3,628 BBY
Rena, Kodai
"I was dreaming again."
"So I heard last night. You were making quite a racket yelling and hollering in that whatchacallit language, ah, mango or something like that." Kell waved his spoon around as he spoke, occasionally pointing it in his co-pilot's direction to emphasize a point. "If you want my advice, go into port today and find yourself a medical facility that comes with a psych droid. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and maybe 20 or 30 creds."
Dolan glared at Kell from under his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right? Psych droid? Besides, who's going to help load the shipment when it arrives?"
Kell laughed, shook his head, then laughed again and took another bite out of his breakfast before replying. "The drop-off crew. Plus I can always rent a few 'lifter droids if it's absolutely necessary. 'Sides, the shipment isn't due to arrive until this evening at the earliest, plenty of time to get out and get help."
Frowning at the choice of words, Dolan sighed. "How about this: I pay a visit to an herbalist I know in this city, she gives me some wonderful drugs that'll keep me from dreaming at night. You get your peace and quiet, and get to keep my self-respect. Plus it's a lot cheaper."
"It's just a suggestion; you don't have to take it so personally." Kell took a drink of his tea and sighed, leaning back in his chair. "All I'm trying to say, Dolan, is that it would be in both of our best interests if you did something to control those dreams."
Absently nodding, Dolan pushed the few remaining uneaten chunks of egg around his plate. "They won't go away that easily. I don't even know if they're dreams or not. More like… memories than dreams."
"Memories? What kind of memories could have you yelling all night in mango?"
"Mando'a. It's called Mando'a." Dolan replied, slightly exasperated, "and it's not dead yet, there's still at least one clan left that speaks it. Besides, if I told you, you'd tell me I've been watching too many bad holo dramas." He speared one of the pieces of egg and ate it, then pointed his fork at Kell. "I still have some dignity left about me."
With a sharp bark of laughter, Kell shook his index finger at Dolan. "No you don't. You lost that on Taris when you..."
Dolan cut him off sharply. "You promised me you'd never bring that up again."
"My apologies," Kell said, holding his hands up in surrender, grinning broadly. "Still, I want to hear about whatever it is that gets you so riled up at night. Even if it is caused by bad holos…"
He never finished his sentence; the intercom the cockpit loudly interrupted him, signaling an incoming transmission. Kell jumped to his feet and dashed off to answer it. His co-pilot shook his head and finished his food, then rising and taking the plate and glass to the reclamation unit and dumping them in.
"Dolan! Get up to the cockpit now!" Kell's voice cut over the intercom. Dolan blinked at stared up at the speaker, he couldn't remember the last time Kell had gotten so worked up over any message they got.
After dumping Kell's dishes into the reclamation unit, he hit the comm button on the wall. "What is it?"
"Just get up here now."
"On my way." Dolan punched off the intercom and quickly left the common room, heading forward to the short stairway leading up to the cockpit. "What is it?"
Kell thumped the display screen in the lower center of the Far Star's main control board. "See for yourself. I've half a mind to register a formal complaint with the Cooperative over this."
Dolan scoffed, "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Then he read the message and his own expression grew dark. "They can't be serious."
"We'll find out soon enough. I sent a request for confirmation to the sector office. It'll take a few hours, so if you have something to do in the city, you'd best get it done quickly. If they are serious, we'll have to leave right away." The aging pilot grumbled and thumped the screen again. "And the Durminovs were going to have Nareena and I over for Republic Day too."
Kell turned to look wistfully out of the transparisteel canopy at the dark clouds rolling in off the sea. "Even if we don't have to leave right away, better make it quick. Looks like a nasty storm coming in."
He had rested a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder before turning and going to his cramped room on the freighter. Touching a control panel, Dolan extended his sleeping pad from the wall and sat down on it, pulling open a drawer as he did so. From within the drawer he withdrew an unfortunately well-used blaster in an worn leather holster, glowstick, datapad, and a seamless wood box covered in elaborate carvings. Setting the box down almost reverently next to himself, he buckled the blaster around his waist, checking that the gun wasn't caught on anything and would come out swiftly if needed.
With a heavy sigh he stood and opened the small closet next to the drawers, taking his long brown coat out and slipping it on. The datapad and glowstick went into the left pocket, and while he was at it, Dolan checked to make sure he still had his credchip and comlink in their belt pouches. They were there. Satisfied he had everything after one last careful patting down, he turned his attention to the wood box.
Picking it up, he held it clasped in both hands and touched the small face of the rectangular box to his forehead. The carvings on the surface were reassuringly warm to the touch, and whispered to his fingers of times long ago, before his days as co-pilot of the Far Star.
"Someday I'll find you." He whispered to the box as he lowered it. "Someday I'll remember. But keep sleeping for now."
The words were barely audible, and after a last look at the box, he tucked it back into the drawer, sliding it shut and sealing it. Dolan trusted Kell, he really did, but he couldn't risk Kell finding that box. Not yet. Maybe in a couple more years he could share that part of his past, but not yet.
"Kell, I'm going out, should be back in a few hours. Buzz me if you need anything before then." Dolan spoke into the intercom in his room.
"Alright. With any luck the crates will be here and loaded by the time you get back so we can start towards Ord Cantrell tonight."
"Sounds good." Touching the intercom off, Dolan glanced around his room once more to make sure everything was in its place, then opened the door and made his way to the loading ramp and out into the bustling streets of Rena.
- - - - - -
There's a hole in the wall
With a light shining in
And it's letting me know to get up
It's time to begin