I went over to the speeder to see what I could do with it. Luckily the Tusken's shot damaged something that I actually knew how to fix.
A few hours later, we were on our way back to the Skate, this time hoping to not find any Tuskens.
As we lifted off from Tatooine, I thought back to when I first saw Tahiri. It was during the Swarm War, and she was walking around with one of the Killiks on her shoulder. I smiled as I remembered my friend Gorog. My thoughts drifted to everything that had happened since Tahiri and the others came back from Dagobah. All the Jedi killed, the fear, the pain. I hoped that whatever demons drove Tahiri to run from the Order, she conquered. I wondered if I would ever see her again.
Then my thoughts turned darker, and for the first time I wondered if what Tahiri had said in the med center was true. Did my dead Master have something to do with her being imprisoned? Did he really abuse her in the ways she said, or were those misguided delusions and illusions supplied by the other Exiles.
I still had so many questions, and not nearly enough answers.
Then before my thoughts could continue along that path, Jysella stuck a wet finger in my ear.
I could hear her laughter as I twisted away from the unwelcome sensation. I turned my chair to look at her where she stood by the cockpit entrance and growled "I'll get you for that Horn."
She just gave me that half smile of hers.
I lunged at her. Or at least I tried to. I got about two centimeters out of the seat, before my crash restraints pulled me back into it.
I looked up at her laughter, but all I saw was her hair heading towards the common area of the ship.
I unbuckled myself and stalked after her. I found her sitting at the table, innocently reading a datapad. As I came around the corner, she looked up at me, and gave me the sweetest smile I had ever seen and chirped "Hiya Ben."
I slid in beside her, and kissed her neck. She leaned against me; I slipped my arms around her, and then tickled her. She squealed as I continued, and started screaming for me to stop it. When I finally did, I smirked at her. "Told you I'd get you for it."
It was a good distraction, one we desperately needed.
As we arrived at Ossus, the comm made the chirping sound indicating someone wanted to talk to us. I answered it, and the voice on the other end said "Pulsar Skate, you are to proceed to landing area 14 Alpha and then report to Master Skywalker's office immediately."
I could feel Jysella's worry and fear in the Force, and sent her reassurance. I glanced at her, and saw she was biting her lower lip again. Noticing that, I smiled. "Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you bite your lower lip?"
I could see the blush rise up on her cheeks as she suddenly stopped biting her lip.
We landed the Skate right next to Master Katarn's Raven's Claw. I sat in the cockpit beside Jysella while she did her post flight checks, just watching her. As she reached up to the upper corner of her station, movement caught my eye. Focusing on it, I realized that she was wearing the Japor icon.
Once again, I started wondering if Tahiri was right. Did I actually love Jysella? Just as important, to me at least, was the question of did Jysella love me?
"You coming Skywalker?"
Startled, I focused on her seat and saw that she wasn't there anymore. I looked towards the portal, and she was standing there, that half smile of hers on her face. I could feel her amusement through our Force bond, as I unbuckled my restraints. I gave her my best Uncle Han grin. "Watch it Horn, remember I tickle."
I lunged for her, and she laughed as she danced out of the way, making a run for the hatch. I slowly followed, and as I came around the corner where I could see the hatch, I saw her hitting the open button repeatedly, glancing over her shoulder, a smile on her face.
The ramp finished lowering, and Jysella darted out. I heard a loud thump, and could feel pain coming from Jysella through our bond. I sent a questioning probe to her, and in return got an image of her slipping on a sticky blackish liquid which covered the ground of the landing area.
Worry blossomed into my mind. I knew I had seen that particular color on a floor before, and it was not in a landing field. Then I remembered where it was that I had seen that exact color of blackish liquid. It was memorable, because there had been fifteen children screaming at me at the time.
I rushed down the ramp, and could feel horror begin rolling off of Jysella, and a low level tingle in the Force.
I ran to the front of the Raven's Claw and discovered Jysella and Master Katarn.
He had been bolted to the bow of his ship, a blackened circular hole in the middle of his forehead. Inserted into the hull of the ship beside him was the handle of a lightsaber. I reached up and pulled it out, and looked at its distinctive design, it was one I had seen before, but could not place. I looked into the shaft, and noticed that all the pieces had been removed. As I searched my memory, Jysella spoke from beside me, "Its Tahiri's. We never found it in the clearing."
The low level tingle, suddenly flashed as my danger sense went into overdrive. I reached for my saber, and started turning around when a large coolant drum slammed into my side flinging me against the Raven's Claw. I heard two snap-hisses as I pushed the drum off of me, and saw Jysella and one of the dark ones locked in combat.
The dark one picked up another drum and flung it at Jysella, who deftly hopped over it to land beside me.
Amusement rolled off the dark form, crashing over us in waves, intermingled with its hate and anger. We separated, in an attempt to flank the dark one.
Suddenly, Jysella sprang, her saber angled for a kill strike.
I leapt as well, in a similar attack.
We met where the dark one had been standing. I looked left, just in time to get a boot to the face, knocking me backwards. I touched the Force; just enough to ensure that I landed in an upright position.
I could feel my anger start to build as the dark one pressed Jysella, attacked her. Instincts took over. Everything I was, screamed at me that I had to protect Jysella.
I launched myself at the dark one's back, yet the dark one just waved an arm in my direction and I was flung against the Skate. I said one of those Correllian words when I heard another of my ribs crack. My pain was intermixed with my hate and anger.
Forcing my anger down, I ran at the dark one, and grabbed a drum at the same time. As I closed into sparring range, I flung the drum at it. The dark one had set up a defense against my saber, and was caught entirely off guard by the drum.
The drum and the dark one finally land in a small park right off of the landing field.
I could feel Jysella's fear and worry in our bond as we ran to attack once more.