Chapter 8
Within twenty-four hours, the maximum amount of time I allowed myself before going insane on the small moon of Yavin 4, I took it upon myself to get the most amount of information out of Luke in the cruelest way possible. Sure, he had given me hospitality when I needed it the most, and sure, he had been kind and patient with me throughout my recovery, but he had also knowingly kept information from me about my best friend. While I was increasingly distressed about it. And after I had given him information about his father, and former Master.
Ok, so maybe I wasn't all that justified in my actions… But at the time, I didn't care. I was pissed.
"So why did you hid it from me?" I said crossly, looking Luke sternly in the eyes. The dim light of the small hanger downplayed on my frustration, though. He looked at me coolly, but didn't respond. Bringing up the lights, he gestured to the only ship in the deserted hanger. It wasn't much of a site. Something no sane being would pilot, or so it looked. It happened to be one of the most reliable ships in the sector, and to that I'd bet my life. How do I know? I'm the one who built it; my ship, the Galaxia.
"I didn't want you to run off and get hurt." Luke's voice cut through my thoughts. "But it looks like I can't prevent that now." At that, he turned on a heel and left.
I let out a deep sigh. What did Luke think I was, some sort of child? I should have been twice his age by then, but no, I got 'protected' by Obi-Wan as well. I would have gladly fought against the Emperor, and the newly turned Dark Anakin. I might have been able to redeem him, for that matter. Instead, I was locked within unconscious for my own protection.
Angrily, I stalked towards the ship that me and Tori once shared. So much pain, happiness and love was trapped within its cold, aged, metal bulkheads. The Force itself seemed to favor the ship, and anyone who was mildly Force-sensitive could tell that. I punched in the code, and down came the gangplank. Tori had insisted that we special-fit the Headhunter hybrid with it, because she despised the way the cockpit shield came up on the ship. So, we wielded the shield down and fit in a small door below one of the wings. A true miracle it even held together, really.
Stepping inside the ship, I breathed in the rank, damp air. Flipping on the lights, I smiled. It was just how we left it.
The small table, only seating three, was right on the opposite wall of the cabin, next to which stood two bunk beds. A sliding door separated the cabin from the three-meter square sickbay, which we ended up using far too often. The food processor and small gas-powered stove (for when Tori would get a wild hair and try to cook) was to my right, and the sliding door to the cockpit on my left.
I sighed, and set to work.
It took me a good four or five hours to get the ship operating again. That included doing a digital revamp of the life support systems, and a physical re-calibration of the shield generator. Both were broken down, almost beyond repair. I guess not using a ship for more than forty years causes it to fall into disrepair. Who knew?
The long, tedious hours of work (i.e., me burning my hands and swearing up a storm enough to make a Hutt wince) gave me time to think about what Luke had told me after I inquired about my rescue. That is, the rescue of Tori and me.
"We found you after an old holocron mentioned your planet." His voice was even, but his eyes never once met mine. "I stumbled across your ship with your stasis chambers inside after a little hint through the Force. You're lucky it wasn't carbonite freezing, or else you might not have recovered so well." He cleared his throat, as if he was nervous all of a sudden. Luke was not the greatest at maintaining his 'Jedi Calm'. "We brought you both here, and Tori was the first to wake. She made a slightly … better recovery than you did." I bit my tongue and tried not to laugh, but Luke didn't notice. "Jacen told me, after she stole an extra X-wing in the main hanger, that she was awake." That time, I couldn't help myself from busting up laughing. He gave me a slightly annoyed look, giving me the definite impression that he didn't share my humor.
I smirked at the memory while attempting to re-wire the food processor, and succeeded in shocking myself again.
"K'so!" I leaped away from the panel I was tinkering with, falling flat on my back. Rubbing the pain out of my hand, I lay there, thinking. Both Luke and Kenobi had hidden things away to keep people from getting hurt. Mainly, me. It made me mad, knowing that they would do something that extreme, or so it seemed to me. My anger reminded me of the time me and Dätura sat atop the Great Temple, and she told me about the ships in orbit. Sure, they were there to protect, but what about my ability to defend myself? I sighed heavily in frustration.
"Dätura…"
"DESERAY!" A shrill shriek cut through the air, making me jump slightly. Heavy footsteps clamored up the gangplank, and the face of one Erin Durron looking like she had just burst a blood vessel in her brain greeted me. I winced.
"What the HELL are you DOING?" she continued, obviously not taking the news of my eventual leave well.
I sighed deeply once more, and sat up. "Listen, Erin, I don't need your advice on my life. Really, I know what I'm doing." Using the hand that I hadn't just fried, I pushed myself off the ground and proceeded to lean against the wall. Erin crossed her arms and gave me the look that said, 'I think you're an idiot'. Rolling my eyes, I gestured for her to continue.
"So, the Master said you're off to look for your friend Tori. Is this because you've found out the horrible truth of the galaxy, and want to escape it? Or is it because you think that now that you've got your memories back, you've got too much pride to stick around here with us Jedi?" I opened my mouth to protest, but she continued. "And you don't even stop to think that maybe, now that you've got friends here as well, we'd like to help you a bit? But no, you're off to save the world!" She scoffed. "Or should I say, your world. Forgetting about people like Dätura isn't going to help anyone, Dez."
I gave her a puzzling look. "What do you mean, 'people like Dätura?'"
Erin straightened visibly, and I remember thinking that she would make a poor smuggler. She cleared her throat nervously, pausing to continue.
"You… didn't know." I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. "Listen, that isn't the point, Dez! You can't just run off and leave behind people that care about you! What about Jacen, and Corban? They both loved being around you! You're the living history that the Jedi now-a-days look to for guidance. You're the person who knows about the practices that we should be training by, but are unable to! You-"
"Shut up, Erin."
She still had her mouth open when I physically pushed her out the door. Only when she was down the gangplank did she protest.
"Wait! What about-"
"I said, shut up!" Turning around to face her from inside the ship, I found myself glaring. I was enraged by her attempt to stop me from doing what I thought was right. People had always tried to stop me from doing things that they 'knew' were wrong, but what I actually had reason to believe were right. Theirs was just speculation, but mine was gut instinct. And now, Erin was telling me not to follow what I knew was my path just because some people might be a little upset.
"And Dätura?" Erin's quiet voice jolted me back to reality.
I shook my head and crossed my arms. The natural smirk rested on my lips as I spoke words I only half believed, and something died in the air as it passed through my lips.
"What about her?"
***
Three days later, I was ready. I didn't talk to anyone after my confrontation with Erin, and I don't think that anyone really wanted to talk with me, either. I prepared my ship, eventually towing it outside to the landing field to make the armor and outside maintenance repairs. With the hyperdrive back online and the main computer answering like it should at tops speed once more, I felt I was ready to go. Almost.
I felt bad about shunning everyone so quickly, especially for Erin, whom I had yelled at. She was just a little girl, after all. I couldn't bear to apologize, though. I may be a Jedi, but I still have an ego. So I didn't say anything those last three days. I knew that when he woke in the morning, Luke would feel me gone, and know what had transpired.
It was midnight, right after planetrise. I made my way to the silvery sliver of steel that was my ship, laying on the edge of the Yavin jungle. I felt like I might be going insane, right then. A thick, warm wind came off the trees as I stepped out of the Great Temple's shadow. Something was odd about the night. Just the way that the shadows fell from the tall, Massassi trees made me shiver despite the warm air.
I punched in the codes, and down came the gangplank. Like a ghost, or so it seemed, I melted into the demi-Headhunter's bulk. A wave of sadness overcame me as soon as I set my foot down inside. It was so strong, that it's power caused me to stop. Regret tried to plant itself in my thoughts, then doubt. Doubt that I'd never find Tori, and I mind as well not try. Then memories came, flooding me with confusion.
I just defeated Jacen in a lightsaber battle. Only this time, I heard the children's thoughts instead of just their words. The kids clamored for more, silently wishing they could do what I had done so easily. And in the back, Dätura felt a sense of amusement.
Then I was sitting on the wing of the Galaxia, fixing a loose wire. The sweat dripped into my eyes every few moments, and I irritably wiped it away. The hot, humid air choked around me and I silently prayed for the rains of Morbos to wash through the jungle at that very instant. Faintly, and not noticed until this recreation of the memory from the day before, I felt a tinge of fear coming from someone far off. Like what I had wished for was some kind of bad omen.
Then I was sitting atop the temple, with Dätura at my side, talking of the Republic's ships in orbit. Her every movement, every word, every tilt of her head projected emotion that I hadn't been able to feel before. Annoyance, inward struggle to control her 'mad self', a term that came so readily I immediately wondered who was choosing these words.
I spun around, and found the culprit. Stand there, half-covered by the shadow of the ship's left wing, she stood. Bare, pale legs shown in the light of the gas giant while her clear, conformed voice pierced the impossibly thick air.
"You're not leaving without me, Deseray Sequoia of Rosemary. I won't allow it."
Taking a step forward, she came into full view. I almost gasped aloud at the sight of her short dress, pulled over a light, netted shirt. I wondered why she dressed so nice when she obviously knew I was in for some dirty work. Over her shoulder, and holding her only possessions, was slung a small bag. I stood there, staring at her, for who knows how long. I just couldn't get enough of it all. Now, facing her with my full memories and full Jedi senses, I was completely alert to everything that she was. A fighter, a scholar, a pilot, a good shot and beyond all that, a loyal friend.
What struck me most was the 'friend' part of it. Amazing revelations for me, feeling so incredibly alone in the universe, to have a friend I didn't even know about offering to risk her life for something she had not a clue to even attempt to understand. Was this what Erin was talking about when she asked, 'What about Dätura'?
"Dätura…?" I heard myself say, with more guarded emotion that I would have liked.
She nodded, orange hair shinning in the light of the planet. Walking calming up the gangplank, she stood in front of me, determination clearly showing in her glowing eyes. She spoke volumes to me without a word. It reminded me of…
Tori. She was just like her, just like…
Just like Tori.
Nodding, I showed her to the cockpit. She planted herself in the copilot seat, and we began pre-flight preps.
Not a word passed between us, much like my time with Tori. My conversations with my old life-mate were usually filled with deep, psychological meaning, swear words, or sexual references. Most anything other than that was to put up a show for others, so they wouldn't mistrust us. Of course, it might have been better for some if they didn't trust us at all, but that's their own fault.
With everything in place, and the both of us strapped in, I carefully picked the pseudo Headhunter off the soft ground, and lifted in into the waiting air. Once through the atmosphere, the New Republic ships didn't give us anything more than a simple scanning. I figured that Luke must have told them of my planning to leave, and not to bother me.
With one final word, I left behind the emerald moon of Yavin 4, and began a journey that I'll never forget. I breathed it softly, so as not to break the tranquility of the solace that surrounded the two of us.
"Lightspeed."
The stars bent, streaked, and soon the bluish tunnel of hyperspace swallowed us whole.
***
"What the hell?!"
I coughed a bit, making a disgusted face. "You're right, what the hell have you been eating? Your breath is terrible." I let out a sharp laugh when the male Galaxia in front of me scowled.
"Listen, human, I don't have to take your shit." He slammed his tattooed hand on the table between us. Half the room glanced over at the noise as his jet-black hair fell in front of his flashing blue eyes. I smirked back at him, knowing he was close to giving in.
"Human?" I purred. "You look pretty human yourself, mister." I swear I could hear him growl. "Sure, you may have those tattoos all up your arms and legs, but you're still human."
It was his turn to laugh. "Humans are irrational and fearful. I am not a human; these," he traced one of the black swirls on his hand, "aren't the only things that make me better than you." A sneer curled his lips, but in a moment it was gone.
Sprawled on the floor of the tavern, he wailed in pain. Before he even hit the floor, I knew I had broken his jaw. Standing quickly, I pulled my blaster and set it to kill. The bar had become deathly quiet, much to my discontent. I didn't let it show, however.
"I asked you nicely, slimo, but you didn't listen." I pulled the trigger, sending a blaster bolt into the floor, a few centimeters from his nose. "So, I'll tell you this time. You're going to give me the info I asked for. NOW."
Lying helplessly on the floor, he nodded.
"I thought Galaxia was the name of your ship." It was one of the few things that Dätura had said to me in the past three days we had been on Morbos.
"It is, but it's also the name of a species on Morbos who, by legend, can become humanoid. There are only a few cases of these, Tori being one of them. And this guy," I fwapped him over the head as he typed away at the keyboard. "is another one of them. Are you done yet?"
Shaking his head, he continued to type eagerly.
"So why do we need him, again?"
"He knows every move of every smuggler around here. Tori and me used to move a lot through Morbos since this is one of the more over-looked planets of the Republic. At least, it used to be… I'm not too sure now, but I'm guessing it hasn't changed much." I shrugged. "How's it going, nerf herder?" I taunted the man in front of the terminal, and he scowled back as best he could with a broken jaw. Tattooed fingers quickened on the keys, and finally rested. He gestured towards the screen as both me and Dätura leaned in to look.
Names, from all different languages, filled the screen spelled out in Basic letters. And across from each one, the name of their ship and each and every transaction they had made in the last month. I scrolled down the list rather quickly, searching for Tori's name.
"Tori Miller, Tori Miller, Tori Miller…" I barley contained my joy as I found her name glowing green at the end of the list. My hand tightened on the desk I was leaning on as I pushed the man out of his chair. He hit the floor with a thump and a cry, but I paid no heed. I pulled up the information concerning Tori in a second, grinning from ear to ear.
Name: Tori Miller Species: Galaxia-Human, Morbos Vehicle Name: Unknown Vehicle Modal: Corellian Cruiser Cargo: Virgin Spice (Kessel) Net Volume: 50 kilos Pick up: Morbonian Planetary Spaceport Destination: Corusant District 10B Spaceport Supplier: Classified
Dätura touched my shoulder, taking me out of my daze. I jumped a bit, and leaned away from the screen I had gotten very close to. The man was still on the floor when we left, whining like some pathetic animal. I threw him a few credits for his trouble only because Dätura told me to.
We left Morbos that day at 1.15 times lightspeed for Corusant. I wanted to get there as soon as possible, though I regretted leaving Morbos so soon. It was nice, being back where the gravity felt right and the people where fairly easy to deal with. I could tell that Dätura was getting more and more restless with every day we spent there. So the parting from my home planet was bittersweet.
Along the way, me and Dätura got the chance to talk, and I got the chance to really get the details on her coming along in the first place. We were sitting at the small table playing a game of holo-chess and drinking tea. I couldn't stand the silence after a few minutes, so I decided to break it the only way I could think of.
"So, why'd ya follow me out here?" I glanced up at her and noticed she had frozen in the middle of a move. Her eyes were burning hot coals. "It's not like you have anything to do with this journey of mine, after all." I kept my voice light, trying to dispel the tension that was building. Wrong question, I guessed.
"I didn't want you to get hurt." Dätura spoke softly, much more than I was used to hearing her.
I scoffed, none-the-less. Her eyes flicked for a moment, but I tried not to notice. "Like what Luke said to me, right? Didn't want me to get hurt, or do something stupid, or run off and actually act on my emotions. Am I right?"
"You're right, Deseray. Like always, I'm sure." Her words cut like glass.
"Like always?" I leaned back and looked her squarely in the eyes. They burned brighter now, the orange seeming more vibrant with every moment. Our game was forgotten. "What do you mean, 'like always'?"
She sighed, giving me a look that said, 'you know what I mean'. The emotion on her face was little to none, so I'm not sure how she managed this, but she did. "I suppose that yelling at Luke, leaving without saying goodbye to Jacen, running from your link to the past and embarking on a journey that you probably won't survive given your way of getting information were all good ideas." She raised one thin eyebrow at me, crossing her arms and lifting her chin.
Then there was silence.
I coughed. "Well, if you put it that way, anything sounds bad." If I didn't know better, I would've said that she was trying to suppress a laugh. "Why does everyone think I'm going to do something big and stupid? It's like you're all counting on me getting shot, or falling to the Dark Side!" I pounded the table, even getting a jump from Dätura.
"Deseray, you know that's not-"
I waved my hand sharply. "Don't worry about it, Dai. I just gotta get used to you crazy people worrying over things that'll never happen." I spat these last words while pushing myself up from the table roughly. Grabbing my cup, I went to pour myself some more tea. "Tori was never this way."
Something in the Force stiffened, making it hard to breathe. The room closed in on me quickly as I turned to look at Dätura.
Her mouth was open slightly, eyes looking weak and hurt. There was so much pain etched into her other features that it made me want to cry.
"It's all about her… isn't it?"
"Dätura?" I was confused. "Of course it's- I mean, no. Well, yes, but… Dätura?" The air was so thick with her emotion that I was getting lightheaded.
She shook her head violently. "Nevermind, I'm sorry." The emotion disappeared from her face and the air as she calmed down. But I was still confused.
"What… just happened?" I said after a moment, sitting down across from her once more. "I'm sorry if I offended you, or something…"
Dätura shrugged, her eyes downcast. "I just… overreacted. I… apologize." She stood up quickly, almost stumbling as she retreated to the back of the ship. "I…" She was out of the room in a second, locking the sickbay door behind her.
I didn't see her again until the next day. She didn't even speak to me until we came into orbit of Corusant a few days later. Morbos was in the Middle-to-Outer Ring territories, and it wasn't a straight shot by any means to get to the Capital world. So the rest of the trip was long and quiet, even though I tried talking with her about her outburst. Or was it my outburst? I wasn't sure what had happened, but finally, I decided to put it behind me.
And to add to the fun of our trip to Corusant, landing was the same as always; A pain in the ass.
"It's Galaxia, not galaxy! G-a-l-a-x-i-a. Galaxia!" I heaved an irritated sigh that I hoped the docking man heard.
"So it's Galaxia, not Galaxy?" He asked blandly.
"Yes!" I almost shouted back at him through the comm system.
"Very good, sir. Name, please."
"Deseray Sequoia." I said through clenched teeth. We had already been through this.
"We've already been through this, I believe, sir."
"Yes, we have, you idiot!" I screamed into the microphone. "Now just let me land already!"
There was a pause. "Yes, sir. Docking bay 10B-94-AA. Enjoy your stay on Corusant, sir. Control out."
I cut the comm, and sped toward the planet with as much speed as they would allow. Unfortunately, it's never been fast enough for me.
We docked with little trouble, making our way to the nearest tavern to check out the local spice shipments. If Dätura wanted to say anything about my 'way of getting information', she didn't.
I slid up to the bar and flashed a smile that I'm sure would've won over the universe if I tried.
"Two Corellian whiskeys," I called to the bartender, who offered a grunt in return. When he came with our drinks, I waved him a bit closer and worked my magic.
"I'm looking for something special here, you see. I need some virgin spice." I let my voice flow like the Force as I leaned even closer to him. "Do you know anyplace… cheap?" I gave him a wink, and even though he wasn't any species I knew, I could tell it did the trick. Pointed discreetly to a dim-lit corner, he walked away with an odd smile on his lips. At least, I think they were his lips.
Taking my mug, I told Dätura to wait for me here. She simply nodded. I guess we were back to the 'no speaking' part of our relationship.
I waltzed up rather indirectly to the robed figure seated there. I guessed it was male, so I moved like a Twi'lek dancer as I approached him. It didn't go unnoticed, that's for sure. His voice was synthesized and hollow, but to the point.
"What do you want, human?"
I shrugged lightly, not looking directly at him. Who knows what could offend some people, and I needed this guy.
"Lookin' for some virgin," I chuckled lightly, "spice, that is." Sliding down into the seat opposite him, I continued. "I was told you'd be the one to ask."
He nodded slowly, pulling something out of his robe. I took the cue, and slid my arm across the small table, resting my hand on his sleeve. I tried not to grimace at the greasy texture, and instead focused on the sample bag he had tossed in front of me.
"As virgin as you get," his voice bubbled from within the shadows of his hood. "With a cost, of course. Five hundred a gram."
I almost choked. "Five hundred? And here I wanted to buy a kilo." I made it so it looked like I was about to stand up.
"But," I froze. "We could negotiate something a little more… economical. But, you know…." His voice was now slithering with something I didn't even want to fathom, but I played along.
"They'll be no fun with this spice," I purred, letting my face go hard and serious. He leaned away a tiny bit, taking the hint to back off or get hurt.
"Then the price stands." He was now angry, that much I could tell. I'd have to be careful from then on, or else I might be the one with spilt blood.
"If I'm going to pay that price, then how do I know it's genuine?" The talk was business now, instead of playing some smuggling game.
I could almost hear his grin. "My word." He said softly, pulling the small pouch back into his robe.
"Your word's nothing to me." I bit back, letting a small smirk grace my lips.
He nodded. "You ever heard of N'gai Shirne?" I shook my head. "Good, because he's not the one who delivered this, straight from Kessel. He got is as far as a little backwater planet that you probably haven't heard of, and dropped it because he lost it in a bar fight." A mechanical laugh sounded from him, making me want to cringe at the sound of it.
"So how'd it get here?" I asked, making my voice sound skeptical. Finally, I was getting somewhere.
Another horrible laugh. "A young girl, called herself Zoicite, I think. Good luck finding her, she was off as soon as she dumped this and got the money."
I nodded, concealing how thrilled I really was. "So where can I pick up a fourth a kilo?"
"Docking bay 92 East, Port A3."
I picked up my whiskey, and headed toward the bar. Dätura followed after I set my drink down with a few credits and walked away. Out of the tavern and onto the streets of Corusant once again, I told her my plan.
"All right, we go to the bay and port he told me to, then ask about Tori. She's the one who delivered it, so I'm guessing the handler has seen her sometime. And those tattoos are pretty hard to miss, so-"
"You're going to punch him until he talks, right?"
I blinked, and looked back at her. So, now we were back into the talking business, I gathered, as well as the mind-reading business.
"Yeah, pretty much," Was all I said. She scoffed. Oh, emotions too, eh? This girl got stranger every day.
"Let me talk to him. He doesn't need a broken jaw like the last one."
It took me a moment to process everything. "Ok, I guess."
"And by the way, he was lying to you part of the time." I raised my eyebrow at her, and she nodded in return.
"You were reading him the entire time?" She nodded again. "So what did he lie about, or can I know?" I laughed a bit, knowing she wouldn't get the joke because it was a me-and-Obi-Wan thing.
Her voice was careful and soft, like she was afraid to say it. "Tori's still on the planet."
[end chapter 8]