Ready to Roll

Present

Kaite Windrider walked through the academy corridors without paying much heed to others who passed her. Actually, instead of walking, it could be better to describe Kaite as storming her way through the academy. For one, Kaite was feeling rather irritated that her master had not contacted her even once throughout the entire time, and in fact, her master did not say a word when she suddenly disappeared.

Kaite knew that her master was like that, being very random and sudden, but it did not help Kaite's rage. And no one wanted to be in Kaite's way. Kaite, after joining the Jedi Order, began her training under Jaden's watchful eye. As Jaden had reported, Kaite had a strong, and unusual connection to the Force.

Being born on Korriban, she had a natural compatibility with Force powers from the dark side, which even manifested in new forms. Luke had admitted that in all of the Jedi records, he had never heard of the Force used to manipulate the elements of nature. Yet Kaite was able to manipulate fire and wind, though it wasn't as clear on how she could control it.

Kaite as well, was weary to use it. Once, she accidently set herself on fire. But Kaite was a dedicated and hard-working student. Many would have scorned or looked down on her for being strong in dark force powers, but it was hard to doubt her actual skills. Being the pupil of Jaden also meant Kaite learnt the different uses of the lightsaber.

Though Kaite had yet to beat her master, she had trained vigorously for the three years, and was eventually granted the title of 'Blademaster', by Luke Skywalker, though she was still considered a padawan. Kiate was quite sure that the Grand Master was behind 'convincing' the council to bestow such a title on her.

Being a 'Blademaster', Kaite had six lightsabers dangling on her belt, and a staff saber on the back of her belt. Each of her sabers were personally constructed and light weight, allowing her to use each saber with ease. And it also prevented her belt from dropping too low. Kaite's dressing had not differed too much from her master's, being mostly dark colours. Having a long sleeved tunic, and robes over.

She had biking gloves, after she won a swoop race during one of her missions with Jaden, long pants, and high boots, since her missions with Jaden tended to end them up waist deep in some strange gunk. But she had matured well over the years, and people were beginning to say that her beauty would be able to rival her master's, though in Kaite's mind her master had the beauty that no one could surpass.

Kaite had adopted her master's hair style, though kept it longer, instead of her master's hair length which only went a little pass the shoulders. Kaite's hair was long enough to reach her waist, but she tied it up into a tail, following her master's style, though Jaden only tied her hair up on certain occasions, or when she felt like it.

Kaite finally reached her master's quarters, and the door slid open before her. Stepping inside, Kaite immediately saw her master in her 'relaxed' position, leaning back in her chair, legs up on the table, a heavy liquor in one hand and her eyes closed.

"... Master."

Kaite spoke up, making Jaden open one eye, before opening both eyes.

"Kaite... good of you to show up."

"What do you mean by that? Did you know how long you've made me worried?"

"Two weeks, four days, six hours, twenty minutes and fifteen seconds."

Jaden replied non-chalantly, taking another swing from her bottle.

"That's beside the point! Why didn't you contact me at least once?"

"You're a grown girl, i don't need to hold your hand every passing second, do i? Anyway, there was something that needed my attention immediately, so i left without even packing extra clothes... i need a bath."

Jaden took a sniff off her black tunic, and cringed her nose in slight disgust. Kaite heaved a sigh. Her master was one, but the Grand Master had to be another. Whenever Jaden would disappear on her own, Kaite would go ask the grand master where she went, though the only answers they had every receive from Master Skywalker, were 'She has things which she has to finish on her own', or give a chuckle that bordered very closely to an evil snigger.

"Anyway, take a look at this."

Jaden tossed a datapad onto her table. Kaite walked up to her master's desk, and picked up the datapad, scrolling through the information it held.

"This is..."

"Our next target."

Jaden simply answered, taking another swing from her bottle. For the past two years, Jaden and Kaite were constantly hunting down remenants of the Imperial fleet who survived the battle above Tatooine five years ago, either by not participating in the battle in the first place, or managing to escape the new Republic forces. There were also the dangerous dark Jedi, left-overs from Tavion's reborn troops.

However whenever Jaden and Kaite go hunting these dark Jedi, Kaite would notice her master's anticipation, and then despair. As though Jaden was hoping to find someone amongst the dark Jedi they fought. Besides fighting these, they went to different planets, dealing with wanted criminals, finding people, transporting goods, escorting people, the normal things Jedi do.

Once, Kaite accompanied Jaden when the latter was to meet and escort a famous figure to Coruscant. A certain Leia Organa Solo. The Grand Master was also present during that time. Besides the normal things, and hunting down left over fanatics, the Grand Master had also tasked the Jedi with collecting all Holocrons they would come across when out of the academy.

Both Jedi and Sith. And there was one more disturbing news that was going around. About a new Sith army being built. While Master Skywalker has not yet talked about it in public, Kaite could see Jaden and some other Masters already planning routes, and getting Jedi Knights to scout areas.

Kaite knew that Jaden chose certain planets to search for clues about this news, as evident on how they keep stopping by planets and leaving empty handed. Kaite looked at the datapad once more, her eyes trying to make sense of what she was reading.

".... Hoth?"

"Yes. A snow-bound planet. Many years ago it served as a vital base for the rebellion against the Galactic Empire, and after that, i went there to find clues on Tavion. Now, it is possible that we may find the answers which we need."

"... I understand why the Imperial troops would want to go there, since it does have a good place to hide, but why would the Sith hide there as well? If i remembered what you told me about Tavion, then shouldn't the base be void of all Force powers?"

"Force powers can return to a place eventually, if given enough time. And besides, whenever you find storm troopers, you find Sith."

Kaite found it hard to accept the logic of finding Sith next to stormtroopers, but she somehow did agree. Whenever they run into a Sith or Reborn, there would most definitely be Storm troopers.

"Alright.... but a Holocron?"

"Well, that is something that may, or may not be real. It was just some rumour i managed to... talk... out of someone."

By 'talk', Jaden meant force the answer out of someone. Jaden and Luke seemed to be similar in that they both seem to have hidden dark sides.

"... Do you hope to find something out of this?"

Jaden stopped, with the bottle inches from her lips, staring at her student with an odd look. She then put the bottle on the desk, and swung her legs off the desk.

"Aren't we all?"

Jaden got up, and picked up her black robes, putting them back on.

"Master?"

"I just need to talk with the council. We leave in two hours time."

Kaite Windrider patiently waited for her master in the Jedi academy's hangar, outside her master's personal ship. While most Jedi flew small crafts, like Headhunters, or X-wings, or A-wings, or whatever, Jaden had a small fleet. Jaden Korr has, in fact, a cruiser, a destroyer, and a freighter. But since the hangar of the academy can only fit so many, only the freighter was docked on the planet. Jaden's cruiser, the Truth, was in orbit around the planet, and maintained by three droids.

Her destroyer, the Dominion, was listed to be in Coruscant's ship yard, under-going repairs after Jaden had decided to take it through an asteroid belt to chase down a freighter of bandits. Well, the bandits were killed by an asteroid they couldn't avoid, but the Dominion was damaged to point it could hardly move after it jumped to lightspeed to Coruscant.

Back to Yavin IV, Jaden's Freighter, the Visage, is by no mean a small ship. It was considered a titan among most freighter type ships. The Visage was used to carry goods and things Jaden would find back to the Academy, while the Truth was her real transport. Kaite had her own ship, a small fighter, a modified X-wing which Jaden somehow managed to 'get' at a 'discounted price'.

A sort of present when Kaite was awarded the title of 'blademaster'. Kaite had called it 'Fury', much to some of the other Jedis' uneasiness, and it was currently in the hangar of the Truth, with three more ships. Two of which were unusual ships. One was trident in shape, and the other being arrow-head. Kaite could not find such ships in the Republic's network, and so thought of them to be Jaden's prototype ships, since her master was good at mechanics.

A poor cook, but a genius mechanic and engineer. Each of Jaden's ships, including her fighters, were modified heavily, and had capabilities that far surpassed any other ship of the same class. As for where Jaden got the parts? Kaite did not know. But she did know that Jaden was fond of going salvaging through the giant scrap yards of Raxus Prime, and also visiting a giant graveyard of ships, just out in orbit of Tatooine. It would probably be there where Jaden would get all of the best parts for her ship, since Kaite had noticed that the ships in that area were very new. From the war five years ago.

Master Skywalker had said nothing about Jaden's mad salvaging, and also nothing on her choice of ships. It should also be noted that while Kaite had only been on the Dominion once, it was large enough to house three cruisers, a hundred fighters, and over a thousand people. She never really got to see the hangar of the destroyer, but Jaden assured her that there were fighters in its hangar. Jaden had an army, but no troops.

Maybe except for Kaite, who wasn't too good behind the stick of any ship, which would explain why she rarely leaves on her own without her master. She can fly her Fury well enough to get her around, but not good enough to enter a fight, or chase anyone. So what Kaite does normally in the ships, while Jaden took the controls, was to train, and to cook. The last time Jaden cooked for Kaite, some weird odd black rock was dumped on Kaite's plate.

Maybe Jaden knew how to cook, but Kaite rather not let her master practice. Kaite looked up, as her master came strolling into the hangar, with a hovercraft with a mountain of cases and bags. Jaden also had a large bag slung over her shoulder. The two droids in-charge of the Visage had more cases and odd bags, following closely behind Jaden, who was chewing on some sort of stick.

Kaite noted that her master, known to be one of the most powerful Jedi in the academy, and therefore the Order, was also one of the most eccentric, and unusual Jedi around. Jedi Master Kyle Katarn was another, but he was more 'normal' than Jaden, who would fit perfectly as a crime lord, or as the new hutt.

"Waited long?"

Jaden smiled, dropping the large bag on her shoulder onto the floor.

"TK-03, HR-64, load these up and check the systems on the Visage."

Jaden ordered her droids, and they mindless went off to their jobs without a word. The droids on the Visage may be mindless, since they were designed to constantly handle goods and supplies, but the droids on the Truth and the Dominion were anything but mindless. Colourful character, was what Jaden had replied to Kaite's question when the young girl first met the droids. Sure, colourful.

"I hope you packed in some warm clothing."

Jaden turned to her student, who passed her bag to one of the droids to load it onto the ship.

"I did, though even if i didn't, i'm sure you would have something in those bags that would fit me."

Jaden laughed at her student's sarcastic comment, but it was true. Jaden really doted on her student, a little too fondly. If ever Kaite were in trouble, or missing something, or worrying over something, Jaden would fly fast and straight to her. While Kaite liked the attention, she did think it was being excessive. Of course, Jaden wasn't always the kind teacher, or motherly figure. At times, she can be as scary as ten Rancors chasing you down for lunch.

"Well, let's not waste time. Come on."

The two boarded the Visage, and immediately headed for the cockpit. Kaite knew that it was going to be a long journey, since Jaden was stocking the Visage with things. Hoth wasn't their only destination.

"... You're right, Hoth isn't our only stop. We're going to be out of the academy for a bit."

Kaite turned to Jaden, who was flipping switches and checking the status of the ship. She didn't like when her master read her thoughts. Or more like emotions. Kaite had learnt to hide her thoughts and emotions, burying them deep, or not showing them at all, though her master had a strange ability to always sense everything. Truly a master.

"You're making me blush, so stop."

"I'm sorry."

Jaden stopped her checks and turned to her student. Jaden smiled, and patted her student's head.

"Don't need to be. Oh yes, i need to inform you about something."

"Yes?"

Kaite looked up as Jaden turned back to the controls.

"It seems the Solo twins would be joining us after our Hoth mission."

"Really??"

Kaite's eyes lit up with excitement and anticipation. Jaden simply laughed her student's suddenly change of expression.

"We're going to meet up with princess Leia Organa Solo and master Skywalker on Coruscant, before going to Tatooine."

"Hmm... what about Lord Solo?"

Jaden's arched her eyebrow at that. Only Kaite would so casually say 'lord Solo'. But Jaden knew who she was talking about.

"...'Han Solo', is on Tatooine with Chewbacca. Apparently something has happened and we're going to escort master Skywalker and the Solo family there. Kyle is also meeting us there."

"Master Katarn as well?"

"Yes... He's bringing Mara Jade along."

Jaden's eyes flicker with slight anticipation. Kaite knew that her master had an interesting relationship with that Mara Jade. A sort of playful one, both trying to gain master Katarn's attention, and when he gave up or got irritated, the two would laugh and or run away. It was an interesting thing to see, but somehow Kaite would become embarrassed of her own master. But still, why was there a need for so many Jedi to converge onto Tatooine?

"... We'll see when we get there."

Kaite nodded, and strapped into her seat, while silently wishing her master would really stop reading her emotions. Unknown to her, her master also silently wished she couldn't read emotions.