The streets were exceptionally busy
that night. Species from around the galaxy walked by in almost anonymous
fashion as if no one cared to know who they were mere centimeters from, just
trying to stay out of each others way and each others business. This wasn’t an
unfamiliar picture though. Not on Courscant a planet with a population size so
large that no one had any real clue how many people lived there. That tended to
happen when the entire planet was one giant city. It was a place where one
could live the high life, one of luxury and wealth. A life that could really show you just what kind of gorgeous
planet Courscant could really be. It was also a place where one could live a
not so glamorous life what with so many people living there it was the perfect
place for criminals and lowlifes. If one wanted to be lost here, it wasn’t very
hard at all. A person could disappear here forever if they wanted.
The cantina stank, as usual but Seth
didn’t mind it. In his line of work one didn’t have much room for thought other
then watching his back to see if someone he’d crossed had a vibro-blade heading
his way. The drink in front of him was bitter and otherwise horrible, but Seth
didn’t care. It was strictly for show for any wandering eyes to see that he was
merely a patron visiting (for all they knew) his favorite watering hole. Seth’s
hands were perfectly placed to hide the small container being passed to him
from his long time friend Zazz.
Zavier Synta, to those who didn’t know
him. Zazz was a native of the city planet and knew just about every mid-level
nook and hide spot to be found. He’d first met Seth in the middle of a raid by
the local law in a less then popular bar when Seth persuaded a rather attractive
young law enforcement woman that Zazz was nothing more then a traveling
merchant who’d had nothing to do with the drug dealings going on in the
building. Seth was half-right, of all the dumb things the two had done after
that, that may have been considered illegal it was never drugs. Drugs on
Courscant led to one of two futures. Prison or a burning hole in your chest
from a blaster. The risk of the big money wasn’t worth it. Not when the two of
them had skills in theft that eclipsed just about anybody they knew on
Courscant.
Seth opened the palm sized container
slightly to examine its contents. Looking back at Zavier, Seth raised an
eyebrow and said in a less then impressed tone “Zazz, its not all here.”
“I know, I know. Just listen for a
moment, Kravnik gave us the money and the identity chips but he says he won’t
give us the boarding passes off-world until we pull one more job for him.” Said
Zazz trying to convince Seth.
Seth let out a sigh and closed his
eyes for a moment “Zazz the deal was we pull that heist at the Republic estate
and he gives us what we need to get off this damn planet!”
Zazz sat back in the corner booth they
were sitting in and rubbed his hands on his face “C’mon Seth you know Rodian’s,
they change there mind all the damn time. He said he was impressed by the
Republic heist and that was the reason we got as much as we did here.”
Zazz and Seth were brilliant thieves,
on top of that they had a reputation for a 0% body count in any of their
missions, which made them very highly recommended to crime lords. It was easy
to blow off any evidence of involvement with a robbery but murder usually
involved a bit more nosing around and a lot more question’s asked, two things
successful criminals didn’t want to deal with. That’s not to say people haven’t
died at the hands of the two rogues. Seth and Zazz would put up with a lot from
a “client” but coming up short on the payout usually was a fatal mistake to
whomever tried to cheat the two men. No one innocent had ever died in any
activity they were involved with and they were proud of that. It also put a
little less pressure on them from law enforcement because even though they were
wanted they weren’t killers. So nobody was going to end up dead because of them
anytime soon.
“Well Zazz, lets here it, what does
that lousy backstabber want from us?” Seth said in an annoyed tone.
Zavier began looking
uncomfortable and agitated as if the news where something he wish he’d never
heard himself. “This is where the problem lies Seth, they want us to break into
the Disrall Estate.”
“I don’t get were you’re going with
this. What’s the problem with that? Just another rich family who don’t know how
to take proper care of their fortune isn’t it?” said Seth.
“Any other time I’d say yes.
Unfortunately I can’t. See the Disrall Estate is the home of the holodrama
celebrity…Jailyn Disrall, you’d know that if you ever turned on a holoviewer
more then once a cycle.”
“So, I still don’t see the problem
Zazz.” Seth’s demeanor becoming increasingly worried.
“The problem is Jailyn Disrall’s
father is the head of the Criminal Investigations Agency. Which makes him the
direct superior of Valender Ostiner.” Zavier’s face was one almost brinking on
pain for his friend. Valender Ostiner and Seth Cloudrider had been rivals
almost since Seth’s arrival on the planet seven years ago. It seems that Seth
had had his eye on a high performance speeder for a few days and had taken the
liberty of boosting it, selling it for parts and living off the money from it
for months. It just so happened that the speeder had been a recent present for
Ostiners son’s 18th birthday. Since then the two had been circling
each other playing cat and mouse games, Seth never getting any further away
from Ostiner’s search and Ostiner never getting any closer to Seth’s
where-a-bouts, where they may be from one moment to the next.
“Oh crap, that means that security
there will be tight and most likely close to Valender. This is Irony Zazz…pure
unadulterated Irony.” Seth put his head in his hands and let out a long drawn
out sigh.
“Do you think its worth it Seth?”
Zavier asked questioningly.
Seth looked up at his friend. “Well
its going to have to be Zazz. We can’t stay here much longer, not leading this
life anyway. I just want to go back to Tatooine start working for my father
again and live out the rest of my life a nobody mechanic.”
“Well, lets hope we can make that
happen for you. We can’t hang around here much longer anyway the bar tender
just gave me the signal. A snitch just sat down at the bar.”
Seth didn’t look over, he was too
smart for that “Alright then, lets meet back up tomorrow at my place, about
mid-day and we’ll start planning the job. In the mean time you get back to our
Rodan friend and tell him we’ll do it. Also make it clear to him he pulls this
on us again I’ll personally introduce him to my blaster.”
Zazz let out a small laugh “I’ll make
sure he gets the message.”
With that the two of them rose and
quietly made there ways out onto the street, immediately splitting up headed
for pre-planned paths that they’d never taken before to confuse anybody trying
to follow them…occupational hazard. Seth lifted up the hood on his cloak and
slipped his hands in his pockets. The alley he’d chosen was dark and wet,
perfect for someone like him.
A hand placed itself on his shoulder
and Seth spun around with lightning quick speed pulling out a holdout blaster
from his pocket. A move he’d practiced many times before and had unfortunately
had to use plenty of times as well. His eyes fell on an old man who, from his
looks had taken up residency in this very alley and Seth pulled back a few
steps to escape the elderly man’s stink.
“Jeeze old man you just about
had yourself killed there. Be more careful or the next time it won’t be someone
with as steady a trigger finger.” Said Seth jokingly.
“You….you….the son of Cloudrider….you
must listen to me….” The old man staggered toward Seth with a look of near
panic on his face.
“How the hell do you know my name!
What do you want?” Seth stepped back again pointing the blaster at the mans
head.
“The….the sins of the father….are not
his to bare….but that of the son’s, you must carry on where he….he left off.”
Seth felt a spike of anger and
confusion course through him. “What the hell do you know of my father?”
“We served together, before the
Empire….during the clone war! Your father was great man….a brave man….here take
this, it will answer all of your questions…I just hope you make the right
choice, leave this life your living and become a kind and honorable Jedi!” the
old man handed Seth a key chip.
Seth hesitatingly taking the key from
the man “A Jedi? Are you crazy? I’m no Jedi.” The old man turned from Seth and
began walking toward the street. “Hey I’m not done with you old man, get back
here!” Seth began to run for the old man but by the time he’d reached the
street the old man had merged into the heavy pedestrian traffic.
The sun streamed through windows of
Seth’s apartment. The furniture was very Spartan but there were a many valuable
items from jobs he’d pulled. The apartment itself was one of upper middle
class. Of course it was under a different name and alias but Seth had dozens of
names and histories on this planet. Identity complexes were another
Occupational Hazard. Seth sat in a chair sinfully comfortable twirling the
small access key between his fingers deep in thought of the confrontation he’d
had the night before.
His thoughts were interrupted with a
buzz from his door and he rose to open it checking the security camera first.
He swung the door open and Zavier quickly came in. “I hate that you live this
high up….I never know where I am or if I’m being watched.”
“You think just because I work in the
mid-levels, I’d actually live with that filth?” Seth said with a smirk.
“Hey I live down there!” Zavier said
in contempt. Though he was a good ten years older then Seth it hadn’t meant
that he was smarter or that he carried himself in a composed manner like Seth.
In many ways Zavier (with the exception of his vast knowledge of the
mid-levels) was much more immature.
“Easy old friend, I’m just kidding you
about. I have something I want you to take a look at” Seth handed Zazz the
access key and motioned him to the soft sofa. Seth sitting back in his original
spot, taking a sip of the alcohol he’d poured himself. Offering one to his
friend which he took less the hesitantly.
Zazz downed the contents of the
expensive glass and looked at the access key with much deliberation “Well its
definitely for a storage unit” He looked a little harder at the numbered
inscription “Thirty-two numbers…I’d have to say lower levels…deep in the lower
levels. No where we’d need to go.” He handed it back to Seth and sat back
enjoying the comfort of the sofa.
“Well we’re going down there” Said Seth
staring at the Key again.
Zavier raised an eyebrow “Are you
friggin insane Seth? It’s the lower levels, and not just the first few
sections…we’re talking deep in there.”
“Zazz look, if its to a storage unit,
and from the looks of it something big like a garage or…” Seth stopped short
looking at the key for a second.
Zavier finished the sentence for him
“…A hanger.”
“Zazz if it’s a hanger…then we’re out
of here. We don’t need Kravnik and his games.” Seth said in anxiousness.
“Hold on now Seth.” Zazz said putting
his hands up “Obviously its in the only safe district of the lower levels but
what if its nothing, what if the only thing we find down there are empty
storage containers, where did you get that thing anyway.” If finally clicking
with Zavier.
“An old man gave it to me last night
in the alley on the way home. He said it was about my father.” Seth said.
“Oh well then it must be completely
fine then. You know some old guy giving you things in alley’s my god what was I
thinking!” Zavier said sarcastically.
“He knew my name Zazz, he also
mentioned something about being a Jedi.”
“C’mon Seth I can’t believe your
falling for this, okay he knew your name. If there is one thing we’re not good
at its tracing alias’ given enough time, which I’m sure this guy has plenty of
he could have found out your real name. As for the Jedi thing, now that this
Skywalker guy has began forming a new Jedi order, every parent is eyeballing
there kids to see if their “One with the Force” so that they can ship their
kids off to Yavin to be a all high and mighty Jedi Knight. Maybe he’s just
playing you…this could most likely be a trap Seth.”
Seth sighed “I know Zazz but I have to
find out for myself, if this helps me find out who my biological father is I’m
not just going to let it breeze by me. I have to know!”
“Hold on one second, this old guy, you
said he knew your last name?” Zazz said questionably.
“Yea Cloudrider, he called me Son of
Cloudrider. What’s that got to do with it?” Seth asked.
“Your adopted father on Tatooine is
Cloudrider, not your biological father, Seth. This has to be a lie….unless….”
Zavier gave Seth a look. “Your adopted father and your biological father are
related somehow.”
“That’s it we are definitely going to
that hanger.” Said Seth picking up his things.
“One second Seth, okay we’ll go, but
first what if there is no ship down there, if not we’re still right where we
started. Lets go scope out the estate first, that way we have a plan for
tonight if there’s no ship in the lower levels.” Zavier said trying to bring
sense to his friend.
“Alright, we’ll do it your way. But as
soon as we’re done scoping the place out we are headed for that hanger.” Argued
Seth.
“Okay okay. Not a problem.”
Seth and Zavier sat behind a small
window overlooking the Disrall estate from an abandoned tower apartment half a
kilometer away. Zavier was spotting certain points of entry while Seth
attempted to tap into the districts files searching for a blue print of the
building. He sighed and closed the small access computer. “Nothing not a damn
thing. According to the files the Disrall Estate doesn’t exist.”
Zavier gave his friend a brief smile
“If you were as high up in the law enforcement agency as this guy would you
have the layout of your house just sitting around for people like us to come
across?”
“I know it was worth a try though…”
Seth was interrupted when a speeder pulled into the entry port.
“Its Ostiner.” Zazz said
“Crap, this is going to make things
harder then they have to be.” Seth said.
“What are you talking about Seth? He
most likely won’t be there tonight.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “True but if
we can’t download the layout for that building then I have to go in and check
it out visually.”
“Are you nuts? Valender just went in
there!” Zavier protested.
“Eh, that just makes it that much more
interesting.” Seth said collecting a few items, a listening devise, his heavy
blaster, and a comm. “If I’m not back in one hour then you go for the hanger
and hope to god there’s a ship inside got it?”
Taking the access key from Seth, Zazz
nodded reluctantly and with that Seth was down the emergency exit ramp that was
just outside the abandoned unit and across the terrace in no time.
Coming up to the wall Seth looked
around for footholds, something he could use to climb the surprisingly not very
high security wall. After a few moments Seth had found his footing and had
hopped over into a tall shrubbery on the other side. Taking his time and using
the many plants and ornaments on the front property he made his way to the main
complex. Taking the listening device he placed it against the wall and cranked
the yield to maximum.
“….ow’s
your son doing Valender? Looking forward to next week? The wedding should be
beautiful.”
“Well sir, he’s nervous as expected
but I’m sure he’ll do fine. Hows Jailyn holding up with all of this?”
“She’s been a little difficult with
this but I’m sure she’ll come around after the wedding. She’ll be happy with
our decision later and she’ll see it was the best thing for her.”
“Oh I’m positive of it sir.”
Seth raised a discussed eyebrow at the
wall as if it were a person, pre-arranged marriages were not totally unheard of
in the aristocracy on Courscant but that didn’t mean that Seth agreed with it.
He thought they were sickening and uncivilized. He looked up and grabbed hold
of a low ledge, lifting himself up the wall and to the second story of the
building, his back to the wall he shuffled over to the nearest window and
peered slightly in. A woman with just past shoulder length dark brown hair a
soft face gentle face and absolutely gorgeous features yet not threateningly
beautiful walked into the room and dropped the robe she was wearing from the
bathroom, revealing all the rest of her beautiful features and Seth froze, not
buy the sudden nudity but locked on her face. He couldn’t remember a time when
he’d seen something so beautiful. It seemed like he’d stood there for an
eternity staring at this wonderful vixen when he heard a voice below him and
then the all too familiar howl of a blaster.
He fell from his perch into a huge
collection of shrubs, thankfully the fall wasn’t too high and quickly
unholstered his blaster fire back at where he heard the attack come from. He
pulled himself up and jumped from the cover and began running for the wall when
a speeder came from above and in front of him, the door opened and Seth dived
in. Zazz hit the accelerator and soared off over the wall. Two security
speeders began pursuit and what was obviously Valender in his own vehicle.
“Zazz, thank god for you friend.” Seth
said trying to catch is breath.
“I saw you frozen on that wall and the
security guard seeing you. What the hell got into you?” Just after the speeder
rocked as blaster fire struck the back of the speeding vehicle.
“You wouldn’t believe what I saw Zazz,
she was the most beau…”
Zazz gave Seth a look of betrayal.
“She…SHE! Whenever you screw up its always because of a she Seth.”
“No Zazz, its different this time, she
was the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Ya, ya, ya. Just shut up and let me
try to save our butts.” Zazz said deep in concentration.
Zavier veered the rocketing speeder to
port and under a huge skywalk then pulled to starboard down between to towering
buildings, blaster fire screaming past their vehicle, causing collateral damage
to the buildings they flew past. Zavier then punched the repulsorlifts forward
causing the speeder to nosed dive straight down. The three security vehicles
carrying on forward losing their target in a dense speeder lane.
Seth crashed down on his chair back at
his apartment and let the panic of the situation they’d just escaped from ooze
out of him. “Zazz I’ve already said I’m sorry what else do you want from me?”
Zazz sighed “Ah, nothing I just wish
that hadn’t gone south because now you know what our only hope is don’t you?”
Zazz raised the access key up between his fingers looking at it intensely.
“Yea I know….I know. We’ll find
another way Zazz, I promise you….we have to now that we can’t pull this job for
Kravnik. He’ll have a bounty on our heads within days.” Seth said pouring
himself a strong liqueur and downing its contents.
“God, a bounty. Never thought I’d see
the day I had a bounty on my head…” Zazz was stopped by a buzz at Seths door.
Seth placed the glass down on the
table and gave the door a frightened look. Zazz got up pulling his blaster out
and placing himself beside the door, Seth grabbed the handle and presented his
blaster. He opened the door and pointed
his blaster out only to come face to face with the woman from the estate. Seth
froze….again.
The woman raised an eyebrow and smiled
“Hello boys, you going to keep pointing those at me or are you going to let me
in?”
Zazz grabbed the woman by the arm and
pulled her in quickly and gave the hallway outside a quick glance up and down,
then slammed the door turned around and said “Just who the hell are….ohhhh my
god. Your Jailyn Discrall….wha…what are you doing here??”
“Well I figured I’d follow you back to
your “lair”…granted I figured a thief would live in less glamorous
surroundings…does your friend always stare dumbfounded at women like that?”
Jailyn said pointing to Seth.
Zazz still giving her a suspicious
look said “Oh don’t worry about him he saw you naked and fell in love.”
“Oh I know I let him.” She said
winking to Seth bringing him out of his coma.
Seth cleared his throat and spoke “Why
did you come here? What made you think we wouldn’t hurt you?”
Jailyn smiled at Seth and said “From
the look you gave me, I felt you would never let anything happen to me. Besides
my fathers friend Valender is always talking about you, and I’m sure he’ll be
extremely upset with you two. Anyhow I saw you enter the estate and you matched
the appearance he gave me once.”
Seth crossed his arms “Now that’s a
lie, there’s no way you saw me.”
Jailyn stepped towards Seth and
wrapped her finger and thumb over his chin “My dear being a holodrama actress
is only one of my many talents.”
Zazz gave Seth a small laugh before
looking back to Jailyn “That’s great and all but what do you want from us?”
“Straight to the point I like it,” she
smiled as she walked over to Seth’s liquor table and poured herself a drink “My
father and Valender have this funny idea I’m going to marry his son next week.
Arranged weddings are very uncivilized in my opinion plus they were both just
doing it for political reasons, and had none of my well being in mind so, I
heard a few weeks ago from Valender that you two were trying to get off world.
Is this true?”
Seth raised his eyebrow “Maybe.”
“Well in that case I came here hoping
that you would take me with you.”
Zazz let out a sarcastic laugh “My
first question is why don’t you just spend some of your fortune to get off
world, and my second question is whats in it for us.”
Seth put out a hand in front of Zazz
“Nothing we’ll take her for nothing.”
“You really have gone nuts, I friggin
knew it!” Zazz raised his hands up in the air in frustration.
“Look guys I just want to start a new
life somewhere else, my father controls my money, and most of my life….I never
wanted to be a celebrity to begin with!”
Zazz looked at her with a grim look
“As if its such a hard life…my heart bleeds for you.”
“Gee thanks, you know its not as nice
as you think I have to live with people who want to control me daily, I have no
freedom, I just want to be a nobody again.” Said Jailyn with almost pleading
eyes.
“Zazz she wants to leave for the same
reasons we do, just because she grew up in a well off family doesn’t mean she’s
not just like us. Zazz let me put it this way….my ship my decision.” Seth said
putting his metaphoric foot down.
Zazz huffed and crossed his arms “Well
I guess your not going to see it my way, what with your instant addiction to
this woman….and heck we don’t even know if we have a ship to leave with!”
The huge hanger doors leered in front
of them dark and cobweb ridden. The huge arena it sat in was empty of people,
Zazz made sure of that before entering the hanger district. It was hard to
imagine what equipment or ships were left down here to just be forgotten. This far down in Courscant no one but these
three were brave or stupid enough to come down here looking for whatever had
been left behind.
Seth looked behind him to his old
friend and this oddly intoxicating woman. He didn’t know what it was about her.
Of course there’d been women before her who had sparked his interest or had
even filled his thoughts for a while, but Jailyn had in the words of Zazz
instantly addicted him. He wasn’t one of those “love at first sight” types but
if that is what this was then maybe it had happened to him, and from her
comments to him she was at least remotely interested in him or just leading him
on to get what she wanted, he hadn’t figured it out yet, and just because he
was uncontrollably attracted to her it didn’t make him completely stupid, him
and Zazz had scanned her to make sure she wasn’t bugged in anyway, and they had
gone to extreme lengths to make sure they hadn’t been followed.
“Here goes nothing.” Said Seth
as he placed the access key into the control panel beside the monstrous doors.
The began to move slowly, screeching and moaning from years of immobility.
Finally the doors came to a stop and the lights inside the hanger blinked to
life.
Zavier’s eyes grew wide and he turned
to look at Seth. “Holy Crap.” Were the only words to come out of his mouth.
Seth turned to look at Zazz. “Holy
Crap indeed Zazz.”
Before them stood and impeccably well
taken care of ship. It was without a word of a lie the most beautiful ship the
three of them had ever seen. From front to stern she was covered in reflective
chrome metal alloy. It had perfect cures and wonderfully streamlined.
Jailyn placed a hand on Seth’s
shoulder, eyes marveling the vessel in front of them. “When I was in school I
took a class that studied remote cultures, if I’m not mistaken that is a Royal
Nubian Cruiser.”
“Its…its…beautiful.” Seth studdered.
From the shadows in the corner of the
hanger a man appeared walking very slowely and Seth quickly realized who it
was.
“Old man, what…what is all this?” Seth
asked, both Zazz and Jailyn giving the old man a questioning look.
“This is your fathers ship, the Fearless
Jade he made sure you received it one day.” Said the old man.
“Sir, how is it possible that Seth’s
father was in the owner ship of a Royal Cruiser from Naboo?” questioned Jailyn.
“He never told me how he acquired it
but being a Jedi Knight I’m sure it something to do with certain events
happening around Naboo around the time of the beginning of the Clone War.”
Answered the old man.
“Jedi Knight? Seth you have Jedi blood
in you?” Jailyn said surprised.
Seth looked back to her “Believe me I
didn’t know until quite recently.”
The old man motioned them to come
forward “Come you must hurry now, I have much to show you and we have very
little time. As we speak there are people looking for you, and they are close
to finding your where abouts.”
Zazz protested “I knew
she would get us in trouble! Seth didn’t I tell you!”
Jailyn gave Zavier an innocent look “I
swear its not me!”
The old man interrupted their skirmish
“It is not her family, nor law enforcement coming after you.”
Seth raised an eyebrow, “Then who?”
“Agents of the dark side. They are the
ones who are hunting you.”
Seth’s eyes grew wide again, “You mean
like the Sith? But I’m not even a Jedi, at least not yet.”
The old man sighed “It doesn’t matter,
even through Luke Skywalker rebuilds the Jedi order as we speak, descendants of
Jedi’s past are being hunted down. That means you.” The old hunched over man
stroked his thick white beard, “Now hurry inside I have much to show you.”
As the four walked up the entrance
ramp Zazz became very quickly in love with what he saw. The inside was
immaculate as if the ship had just come off the assembly line. He wondered just
how old some of this equipment was. The old man lead them to the main control
room, “The Fearless Jade though a bit old will run faster then most
ships nowadays. When given the amount of time I’ve had you tend to replace the
old components with new and better ones, and with the friends I have the tend
to be the best. Though she still appears as she did when she was first built,
behind these panels are all the best up to date parts Courscant has to offer. Also
I took the liberty of moving the front navigation floodlights elsewhere and
putting heavy lasers in their place, plus computer controlled turret lasers
cover the back, but don’t worry you’ll pass visual inspections because there
all hidden under the armor until you need them. The original shielding is still
installed though, it rivals that of most ships built these days.”
Zazz and Jailyn began studying the
control room in immense detail. While they were busy the old man lead Seth back
down and to the front of the ship. The door opened to a spacious room with a
large bed in the back and center of the room, the sides rowed with full length
compartments. On the bed lay light and dark brown robes, and a small device.
The old man moved towards the
bed and picked up the small rod. “This is the lightsaber your father built for
you when you were born, he hoped that you might one day wield it as a Jedi
Knight like he once did.” Seth accepted the weapon from the man and studied the
chrome thin plating running the length of the device with black grips between
them. The top was flat with small pieces of metal protruding a little bit from
the rim. On the side was a panel with a press pad on it. Seth ignited the
lightsaber and a blue beam of light rose from the device. Seth moved it left
and right listening the hum it made as it cut through the air, finally
deactivated it with a hiss as the light disappeared. “These are a Jedi’s
garments, I would be honored if you wore these to the Academy.”
Seth gave the man a stunned look, “The
academy?”
“Yes, the Academy that Skywalker has
re-established, you must go there and train to become a Jedi Knight.” Demanded
the old man.
For a long moment Seth didn’t say a
word. He stared long at the lightsaber in his hand and at the cloths on the bed
and the brown leather boots next to it and let out another of his long relaxing
sigh’s. “Well I guess I have no other choice, It’s a much better choice off
occupation then the one I have now.”
For the first time that Seth knew of
the old man smiled “Yes it will be. Anyhow I leave you to get changed, I have
to go check on that Zazz and your lady friend and make sure their not ruining
what I’ve worked on.
“Well I think I’ve got it now.” Said
Zazz. He looked over the controls that were decades older then him, though the
technology was up to date. “It was a little confusing at first but it all makes
sense now.” The doors to the lift behind them opened and Seth walked through
the light and dark brown robes of the Jedi had fit him perfectly. His
Lightsaber clipped properly to his belt on his side.
The old man looked upon him and his
eyes began to fill with water ever so slightly, “You look just like your father
in that. He would be proud to see you the way you are right now.”
Seth smiled slightly, “Well I hope so,
and by the way these boots are far more comfortable then they look.”
The old man smiled but was pulled from
his flood of memories past as Zazz spoke, “Uh guys, the Sith you were talking
about…have just showed up.” Just past the few ports of the control room stood
three of the reborn warriors the Empire had built.
“Where are you old man, its time to
come out, and bring that pathetic Jedi with you!” spoke the middle sith.
The old man turned and began to walk
towards the exit when Seth stopped him. “You can’t be serious, you have to stay
here. There’s three of them out there.”
The man looked up at Seth and
shrugged, “This is where my path ends, and yours begins. I must go.”
“That’s nonsense stay here, there’s no
point in dying out there.” Protested Seth.
The old man patted him on the shoulder
“I don’t expect you to understand, but you will…one day you will.” With that
the old man walked off the ship and the entry ramp closed behind him.
“Well I think its about time we blew
this scene.” Zazz started up the engines and the hanger ceiling doors opened.
The engines whined to full power and Seth looked out the view port as the Fearless
Jade lifted off, he only saw a the old man for a brief second, moving like
he couldn’t believe someone of his age moving. Pitched in battle with all three
of the sith warriors his green lightsaber parrying all three red sabers coming
at him, then he was out of sight and the Nubian Cruiser was soaring for the
sky.
Hours later Seth sat in the aft common
room waving his blue lightsaber slowly through the air, his eyes showing
intense thought. Jailyn walked in and crouched beside him. “How are you holding
up…Jedi?” She said with small laugh.
“Honestly I don’t know yet. I never knew the old man but
I’m sad he’s gone.” Seth said eyes locked on the light beam.
“Its because he was one of your own.” Jailyn said
sympathetically.
Seth gave a quite huff “I’m not even a Jedi yet.”
She put her hand on his arm “Just because you don’t have
all that training yet doesn’t mean you two weren’t the same.”
“I guess your right.” Seth said.
“Of course I am.” She said then moved up and softly kissed
Seth, to him he felt like it was hours long though only seconds had passed. She
stood up and walked towards the door then turned around right before. “Zazz set
a course for Yavin 4. We figured that’s where you’d want to go.”
Seth looking deep in her eyes, “Yea, yea that’s great
thanks.”
She gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, “You welcome,
lover.”
To Be Continued: