Chapter 2: Drifter
Caelum stared at the empty space outside the cockpit. He imagined conversations with Allucina. She would no doubt make a comment about space being an endless black void, like his heart. He missed her. To say she was the brains of the two would be no lie.
The droid called him on the coms saying something about running low on fuel. He programed to head to the closest port that was not under First Order control. He would sigh, but he had no will for it. The droid took over the call when they asked for their clearance and landing came too quickly. He could not just let the droid take care of the ship and himself. He dragged his body and slowly made his way towards the common room.
A loud pounding came from the airlock. The droid flew into the room at a speed that Caelum did not care for at all. The pounding came again, but this time it was followed by a wookie's yell. The droid began to drive about the room, panicking, "BLEEEEERP! BLEEEERRRP!"
He scrunched his brow as he extended his arms out in front of him in a half-assed placate motion. "What the fuck?" was all that he could muster. The droid calmed down and Caelum moved to the door. Pressing it open, he was not surprised to see a wookie. He tilted his head, "Yes?"
The wookie let out another noise. Over his shoulder, Caelum could see the busy landing pad and a group running towards his ship. He looked back at the wookie, "I'm sorry, sir, this is not the Millennium Falcon. This is the Ebon Hawk. Can I help you with anything else?" The droid peeked out behind him and beeped. Another droid was approaching.
The protocol droid was a faded gold with a singular red arm. It was enough to peek Caelum's interest for a moment, but it was lost as soon as the droid spoke. He had a refined accent, "Greetings. I am C3PO, human cyborg relations. My friend here is Chewbacca. He mistook your vessel for his own and had thought you may have stolen it. My apologies. Upon analysis of your vessel, it is obvious that this one is of an older, archaic model."
"Thanks for insulting my ship. It's a hand-me-down. Family relic. Can I buy fuel here?" Caelum did not have a mind for this nonsense. He moved to leave, but the wookie did not shift in the slightest. Caelum's eyes flashed to him, "Do not try my patience, sir." The threat was received and he stepped aside to allow Caelum and his T7 unit to disembark the ship. The droid beeped, turned, and locked the ship behind him, protectively.
C3PO walked closer to the two, "Your droid looks to be damaged. We have repair bots available and some parts that can be upgraded."
Caelum outstretched his arm, "No. This droid is not to be touched. He is my friend and, if he does not wish to be mutilated, then I will heed his wishes." He did not wait for a response and repeated his previous question more vehemently, "Can I buy fuel here?"
The protocol droid turned in his robotic way, "Yes, I can make for the arrangements –"
Before C3PO could finish, Caelum cut him off, "Good, then please fill her up with whatever fuel you can spare. I have more than enough credits to cover it." T7-O1 beeped at his side, "We don't need repairs. We'll never find her; thus we need nothing." The droid let out a deep beep, "I have not given up hope. I promised to never leave her."
"A promise to whom?"
Caelum turned his head to see an older woman beside him. He felt the force deep within her and knew exactly who she was, "Princess Skywalker, of course. The force is a cruel pusher."
She smiled, warmly, "Well, you know who I am, but who are you?" The droid answered for him and she nodded, "I see. A trained Jedi? That will explain the presence you have. I felt a tug."
He snickered, "Yeah, might want to keep your distance. I might suck you dry."
She looked him over, "I will take your warning to heart. Now, why would the force lead you here, Jedi Caelum?"
He let out a breath, unsure how to get left alone now, "Just Caelum. I have not been a Jedi for many centuries now."
She smiled, "Centuries? Sounds like a long story. Why don't you tell me all about it over lunch?"
"How about-" he started to say, but T7 beeped. He grumbled, "Sure, that sounds lovely."
General Organa chuckled, "I'll introduce you to my friends you just met. That grumpy rug is Chewbacca. He got back early this week and seems to be a bit restless. We lost someone a few months back and he is doing his best to stay busy." The wookie and droid walked beside the Princess as she led Caelum and T7 to the mess hall.
He sighed, "Yes, we felt his absence. He was a fan favorite of ours. T7 favored the astromech droid. Not really a surprise." A ball-like droid rolled past a hanger bay followed by large metal barrels. Pilots and workers scurried out of the way, but Caelum held his ground. Before he could let out an annoyed sigh, he lifted his hand and waved them away like they were dust. They safely lined up against the wall, one piled on top of the other.
The princess waved to a man who ran out of the hanger to chase the droid. Turning back to Caelum, she spoke bluntly, "You appear to be very strong. We could use a Jedi with your talents."
"We do not interfere with your meager wars. If we helped one side, then where would it end? We learned that lesson from our parents. We promised each other that we would inhabit the space between light and dark. We will be the neutral good together until we finally die."
The droid beeped and C3PO gasped, "You have his mother in there?"
Caelum answered, "He holds her datacron. It holds all her knowledge before she died. She was a Jedi Master from the Old Republic. You might know her as the Exile."