Hey guys, it's time for another chapter! I've been trying to get this chapter done, but I've been pretty busy recently. It's crazy that we're already on chapter 11 but I'm having a blast writing this story in my free time. Hopefully you guys have liked it so far! Please review or leave a comment and let me know what you think of the story so far! Finally, here's the chapter!
Ch. 11: Back to Zeffo
(Luna's POV)
Cal and I walked over to where the wookies were going and saw that they had found an elevator that goes up to the outside. We decided to wait until all the wookies had the chance to ride the elevator before we got on it. He and I stood with our hands on our hips as the elevator lifted us up slowly.
"Man, this is a slow elevator…" Cal complained.
"You would think the Empire would have a better lift with all the advanced technology they possess. Do you think any of the wookies know where Tarfful is?" I asked.
"I hope so. Having to explore every part of the planet looking for him sounds like a lot for just the two of us."
I shivered at the thought. I love exploration as much as the next girl but a whole planet? We would be here the rest of our lives! The elevator finally reached the top, and we were met with blaster shots and explosions. The elevator ended at another hangar platform, and it was covered with stormtroopers. The wookies that had gone before us were either running away from the troopers or fighting them.
"Of course!" I yelled, clicking on my lightsaber. Cal did the same and sighed.
"Here we go again."
We fought through the group of stormtroopers and did our best to avoid getting shot. It was extremely difficult because blaster shots were flying everywhere. Luckily, the force comes in handy in these types of situations. Somehow, it allows you to sense what's coming before it happens. That's the only way Cal and I are able to dodge every shot blasted at us. Of course, there are some that slip our senses.
"Watch out!"
Cal grabbed my shoulder and helped me duck a shot that would have hit me in the face.
"Thank you!" I yelled to him before I sensed a shot heading towards Cal's chest. I quickly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him towards me, the shot missing him by mere inches.
"Holy crap, thanks!" He thanked me back. I smiled at him, knowing we had each other's backs. He smiled too and looked around. The stormtroopers' numbers were beginning to wane. He looked back at me and nodded.
"Let's finish them off together!"
"Okay!" I replied. We reflected a few blaster shots back to the troopers, and they fell to the ground. Running at them, we let our courage overtake us so that we could beat all of the troopers. By the end of it, I was panting and sweating like crazy. Cal didn't look much better. Fortunately for us, it didn't look like the wookies suffered any losses. Maybe their fur acted as armor? I'm not exactly sure.
"Need a healing stim?"
I turned and saw that Cal was holding one in his hands with BD-1 staring at me with his lenses.
"I think I'm okay, just tired is all. Oh, wait! I think I have…"
I looked into my bag and took out a couple of small water bottles. The kind you get for free when you have to wait too long at the doctor's office. I handed one to Cal and then took a sip of mine.
"You're a lifesaver, Luna," he said in the most endearing way. He chugged his water and then poured the rest of it over his face to cool off. I did the same, not caring how I looked at this point. Kashyyyk was both a warm and moist planet, so it felt like we were about to have a heat stroke. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked to see a wookie thanking me for helping them. The only thing was that I had no idea what he was saying. I looked at Cal and he held his hands up in defense.
"Sorry, I don't speak it either," he said with guilt. I rubbed my arm awkwardly and then gave the wookie a smile.
"I'm sorry, I can't understand what you're saying. But…I was happy to free you from your cells. Hopefully, you weren't stuck there for too long," I told the wookie with a sympathetic look. The wookie said another thing I couldn't understand and then patted my arm once more. He walked away, and Cal took the spot where the wookie was standing beside me.
"It never hurts to get thanked once in a while."
I smiled and looked down at the ground.
"Yeah, it feels really good."
I lifted my head to see Saw land on the platform using his grappling hook. He waved to everyone who was around, and they gathered to hear him speak.
"We have fought hard! We've fought for years! We've lost men, women, children, and comrades. But today, we beat the Empire back! Today, we let them know that we're not going to be pushed around! We haven't lost! The wookies haven't lost!"
He paused and looked at me and Cal.
"...The Jedi haven't lost! And Kashyyyk is not yet lost! For the cause!"
He brought his fist to his chest and the group cheered in victory. Cal raised his fist with excitement, and I giggled at his dorkiness. BD-1 beeped happily on Cal's shoulder, and I decided to pick him up and hold him in my arms. I petted the top of his head as Saw walked over to us.
"I didn't truly believe that you two were Jedi until I saw you fighting just now. Both of you were lightning-fast, taking down every stormtrooper in your way. It was a sight to see. You know, we could use a couple of Jedi on our side."
Cal and I glanced at each other and then gave him our official answer.
"We have our own mission right now that we can't back away from. Not yet anyway."
Saw looked disappointed but he understood.
"The offer stands if you change your mind."
We nodded at him and a female soldier walked up to us with a wookie next to her. She introduced herself as Mari Kosan and the wookie as Choyyssyk. Both of them were a part of Saw's squad.
"Choyyssyk here used to work for Tarfful before he moved operations. It will take some time, but he thinks he might be able to locate Tarfful and his group. When that happens, we'll be sure to give you a call," the woman said.
"That would be a big help, thank you!" I told both of them. They walked away with Saw and left us to ourselves.
"We didn't find Tarfful but it's a start," Cal said.
"Yeah, we could have walked away from this with nothing. Good on you for staying optimistic, by the way!" I complimented him. He smirked and began walking in the direction of Cere and Greez.
"Thanks, I learned it from you."
I was pretty sure he was just joking, but I went along with it.
"I am pretty cheerful, aren't I?"
"I would say so. You're always smiling or caring about something. It's pretty contagious because I've been smiling more too. Then again, the bar is pretty low after being in hiding for five years. I rarely smiled for real back on Bracca; only when I was with my friend, Prauf. But now, both you and BD-1 make me feel better about life. That's the only reason I've been able to smile more. I don't know if that makes sense but it's true."
I felt a warmth in my heart when he said that, and I petted BD-1 again in my arms.
"It does, don't worry. BD-1 and I feel the same way about you Cal," I told him. He looked at us, and he smiled with genuine elation.
"See!? You got me all smiley again! You two have a gift, for sure. Now, if you could get Greez to change his attitude once in a while that would be great," he muttered with an eye roll. I chuckled and let out a short hum.
"I'll see what I can do," I replied as we returned to the Mantis. Cere and Greez were speaking to one another in front of the ship but stopped when they saw us approaching.
"Hey Cere," we said to her in unison. Cere looked relieved to see us.
"I'm glad you two are safe after everything that happened. Mari Kosan got a hold of us and told us you hadn't found Tarfful. That's okay, we knew this would be a difficult task. Both of you saved those wookies' lives though. You should be proud of yourselves for that."
"Thanks, Cere," we told her. I'm so grateful that she's so supportive of us. It's definitely appreciated. Greez, on the other hand, was his usual grouchy self.
"Yeah, good job! My favorite thing in the world is risking our lives for nothing! Love it!"
Cal gave me a side-eye, and I knew he was referencing what we had just been talking about before we met up with Cere and Greez. Trying to make Greez a positive person sounds like it would take a miracle for that to happen.
"It wasn't for nothing, Greez. Mari Kosan said that she and Choyyssyk would do everything they could to help us find him, so it's a step in the right direction. Don't be so negative all the time," I told him, patting the top of his head.
"Hey, hey! I'm not always negative. I'm a realist, and the reality is that I don't like getting shot at my Imperial fighters! That's all I'm sayin'!" he exclaimed loudly.
"We at least have that in common," Cal said comically.
"Yeah, well…I'm glad you kids are safe too," Greez muttered under his breath. It was so quiet that we could barely hear it but we did.
"Aww, you do care!" I yelled, crouching down and giving him a big hug. His arms flailed out, and he started freaking out like a cat does if you hold them for too long. Cal got on the other side of him and hugged him too.
"We never thought you would ever admit it!" he said as Greez became increasingly more flustered. Cere just stood there with an entertained look on her face.
"Alright, you three, let's get going. While you were gone, we got word that the Empire might have just found an ancient tomb back on Zeffo. We need to make sure that doesn't happen or put an end to their search before they finish it," she explained, walking back up the ship's ramp. Cal and I finally released Greez, and he let out a few curse words as our punishment for embarrassing him. I'm sure the words were filled with love.
"Are you done?" Cal asked with his hand on his hip. Greez stopped yelling at us and sighed.
"Yeah, I'm done. Come on, let's go risk our lives again!"
He walked up the ramp, and we followed behind him with big smiles on our faces. I knew he couldn't stay mad at us for more than five minutes. I wonder if he is starting to see us as his kids or maybe students. I wouldn't mind it if he did. I'm at a point where I want as many loving figures in my life as possible, and I'm really starting to see that with Cere, Greez, BD-1, and Cal; Cal more than anything else, if I'm being honest.
"To Zeffo again!" Greez announced. He made a bee-line for the cockpit and started flicking switches. The metal hatch retracted back into the ship, and it sealed back to its original state. BD-1 beeped in my arms, and I looked down at him. He wanted to show me something. I set him down, and he showed me another plant sample he had collected on Kashyyyk.
"Oh! Good job, BD! You cute little plant collector," I cooed. I took the sample and handed it to Cal so that he could insert it into the terrarium. We were really filling it up!
"It's a good thing you remember to collect plant seeds for this thing because Luna and I always forget," Cal chuckled. It's true, I always forget that we even have a terrarium on the ship.
"Alright, so, you hungry or anything?" Cal asked me, moving away from the terrarium and towards the kitchen. I thought for a moment and nodded.
"Yeah, I haven't eaten since this morning. Geez, it's already seven o'clock. It's weird because today felt both short and long at the same time. I don't know if that makes sense or anything."
"No, I get what you mean," Cal said, "I think it's because we did a ton of things today and that made the day go by quickly because we were so preoccupied."
"That sounds about right. Got any dinner ideas?" I asked, my stomach aching for me to put something in it. Cal stared at the fridge for a second and then turned back to me.
"What about grilled chicken salad?"
I told him that that sounded amazing, and he got started on the chicken. He started the griller and seasoned the chicken while I worked on the salad. I did this all the time at the Starship Bar, so I had no trouble mixing in the lettuce, carrots, shredded cheese, and croutons. I don't particularly care for tomatoes in my salad so I left them out.
"Wow, that looks great! Did you serve a lot of salads at the bar you worked at?" Cal asked me while flipping the chicken cuts.
"Oh yeah, it was a really popular item. Hosnian Prime is a "city planet" and you know everyone in the city wants to look healthy and fit. It was almost every table now that I think about it."
He smiled and finished cooking the chicken. He grabbed a knife and began cutting them up into small bite-sized pieces.
"How long did you work there?"
"Hmm…I went through a few low-paying jobs before I settled into that one. They required you to be sixteen years old so when I turned sixteen I started working there. That would be around two years. It didn't pay much, but it was the best job out of all the ones I had while I lived there. How long were you a rigger on Bracca?" I asked in return, putting a good portion of salad on four plates. I had to make two for Cere and Greez too. Cal finished cutting the chicken he had cooked and added a handful to each plate as well.
"I started my training around fourteen and then began the job officially at fifteen so around three years. It was…pretty dangerous but sometimes it paid off. I never had enough money to stay anywhere nice though," he said. That seemed to be the theme between us. Two broke Jedi in hiding. What a life…
"This ship, believe or not, is the nicest place I've lived since before Order 66. Having my own room was something I never thought I would have again," I said with a light chuckle. What a depressing thing to say.
"I think I'll have to agree with you on that one. Another thing is that I feel safe when I go to bed. I'm not afraid that anyone will break into my room and rob me or something like that."
"Oh really? You don't think I would break down your door and steal one of your ponchos?" I questioned in a serious tone. He gave me a look and tried his best not to break his equally serious demeanor.
"Of course not. You hate ponchos."
I couldn't hold it anymore and I busted out laughing.
"You got me there!"
He joined me in laughing and took some ranch out of the fridge. He handed me the bottle and I topped my salad with it. I handed it back to him and then picked up the two plates. I walked to the cockpit and gave Cere and Greez their plates.
"Thank you, Luna," Cere said.
"You're welcome! I made the salad and Cal cooked the chicken."
"I'm glad you added some protein to the salad. You and the kid need some more meat on your bones!" Greez yelled with his usual loudness accompanying him. I rolled my eyes and gave him his salad before walking away.
"That's such a "you" thing to say, Greez."
"You know it!" he said back to me. I walked back to the kitchen and sat next to Cal. He waited until I got back before he started eating. What a thoughtful thing to do!
"Thanks for waiting for me," I said to him in appreciation.
"No problem."
We started eating while BD-1 stared at us. He seemed fascinated by the salad as if he had never seen it before. I petted the top of his head and gave him a look of sympathy.
"I'm sorry you can't eat human food, BD. Otherwise, I would have made one for you too!"
He beeped a pattern of sounds, and I translated it as him saying that it was okay I couldn't make him one.
"Technically, droids don't need to eat or drink anything. At least you don't feel hunger, little buddy," Cal said, petting the droid also. I smiled and went back to eating my dinner. By the end of it, I was content with what we had made. I looked at the time, and it was getting close to nine o'clock. I stretched my arms over my head and let out a yawn. Cal did the same and stood up from the table.
"You about to go to bed? I'm probably going to head to my room in a bit."
"Yeah, I'm beat," I told him, "I'm exhausted after everything we did today."
"Me too," he confessed. I smiled and then scanned my eyes over his lips, cheeks, nose, and chin. The thought of his bruised face flashed in my mind, and I frowned in concern. "...Is your face okay after today? I hope the medicine I put on you took away at least some of the pain."
He stared at me, trying to figure out what I was talking about, before he finally connected the dots.
"Oh! Yeah, I feel much better! I know I already said this, but I'm glad you were there with me today. You always seem to know how to make things better, Luna," he said, appearing bashful. He's cute when he's acting all shy. I gave him a look of gratitude and put my hand on his forearm.
"I want you and everyone not to regret taking me in. I want to do my part and contribute to the team, especially when it comes to your well-being. And you're always so sweet, Cal. I can't tell you how much I like that about you. A lot of guys, in my experience, will act nice at first but then show their true, ignorant selves after you spend more time with them. You're nice and courteous through and through, so there's no way I could let you stay all bruised up like that," I said with my arms crossed over my chest. A part of me realized that I kind of just made another personal speech in front of him, and I dropped my arms to my sides.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to get all mushy like that…" I laughed nervously. He shook his head with a smile, and now he was the one crossing his arms over his chest.
"No, I like when you talk like that. It shows me that you're a kind and caring person. You don't have to apologize for that because I want you to be who you are. Trust me, we don't regret taking you in at all. Plus, I'll be there for you too if you ever get hurt like I did earlier today," he said proudly. He put some of my fears to rest by saying that, and I felt like I could say anything to him now. I was just about to before Greez suddenly walked by us.
"Man, you two are real buddy-buddy, huh?"
We both froze in place and got all red-faced. After a few seconds, I giggled and looked at the floor while Cal frowned at the ship's pilot.
"Shouldn't you be in the cockpit right now?"
Greez scoffed at the boy and waved him off.
"I put the baby on auto-pilot. I'm hittin' the hay. See you kids in the morning."
And with that, he left us and retreated to his room. Cal watched him go and then sighed. He looked back at me and that warmhearted smile appeared back on his face.
"Basically, to sum up everything I said, thanks again for caring about me."
"Anything for you, Cal. Thanks for saying what you said. And thank you, BD-1, for the moral support and healing stims," I added to the droid. Cal laughed and put his hands in his pockets.
"Me and BD are going to go to bed so we'll see you tomorrow. If you need anything just knock, okay?"
"Will do," I answered as we told each other goodnight. He walked to his room, and the door closed behind him. I ran my hand through my hair and put my plate in the sink. Turning around, I looked at the cockpit to see if Cere needed anything before I went to bed. To my surprise, she was staring at me from her chair with merriment.
"What?" I asked lightheartedly, making my way over to her.
"Nothing, I'm just happy to see you two getting along the way you have. I was afraid another team member could cause conflict with everyone on the ship, but you've been amazing so far, Luna. You never know what you're getting into when living with someone but I'm grateful we found you. You fit in with us like a key to a lock."
Okay, I officially love everyone on this ship. Kindness truly is one of the most important things to me personally.
"Thanks, Cere. I'm glad you all like me because I was afraid you wouldn't."
"I'm not sure how anyone could not like you, to be honest. Speaking of "like", am I sensing something more than friendship between you and Cal?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. My eyes widened at the question. I didn't expect her to ask me that!
"Um, I mean, I don't think so," I muttered quickly.
Cere smirked and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, I was just curious. I wouldn't care if it was something more than you two just being friends. You'd probably make a good couple!" she said in encouragement. I bit my lip and then looked around to make sure no one could hear us. Looking back at her, I giggled and put my hand to my chest.
"I'm not saying we're into each other or if that will ever happen but…girl to girl, I wouldn't mind it," I told her with a blush on my cheeks.
"Really?" she asked, surprised by my honesty.
"Cal's a cool and handsome guy! Plus, we're the same age too. I'm just saying I'd have no problem being with him. But for now, we're just friends."
She nodded in understanding and stood up from her chair.
"A lot of the time, a friend is all you need. There's plenty of guys in the galaxy if nothing ever happens. But if it does, let me know so I can be the first to congratulate you two," she said with a wink. I grinned and nodded.
"Okay, you'll be the first to know. Are you heading to bed?"
"Yep. Tomorrow's a rest day on the way back to Zeffo, but I still need to be rested so I can listen to Imperial Comms. You should get some sleep too. We all need as much rest as we can get."
She walked past me and went to her room for the night. I went to mine shortly after. My bedroom door automatically closed as I entered the room, and I began taking my clothes and gear off. The feeling of taking everything off was comforting, literally a weight off my shoulders. I took a quick shower and then got into bed. I thought about what Cal and Cere said as I tried to fall asleep. I don't have "those" feelings for Cal but that could always change. He would be a pretty great boyfriend…No, I need to stop thinking about it. I'll eventually catch feelings if I do.
Would that be such a bad thing, though? Again, I wouldn't mind that, but I'm not exactly sure if I'm ready to be in a relationship right now. I mean I'm literally on the run from the Galactic Empire! Oh well, I need to go to sleep…
I closed my eyes and drifted away after a few minutes. After such a long day of exploring and fighting, falling asleep was one thing I didn't find difficult.
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed from sleeping in. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I put on a simple shirt and shorts before leaving my room. Greez and Cere were in their usual spots again, but Cal was nowhere to be found. He must still be in his room. I gave his door a couple of quiet knocks, and I heard his voice from the other side.
"Come in."
I opened the door and Cal was laying on his bed with BD-1. He was leaning his face on his palm while reading what looked like a comic book. I smiled and leaned on the metal door frame.
"I'm not bothering you, am I?"
"No, you're good! I was just reading some old comic books I managed to grab before leaving Bracca. I knew you were still sleeping, so I didn't want to disturb you." he said, getting off his palm and sitting up. I sat on the side of his bed and shrugged.
"Meh, I probably wouldn't have cared if you woke me up. You like comic books?" I asked. His face lit up in interest.
"Yeah! Do you like them?"
I looked at the comic book he had been reading and flipped through some pages.
"I've never really read one actually. I always went for the magazines," I laughed. He smiled and nodded at the book in my hands.
"I bet you would like it. It's about a Jedi who travels to this weird planet filled with all kinds of monsters and he has to fight through all of them to find a secret treasure."
"So, basically, it's a comic book about us…" I retorted.
"Pretty much!" he said admittedly. I shook my head and crawled to the other side of the bed so I could lay next to Cal.
"That doesn't mean I shouldn't read it to see if I like it though!"
Cal slowly grinned with joy and took out another comic book to read.
"That's right! I'll read the second issue and then when you finish that one you can tell me if you want to read the next one."
I nodded and began reading the comic book. I think Cal was just thankful that I gave something he likes a chance. Reading the comic, I found it super entertaining! I liked the main character and his personality. It was a little over the top, but that was okay. The artwork was pretty cool too. I'm a sucker for good art. After about twenty minutes of Cal and I silently reading our comic books, I closed the book, and he looked at me.
"I have to say, I really enjoyed that," I told him. I could tell that his excitement went through the roof because he immediately handed me the second issue.
"I knew you would! Thanks for reading it for me!"
His boyish excitement was so adorable.
"Thanks for introducing it to me!" I said back to him. "How many comics do you have with you?" I asked. He took a minute to look in his bag before answering.
"I have five comics, each with ten issues."
"Alright, I've decided that I'm going to read every comic you own today. That should fill up the day until it's time for dinner."
He seemed shocked by what I had just said.
"Really!? All of them!? You have got to be the coolest girl in the universe, Luna!"
"Thank you, I know," I said dramatically. He snorted in amusement, and we got to reading.
Each issue took about twenty minutes to read, so each comic took me around three hours to finish. After the first comic, we took a break and had lunch together. Nothing special or anything, just a couple of sandwiches. We got back to reading, and I dived into the second comic and then the third.
"I think you got me addicted now," I told the boy next to me as I flipped another page. Cal laughed and shifted a little bit on the bed.
"Once you start reading comics, you never go back. They're too good."
"That, or it's one of the only things we have to kill our boredom," I joked.
"That too," he said back to me.
We continued to read, stopping to talk about something that happened in the story every now and then. About midway through the third comic, I must have fallen asleep because everything went dark. I opened my eyes slowly to see the comic book still in my hands. I felt something on my right cheek and lifted my head up to see Cal sleeping too. I must have been resting my head on his shoulder…Looking down, his comic book was lying in his lap. It's funny that we both fell asleep reading. BD-1 was on Cal's dresser powered down as well. Sighing, I thought about going to my room to sleep in my own bed, but my body was too tired to get up.
"D-Did we fall asleep?"
I turned my head to see Cal waking up lazily. I smiled and nodded.
"I think so."
"I guess we read too much…We missed dinner too," he said with mild disappointment.
"That's okay. I'm not feeling that hungry anyways. Umm, do you care if I sleep in here tonight? I don't think I'll make it to my bed in time," I whispered, trying not to wake BD. Cal nodded his head and pulled the bed covers over both of us.
"Nah, I don't mind. You comfortable?" he asked as we settled into our pillows.
"Mhmm. Thanks, Cal. Goodnight."
"Night," he said back as we grew silent in the darkness. The only light in the room was from the blue hue of hyperspace shining from above. I liked it because it was similar to moonlight. I rolled to my side, facing Cal, and could feel our bare arms touching each other. I didn't move away from him though. I liked having someone next to me that I trusted. I quickly fell asleep after that…
I woke up the next morning feeling ready for the day. I woke up before Cal did this time and got ready. I let him sleep in since he did the same for me the day before. I got a shower in and then put on the usual outfit. For my hair, you know I love putting it in a braid. Today, I went with a side french braid. My hair was so long that, even with the braid, it still went down to my belly button. I preferred it long, so I didn't have a problem with it. I walked back to Cal's room, and he was still snoozing like a baby.
Time to wake him up.
I smiled and poked his cheek a couple of times. That did the trick. His green eyes fluttered open, and he peered up at me.
"Huh?"
"Wake up, sleepyhead. We have another Zeffo tomb to find."
"Alright, I'm up," he announced with a groggy voice, getting out of bed and going to the bathroom. I powered BD-1 on before going to the cockpit to see what Cere and Greez were up to. They were bickering about something, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
"What are you two arguing about?" I asked.
"Greez is talking about gambling again. He's going to get himself into trouble," Cere explained. Greez scoffed at her.
"I wasn't talking about anything big, just something that could get us more credits on the side, that's all."
"Somehow I doubt that. Are we getting close to Zeffo?"
Before I knew it, the ship made an immediate halt, and the planet of Zeffo came into view. Well then, that was quick.
"We're here!" Greez yelled.
Cal came out of his room by this time and was brushing his hand through his showered hair so that it would stay the way he liked it. I met him at the hatch door as Greez landed the ship and opened it.
"As always, if you need us, use your comm signal," Cere said as she watched us leave the ship. We nodded to her and then stepped onto the familiar Zeffo hangar platform.
"Another Zeffo tomb…BD, can you bring up the map?" Cal asked the droid. BD-1 beeped and pulled up a hologram of the map. The map still had the path we went on last time all laid out. That way, we wouldn't repeat the same route. There was a path we didn't get to go on that looked like it was at the bottom of a huge ice slide. That had to be our next destination. Cal and I looked at each other and knew where we had to go.
"Okay, let's find that tomb."
And that is the end of the chapter! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and loved writing Cal and Luna's little moments together. We're getting to the halfway point of the story so I hope you guys have liked it so far! Please review or comment and let me know what you think! Finally, I'll see you guys next time!