Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
T W I N S A B E R S
Chapter Four
Composed by, The Nova Scribes
"Okay, here's the planetary approach coordinates coming in now, Master Skywalker." Aln-Mai fed in the coordinates to the navi-computer. "Planetary control is available on all bandwidths. Go ahead," Aln-Mai prompted.
"Dibon Planetary Control, this is Luke Skywalker on approach. My shuttle was ambushed and our hyperdrive was stolen. Request permission to land and make repairs," the Jedi Master said as if announcing the weather on Coruscant.
A moment passed, then a mechanical voice--a translated voice, Aln-Mai thought--replied.
"Luke Skywalker, you have permission to land at the spaceport at these coordinates." The communications display blinked the numbers as Aln-Mai computed them.
"Looks like a spaceport just outside a major industrial complex. We should probably be able to get a hyperdrive at a fairly reasonable price," Aln-Mai mused out loud.
"Well, strap yourself in as we land. I'm not sure just exactly how much damage we took," Master Skywalker said.
Aln-Mai obediently crossed to his seat and buckled the crash webbing. Master Skywalker brought the shuttle in for a relatively soft landing in a hangar adjacent to the main bazaar.
"Should we lock down the shuttle, Master Skywalker? We don't want anything to be stolen again," Aln-Mai said nervously.
"I'll lock the hangar. Why don't you go to the marketplace and see if you can find someone who specializes in shuttle parts?" his teacher suggested.
"Good idea, Master. See you in a minute." Aln-Mai strode out of the hangar, heading through the corridors. As he approached the main bazaar, a prickling feeling went up his spine. Something was wrong. He turned around to go back and tell Master Skywalker, but he was right behind him, with a wary look on his face.
"There is a disturbance in the Force," he said, gazing out at the market.
Master Skywalker strode into the bazaar, looking around at the bustle. Aln-Mai followed close behind. Aln-Mai sensed that something was out of place, something felt...hostile. The Jedi Master followed the feeling to a small door that led to stairs leading to an upper level. They had just begun to approach the door when a small ball of fur went tumbling down the stairs and out of the door, just as a massive explosion erupted at the top of the stairs. The furry creature had just begun to rise when the door slammed shut and sealed with a click.
The felinoid alien pounded the door, growling and screaming at the top of its lungs. Aln-Mai was uncertain whether or not to approach the cat-like being. Master Skywalker, on the other hand, walked toward the creature. He sensed the enraged sorrow and helplessness in the being, and cautiously knelt before it, where it lay huddled in a miserable ball by the locked door.
"Can you understand me?" Luke Skywalker asked slowly. "Are you hurt?"
Kir could not think. She did not want to think, she merely wanted to react. She wanted to vent her anger, her frustration, her loss on the Xorinians. Her mother, Amai, killed. Then she had watched Cai fall beside her. Blaster fire was whizzing around the room, ricocheting off the walls. She had watched the Xorinian that had killed her family turned towards her, as she had forseen in her dream.
Then her father had intervened, slamming into his daughter so hard that she had gone tumbling, unable to recover her balance. Kir had slid across the floor as the chamber erupted with carefully timed explosions. She had been singed, but the stairs had taken her swiftly away as her momentum carried her down them.
The Rinaim had collected herself as quickly as she could, intending to charge back up and tear each one of the lying, deceitful Xorinians apart. But the locking mechanism had engaged after her exit, and try as she might, Kir could not get back in. She had beaten on it, moaned and wailed, but it did no good.
Now she lay in a wretched heap, tail wrapped around her in some semblance of comfort. She was alone. So alone. With a harsh sinking feeling, Kir realized that she was an orphan, and that she had no home. She dared not go back to her family's apartments, for the Xorinians doubtless knew where they were. The young Rinaim was not safe.
Kir rocked unconsciously, even as a voice vied for her attention. She did not want to listen to it, and tried to push it away. Vaguely she smelled the scent of a surprised human, before a gentle hand reached out to touch her shoulder. Only then did Kir look up, large green eyes wild and unfocused.
A tall human was crouched beside her, with sandy hair similar to her fur color and sympathetic blue eyes. He repeated his earlier question, "Are you hurt?"
She did not want to respond, and her throat was so locked up that Kir wasn't sure that she could speak if she wished. She settled for shaking her head. Tears began to gather in her eyes.
"Who are you, and what has happened here?" The man's questions caused something to constrict inside her, and Kir bowed her head, looking away as she began to cry. It was something she didn't do very often, and never in the sight of others. She was too proud for that.
The human looked back over his shoulder and spoke to somebody behind him. He told the person to begin asking questions as to Kir's origin. At that, the Rinaim drew a shuddering breath and managed to speak past the lump in her throat.
"I am Kir of the Ver tribe. My parents were emissaries of our homeworld, Rinai VII, here on Dibon. Just now they were betrayed by the Xorinians. My mother and sister were killed before my eyes. I do not know the fate that has taken my father."
The hand on her shoulder tightened, and Kir could feel warmth and strength entering her, comforting her. She did not know how it was done, but it felt right, and she welcomed it. "I am Luke Skywalker," the man said. "Do you have any relatives or friends here you can contact?"
Kir numbly shook her head, attempting without much success to dry her eyes. "No. I have no one, and my tribe is scattered across the galaxies. It would be impossible to find them." A sudden, urgent thought occurred to her. She had to leave Dibon immediately! She was the only free witness to the underhanded dealings of the Xorinians, and now they would be looking for her. Kir pushed her sorrow aside. Shakily she rose to her feet, balance unsteady.
"I must leave," she whispered, more to herself than to Luke Skywalker. "They will find me and kill me for what I know." Kir moved to take a step, but she was so unstable that she nearly fell. Only the quick reaction of the human at her side saved her from another tumble.
"Come with me to my ship. The Xorinians will not find you there," he assured her. His voice caused a tiny spark of calmness to grow in Kir. She could trust this man, everything would be all right...
The young Rinaim nodded, her tail curling around the man's waist unconsciously. He showed no surprise at her action, but merely gestured at a younger human to come with them. Kir took no immediate note of him, nor of her surroundings. The bazaar seemed to darken around her as mind-numbing memories plagued her mind.
"Master, why are we helping her? Shouldn't we give her to the authorities?" Aln-Mai asked.
"You should know better, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker reprimanded him. "The Jedi are protectors, and she is being hunted by these Xorinians. Besides," Master Skywalker lowered his voice, "she has Jedi potential."
Aln-Mai started at those words, but said nothing. They led the frightened felinoid back to the shuttle and lay her in a compartment.
"Watch her while I get a hyperdrive. I will be back quickly," Master Skywalker instructed.
Aln-Mai nodded, sealing the loading ramp behind Master Skywalker as he departed and engaging the automatic defense laser on the underbelly of the shuttle.
Aln-Mai turned to study the felinoid. She was huddled in a ball, and whimpering to herself. Aln-Mai tried to start a conversation.
"Why did the Xorinians kill your parents?" Aln-Mai realized that it was the wrong question to ask right after he asked it, but the alien being remained silent, as if she hadn't heard him.
Aln-Mai decided it was best to leave her alone, and seating himself on the opposite side of the shuttle, sunk into meditation.
Aln-Mai didn't know how long he was asleep, but he was awoken by a sharp rapping on the hull. He scrambled out of the bunk and lowered the ramp to find...the Xorinians. He recognized the aliens, who were not unknown on Malastare. They were regarded as unsavory dealers, and could understand how the Rinaim were deceived.
Aln-Mai reacted instantly, shutting the ramp again and activating the laser turret underneath to open fire. He dashed over to the communications console and hailed security.
"Dibon Spaceport Security, this is Aln-Mai Tekmi in Hangar 94! We are under attack from Xorinians! We request assistance immediately!"
There was only static.
Aln-Mai watched out the window as the Xorinians took cover underneath containers and behind machinery as they opened fire at the unprotected shuttle hull. He was trapped along with Kir, and they had nowhere to go.
Just then, the hangar door opened and in strode Master Skywalker. With only a brief glance, he assessed the situation and took action.
In a massive pull from the Force, all of the weapons flew out of the hands of the Xorinians. They sailed into the air and landed in a pile at the feet of Master Skywalker. Seeing that Master Skywalker had the situation in hand, Aln-Mai de-activated the laser turret.
"Kill the human!" one of the Xorinians screamed. As the gang surged forward, Master Skywalker drew and ignited his lightsaber. The Xorinians heisitated, eyeing the incandescant green blade warily. Aln-Mai, sensing a battle, opened the ramp and ran down to confront the Xorinians with Master Skywalker.
"You are outnumbered, humans," one of the Xorinians sneered.
"I count two Jedi Knights against seven Xorinians, my friend," Master Skywalker said, still holding the bright green blade. "I think it is you who are outnumbered."
"J-J-Jedi Knights?!" a small Xorinian stuttered. "No one said there would be Jedi guarding the Rinaim emissaries!"
"Shut up, you fool!" the tallest one snarled at him.
Master Skywalker's face became grim. "So, you are the ones who murdered the Rinaim. Security will be along shortly to collect you."
Right on cue, the doors whisked open and two dozen armed security guards piled in.
"But, Master, I hailed security and nobody answered," Aln-Mai said.
"That is because the guard at the comm station had left and come with me. I sensed danger right before I left, so I thought to capture the ones responsible for Kir's parents' deaths."
"I see," Aln-Mai said. "And what about our hyperdrive unit?"
"It's right outside the door. Why don't you get it and install it while our Xorinian friends go with security," Master Skywalker said, still holding the assassins in check with his lightsaber.
Aln-Mai hurried out the door as the guard moved forward and clapped the Xorinians in binders. He stepped outside the door and picked up the bulky hyperdrive unit. He walked back into the hangar just as the guards walked out with Xorinians in tow.
"Well, I'd say we did a thorough clean-up job, Master Skywalker," Aln-Mai said with a smile as he clumped up the shuttle ramp with the hyperdrive.
"Indeed," Master Skywalker agreed, shutting off his lightsaber.