Pilgrims' Sanctuary

[Tell Cho]

8.359 ABY

Their destination was empty and dark, save for their ships.

It had always been very disorienting to Cho, the knowledge that to be in a starship was to be in the midst of practically nothing, suspended not in the ether, but that one wasn't suspended at all.

He checked his instruments and found no discrepancies. He checked his feelings, and found there a sense of anticipation, deeper than anything else.

"I suspect we may have arrived before what we seek," the Gossam broadcasted to Hicchoru, wondering when they'd receive what the Force desired them to find here.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

He'd not even anticipated time as a factor in the Force's will. He had much to learn from his Gossam companion.

"Before, or after?"

He was concerned. The last time he'd jumped blind, it had been at the cusp of the heat of the moment, and he'd wondered if the act was beyond his capability alone. The spirits that watched over him often lent their aid at unpredictable times.

Anbira closed his eyes as they cruised.

"It is here. I know it."

Opening his eyes again, the Felucian hermit was again greeted by open space.

[Tell Cho]

"It is here," The Gossam allowed. "But search your feelings. The anticipation that lies beneath all else. That indicates we must wait."

Cho closed his eyes and focused, putting all anxiety and fear behind him, noting and accepting, and thus releasing them, into the Force.

"They are coming," he said finally, before opening his eyes.

Seconds later, a fleet reverted from hyperspace, almost directly in front of them.

The Force was with them.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

A thud created by her KR-TB "Doomthreader" plummeting out of hyperspace woke Tionne from what was a dreamless slumber. She allowed herself the luxury of a brief nap after synchronizing her navigation system with that of the fleet and calibrate the autopilot to closely follow the ships of the Wheel. Steel-hued eyes shot open, immediately noticing the flashing on the motherboard signifying incoming vessels.

"We're not expecting company." the redhead murmured to herself and raised heavy shields for purely precautionary reasons. Thanewulf then swung back into her seat and peered through the viewport. Not one, but two ships.

"Open up an encrypted communication channel." the Jedi commanded, then pushed a few buttons to establish the link. - "Hail them."
Tionne's ginger brow furrowed a notch.
"This is Tionne Thanewulf." she stated plainly, albeit in an austere tone - "Identify yourselves."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The sight of an ensemble of familiar ships dropping into realspace around them filled Anbira with comfort. Tell had been right, and the force had not led them astray. As he watched the lines of Valiant and Whaladon approach, it was the first hail he received that caused a smile to crease his face.

Pressing the voxcomm, Anbira leaned forward a bit as he could just make out the lines of Tionne Thanewulf's personal ship.

"An old friend."

[Tell Cho]

"This is Etti-class light transport Reclamation," the Gossam responded, ignoring the byplay from the human Jedi and their interlocutor. "I am seeking sanctuary with Jedi."

He released the transmission button and sat back in his seat; there wasn't anything else to say until he'd received an answer.

[Abarai Loki]

When the proximity klaxons sounded, Loki ran to the bridge, it wasn't far away. On a ship like the Whaladon, nothing was far away. Upon arriving, he saw a ship through the viewport, a large angular freighter, and it was staring straight at them. A handful of personnel bustled about the humble bridge, relaying information rapidly, and just as they were about to commence evaisive manouveurs, Loki heard a familiar voice. He raised a hand, halting the helmsman, and approached the comm panel. A second, alien voice sounded, declaring his intentions.

"Reclamation, this is Abarai Loki," he replied, "Prepare to dock with the Star Cruiser Valiant to undergo standard security checks."

He paused, in the soft glow of the computer terminal his face became grave, and it was reflected in his voice:

"Anbira Hichorru. Has the soldier come home?"

[Tell Cho]

"Affirmative," Cho responded. The docking process was somewhat lengthy, given that the Reclamation was too large to fit in the hangar bay with the fighters that were inside, but the droids which he'd taken with him did their job admirably, lining a docking hatch and extending their umbilical tube.

Cho did not wait. He was standing in front of the hatch as it opened to reveal whomever had been sent to search him and his ship.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The Felucian hermit guided his stolen X-Wing into a cruise, not yet given landing clearance. It gave him time to think about Loki's question.

"Home..."

Is that what he'd come back for? Was it that simple? It put his heart at ease to hear it said that way.

"...I think I have, Abarai. I think I have."

Whatever lay in store for him from this moment on, his destiny couldn't take that away from him. Things like this defined a man.

[Abarai Loki]

"Very well. Then would you kindly return that starfighter to its rightful place?"

The commlink was promptly terminated, Loki glanced at the captain and gave a nod. A dialogue commenced between the Whaladon and the Valiant, the starfighter was identified as their wayward X-Wing and was granted clearance to dock in the Star Cruiser's hangar bay. Sirens fell silent throughout the ship once again, and the crew visibly relaxed, sinking into their seats.

Meanwhile, on the Valiant, a team of armed troopers were gathered at the airlock. It hissed open and they immediately piled inside to filter throughout the Gossam's ship. Left in their wake was a small security detail and a rather anxious-looking officer, he was a portly man with a thick beard and a face flushed scarlet, and when the small saurian approached, he regarded him with eyes black and beady with suspicion.

"I am going to cut to the chase here, Gossam," he began, importantly, "How did you know where to find this fleet?"

[Tell Cho]

"You are familiar with Jedi, yes?" the Gossam responded, leaning back and eyeballing the officer with a jaundiced air. "With young man in the X-wing, I asked the Force for help in finding Jedi. The Force responded, and I chose to trust it. Using coordinates divined in the Force, I and the young man travelled here, seconds before this fleet's arrival."

Cho nodded imperiously to the officer, indicating he had finished his tale, as outlandish as it sounded. The old Gossam's expression remained steadfastly blank, if fixed into a scowl.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira eased the X-Wing home, gliding her down on her landing struts in the Valiant's bay. He looked around at a familiar sight he hadn't seen in nearly a year. It all led him to thinking of that moment so long ago, when he decided to leave. It was fear that had pushed him, and as he returned, it was fear he had banished.

Powering down, he popped the canopy as a deck hand brought a ladder to the fuselage, and climbed down from the ship.

"Please inform Lieutenant Jakatta I've returned his fighter, and kept it in good shape."

[Abarai Loki]

"The lieutenant will be surely... relieved," said the young deckhand, who was quick to begin inspecting the fuselage, "Oh, and sir, if I were you, I'd get to the boarding hatch on Deck Four sharpish. It's nearly lunch time and the Bull isn't too friendly on an empty stomach, or... at all, really. Sorry, sir, that's-"

"Lieutenant Bullwood," he rumbled, eyes narrowed at the diminutive Jedi, "And I am here to tell you, Gossam, that not everyone in the Alliance military is gullible enough to swallow such tales of mystical skullduggery. Arcane astrogation! Whatever next? Sorcerous slicing!?"

Laughter boomed in the narrow passage. Ingram Bullwood did not suffer fools lightly. And while the flanking guards shared a troubled glance, the lieutenant expanded with a proud swell, his overworked uniform creaked. Hands on hips, and kingly in countenance, Lieutenant Bullwood shook his round cherry head.

"Now, then. Either you come clean with me, right now, or it's the brig for you, son. And I promise you, no amount of prayer will magic you out of that one!"

[Tell Cho]

Cho didn't waste any time, smacking the fool in the head with the walking stick, only hard enough to show his displeasure. The portly officer wasn't even staggered. "Bah! One would think the fleet assigned to protect Jedi would at least look more deeply into their words than dismiss them out of hand."

He sighed, shaking his head and ignoring the blasters aimed at him.

"It is wood, fool," he said, "not durasteel. Take me to the brig, if that is what you will do. If I somehow managed to knock some sense into you, take me to the Jedi. Or to your Captain. Perhaps he would like to know whom he has captured, hmm?"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Lieutenant, the Gossam is with me."

Anbira had hurriedly gone in the direction the deckhand had insisted, arriving just at the time that the altercation was becoming pointed. He didn't know the Lieutenant personally, but his short time on the wheel would ensure that he was at least known to those who made decisions in the Jedi convoy.

"And what he speaks is the truth."

[Abarai Loki]

"Now, see here, mister," he blustered, at Anbira's sudden appearance, "I can't expect any old Tom, Dick, and- I run a tight ship! And furthermore-"

"Lieutenant, he certainly speaks like a Jedi-" began one of his subordinates.

"-and certainly no time for any of this wishy-washy nonsense-"

"And, sir, if he has Jedi clearance-" attempted the other armed guard.

"-remember when the uniform meant a thing or two-"

"Lieutenant Bullwood, we have completed our preliminary sweep, sir, and everything appears to be in order," came a voice over the comm.

"OH, ALRIGHT!" Bullwood boomed, with a dramatic flail, then, with all the dignity of a youngling in a sulk, said, "You are free to go, Gossam. But I've got my eye on you, and any funny business-"

He paused, presently bent double, his face wrinkled in scrutiny, then with a mighty huff which stirred the thick bristles on his lip, he stood. His eyes fell on Anbira, "Well, be it on your head, Master Jedi!"

One last apprehensive glance down at the little alien. The lieutenant then snapped his hands behind his back and addressed them both with clipped formality:

"There is a shuttle due to leave for the Whaladon any moment now. Of course, if you are quick to the hangar..."

[Tell Cho]

"I will present myself to you immediately if I break any restriction knowingly," the Gossam responded, his sarcasm hidden only by his accent. He bowed slightly to the Lieutenant, a bit more deeply to his subordinates, and turned to Anbira.

"Lead on," he said, his tone almost impatient, but somehow it managed to remain simply acerbic.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Right to it, then."

Anbira's smile emerged from beneath his beard, and he was off at a trot, mindful of his gait to make sure the shorter-strided Gossam wasn't left in the dust.

"Hop to, now. We mustn't keep the Council waiting. I'm sure they'll want to hear every bit of this."

They caught up with the shuttle just as it was ready to depart, and with a bit of explanation and clearance, they were aboard. Next stop, Whaladon. From their approach, the Jedi ship was not an impressive sight. Hardly the largest ship in the Wheel, one wouldn't ask of its importance. Perhaps that was intentional in away.

"Take a good look. That's the remnants of the Jedi Order, there."

[Abarai Loki]

The turbolift dropped swiftly and silently through five decks. When it arrived at Deck Three, its curved door slid aside with a soft hiss, and the hangar bay stretched into the distance. Solitary footsteps echoed on the hard floor as he crossed the room. Nestled between a couple of starfighters, Loki waited, and watched as the shuttle approached the magnetic shield. Already he could sense the familiar presence of the ex-serviceman, and that of his companion, the one seeking sanctuary. Every new Jedi brought with them a story, and every story was unique. What far-flung manner of circumstance had caused this stranger and the Felucian hermit to cross paths? Where did Anbira Hicchoru go? Why did he leave? And how in the galaxy does a creature so small come to own such a large ship?

He watched them disembark, Anbira and the short strange-looking alien, and closed the distance between them. He offered a polite bow of the head, which gave him enough time to stem the deluge of questions aching to leap from his tongue. Decorum first, especially in the presence of a perfect stranger.

"Anbira Hicchoru, welcome back," he said, his dispassionate eyes fell upon the Gossam, "Who is your companion?"

[Tell Cho]

Cho kept up somewhat easily, though it wasn't hard to tell that he had to expend more energy to keep up with the human.

"Take a good look. That's the remnants of the Jedi Order, there."

"There are former Jedi there," Cho answered, giving the transport a long look. "But the Jedi Order is dead. To be Jedi is more than subscribing to certain principles. It was a community of adherents to the Light Side of the Force. Thousands of years of history: trial and error; wars and peace; study and revelation. The places as much as the philosophy lent themselves to our identity."

Cho shook his head, turning to Hicchoru.

"No. The Order of my youth is dead. This is a new Order, a new beginning. I will pass on what I am able to teach, but I am no longer Jedi. This is not my home."

The rest of the trip passed in silence.

"Anbira Hicchoru, welcome back. Who is your companion?"

"Perhaps you would do well to ask my name of myself," Cho responded before the human could reply. "If I were not here perhaps he could make due, but I am not somewhere else, unable to answer your question. Perhaps it is from an assumption that I cannot speak Basic. Perhaps the Empire has been thorough and you will not speak to an alien until you are satisfied that I am not dangerous? Or at least until you are sure I possess a modicum of human etiquette and can converse civilly with you. I hope I have satisfied these doubts, young nobleman."

He bowed, echoing Loki's first movement.

"I am even aware of how to bow in accordance with the station of the person with whom I am speaking, even if I do not know them, much as you. I must surely have had the finest human instructors to so skilfully mime manners and civility, no?"

His cane thumped on the deck, punctuating his short speech. He shook his head, causing the hanging elements of his headgear to swish softly back and forth, before looking over the child before him and huffing once.

[Abarai Loki]

"And yet, despite your rather indulgent monologue, you failed to identify yourself. Perhaps I was right to have asked my comrade in the first place."

There will come a time, Loki considered, when he will meet someone for the first time, and there will be no complications. Surely such a kindred spirit existed somewhere in the galaxy. It was a hope to which he patiently clung. Back in the here and now, however, he found himself faced with another stranger he had somehow managed to offend. The sarcasm was not lost on him, but experience had taught him not to take insult, or at least not to show it. Instead, the young Jedi was quite content to measure the length and breadth of the diminutive alien with cool authority, taking full advantage of the rare instance in which he was the taller of the party, of any party.

"My name is Abarai Loki. We spoke briefly over the comm. What brings you here?"

[Tell Cho]

Tell Cho grinned, snorting softly, and bobbed his head.

"I did not," he assented. "You did not ask."

He did notice that the youngster had offered his own name. This was a step up.

"My name is Tell Cho."

His grip shifted on his cane and he leaned a bit more heavily on it.

"I heard that the Jedi were gathering," he said. "I was of the Jedi, once. I was also convinced the Jedi Order was dead. I submitted my resignation to my former employers. The Force led me to him."

The Gossam tossed his head in Anbira's direction.

"I assume I am meant to do something here," he said. "But the Force does not speak to me as it once did. I am at an impasse."