Chapter 19

Haara was waiting in the hangar when the Nova Wolf and Whistling Comet touched down. She had been sitting in one of the open top speeders for the past two days, only leaving to get food as she waited for Xan's safe return. Now she sprung from her seat, suppressed joy coming to the surface as she ran across the smooth ferrocrete floor to where the Wolf sat. The boarding ramp gave off a hiss as it began to lower, Xan was already on his way down while it was still moving. His shoulders slumped as a sin of fatigue and he wore a flight suit that she'd never seen him in before, but it was him, and he was in one piece. Haara said nothing as she ran to him, and threw her arms around him.

"Where have you been?" She asked kissing his neck softly.

"Around." Xan answered, that was him, no matter how tired or run down he had a sarcastic answer for everything.

"I thought something had happened to all of you when you didn't come back on time."

"The Rebels were attacked while we were there, but we're all back in one piece." Xan answered.

Haara pulled back for a moment. "Did you have to fight them?" She asked.

"We didn't have a choice." Xan answered, lacking his usual defensive tone.

"That's ok, I always wanted to marry a Rebel hero." She smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Tomorrow." Xan said. "We all need some rest."

"That's alright, I want you to look perfect for the holos tomorrow."

•••

Xan woke up the next morning, alone and inexplicably refreshed. Haara was off preparing for the wedding, taking the hours of preparation time that women needed to get ready for major events. She and Rydell's mother had gone and bought a dress at one of the local stores, so it was guaranteed to be expensive. For the lack of anything better Xan put on his IPEC dress uniform.

It was a small ceremony as most of the people who Xan would have liked to invite could no longer be trusted. And because Haara's parents no longer liked Xan because of his abandonment of the Academy. The only people to witness the actual ceremony were the IPECer and Rydell's mother. Rydell was the best man, with Noo-gin giving away Haara because her parents refused to come to Katal.

There was small dinner afterward, not at all how Xan or Haara had envisioned their wedding when they were younger, but none of that mattered. They were with friends, and very much in love with each other, so nothing mattered except that they were finally joined together, a kiss and it was all finished. They hadn't planned a honeymoon in the haste in which they got married, nor was it practical. On any of the civilized resort planets Xan would still be recognized by some being who would turn him into the authorities. Besides, the Artell ranch was a more than adequate location, with amenities that rivaled even the best of or Coruscant.

"Where's Mar?" Xan asked Rydell when he realized that he hadn't seen her in a long time.

"I don't know." Rydell shrugged. "I don't remember seeing her at the ceremony."

"Erh, I think I saw her go to the hangar. She's, erh probably broken hearted." Noo-gin offered.

"Right, well I better go find her." Xan said and heaved himself out of the chair at the head of the table. "I'll be right back." He said to his bride, seated next to him.

Noo-gin went with him, and offered him a thick cigara as they walked. It was a good one too, one of the last few that Noo-gin had left over from his homeworld. They smoked together as they walked, and Xan realized that this was Noo-gin trying to thank him for going back for him. The cigara fell out of Xan's mouth when they entered the hangar and there was a big empty space where the Comet should have been.

"A5!" Xan shouted at the top of his lungs. "A5 where is Mar?" He shouted again. The droid sped around a pile of fuel drums, and rambled in its squeely, clicky, electronic language. Rydell had come to find them by the time A5 had started playing the recording.

A quarter size image of Marnist floated in the air. She was crying as she began to speak. "I'm sorry Xan but I can't stay around now that you and Haara are married. You know I care about and I always will, and I know that you care about me to. I'm leaving because no good can come from my staying, because I know I would eventually come between you and your wife. I just want you and Haara to be happy, and that stands a better chance of happening without me here.

"I want to thank you and Rydell for all the things you two did for me, giving me a place to stay, and getting me into the Academy, and especially teaching me to pilot a ship. By now I'm to far away for you to catch me, and I know you didn't put a tracker on the Comet. Don't try following me, you'll just waist you time as I don't even know where I'm going." Even through the astro droids speakers Xan could detect the resigned tone in which Mar had been speaking. "I took the Comet because you have the Nova Wolf now, don't worry Xan I'll take good care of her. Now I must say good bye Xan. I'm sorry. I'll always love you."

Xan said nothing as the image flickered and then disappeared. Mar was gone, and it was all because of Haara. Mar had been the only other person that Xan could trust without a reason of a doubt, and now she was light years away, and there was no way of finding her. She had been his spotter, his co-pilot, his friend, and more. Now she was gone, to probably never see him again.

All of the sudden Xan was empty, the same feeling that had hit him when his father had been exiled, and this time it was on his wedding day. Mar had been the first person that Xan could trust besides Rydell, and now she was gone. Xan's mouth gapped open as a tear rolled down his cheek, she was gone. Gone. Mar was only sixteen standard years old now, and she was venturing off into the Galaxy on her own. He would never see her again, he new it.

Xan became aware of the hand on his shoulder. It was Rydell. Rydell would never abandon him. "I'm sure she'll come back." Rydell said, knowing it was what Xan wanted to hear.

"No she won't." Xan answered pessimistically, but it was the truth.

"Xan, I had a job for you." Rydell began, "But if you don't feel up to it I'm sure someone else can handle it."

"No. I'll go." Xan answered.

"I'll be your spotter." Noo-gin volunteered.

"No!" Xan snapped. "From now on I work alone."

"Come on. I'll give you a briefing and all the information that the Vigo gave me. We've got to plan."

THE END

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