Disclaimer: Don't own SW. Belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.
It had been a couple of days. Nira spent those days tinkering with the droid head whenever Tionne or anyone else wasn't looking. Xanta had a hand in that by distracting any onlookers away from… whatever it was Nira had been searching for. For today, on a rare sunny day, she went outside and sat on the training grounds. The old ruins offered more room than any other place in the Academy, with its wide green spaces between the old gray walls.
The droid's head rested atop the moss-covered stone, wires going in between it and the empty datapad Nira had snatched from Tionne's archives. "C'mon…" she murmured while prodding the head with a hydrospanner, "... budge you piece o-"
A spark answered her grumbling. Nira answered back with a startled jump. "'Kaaaay…" she blinked behind her goggles and cautiously approached the head. Another jolt like that could burn the droid's memory circuits.
"Any luck?" spoke a voice behind her.
Nira took off her goggles and sighed. "Barely… Not a thin' that ain't been found already..." she frowned, resting her head on one hand. "Really Xanta, why can't ya just tell me what's the deal here?"
"I'm afraid Xanta can't help with that," replied the same voice, a voice Nira realized was little too deep and light-hearted to be Xanta's, "but maybe I can shed some light."
"Wha-" Nira said, her head turning and her eyes widening at the looming shadowy figure.
Surprised, she accidentally threw her hydrospanner up. It spun a little in the air before a hand caught the tool and held it to Nira. "Careful… you wouldn't want to drop this," chuckled the bald man standing over Nira.
Nira's eyes went up and down this dark-cloaked man whom she had never seen before. He seemed to be around Master Kirana's age, and the way the man carried himself made him look anything but a simple student. "Thanks…" Taking the hydrospanner, Nira looked at it then at the man, "...Um, how much you hear?"
"Just about everything," the man replied, his pale face grinning at Nira's worried look. "Don't worry. I don't intend on spilling my own plans to anyone."
Nira opened her mouth to say something. Someone else beat her to it. "Nira! There you are! I've been looking all over for you, and…" called Xanta as the young Jensaarai rushed towards the two. Whatever he had to say died after looking at the stranger. "Kal? I thought you were still waiting at the hangar."
"I got here earlier than I intended. Old Zen was just so irritated he wanted me gone." The newcomer let out a familiar laugh. "I was around, so I thought I'd say hello to your special friend here. I must say, she is good with her hands."
Her eyes staring, Nira wondered who this strange man was. He certainly seemed familiar. His mirthful tone gave off a giant clue, but Nira couldn't put her finger on it or the double meaning to this man's words. Xanta seemed to know and groaned. "Kal, please. We're trying to keep this a secret, and-oof!" he said, only to be cut off by a powerful hand to his back.
"Don't worry," the stranger told a winded Xanta, "I haven't told a soul. After all, I just arrived from Tanaab, and I don't think anyone would suspect me just yet."
Tanaab. That word sprung Nira to her feet. "You're that gold guy!" she exclaimed.
Facing her, the stranger bowed as he did days ago. "Kal Rasdar. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance again." Kal rose, his eyes never leaving the droid head. "I guess Xanta put you up to my little pet project. I never did take him for a slacker."
"Kal, your plan," begged the wheezing 'slacker' Xanta.
"I believe that should have been obvious. I'm just looking for some hint of Srad." His smile turning curious, Kal looked at Nira. "Speaking of which, did you find any?"
"Not much," Nira admitted and crouched down to the head, detaching it from the wires. "All I get's just numbers. Nothin' outta the ordinary-"
Kal scooped the datapad into his hand before Nira reached for it. "Hey!" she protested. "It ain't done yet!"
"That's 'it's not done yet.' You really should work on your grammar." Kal said off-handedly. Studying the datapad, he didn't notice Nira's perturbed frown. "Hmm… interesting…"
"What?" Nira wondered, tiptoeing to peak over Kal's massive shoulder.
To her dismay, Kal tossed the datapad over to Xanta. "Take a look at that. Tell me what do you see?"
After a brief minute of reading, Xanta's eyes widened. "Is this…?" his voice trailed off into silence, leaving Kal to carry on to Nira's ever-growing confusion.
"Well, that proves I wasn't seeing things. I'll be in the hangar. Come to me when you're done, Xanta." Kal turned to Nira, finally taking notice of her. "And try to take it easy. Just because you're close with Xanta doesn't mean you should do his work for him."
Nira blinked at the man's smirk. "What-?" she began, but Kal already bounded over the nearby wall, leaving the training grounds.
"We probably should finish this up," Xanta sighed and took a seat by the droid head.
Still standing, Nira whirled to him. "What's that 'bout?"
"That was just Kal," Xanta responded, hooking the datapad back to the head. "He's always been like that for as long as I've known him."
"… and him sayin' us 'bein' close?'"
The slight pause might have given Nira a clue, but Xanta only grumbled, "You don't need to worry about that. Let's just get to work."
Nira frowned. Again, he was dodging her question. First was Srad, and this now. The way Xanta ignored her was downright rude, but Nira couldn't do much about that. For now, she hid whatever she was feeling with her goggles. She joined Xanta by the droid's head, saying, "Scoot over."
Xanta didn't have time to. He was bumped to the side, and Nira mentally smiled at his perturbed expression. He nonetheless took the datapad in his hands. Nira, hydrospanner in hers, went back to work. The sooner they were done with the head, the sooner she would have her answers.
XXXXXXXXXX
True to his word, Kal was in the hangar. After being in the open training grounds for a couple of hours, Nira wished Kal still had been outside. That way, she and Xanta wouldn't have to walk across the hangar floor, cramped with X-Wing fighters, pilots and technicians and even technical and astromech droids. Not to mention, the air was stuffy, and the noise drummed against her ears.
Nira heard Kal over it as he popped under a raised V-Wing. "Hey! Any luck!" he called out.
Nira, hoping to get some answers, began, "We-"
"Here is it," Xanta cut her off and pulled the datapad from under his cloak
Kal plucked it from Xanta's hand. "Thank you," he shot a grin before he turned around and studied the readings in silence.
Unable to look over Kal's shoulder, Nira turned her eyes elsewhere. Unlike Xanta, who stood like a statue, she bounced a little on the balls of her feet. Her impatience only grew when she caught and covered her nose from a huge whiff of engine exhaust and spilled droid fluid.
"... can you say what's goin' on now, or we gonna be kept in the dark?" Nira asked from behind her hands. When Kal didn't answer, she went on. "Can ya least tell us why here and not outside?"
"The more noise, the less anyone can hear us," Kal now answered. He turned back around, the datapad in his hands. "Was this all you could get?"
"Half of it," Xanta nodded in understanding.
Nira, on the other hand, understood none of it. Her impatience only grew to the point that she grabbed the datapad from Kal's hand. Able to see the information she wanted, at last, Nira studied it in front of two surprised Jensaarai. "Nira, what-" Xanta began, but she cut him off.
"I did help crack whatever this is, y'know," Nira asked, holding her little hostage to the side. "So, ya'll gonna tell me what's special 'bout this?"
"It's something to…" Kal began, waited for a droid to pass by, and finished, "... to keep track of Srad."
"Track? Some kind of signal?"
"It's code," Xanta explained stiffly. He snatched the datapad from Nira's hands, earning a slight glare. "This was something the Jensaarai used to keep in contact with each other back during the Empire."
"And how this Sirad guy get his hands on it? You taught 'im? Or you ain't gonna tell me either?" Nira jeered back, hoping to get a frown out of Xanta.
Instead, his eyes flared. "I didn't-"
"Xanta," Kal interrupted, "why don't you head back to the archives? I'm sure Tionne is expecting you and Nira to be there."
Xanta's glare whirled to Kal and withered away under the older Jensaarai's calm gaze. Nira guessed there must have been some unspoken conversation between the two. Xanta handed the datapad back to Kal, almost in defeat, and turned around to leave with that tiny flame simmering under his frowning face.
Nira, feeling guilty for what she said, tried to follow him-
-and she was stopped by Kal grabbing her shoulder. "Oh no," he spoke up. "I only told Xanta to head back. You and I need to talk."
Turning one-eighty, Nira puffed her lower lip. "Look, I mighta stepped on his toes, but he's been quiet-like since I asked 'im 'bout Sirad-"
"It's Srad," Kal corrected a bit forcefully, and Nira clamped her mouth shut. "I hope you correctly pronounce words from now, especially for the names of those you're chasing after. Understand?"
As much as she wanted to give a snappy comeback, Nira couldn't under that stoic and cold glare. She ultimately squeaked out a tiny, "Yes."
Kal's glare softened from her response, and so did his voice. "Come on."
The dark cloak flapped behind, and Nira followed it through the hangar. The stuffy, oily air pressed on her face, and she raised a hand to cover her nose from the smell. She lowered it when Kal had led her to the sunny platform. The minute she stepped out of the hangar, Nira welcomed the green jungle and cool breeze with a stretch of her arms similar to a big hug.
Off to her right, Kal calmly asked, "Is this better?"
Nira breathed in the open, less noisy air and smiled. "Yeah, it is!"
"Good." A slight smile spread of Kal's face. "Your master told me about your issues with closed spaces. Xanta has his own issues too, you know."
That wiped off Nira's smile. "Were any of them about me?"
"I can't say. He never told me…"
Nira almost sighed in relief. She turned, hoping to enjoy more of the outdoors, even if it was still a bit humid for her tastes.
Then, Kal spoke out of the blue. "... But Srad is another issue since he was one of us."
Nira whirled her surprised gaze at Kal, who simply looked off to the bordering jungle. "He and Xanta trained alongside each other as students of the Jensaarai. When Xanta left to study with the Jedi, Srad soon followed. Of course, he wanted to leave us and become a Jedi, not simply learn like Xanta. The two of them leaving was… difficult, especially for Zen. He was Xanta's teacher, you know."
"That guy taught Xanta?" Nira crossed her arms, recalling the red Jensaarai's attitude. "Huh. Guess that 'plains a lot."
"I guess it does," Kal smiled but briefly. "The real matter is that Srad has taken his path. He may have fallen, but he is still one of us, and a Jensaarai who falls is… disturbing…"
"... I guess I get it…" Nira didn't, not truly. Kal's ominous tone offsetted her as she tried to make some sense of it all. She said it anyway, to give Kal some confidence. From the way he looked at her though, Nira asked, "You don't believe me?"
"Nope..." Nira's face fell at his bluntness. It was brief as Kal continued, "... But you're willing to help and that may be enough. For all his talk, Zen isn't taking Srad seriously enough."
Nira raised an eyebrow. "Sure ya talkin' 'bout the same guy?"
"I am. He's focusing too much attention elsewhere to not personally search for Srad. When I told him that, he…" Kal shrugged, a smile cracking through his face, "... well, you can guess."
Nira paused to put the pieces together. "So… you wanna chase after him? And you wanna use this code to know who he sent it to? And use that to find any leads on where he can be?"
Kal's smile widened a little. "Your master was right. You're a little slow, but you can be spot on sometimes."
Not sure to feel praised or teased, Nira let Kal head back inside without a verbal retort. She wanted to take in the open air while she could.
It wouldn't last long, not when rain clouds gathered in the distance.
XXXXXXXXXX
Another day of rain, another day of work… Well, it would have been if Nira had been around.
Taking quick strides down the Praxeum's halls, Xanta looked left and right for any sign of her. A few students had given him stares, but he was in no mood to acknowledge them. First, he barely got any sleep the night before, worrying about the droid head and his archive duty. Then, he had woken up an hour after his alarm had gone off. Then, he hadn't seen Nira in the library. He had a good hunch where she was, though, and he followed it, through the halls and right towards the training grounds.
Xanta's shoulders sunk from the heavy downpour and his boots squelched in the mud. While globs of rain dripped down his hood, they couldn't hide the stick waving from behind a giant column. Heading towards the stick, Xanta walked around the column. "I've been looking for you," he called out to Nira under the broken bridge-
-and her almost perfect kata ended in a dull clunk. "Ah! Almost had it!" Nira whined to her stick stabbing the ground.
Indifferent to her plight, Xanta came under the bridge and threw off his hood. "I didn't see you in the library," he told the panting Nira.
"Been out…workin' on my form…"
"In the rain?"
Ignorant of Xanta's deadpan stare, Nira wiped a free hand over her sweaty forehead. "Ain't rainin' before… And I need a place to m'self… Master Kirana'd kill me if I break anythin' in the library!"
Xanta gave Nira a few more breaths before he spoke again. "Practice is good, but working with a stick can only work so far."
Nira puffed out her lower lip. "Course you'd say that. You've got a saber!"
"That's not important," Xanta said, echoing one of his old lessons under Defender Malac. "You first need to know about other things, like catching your opponent off guard-"
"Think fast!"
Backpedaling, Xanta caught the stick with his hands, stopping it an inch from his face. He drew his eyes away from the wooden tip to Nira's grin "Got ya!" she declared proudly.
"No, you didn't," Xanta frowned, but Nira still grinned.
"If it's a saber, I'd win."
"I could easily drain the energy of the blade and channel it back at you."
Even as her stick was pushed aside, Nira shook her head and laughed. "Kay, you're just lyin' to me. No way you can do that!" She paused and blinked. "Can ya?"
"... It's possible," Xanta murmured quietly, hoping Nira wouldn't catch on that he never said he knew how to absorb energy.
Fortunately, she didn't. However, she did state, "... Still could win with a saber."
Bits of rain, seeping through the cracks above, plopped on the ground and reminded Xanta of the task at hand. "We can talk about lightsabers another time," he told Nira, who used a line of dripping rainwater to wash her sweaty head. "We should head back inside. If I remember correctly, you said Mistress Ti berated you for meditating out in the rain. I don't think she would like that."
Nira, stepping away from the rainwater, responded, "Well, Master Kirana ain't here, is she?!" Then, she shook her drenched head like a wet kath hound, and Xanta raised his cloak to shield himself from the storm Nira let off herself. Once finished, Nira continued, "'Sides, thought you'd want some space to y'self, what with this whole Srad thing."
"That is… considerate," Xanta said carefully while lowering his wet cloak, "but we don't have that luxury now. We have work to do."
"Well, there ain't much. That droid's spillin' the numbers all slow-like. I ain't good for anythin' now, else you need help with somethin' or other."
Xanta held back a retort. "Actually," he began slowly, "there is something. I'm sure you have time to spare."
Nira blinked in confusion. "Uh, sure? What's it?"
"I'll show you. First, we need to head inside."
When Xanta turned to step into the rain, a tug stopped him. He glanced to his side, where Nira held onto his cloak. After she had placed a large corner over her head, Nira glanced back to Xanta's perturbed expression. "Well, it is rainin' out, and I need some cover," Nira responded with an innocent grin, "Don't wanna make Tionne angry at us for gettin' any scrolls or artifacts wet, now do we?"
A frowning Xanta held his peace, threw up his hood, and stepped into the rain with a hitchhiker by his side.
XXXXXXXXXX
After obliging Nira's request, Xanta quickly took her back to his quarters. By then, the heavy rain seemed to have lightened a little. The constant pitter-patter was still loud to hear, though, and the rain was strong enough to plop and drip their way into his quarters.
"Can you please close that? You're letting rain inside," Xanta asked Nira.
"Need some air," she breathed out of the opened window, her arms resting on its sill. The act confused Xanta since both of them were running from the rain before. "What're we doin' here, anyway? I thought we'd be finishin' up?"
"We will. Kal…" Xanta hesitated and turned to a dark corner, "... wanted me to talk to someone…"
"And I'm here why?"
Again, he hesitated. "… for support..."
Nira drew her head inside, murmuring, "Could've at least done this in the library…"
Ignoring the comment, Xanta approached the dark corner holding the communication console. He keyed in the same frequency he used a few days ago, and he prayed that the conversation wouldn't be the same as the last time.
That prayer went up in flames the moment the Mandalorian's hologram appeared. She looked the same as when Xanta last spoke to her. She had the same guards, same binders, same armor, and even the same smile on her scarred lips.
Seeing the same woman with that uneasy smile, Nira jumped back in surprise, her hands resting in the open window behind her. "Uh, that the crazy lady from Tanaab?" she whispered to Xanta. "Why're you callin' her?!"
"... hello again, ad'ika," the Mandalorian said before Xanta could explain himself. "Hope you've learned about my ship."
Xanta took in a deep breath and remembered the lines he had been rehearsing. "I did, actually," he answered in a calm tone, per the role Kal had given him.
"Why're you still talkin' to her?" Nira whispered, and Xanta continued.
"Your ship has recently been secured and given repairs... "
"That's good to hear," the Mandalorian said smugly. "I hope to have it back soon."
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"And why not?"
Xanta hesitated briefly. "... Defender Rasdar will be commandeering the Bel Brain."
That wiped the smile off the Mandalorian's face. "Don't you dare, ad'ika," she growled, her voice growing louder by the second. "That's all I have! Don't you dare take it away from me!"
"I said I'm not taking it away from you," Xanta calmly replied. "You see, after your evasion of the law-"
"That's kriffing false, and you know my ship-!"
"It's not your ship, anymore. It has been confiscated by New Republic authorities and has been generously donated to the Jedi Praxeum. To be used by anyone. Myself included." Xanta held back the urge to smile. "As I said, I'm not taking it from you. It has been given to-"
With a loud wail, the Mandalorian lunged. Xanta and Nira took a step back. They both stood there and watched the guards try-very hard-to hold back the woman. Her ghost-like hands reached at Xanta's throat from another planet, and even as more guards pulled her away, her expression was contorted into that of a rageful beast roaring through bared teeth.
"You'll pay for this! You hear me, shabuirr! YOU'LL PAY-"
A yelping Nira rushed forward and slammed her hands on the console. The scary and screeching Mandalorian vanished like morning mist on Yavin. Yet, Xanta still stared at the spot she once occupied, then his eyes slowly left that for Nira.
"Next time... warn me when you do somethin' that crazy." Xanta kept quiet, so Nira continued, "Well, mind tellin' me what's that about?"
"Kal's idea, not mine," Xanta reiterated with a heavy breath and a pounding heart, and he left his quarters in silence.
A sighing Nira followed him into the hall and called, "Hey, where're you goin'?!"
"To Kal," Xanta answered. "He will want to know about this."
He was given a groan in response. "Look," Nira began, running up to his side, "I know you're on edge, but ain't this a bit much?"
"What is?"
"That!" Nira exclaimed with a pointed finger. She lowered her voice after another student passed by, staring at the two. "That attitude ain't helpin' anyone, y'know! You've gone all angsty since we got back!" Nira whispered.
Xanta whispered back, "I am not being angsty-"
"First, you have me doin' work and ain't been tellin' me what's it for. Now, you gone talkin' with people who were tryin' to kill us a few days back! I know you wanna get this done, but I'm workin' here too! I tried givin' you space to sort…" Nira paused to gesture a hand at Xanta, "... well, sort your thoughts out."
"That is strange."
"Well, I thought this is a tricky subject for you since that Srad guy bein' one of you and-"
Xanta came to a quick halt and turned to Nira, who realized what she let loose and clamped her mouth shut. Xanta had heard it, though, and he stared at Nira almost coldly because of it. "Kal told you," he said.
Nira shifted her eyes away. "Well, yeah… since you ain't been answerin' my questions."
"I suppose not," Xanta admitted through clenched teeth and walked away.
Following behind him was another groan. "Hey," Nira began again, "I didn't mean anythin' bad. I just wanted answers."
Xanta softly snorted. His eyes in front, he sped ahead and made a sharp turn towards the archives. Despite the attempt to lose Nira, she managed to keep up, stubbornly so as she trailed by Xanta's side. "I dunno what's goin' on," Nira went on, "but I oughta get some idea!"
"Well, now you have a better idea," Xanta retorted. "I don't think there's anything more I can give, and I wouldn't know what you would be looking for."
"Well, you might if you'd listen! I'm just tryin' to help!"
The words hit something deep in Xanta. So deep that he barely noticed the archives' entrance. His feet stopped on the threshold, and the same, soothing voice crept from his farthest memories, saying, "It's not everyday someone will lend you a hand. If you ever come across that person, don't push them away..."
In the end, Xanta looked to the girl beside him, seeing her concern clearly. "I know," he said stoically, hiding his inner anger and regret, "but I don't know what either of us can do. Nothing but work."
Nira stared back. For several seconds, she was surprisingly silent like the grave. "Well," she started, "gotta be somethin' we do. I don't like waitin' any longer while our prey gets 'way."
"'Our?'" Xanta echoed, to which Nira crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hey, Srad 'scaped me too, y'know. I'm in this, whether you like it or not!"
Before Xanta could raise an eyebrow, another voice boomed, "Welp, I don't think you can stop her, Xanta."
Jensaarai and Jedi turned their heads to a familiar figure inside the archives, leaning against a table. "Kal," Xanta said, startled, "what are you doing here?"
"You mean other than watching you two? Not much," replied a coy Kal. "I was waiting to pick you up. And it seems like we're taking another traveler on our field trip."
"Wait, we're finally gonna leave?" said an excited Nira, and Kal's nod added to her excitement.
Xanta, on the other hand, blinked. "But there's still the archives and the head-"
"Done, and done," Kal answered. "Speaking of which-Nira, catch!"
"Wha-eek!" Nira shrieked, to Xanta's poor ears, while her hands caught the dark droid head. "... Uh, what'd you want me to do with this?"
"Pack that. It needs to be ready for when the Bel Brain arrives and we put that in its computer banks," Kal told a gaping Nira. "Well, go on. Get the ship ready…"
Nira swirled to Xanta for help, receiving only a shrug before she sighed and went off with the head in her hands. Xanta waited until she was gone to enter the archives. Doing so, he saw what Kal said was right. The relics from Ossus had been sorted into the right sections of the archives. Every scroll was in place, and every tome and vase set up right.
"You've been busy," Xanta commented. "I'm not sure what Mistress Tionne might say if she found out you completed mine and Nira's task."
"Well, I'm not sure if she'll know. She's due to leave soon," Kal said, quickly responding to Xanta's shifting expression. "More than likely, Zen called her back on the search for Srad. Fortunately, we might have a lead."
In a flash, Kal produced the same datapad Xanta and Nira had been working with. Bits of information were scattered like puzzle pieces, and the latest stood out the most: '... continuing search… source of… Others… at point…'
"Just what-?" Xanta frowned, but Kal pulled the datapad into his cloak.
"Another mystery to solve. Whatever it is, it isn't good. Us three will have to be ready for Srad's plans. Speaking of which, I managed to get something from Zen…" Kal reached behind his back to present a familiar object, winking at Xanta's surprise. "Keep it safe this time, okay? Who knows if you need it to protect the four of us."
After Xanta slowly yet surely took his lightsaber, he looked up and asked, "Wait, four?"
XXXXXXXXXX
The Vercirator, Srad learned over the past few days, had been the name of his spacecraft. No doubt, it was a mistranslation of some old tongue. Perhaps some variant of the ancient Sith. The scattered and incomplete archives of the new Jedi didn't have much on such subjects, but it was more than what the Jensaarai ever had. Even then, it wasn't enough.
It would never be enough.
Srad learned that lesson at the end of his Jensaarai training. Having caught it the first time, he caught it early into his Jedi training. It was why he had left… Well, partly why. The real reason was still out there.
Leaning forward in his seat, Srad stared at the ancient star chart. It was an archaic thing, only appearing on a screen. Srad updated it with the recent information, including the latest worlds he had visited. The few visitors and no Jedi made it easier for him to search, but there were no answers. No answers meant nothing of worth.
"Where are you? Where did the Emperor keep you?" Srad said to himself as his eyes studied the red lines on the screen.
Just like the days of searching, the minutes produced the same nothingness. Srad gripped the armrests of his pilot's chair. The floor under him rumbled from his power. Already, he could hear his former mentor's words: "Hold your anger. Let it pass until it-"
Srad banished those words from his mind. He had enough of those teachings. They were fruitless, like the rest of the Jedi and Jensaarai teachings themselves. He would hold onto his anger and let it build. Until he was ready to face them all, he had to be patient. That was a lesson his mentor never taught him.
A tiny beep drew Srad's eyes to his datapad. He grabbed it eagerly to read the new message. 'Found a potential. Sending coordinates.'
Within seconds, Srad took in the numbers and typed them into the computer. The old hyperdrive whirled like an aging krayt dragon. Then, the stars blurred out of existence as Srad left for his new destination.
XXXXXXXXXX
The minute she had walked onto the landing pad, Nira found the Bel Brain to be a welcoming sight. The ship may have looked small from the outside, but its insides had open and cozy spaces, just the way Nira liked it. Most ships she previously rode in didn't feel the same. They had been compact freighters or smaller ships meant for light travel. There was the Star Destroyer, but…
Nira pushed the thought away. She turned to the control panel in front of her. It was a screen on the cargo hold's wall, saving Nira a trip to a probably cramped cockpit. By her feet laid the droid head with wires transmitting data from it to the control panel. The data spilled onto the screen, and Nira eyed the first planet from that data.
"Wayland."
Bit of a strange name, but Nira had heard of stranger. After a pause, she entered the coordinates and saved it to the navicomm. Kal would want that. Speaking of which, what was taking him and Xanta so long? Didn't he want to get going?
Footsteps drew Nira from the panel to the Bel Brain's entrance. "'Bout time!" she began. "I was wonderin' what took you-"
However, Nira stopped to find someone else in the cargo hold. "Oh, hello there!" that someone greeted.
Nira immediately kicked the droid head behind her feet. "Oh um… hi…?" she greeted the other person who approached her. At a closer look, it was a brown-haired boy, maybe a little older than her.
And taller. Much, much taller.
The very tall boy smiled, showing off his teeth as bright as his tunic. "You must be Nira Sylo, right? Kirana Ti's student?"
Feeling the Force from the boy, Nira blinked in realization. "Oh, you're 'nother Jedi!" she said, taking a few steps forward to draw any suspicion from the droid head. She stopped, and her eyes fell on the boy's belt. "And with a saber, too…"
The boy's smile grew wider. "Yes. I was told to come here. This ship is supposed to take me to my destination."
Nira blinked in surprise. Another passenger? She thought it was just her, Xanta, and Kal! "Oh, uh…" she started, trying to find the right words, "... I dunno 'bout that. I gotta ask my friends and-"
"What's going on?" Xanta asked upon entering the Bel Brain.
Nira opened her mouth, but the newcomer beat her to it. "I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding," he said. "I was told to come to this ship.
Xanta looked to Nira then back to the boy. "... Yes, I see," he said slowly. "There were some changes. I believe Nira here didn't read her instructions fully. My name's Xanta Jast…"
"Oh yes, I've heard about you! I'm Dolph, by the way," the boy smiled and held out his hand. The frowning Xanta accepted it, and his face winced from the other boy's tight grip. "Kal has told me about you and your Jensaarai. Really interesting how your philosophy came from-"
Xanta pulled his hand free, cutting this Dolph off. "Yes, well, there are other times to compare and contrast beliefs," he said. "We'll be leaving soon, so you should head to your quarters before Defender Rasdar arrives."
Nira gave Xanta a peculiar look. She never heard him call Kal formally. Dolph, a bit surprised himself, said, "Oh, well… I suppose I should…"
With that, Dolph turned and went for the ladder on the other end of the cargo hold. When he was out of here, Nira quietly hissed to Xanta, "You knew 'bout this?!"
"Only a few minutes before I got on," Xanta whispered back while flexing his fingers. "From what Kal told me, he's heading to the same place we are."
"So he's just a cover?" Xanta's nod drew a frown from Nira. "Ain't that a bit, y'know, deceptive?"
"I'm surprised you know that word." Xanta continued before Nira could interrupted, "But yes, and I do not like it either. Hopefully, we just drop him off and be done with it."
"Uh, excuse me?!" called from above, drawing both pupils' attentions to Dolph on the ladder. "Do you know where the bunks are?!"
Xanta and Nira looked at each other, one wondering if the other had the answer. They only had been in the cargo hold, so how they would know? "Just climb up. You'll find one on the right!" Kal answered for the two, his voice booming over his steps into the Bel Brain.
"Thank you!" Dolph called and he climbed up to the next level.
When he disappeared behind a door, Nira whirled to the approaching Kal. "You coulda told me 'fore I got here," she said.
Kal walked past her and Xanta, smiling. "Didn't want to ruin the surprise. After all, you get to have another Jedi to talk to, not just Xanta and myself."
"Kal," Xanta cut in, making the Defender turn.
"Right. Is everything ready?" Kal asked quietly Nira, who nodded. "Good. We'll be ready to head out… And try to not to punch our guest like you did with Xanta."
With that, Kal turned around, grinning at Nira's flabbergasted face and Xanta's slight frown.
XXXXXXXXXX
It had been a hyperspace jump later when Nira finally approached the Bel Brain's newest passenger. "So… how you fittin' in?" she began in a friendly tone, walking across the cargo hold.
"Well enough, thank you," Dolph said after climbing down the ladder.
"Good, good." Nodding her head, Nira looked Dolph up and down. For as plain as this man might have seemed, she was intrigued by him. "Uh, hope you fine with me askin', but… how old're you?"
"Oh, I'm twenty-one," Dolph replied, to Nira's surprise.
"Really? You look like seventeen… and act like you're thirty!"
"Do I?" Nira nodded, and Dolph jokingly ran a hand through his hair like an old man would to find a bald spot. "Well, I suppose you could see me like that."
Nira smiled and would have laughed if not for Xanta calling from the other side of the cargo hold. "Nira, stop interrogating him. Kal said to be nice," he said.
Whirling to Xanta by the console, Nira said, "I'm bein' nice! What's it look like?"
"Like you're prying too much," Xanta retorted with his back turned, so Nira stuck out her tongue at him. "I saw that, you know."
"Know you did!" Nira called back. She looked to Dolph, who desperately tried and failed to hide a laugh behind his hand. "What's funny?"
"I apologize, it's just…" Dolph said and lowered his hand to reveal a fading grin. "... I haven't laughed like that in a while. You two must be good friends to act this way."
"Eh, not sure 'bout that," Nira shrugged. "We only met days ago, act'ally."
"Is that so? I'd like to hear that story."
"It's not interesting," Xanta told Dolph as he came over before Nira could say anything.
Nira, remembering the secrecy of the mission, put aside her personal grudge. "Yeah, it ain't," she said and decided to change the subject. "So, where're you from? It's a nice planet?"
After sensing a flash of anger, Nira regretted her question. Though his face was calm, Dolph hesitated for a second. "Well, I wouldn't say it's awful…" he began, "... but Almania isn't the best place at the moment."
"I've heard of Almania," Xanta spoke. At Nira's confused look, he explained to her, "It's a planet by Wild Space. It recently cut ties with the New Republic. Something to do with its latest government affecting its people."
Dolph's smile thinned, and Nira sensed another flash of anger. "Yes…" he said. "It hasn't been the same for sometime now. The New Republic hasn't done anything yet so…"
Nira finished for him. "So you wanna do somethin' 'bout it. I… I think I get it," she said almost quietly, as a familiar drive pushed itself to the forefront of her mind. "Guess that's good reason to be a Jedi."
The anger subsided, and Dolph smiled lightly. "Well, I'm not a Jedi yet. I'm just a student like you."
"Least you got a saber. I got nothin'."
"A lightsaber isn't everything, Nira. The Force is what matters," Xanta said in that lecturing tone of his… all while showing off the saber hilt on his belt. When did he even get that back?
The floor shook. Only for a second, but it was enough to knock Nira away from her question. It also tumbled Nira over her feet and forward…
… right into Dolph's torso.
Nira realized it a second too late. By then, Dolph had held her and asked, "Are you alright?"
She looked up, realized the giant of a young man a millimeter away, and backed away in a heartbeat. "Uh, yeah… I'm good," Nira said awkwardly, swearing her cheeks were warm.
"Kal, what was that?!" called Xanta, who had kept his footing firm.
Kal's voice came from the cockpit above. "Sorry about that! There was a bit of trouble with the hyperdrive! We came out a little too close to the planet's atmosphere! We should be good now, though!"
Xanta murmured something under his breath. Nira almost did the same, but opted to step away from the massive Dolph. Her cheeks still warm, Nira wished for anything to keep her mind away from what just happened. Even when Dolph went up to get his belongings, the image remained with Nira for several and agonizingly-long moments, the same amount of time it took the Bel Brain to descend the planet's atmosphere.
At that point, Xanta's voice cut in. "Calm your mind. It won't help if someone senses your thoughts."
"I'm calm, I'm calm!" Nira snapped at Xanta, her mind given the distraction she wanted.
Kal dropped into the cargo hold a moment after the Bel Brain made its landing. "Welp, we're here!" he announced while taking his descent into the cargo hold. "Everyone ready for our departure?"
"Just waitin' on our guest," Nira informed.
"Good! Just remember to act natural. You're going to need it," Kal said, squeezing his hand on Nira's shoulder in a friendly way. "And try to keep calm, alright? Your thoughts are all over the place right now."
Reminded again, Nira frowned. She wanted to snap back but couldn't. The thought she wanted to voice, along with a question about a droid head, stayed stuck in a haze. Ultimately, Nira gave in and said, "Fine. What we do?"
After waving a hand and activating the ramp with the Force, Kal answered, "Xanta and I are going to take a look. You are going to stay with our guest for a bit to keep him and anyone else busy."
Nira blinked and blurted through her hazy mind, "I'm a distraction?!"
"Yep," Kal said and went off for the lowered ramp.
Xanta followed after him, but before he stopped and told Nira, "We'll try not to be gone for too long."
Nira, unable to respond properly, watched Xanta disappear down the ramp with Kal. She had less time to react to Dolph's question: "Where are they going?"
Nira jumped a bit and turned to Dolph returning to the cargo hold. "Well, uh," she said, trying to think of something from her foggy mind, "I think they be goin' out. Said they wanted look 'round, y'know?"
Dolph didn't question the lie. "Well, I suppose it won't be a problem," he said, coming up to Nira's side and smiling. "I do have someone to accompany, if you don't mind."
"Uh, no!" Nira said, and she stepped in line with Dolph's massive strides.
After stepping off the Bel Brain, Nira was taken aback by what laid outside of it. Lush greenery, houses with open roads, and a gigantic mountain looming over it all. Walking from it all and coming closer to the Bel Brain, though, was a man in a green cloak… and a lightsaber.
The man-no, the Jedi-stepped forward. "You must be Dolph. Pleasure to meet you at last," he greeted, shaking the tall boy's hand before looking at Nira. "And you are?"
As Nira answered, she secretly hoped Xanta would return very, very soon.
AN: And that is the rest I had written for Scattered Lights. By the time I had gotten to that point, I was feeling tired because (again) I was writing for a franchise I had no longer cared, especially when I knew the era I had been writing for would just be swept aside by the NJO destroying the New Republic (thus undoing the heroes' hard work) and what would follow afterward (with Luke's nephew turning to the Dark Side and usurping the New Republic's replacement as well as killing fan-favorite Mara Jade because he had a secret love child with his ex who was a queen, constant galactic-scale wars that prevent any long-lasting peace, the Sith eventually taking over the galaxy and destroying the Jedi yet again-all of which sounds familiar, doesn't it?). I don't regret writing Xanta and Nira (in fact, I may have mentioned I might incorporate them into another story), but I have no qualms about leaving this universe behind. Until next time, take care.
Raika out.
