"That's it! Thank you, Xol. I still can't believe they flew half-way across the galaxy looking for Null, when he was 10 meters from them in a bush." Sera says with a laugh.
She laughs for a few more seconds before turning back to Jace. "The point, Lieutenant, is not just looking over rote facts from a file. Bare facts have a way of glossing over or obscuring the actual person referenced.
"The two who have betrayed us looked pretty good on paper. But their behaviors, thoughts, and actions proved differently. We need to make certain that this will not happen again. So far you have proven quite interesting..."
She sips some more of her caf. "So do you have any questions for us?"
"Not off the top of my head. Any intell on the groups combat capabilities would be helpful, as well as the capabilities of what we are going up against if you have it would be appreciated." Jace finishes his caf, and gets up to get another cup.
Sera glances at the AutoChef a little closer to make a mental note of what tools to bring, as she does she notices that several of the components have actually been destroyed. She focuses her concentration and replays the memories of the last ten minutes in her head, examing in more detail just what the droid did to the AutoChef. In her mind she sees the droid tearing into the AutoChef with no actual Mechanical skill. In fact the tools that spring from the Droid's chest seem to be cobbled together, some held on by mere adhesive cloth. It would seem the Droid does not actually know anything about mechanics or repair.
She glances at the chef, then takes her last sip of caf. Her favorite, withall the sugar and flavoring gathered at the bottom.
She promptly spits the caf across the table, realizing what her still sleep fogged mind had seen. A livid stream of Huttese so virile that Xol has to cover Set's ears.
Sera is visibly tense as she walks over to the intercom. "Tweaker. Stop what you are doing. Get me my tool kit and come to galley..." Her eye twitches as she strains to hold down her rage.
SL-01 regards Sera. "This biological unit's hemo fluid pressure has advanced to an unsafe level. Peraps Biological unit Sera should abstain from further tension producing beverages." With a slight almost imperceptible nod in Sera's direction the droid slithers from the galley.
"No..." Sera replies, slowly; letting the word trickle into a hiss.
"Lara promised to help send it back to its maker. I will see her promise through... with a few adjustments."
A matte gunmetal and goldenrod R2 rolls into the galley with a leather satchel looped around its dome. Sera takes the bag and begins to pull out several tools.
"Tweaker, this is Lieutenant Jace Adeen. He will be joining us. Lieutenant, this is Tweaker. He's our quartermaster and droid Friday around here. Careful he will talk your ear off about all the upgrades you could do to your armor or weapons. But he is a dedicated companion."
The droid extends a grasping arm and snaps it to his dome in a salute toward. Jace. Whistling a "Pleased to meet you!"
Sera laughs a little bit. "Ease off on brown sensoring him. He's not a big fan of droids. Now scan the left overs here and go grab me spares from the workshop."
Tweaker responds as he is already out the door. Sera sorts through her tools. In the bag is a matte silver hydrospanner that looks designed to fit larger caliber fittings. For some reason it resonates in the Force and catches the eye of Set.
Set crawls over to the bag after he flops off of Jace's lap. Time to use those sneaking skills. He carefully and quickly grabs this strangely compelling object. The fact that it's shiny isn't the only reason he wants to investigate. Something else...something about it.
After he gets the hydrospanner and is situated under a table, he listens and looks around to make sure no one will miss this object. He gives it a shake. It doesn't seem to have any buttons on it. Kinda lame actually now that he has it.
He holds it in his open hands and tries to levitate it. It hums! And it's got a tiny little light on it. He stops. No sound. No light. HEY this came from Sera's...she knows how to use the Flow in a way...maybe it's a special tool?
Maybe...this end is up. He holds it in his hands with the top pointing up under the table and concentrates the Flow around it.
It hums and buzzes and WHOOSH! Set's eyes grow large as the crimson blade shoots out and cuts through the table. He screams and flails, cutting the table almost in half before the Flow is cut and the saber goes out.
as the light saber ignites, Jace instinctively rolls off the back of his chair, drawing his westar 43 at the same time. A Green Laser strobes off of Sets forhead for a moment, as Jace quickly mentally declares him a non threat and scans the room, the laser underneath his pistol following his every move. (takes all of 2 seconds total).
Still holding the pistol, he asks "Is everyone ok? Who gave the kid the bloody Lightsaber?"
The blade vanishes as quickly as it appeared. The hilt bounces off the deck with a metallic clang before snapping to Sera's empty hand. The girl sags into sitting position on the deck.
The item is shoved up a sleeve of her robe. Sera keeps her head down, refusing to meet Xol's stare. "Of all the things... More worried about the fusion cutter... never thought... no one in their right mind would think... I am SO sorry, Xol. I did not know anything like this could have ever happened. I am sorry, Set."
Of all of the emotions Xol has felt and dealt with coming from Sera, never has there been such overwhelming sorrow... and shame.
Sera pulls her head back and sniffs. "I have no idea. Something IS affecting us on an emotional level. I think we all need to get off the ship and get some fresh air for a time."
Turning the the little Kel-Dor. "Set, please look at me. I'm sorry. I so sorry you got scared or hurt by that. Its just a secret weapon in case I have to go somewhere 'unarmed'. Only someone like: you, Cyrus, Ti, Xol, or me can even turn it on.
"I never thought little hands like yours would be able to turn it on much less pick it out. Not even fancy computers can do that.
"I am so sorry, honey. Please forgive me."
Her last words are full of truth and love. Tears start to roll down her cheeks as she says them.
Set peeks up from having his face buried in Xol's arm and looks at Sera. He looks at her face for a moment, sniffling, wiggles an arm free and wipes her face with his sleeve. "Your face is leaking," he manages to squeak out.
"Xol said that to me when I was really sad and it made me feel...not so sad," he sighs and seems to have calmed down. He takes his goggles off, wipes his sleeve across his face and then stares off blankly with his eyes half closed and sighs again.
Sera sniffs a little, concern growing on her face. "Didn't know what, kiddo?"
A little embarrassed, she looks up at Jace. "I'm sorry about all this Lieutenant. I promise you an explanation. If you would do me a favor, could you find your way to the workshop and get a restraining bolt and remote. Pop it on that crazy droid? It would be great, before he takes the whole ship apart."
"I was really really scared," Set opens his eyes again and looks in her general direction. "They killed my mom and dad with the same exact thing...red like that..."
A lump sticks in Sera's throat. Her heart skips a beat. The child had watched his parents hacked to death by those pretenders, they of course used red lightsabers.
She closes her eyes. She reaches out and hugs Set tightly. "You poor thing. And you saw this one... and thought... oh, Set. Just because those bad people had red blades doesn't make everyone with one bad. What color clothes were they wearing?"
"They were wearing black. I...I don't think you're bad...I was just scared...the color made me feel like it was happening all over again..." Set hugs Sera back.
"...not taking any chances" Jace thinks to himself.
He heads to his room and suits up. Full armor. Helmet. The works. He places the Westar 43 in a drop-leg holster, and heads out to grab the restraining bolt...or 4
"I understand, its traumatic. Those were animals... not even people."
Sera pulls back slightly so she can look on Set's face. "When I was your age, my parents were taken from me too. Bad men with lightsabers didn't kill them, but a large ship fell out of the sky during a battle over the planet we were on. The ship hit the building and destroyed it."
She bites her lip slightly before continuing. "My parents died holding me in their arms trying to protect me. As they died, I was able to stop the falling rubble using the Force. Everyone else in that building died... 10,000 people and I am the only survivor. I lay there crying for at least a day in a space no bigger than a closet before a rescue crew found me.
"I was was scared of small spaces for a long time afterward. But my master taught me to confront my fear and make it go away. Hopefully, Xol can do that for you.
"You may trash my ship, be loud and boisterous; but you do not have anything to fear from me. Lara and I will always be there for you and we will never hurt you."
That said, she pulls the child in for another hug.
"That's it! Thank you, Xol. I still can't believe they flew half-way across the galaxy looking for Null, when he was 10 meters from them in a bush." Sera says with a laugh.
ReplyDeleteShe laughs for a few more seconds before turning back to Jace. "The point, Lieutenant, is not just looking over rote facts from a file. Bare facts have a way of glossing over or obscuring the actual person referenced.
"The two who have betrayed us looked pretty good on paper. But their behaviors, thoughts, and actions proved differently. We need to make certain that this will not happen again. So far you have proven quite interesting..."
She sips some more of her caf. "So do you have any questions for us?"
"Not off the top of my head. Any intell on the groups combat capabilities would be helpful, as well as the capabilities of what we are going up against if you have it would be appreciated." Jace finishes his caf, and gets up to get another cup.
ReplyDeleteRemembering that the droid broke the autochef, jace slams him cup on the counter.
ReplyDelete"Sleemo droid.... Cant even get a decent cup of caf without them ruining it...." says jace angryly
At the comment regarding the AutoChef something tickles the inside of Sera's brain. Something about the AutoChef's current condition seems odd.
ReplyDelete"I'll fix it in a bit. I tend to not trust things things taken apart and not reassembled by me." Sera replies.
ReplyDeleteSera glances at the AutoChef a little closer to make a mental note of what tools to bring, as she does she notices that several of the components have actually been destroyed. She focuses her concentration and replays the memories of the last ten minutes in her head, examing in more detail just what the droid did to the AutoChef. In her mind she sees the droid tearing into the AutoChef with no actual Mechanical skill. In fact the tools that spring from the Droid's chest seem to be cobbled together, some held on by mere adhesive cloth. It would seem the Droid does not actually know anything about mechanics or repair.
ReplyDelete" I tend not to trust anything mechanical that thinks for itself... Gives me flashbacks to the Clone wars."
ReplyDeleteShe glances at the chef, then takes her last sip of caf. Her favorite, withall the sugar and flavoring gathered at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteShe promptly spits the caf across the table, realizing what her still sleep fogged mind had seen. A livid stream of Huttese so virile that Xol has to cover Set's ears.
Sera is visibly tense as she walks over to the intercom. "Tweaker. Stop what you are doing. Get me my tool kit and come to galley..." Her eye twitches as she strains to hold down her rage.
SL-01 regards Sera. "This biological unit's hemo fluid pressure has advanced to an unsafe level. Peraps Biological unit Sera should abstain from further tension producing beverages." With a slight almost imperceptible nod in Sera's direction the droid slithers from the galley.
ReplyDelete"Droids are usually extremely useful...not always however," Xol looks over to the autochef and at the exiting droid.
ReplyDelete"I was sooooo hungry!" Set whines.
"Want me to kill it?" Jace says. You feel like there should be a prettty pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee attached to the end as he nods towards the droid
ReplyDelete"NO!" Set throws himself over Jace's lap.
ReplyDeleteXol shakes his head. "Set...leave this poor man alone. He's not going to kill it."
ReplyDelete"No..." Sera replies, slowly; letting the word trickle into a hiss.
ReplyDelete"Lara promised to help send it back to its maker. I will see her promise through... with a few adjustments."
A matte gunmetal and goldenrod R2 rolls into the galley with a leather satchel looped around its dome. Sera takes the bag and begins to pull out several tools.
"Tweaker, this is Lieutenant Jace Adeen. He will be joining us. Lieutenant, this is Tweaker. He's our quartermaster and droid Friday around here. Careful he will talk your ear off about all the upgrades you could do to your armor or weapons. But he is a dedicated companion."
The droid extends a grasping arm and snaps it to his dome in a salute toward. Jace. Whistling a "Pleased to meet you!"
Sera laughs a little bit. "Ease off on brown sensoring him. He's not a big fan of droids. Now scan the left overs here and go grab me spares from the workshop."
Tweaker responds as he is already out the door. Sera sorts through her tools. In the bag is a matte silver hydrospanner that looks designed to fit larger caliber fittings. For some reason it resonates in the Force and catches the eye of Set.
Set crawls over to the bag after he flops off of Jace's lap. Time to use those sneaking skills. He carefully and quickly grabs this strangely compelling object. The fact that it's shiny isn't the only reason he wants to investigate. Something else...something about it.
ReplyDeleteAfter he gets the hydrospanner and is situated under a table, he listens and looks around to make sure no one will miss this object. He gives it a shake. It doesn't seem to have any buttons on it. Kinda lame actually now that he has it.
He holds it in his open hands and tries to levitate it. It hums! And it's got a tiny little light on it. He stops. No sound. No light. HEY this came from Sera's...she knows how to use the Flow in a way...maybe it's a special tool?
Maybe...this end is up. He holds it in his hands with the top pointing up under the table and concentrates the Flow around it.
It hums and buzzes and WHOOSH! Set's eyes grow large as the crimson blade shoots out and cuts through the table. He screams and flails, cutting the table almost in half before the Flow is cut and the saber goes out.
"MOMMY! DADDY! NO NO! MOMMY!...."
Xol drags Set out from under the table.
"DADDY!" Set clings onto Xol and sobs.
as the light saber ignites, Jace instinctively rolls off the back of his chair, drawing his westar 43 at the same time. A Green Laser strobes off of Sets forhead for a moment, as Jace quickly mentally declares him a non threat and scans the room, the laser underneath his pistol following his every move. (takes all of 2 seconds total).
ReplyDeleteStill holding the pistol, he asks "Is everyone ok? Who gave the kid the bloody Lightsaber?"
The blade vanishes as quickly as it appeared. The hilt bounces off the deck with a metallic clang before snapping to Sera's empty hand. The girl sags into sitting position on the deck.
ReplyDeleteThe item is shoved up a sleeve of her robe. Sera keeps her head down, refusing to meet Xol's stare. "Of all the things... More worried about the fusion cutter... never thought... no one in their right mind would think... I am SO sorry, Xol. I did not know anything like this could have ever happened. I am sorry, Set."
Of all of the emotions Xol has felt and dealt with coming from Sera, never has there been such overwhelming sorrow... and shame.
After a short kel-dor conversation, Xol says, "He found it with the other tools Jace. He seems ok...I'm fine except for this."
ReplyDeleteHe raises his arm and bends at his elbow to show where the saber "nicked" him. Xol was leaning on the table at the time.
"Put your things away Sera," Xol says seemingly calmly to everyone else, but Sera can tell how angry he is.
"So....Whos the jedi? I was under the impression the Empire didnt like you force using types? Jace says, holstering his pistol.
ReplyDeleteSera seems slightly frozen there on the ground. Buffeted by Xol's anger, she just sits there. looking at the floor. She just keeps repeating "Sorry".
ReplyDeleteStaring down at her, both Jace and Xol can see tears running down her face.
"If I have only learned one thing, and I have learned many things, but, Jedi are not the only order who carry light sabers."
ReplyDeleteXol hugs Set with one arm and puts his other arm out for Sera. "Come here..." he sighs, all the anger seems to have melted away.
Sera reacts grasping Xol and burying her face in his robes. She's quiet, but looking at her torso they can telling she is sobbing deeply now.
ReplyDeleteXol is sitting on the floor, holding two weeping "children" and he shakes his head as he looks up at Jace. "We aren't usually like this..."
ReplyDelete"I can see why that Rodian shot up his bloody room. Can some one please explain what the hell is going on?"
ReplyDelete"It's a novel Lieutenant...I can only share one part of it," Xol nudges his head toward to Set. "Just..not right now..."
ReplyDeleteSera pulls her head back and sniffs. "I have no idea. Something IS affecting us on an emotional level. I think we all need to get off the ship and get some fresh air for a time."
ReplyDeleteTurning the the little Kel-Dor. "Set, please look at me. I'm sorry. I so sorry you got scared or hurt by that. Its just a secret weapon in case I have to go somewhere 'unarmed'. Only someone like: you, Cyrus, Ti, Xol, or me can even turn it on.
"I never thought little hands like yours would be able to turn it on much less pick it out. Not even fancy computers can do that.
"I am so sorry, honey. Please forgive me."
Her last words are full of truth and love. Tears start to roll down her cheeks as she says them.
Set peeks up from having his face buried in Xol's arm and looks at Sera. He looks at her face for a moment, sniffling, wiggles an arm free and wipes her face with his sleeve. "Your face is leaking," he manages to squeak out.
ReplyDelete"It happens when I am really sad. And the thought of accidentally hurting you made me really, really sad."
ReplyDelete"Xol said that to me when I was really sad and it made me feel...not so sad," he sighs and seems to have calmed down. He takes his goggles off, wipes his sleeve across his face and then stares off blankly with his eyes half closed and sighs again.
ReplyDelete"Well, you saying it helped me not feel so sad."
ReplyDelete"Good," Set says as he snuggles into Xol and closes his eyes. "And I forgive you...you didn't know..."
ReplyDelete"I hate to break up this love fest, but what the fraking hell is going on" Jace says, still in shock from the sudden "lightsaber attack"
ReplyDeleteSera sniffs a little, concern growing on her face. "Didn't know what, kiddo?"
ReplyDeleteA little embarrassed, she looks up at Jace. "I'm sorry about all this Lieutenant. I promise you an explanation. If you would do me a favor, could you find your way to the workshop and get a restraining bolt and remote. Pop it on that crazy droid? It would be great, before he takes the whole ship apart."
"I was really really scared," Set opens his eyes again and looks in her general direction. "They killed my mom and dad with the same exact thing...red like that..."
ReplyDelete"Yeah...Sure..." He says. Jace leaves the gally, and heads off to find the restraining bolt
ReplyDeleteA lump sticks in Sera's throat. Her heart skips a beat. The child had watched his parents hacked to death by those pretenders, they of course used red lightsabers.
ReplyDeleteShe closes her eyes. She reaches out and hugs Set tightly. "You poor thing. And you saw this one... and thought... oh, Set. Just because those bad people had red blades doesn't make everyone with one bad. What color clothes were they wearing?"
"They were wearing black. I...I don't think you're bad...I was just scared...the color made me feel like it was happening all over again..." Set hugs Sera back.
ReplyDelete"...not taking any chances" Jace thinks to himself.
ReplyDeleteHe heads to his room and suits up. Full armor. Helmet. The works. He places the Westar 43 in a drop-leg holster, and heads out to grab the restraining bolt...or 4
"I understand, its traumatic. Those were animals... not even people."
ReplyDeleteSera pulls back slightly so she can look on Set's face. "When I was your age, my parents were taken from me too. Bad men with lightsabers didn't kill them, but a large ship fell out of the sky during a battle over the planet we were on. The ship hit the building and destroyed it."
She bites her lip slightly before continuing. "My parents died holding me in their arms trying to protect me. As they died, I was able to stop the falling rubble using the Force. Everyone else in that building died... 10,000 people and I am the only survivor. I lay there crying for at least a day in a space no bigger than a closet before a rescue crew found me.
"I was was scared of small spaces for a long time afterward. But my master taught me to confront my fear and make it go away. Hopefully, Xol can do that for you.
"You may trash my ship, be loud and boisterous; but you do not have anything to fear from me. Lara and I will always be there for you and we will never hurt you."
That said, she pulls the child in for another hug.