Getting Korkie all caught up to the present and he's not going to like it very much. This takes place during the chapters "Udesii" through "Fox plays with fire" with special attention to Soniee reaching out to him in "Representative Ordo" and poor Korkie knowing that something is wrong with her leading up to and during the party.
It was almost two full standard days later before Korkie felt Soniee reach out to him again and he worried about her almost constantly during that time. Bo-Katan left Gran's after only a day. Lagos teased him that it was because she was sick of his constant questions about if she had found a way to contact Soniee. He was sure it had something to do with the Night Owls. They wouldn't remain idle when there was so much at stake.
He could also tell that Lagos longed to be with them. Bo had accepted her among their ranks, but his fellow cadet seemed to be as much a captive in Gran's house as he was. Maybe Bo had just set her the task of minding him.
Working on his beskar'gam was a welcome distraction and while they worked Gran drilled them on the ancient tenants of the Mando'ade. They had learned all of it before but much of the warrior culture was treated as only history in their New Mandalorian Academy training. Gran made the old stories seem alive and relevant to their current situation.
Still, in every free moment Korkie thought of Soniee. He wondered what she was doing, what she was seeing. Sometimes he just ached to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her in his arms. He wondered if these particular sensations were part of their connection, if perhaps she was thinking of him, too. He didn't even allow himself to ponder the idea that she might be kissing or being held by someone else. It was too preposterous to even consider.
And then one afternoon Bo came back, not with members of the Night Owls but holding the hand of a toddler, a little girl with blond pigtails and her thumb in her mouth. Gran brightened at the sight of the child and laid down the chest plate she was shaping. "Sabine!"
The little girl ran to hug her.
Bo-Katan smiled. It was a softer smile than Korkie had yet seen on her face. "She was happy with Clan Wren but she wanted to come and see her Gran."
"Who is she?" Korkie whispered to Lagos who shrugged.
Bo answered him. "She's your cousin. You think your mother was the only one with secrets?"
"Well, no I..." He looked at the child now and recognized her resemblance to the toddler he'd seen on his grandmother's lap in the holo Gran had showed him. He smiled.
Lagos went over to introduce herself to the little girl. She seemed to take quite an interest. Korkie had never thought of his friend as being very fond of children. This nurturing side of her was a complete surprise.
He was still a little standoffish. The whole thing reminded him again of his mother and father. While the others were distracted by Sabine's arrival he was alone again with his thoughts of Soniee. The words she had echoed, the words that voice had chanted into her mind, came back to him, as did that feeling that he needed to be with her.
Then finally she reached out to him again. It was only for a brief moment but she seemed so much calmer more confident. No voice interrupted the contact. She merely brushed his mind as if to reassure him that she was well. She was thinking of her Ordo'Buir and Lagos as well. Korkie wondered if they could feel the touch of her mind like he could. She must have made things up with her Momma because there was no resentment there. Her thoughts of Lagos were all compassion, remembering the loss of their friend Amis.
Ni partayli, gar darasuum. I remember you, so you are eternal. Korkie repeated the phrase.
Then he threw himself back into the construction of his armor. His little cousin, Sabine , wanted to help him paint it and he smiled, humoring her. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon until the uneasiness gripped him again.
It was worry for Soniee that he felt, but also that unexplainable urge hold her, and to physically express all the passion that had been pent up inside him during their time apart. He went up to his bedroom and started pacing. Something was wrong. She was in danger. She was afraid.
Bo-Katan came to see if he was alright. He almost turned her away but she insisted. "I have something for you."
She handed him a helmet . She had painted it to match the designs he'd been working on earlier on his beskar'gam.
"It's, uh, nice," he said still worrying about Soniee and he threw the helmet on the bed.
"It's not just cute hat to go with the outfit, you know." She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him.
"Yeah, I know. Thank you." He glanced at the helmet again and then resumed pacing. There was a moment of extreme panic that he was sure wasn't from his own mind and then all he could feel was a numbness. Whatever it was that Soniee had been going through it seemed to reach a climax and then it was just as suddenly over.
Bo-Katan watched him curiously. "Are you alright?"
"I - don't know." He sat down on the edge of the bed and rested his head in his hands.
"Something's happened to her. You could feel it?"
He shook his head. "I don't know what it was but it feels like it's over now."
"And she's alright?"
"I think so?" he didn't know what to think. It had been so powerful. She had been so powerful for a brief moment and then she seemed to have pulled back from the Force.
Bo laid a hand on his arm. "Take some time to calm down. We'll let you be alone. Then take a look at the buy'ce, maybe you can find some answers."
She left the room and closed the door behind her. He was glad she hadn't asked any questions. He wondered what she meant about finding answers in his helmet, and then he thought he knew. She must have figured out a way for him to contact Soniee. He picked up the helmet and put it on. It did have a comm system and there was an ID already programed into it. But he couldn't just activate it. After what he had felt, after what she seemed to have just experienced, he wasn't sure he was ready to speak to her yet or that she would be ready to hear from him.
For hours he waited, thinking, worrying, pacing, nearly picking up the helmet and activating the comm and then thinking better of it. Finally he simply couldn't wait to hear her voice any longer. He selected the comm ID for her helmet and activated the link.
It took longer than he thought for an answer to come. She must not have been wearing the helmet. Maybe she was sleeping or in the other room. He hadn't thought about time of day. He didn't even know what time it was here in Keldabe. He was so ready to hear her but it wasn't her voice that answered.
It was a male voice, impatient as if he'd been interrupted and wanted to get back to whatever he had been doing. "Hello?"
"Who is this?" Korkie asked, shocked.
"Who is this?" the voice asked in return.
"Korkie Kryze. Where's Soniee? What are you doing with her helmet?"
"Korkie." The man repeated as if the name were distasteful and then answered. "She's sleeping, can't be bothered right now."
"Who are you to tell me... Soniee will want to speak to me. We haven't spoken in... Just get her and put her on."
There was silence for a moment and then. "I - don't think so. She's had a hard night, needs her rest. You can comm her back tomorrow when she's had time to sleep it off."
Korkie tried to wrap his mind around that. A hard night he could believe, that he had felt for himself, but 'sleep it off'? Had she tried to drink away the experience? And what was she doing sleeping with this character. His mouth went dry. She wasn't sleeping with him was she? Anger caused his words to tremble. "Who are you? Bonteri?"
Finally the chakaar answered, "Bonteri's in the med center. I'm CC-1010, Commander Fox. You don't have to worry, Korkie, I'll take care of Soniee." And then the comm went dead.
Korkie took off his helmet and threw it across the room. Soniee was sleeping with a clone.
oh my the drama! and did you notice that little rebel pop up in the middle? i introduced little Saby as Bo's daughter in the epilogue of Duchess Diaries but i don't know if anybody caught it. i'm still convinced Sabine and Korkie are cousins. until i'm proven wrong ;)
new season of Rebels in 15 days!
the Star Wars: Ahsoka novel on Oct. 11!
the Rogue One: Catalist novel on Nov. 15!
Rogue One movie on Dec. 16!
so much fuel for my imagination!