Chapter 2
The two Jedi's walked to the other side of the large bay. They passed various freighters and fighters, men and women ran two and fro fixing and maintaing the ships. Merak kept wondering which ship was Mira's. Then they stoped near the darkened corner of the bay. Merak had to let his eyes adjust, the silhoute of the ship could be seen. Mira walked over to a pannel on the wall and fliped the lights on. Merak rose an eyebrow. The ship before him looked more like and old junk tug then a ship a jedi would be caught dead in.
"Is this your ship? It looks so old, I didn't know they still made them like this. What kind is it? And does it even fly?" The young Jedi said in disbelief.
Mira shook her head, "It's a YT-2400 light freighter, and yes it can fly. Gave the Millennium Falcon a run for it's money, and still can. It may not look it, but just like most things, looks can be deceiving. Don't let your eyes fool you, it's not what's outside that counts, but what's in, and this baby has all the right stuff inside. I should know, I modified her that way." Mira said in a smug tone. One of the few things in the world she was proud of was her ship. It had been an outlet for her creativity, she modified the ship almost to the point that it wasn't a freighter anymore, but a new breed of ship.
She walked up to the ship, punched in a code, the ramp to the ship opened up and lowered. Mira walked into the ship and it responded to her, lighting up and seeming to come to life. She looked over her shoulder toward Merak. The young Jedi stood there for a moment before getting the hint to climb aboard. As he did the ramp closed. Mira started for the bridge.
Along the way Merak passed a few speeders, and a few inactive pit droids. One speeder caught his eye. It looked like it had been modified more for speed then anything else. He bent down to examine it further. Mira gave a stern cough.
"Don't touch anything. Some of the things aboard my ship have a strong dislike at being touched by anyone but myself. If you don't know how it works, then I suggest you leave it well enough alone. Unless of course you want one of those nice artificial limbs. Not much of a fashion statement for a Jedi if you ask me." She said rather coldly.
Merak quickly pulled away from the speeder and followed Mira to the bridge. She showed him where to stow his bag and took a seat in the captain's chair. Merak took a seat near her to watch and see if he could help. Mira radioed the appropriate contacts to open the roof so her ship could take off. She activated the launch sequence and only seemed to ease up when her ship was clear of not only the bay, but also the planet's atmosphere. Setting the coordinates for Tattooine she eased back in her chair and looked to Merak.
"It will be an hour or two before we get there. So to pass the time, why don't we get to know one another, since we are working together." Mira said to Merak.
The Jedi knight looked at her and shrugged.
"Well, I recently made the rank of Jedi Knight. My folks were killed in the great war when the empire took over Coruscant. They tried to fight some troopers after getting me on one of the last evacuation ships. I saw them die while we were taking off. It made me want to fight them. So I was taken to an outpost, and from there went to join the Jedi and train. I've learned my folks are in a better place now. My father was a resistance fighter. My mother, well she was good with a blaster. I learned my skills from them I guess. I'm a pretty dam good pilot and have a knack with a light saber. My master told me so. I know the more I train and grow, the stronger I will become. So, how about you Master Conte?" Merak asked of the old Jedi Master.
"There really isn't to much about me. I trained with a master much like you did, however I was taken from my parents to train. My master Race Je'Kre and I were a great team. I was so skilled that my master convinced the council to let me take the trails early, I have a suspicion skills didn't have anything to do with it. Due to circumstances I won't explain here, I left the order for some time. Call it disenchantment if you will. I had left for a few years, then I found out Master Je'Kre was killed b a dark adept. I know for a fact the Sith killed my parents. One of the few things I found out while away from the Jedi Order. Master Skywalker asked me to rejoin the order during the war. The Jedi saying that "anger leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, that is the path to the dark side." is very true. But that does not mean there isn't redemption. Upon my return to the Jedi I was made a master. Not for my skills, but for my knowledge, and my coolness under pressure. My life has taken many turns and spins. Some I'm not proud of." Mira closed here eyes and continued. " Some I am. I've met various people, everyone from bounty hunters, to an inventor to even the Sith Lord Scorpious himself. I've surprised myself by living as long as I have. And I'm still amazed the Commenor's Dream has made it thru as much as I have. I guess like myself, it holds itself together and just does what needs to be done. "
The name Commenor's Dream rang a bell inside Merak's head. He had recently saw that name come up in his search for information in the archives.
"This ship we are in, it's the Commenor's Dream?" He asked Mira to make sure.
"Yes, right down to the last bolt. I renamed her after I "got her" shall we say. I've made most of the modifications to her myself. Why?"
"That's the name of the ship where that video clip of B.C. Orion came from." Merak said with excitement in his eyes.
"Don't you dare go poking around in my ships databanks looking for more information. I still can't get rid of the last piece of garbage that was accidentally left in my ships computers from the last time someone did that." Mira said sternly. Though she was in control of her emotions, Merak could swear a look of anger blazed thru her eyes. A faint beeping and whistle came from one of the councils.
"What is that sound?" Merak said, making sure his hands could be clearly seen by the Jedi Master.
"It.. I thought for sure I got rid of it during the last memory sweep. Every time I get rid of one piece of it, the dam program pops up in three other places. It's been a small war I've been fighting. I think that's where that clip came from. His memory, not my ships." Mira said as she pressed on the computer to try and isolate the rouge program once more. It was more like cat and mouse, with neither side winning.
"His memory? How could a program be a him?" Merak asked again.
"Gah, now it's in three more places. Well I don't have time to spend playing hide and seek." She looked up at Merak. " The he is actually a piece of a rouge droid program. The droids hard drive was hooked into my computer's main frame by B.C. Orion. Yes she took the hard drive out, but a copy of the droids protocol and memories took up residence in my computer and I haven't been able to exorcise it since."
"You knew her?" Merak asked stunned at the confession. Mira had said too much already and looked at Merak.
"Yes, and that's as far as it's going. Enough said. There's enough room in the bay of this ship. There are two practice droids. I suggest you go hone your saber skills. You will thank me later. I'll let you know when we are about to reach the planet. I'm going to meditate and calm myself."
With that Mira walked off into the belly of the ship leaving Merak alone in the cockpit of the Commenor's Dream
Mira shook her head, "It's a YT-2400 light freighter, and yes it can fly. Gave the Millennium Falcon a run for it's money, and still can. It may not look it, but just like most things, looks can be deceiving. Don't let your eyes fool you, it's not what's outside that counts, but what's in, and this baby has all the right stuff inside. I should know, I modified her that way." Mira said in a smug tone. One of the few things in the world she was proud of was her ship. It had been an outlet for her creativity, she modified the ship almost to the point that it wasn't a freighter anymore, but a new breed of ship.
She walked up to the ship, punched in a code, the ramp to the ship opened up and lowered. Mira walked into the ship and it responded to her, lighting up and seeming to come to life. She looked over her shoulder toward Merak. The young Jedi stood there for a moment before getting the hint to climb aboard. As he did the ramp closed. Mira started for the bridge.
Along the way Merak passed a few speeders, and a few inactive pit droids. One speeder caught his eye. It looked like it had been modified more for speed then anything else. He bent down to examine it further. Mira gave a stern cough.
"Don't touch anything. Some of the things aboard my ship have a strong dislike at being touched by anyone but myself. If you don't know how it works, then I suggest you leave it well enough alone. Unless of course you want one of those nice artificial limbs. Not much of a fashion statement for a Jedi if you ask me." She said rather coldly.
Merak quickly pulled away from the speeder and followed Mira to the bridge. She showed him where to stow his bag and took a seat in the captain's chair. Merak took a seat near her to watch and see if he could help. Mira radioed the appropriate contacts to open the roof so her ship could take off. She activated the launch sequence and only seemed to ease up when her ship was clear of not only the bay, but also the planet's atmosphere. Setting the coordinates for Tattooine she eased back in her chair and looked to Merak.
"It will be an hour or two before we get there. So to pass the time, why don't we get to know one another, since we are working together." Mira said to Merak.
The Jedi knight looked at her and shrugged.
"Well, I recently made the rank of Jedi Knight. My folks were killed in the great war when the empire took over Coruscant. They tried to fight some troopers after getting me on one of the last evacuation ships. I saw them die while we were taking off. It made me want to fight them. So I was taken to an outpost, and from there went to join the Jedi and train. I've learned my folks are in a better place now. My father was a resistance fighter. My mother, well she was good with a blaster. I learned my skills from them I guess. I'm a pretty dam good pilot and have a knack with a light saber. My master told me so. I know the more I train and grow, the stronger I will become. So, how about you Master Conte?" Merak asked of the old Jedi Master.
"There really isn't to much about me. I trained with a master much like you did, however I was taken from my parents to train. My master Race Je'Kre and I were a great team. I was so skilled that my master convinced the council to let me take the trails early, I have a suspicion skills didn't have anything to do with it. Due to circumstances I won't explain here, I left the order for some time. Call it disenchantment if you will. I had left for a few years, then I found out Master Je'Kre was killed b a dark adept. I know for a fact the Sith killed my parents. One of the few things I found out while away from the Jedi Order. Master Skywalker asked me to rejoin the order during the war. The Jedi saying that "anger leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, that is the path to the dark side." is very true. But that does not mean there isn't redemption. Upon my return to the Jedi I was made a master. Not for my skills, but for my knowledge, and my coolness under pressure. My life has taken many turns and spins. Some I'm not proud of." Mira closed here eyes and continued. " Some I am. I've met various people, everyone from bounty hunters, to an inventor to even the Sith Lord Scorpious himself. I've surprised myself by living as long as I have. And I'm still amazed the Commenor's Dream has made it thru as much as I have. I guess like myself, it holds itself together and just does what needs to be done. "
The name Commenor's Dream rang a bell inside Merak's head. He had recently saw that name come up in his search for information in the archives.
"This ship we are in, it's the Commenor's Dream?" He asked Mira to make sure.
"Yes, right down to the last bolt. I renamed her after I "got her" shall we say. I've made most of the modifications to her myself. Why?"
"That's the name of the ship where that video clip of B.C. Orion came from." Merak said with excitement in his eyes.
"Don't you dare go poking around in my ships databanks looking for more information. I still can't get rid of the last piece of garbage that was accidentally left in my ships computers from the last time someone did that." Mira said sternly. Though she was in control of her emotions, Merak could swear a look of anger blazed thru her eyes. A faint beeping and whistle came from one of the councils.
"What is that sound?" Merak said, making sure his hands could be clearly seen by the Jedi Master.
"It.. I thought for sure I got rid of it during the last memory sweep. Every time I get rid of one piece of it, the dam program pops up in three other places. It's been a small war I've been fighting. I think that's where that clip came from. His memory, not my ships." Mira said as she pressed on the computer to try and isolate the rouge program once more. It was more like cat and mouse, with neither side winning.
"His memory? How could a program be a him?" Merak asked again.
"Gah, now it's in three more places. Well I don't have time to spend playing hide and seek." She looked up at Merak. " The he is actually a piece of a rouge droid program. The droids hard drive was hooked into my computer's main frame by B.C. Orion. Yes she took the hard drive out, but a copy of the droids protocol and memories took up residence in my computer and I haven't been able to exorcise it since."
"You knew her?" Merak asked stunned at the confession. Mira had said too much already and looked at Merak.
"Yes, and that's as far as it's going. Enough said. There's enough room in the bay of this ship. There are two practice droids. I suggest you go hone your saber skills. You will thank me later. I'll let you know when we are about to reach the planet. I'm going to meditate and calm myself."
With that Mira walked off into the belly of the ship leaving Merak alone in the cockpit of the Commenor's Dream