
"I guess he is a lucky one Gavin, or maybe it's just because you too slow to keep up with Xan." She laughed. Xan smiled. "The Blade is still going Gav'ika. Care to pick up your shebs....and see if you can keep up for a change."
Gavin said, "Fine lead the way... I'll be with Anij'ika here....we still need a chat." Callista traded a look with Xan, but didn't argue as they filed out of the caverns and back towards the Blade. "I said it was still going... didn't I?" asked Lilly as she and Xan started to walk away from the pair to get the Blade prepped and ready.
"Leaves us time to talk away from him for a minute. So how do you find him as a Master, kid. That is what I meant earlier. You like your father intrigue me." She thought a moment. "He's tough, but fair ....and not afraid to be harsh when he needs to be.."
"Sounds about right. There was talk that him leaving the Order during Skywalker ascension to Council was cause his objectiveness was in question."
She frowned. "How do you mean..?"
"Lilly.....he had an obvious attachment to his padawan and the Council then was worried that it would be his downfall. Yet Skywalker was married in secret." She nodded, and chewed on her lip. "Gav'ika ....why did they wipe her memory....Skywalker turned out to be more of a danger than she ever was..."
"Yoda was afraid the memory of watching her parents die in front of her would scar her for life." She nodded. "But why not try other methods first...that's kind of harsh...."
"Which is why Xan never really got along with that Council. Xan was Intelligence, and therefore an outsider in reality." She was confused. "But didn't the Jedi have their own Intelligence...? I thought he was part of that....?"
"He was....but Intelligence positions back when Xan was originally was a padawan were different .... Marriages were perfectly acceptable if you were Intelligence. That was his issue. As to other methods....I wish I knew. Frankly, Jedi decision-making had been backwards since the beginning of Palpatine's rise to power."
"Backwards? How so?" She nodded, still confused. "You said earlier that I intrigue you...like my father...What did you mean?"
"You like your father are very powerful and very perceptive; Xan is lucky to have you as a student. As to backward....The Council was rather limited in it's viewpoints. They expected utter rigidity and emotionless decisions."
"But that's...impossible.. even for a Jedi. No one can be completely without emotion..." She blushed at his compliment.
"Exactly....And Xan fought this tooth and nail...it showed in his mission logs and everything. And the Council only tolerated him on certain things. Only Master Mundi backed him."
"And that's why he left?" They arrive at the ship. "None of that now....ask Xan these things. But in a nutshell, yes." She nodded quietly, and entered the Blade, slipping away to the cockpit. Lilly sat in the cockpit just finishing the preflight and she smiled as Callista slipped into her seat. "Are we all ready to go... it's time to get out of here quickly."
"All set...let's go." Callista confirmed. "Master Gavin's settled in the lounge."
"Punch it Lilly. Time to see Mand'alor."
Author's Notes:
Not much to say here.... Callista finally gets to construct her own saber. And, she finds a connection to her past :)