Chapter 85

AN: I apologize for how long this has taken. I was traveling and had a wrist injury. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

After a tour of the base, Ari found that she was very impressed with what she had seen. The scout, whose name was Malik, had been very helpful by telling her about the base and all that they had been through since arriving. However, whenever Ari asked him about his life, such as his homeplanet or any family, he changed the subject. It was clear that whatever had happened in his past, he wanted to forget it.

The base, while slightly smaller than Hoth was very important, and Ari saw a number of Rebels from Hoth on the base. Word of her arrival spread fast, so it was not too difficult to get the General and one of his commanding officers to meet her.

"I trust the flight was uneventful?" General Palson asked. Ari knew what he was asking without saying it directly. He wanted to be sure that there had not been any fights or run in with Imperials. It would be horrible to have the base discovered.

"Yes, Sir. Very. That is how I was able to bring this information so quickly." She slid the disks out of the small pouch, handing them to him. "These are from General Madine. From what I gathered, the information is very important."

The General took them with a small nod, and handed them to the Captain. "We need them decoded as soon as possible." The other man nodded and left.

"Why don't you get a bite to eat?" Palson suggested. "It won't take long to decode those. Oh, and if your droid wants, we could probably give him an oil bath."

R4, who had been quiet until now, beeped, clearly liking that idea. Somewhere along the way the Hoojib had slipped away, and while R4 did not seem upset by this, Ari wondered if they would see any others. With a laugh, Ari sent him off to get that while she went to get some food. It was not much, but it was warm, and a number of Rebels that knew her from before came to talk to her. She was relieved to see how many had survived Hoth's evacuation. She also met a few new Rebels, which she was glad to see, because it showed that others still believed in this cause.

After an hour of talking with them, Ari had to excuse herself. R4 was still not done with the oil bath, so she was alone as she went to the General's office, knocking on the door.

"Come in," came the reply, so Ari did so. She stood just inside the doorway as the General and another man finished some business. She came in further as the other man left, shutting the door behind him.

With a small sigh, Palson sat down at his desk, motioning that Ari could sit down on a chair that on the other side of his desk. "Did Crix tell you anything about the base or why he sent you?" he asked. It took Ari a moment to realize he was talking about General Madine.

"No, Sir. He said it was because he trusts me, and because I was not as well known as Princess Leia or Commander Skywalker."

The General nodded. "One of the messages on those disks says that is not the only reason."

Ari was perplexed, and it showed, so Palson put a disk into a holoplayer, and got it to the certain part so quickly, Ari did not see the other information. A holorecording of General Madine started to play.

"Lieutenant Narabe is a very able bodied fighter. She has proven herself in a number of situations. Lately, with Luke Skywalker, she has helped train new recruits, and has completed a number of missions, such as this one. While I do not want to lose such a person, I know that you are short staffed and receiving more recruits than we are. If she is willing, she would be a valuable member of your staff."

Palson stopped the recording then and looked at her, the question hanging in the air. Would she join them at this base?

Ari just looked at the now empty space where Madine had been before. In a way, she was upset that he had not mentioned this to her before. However, she was pleased that he thought so highly of her. She knew this meant she would not see Luke or any of the others for a long time. It pained her to think of that, but she knew she had already made her choice.

"I would be honored to help at Arbra base." If this is where the Alliance needed her, this is where she would stay.

"I am glad to hear you say that. You will probably be one of the pilots that we will send to different bases for supplies to send messages that we can not risk falling into the wrong hands. And we could use some help with the new trainees. We have to run them through simulations, and possibly some hand to hand combat. Some of them have never even seen a blaster in real life." Palson looked older for a moment, and Ari could see the toll of this was taking on him. This war was taking a toll on everyone involved.

"Whatever you need me to do, I am ready and willing to do." She was glad that she had brought most of her things. Ships were traveling all over from the rendezvous point, and in a matter of just a few days, they would all be at different bases.

"Well, a room has been prepared for you and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. You will probably not be needed until tonight, and tomorrow we will start training."

Ari nodded and as she stood up, she saw Palson glance at her belt where her lightsaber was resting against her leg. The man looked slightly surprised and Ari smiled ever so slightly in response.

"So you really are a Jedi," the General remarked, to which Ari shook her head.

"No, Sir. Not yet. I still have a lot of training to do, but once this war is over, I hope to be able to receive the title of Jedi Knight."

"I remember seeing Jedi as a child. They were an enigma to me, and I found them fascinating. They kept the peace for generations and helped on countless planets, and then the war started. I remember when I heard about the destruction of the Temple…" he trailed off and shook his head, coming back to the present. "You probably will want to rest."

Though she had questions, Ari knew better than to ask them. It was clearly her dismissal and she left the office with just a small nod of her head.

The General had not given her any indication as to where her room was, so she allowed herself to wander the halls again. While she knew he said she should rest, she did not feel tired enough for that. She planned on training with her lightsaber, as well as doing the exercises she and Luke had been doing together. While she would be busy, she hoped she would get some time for such activities.

"Lieutenant," a voice broke her away from her thoughts and she saw Malik walking quickly to her. "I was told to take you to you room," he told her.

"Thank you," Ari nodded, following him.

"Your droid is already there. Seems very happy after the oil bath," the man continued.

This caused Ari to smile. She could only imagine how the droid acted. "I appreciate all your help."

Malik waved it away with his hand. "It is my pleasure. It is much better than standing in the dark waiting for intruders." He smiled again at her, and Ari noted that it reached his eyes. She had not been that happy in a long time. It was clear he had not seen much fighting.

Once at her room, after checking to see if she needed anything, Malik left. The room was much like others had been. Small, but it had a bed, small table and chair that could be considered a desk, as well as a small dresser. She was pleasantly surprised to see that she had a private 'fresher. She also had a communication unit in her room. It was clear that the General was giving her one of the best rooms.

R4 was in there as well, charging. The marks from blaster fire and other things were buffed, and the droid was cleaner than Ari had ever seen. Clearly, they took good care of their droid here, and she wondered what state their ships were in.

The droid beeped to greet her and she gave a wave. She started to put away her few items, which helped. She was getting more clothing and other articles as time went on, but it would barely be enough to put in a small suitcase. Once done, she brushed off her hands, the place now starting to feel more like home.

She was about to speak to R4 when she heard a sound. It was a skittering sound and she could not figure out where it was coming from. She looked around, listening. It seemed to be coming from inside the room. After another moment, she realized that the sound was coming from under her bed. While she did not think it was dangerous, one hand rested on the hilt of her lightsaber.

She dropped to her knees and peered under the bed. Just as she got to that level, a furry creature jumped out of shadows, rushing to the droid. It crawled on top of the droid, causing R4 to protest and try to shake the intruder off of its domed head.

Ari would have helped, if she hadn't started to laugh. It was a funny sight, to see the Hoojib from before back on his perch atop R4.

"Settle down, R4," she told the droid when she finally stopped laughing. She picked up the Hoojib, a rabbit like creature and smiled. "Hi there."

While she had been expecting it to make a sound, she was not expecting a response. Hello.

"What in the…" in her shock, she almost dropped the alien. "Did you just speak to me?"

The Hoojib nodded. Through telepathy. I didn't want to say anything until I made sure you were an ally.

"And I passed that test?" Ari asked. The Hoojib nodded in response.

"Well, that is good to hear," she remarked, and looked at the Hoojib a bit closer. "How come you decided to follow me around?"

I am interested in hearing more about this war I have heard about, and you seem a bit different from others. I also find your companion fascinating.

Ari looked over at R4, who was unable to here the Hoojib and was apparently still upset.

"You might want to give R4 a warning next time you plan on something like that," Ari remarked.

Alright. I will. What is your name?

"I am Arianna Narabe. What is your name?"

Thanilanihmirankali.

Ari raised an eyebrow at this. A big name for such a small being. "Would you mind it if I gave you a nickname?"

The alien cocked his head to one side. What name would you give me?

Ari thought for a moment, then smiled. "How about Taga?" she suggested.

Taga? The alien repeated. Why Taga?

"Because it starts with a T like your name and it is short for tagalong." She didn't know if the alien would take offense and couldn't tell as it made a sound. After a moment, she realized it was laughter.

Very funny. You may call me Taga.

Ari smiled and pet his head as he climbed onto her shoulder. "R4, this is Taga, and it looks like he might stay here for a bit."

If a droid could sigh, Ari was sure that R4 would have done that. With a smile and she patted his domed head as Taga rubbed his cheek against hers. While Ari did not like surprises in war, times like these helped her remember why they were fighting.

R4 rolled to finish recharging as Ari sat down on the bed. Taga jumped down beside her and tapped her lightsaber, curious.

What is this? Taga's antenna moved ever so slightly as he looked up at her.

"Well, if you want a story, this is a good story." She got comfortable on the bed and Taga curled up on the blanket as Ari once again started to tell her story.