Chapter XXVIII
Wild Nomad
Out of all of the Wild Nomad's crewmembers, it was MD-D0C who had taken the most joy in her current circumstances. Once Riko, Jade, Bao, Niner, and Artoo had joined them aboard the vessel, she had been free to spend all of her time practicing her true passion: medicine. The medical droid had worked with Val for a long time, and she had always resented managing the various other jobs that came with his line of work.
Though she could be a bit of a nuisance to work with, Val was glad to see her enjoy herself.
Currently, she was humming a pleasant jizz tune as she pondered over whatever was written on a pair of datapads whilst simultaneously examining some equipment with her additional limbs.
Val was going through the ship, checking in on everyone, beginning with his oldest crewmate. In light of the resolute, somber mood that seemed to permeate throughout the crew, the droid was a beacon of optimism and satisfaction.
"What'cha got there, Emdee?" Val asked.
"Oh," Emdee turned towards Val, "Just going over the results of the DNA test."
"The what?" Val asked, dumbfounded. If Emdee was saying what he thought she was saying…
"The DNA test," Emdee repeated, "The results are available at your discretion."
"Look, Emdee," Val replied, "I didn't even know I might have a kid until six weeks ago."
"Well, now you can learn for certain," Emdee said.
"Emdee," Val sighed, "It's a little tone-deaf, don't you think?"
"I may not be programmed for psychiatry or neuroscience, but we've worked together long enough for me to make a recommendation." Emdee proceeded to hold out the datapad.
"Emdee," Val barely kept himself from screaming, "The kid just lost his dad, for kriff's sake. Now is not the time!"
Emdee took Val's words in silence, her photoreceptors moving up and down, as if to scan his heartrate. She probably was.
"Val," she replied calmly, "That is exactly why you should tell him. After what happened and considering what we're flying into, Riko will need his family more than ever."
She offered the datapad again, "He needs you, and I think you need him too."
Val stared at the pad, hesitant, silently mulling over Emdee's advice. Eventually, he made his decision.
"I knew there was a reason I keep you around," he remarked warmly.
Within his quarters, Bao meditated again, K'yan Makarr's lightsaber in his lap. There was so much to do: he needed to practice more with this new weapon to truly master it, he had to practice the Shadow's stealth techniques, or perhaps he could try and look back into the echoes surrounding the lightsaber to gain more insight into the enemy's defenses.
But first, he decided that he needed to center himself: clearing his mind was the most important step in preparing for battle.
He closed his eyes. The physical world seemed to give way as his consciousness submerged back into the Force, jumping back into the ocean and swimming through its vast depths.
He beheld worlds that teemed with eddies and currents of activity like that on Malor Kel. Vast nebulae painted the galactic void with vibrant swirls of gas, stars burned with blinding illumination, waves of energy journeying across space to bathe planets in warm incandescence.
Predators hunting prey, mothers tending to their newborn, friends meeting for the first time, lovers finding pleasure in each other's company, parents guiding their children through the world as they matured. Death claiming those young and old, sick and healthy, leaving behind loss, pain, and regret. Wounds healing into scars. Decay and destruction feeding new life, laying the foundation for countless ecosystems, natural and artificial. Warmth, cold, peace, violence. And between it all...a balance. An energy. The Force.
He felt something familiar nudge his conscious mind, an old but fierce and commanding presence.
Bao shook his head in disbelief. It couldn't be…
He opened his eyes.
Before him stood an old Whiphid with dark eyes, long white hair, and heavy tusks beneath his snout, clad in robes and a straw hat. His face was serene, yet it contained traces of sadness, weariness, and regret. His body was slightly transparent, outlined with a blue glow.
Bao's eyes widened as he said, "Master K'Kruhk? How?"
"Your understanding of the Force has grown, Bao," the apparition spoke in K'Kruhk's familiar deep, gravelly voice, "And I have learned many things in death. Including the consequences of my mistakes."
"I myself have been pondering that as of late," Bao admitted. He asked, "Why didn't you try harder to stop Tau before his movement grew?"
"I expected too much of him," K'Kruhk lamented, "Tau was supposed to be our greatest champion, like his family before him. At first, I believed that his struggle to find the light was his great trial, and I assumed that he would eventually find his way. But in time, his movement grew, and we started to fear the consequences if we tried too hard to stop him. The other masters and I did everything we could to peacefully contain the spread of the Omnists, but it was too late, and what was unleashed was far worse than we ever could have imagined.
Promise me, Bao," the old master instructed, "Do not let the fear of the past blind you from taking action in the now."
"I shall not," Bao vowed, "Never again."
More questions about the past made their way to the forefront of his mind.
"Master, you also lived through the Clone Wars. Was Kali'sto right about us?"
"Kali'sto and I were born into one of the worst periods in our Order's history," K'Kruhk reflected, "Clearly the impact of the Clone Wars is still felt to this day."
"But is he right?" Bao asked.
A moment of silence ensued before K'Kruhk answered,
"Whether the Jedi change or repeat our mistakes is something you must decide for yourself."
Bao silently contemplated the apparition's words, before he spoke,
"I understand."
"The world we knew is gone," K'Kruhk sounded both sad and relieved, "Our time is over, and we have passed on all we know. A thousand generations live in you now. The future of the Jedi Order is yours to make.
Learn from our failings, Bao-Sklar Pierce," the apparition started to fade, "But also from our successes."
Thank you for your wisdom, Master K'Kruhk," Bao bowed as the ancient master disappeared. Once he was alone, he took K'yan's lightsaber and attached it to his belt.
Within the cockpit, Riko, Jade, Niner, and Artoo sat alone in silence as the churning of hyperspace cast light through the viewport. There were no words spoken: none could truly capture what Riko felt. Though he knew he had made the right choice, it had also been the most painful one of his life.
He didn't need to say anything. Jade and Niner had simply hugged him. When they parted, Jade gently took Riko's right hand in hers, and Niner's stubby metal fingers closed around his left. He was happy to just sit there without saying a word, and he appreciated their company.
"Hey, kid," Val's voice startled Riko. He turned to see the ex-Mandalorian in the doorway.
"Hey," Riko said softly.
"Hi, Val," Jade sounded a little flustered.
"Hello!" Niner added.
Val silently took in the scene.
"Is it okay if I talk to you, kid?" he asked, "Alone?"
Riko considered it for a second, then nodded. He moved to his feet and joined Val in the cargo bay. For a whole minute, no one said anything.
Then, Val removed his helmet, breaking his hunter's visage.
"When you first told me about Kali'sto," Val said, "I knew that you really missed him. He must have been a wonderful dad for you to want to go back to him so badly."
"Yes," Riko buried his face in his sleeve as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Hey," Val took Riko's hand in his gloved one, "It's okay kid, let it out. Take as long as you need."
"Thanks, Val," Riko's voice was muffled by his sleeve. For several minutes, Val supported him in silence as Riko let his pain flow out. When Riko wiped his eyes, Val put his hand on his shoulder.
"It's not the end, kid," Val declared, "Kali'sto will always be there for you."
"What do you mean?" Riko was emotionally worn out, uncertain how to take Val's response.
"I know it looks bad now," Val replied, "But Kali'sto raised you, kid. You're his son. And that'll never change, no matter what happens."
"Thanks, Val," Riko replied, "I just wish he could be here. I wish he was proud of me."
Saying nothing, Val took his helmet and fiddled with the audio sensors.
"Put it on," he instructed, handing it to Riko. The boy cautiously took the helmet and put it over his head. It felt heavy, a little confining…
All of Riko's musings about the helmet went away when he heard the recorded audio.
"What is it, Dad?" his own voice echoed through the helmet.
"You always struggled to make friends," Kali'sto replied happily, "I'm happy you have such a big heart."
"He wasn't talking about being a Jedi, though," Riko reasoned as he removed the helmet, "He was talking about how I was trying to help Jade."
To tell the truth, he still felt extremely happy to hear those words, even if they didn't make any sense when put into context.
"Kid, that's why you're a Jedi," Val replied, "Because of your enormous heart. And I know that Kali'sto understands that."
Riko didn't think he had more tears to give, but he wiped his eyes one more time.
"Thanks Val," he smiled.
"Mandokarla, kid," Val smiled back, "You've got the right stuff."
As he sat there with Val in the cargo bay, Riko felt a sense of clarity fill him. Despite all that had happened and the darkness that was to come, he felt…at peace with himself. He was where he needed to be.
He grabbed his broken lightsaber from his belt.
"If you'll excuse me," Riko declared, "I need to fix this."
"I thought about that," Val grabbed something from his belt and held it out. It was an LC-series power cell, the exact kind Riko used in his saber.
"I got it on Malor Kel, when I was looking for you," Val explained as he handed it to Riko, "Those sisters had one lying around. This one's relatively new, it should work pretty well."
"Thank you!" Riko took it eagerly. He looked at his lightsaber and had numerous ideas for changes he could make, systems he could upgrade. The world of possibilities seemed infinite.
Riko heard the sound of objects bumping against each other, and he saw Val looking through the cupboards, retrieving two cans of Quickpaint.
"What's the Quickpaint for, Val?" Riko asked.
"I need it for a special project," Val smirked as he put on the helmet, "I'll leave you two alone."
As Val left, Riko took a second to survey his workspace and training area, grinning as he recalled the ways in which he had transformed it, the memories of dozens of lessons, sparring sessions, and other wonderful moments flooding his mind.
Letting the wave of nostalgia pass, he sat down at the workbench and got started. He began by laying down his damaged weapon on the table, carefully disassembling it. The only components that were damaged were the emitter matrix, wiring, and auxiliary blade switch. The rest of the hilt was still in good condition. The crystal chamber was entirely intact, the yellow and red gems glowing harmoniously. Riko proceeded to bring out the parts he had bought on Malor Kel, laying them out on the table alongside his weapon. He examined the new power cell Val gave him, happy to confirm that Val's words were true. He had everything he needed. He was ready.
Riko closed his eyes, and in his mind, a schematic for his lightsaber materialized. His active mind grew excited, and all sorts of ideas flew into his mind for ways he could change and improve the weapon. Growing excited, he decided to take this opportunity to upgrade the weapon. He saw each component and sorted through it, attempting to compile his ideas to restore the functionality of his lightsaber.
Holding the diagram in his mind, Riko made his repairs and upgrades. The old power cell was swiftly replaced with the one Val had given him. He installed the cycling field channel he had purchased on Malor Kel, calibrating it to work with the newer power cell. He replaced the destroyed button that had activated his weapon's second blade with a newer, circular one.
He kept the tarnished switch housing that connected the handgrip and alloy emitter, spraying a microlayer of durasealant to cover the lightsaber damage. Examining the component after the sealant had hardened, he liked the aesthetics of it. The bronze housing contrasted nicely with the rest of his saber, creating a contrast that Riko found aesthetically pleasing. And the small scar upon the metal was a reminder of the promise with which Riko rebuilt this weapon.
I can fix anything.
He screwed the second emitter back on, completing the restoration of his weapon. He happily held the beautiful hodgepodge in his hand. Unlike the weapon his mother had built, this one really felt like an extension of himself, a reflection of who he was as a person.
"May I join you, Riko?" Bao's rich voice startled Riko. He turned to find his mentor standing in the entryway.
"Sure, Bao."
"I'm several weeks out of practice, Riko," Bao said as he entered, drawing a lightsaber from his belt. An aqua glow encompassed the room as Bao activated it. Riko watched as he swung the saber in a relaxed defensive pattern, the blade humming to his movements, "What say we refresh our dueling skills?"
"Absolutely," Riko replied. He examined the new saber in Bao's hand. It had a simple, yet almost ceremonial look to it, with an alloy crossguard built around the emitter and a circular pommel.
"Where'd you get this lightsaber, Bao?" Riko asked.
"It belonged to a Jedi Shadow named K'yan Makarr," Bao's voice grew heavy, "I took it from him on Nyr'itz. I thought I should keep it with me, as a reminder."
Riko nodded solemnly as he contemplated the meaning of Bao's words.
"I understand," he said.
Before he could activate his own weapon, the cargo bay door opened.
Two people stood at the door's entrance. Jade, who was dressed for their mission with a blaster on her leg and her lightsaber on her belt. And Val, who had given himself a curious upgrade.
"Have you repainted your armor, ner vod?" Bao asked, grinning. While the red wound was still there, the rest of his armor was adorned with a fresh black paint scheme, with green and yellow highlights.
"Well, I got oil on it a week ago," Val replied, "And since everyone else is getting a makeover, I thought I'd oblige."
"I like it," Riko smiled.
"Did you fix your lightsaber, Riko?" Jade asked. Before Riko responded, she smiled and said, "Let's see it!"
Riko proudly held his weapon up, and flicked the switch. The ember blade ignited with a fiery hiss, its hum fierce, yet comforting. As he held his weapon aloft, Riko knew that he was ready for what was to come.