Eden woke early the next morning. He had slept well despite the slight pain, and now he was excited about their trip to Taktaw. Sage had told them on their first night in Mauwag that the ship they were travelling on today would not take them directly to the wharf, but to B'tik, a small fishing village on the south coast. From there they would have to find some way of getting to the wharf that was being built at the north of the island. It was all very exciting for the eleven-year-old, but he was managing to keep a cool head. For now.
"I'm going to take a leak," he told Eeth, not sure if the man was awake but equally unwilling to leave without first saying where he was going. He did not bother with a shirt as the air was warm, even this early in the morning. He did, however, snag his comlink from the table and clipped it to his sleep pants.
Eeth had just woken up and had been about to rise and meditate. "Of course," he said quietly, rolling around and standing up from his bed in one fluid motion.
After meditation, they had a quick breakfast and packed their things. They stored everything they would not need for the trip on their starship and took a backpack each to the harbour. Given the climate, they left behind their cloaks, rain jackets and boots, wearing a set of long pants, a shirt and a pair of sandals each.
The ship was a freighter. It released a handful of passengers onto the quay, though; apparently, they were workers who had come home to see their families. There were no other passengers for Taktaw besides Eeth and Eden.
The captain took a look at them, especially at Eeth's strong arm muscles. "The fare is fifty credits for you and thirty for the boy," he said. "I'm short of men for the return trip, though; there has been a flu going around. I could take you for free in exchange for work on the ship."
This offer was more than welcome. Eeth had been worrying about money; cryonic acid was expensive, and his funds were not calculated for an extended stay on the planet plus ship repairs. Therefore, he readily said: "We will work."
Eden remained unnaturally still and quiet for a typical eleven-year-old; it had not occurred to him to change this in order to fit in with their secret identities. He did not know if eighty credits were a lot for a one-day trip or not. Anyway, the idea of working on a ship for the next twenty-four hours did not exactly thrill him, and he gave Eeth a quizzical look before whispering: "'We' will?", his tone suggesting that he did not appreciate being thrown into the equation.
Eeth merely gave him a severe look, which was heeded by Eden; the boy fell silent and stopped asking questions immediately.
"Great," the captain continued, not paying their exchange any mind. "Trip is twenty-four hours. Come aboard, I'll show you your cabin. It's a cabin for four, but since we have no other passengers, you'll have it to yourselves."
"Thank you," Eeth said politely and followed the captain below deck.
Only when they were in their cabin with instructions to report to the first officer in half an hour did Eeth comment on Eden's earlier question. "We will need all the credits we can save in order to buy cryonic acid. If working on the ship is worth eighty credits, there is really nothing to debate. You are young and healthy. Working should not be an issue."
"Sure I am, but what I can do to help is probably not going to be enjoyable," Eden replied, tossing his pack on the bunk closest to a port glass window.
"Your enjoyment," said Eeth sternly, "is not what this is about. You will do what you are asked to do."
Eden knew this, and so he remained silent. Who knew, maybe the captain would allow him to do some fishing; he'd always wanted to try that...
It turned out that the cook, a large, burly, bald man called Paris, needed assistance and that was going to be Eden's first job. Eeth was to work in the engine room; maintenance work was going to be carried out while the ship was underway and he was needed for the heavy work of dislodging and setting aside the parts that were to be cleaned and repaired.
Thanks to the flu that had left them short-staffed on the return trip, there was not a full ship to cater for. Still, after peeling his way through two bags of tubers, Eden was not happy about being set to work chopping vegetables and washing grain. He did it, in any case.
Paris didn't talk much but was very good at giving orders and instructing him on what needed to be done. When the boy was finished, he clapped Eden on the back. "Good job. You did that well," he told the kid and sent him to the engine room where they'd probably have him washing parts or assign him to another area.
Eden took his time getting there; he enjoyed the sunshine on the upper deck, the smell of salt in the air and he was in no hurry to arrive below deck. When he arrived, all the men were sans their shirts, and he could see why: they were covered in grease. Eeth was up to his elbows in some machine, another man was standing opposite, but it looked like Eeth was doing most of the actual lifting.
It took a minute for the men to notice Eden. When they did, they immediately asked him to help clean up and polish the greasy and dirt-encrusted engine parts that Eeth and another worker hauled over to him.
"Not a fun job, I know," the headman called Fann, said apologetically. "But we need the machines in working order by tonight. Tomorrow we'll continue our trip towards mainland Haikee, and we'll most likely be in rough waters."
Oh joy, thought Eden, but he did not dare voice that. After a brief explanation from Fann that was entirely in contrary to Paris's patient, well-explained instructions, he got to work. The man was correct; this was not a fun job. The degreaser might work on the engine parts, but it did nothing to dissuade the oil from clinging to his skin. It merely beaded and rolled off, leaving his hands feeling sticky and waxy.
He kept at this for an hour without complaint, but eventually, he wanted to take a break. After all, his patience for such things would only stretch so far, and he was thirsty. Swiping at his forehead with his discarded shirt, the boy stood and looked over to where Eeth was working. They were still pulling parts out. Eden couldn't help but compare himself to the other men. He looked at his dark chest, utterly hairless compared to all of them except Eeth and at best three times smaller. He puffed out his chest, but it did little more than make him look bloated, so he let the air out in a long audible breath.
The men looked around at hearing Eden's sigh. Eeth frowned at him. Fann, however, said: "You can take a short break. It's hot down here. If you're thirsty, there's a water dispenser in the back. Anyway, half an hour more and it'll be time for lunch."
Eden glanced from Fann to Eeth and paused, waiting for a no or something other than a disapproving frowny face. It really was hot in here, roasting hot. They were all sweating, filthy dirty and working far harder than the boy wanted to. 'Surely this is worth more than eighty credits?' he mused as he dipped his hand into some clean water and splashed his face.
Eeth interpreted Eden's hesitation correctly; he nodded at the boy to go ahead. "Come right back, though," he said. After all, they were given free passage in exchange for their work, and that meant that he felt obliged for both of them to give their best effort.
A little while later, they were shown to a shower room where they could clean up before lunch. Lunch itself was eaten under a tent roof on the deck, in a pleasant breeze, with what little was there of the crew.
"We'll have to hire more men in B'tik to make the trip to the mainland," the captain said to Eeth. "From what I heard, you're more than able. Are you interested?"
"No, thank you," Eeth said politely. "We just need to make a purchase at the building site for the new wharf, and then we'll head back to Auwago."
"Alright," said the captain with a sigh.
By the time they sat to eat lunch, Eden was starving, well, not literally but he would argue that if you asked him. He didn't care what it was; he just piled his plate high and, when it was polite to do so, started eating. He spent the first five minutes simply stuffing his face. When his belly began to feel full, he slowed down and listened more attentively to the conversations going on around him. He was both pleased and relieved when Eeth denied the request to stay on and work; he didn't relish the thought of another day of whatever horrors they came up with for him.
After lunch, Eeth and Eden were immediately dragged back to the machine room to continue with the same task as before.
"We are making fantastic speed," said Fann. "If we continue like this, we could be finished tonight. Your boy is really making himself useful, too. Mine would have started complaining long ago."
"He has been raised to be helpful," said Eeth calmly.
Eden had also been raised to expect his ass kicked if he didn't do as he was told, which was probably the main deterrent at work here. This was a shitty job and Eden didn't enjoy doing it. He looked up from his work briefly at Fann's comment and smiled a tiny bit. Had the man said that to truly compliment him? Or to ensure that there wouldn't be complaints starting up? Well, either way, Eden trudged on for another few hours before Paris stuck his head down. "I'll take the boy. He could probably use a break, and we have meals to prepare."
"Thank the GODS whoever they be!" the boy groaned and got to his feet. He swiped his hands on his trousers and wiped his face, the latter leaving a big dark grease line across his cheek. Then he looked to Eeth.
Eeth had just been about to lift a large wheel and fit it into a slot. He paused briefly and nodded at Eden. "Go ahead," he said, "but clean yourself up a little before you enter the kitchen." They would need to wash their clothes that night; they had only packed one set of spare clothes each, after all.
Eden refrained from rolling his eyes; of course he would clean himself up before he went into the kitchen! He didn't want to be told off for being a smartass in front of the men, though, so he kept that to himself.
On the upper deck, there was a large barrel of fresh water. How he wanted to sit in it! Instead, he tossed off his clothing and stood under the open shower. "I'll see you in there. I have to get some of this grease off me," he told Paris who had returned with a clean towel. Eden took his time, not in the actual shower itself because that was timed to preserve their fresh water, but with drying himself. His trousers were filthy dirty, and in hindsight, he should have just kept them on and tried cleaning them while he was washing himself. That would be a trick he would remember for next time. Instead, he wrapped the towel around his waist and made for their cabin. He tossed his clothing in a bucket of water. An entire cake of soap was added to the mix. Then he crashed on the bed. Oh, it felt so good, too! His body practically melted into the soft mattress. What he would not give to stay there for the rest of the day with a good adventure book to read.
"Chop, Chop, kid! We've got work to do," Paris said and clapped his hands loudly in emphasis. He had wondered what was taking Eden so long, but given that he had six children of his own, he suspected that the boy was dragging his feet.
Eden sprang to his feet immediately, almost tangling himself in his towel in the process. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not detected the man's approach. Now that was saying something as Eden was hard to sneak up on. His sense of the Force usually kicked in even if he had not been focused. "Yeah, I was just, just, resting my eyes," he stammered. He quickly pulled some clean clothing from his pack and dressed. He wasn't sure how long he had lied there; it felt like no more than five minutes.
"Sure you were, but we got work to do that requires your eyes right now. You can rest 'em tonight after dinner."
Eden huffed. He'd been working all day!
Paris noticed this and put a comradely arm about his shoulders, his expression slightly amused. Then he led him to the kitchen.
When Eeth came to their cabin to change for dinner several hours later, he was pleased to see that Eden had had the good sense to soak his clothes. He added his own, plus some more water and soap, to the bucket, put on a clean shirt and a pair of pants, and went to look for the boy. He found him helping Paris bring out dinner.
"He looks dead on his feet," Fann remarked good-naturedly. "You should send him to bed after dinner. Not used to all that work, eh?"
"Not quite," said Eeth evenly. "Yes, we should probably turn in early. Unless you need us for something?"
The captain laughed. "No, man, both of you have done more than enough. From what I heard, the main engine is ready to bring us to the mainland and back."
"Yeah, they did a great job," agreed Fann. "Where are you going, anyway?"
"The wharf," said Eeth.
It turned out that Fann had a cousin who owned a speedboat. He promised to see them off tomorrow and ask his cousin whether he'd be willing to let the speedboat to Eeth and Eden.
"Do you need help cleaning up?" Eeth asked Paris when dinner was over, nodding at Eden to gather the dishes while he himself started throwing cutlery into a bucket.
Eden was almost falling asleep in his food. His eyelids were heavy, and he was getting a little whiny. Fortunately, it had not taken more than a few stern looks from Eeth over dinner to quash that, at least so far. He remained silent as the adults talked, happy to eat his food and go back for seconds. He had become fond of Paris, and likewise, the man had come to like his little kitchen hand. They worked well together. The boy was exceptionally good at following instructions, far more than Paris' children. He wondered how Eden's parents had managed to raise such a disciplined child. It was something he planned to ask Eeth if he sent the boy to bed.
Meanwhile, Eden was not living up to his reputation. He groaned at Eeth's orders but obeyed, crankily. "I wanna go to bed," he complained quietly as he collected everyone's plates.
Eeth could sense that the boy was really tired. "You will be allowed to, in a short while," he replied just as quietly. "When the table is cleared. I am willing to do your laundry for you and forego our evening meditation for once, but only if you stop whining this instant."
Eden huffed, putting the dish down a little harder than was strictly necessary. Eeth's offer was a generous one, though, he knew. He also knew that continuing to have a tantrum would probably land him back in the man's bad books, but he was tired and cranky.
Eeth's eyes narrowed, but knowing that Eden was overtired, and given the fact that he had not actually said anything, Eeth did not say anything either. Yet. But the look he gave the boy clearly told him that he was treading on thin ice.
The expression was not lost on the kid, but neither was it appreciated. He had had enough of Eeth's orders for today. Thus, he turned on his heel and stomped back to the table where he gathered the rest of the plates and returned to the sink. "'S'pose you want me to wash these with a toothbrush," he said, annoyed. It was then that he remembered what that brand of sarcasm had earned him last time, and he started washing without further comment.
"Don't worry about that, the rests of us can wash them," Paris interjected, hoping to ease the situation and perhaps save the kid from digging himself any deeper with Eeth. He wasn't a narky boy, as a rule, Paris could tell that, but being overtired didn't agree with him.
"Thank you," Eeth said quietly. He was inclined to take Eden up on his toothbrush suggestion, but he was not really keen on raising a scene in front of the staff who had been friendly and grateful for their help. Therefore, he grabbed Eden by the arm and dragged him into the corridor. As soon as they had left the mess, he turned the boy around, bent him forward against the wall and administered two solid swats to his backside. "I know you are tired and I am making allowances for that," he said sternly. "But continue like this and you will find yourself doing the laundry, instead of going to bed. You need to learn to control yourself. Am I understood?"
Eden could tell from the expression on Eeth's face that he'd probably crossed the line, and sure enough, as soon as they entered the corridor, he found himself facing the wall. His expression was piteous as were his quiet "ow's." It had not been swats of the teeth-rattling sort, but Force, the man had a hand on him like a rock. He sniffled, he couldn't help it, and swiped at his face with the back of his hand. He was acting like a baby he knew. "Yes, Sir," was all he said. He just hoped Eeth wouldn't give him any more.
"Good," Eeth said firmly. "Then get ready for bed. I will be in shortly."
He returned to the mess to help put away the dishes and exchange a few more words with Fann about the boat they might be able to rent. He hoped that by the time he returned to their cabin, Eden would be in bed. Eeth was a little tired himself; he was used to physical activity, but today's work had been extremely hard even on him. Still, he was planning on washing both their clothes before he turned in.
If Eden's bottom lip stuck out any further, the boy would be sure to fall over it. He rubbed his backside, muttering about the unfairness of this all and how Eeth was a tyrant all the way back to his bunk. When he got there, he fell on his bed. Of course, he had every intention of getting up, changing into sleep pants, brushing his hair and teeth, all those things he knew he ought to be doing right now, but the best-laid plans of mice and padawans… He was out like a light, face down and fully clad.
Meanwhile, Paris was busy doing the dishes while Fann was drying and putting them away. "Good boy you got there, even if he is a might cranky. He all right?" the man asked when Eeth entered.
"I sent him off to bed," Eeth said evenly. "He is used to helping out, but not as much and as heavy work as he did today. Thus, he was tired. However, I am sure he will live."
"Yeah, sure he will," replied Fann.
"He's not a typical kid," Paris mentioned conversationally.
"Neither are you typical, for that matter," added Fann, his expression curious but not imposing. If their new companions were more than they chose to disclose, that was up to them, after all.
"We come from Coruscant," Eeth replied simply. "Children grow up faster there; they need to. And we both come from families of former slaves. We have always known that we need to work harder than others to achieve something." That last bit, of course, was a blatant lie. Eeth had learned it from his master and found that it often satisfied people's curiosity under similar circumstances.
Eeth's answer was good enough for Fann and Paris. They continued to clean up for a while longer, their conversation light and focusing on the following day's workload.
Eeth entered the cabin and found Eden fast asleep in his clothes. He had half a mind to wake him; but then, the boy had already changed before dinner and besides, he had been overtired. Therefore, he gently shifted Eden so that the boy could breathe freely, covered him with a blanket and let him sleep. After a lengthy meditation, he turned in himself. They would both need their strength for tomorrow. It might be another demanding day.
Eden slept the sleep of the dead, barely moving all night. He woke the next morning, drool on his pillow and mouth gaping. God, was it morning already? Okay, so it was... unless Eeth was afraid of the dark and slept with the light on? He did not think that was the case, so he squinted his good eye. Nope, it was definitely morning. The boy groaned and threw his feet over the side of his bed. He couldn't quite focus yet, but he did not sense Eeth's presence in their room. He wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the day ahead. It was going to be a tough journey. But neither was he keen on earning himself any more reminders about his duty from Eeth. Force, that man had a hand on him like a board, he thought, getting to his feet and scratching his ass.
Eeth had risen earlier, performed his morning meditation and gone outside to fetch the laundry that he had hung out to dry last night. When he came back in, Eden was just exiting the refresher. "Good morning," Eeth said, giving him a small smile. "I have been told that we will arrive within an hour. I assume that you will be glad to leave this ship. The crew have been quite impressed with the work you did yesterday, though."
Eden gave the man a slight bow in way of greeting and then sat on his bed to pull on his boots. He still wasn't quite awake yet. "I'm glad we don't have another day of that. Aren't you sore, even a bit?" Eden wanted to know. His own back was a bit sore from crouching for hours, but he was surprised to find he was otherwise fine. Eeth, on the other hand, had spent hours busting his ass lugging huge metal parts.
Eeth shook his head. "It was demanding, even on me," he replied, "but I am used to the physical exercise. Here is your laundry. Pack up and let us do a very quick morning meditation. Paris prepared some breakfast for us. As soon as we arrive, Fann is taking us to see his cousin. Let us just hope he does not ask more for his speedboat than we can afford."
"I'm used to it, too, my master is always torturing me with physical exercise. Granted, he is not as intense as you have been these last few days," the boy admitted. He stood from the bed, stretched tall and moved to sit where bade.
Like the last few times they'd meditated, Eden linked with the man and immediately dropped his shields, flooding him with a torrent of pent-up frustration, anxiety, fear – all the things that he forced himself to push down until he had time to deal with them. The deluge of emotions would have overwhelmed anything Force sensitive within a mile of their ship, had Eeth not shielded and channelled it. Once the flood was starting to ebb a little, Eden started to sort through what was left himself. Jay had been teaching him to do this but given that it was Force work, and therefore not his top priority right now, he had not focused on it; Eden would pick that up fast enough when his other skills were at least acceptable. Also, at eleven years old, his stressors were relatively mild, and when they weren't, he had help to deal with them.
When Eeth signalled that they stop, Eden opened his eyes. "Thanks. You're pretty good at that," he said. He got to his feet, feeling far calmer than before. Eeth was probably right: missing out on this sort of joint meditations too often during this mission was not a good idea for him.
"You are welcome," Eeth said, not entirely sure how to respond to Eden's compliment. He did not understand compliments. Of course he was good. There were few Force-related techniques that he was not good at. That did not mean he considered himself perfect, not by a long shot; he knew there were a lot of things he needed to work on, and dealing with people was one of them. Well, he was getting good practice during this mission, that much was certain.
