Knights and Eros Bound
Chapter 10
Kampher had managed to book a four-bunk berth on the passenger cruiser, Veretta, but dispite the relative comfort of their surroundings, none of the trio looked forward to the three-day journey. They tossed their bags onto the spare bunk as Shurke sat down heavily on the nearest one. He grimaced as he flexed his knees one by one.
"Are you all right??" both Anakin and Kampher rounded on him, concern evident on their faces.
"Just the leg..." Shurke flexed and grimaced again. Kampher knelt down beside him, and started running and experianced hand over the joint.
"Where does it hurt?" she asked with a no -nonsense clip to her voice.
"It's not that one that's causing the problem... not really..." Schurke grinned sheepishly. "The other one..."
Anakin knelt down on Shurke's other side. "Let me see it... what's it doing?"
"Not responding properly all the time..." he grimaced again as Kampher began gently prodding his other knee. "Wants to stop moving every once in a while..."
"Trousers and boots..." Kampher told him shortly. "Take them off and lie down on the bunk."
Schurke sighed and reluctantly complied as Anakin began rumaging through his bag, pulling out assorted tools. He turned to look more carefully at Schurke's leg. Like his arm, the leg was a mechanical replacement from the mid thigh down, and like Anakin, he had lost the limb at Geonosis...
"I hate this..." Schurke said softly, throwing his arm over his eyes. "I feel like a droid..."
Anakin took Schurke's hand in his own and gave it a squeeze before setting to work. Kampher looked up questioningly as she gently massaged Shurke's other leg.
"Can you...?" she asked, and Anakin grinned.
"Well Toboo?" Schurke added, regaining some of his lost humor. 'Toboo', which was the Gungan word for child, was one of the many nicknames the older Padawans had given Anakin... Only a chosen few dared use the name in front of him.
Anakin looked over the apparatus with a practiced eye and quickly found what he was looking for.
"Hold still!" he grumbled as he motioned for Kampher to steady the leg. "This will only take a minute, you have a loose servo..."
"Ahh yes... Anakin the Astro-mech Jedi..." Schurke laughed, ruffling Anakin's hair a bit.
"Watch it[,] Schurke," Anakin growled as he gently prodded at the troublesome part. "Otherwise I'll fix it so the leg kicks you in the rear any time you open your mouth..."
"Yes, I think you would!" Schurke laughed again as Kampher touched his cheek with her free hand.
"Try it now..." Anakin suggested after a few minutes, and Schurke obliged, obviously pleased.
"Much better!" He exclaimed as he joyfully pulled his companions down on to the bunk with him. "Time to celebrate !"
"Not like that[,] Canaille!" Anakin jumped off the bunk as if bitten, Kampher also pulled away, all be it a bit more unwittingly. "I only... Only with one person! And one person only..." Anakin snapped then trailed off, realizing that Shurke had deliberatly set a trap.
"That's right... " Schurke smirked. "Senator Amidala... I'm assuming. Unless there's someone else you spent the morning with?"
"Schurke..." Kampher said quietly. "Let it go for now... " Anakin flashed her a grateful greatful look. "We can discuss that over dinner tonight... But... I have a message." She continued solemnly solomly. "A message from Gris..."
"From Gris…" Anakin repeated. "Then she's alive… and ok…"
"I haven't played it yet…" Kampher whispered, and she bowed her head as if in prayer. "A Jedi knows not fear…"
Schurke took her hand, as did Anakin; they drew strength from the Force force, and each other. At last, Kampher wiped her face with her hands, regaining her composure. "All right ," she sighed. "Are we ready?"
"Yes…" replied Schurke, "Go ahead Kam… play the message…"
Wordlessly Kampher took the device out of her bag and set it on the floor before them. She took on last breath and pressed, "play".
Moments later, the small blue projection of a humanoid appeared before them. Gris Chevel stood before them in miniature, dressed not in traditional Jedi attire, but in leggings and a loose shirt that accentuated her femininity. Anakin frowned[.] Something about her bearing wasn't right…
"Hello Kam… and as I know you'll have summoned Schurke and Anakin, greetings to you as well…" The holo paused, obviously debating about how much to say. "I've left the Oorder…" she said at last. "I assure you it's of my own accord, and you need not fear for me…" Again, a pause. "I know you won't accept this at face value, and will probably want to talk to me… I'm willing to do that. But I couldn't do it on Coruscant… not near the Temple… There is a bar in the outlander section of Ord Mantell; the co-ordinates will follow, along with contact information to let me know when you've arrived. Jedi aren't particularly welcome there so I would suggest you find a change of cloths first. And watch your step; this place can get a little rough…"
The holo cut itself off abruptly, and a stream of data projected itself in its place. Simple co-ordinates and nothing more. At last, the machine shut itself down, leaving the three of them speechless. Shocked. Leaving the Order? Right after Knighting? And being on Ord Mantell… where Master Grigio had been found….