for every 17 year old girl who's ever had a screaming fight with her momma but still knows that momma loves her and wants what's best for her. and stretching my Mando'a muscles again. i will be conversational in Mando'a by the end of this story.
The three of them sat in Padme's livingroom staring at nothing. Soniee was sure that the others, like herself were just waiting for another comm to come, for someone to tell them that it had been a misunderstanding or some sort of cruel joke. None of them believed that Ahsoka could possibly have killed that woman.
Suddenly Lux stood up making the two women jump. "I really should go," he said. Soniee could sense that he just had to be doing something. He couldn't sit still any longer. "Please let me know if you hear anything?"
Padme nodded. "Of course."
Then before he left he looked back, "Soniee, if I don't see you before then, I'll be looking forward to your party or gathering or what ever it's supposed to be."
"You think that will still happen?" She asked.
"Oh if I know Palpatine, he's not going to let a little thing like murder deter his plans." Padme said rather coldly.
"Then I'll see you there." Soniee tried to smile at Lux but it probably came out more like a grimace.
"Good day." He nodded once more to both of them and then left.
"Not much good about it." Soniee mumbled after they had sat in silence for a few more minutes.
Padme agreed sadly. "No, there's not."
And then Soniee couldn't sit still any longer, either. "Padme, is it alright if I send a comm?"
"What?" she asked distractedly. "Oh, oh yes, of course. Just... if another comm tries to come through let me know right away."
"Of course." She ran quickly to the guest room to grab her helmet and then to the room devoted to the holotable and closed the door behind her for privacy.
She should have figured out how to place this comm while the Academy was on lockdown or at least when the network came back on-line. She should have tried again when all the instructors and cadets were sent home from the Academy and she and the others had asked to stay. She could have at least commed to tell that she had made it to Coruscant safely especially after the news that the Academy had been bombed. But after their argument the night of the play, Momma Ordo was the very last person who Soniee wanted to speak to.
She knew Ordo'Buir was probably worried sick about her and she paced beside the table for a full 5 minutes trying to figure out what she was going to say before she finally tapped in the code for Momma's garage. She had no idea what time it was on Concord Dawn. Maybe Momma wouldn't be there and she could just leave a message.
Almost as soon as she had activated the comm, however the image and voice of Veeka Ordo appeared, "Yep. What can I do for..." A wrench clanged on the duracreet floor. "Soniee? Son'ika, Su cuy'gar!" Soniee knew that her mother really meant the literal 'You're still alive!' translation rather than just a generic hello.
Soniee's eyes began to fill with tears and her chin wobbled. "I am Ordo'Buir." No matter what they had argued about it was still overwhelming to see her adopted mother again, wearing her coveralls, wiping grease from her hands with a cloth. Soniee wished she could throw her arms around the woman and be hugged in return rather than just look through the blue holo image projected over the table.
"Where have you been? You're calling from..." Soniee knew she was looking at the data read-out for the origin of the call. "Coruscant? And what are you wearing?"
Soniee looked down she didn't even remember what it was. "I went to a funeral. I borrowed the dress. It's a long story really."
"Well I want to hear it, Son'ika. Every bit." She pulled over a stool and sat looking expectant.
Soniee took a deep breath. "Alright." And she began to tell the story.
Only once did Momma interrupt, "Is that Kryze boy there with you?"
"No, Momma, I don't know where he is."
"I still don't like the idea of..."
"I love him!" Soniee asserted stubbornly.
But Veeka was just as adamant. "Son'ika, I'm only trying to protect you. If he ever found out..."
"He knows what I am, Buir. He's known for a long time. He doesn't hate me or fear me or want to use me. He loves me. He asked me to marry him."
"Son'ika, you're too young to be thinking about..."
"Ni dar'adiik, Buir!" I'm no longer a child, Mother! She yelled and then took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "Chancellor Palpatine has named me as the Representative to the Galactic Senate for the system of Mandalore. I've already made an official address to the Jedi Council and tomorrow I have a meeting with Prime Minister Almec about my official position."
Her mother was speechless.
"I haven't just been kissing boys and acting in plays at the Academy. They taught me some useful things too."
"I- I'm sorry, Soniee. I know that." Veeka swallowed. "Part of me will always think of you as that ad'ika I pulled out of the freighter wreckage. It- I think it's wonderful all the things you've accomplished." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Maybe I just hoped you'd come back home from the Academy and join me working here. Guess I never had much hope of that, you up there in Sundari learning about senates and politics and all that, with the nephew of a Duchess. Always knew you were meant for bigger things."
"Buir, I..." Soniee let her own tears fall unchecked. "I kind of wish I could just come back home and fix ships. Everything is so big here, so complicated, and I'm so afraid that I'll get it wrong. My friend Amis died and the Duchess and I couldn't be with Korkie to comfort him and now I have no idea where he is and I miss him so much."
"Oh my dear Son'ika. Tell me what I can do to help. I can..." Veeka looked around the garage as if the answer might present itself. "I can come there and be with you if you wish or or I can try to search for your Korkie."
"Could you, Buir?" Soniee brightened, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I don't know if they captured him or if he's in hiding but I know he's alive. I know it. I can sense it."
"You must really love him if you can sense him all the way from there."
"I do, Buir. Ni kar'tayl kaysh!" I know him! She used the word because 'to know' was stronger even than 'to love' in their Mandalorian culture. And she did know him, like she had never known anyone before or ever. It didn't matter if they were only 17. Soniee would never feel about anyone else the way she felt about Korkie.
"I'll find him then." Veeka assured her. "I have contacts in Keldabe and Sundari with MandalMotors. You said you flew a Kom'rk to Coruscant?"
"Two hyperjumps." Soniee smiled. "It was so good to be in the cockpit of one of those again."
Veeka smiled proudly. "Maybe I can track down your boy through the owner of the ship."
"Vor entye, Ordo'Buir!" Thank you, Momma Ordo.
"Aliit darasuum, Son'ika!" Family always, little Soniee.
"Oh I wanted to show you my new buy'ce." Soniee lifted her helmet to show off the Ordo symbol painted on the crown. "Aliit darasuum."
Veeka could only smile. Then she kissed her fingers and held them up. Soniee did the same, reaching out to touch the holoimage.
When the comm ended, Soniee felt better than she had in days. She had made up her fight with, Momma Ordo and Momma was going to search for Korkie. She couldn't wait to tell Padme but when she opened the door to the livingroom the first thing she saw was two people kissing. One of them was Padme but the other...
Quickly Soniee shut the door again but she left it open just a crack. She couldn't help herself. She had to know what was going on.
"Anakin," Padme said when the two broke apart. "You can't think she's guilty of this?"
Anakin? Soniee thought. Not Master Anakin Skywalker? But then he spoke and it couldn't be anyone else.
"I'm positive she didn't have anything to do with the bombing but she was so angry at Letta and that she'd been moved out of Jedi jurisdiction. Ahsoka wanted revenge and - and that holorecording from the cell. She was the only one in the room when the woman was choked with the Force."
"What does Ahsoka say happend?" Padme asked.
"She says she didn't do it, that someone is setting her up and ... I believe her."