Chapter 2
Asajj breathed in the morning air.
The leaves had begun to turn brown in the forest surrounding her home. The wind smelled like fresh wood as it blew past her face. She could hear birds chirping and rustling in the branches above her head. The sun was bright, but covered by a cloud that kept the light from hurting her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth as a warm grin graced her face.
"Time for a walk."
…
With her newly sewn morning gown and sun hat, she followed the stone path to the local town. The marketplace was more busy than usual, with a myriad of local races scouting out the many shops and services set up for the day. A Nautolan vendor was selling rare exotic fish, twin Troig siblings were offering full body piercings, a Bothan animal trainer was advising kiddie rides on their pygmy spamels, and a troupe of Lurmen puppeteers were performing a complex retelling of the legend of Lord Momin. Following her nose, Asajj soon located her favorite home decor booth. Carl, a kind old Dowutin with a grandfatherly tone, greeted his favorite customer.
"Hey there, Asajj! Got a brand new shipment of candles just for you!"
Asajj smiled as she approached his desk.
"Much appreciated, Carl. The stars get dull this time of year. Like to have a light on at night."
Carl reached into the box beneath his desk and pulled out a sweetly scented wax candle.
"Got this little beauty for a bargain on Koboh. So how much are ya willing to…"
Just then, his desk began to rumble as he looked to the sky.
"…pay…"
As the roar of a ship engine grew louder overhead, Asajj turned her head upward and saw the Martyr, the ship of the Izvoshra, slowly descending upon a barren patch of land a few dozen feet away. The rest of the marketplace stopped in its tracks, their eyes locked on the unusual vessel landing nearby. The ship's engine grew quiet as it carefully parked near the watching crowd.
Asajj's face lit up once the side doors flew open.
Ronderu and Makellu stepped out onto the freshly-fertilized dirt and walked over to Asajj with beaming smiles. Ronderu approached Asajj and gave her a hug so tight it picked Asajj up off her feet.
"Good to see you again, snow."
Asajj smirked.
"Is that supposed to be a nickname?"
Ronderu motioned to Asajj with her hands.
"I mean look at you, girl. You're so pale you're damn near transparent."
Makellu then stepped in and gave Asajj an ever bigger hug. Asajj coughed as she tried not to laugh. Makellu turned confidently to his wife.
"Beat that, Ru."
Ronderu put a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Let's try not to break her in half, yeah?"
Her tone became more subdued as she turned back to Asajj.
"I'd love to get caught up, but we need to talk to you about something important. Mind if we go back to your place?"
Asajj motioned toward the forest.
"By all means."
…
Less than an hour later, Ronderu and Makellu had informed Asajj of their situation while sitting at the table in her living room. Asajj finished her cup of tea.
"So you have no idea who took them?"
Ronderu shook her head.
"We looked everywhere and couldn't find any clues. All we've got is the look of their ship as they flew over our heads on our way back to the house. It was an Oubliette transport. Modified from the looks of it.
Makellu chipped in.
"And sloppily, if I might add."
"Did Luna leave anything behind in their room?"
"Only their stuffed animal. That's it."
Makellu put down his tea cup.
"Saga is worried sick. He hasn't slept in days. We're doing everything we can, but we can't get any leads."
Ronderu sighed to herself.
"As far as Force-sensitives go, Luna is really something. If we don't find them, who knows what they might be used for."
Makellu leaned forward toward Asajj.
"If there's anything you can do that might help us, we'd really appreciate it."
Asajj thought to herself for a moment and then looked back up at Ronderu and Makellu.
"Take me there. I think I might be able to help."
