Rian:
"You have done well, my pupil…"
I stood in the council chamber with an idiot's grin plastered on my face. I'd just sit there and smile while Master Zhar droned on. Hopefully, they'd be quick about it this time, I was starved and my Jedi robe was riding up into some unknown, but definitely uncomfortable areas.
I was about to sigh with relief as Master Zhar finished, but that was when Master Vandar felt the need to put his own spin on things. So while I tried vainly to conjure up the taste of a nerf burger, that shriveled, green little monster rambled on about a missing Jedi and some dangerous sounding ancient ruins.
"What happened to the Jedi who went to investigate?" Bastila asked.
With all that had happened at the grove I had almost forgotten what a pain she was to have around. But there she was, practically licking the Jedi Masters' boots with nothing but a scowl for me. I was linked to that? Couldn't I have gotten a bond buddy a little more pleasant, like a sleep deprived Hutt?
Master Vandar politely answered Bastila's question as vaguely as possible. The gist of things as I saw it was that since I hadn't managed to get killed by that Cathar, the Jedi Masters wanted to see if whatever that was in the ancient ruins would be enough to make me keel over.
"Padawans, before you leave, there is another matter that you may want to look into." Master Vrook said.
Two feuding families, each accusing the other of kidnapping their son. I couldn't help but laugh. Bastila shot me a look with her scowling face and I laughed harder.
"You don't want me involved." I told Master Vrook. "I'm not exactly the type to diffuse a difficult situation."
"It is in the real world, not chasing after ancient ruins, that we truly prove ourselves worthy of the title Jedi." Master Vrook lectured.
I groaned. That old geezer should have just told me he hated me and gotten it out of his system.
"I know a couple folks that would be better qualified for the job." I said. "With the reputation of the Jedi at stake, you wouldn't want me mucking things up."
Before Master Vrook could argue, I winked at him and grabbed Bastila by the arm. Master Vrook's pasty skin boiled scarlet with rage. That was my cue to turn around and scurry off, Bastila in tow.
Bastila wasn't any happier than Master Vrook. Her plump lower lip stuck out in a furious pout.
Once I had dragged her from the council chamber, Bastila forcibly removed my grip from her arm.
"Are you mad?" she demanded. "I have never seen anyone so disrespectful and impudent to the Masters. It's honestly beyond me why they stand for your ungrateful behavior."
I gave an agitated jerk to the cloth at the backside of my Jedi robe. "Do you really want to watch me while I chat up settlers over some missing boys?" I replied. "That sounds disastrous to me."
"Can't you see that it's a test?" Bastila asked.
"And going to those ruins isn't?" I countered. "Everything with those old guys is a test."
"But if the Masters wish that we investigate the disappearances of Cassus Sandral and Shen Matale then we should." Bastila insisted.
"What would you rather do?" I asked. "Explore some ruins that could be the root of our shared nightmares or go poke sticks at a festering blood feud that doesn't involve us?"
"I doubt that the Jedi Masters want us to 'poke sticks,' as you've so eloquently put it, at the Sandral's and Matale's hate for one another." Bastila's voice was clipped and agitated. "I'm sure that the ancient ruins will still be standing after we resolve the settler's conflict."
"You can go play mediator with the settlers." I snorted. "But don't expect me to wait around for you to finish. I'm going to figure out what's up with those ruins."
"Someone needs to take care of the settler's dispute." Bastila argued.
"And I know a couple someones perfect for the job." I assured her. "Trust me."
"I'm beginning to realize why Carth is so wary to trust." Bastila muttered.
"Not you too." I groaned. "Is paranoia contagious?"
Bastila sniffed, but said nothing. I couldn't sense any substantial thoughts through our bond, she guarded those closely, but the spikes of fear and disgust were overwhelming when they slipped past her barrier. It was a small wonder that the woman managed not to retch her insides up at my very presence.
It was one thing for me and Bastila to share a mutual dislike, but to actually feel her emotions almost as deeply as my own was disheartening. Her revulsion, my annoyance, her panic, my anger, her sneer, my vulgar hand gestures; the closer we got to one another the stronger the waves of emotions that would ricochet between us.
"…Are you even listening to me?" Bastila asked.
"Huh?" I looked over at Bastila.
"Apparently not." she concluded. "I just wanted to know who you were planning on assigning the Sandral-Matale feud to."
I considered not telling her for a moment. But I was positive Bastila would find out anyway.
"Zaalbar and Mission." I said.
"A Wookiee and a child?" Bastila's blue eyes narrowed. "Is this some sort of jest?"
"Do you have a problem with my decision?" I raised an eyebrow.
Bastila didn't shrink away. That woman was going to take more work than even Carth.
"Those feebleminded settlers will see Zaalbar as an uncouth animal and they won't respect anything that Mission tells them." Bastila reasoned.
"Zaalbar may have already outlived those 'feebleminded' settlers by a century." I argued. "He's calm and levelheaded. Mission's got charm and spunk. Between the two of them, I'm sure they can reach a solution."
"I don't doubt their ability in problem solving." Bastila continued. "I'm just worried that the settlers won't accept it based on their own prejudices."
I nodded slowly. "What do you suggest then?"
"Perhaps if an adult was to accompany them." Bastila said.
"An adult?" I chortled. "Like who?"
"Perhaps you or I—"
"You can go if you want, but I'm heading to those ruins."
"Or maybe Carth." she muttered hotly.
"We can ask him, but I'm sure he'll be a big baby regardless." I replied. "Now come on, I'm starved. I want to grab something to eat before we head out."
Bastila just shook her head and followed me to the Ebon Hawk. That bond was getting to be bothersome. I bet that there was some way to remove but the Jedi Masters just weren't saying what because they were meddlers. I'd have to figure it out on my own then.
In the main room of the Ebon Hawk was a party of ambivalence. Mission feigned interest in some slop she was eating while simultaneously jabbing Zaalbar with her Tchun when she thought the Wookiee wasn't looking. Carth was drowning in a mug of caffa while Canderous and T3-M4 were in the thralls of a staring contest.
Bastila's eyes were icy with disapproval, but she kept quiet. I grinned and plopped down next to Mission. She had her lips pulled back as she tried to nibble on whatever it was on her fork. The Twi'lek girl made it seem like if the food came in contact with her lips, her flesh would burn away. The Wookiee must have cooked it.
"I've got something to keep you busy." I announced.
Mission flicked her sludge back into its bowl and grinned. "As much as I enjoy helping horny housewives track down their fleeing droids, I have been getting sort of bored."
Droids and horny housewives? Maybe Dantooine wasn't quite the harmless hayfield I suspected it to be.
"There are two families that are missing a son each." I explained. "I want you and Zaalbar to sort out that mess."
Mission raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?"
"That or somebody needs to clean the Wookiee hair out of the 'fresher." I threatened.
"Gross!" Mission's lekku shifted as she hurtled obscenity after obscenity at me silently.
"Call me that ever again and I won't be the only maimed Twi'lek." I warned.
Mission's lekku froze and she shot me an incredulous look. "Humans can't understand Twi'leki."
" Oh? " I flipped over to the girl's native tongue. " Why not? "
" Not the spoken language, that's easy, laser brain. " Mission retorted. " But the subtleties of our dancing lekku can only be understood by a fellow Twi'lek. "
"I can understand every little smart mouthed comment you make with them." I shrugged.
"Mission's right, Rian." Bastila said. "Linguists have been trying to record all the movements involved in the Twi'leki lekku language. It's impossible."
"I'm not lying." I growled.
I scanned the room for support. Canderous had pried a panel off the front of T3-M4 and looked to be in the process of reprogramming the droid. He was ignoring everyone else. Zaalbar made no move; he probably didn't want to have to choose a side in the matter. I glared at Carth.
"Hey, don't look at me." Carth threw his hands up defensively. "I can only understand Huttese and smatterings of Mandalorian."
Canderous snorted at that.
"I'm not lying." I repeated.
"I know that." Bastila said.
The woman should have just stabbed me in the kidneys. Of all the people to come to my defense, why did it have to be her?
"You believe me?" I spluttered.
"I sense no deception from you." she replied. "I don't have to believe you. I know."
Show off.
"Whatever." Mission interrupted. "So you want me and Big Z to hunt down some missing boys?"
"That's the plan." I agreed.
"Carth will accompany you two as well." Bastila announced.
I almost giggled at the caustic silence that followed. Mission arched an eyebrow and if I had been insulted by the previous insults her lekku had motioned, well, let's just say that I had no idea how vile she could truly be. Incoherent splutters were all that I could hear from Carth as he dumped his caffa on the tabletop. Even Canderous, his hands blackened with what I fancied to think was the little droid's blood, looked up from his work.
"Where will you and Bastila be when we're doing your work?" Carth finally asked.
I ground my teeth. That suspicion, well deserved or not, was getting pretty irritating.
"That is strictly Jedi business, Carth." Bastila cut in.
"We're going to explore some ruins." I offered. "Just a lot of dead history. Boring, really."
"So boring, the Jedi don't want others nosing in on it?" Carth accused. He pretended to be preoccupied with soaking the spilt caffa up with a dirty handkerchief.
I shrugged. Bastila scowled at me.
"It would be best for you to leave Jedi matters to Jedi." Bastila urged.
"I'm not going to be strung along blindly, damn it." Carth pounded his fist on the table. The spoon in the empty caffa mug rattled. "I'm coming with you."
"That went well." I muttered.
Bastila gave me a curt smile. The blistering rage that mauled me through our bond betrayed the forced sweetness in her voice.
"Very well." she said. "Carth will come with us."
"Fine." I replied. "Canderous will look after Mission."
The Mandalorian gave me such a look I decided that it might be in my best interest to trip and fall on my lightsaber.
"Wait just a minute." Mission demanded. "First of all I don't need no damn babysitter and secondly, what makes you think Mr. bloodthirsty psycho killer is the perfect candidate?"
I didn't need this. A spasm at my temple compelled me to stand up and walk out of the main room. I recalled some blue ale being in the medical bay. I'd be ready to talk some more once I had washed the last of my inhibitions away.
