Chapter Four – Code Purple
The slender figure removed itself from the Suprosa, threw her helmet inside and then looked quickly around for any signs of Mace Windu. Luckily, Adra didn't find a trace of the Jedi around as she went to grab a fuel hose. Going back to her X-Wing, she began to refuel it, wanting to be ready for a speedy take-off, if needed. Her gaze traveled mischievously over to Bror's landed A-Wing, causing her to grin.
"Hey Bror, I could always show Nicola how to rewire a droid to the engine... It works work even better! Especially if the droid got mad at you," her threat was marred by a hint of laughter seeping through her to her voice.
The other figure looking around nervously for Mace Windu was that of Nicola. Finding that it was safe, she quickly followed Adra to grab a fuel hose and began to refuel her A-Wing. After a moment of silence marked by only the landing of crafts, she tapped Adra's shoulder with the Force.
"So when are you actually going to teach me all this stuff? I'm looking forward to rewiring Bror's droid. He's an annoying little twerp anyways," Nicola grinned innocently at Adra. Adra just smiled and laughed silently, looking over at Bror's nearly panicked face.
Bror grabbed one of the remaining fuel hoses and started refueling his own ship. Glancing over at Adra and Nicola, he sighed a bit uneasily, "I have a very bad feeling about what's going to happen after Nicola passes the trials. And please don't rewire Peck, if you do, I'll never get him working right again!"
"Oh, but why the Force not? That's the point, Bror. Oh well. I'll just teach you the lightsaber bit then, Nicola," Adra smiled at Nicola's gleaming face, enjoying the fact that Bror really seemed to be worried.
A ripple of power passed through the Force at that moment, however, nearly causing her to jump as she looked up. Her eyes locked on the unmistakable figure of Mace Windu as he came out onto the docking bay.
"Code red!" was all Adra needed to say.
Mace Windu strode onto the hanger, looking around to Adra, a smile one his lips at her yell. "Very good, 'Master' Adra. Now if you don't mind, I have a need for words with a certain Kell Tainer." The pilot in question easily spotted, both with the Force and his eyes, he walked over to Kell and his X- Wing.
Kell's head had snapped up at the words 'code red' and he grinned over at Adra, "Don't you mean 'Code purple', Computer girl?" He then looked over at the rest of the squadron, realizing they wouldn't be finding this very funny right now. He looked around imploringly, pleadingly asking his 'last request'. "If any of you guys want to get in contact with Wedge and ask him to help me, feel more than free to." He debated on whether or not to jump back in his X-Wing and try to fly away, or to just simply run like a nexu was after him.
Before he'd had a chance to choose, however, Cloud had come over to him, at the same time Adra chose to hi-tail it over to Wraith Headquarters. And she was in her right mind in doing so. In all seriousness, Adra really didn't want to hear Mace Windu delivering one of his infamous rants.
However, Cloud was prepared, it seemed, to at least put a word in for his friend. Whether or not that was a good idea on his part was yet to be decided. Cloud stepped forward, clearing his throat, and stared Mace Windu square in the face. "You know, Master Windu, it's not his fault. He did good only throwing one grenade. I mean, usually Kell here throws about 15! So maybe he shouldn't've thrown it, but he did good not to throw the rest!"
Master Windu's only response was to glare inscrutably at the pilot. Of course, Mace Windu had know the kid as more than a pilot... had known him only too well. It wasn't easy to forget the padawan that had turned your lightsaber into a sort of early thermal detonator. Mace Windu glared at the pilot still more, before finally answering.
"Cloud Ritril, you are not in the place for making demands or observations. As you might recall just as well as I, that was nearly the same reason you were released from the Temple. As to the throwing of only one, the Temple, as the party requesting- and receiving- services of Wraith Squadron, have the right to put restrictions on provoking the Sith and other Imperial forces. We asked for information only. We said only attack unless provoked. And you, Kell Trainer, were not provoked."
A raised eyebrow was shot to Cloud as Kell received what was possibly one of the biggest shocks of his life. Cloud was an ex-Jedi? Making a mental note to ask Cloud about it later- if there even was one- he turned his attention back to Mace Windu, grasping for explanations.
"Well sir, actually, I was provoked. See, Darth What's-His-Face came out, and that's enough provocation for me. See, I wasn't sure where he would be, so I just blew up the closest warehouse. And besides, any less supplies the Imps have is a plus for our side." He finished his reasons, grinning slightly. Hopefully the stern and strict Jedi Master might go along with his last point...if not, then he could kiss his sorry ears goodbye.
The Jedi Master seemed to consider this as he glanced at the now-silenced Cloud. However, it only took him a minute to gather his response. "I see. But Darth Maul never attacked you, Tainer, and don't lie over this because I know. It was only two hours later, in fact, that Darths Maul, Neva and Jori- along with Darth Maul's apprentice Seba- attacked Master Luke Skywalker and his padawan on Theed. Meaning he left the area almost immediately after. I had to give both Master Skywalkers and the padawan a talking to a few hours after that. You still had no groundings for an attack on them." He fell silence for a moment as he glanced at Cloud once more; not a single doubt played across his mind as he noted Kell's sudden interest in the kid. It was, no doubt, due to the fact the Cloud would never divulge information, like him getting kicked out of the Temple as an example, unless absolutely necessary.
As if to give the kid some peace of mind, or merely something to do, he spoke to him next. "You, Ritril, should go put more fuel in you X-Wing. And Tainer's too." He watched silently after the X-Wings' silhouettes in the sky, the ones that had departed shortly after Adra Tallon. Stifling a bit of laughter, he returned his gaze to Kell. "I'm not going to yell at you this time, but should you go against orders again- even with your lame excuses- the Council will have to hold a meeting with your squad and Wedge Antilles. Now I'd get back to headquarters."
And to Kell's immense relief- and Cloud's too, by the look on his face- the Jedi Master turned and went off towards the Temple, presumably to find Masters Yaddle and Thracia. Kell grimaced at Mace Windu's back, silently adding his own comments as a late and unheard reply.
"I never said that he attacked me. And if this isn't yelling, then I don't want to hear what is."
Wedge certainly wouldn't be happy if he was dragged in front of the Jedi Council because he, Kell Tainer, couldn't stop blowing things up. A sigh escaped the pilot's lips and he looked over to his friend. The younger pilot merely nodded and climbed into the cockpit of his X-Wing. Kell followed suit, knowing it would be better to wait on talking over Cloud's "sore spot".