Homecoming
Dane stood in the small port, a rather ramshackle affair that looked as though it would be shaken apart at the landing and take-offs of the ships which frequented it. His cloak was damp, a sign of the failed weather controllers on the capital planet. Still, his face was alight with anticipation and excitement.
A small class-B starfreighter eased into the port, gently docking next to the ledge, hovering as its engines' whine slowed and the only sound in the air was the gently hiss of the thrusters that kept the freighter in place. Dane moved forward, pressing his hands against the observation glass.
A stream of people exited the freighter, each carrying his own belongings. The group looked tired and worn from its travels, and they all moved slowly, shuffling into a line so that the customs officers could quarantine the group, making sure there weren't any critically ill that would infect Coruscant. It was only a secondary thought as to what the migrants might be carrying with them.
A blond woman appeared, looking more tired than most of the other passengers. She had a bundle in a sling, which she kept close to her chest with one arm. On her back was a rucksack that looked not quite fully of something pliable, like clothing or bedding. In the other arm, a small child was curled, although the only thing that could be seen of him was the small body pressed into the woman's, his face hidden in her threadbare cloak. She moved slowly, with a weariness that spoke of betrayal to her few years.
"Ava," Dane breathed softly, his breath forming a cloud against the glass.
The woman with the two children moved into the line, getting lost from Dane's view midst the others who were waiting their turn. He still watched closely, though, waiting for any glance that he might get of his Ava, who was carrying both of his children away from harm.
Some distance away, another damp, cloaked figure stood, taking great care not to be noticed. Raven's hood was down, for she would have been very noticeable with it up inside the small port, but something about her withdrew into the shadows. Dane didn't know she had followed him; in fact, he didn't know that she had been shadowing him for a number of weeks now, ever since Omto had discovered exactly which of Jabba's runners had managed to slip in and slip out right under his nose. Raven had been acting as a bodyguard for him, despite his ignorance, and putting out feelings to find her own, unrelated running job when Dane wasn't out in Coruscant.
The rogue Jedi watched as he pressed himself further against the glass, presumably watching as the line of passengers dwindled. Some had already filtered into the waiting area and were reuniting themselves with their loved ones, some tearfully, some not. Other migrants had drifted away alone, and Raven felt a kind of kinship with them.
The small blond woman appeared at the entrance into the waiting area, and Raven watched as her eyes searched the crowd. There were creases on her face, which spoke of work and worry. Dane saw her first, struggling to get to her in the crowd. He pulled her into his arms, ruffling the hair of the small boy and taking care not to crush the bundle slung across her chest. The blond woman tried to hand the boy to Dane, but he wouldn't go, just burying his head deeper against his mother. Instead, she slipped the contents of the bundle, what Raven could now see was just a babe wrapped in more worn blankets, out of the sling and gently passed it to Dane. Even the dark-haired Jedi could see the tears on his face, as well as the ones on hers. Raven felt a painful tug inside her chest, and there was a lump in the Jedi's throat. This is why I am what I am, she thought to herself.
Dane took the rucksack from the woman as well as the sling, so that all she had to carry was the little boy. Raven watched as he put his arm around the small woman protectively, pulling her close, presumably to whisper something in her ear. She leaned against him, sheltering herself in his touch, and they both moved away, towards the exit of the port.
Raven slipped towards the glass, seeing what route they would have to leave. The small family passed her without incident, or even recognition, and Raven waited a moment for them to go out through the small, sliding doors of the port. Then, after a slow count to ten, Raven began to follow leisurely, to make sure no harm came to the family on its way home.
Dane stood in the small port, a rather ramshackle affair that looked as though it would be shaken apart at the landing and take-offs of the ships which frequented it. His cloak was damp, a sign of the failed weather controllers on the capital planet. Still, his face was alight with anticipation and excitement.
A small class-B starfreighter eased into the port, gently docking next to the ledge, hovering as its engines' whine slowed and the only sound in the air was the gently hiss of the thrusters that kept the freighter in place. Dane moved forward, pressing his hands against the observation glass.
A stream of people exited the freighter, each carrying his own belongings. The group looked tired and worn from its travels, and they all moved slowly, shuffling into a line so that the customs officers could quarantine the group, making sure there weren't any critically ill that would infect Coruscant. It was only a secondary thought as to what the migrants might be carrying with them.
A blond woman appeared, looking more tired than most of the other passengers. She had a bundle in a sling, which she kept close to her chest with one arm. On her back was a rucksack that looked not quite fully of something pliable, like clothing or bedding. In the other arm, a small child was curled, although the only thing that could be seen of him was the small body pressed into the woman's, his face hidden in her threadbare cloak. She moved slowly, with a weariness that spoke of betrayal to her few years.
"Ava," Dane breathed softly, his breath forming a cloud against the glass.
The woman with the two children moved into the line, getting lost from Dane's view midst the others who were waiting their turn. He still watched closely, though, waiting for any glance that he might get of his Ava, who was carrying both of his children away from harm.
Some distance away, another damp, cloaked figure stood, taking great care not to be noticed. Raven's hood was down, for she would have been very noticeable with it up inside the small port, but something about her withdrew into the shadows. Dane didn't know she had followed him; in fact, he didn't know that she had been shadowing him for a number of weeks now, ever since Omto had discovered exactly which of Jabba's runners had managed to slip in and slip out right under his nose. Raven had been acting as a bodyguard for him, despite his ignorance, and putting out feelings to find her own, unrelated running job when Dane wasn't out in Coruscant.
The rogue Jedi watched as he pressed himself further against the glass, presumably watching as the line of passengers dwindled. Some had already filtered into the waiting area and were reuniting themselves with their loved ones, some tearfully, some not. Other migrants had drifted away alone, and Raven felt a kind of kinship with them.
The small blond woman appeared at the entrance into the waiting area, and Raven watched as her eyes searched the crowd. There were creases on her face, which spoke of work and worry. Dane saw her first, struggling to get to her in the crowd. He pulled her into his arms, ruffling the hair of the small boy and taking care not to crush the bundle slung across her chest. The blond woman tried to hand the boy to Dane, but he wouldn't go, just burying his head deeper against his mother. Instead, she slipped the contents of the bundle, what Raven could now see was just a babe wrapped in more worn blankets, out of the sling and gently passed it to Dane. Even the dark-haired Jedi could see the tears on his face, as well as the ones on hers. Raven felt a painful tug inside her chest, and there was a lump in the Jedi's throat. This is why I am what I am, she thought to herself.
Dane took the rucksack from the woman as well as the sling, so that all she had to carry was the little boy. Raven watched as he put his arm around the small woman protectively, pulling her close, presumably to whisper something in her ear. She leaned against him, sheltering herself in his touch, and they both moved away, towards the exit of the port.
Raven slipped towards the glass, seeing what route they would have to leave. The small family passed her without incident, or even recognition, and Raven waited a moment for them to go out through the small, sliding doors of the port. Then, after a slow count to ten, Raven began to follow leisurely, to make sure no harm came to the family on its way home.
