***Author's Note***
I'm sorry for such a long spell between chapters, summer is typically a very busy season for me but this summer I moved halfway across the country and then quite literally got kicked in the head by a horse (my horse, not some random horse) so as you can imagine, I've been a bit preoccupied! But it is winter now so hopefully I can fight off the writer's block and get more chapters posted soon!
Sleep would not come easy for the exhausted group, and when it did, it was lightly and quickly interrupted by the rising sun. Jango Fett was the first to stir from his spot between Kal and Kira. His body was stiff and he had a growing headache forming behind his eyes. Even with the fruit they'd found he was starving and surely dehydrated. He couldn't wait to get off this miserable planet. Skirata had owed him big time for this, he didn't even want to go in the first place. If it wasn't for the pouting Jedi he likely would have told the old sergeant no and gone about his life away from Jedi and Mandalorians.
The sun was shining above the treetops but dark clouds threatened in the horizon for another rainstorm. The air was colder than the day before and the wind started to blow and the smell of rain was thick. They would have to hurry if they wanted to avoid being drenched for yet another day. Jango couldn't wait to take a shower.
Kira stirred beside him and yawned.
"We should get moving." Jango said, his spine popped several times as he stretched. "It's going to start raining again."
Kira frowned. "Disgusting." She said.
Once the group had all woken up, with the exception of the still unconscious Jense, they had begun gathering their equipment to begin the journey home. Jedi Master Pao'l seemed to be doing better than the day before. He had insisted that he was able to walk but Khane refused to allow it. Kira could admire the devotion Khane had towards his master, she knew how close a master and apprentice could be and it made her miss Mace.
She wished she could allow him to know what she was truly doing and all that she had learned about her past in the last several months. While she trusted Jango to some degree, she really didn't know anything about him. She knew she could trust him to have her back but she also wasn't entirely convinced he wouldn't kill her while it was turned when the opportunity presented itself.
While the ship was still a few hours away and all the members were beyond exhausted, they were determined to reach sanctuary from the forest and wasted no time in packing what little they had left to carry back. Kal and Jango had resumed the responsibility of carrying Jense out of the forest while Wad'e and Khane reluctantly took on carrying Pao'l together. Mij took the lead and Kira took up the rear following behind Jango.
Jango's arms and shoulders ached with soreness, he had decent muscle but Jense was not a light man. He was well over Jango and Kal's height and at least fifty pounds heavier than either man and he showed no sign of coming out of his coma anytime soon.
They carried on for several hours as the rain clouds had caught up to them, the wind had begun to blow lightly and the smell of rain filled the air. Kira looked up towards the sky as rain began to fall, a raindrop falling onto her forehead.
"I swear, I will never, ever, in my whole life live in a place that rains so much." She said as she wiped the rain droplet from her forehead.
"Luckily, Coruscant doesn't rain too much." Khane said over his shoulder.
Kira frowned.
"Neither does Mandalore." Wad'e countered.
Khane scoffed and Kira couldn't stop the smirk on her face. "Right." She said.
They came to a small hill and Mij climbed a boulder to peer over. He let out a happy sigh. "The town is just down this valley." He said. "I can see the tops of the buildings from here."
"Perfect," Kal said, as he and Jango laid Jense's stretcher down for a few moments to rest their weary arms. "We'll get to town and Jango, Mij and Wad'e will collect our payment. I will take the Jedi and Jense back to Mandalore and meet you all there."
Kira glanced at Jango for a split moment before she looked towards Khane and Pao'l. "Once we arrive on Mandalore, we will need to return to Coruscant as soon as possible. We have been gone for far too long." She said.
Kal nodded his understanding. "Of course," He said. "Let's get there quick then, the rain isn't going to wait for us." he said as the rain was slowly beginning to increase.
They gathered Jense back up and continued on their way before coming to the main road in and out of the capital city. Mes Cresta was a small town with little more than a few shops, a junk yard and a livery. It was early enough in the morning that only a few citizens were outside. Kira could only imagine how the group looked to them, an older man watched the group as he sipped his morning caf on the front porch of his small house.
The group made it to the hangar just outside the city where Jense had his ship docked. It was a gray Meteor-class Q-carrier ship. It was old and had a good chunk of carbon scoring on the sides. Kira could only imagine the kinds of skirmishes the man had been in, in his time. It was old but seemed to have the newest torrents mounted just below the cockpit even though the ship was not a fighter, it was a transport ship.
Kira looked down at Jense's wrist gauntlet and clicked one of the buttons, the ramp of the ship shuttered and groaned before it lowered to the ground.
"Let's get these two inside." Mij said. Wad'e and Khane put the stretcher that held Pao'l onto the ground.
"Let's go home, Master." Khane said as Pao'l groaned as his padawan hoisted him over his shoulder with relative ease.
"I can walk, Padawan." He insisted but Khane ignored him as he followed Mij inside the ship. When Mij returned outside, Jango and Kal put down Jense and stretched their shoulders and arms for a few moments.
"Alright, Vod." Kal said, bending down to pick up the larger man. Jango scooped up his legs as Kal grabbed under his arms. Kira subtly held her hand out and used the Force to alleviate the weight of Jense from the tired Mandalorians and followed them as they brought him inside.
The ship smelled stale causing Kira's nose to curl. The ship was old, probably older than Kira herself and half the lights in the cargo bay were out. There were various crates lining the walls. Clearly Jense's priorities were to weaponry rather than basic upkeep of the ship. She followed behind Jango as they brought Jense through a tight doorway. They passed a small room where Khane was helping Pao'l get settled in a bunk. Kal punched the panel of the next room. The door slid open with a whine, exposing a small, cramped room with a single bed and a trunk to the left of the bed. They laid Jense down but still he did not wake. Kira was beginning to worry if he would ever wake at all.
Her eyes caught sight of an old photo taped to the wall beside Jense's head. She couldn't help herself when she slipped under Jango's arm and reached for the picture, she used the Force to peel it from the wall so she didn't have to lean over Jense's head.
"What is it?" Jango asked, but Kal already knew.
Kira's eyes stared at the picture then she leaned back on her heels, her back brushing against Jango's chest as she showed him.
It was a picture of a woman with dark blonde hair and green eyes. She had a bright, toothy smile. She was beautiful, her hair was long and pulled over her shoulder. In her lap, she held a child no older than four months old with a dusting of black hair and the brightest blue eyes. On the left corner of the baby's mouth there were two moles.
Kira instinctually touched her own mouth where she too had an identical pair of moles then looked up at Jango.
"That is his wife, Lenore and his daughter, Kiratta." Kal said.
Kira glanced at Kal. "He called me Lenore when we were escaping the Taavarians." She said.
"Now you know why." Kal said.
Kira's eyes left Kal and returned to the photograph. She had pretty much already accepted that Jense was her father but now she had definitive proof. There was no denying that the child in the photo was Kira herself. She felt a rush of emotion roll over her, tears bit in the back of her eyes. She blinked them away as fast as she could and stuffed down the emotions that came crashing in. She gave a slight shake of her head and returned the photo to the wall.
"We should hurry back to Mandalore. He needs medical attention." She said trying her best to use the Jedi indifference she so struggled with.
"Aye, we should." Kal agreed before looking at Jango. "You'll take the boys to collect payment?"
"Yes, we will meet you back on Mandalore." Jango affirmed.
Kal nodded and noticed Kira looking at Jango before deciding he was an unintentional third wheel. "I'll start her up." He said and left for the cockpit.
There was a moment of silence between the Mandalorian and the Jedi. "Thank you, Jango." Kira said at last. "I know you probably had a million things you'd rather have done than this but I appreciate everything you've done for me."
Jango tipped his helmet slightly. "I don't like having debts."
Kira gave a nod. "We likely won't be there when you return to Mandalore so I figured I would say my thanks and farewells now."
Jango had a growing feeling this would not be the last time he saw the young apprentice. In fact, he had a suspicion that this was just the beginning. She now had reason to go to Mandalore, if she chose to pursue any further contact with her father.
"Akay vi urcir tug'yc." He said.
Kira raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "One day you will learn I don't speak buckethead."
There was a short snort of a laugh. "Until we meet again." He translated. "Try not to die before then." He said as he turned to leave.
Kira rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. She, on the other hand, wasn't so sure they would ever meet again. Then again, she had also said that before. She glanced down at Jense who was breathing soundly before she left for the cockpit.
Khane and Pao'l had pretty much isolated themselves to their cabin, which Kira didn't mind as she sat beside Kal as the ship lifted off. Kira watched as Mij, Wad'e and Jango left the docking bay and headed down the street and all she could think about was returning to Coruscant.
"There is a 'fresher on the ship," Kal said over his shoulder. "You might want to freshen up before returning home."
Kira smirked. "Are you saying I stink, Skirata?" She asked, feigning offense.
"I think we all stink, Ad'ika." He replied.
Kira smirked, "You're probably not wrong." She said before gathering herself and headed to the 'fresher.
When she was clean and back in her Jedi robes with her hair neatly braided over her shoulder, she decided she would sit with Jense while she was typing away on her data pad. She had decided that she was going to record her journeys. She had no one to tell her stories to, she she decided she would write about it. She figured it might also help her sort out her feelings if she wrote them down and then perhaps, she could learn to make better decisions by doing so. She did, however, make sure to secure the files with a code in case Mace or any other Jedi decided to look through her pad.
Khane and Pao'l had showered, then took to the cockpit while Kal took his turn. The ship was quiet, with the exception of a few creaks as it sailed through hyperspace.
Kira was too lost in thought and worried of what would happen when she returned to Coruscant that she failed to notice Jense's eyes stir then slowly open. Jense remained still but as he regained consciousness his eyes fell to the raven-haired Jedi who sat on the crate in the corner of the room with her legs crossed and her eyes locked onto the datapad in front of her.
Something about her seemed familiar but the thought was lost when Jense's eyes traveled to the lightsaber on her hip. Jense felt his heart begin to race. He had no recollection of what had happened or why he was in the custody of Jedi. He took a moment to gather his surroundings when he realized that they were on his own ship and he was not bound. That didn't stop him from slowly and quietly reaching for the blaster on his hip.
Kal covered his face with the towel as he stepped out of the 'fresher then tied it around his waist when he heard a loud crash and a yelp then the sound of feet race past the 'fresher to the cabin next door. The cabin where Jense was sleeping. Kal cursed and pulled on his trousers and blaster from the holster left on the floor and raced out the door where Pao'l limped towards the commotion behind Kal.
Khane was blocking the doorway, a blaster in hand.
Kal looked through the doorway and saw Jense, who was clearly awake and panicked, cornering Kira with her back pressed against the cabin wall with her hands up and his blaster pointing in her face, her datapad was dropped to the floor facedown.
"Udesii, vod." Kal said, pushing his way through Khane. "Gar cuyir morut'yc."
Jense's eyes were wide then his eyebrows scrunched together when he saw Skirata half dressed with wet hair and water droplets falling down his face and chest. "What the kriff is happening?" He demanded. "Why are there Jetii on my ship?"
"You've missed a lot, vod." Kal said, trying to keep his voice calm in an attempt to relax his brother-in-arms.
"Why are you half naked?" Jense asked realizing his comrade was only wearing trousers.
"You're trying to shoot people, vod, you didn't give me time to finish getting dressed." Kal said with annoyance. "Put down your blaster."
"Not until I get some answers." Jense said, his head was spinning, that much movement for being unconscious for as long as he was, was making him nauseous but his blaster never left Kira's direction.
"That girl you're pointing your blaster at just risked her life to save yours so putting it away might be a good place to start." Kal scolded. Jense looked at Kira glaring, his piercing blue eyes matched hers but he didn't seem to notice in his stupor. All he could see was the braid that hung over her shoulder and the lightsaber she hadn't used to defend herself.
"Who are you?" He demanded.
Kira kept her hands up, trying not to trigger the frightened man. "My name is Kira." She said. "I am a Jedi of the Republic. and I am of no threat to you, Jense Kenvor."
"Why are you here?" He asked, his eyes narrowing. He clearly had no more love for Jedi than Jango did, that was blatantly obvious to Kira even without the warnings of the elder Mandalorian.
"I came to find you." She said, keeping her voice calm and steady.
"Why?"
"I have reason to believe you may be…" she began. Jense's disorientation made him unpredictable and she didnt want to drop that kind of bomb on him so soon after coming to. "Important to me." Jense gave a side glance to Kal, who just gave a nod. Jense's head was rushing and he felt his eyesight become spotty. He groaned before finally lowering his blaster to cover his eyes with his hand. Kira glanced sideways at Khane. "Khane, put the blaster away. We're not shooting anybody."
Khane scowled but reluctantly obeyed her and lowered the blaster.
Kira gave an approving nod before her eyes returned to Jense. She couldn't help but stare at him, now that he was awake she was fascinated by him. He spoke with an accent Kira recognized as Corellian and he was tall, possibly slightly taller than Mace. "What is the last thing you remember before this?" Kira asked, being sure not to make any sudden movements and lowered her hands to her lap.
Jense squeezed his eyes shut. "I remember being in camp." He began. "Then I remember a crash, then nothing after that."
"You were kidnapped by Taavarians." Kal said.
"What's a Taavarian?"
Kal looked to Kira, "You might be able to explain better than I could."
"They are creatures we thought had gone extinct," she began. "But they essentially feed off of the midichlorians out of other creatures."
Jense raised an eyebrow. "What? What are midichlorians?"
"It's what gives the Jedi their abilities." She said.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"My assumption is they sensed a high enough level within you to swipe you while you slept." She said. He gave her a blank look. "You're Force sensitive, or were before they took you."
Jense gave an unconvinced look. "Not likely."
Before he could argue further a boot was airborne towards his head but even in his daze he dodged it quickly. It hit the back of the wall behind him before falling on the bed. "See."
"I'm a Mandalorian, Child." He said. "We're trained to have quick reflexes."
Another shoe was pelted at Kal, it hit his stomach before dropping to the floor. "He's also a Mandalorian." She said her face flat.
"That doesn't mean anything." Jense said, rubbing his eyes. "Regardless, is that why the Jedi are here? I thought you people only kidnapped children."
"Not quite." Kira said. She felt a lump form in the back of her throat, she wanted to say the words, that she was his daughter but she knew he needed more time to recover before those words were said. "We are heading back to Mandalore now, rest and recover for now and I'll tell you everything you want to know when we get there. You are in no condition to be getting yourself worked up."
"How can I trust you? My ship is overrun with Jedi. Why should I believe anything you're telling me?"
"I vouch for her, vod." Kal said.
Jense let out a sigh. "And how do I know they haven't mind tricked you?"
"The Mand'alor would vouch for me," Kira said confidently. She knew he would. "And I imagine you know how much he hates Jedi. So that has to mean something."
Jense looked to Kal for confirmation. "Fett is the one who brought her to me," Kal said. "I would have never met her if it wasn't for him."
Jense's mouth formed a frown. He was too disoriented to even understand much of what was being said to him. "Did we at least get paid?"
"Mij, Wad'e and Jango went to collect it. You were not the only victim of the Taavarians, we're heading back to Mandalore to get medical attention for all of you." Kal said.
Jense rubbed his forehead again and groaned trying to grasp what was happening. He looked at Kira but the former recognition he had for her during the few moments he was awake during the tunnel collapse was gone. All he saw was a Jedi and the thought that she was anything else was not apparent to him.
Kira reached down to pick up her datapad and frowned when the screen was cracked. She fought hard not to grumble about it.
She wasn't quite sure what to do now that he was awake and now she was terrified. Not because he had shoved a blaster in her face but because it was real now, there was no more waiting to see if he would live because he was looking right at her, a little dazed and confused but otherwise alive and well and she felt the burning of his gaze whenever his eyes laid upon her.
Khane huffed and retreated back to the cabin next door. He was clearly ready to be back of Coruscant and forget about all of this. He did not agree with what Kira was doing or why. He had always wondered where he came from but he had accepted that it was no longer a part of him, he was able to let go of his past and couldn't understand why Kira had the dying urge to seek it out. It would only end badly, that much Khane knew. There would not be a way she could reunite with her kin without putting her own heart at risk. Khane could not see a way that Kira could remain a Jedi while opening this door to attachment.
"We will leave you to rest, vod," Kal said, holding his arm out to Kira beckoning her to retreat to the safety of the cockpit. At this point he couldn't trust that Jense wouldn't react impulsively before he knew the full story of who she was and why she was there. "We are about three hours from Kyrimorut."
Kira obeyed, she stood and went to Kal, he put a light hand on her shoulders as she passed to guide her out. When she was gone he felt he could breathe a little. He really didn't want anyone to get shot when they were just mere hours from the sanctuary of Mandalore.
"Ok." Jense said, putting his head back in his hands, rubbing his temples. "But I want the whole story after we've seen a medic."
"Of course, Vod." Kal nodded before he turned and left the cabin, closing the door behind him. He went back to the 'fresher to finish getting dressed.
Jense begged for his head to stop spinning, he was certain this was all just a strange dream and he would wake up anytime and be back at camp on Mes Cresta.
If this wasn't all just a bizarre dream, then what the girl said about him having the Force made less sense than anything he'd witnessed thus far. He was sure that just because he has good reflexes didn't mean that he could possess the Force. No Jedi came to take him when he was a child. He knew they didn't take Mandalorian children anymore but he was not born on Mandalore, he was not even born mando'ad. He was Corellian at birth and for most of his young adult life until he met his late wife, Lenore and took up the armor and the True Mandalorian ways.
No, it did not make sense but even he had the smallest inkling that it might yet be true. He would have to wait and see, if anything, he may have once possessed the abilities but if they had been stripped from him by ancient creatures that was likely not the case any longer, still that did not answer as to why she wanted him in the first place. He had no qualms with the Republic, he had not broken any laws or committed any crimes… at least not on planets under Republic rule.
After getting dressed Kal went back to the cockpit where Kira sat staring out the viewport at the swirling blue hues of hyperspace. He took a seat next to her in co-pilot but she did not look at him, instead kept her eyes straight ahead and remained silent.
"Are you alright?" He asked, breaking the stillness in the air. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No," Kira answered quietly. "Aside from my datapad he just startled me more than anything."
"Good."
There was a pause before Kira let out a sigh. "How am I going to tell him, Kal?" She asked before finally looking at him. "That poor man has been through so much hurt, how could he ever believe it?"
Kal chuckled. "I don't know, Kir'ika," he admitted. "I'm not sure there is a good way to break that kind of news to someone who lost everything."
"Maybe it's better if he doesn't know." Kira thought back to her conversation with Jango. "He has no idea his whole world as he knows it is about to come crashing down and I don't know if I can cause that trauma for a man I don't remember. I don't even know why I came or what I was even thinking. I am a bloody Jedi for crying out loud. I can't have family ties and remain loyal to the Order. This is a stupid, selfish thing I've done."
"What do you want?" Kal asked quietly.
"I don't know," she said, testing her chin in her hand. "It's not too late for me to walk away and forget everything. He is expecting answers to why I came looking for him but I can make up some story to satisfy his need for answers… but then if I do tell him the truth I don't know what I would do or say. Ugh, why am I so painfully impulsive?"
Kal nodded his understanding. "You don't even know what he would say, that could change things."
Kira sighed. "Exactly, what if he pushed me away and couldn't believe that I'm his child. I don't know what I would do with myself. Honestly, I don't know if I can take that kind of rejection."
"Do you want my advice?" He asked.
Kira's eyes softened. "Yes please."
"I've known Jense for a long time," he said. "And I know that every night before he goes to sleep he lists the names of those he lost. I think it would ease his burden to remove at least one name from that list."
Kira's eyebrows knitted together with sadness. "What if I have to one day choose between the Jedi and Mandalore? I'm obligated by oath and loyalty to choose the Jedi." She said. "My master is the closest thing I have to a father. I don't know if I can choose between him and my actual father."
"That is true." Kal said. "But if you leave now you will still feel that same emptiness inside that you traveled all this way to fill. You might have come here on impulse but you stayed because you knew you needed to see it through."
"Or because I have poor planning skills."
Kal chuckled. "I think this is a choice you struggle with because you've lived your life following an Order's teachings because you knew no other way but you've found that other way now. I think you should take it."
Kira smirked. "Let's see what plays out when we get to Mandalore," She said. "My choice might already be made for me if I haven't already been expelled from the Order."