Cracked Crystal: Under Construction

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Star
Cracked & Crystal
WARS

http://i.imgur.com/5gN61at.jpg


"The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is"

"Like the Force user, the crystal is attuned to the Force. Without that attunmenet
the crystal is just a rock."
"...Adegan crystals-precious and hard to find"
"Crystals are living beings at the beginning of creation."





The Adega system’s dirty jewel Ossus had seen many days. Once lush with growth and water it had aged. Beds of water seeped and plotted the globe, but not like before. Verdant lands sprawled along hills and valleys to meet mountains, gorges, and weathered forests. Dirt plots of orange scorched earth divided grasslands as new settlers dug landmarks. Shipments soared through the blue skies above daily. The roar of their tear through the heavens boomed. Below festive gripes bawled. Merchants were at work. Always. Newcomers were bedeviled with prices, deals, and fake guides. Small tempers rose and clashed like a volcano burping. There were no erupting mountains on Ossus. No, the planet was doused in windy currents. Spirals of dust circled the lows as the sun cast a marigold along the world. It’s gleam beamed about the globe. Rays bounced off the glossy, shimmering and sparkly. Windows sent the sun off and splashed rooms full of it’s light. Night was near. Noon had passed. What a waited in the horizon was darkness. Shades of purple seeped in and the sun leaned into a slump creeping toward a rest above all the settlers. Folks trickled from their post as closing time sent them to their tents, homes, and stops at the cantina. Grievances ached from their throats as they waved goodbyes to one another. Parted ways down trails sent many by the Jedi dorms, temples, and library.

By the youngling & Padawan quarters docked a light-freight transport. (http://pre01.deviantart.net/1f7c/th/pre/f/2013/327/6/3/yt_2000_freighter_ortho_by_unusualsuspex-d6v3nrs.jpg) The plate shaped ship was long with legs coming from it’s bottom was another Corellian engineered wonder. A cockpit poked from the plate’s front, dark windows capturing the sun’s glare. Within the flare rummaged fingerless gloves on long fingers. Digits punched codes on the dashboard. Clicks clunk amongst the buzzing murmur of the lively cockpit. Beeps voiced from a red BB unit. The rolling droid crashed into a leg. Fitted military issued black pants were tailored to the man’s lean legs. Heavy-duty rubber brown split-toed (tabi) boots hid the pant leg’s ends. Above wrapped a matching peanut colored belt, latching onto the lightsaber hilt. The artifact of the Jedi Order dangled like a coin bag, bobbling about as its owner swayed from console to console.

He was a mocha baby-face code clicker with razor-sharp tailor mustache and crop-cut hair to form his youthful looks marred only by dark deep set eyes. Those umber orbs danced around the cockpit room. His hands moved at the same speed. Thick brows lowered as he pivoted, turned back, and head jolted up. Sharp cuts from side to side slung his saber hilt all around. Soon, he’d relinquish that grip in replacement for another shaft. None of the colleagues were privy to his objectives. Always one to follow the motto ‘its best to ask for forgiveness than permission’, he was setting coordinates for Gordian Reach. From there he’d shoot downstream on Hydian Way to part down Braxant Run. Ship diagnostic hovered above the holoboard, running down the list. Beeps from the droid read down the list of the ship’s status. Assuring nods and mhms responded back as Sirdi continued punching in codes to figure the best points for hyper speed jumps.

He wanted to get to Mygeeto before anyone knew he was gone. Then, return back before anyone started asking any questions. If he were fast enough, not a soul would inquire of his whereabouts. And, in the case they did, he’d distract them with his newly assembled saber.

Behind the pilot chair sat a strung tight sack. Inside nestled parts gathered from his trip to Nar Shaddaa. Activation studs, enhancement jewels, fibercords, field energizer, discharge energy cells, pommel cap, emitter matrix, stabilizer ring, knobs and knick-knacks bundled into a light pile in wait of construction. Over the course of his travels he’d grabbed up power cells for use. Who knew they’d come in handy for a covert mission into Imperial space. Mygeeto was still in the Galactic Empire’s clutches; crystals based their economy as the bank’s cha-ching sounds echoed throughout the Imperial provinces. The Empire was rich. For those ignorant, it was made most obvious by the state of the art artillery in their military, largely fortified and beautifully architecture buildings as well as their privileged government funded projects ranging from art to engineer jobs throughout their controlled space. HoloNet reports detailed everyday the celebrities spawning from within Empire space how well everything was and it infuriated some of the poor settlers. Sirdi didn’t mind. He’d never known such wealth, and traveled space long enough to know how pirates dealt with such vanity.

Celestial justice and balance often came from the oddest of places.

Money-minded monsters met the faces of money monglers amid the stars on space yatch and ships, only to be striped naked. Laughter ensued in cantina corners, casinos and clubs where folks like Sirdi watched on as a camp of pirates celebrated with their spoils. Wait staff gloated their own treasures as the credits trickled down in the night. Those festive spectacles were a far reach from the mild-manner ways of the Jedi, but he had become familiar with both lives as well as that of the Resistance. A few Mygeeto contacts were within a transmission’s notice. Most Alliance sympathizers were quieted on the rich planet. Yet, those whom still remained moved secretly. Safe passage had been guaranteed by one of the ranking officers in the Alliance ranks based on Ossus. All Sirdi had to do was buy a few drinks and give a few laughs.

He’d gotten exceptionally good at rubbing shoulders with old buddies in service.

“BB, check dem food supplies & hyperdrive ‘gin.” A warm, hoppy gruff dove out Sirdi mouth before the astromech wobbled into a speedy roll out the cockpit. One deep breath reset the Jedi pilot. He clutched the pilot seat and pushed it into a swivel. When turning, he plopped into the seat and swung about in the natural cycle for a complete flat footed stop to front the console. Three clicks of his fingers and he could hear the ramp door groan.

Everything was closing up. His fingerless gloved index finger punched another button and the ramp door creaked and banged shut. Along the keyboard, he clacked a switch and the legs from up under the saucer snapped up to recoil within the hull. Panels closed them in as they curled back up. Fuel churned as the round Corellian vessel floated off the ground with the burst of winds. Sirdi sunk into his seat as he reached across the control panel. Hand on the controls stick, Sirdi made his grip tight. A blink later and his hand was eased the stick backward.

The ship lifted.

Thunder clapped from the ship’s engine. A burst blasted the ship with a click and a pilot’s pull, darting the craft clear into the partly cloudy skies. Seconds passed and the blaring sunbeams shrouded the disappearing ship as it pierced the heavens in a soar to space. It was all a blur to any onlooker.

Sirdi’s next stop was Mygeeto.

But, first, he needed a snack.

[Kaie]

Buried within the stacked crates of dull grey knelt the Jedi healer and white witch who's detailed inventory had kept her much longer than she had intended, though lost track of time as green eyes recalculated the supplies around her. Scrolling quietly, Kaie knew something was missing though she couldn't figure out what and it soon became clear as the quiet thrum beneath her left knee and right foot failed to alert her to the impending liftoff.

Until the thrust from the engines sent the Hapan falling into the stacked boxes. Datapad clanging to the metal plating, Kaie did her best to catch herself, but failed miserably as she hit the floor in a heap. Finally her hands gripped the magnacoupled straps above her head and held on for dear life. Gravity kept her pinned to the supplies until the freighter soon entered the less intrusive ionosphere and soon, space. Her heart beating a mile a minute, Kaie pulled herself up and realized what had happened. Calling the datapad to her right hand, she moved quickly around the large, barriers and moved to the cargo bay door, then tapped on the button to open it.

Nothing.

Sighing, she tried again and was alarmed to find that she was locked in here. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Shaking her head, she soon spied the internal comm suite and walked to it, then tapped on the transmit button, hoping that Sirdi was in a good mood. "Umm....."

She was never going to live this one down, she mused.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Outer space was calm. Vessels at times roared through but the blackness was so vast. There was always room to breath. Such isolation was needed. Tranquil strolls in the darkness of space gave time to float through memories. Spacers drifted amid the stars, joining the universe call for joy or stillness. The galaxy’s call could never be denied for the free & wild. Those whom swept across the stars and knew special routes were at home in the galaxy’s emptiness. Wrapped in the cosmos, a coziness swept over the young man whom learned to work a nav-board far before he’d planted a seed. Sirdi was at home in his ship, coasting to the routes he’d learn as a brat. A sparkle shimmered from afar beyond the ship window. The gleam emit through the empty cockpit. An orchestra of horns, strings, and bass play purred from a music box planted by the pilot’s chair. From beyond the cockpit opened doors hummed along a voice. Beeps boop faintly under the whirr.

Crinkles of a bag bustled as the sound came nearer to the control panel.

Sirdi plopped down in the chair in a free-fall. Butt first thud, his head slopped back into the chair. The throws of his body bolted his legs up. He kept them up, dropping them at an empty space on the panel. All was on autopilot. All coordinates were set. The ship was moving as the owner ordered. In the meantime, Sirdi’s busy fingerless gloved hands were doused in Bantha Bit bag dust.

Sprinkles of sweetness stuck to his fingertips as he scraped another bit from the bag. Head cocked back, he flicked another morsel into his gullet. A crunch kept it from choking him. Those teeth came chomping happily. Across his maw marked a grin while he grubbed away at what’d surely hold him over for say….20 more minutes.

He bobbed his head to the musical serenades of his own playlist as the song switched gears into a beat-drop. The rhythm could be intoxicating. But, he was distracted momentarily from dancing as he pulled his hands out the bag for a figer-licking. Index, middle, ring, lick --- ˆUmm “

The faint feminine utterance of uncertainty halted him in his tracks. Pinky finger in mouth, his eyes shot right and paused. Slowly, he slurped the last taste of sweetness from his finger and twirled about in the pilot chair. He got a lick in on his thumb, elbowing the comm unit.

“Ayo?” He hadn’t the slightest idea who it could be, but the indecision in the person’s voice eased him. Criminal activity on Ossus was low. Jedi were there. Safety and security was their calling card. Additionally, any would-be intruder that’d start a comm convo with hesitation floundered any opportunity of being intimidating.

So, Sirdi’s shoulder was dropped and back slumped in the chair as he waited patiently for a reply. His hands digging into a crumpling bag of goodness.

[Kaie]

More than a little embarrassed at her predicament, the Jedi hoped there would be a rather dignified exit from her temporary cell as Sirdi answered, his voice as surprised that she was here apparently as she was to be. "No, it's Kaie. I think things got a little confused with the offloading of these supplies," she chuckled. "We're in hyper already, right?" Setting her head against the wall, her chin hovering above the comm panel, she smiled, shaking her head.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

The comm. link buzzed the woman's voice over. She identified herself. He listened. His face showed he listened. It scrunched. The eyebrows tighten. His eyes squeezed. His lips poked. Every syllable slipping from her mouth called for questioning. The Padawan had not dealt with a Kaie before. At least, not to his knowledge. Despite his magical touch, his memory was shot at times. However, the name was vaguely familiar; most female names were. Yet, the voice was foreign. Far too pleasant, polite and soft to be any malicious forgotten memory out to exact revenge. Still, he couldn't be too careful. Even as she attempted to refresh him with her circumstances of offloading supplies, he was drawing a blank. The word was as vague as her name to him. Years of maneuvering goods ensured the word meant different things on different days to different people. At times, the word was not something to look forward to. An offloading of supplies could easily mean danger. Especially since he was already taking a risk heading into Imperial space. One wrong scan and he could be shot into oblivion. The worriedly crumpled young face stared back at the comm. link as he final words were sent through.

No reply shot out his mouth. Once more, he hesitated. Out the window rested the blackness. They'd still not jumped into hyper. Although the coordinates were set, they were coasting to specific set-point for a jump. Autopilot ensured he had enough time to gobble down the goods before worrying about handling the control panel. Still, that wasn't information he wanted to relinquish oh so quickly. He still wasn't sure who he was talking to. So, with a comm. unit push, and a flippant, "ok?" he got up. Two feet flat on the ground again, he tossed his half-full bag in the chair and staggered out the cockpit.

A saunter sent him pass the HoloNet terminal to the door of his crew quarters. There he'd sleep. Sometimes. More often than not, he'd explode from his slumber in the pilot chair. There would be slobber tumbling down his chin and his fist in a ball ready to fight his nightmare's monster. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was how he tended to travel space. He was always ready to squabble. At the crew door he had a camera monitor set up. Cams were set up in every chamber. Sometimes multiple were installed, just for angles. A few passengers in the past had suggested he'd install the multi-cam board on his datapad, but he had enough applications to fiddle with. Walking never hurt anybody - not yet, at least. There on panel, in two clicks, he'd found the cargo hold. Inside stood the woman. She was lean, tall, tanned and up against the door. He didn't know who she was, but she didn't look like trouble.

Almost disappointed by her pleasant presence, he let out a sigh. Crazy was what he was used to. So, his shoulder drooped and he shook his head. It was just a simple mistake on this strange woman's part. In a lazy stroll, he swept by the crew quarters hall, turned left and stepped to the cargo hold door. He knocked.

"Ay, you not dead 'n dere yet?"

[Kaie]

The lone reply echoed in the otherwise quiet cargo bay and that was the only thing that did for what seemed like an eternity. That single word that he uttered also didn't answer her question which now made her a bit concerned as she waited. Backing from the wall, Kaie sighed. "I know this is pretty crazy, but I hadn't intended on taking a ride anywhere else. I guess the Force works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?" Unbeknownst to her, the Jedi musing aloud went unheard as he toured toward the very door that she stood before. Though as her statement went without any feedback, she wondered now if he was coming to rescue her from this predicament. Opening herself to the Force, she soon felt him approach the cargo bay door, though the muffled query caught her offguard.

Brow furrowed lightly as she glanced to the metal barrier between them. ".... No, not yet." Turning off the datapad, she slipped it into her pant's pocket and stepped back from the door. "This was just a simple mistake, that's all." Hoping that would smooth things over, she did wonder what would happen next.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

The door's control pad clicked alive. Those finger-less gloves were at work. A blur of numbers beeped with each click. With a final thumb thumped and the door purred open. A chirr eventually thud as the cargo hold revealed the woman. He blinked. Dark brown hair toppled from the top of her head. Blacken brunette hair sprawled about and behind her face. Round eyes beam back, her body a thin curvy hip gal stood there calm under the duress. Sirdi stuffed his pockets with his hands. His lids went low as he gazed on her. He eyed her with an inviting smirk.

"Ay dere," the words came rolled out like furled sail. Before she could speak, the young Jedi pocketed hands opened as he widen his arms to talk. "So you're Kaie?" He nodded a greeting. "And, ya he'e...why?"

Finally, they could figure this out. While the comm. units were effective, clear, and helpful, nothing beat face to face contact. Especially when the talk or faces were pleasant. Sirdi tried to provide both with his lit up face.

[Kaie]

Grinning, the Hapan female knew most that hadn't been part of the Jedi order long still had a few things to learn about who they were serving the galaxy with. Though she had gotten used to the looks and comments, it was still a bit unnerving as she tried her best to remain pleasant regardless of the circumstances. "I am," she replied, then motioned back to the stack of supplies that had been meant for the temple's medbay, "I was taking inventory of the things that we had ordered," she explained and turned back to him. "Guess it just took a lot longer than I had intended. Where are you headed now?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Yesterday was a blur. He was in the present. He was there with the warmth of the transport heating system. The warmness seeped through his jacket, loose thermal long sleeve and military grade pants & boots and embraced him in a cozy hold. It kept the chill of space at bay. There was a lot of space between Kaie and Sirdi. She was still in the cargo chambers motioning to the supplies. Sirdi looked on them coldly. Their origin was a faint memory. She stack of kolto, stimulants shots, syringes, patches and serums were stacked along the corners. Only yesterday droids dropped them off from the Jovan Station at the landing docks, but the space between then and now had froze over. His mind was more fixed on the crystal. Every few thoughts cycled around ways to evade possible checkspots and get out free. Since he landed back on Ossus, he was ready to go

And so he was. On his way before unloading. It was a new gig anyway. Somewhat of a liason as an Alliance military man, he had special clearance to assist in settlement supplying. Trivial duties as they were, he had been responsible up until now.

Yet, even as he gazed on his responsibility he seemed disinterested and blank. A blink cut his look back to Kaie with a half hearted head cock and lazy shoulder shrug. His lips poked out and left as he mocked a dumb smile. "Eh, my bad," was all he could muster.

His feet pivoted him about and bolted his knees into a slope so he leaned his body at the door ledge. Sirdi’s arms crossed as he began, "But, I'm defin' ain't goin back." He nodded almost in reassurance to himself.

"Goin to da Mygeeto system." He wondered if she wanted him to drop her off somewhere. She could hitch a ride back if it wasn't for the fact he had no interest in stopping.

"By de way, I'm Sir-dee," one arm poked out from crossing and extended for a handshake.

[Kaie]

Noting his disinterest in being helpful in that matter, she knew other avenues for getting back to the temple would avail themselves at some point and followed his movement to the frame. Moving forward, she accepted his handshake and then moved past him into the main part of the neighboring corridor. "Well," she began, searching the vessel toward the galley, then back to her host. "Guess I should get a room then?"

It was curious sometimes how events developed and the Force led her to places and people that she hadn't intended on meeting, though rarely was she disappointed.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

He let her walked pass. In a twirl and shift of his feet, he stepped ahead of her and pointed forward with his fingers turned right. "Dat uh-way." He stepped up.

"But, ya movin in kinda quick lady." He eyed her with a smirk.

[Kaie]

"Well, if we're on our way to Mygeeto, then I should probably make myself comfortable," she suggested, then motioned back to the cargo bay with her eyes. "Unless you want me to sleep in there."

[Sirdi Kōhō]

When she motioned once more back at the cargo hold, he slowly turned about and feigned ponder. His finger at his chin. His head up. He wondered absently. After a moment, he even crossed his arms and looked down. The act out was spotless until his lips no longer could restrain a smile. "Nah!" he exclaimed with a pat on her shoulder. His hand stayed there as he motioned about, turning back down the hall to the crew quarters. "I wanna keep ya where I can see ya."

He wanted to trust her, but he wasn't all that sure who she was. Yes, she was a Jedi. And, yes, she must've worked in the medical field. But, neither of which made her trustworthy. "So, ye some sorta Padawan o' what?" She looked young. Too young to be solely responsible for inventory of a new settlement. Youth didn't mean ineptitude, especially in the Order, however, elders rarely entrusted the young with anything important. Medical supplies were important, no matter how flippant Sirdi was about the unload.

[Kaie]

Initially concerned that he may have her sleep with the crates and barrels within the otherwise stark room, she then grinned and chuckled as he sarcastically belayed her fears. Though she had slept in worse, long ago, it wasn't the preferred accommodations, especially if this journey was going to be a long one. Walking with him into the interior of the ship, she glanced to him once more, passing a maintenance droid. "Master, actually. I've been helping out in the medbay since I arrived on Ossus," she informed as they entered the galley, it's interior having seen better days. "My mother's a healer so I grew up around helping people."

His intentions of keeping her in sight was understandable. The white witch was a stranger aboard his home in space and they had never met before today. "You travel alone," she inquired, green eyes searching for any evidence that another being may be aboard.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Before another thought could come sweeping off the Padawan's tongue about the young Master of the Jedi arts, what rolled across the room in a thrum of beeps was the forever handy BB unit. It clunked against Kaie's ankles and spun about, circling her legs, before whirling around and finding a safe hiding spot behind it's traveling companion & pilot. Sirdi glanced down at it, giving it an eye-roll. "Nah, not alone," he grumbled as the BB unit bolted about.

"But, Master?" He started, raising his brows as his eyes shifted back up at the gal. She couldn't be much more than 20. Such a lofty title for an untouched face. Not even a wrinkle of wisdom brought crowfeet to her eyes as she smiled. What a curious fact.

"So, ya one o' dem races that don't age, eh?" He chuckled as he heeled over to the crew quarter door and leaned. "O' ya just a smarty?"

[Kaie]

Enjoying the BB unit now cowering behind it's owner, Kaie grinned and then cast her olive gaze up to Sirdi once more. "I'm Hapan," she informed. "Our race do age quite gracefully, I guess," she chuckled almost shyly. Being only twenty, she still had a long way to go before worrying about all the things that her mother used to joke about with her own age. It was the last thing on her mind with everything else that was going on. "So, what's on Mygeeto, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

"A crystal," sharply shot back. His arms went to his side and hands in his pockets. His ankles crossed as he leaned in once more at the door. An elbow bumped the door's button, sliding it open. The Padawan's training saber dangled at his waist. It could definitely do some damage, but was more so for show. Refugees on Ossus knew he was with the Jedi. And, when he went offworld, respect followed with one of those quick scans strangers tended to give new faces. Sirdi gave one to Kaie, bumping his own saber with his thigh.

"Ya kno' fa dis."

[Kaie]

Glancing to his saber hilt, she imagined now that he was looking to make one of his own, which made sense though Mygeeto wasn't the first world on her list for searching for one. But, everyone had their own choices for crystals and power that they could offer. His query caused her brow to furrow, not sure what he was asking, though the insinuation as he patted the weapon hanging from his belt gave her some clue. Opening her brown leather jacket, she unveiled her own hanging under her right armpit, then let the flap of her coat fall again. "I've tried not to use it when I don't have to, but it's seen some action over the past four years, unfortunately."

Tanned hands rested on her hips, thumbs tucked into her belt, "You looking to build another one then?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

The young Jedi Padawan shoulder pushed him off the lean. By him the wide open door welcomed her arrival. Down at his waist dangled the dull metal in ripples. Built from durasteel, copper and tempered plastic, it was honed with an intense electromagnetic containment field that made sure it was far less dangerous than the real deal. Within was an even more dull gem - one of those synthetic crystals - bore of any prowess to rip or destroy. When touched it buzzed. In his encounters, he'd only been tasked to impart order. Any who would test would leave with welts and bruises instead of torn limbs; yet compared to the Hapan's plush white ornate vein striped glory at her waist, it was evident he had much to gain in his travels. He also had much to learn. In a snap, the training saber hilt was tugged from the hold and held in his palm as if to check its weight.

"Ya. Dis lil piece of poodoo couldn't cut sludge. Got it back at de post," he gestured behind him, as if Ossus was behind him waving. A faint perk of glee rose the end of his lips as he spoke. "Now, what you got dere - dats the real deal. Four years ya say," Sirdi didn't miss a word. Each syllable drooping out her gave him new information. And, like a sponge, he soaked it in. She even had an accent; most did, seeing as he came from a flock of different folks compared to most of the galaxy. It was evident in her blade construction she of much higher prestige. The very material said that.

"What happen in da last four years, huh?" He lifted his head, his attentiveness nudging her to speak more about these assumed adventures.

[Kaie]

Noting the saber hilt now in his strong hand, she noted that the blade was actually a practise saber instead of a real one, which raised a few more questions in her mind. "Typically your master should be traveling with you to get a new crystal, unless they cleared you to go," she stated, more out of curiosity than a rebuke. "My master became a good friend of mine and we did a lot together. She also helped me find rare and exotic plants and flowers for my herb garden as well," she informed, unsure if he had even spent much time in the temple thus far. "Did you not train in the temple?"

Though Sirdi had inquired as to her own adventures, she was avoiding that query for a moment and would indulge his curiosity shortly.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

At the mention of a Master, he rolled his eyes. It was a testy subject. He'd been on Ossus a while. Although patience was a virtue of the Jedi philosophy, he had long ran out of it. He'd not been given a Master, nor did he expect one soon. Instead, he used his own time to grow and become better. Even as a youth, he hated being behind the class. And, daily, he was tasked with a schedule given by his superiors to show up to these classes where fellow students chatted about how they'd learn of the Jedi way or developed a new skill. The irritation wasn't with the time it took to designate him a mentor, but the incessant reminder he was behind.

So, he compensated the best he could. Records, holocrons, and datafiles were stashed throughout the ships. Any scrap of tutelage he could find for self-help was placed somewhere in his possession. In the cockpit a datapad filled with scribes from the library's archived were downloaded and waiting for a re-read. For the past months, he'd gone hyperdrive. If it wasn't reading about the matters of the Force (which he'd come to break down as more a psychological science than a magical experience, although he wasn't able to always articulate the difference) he was swinging his trainer blade.

A scoff escaped him, and he huffed & stuffed his blade's hilt back at his side. "Typically, typically," he repeated, looking away. From poked lips to a slight snarl, a continued roll of the eyes onto ultimately the shrug off, he shook his head and continued. "Well, I don' got a Master. Yours musta' taught you how to make that, huh? What only four years ago?"

He wanted to be the one asking the question. She was his guest.

[Kaie]

It became obvious now as she listened and watched his body language what the issue was and Kaie suddenly felt sympathetic for the pilot. Glancing down, then back to him, she nodded, her smooth, accented voice having helped more than a few patients recovering from various injuries over the past few months since arriving on Ossus. Especially the children. "Maybe I could help you with that," she suggested. "A master who's already been down this road is a great guide and there to help answer questions when they arise." Her brow furrowed lightly again, "You were going to try and make your saber on your own?" From personal experience, Kaie knew he would end up going through a ton of crystals just to get it right if that was the case.

"I went through several attempts with just cutting my first crystal, alone. Even with a master who was there meditating the whole time. All the components have to be set precisely into the hilt, unless you were looking to reverse engineer that one," green eyes glanced to the practise saber he possessed.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Since he was given the training saber, he'd opened it up. Mechanics were a focus of his since he was a kid. Of course, he didn't fiddle much with the synthetic crystal. A single wrong maneuvers and the tool could be useless. Yet, he was certain how a saber should be built. Manuals existed in the library. Class teachers broke down the design for notations. However, there was plenty room for customization. Sirdi delved into the artistry like it was a ship at dock. For years he'd disassembled and reassembled ship parts for optimization and fixes. The tool of the Great Jedi Order was no different. Parts gathered in his travels and Nar Shaddaa would be fitting for his first creation. Still, he amused her doubt with a curve of one side of his lip.

"Dis piece of trash, ya mean?" He didn't even motioned at his waist this time, speaking endearingly about his little pet. Some at the academy felt he overused the saber for a initiate, but he'd grown somewhat attached.

"Nah, I'm goin' to just put a brand, sparkly, new one togetha," his mouth elided the phrase, letting the words skip off his tongue with a slight rasp that scratched at every few words he spoke. Sirdi was raised in space, but bloomed in the Mid Rim. A flux of cultures bolster his knowledge in his youth, cultivating a slight drawl that tended to refrain certain sounds as other were emphasized. Some words just didn't need to be spoken with as much proper Galactic Basic as others. The vernacular connected immeditate with pirates, ship-hands and grungy folks of the galaxy. It continued as the words rolled off again as the BB unit drifted off as they talked, bobbling into the cockpit room. From there beeps popped under Sirdi's words.

"You gunna help me?" The smirk hadn't left his mouth as he eyed her. Instead it only widen to show teeth. Before another word could slip out either of the two Jedi's mouth a small shake shifted the ship. The familiar blur of blue blared into the galley's halls from the cockpit's windshield. The freight bobbled into hyperdrive with a zoom that buzzed out the engines from around the hall's corners. A "thank you" boomed from Sirdi, eyes shooting up as he thought of the cockpit, hands cupping around his gab to make him louder. A BB unit beep-boop followed.

In a split, he looked back at Kaie with an enthusiasm and impatient brows that rose in expectation. "Soooo?"

[Kaie]

Nodding at his query, she hoped that they would get along and if not, she would definitely give him enough knowledge to begin rather than building a foundation on his own interpretation of what he was reading. Sometimes journals and guides were based on someone's bias or assumption that the reader was already passed the initial indoctrination on the Force. Green eyes turned toward the cockpit and quickly noticed that they had entered hyperspace which also meant that she probably wasn't going to be seeing Ossus anytime soon.

"Okay," she nodded and moved from the galley and into the main sitting room and claimed a comfortable chair. Seated now, she waited for him to get comfortable before beginning as she reclined, left knee over right as both hands rested on her thigh.

"What do you know of the Force thus far?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Kaie strolled by him into the opened door, slipping into a sear in her tiny crew quarter. As she swept by him he turned right back about on her tail and stood at the door ledge while she got comfortable. Both of them leaned at the same time. She reclined. He slunk up against the entrance and folded his arms once more.

"Well I kno'," he paused to twirl his wrist in a flippant gesture. A key lodged in his pocket floated from his pocket and spun about by the invisible puppeteering.

"...a lil something" Sirdi flashed a nod and shrug.

[Kaie]

Watching as the key rose up out of his pocket and quietly levitated in midair, she nodded knowing that was at least a start. "What I meant by that was, what do you know about the Force itself?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

A brow shot up. The eye squinted. His smile deflated to a mangle mess. The folded arms pushed out as his chest rose defiantly. His ankles crossed, the toe of his boot poking the ground as the other balanced his heaviness on a heel.

"Itself?"

[Kaie]

Grinning politely, this was going to take a while. "The Force is an energy that is in all things and around everything. It's your midichlorian count that allows you to commune with it moreso than most of the galaxy, in your genes. The science of it is more complicated than the spiritual feel of that link to the universe. In simple terms, it's what helps you levitate things like those keys, touch people's minds, feel danger before it happens, create an energy field to protect yourself and others. Things like that." She judged his expression to see if she had to try and simplify it more than that and then imagined how to do so, if that was the case.

"Definitely a lot more to it than just doing magic."

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Master Wei gave the young Jedi files and info on the matters of the Force. Class teachers broke it down. He heard them all. Still, he held onto his own experience. All the philosophy and spirituality were interesting. One could even claim it compelling, however Sirdi gravitated to the science of it. The same mind that deciphered and disassembled things since his youth saw the parts of the Force instead of the whole far easier. "Ya, ya," he started.

In a pivot, he turned his side to her. Back against the door frame, he looked away in thought. "Lil things stringin' us all togetha, got it." Exasperation soaked his voice.

"Still," his stare held fast to the frame, arms still crossed as his thoughts gathered. "Whats that gotta do wit puttin' togetha a lil' saber?"

Beeps murmured from the cockpit. Soon they'd be out the Great Jovan Sector and on their way to Hydian route. It wouldn't be long before they had to deal with the Empire. Life as a Rebel had kept him wary of their kind, even in the time of supposed peace. Cold wars were still wars.

[Kaie]

"The crystal in your first saber is linked to you and when you're cutting it, you have to meditate on the cuts of the machine while doing so. It and the weapon become a part of you, an extension of your spirit. A lightsaber is more than just a weapon, how it's used is an extension of your personality which is typically why Sith blades are red. Their aggression, anger, hatred are all symbolized in the blade that they wield, just like most Jedi have blue, yellow or green denoting their own personalities. Upholding justice and peace in the galaxy is why we live this life. Protecting the weak from evil and keeping a balance in the universe is why I get up every morning. Healing is just one gift that the Force has given me."

[Sirdi Kōhō]

At the door he toed the frame. Back against the door's steel, he listened. As she spoke of anger, aggression and hatred he scrunched his eye and lifted his lips absently. Classes back at the Jedi outpost reviewed those tenets of the Sith. All humans had to wrestle with those emotions. When spoken about, however, the educators explained the failures of succumbing to those emotions and the path of a dark side. Yet, Sith were a foreign concept for most of the refuges who had found the Jedi Order. Schooling informed some of the students that the Sith were Emperor Palpatine and the infamous Darth Vader. However, their names echoed political figures and warriors for some who were raised under the propaganda. It was hard for some to unwound the twisted tales swept over the galaxy's Holonets. But, Sirdi had felt the Sith. His hands touched the land. Memories flashed to his mind. Memories not his own, but of those who had touched Ossus' soil long before. Wars waged on the land. Battles scorched the earth. Many had fallen. Jedi in long robes slashed at dark foes who parried with more anger and venom. The nigthmares burden him with the weight of history and flashes often stormed his mind.

At times, he grimaced like he did as Kaie detailed the crystal cutting just thinking about those images. The small sneer smudging his looks was kept at bay only because Kaie continued denoting the differences between the Sith blades and Jedi. It was only a flash of disgust on his face before the twinge was eased by a change of the mind, "I bet mine'll be orange o' sum'n."

He sighed. "Want somethin' to eat?" She was still a guest. And, at this point, a teacher - who was doing her best to be helpful. "I got a lil' sum'n somewhe'e I'm sure."

[Kaie]

Noting his discomfort, she eased her lecture and knew that as he spoke on his own potential colored blade, she hoped that he was wrong and with her help, it could definitely be. But, he had to be willing first as Kaie couldn't help him become someone that he didn't wish to be. Nodding, she pushed herself up once more, "Sure, that'd be fine. Thank you." Following him from the comfortable sitting area, she followed him back toward the galley. "Your humility tells me that you're wrong about the color of your future crystal," she grinned.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi didn't look back as he mosey off to the storage. "Why not?"

He punched in the code to the door. "Whats wrong wit' orange?"

[Kaie]

Noting the choices he made for himself in the autochef, she listened to his next query about crystal colors. "Orange are very rare, from what I've heard and read. Typically Jedi crystals are colorless until we begin the atunement process, then they change based on our strengths in the Force. Though many are hunted for, for particular special qualities that you may be looking for." Once he was done gaining his choice, she stepped up and perused the menu, then tapped the button for a glass of water and a salad, then waited as she turned to him once again.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi swiped his can of fizzy-pop and cracked it open. He watched as his eager guest perused and was dealt the food. Every landing, he stocked up on goods. Down the pipe, the storage toppled out as requested. Another one of the state of art upgrades he'd gathered during his service with the Alliance. Anytime new ship parts came down through the shipyard, he'd grab a few for his own safe keeping. No one noticed, and if they did, he was on pretty good terms with everyone so they'd look the other way. What would a shipwright look like flying around a piece of junk? He took a swig of the pop, ran his arm across his lips and glanced over. An alarming artificial bleep boomed from the front of the ship galley.

"Eh, whateva," he shrugged at Kaie, offering her a halfhearted reply as he rushed pass her. Around the bin, down the hall, and into a hopping heap he fell into his chair. Blue hue fell upon him. They were still in hyperspace. However, there was some issues up ahead. The ship's scanners were placed for the location. Recent uncharted ships had entered the sector. Before the Hydian Way, there was always movement. Pirates, smugglers, and refuge alike traveled through the sector in search of betterment.

They were only a few moments from dropping out of hyperspace, and his expression said it all. It was a disfigured mess. One eyebrow was up. The other was held down, pressed into a squinted eye. A snarl made his upper lip a hill into a valley. At the valley's end was a frown. Light from the azure hyperspace lane revealed the widen of his gaze in the open eye. His hands were ready. Each one was somewhere on the panel. The left one hovered at the board as the other gripped the controls.

"Betta' not be pirates....betta not," he murmured under his breath to himself. By him leaned the BB unit, trying its best to look above the control panel to see what was ahead.

[Kaie]

The surprising rush to the cockpit made Kaie wonder what was going on as she turned with her meal, moving to the table and sat down. Glancing up through the main avenue from the galley to the controls and viewscreen beyond, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing flared with danger as the Force was always available and she ate quickly, then carried the plate and glass back to the autochef. Once done, Kaie headed to the cockpit and stopped in the doorway, noting his attention outside as well as his droid companion.

"What's going on?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Hyperspace cobalt sparked out of focus. About swarmed blackness. Lights shined from sectors afar. The cold of space shroud Sirdi's starship. From the windshield view of the cockpit, Sirdi could see the hull of a couple privateers vessel. Freights armed with cannons pointed out. Both ships hovered patiently. Outlines of stormtrooper helms like insignias tattooed the starcrafts. Several designs colored the ship in a violent sherbet rainbow. Ugly Corellian crafts staffed with men hungry for fodder, credits and fuel, most likely. A grimace marred the smile Sirdi wanted to have on his arrival to Hydian way.

"Pirates," he grumbled, finally. The hum of his controls buzzed. A comm. message murmured an alerting beep. One feeble eye swipe caught wind of the console buttons. Calm breaths lifted his chest. His lower back straighten while the upper bent forward. He leaned in, glaring the two vessels. Without another look back at the comm. link, he cut his hands and flipped the channel open. A garble of alien languages crackled through.

Sirdi had traveled the sea of space. Tongues of all kinds of critters, criminals and carnivores crawled their way into his ears, but he'd never heard this jargon before. Without so much as a look, his foot popped at the BB unit. It bobbled. It beeped. Then whirled around Kaie's leg to the walls, a socket in the ball for a connector. The module stabbed the insert in the panels walls. Seconds passed and the translator device was online. The BB beeped once more. Sirdi responded. In a few clicks, the unknown language played back in Galactic Basic.

[Ship #1 - COMPLY WITH OUR DEMANDS, AND THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS]

When the words blared through the speakers, Sirdi could feel his lips poke and fold at the creases. No restraint could be made to keep his eyes from rolling and mouth from smirking; he'd gone through this far too many times before. "O, ok," he monotone mocked a dope, cutting his gaze to Kaie as his smirk remained to keep at bay a chuckle.

[Kaie]

Listening to the exchange, Kaie knew this had the chance of being rather messy unless they allowed the boarding to take place. She couldn't influence minds from afar and especially those that she didn't have line of sight on. Green eyes drifted from the pair of rather ungainly ships awaiting them to reply to the pilot and noticed his amusement at their predicament. "Let them board, then they'll leave empty handed and we can go about our way," she stated. Being out in space like this was the most vulnerable that a Force user could feel, so best to comply rather than get blown apart by their guns.

"Just let me do the talking," Kaie requested as she turned and quietly headed for the dorsal hatchway which would be their avenue of entry and she hoped that they would prefer a potential prize intact rather than firing first. Though they also wouldn't have bothered calling if that were the case.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Airlock latches connected with a thunk. The door's woosh with a gale's gush. Air burst from the circle entries. Out from the rings pushed vapors as the doorways widen for entrance. From the exhaust pipe mist foggy silhouettes stood still in wait. There bodies bore through the haze. Horns crowned the skull of some. Grumbles and groans in incoherent tongues tangled together in a clamor. Wide shouldered and bulbous headed humanoid shadows were cast. The hum of the engine blurred one's own heartbeat to that of the ship. Passageway lights lit the path in a violent white. Durasteel surrounded them in grey. Padded walls protected them from bumping into agonizing falls. Wires sprung from the walls as ventilated paneled floors surrounded the padded grounds where purchased upgrades created comfort for guest. Rails lined the walls for gravity drops and an elder's assistance. Screens reviewed the temperatures and vitals within the entry way and shone in the hall. A cold crawled along the extended airlock as space failed to warm them.

The vapors sunk.

Dispersed clouds trickled into pipes and panels for three round spherical heads atop thin necks. Without hair to warm them, there was only the scowl and growl of tiny grey eyes, small noses, thin lipped bronze shining skin to mistake them as somewhat human. Foreign to the eye, their wide shoulders, lean bodies, and full body black jumpsuits were built by the hunts of Saki. Blasters latched to their waist. An arsenal of other weaponry hung on the same belt and strung along their backs. Behind the trio glared two more. A coiled serpentine reptilian sentient sprawled behind them. Massive in size, the long tail trailed up to a even more impressive face of white fuzz. A black cloak covered what could be considered the torso, where a set of long arms drooped out down to wide hands with long fingers and longer claws. The menace glared through the face of a full beard and white hair beyond the trio at the entry door's welcoming party. It was a Thisspiasian, their race was freed from the Empire's tyranny in the wake of the Battle of Endor. Beside him a large purple husk Feeorin held a carbine in wait.

They were ready to hurt.

One looked more prepared to talk. He was at the front with the trio. His growl was kept at bay. He stood in the middle and stepped forward first. His hands swayed at his side, not far from the blasters holstered on him. Before a word could be spoken by Kaie, he twisted his vocals and contorted his morphed his lip line to a scowl. Galactic Basic slithered out him in a low timbre creep:

"Greetings, spacer." Sirdi could hear the man over the intercom as he manned the cockpit. Yet, he could feel the trouble that brewed. In the comfort of his pilot chair, he stared down the screen capture of the airlock. All five of the guest peered. A pack of menaces; he'd give it a few seconds before the blasters were pulled and someone needed to be punched with some sense. Too many upgrades were added to the ship and it was expensive. Pirates weren't going to waste all his efforts because they wanted to hold him up & steal something stupid.

But, he wasn't excited at the prospects. So, he sat there calm and waited. Kaie said she got it - he'd have to see how it worked out.

[Kaie]

Kaie's green eyes evaluated the pirates as they moved through the soft fog and into the entryway and though the maneuvering room was nominal, she knew that had she not been a well trained Jedi they would have no problems taking down one defender. The firepower was impressive, though luckily at the moment only one seemed to be ready to fight with weapon in hand. The gruff tone and verbiage from their apparent spokesman allowed Kaie a moment as he at least wished to talk. She half expected to be greeted with gas or glop grenades, keeping her touch to the Force ever present.

"Greetings," she replied, her silky voice catching their attention as eyes darted to and fro waiting for an ambush. "I'm Kaie, Jedi Master and a passenger aboard this vessel. We have nothing of value for you to take and I would suggest that you be content with leaving without harm to yourselves or your ships." She waited, ready in a moments notice to grab and ignite her lightsaber should it come to that, though she hoped it wouldn't.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi sat at the monitor and watched. The Sakiya leader crossed his arms. The couple in the rear laughed.

"We've got ourselves a Jedi Master, boys." The leader eyes tracked the Master as his the large duo of pirates in the back nudged and chuckled in unison. No amusement graced the Sakiya trio's faces. Pleasure wasn't a hallmark of their people and they upheld such standards even in the face of the daunting task of swindling a follower of the Light Side. Such grandiose did not phase them. Their lifeless glares peered on. "Compelling," the leader croaked.

He wandered on pass the Jedi Master. His pivot turned him as he circled her. His counterparts backs were stiff and knees loose to pounce. The Thisspiasian curled about, ready to spring to action while the Feeorin chest rose and fell with excited purpose.

The Sakiya pirate stopped as he circled her, standing behind the Jedi only a few inches. "Well, if it is true, will you show me around the ship then. I am your guest."

Sirdi sat up in the cockpit, his hand hovering over the finger of the airlock control. Two clicks and the vents would be closed and the group behind the vapor lines would float off into space or have to run back to their ship. Of course, the same could possibly happen with Kaie and the leader. It wasn't a risk he wanted to take. He hoped = even as his fingers twinged with anticipation - that he would no have to.

[Kaie]

Watching over her shoulders as he assessed her, Kaie wasn't all that fond of the male alien, nor his compatriots and as she continued keeping her senses open to the Force, the edginess from the others was more than apparent. She knew at any moment that one or all of them might leap at her. Keeping calm, she grinned at his suggestion about a tour. "I'd love to, but we're on a bit of a schedule at the moment and I'm sure you are as well." Touching his mind, "Probably best that we part ways now." Not having any information about his race, she hope that he wasn't like the Toydarian or Hutts who had some resistance to the mental suggestion.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi moved his hand from above the control panel. Kaie had this. He was sure of it. He eyed the video monitor.

The Sakiyan chief continued to hoop about. His paced steps accentuated by his hands behind his back. Even as she talked, he listened with his chin pronounced and high. A wry smile lifted from the fearsome Feeorin in the squads rear as the Jedi Master spoke of time. The audience formed was filled with blood-thirst. Numerous prior exchanges with dangerous protectors of contraband & shipments had crossed these scoundrels paths. A routine had formed. No signals were necessary. Such chemistry only needed a look. As Kaie reached out for the leaders mind, the others reached for their blasters.

The Sakiyan pirate ruler look entranced for only the slightest of seconds.

That was the look.

Young as the Sakiyan leader was, he'd never encountered the Jedi breed before. Surely his mind was packed with resistance, but her pull tugged at him only to be rattled by the clamor of his mates. A wayward blaster bolt shook his senses as soon as they were captured by the Force. The dangerously familiar red bolt jolted pass him, basking in the shocking dissipation at an energy shield that shot up at the airlock entrance. Electric ripples ran over the blue hued energy wall forced up by Sirdi's click in the cockpit. Without a hack or Sirdi's permission, no one was getting in or out.

However, Sirdi was already on his way to the lock as the other four pirates continued blasting at the Jedi Master and their chief took cover under the airlock's panel. His dash filled with thuds, thumps and leaps. At his waste beat the dangling training saber and a holstered blaster for good measure. Sirdi had encountered pirates before. He was always prepared to handle their kind with lethal force, although his training saber was not.

Still, a well-measured welting slash could do enough.

[Kaie]

The moments lingered as their eyes locked and suddenly, all hell broke loose. Immediately dodging as her lightsaber hilt sped to her right hand, she ignited the blade as blaster bolts seared the air, one catching her in the left shoulder as she brought up her blade to deflect it. Too late. Stunned, she ducked into a doorway for the galley and heard them move toward it, the captain now raising his own blaster and leveled it at her. Firing, she reflected it back at him, catching the fiercesome alien in the chest and pitching him backward. Sending some of the Force running through her to the wound, she was able to ignore the pain of it for a bit as the first of the aliens crossed the plane of the door's frame. Lunging with her blade, she severed the barrel from the weapon and seared it, sending sparks into the space between them.

Just as she moved to ready for the next, Sirdi emerged behind them and charged, giving her some respite from the attacks.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

His timing was off. When he switched the energy fields off, he'd allowed more than just Kaie to slip through. All the others piled in. Their footsteps echoed in the galley. Her pivot to the back of the ship allowed him an ambush. But, a full on attack wouldn't work against all those blasters. Not if he wanted to get rid of them all in a final swoop.

Luckily, Sirdi was playing on home turf. He cut through the crew lounge, pass the auto chef and entered into the fray under the ceiling hatch. In a full stop slide, he skid behind their onslaught and the screech grabbed their attention. They stood at the ends of the quarters before the door way. Over their heads, he caught glimpse of Kaie swinging at one's barrel. The sparks glimmered in his gaze. She was just close enough to the doorway into the space suites for this to work.

With his eyes closed, he reached out. The design of the Force was strange and tickled like a spider crawl. In a breath, he felt it's fingers prickle across his chest, whirling along his tricep to the elbow joint. Then, it jolted down as his arm lifted up. Through the mysteries of the binding Force, a heavy handed push threw Kaie off into the space suite room. Sirdi backed into the crew lounge, and with a click of the door he watched the blue energy fields shoot up. One separated him from the four fighters and the shut Kaie inside the space suite closet. Sirdi clicked the panel beside him once more and heard the ceiling hatch unhinge.

In a sudden swoop, the door shot open and the darkness of space looked down on the four combatants. The one with a seared blaster flew first. The Sakiyan trio had earlier been cut down to two, but now there was only one, as the seared blaster followed behind him into the emptiness. All the others clamored, reaching and grabbing at anything to hold down as they were suck tried to pry them into oblivion. Sirdi did not watch one, his eyes closed as he tugged the hands of the Force to keep the ceiling hatch open.

[Kaie]

Unprepared for the shove, the Force flaring at the contact as the white witch stumbled into the locker and moved to object when the door was slammed home. Confused initially, she then reached out and noticed that Sirdi was indeed trying to save her life and had a plan. All she had to do now was tend to the wounded shoulder as fast as she could and hopefully help him finish this.

Releasing the blade on her lightsaber, she hitched it back on her belt and then dug for a medkit on one of the suits, but instead found one in a locker situated between several suits. Opening it, she began tending to the wound, deadening the area first and then injected a nearly clear gel into the wound to help it heal. Once done, she applied a patch of synthflesh on both sides, then added a wrapping as the cool feeling within her shoulder was almost a bit irritating. Closing up the kit, Kaie replaced it into the locker and meditated as she waited for some signal from the pilot that everything was alright, reaching out with the Force once more to get a count of how many of the pirates were still aboard.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Only one remained.

Sirdi crouched by the energy field in the crew lounge. Beyond the field he could hear the men's cries into the darkness. Space sucked their slimy hands dry as they slipped off control panels, piping and anything they could get their hand on. First went the remaining Sakiyan. Second, the Feeorin. His tendrils tried to grip onto the hatch door but to no avail. The clamor clunked against the durasteel before slipping him off into the starry depths.

The Thisspiasian only remained due to his snaky tail. It whipped around a pipe exhaust, while his claws held tight to a nearby panel. The suction and his grip nearly combined to tear the panel off the wall. His screams echoed in the small breached room. Sirdi's focus was rattled by the blood-cries. Gurgled spit burbled under the scrambling & shrieks, pulling at Sirdi's attention. His shut eyes twinged moment by moment until finally opening. And, as they opened, his pull on the Force fell and the door hatch popped back closed.

The snaky alien plopped back to the ground for a breather.

It didn't last long.

Sirdi lifted the energy fields and a yellow bolt sparked from his blaster. Yellow meant stunned. In a rumbling shake, the snake-man was struck unconscious. "Kaie, you alive ovah dere?" Sirdi finally called, stepping over the unconscious, frail, long-tailed reptilian.

[Kaie]

Her left arm now in a sling, she let it relax and soon heard the muffled voice call to her. Releasing her vision of the outside world in the Force, Kaie pushed herself up with her right hand and moved to the door. Tapping the button to open it, she heard the life support system working to rebalance the interior of the ship. Green eyes took in the snake-like alien on the floor between them and then to the pilot as she nodded. "Yeah, arm's going to be healing for a bit, but I'm fine." Motioning with her head to his captive, "What're you planning on doing with him?"

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi opened his mouth to speak, but as so often was the case, there was someone who wanted to be rude. Down at the Thisspiasian waist beeped his comm. The bleep cut Sirdi's eyes to the blip of red. The unit flashed to Sirdi's hand. He clicked it, and what blared was the voice from before. This time, the accent was in Galactic Basic.

[Ship #2 - WHAT THE FRELL IS GOING ON OVER THERE? I'M SEEING BODIES FLY, KODDO!]

Sirdi clicked the comm. unit off and shrugged. "Well, keep him like uh safety blanket."

[Kaie]

Nodding, Kaie realized their danger wasn't over yet and though wounded, she could still help out here. Lips pursed to the side in thought as she stared at the far wall. "Can you plot a hyperspace course out of here, between them? I know it's risky, but unless your guns are slaved to the cockpit, we're not going to survive if they decide to fire."

She hated to be the harbinger of doom, but was only going by what she knew. Everything at this point was up to the pilot to save them.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Risky was pulling a plate from the top shelf with silverware on top of it while on your tippy-toes. A jump into hyperspace on a freight between to ships was downright nuts.

"Good idea," Sirdi smiled. "We gotta get rid o' dat ship tho." His thumb pointed over his shoulder at the starship still attached by the airlock.

Detachment would quell alarm if the other pirate ship thought it was a finished job. But, how could they make that happen?

[Kaie]

Understanding his point, she glanced toward the entry. She still had one good arm, Kaie mused. "Plot the route and just before we leave, I can hit the manual release and free us from them. We'll be gone before they can react," she suggested and moved toward the access hatch. Noting where the button was, she glanced toward him in anticipation. Should their companions decide to breach again, this was going to be a desperate fight indeed. Filling herself with the Force once more, the Jedi relaxed and prepared herself for the escape maneuver.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Sirdi was accustom to dragging heavy bodies. He made a decent drunk designated driver. The Rebel Alliance soldiers were not able to stay sober during war times when docked on supporting planets with welcoming bar. The Thisspiasian was another wasted unconscious body to Sirdi's arms. He hauled the body, palms cupped under the armpits, like a firefighter would an arsonist victim, pulling the weight across the crew lounge's polished by the dinner tables, conservator and mop leaned by the door, through galleys into the halls housing the crew quarters until Sirdi reached the cockpit. There, he yanked the snake-man up and heaved him in the cockpit chair. Sirdi held his knees and catapulted breaths out & sucked them in. Half of a minute passed on the chronometer planted in the walls before Sirdi returned to a stand, heaved a heavy sigh and lifted his hands up, shut his eyes, extending his arm out.

The view from the pirate ship only captured the snake man at the controls. Inside Sirdi's cockpit, he puppeteered the Thisspiasian with the strings of the Force to lift a long-nailed thumbs up.

The other pirates ship saw the signal.

Inside Sirdi's ship, he pressed the intercom.

"Go fa' it now Miss Kaie," he commanded. When his fingers moved from the intercom, he snapped his fingers at BB. A single nod was all he gave and the droid bobbled to the nav-computer to check the coordinates. The plan was to synchronize the detachment for a measured space between the ships to a jump to hyperspace. If all of the timing was off they ship would shattered, and Sirdi would have fatality to worry about instead of a cracked crystal.

[Kaie]

The moments lingered as Kaie prepared herself for the escape and she was a bit surprised at how quickly that idea had come to her. Space wasn't her forte', though she had traveled between systems all her life. Combat in this fashion was definitely trying on the Jedi, though she appreciated the chance to finally have that part of her tested. Hopefully in a moment, her effort would be rewarded. Then the call came and she immediately used the Force to push the button and release the tubeway, allowing it to float away from their ship as the magnetic couplers released their hold.

"Go," she stated calmly, her mind still within the Force.

[Sirdi Kōhō]

Her voice, more fit for song than command, sent Sirdi into action. He sprung from behind the unconscious Thisspiasian pirate. A nudge pushed the unconscious body out the way. He plopped in the seat. There, he shocked the eyes of the onlooking pirates. Instinct told their captain to shoot. However, loyalty and camaraderie saved Sirdi and Kaie. The pirates wouldn't shoot on their own. They weren't certain whom else was aboard and alive. Nor, clear on the struggles within. All the remaining pirates gathered was the tubeway was detached, and the pirates split after their pillage. The confusion was perfect for Sirdi to capitalize.

He clicked the control boards. On the screen loaded the coordinates. He grabbed the lever and tugged. Out the window the fabric of realspace wrinkled. Distant stars became beams as the freight ship burst into light-speed.

Sirdi joy roared over the intercom he forgot to turn off with a yee-ha.

His merry filled the galleys.

Next stop, Mygeeto. Or, so, he hoped.

[Kaie]

Grinning, Kaie lowered her head and closed her eyes, thankful that they were away. Relaxing, she moved back to the galley and meandered around the main table, continuing on to the autochef. Choosing something light, the healer knew she was going to have to regain her strength so her shoulder could heal properly. Even though the surface damage was covered, the inner muscle, bone and everything else connected still had yet to repair itself. Carrying the salad and then the water to the table, she sat down and ate, leaving her left arm in the sling as it would remain for a while. Letting Sirdi get them to Mygeeto, the Jedi was going to eventually get a shower and then some sleep.