The sub-level was now well lit and the debris had been removed, broken panels replaced and the freshness of the air told Mira that the air condition worked this time. The fountain in front of her was as she remembered, she still didn't like it, but at least it looked less out of place now.
Not wishing to linger any longer without making her presence known Mira hurried on.
It was strange walking down the halls, it was so different from before, she remember shooting a laigrek right by the doorway she passed, how its ichor had splattered the floor...
She shuddered. She had no trouble killing beasts, but thinking of it only reminded her of the exile, how easy it had become for her to kill, as if all it took was the presence of the ex-jedi to spur her to murder.
Murder, Mira wrapped her cloak even tighter around herself, despite the warmth. She still remembered those evil eyes glaring at her, even in the end of his life there had been nothing but hatred. Yet he had begged her to end it, the words making his hatred grow, even with the pain of Malachor around her she had felt it.
How could anyone, even one such as Hanharr, contain hatred enough to match a planet? She still wasn't sure what had driven him, even after all this time his actions hadn't seemed logical. It had been easy to think of him as a mad animal, but he hadn't been...Mira told herself that she had acted out of mercy, as she always did.
Before she knew it she stood before a familiar set of doors. She could sense him now, her senses were far more attuned then before and his signature one she knew well. A quick press of a button and the doors slid apart, letting her step into the academy library.
The room was largely occupied by the tall shelves for storing the many datapads, the dark obelisks glowing faintly of blue where one of them was being held. The second floor one could reach via the curving stairs at the back was nothing but a large balcony made to reach the topmost pads. The floor was now covered by a dark blue rug and from the roof a large crystal chandelier hung. Mira smiled, busy little bees...
Mical hadn't changed much. Sitting by a table in the centre of the room he held a datapad before him as he with moving lips read its content, a small stack of similar datapads lay on the table next to him. He wore the brown robes of the jedi, his blond hair was still as wavy and neat as ever, even the way he held his reading material was familiar. Perhaps he was a little older, as if he had aged more then the year that had passed.
He also seemed a little sad.
"Your nose in a book, who could have guessed?" Mira grinned at the sight of Mical dropping the pad on the table as he with wide eyes turned to face her, his jaw hanging wide. "You've brushed your teeth too, very good."
"Mira!" The chair dropped to the floor as Mical flew to his feet, he came at her with open arms and there was nothing she could do as she was hoisted into the air. "It's so good to see you!"
"You too!" Mira gasped, surprised at the warm welcome. "Though I mostly see the top of your skull..."
"My apologies." Mical instantly dropped her and blushed, same old Mical... "But it is good to see you, please, sit." He gestured for one of the chairs, politely pulling it out for Mira as she took the offer.
"You need to kick that habit, gentlemen are hard to find for a reason you know." Mira chuckled at the bewildered look Mical gave her as he sat down opposite her. To his credit he didn't glance down at his datapad...too much. "So tell me, what have you been up to? Who else is here anyway? I heard Bao-Dur was here by the droid outside?"
"Droid?" Mical shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't been out very much."
"No doubt reading to middle of the night." Mical's blush told Mira she had struck right.
"Anyway, yes Bao-Dur is here...somewhere. Probably in the upper levels. Visas and Atton too actually." Mira raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Yes...Visas has been most helpful in finding relics around the area. As to Atton...I haven't seen him much, he's mostly away."
"Probably getting hammered over at Khoonda outpost!" Mira chuckled.
Mical shook his head. "No I don't believe so, he has been very...adamant with his silence."
"Guess her leaving really hurt him." Mira sobered up.
"As it did us all." Mical muttered, crossing his arms and suddenly deeply fascinated with his robe. Oh right, Mira had almost forgotten the innocent crush the man had for the exile, poor idolizing fool...
Sharing a silent moment Mira couldn't help but sense the emotions seeping out of Mical. There was sadness, determination and something else, weariness?
"I must say, I loved what you've done to the place. Though I guess there's no laigreks to hunt any more?"
"Most of it is Bao-Dur's work, I helped at first, as did Atton when he arrived, at least until his own chamber was fixed..." The hint of irritation made Mira chuckle. "Now it's mostly Bao-Dur working on it though, the work is too advanced for any of us to be any help. I don't rightly mind though, I prefer to try and make sense of the jedi teachings here." He gestured for the library.
"I can imagine." Mira straightened a little. "I guess we're all set on rebuilding huh?"
Mical nodded, face serious, as it always was. "We have never really properly spoken about it, me and the others I mean, but yes...there seems to be a surprising consensus about it."
Mira chuckled. "Guess she taught us well after all."
"As short as the training was, it was led by the best jedi I have ever known."
"Stop that." Mira stood, suddenly tired as a flood of memories came back to her.
"Stop what?"
Mira shook her head. She remembered the chaos of Nar Shaddaa, the echoes of death and life on Dxun, the frightening Mandalorians waiting for them...she remembered the constant pain that was the exile walking next to her. "I don't want to think about that any more, we have a future to think about."
"Perhaps, but only by understanding the past can we move forward." Mical replied, the reply that of a classic jedi, something Mira was happy she hadn't yet adopted.
"I've spent a year thinking about it, I'm done with it." Mira replied, realising with some anger that she was afraid. No doubt Mical also felt it...that just made her angrier. "Forget about it, I'll see you later, right now I think I should say hi to Dur."
"As you wish." Was the neutral reply as the door closed behind Mira's hurried retreat.