Pit Stop (Ridwan, non-Imps)

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

“My friend and I are going to Coruscant. What we’re doing there is very important to her.”

Quite an understatement by Adia. The Jedi was visiting her mother who had not laid eyes upon her since birth. All of the deceit that was unfortunately required by this venture will be worth it to meet Lise face to face. All of her preparations in studying her sister and Adia's instructions on Imperial protocol assured the Jedi success. The last hurdle would be her mother's reaction. Even Adia couldn't predict one hundred percent Lise's response but felt that the outcome would be in Lianna's favor. Lise had to give up her child, something the Assassin was familiar with. Any mother would be elated to see their child returned to them.

She exited the speeder and opened the door for the Padawan, still unsure of what to do or say. In situations like this where the future was cloudy, it was best to leave it up to the Force to decide fate.

"You are free to go," her mechanical voice stated evenly. "You should be able to find fare to any system you are looking for."

Her eyes softened, wishing she could ask him what he was doing here or where he had come from but that wasn't possible. Not here.

She fell in stride with Adia but allowed a moment's pause to look back at the Padawan. He was about to burst with curiosity but hid it well for those unable to sense his feelings.

Lianna gave an extensive look about the garage. No one was within earshot. "May the Force be with you Padawan." The cursed mask made the sacred proverb sound horribly forced but she was sincere. Lianna turned back around, knowing she couldn't make Ridwan's decision. It was up to him, and the Force, to do what he felt was right.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia unpacked the speeder in short order, and started the warm up sequence for the shuttle’s engines. It would take ten minutes, but she preferred to wait fifteen, just in case.

Ridwan and Lianna had exited the speeder when she came back down the boarding ramp.

Adia folded her arms and sighed. She had cast her lot with whatever happened.

[Ridwan Vars]

The pressure of his emotions finally peaked through his facade when his lips were forced into a frown. A number of thoughts scampered across his mind, but as expected it was hard to decide. Even as freedom finally beckoned him, he could only look on with curiosity at the other side. These people were not who they seemed, and they had even told him so.

Ridwan could only weigh the ideas as he watched the masked figure head forth, leaving him with a food for thought to teeth on. Many people had forgotten the Jedi Culture, or done their best to forget, but this person did not. Instead the masked being left the memorable words of the Force, and it resonated. The last time he heard the phrase he sat near his father's death bed.

Much had changed thing, but little in the galaxy. People still regarded the Jedi path as nothing more than tales of old lore, or horrid way. Yet this person, this masked specimen spoke in another light. Though he frowned, he cherished the moment and it only made his next move harder.

Heading forward, he followed the masked being toward the shuttle. He would stay in their company longer, and maybe Coruscant could lead to more than just an old Jedi General's lightsaber.

[Adia Issoris]

“If you’re going to come you have to cut your braid.” Adia said. How the hell had he lasted this long with that thing on his head was beyond her. But then again, Jedi were relegated to either superstition or derided. They either betrayed the Republic or failed in it’s time of greatest need.

“There are some people on Coruscant who remember what that means.” Unusually, Adia tossed off her cap and jacket, which revealed the tight black t-shirt underneath. Normally she was extremely neat.

“You’ve got ten minutes to make up your mind, Padawan.”

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

"I'm sorry, but Adia is correct." Lianna undid the mask and sighed softly as the fresh air hit her skin. She then reached behind her head and pulled out the band that was holding her hair up. The ratty mess of brown locks unfolded and fell around her shoulders, somewhat curled because of being tied up for so long.

Free from confine, Ridwan saw that the disheveled being was actually a very attractive young woman who was now removing the bulky COMPNOR jacket. "It was fortunate that we found you first Ridwan but Coruscant will not be so forgiving, especially since Imperial Center is our destination."

She hung the jacket over one of the storage units and finally offered the young Jedi the smile she wanted to give him since they first met. "I'm Lianna," she said, introducing herself with a respectful bow and watched him closely. They were close to the Core Worlds now and it was quite possible that her visage could be disconcerting to the Padawan if he had seen Miranda Tarkin's face.

[Ridwan Vars]

Ridwan frowned eased as he saw the woman's face. Under the guise she carried a memorable face, but the Kiffar was not good with names. Since the days of Galantos he had been lost in an eternally mobile schedule. Instead of the ease of ritual disasters on the planet, he had learned to deal with the catastrophic carnage of people.

Prepared to burst out with a name, he reserved it and simply allowed his head to nod with respect. Even if someone out there looked similar, it would only be foolish to point it out presently. There were more pressing topics, such as his Padawan braid.

"I will cut it," he began. Smoothly flying his voice into the next sentence, he referred his eyes back to the the newly acquainted Lianna.

"Nice to meet you. Whoever you guys actually are."

Finally, the Padawan flashed them a smile.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

"Adia," she motioned to the tall redhead Assassin, "is a former Imperial Agent. She's had a change of heart and is graciously helping me."

Lianna was forced to be vague. It wasn't her place to expand too much on Adia's past, for both of her's and Ridwan's sake.

"As for me, I am a Jedi like yourself," she said smoothly but her eyes narrowed at Ridwan capriciously, "Which begs me to ask why you are here? You chanced a lot being inside such firmly controlled Imperial space."

[Ridwan Vars]

Emotion flushed over his face. An odd mixture of confusion, surprise, fear and embarrassment contorted his features. No longer could he with hold his emotions from spilling over into an assortment of distorted expression. He ogled at her presence, as a storm of terror brew in him. At the jaw he loosened, the adrenaline pumping throughout his veins as a slight excitement over took his heart.

In the harness of the moment, he forget all presences and could only gawk in amazement at the woman. I am a Jedi... was all she had to say and left his semblance unbalanced. Falling into a sorts of discomposure brought his mind into a spin. For seconds he lingered there, simply staring at the living artwork of the Jedi Order.

Only a slight flutter of his eyes showed signs of any life as the blend of his despair provided a motionless statue. Before her he was no longer the composed Padawan that sat in the back seat. Instead he was replaced by seemingly senseless buffoon. All the wandering, the lengthy conversations and queries had led to this, and he could not put on his best display.

Composure was a topic his father stressed. Ridwan had normally upheld such a calm and neutral to his emotions. Even in times dire he controlled his desires, feelings and content to a stand still. However, this was a topic he had never before addressed and could only attempt to relax himself. With a gulp and clenched eyes he tried at easing his stress.

Finally awakening, his ogled eyes were replaced with an scrutinizing gaze. She was nothing like he expected a Jedi. Albeit beautiful, she did not carry the need for composure. Instead, she simply was who she was...or so it seemed.

Maybe on second thought, she was exactly what he expected. He just was not ready...not ready for this.

Regarding his questions, he could no longer hold them at bay. Instead he let his words part and let his curiosity flourish from his calm tone. "You are a Jedi?"

[Adia Issoris]

“Yes she is.” Adia said, and disappeared back into the cockpit, making sure the shuttle’s warm up was proceeding as it should. Ridwan was still in shock when she came back.

“We’re not exactly advertising what we’re doing. That’s why she’s wearing COMPNOR gear, and why she’s not so… reserved. You can’t play the traditional Jedi right now in the Deep Core. Maybe on the Rim.” She shook her head.

“Listen…” Adia was about to lecture on one of the reasons she felt the Jedi of old failed, but held her tongue.

“If you’re going to go with us, you have to act like a normal person.”

[Ridwan Vars]

"Normal?"

Although the shock still had not left, his voice commanded a confusion. Normal was not a subject that he had ever encountered. His father had secluded the family, leaving only the prestige of his training as the subject of his life. Normal was unnecessary quality, and never had been taught. Ridwan had only observed normality.

The casual movements of people, the untrained surveys of the scene, and idle conversations. All of it was quite easy to become with. He had done it before, to motion or meddle his way in and out of situations. However, it felt weird.

His father never called him normal.

A frown that was destined to come was diverted and deferred by a forced smile.

"Okay, I guess." Slowly, he shuffled his feet about and headed to the nearest seat in the ship. "Do you have anything to cut this braid?"

The words rolled off his tongue with ease, but it was hard to comprehend. Cutting his braid was part of a ceremony, not for unusual trips to the Deep Core. However, it was necessary to survive. Ridwan had only managed because of his frequent trips outside of the Core and careful hiding of his braid. People only saw his Kiffar face, waving him off as a tourist, traveler, spacer or explorer from Kiffax. No one dwell on such topics.

Yet the present called for a change in his life, and he had to embrace it.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna picked up Adia's jacket, that was so hastily thrown to the floor, and fumbled through the pockets to find her knife.

"Here," she held it out hilt first. "You don't have to cut it off entirely. Just make sure that it is roughly the same length as the rest of your hair." It was the length of the Padawan braid that made it so obvious and Ridwan's was well past his shoulder. With a trim and a quick smoothing of his hair, no one would realize what he once had.

She sat down across from the Padawan and regarded his feelings. He was willing to do what was necessary to stay but felt conflicted. His Master had instilled a deep honor and respect for the traditions of the Jedi. "I know this is difficult for you, and I thank you for doing this."

[Adia Issoris]

"I take it that means you're coming with us." Adia said.

"If you're not, yell. I'm going to make sure the ship is ready."

[Ridwan Vars]

Politeness was a Jedi's specialty, along with common courtesy. So as Lianna supplied the knife he took to habit and bowed, though his mind thought otherwise. Instead of a tool of secrecy, she provided him a weapon of doom. Cutting the braid, even at this point, was an emotional departure of dreams and hopes. As if waving away to the days of old, and welcoming the troubles of the future.

It symbolized too much, but it was to be expected. Jedi seemingly over-analyzed everything.

Grabbing the locks of his hair, he measured the length with the sensitivity of his fingertips. Finally, he clutched the Padawan braid, holding tightly in it's memory. The lengthy tail held strength in it, as well as knowledge. Time had been taken to grow it, along with himself. It symbolized all the aspects of training he had put in, and with a swing of the blade it was gone.

Falling to the floor, the braid went into a blend with the rest of the growing locks of hair.

"Well," He gulped, glancing away from the lock of hair on the floor. "I'm ready when you guys are."

Then, once more he realized. He was boarding a ship with an Imperial Agent and Jedi. The Force had a crude humor.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna had wanted to stay with Ridwan long enough for him to complete what was necessary. He had done it with ease but his heart was still heavy from the act.

With his proclamation, the Jedi rose and squeezed the Padawan's shoulders in sympathy, "Thank you. I need to head to the cockpit with Adia. Make yourself secure here."

She made her way to the front of the shuttle and sat down in the co-pilot's seat, belting herself in and putting on her headset. "He is coming with us."

A cursory glance at the console indicated that the shuttle was ready to launch and she looked towards her friend. This was the first time that the two of them were alone since picking up Ridwan. She knew that Adia was holding back much of her feelings on the matter. "I know this complicates matters greatly. I'm sorry for that."

[Adia Issoris]

“Well, yes.” She said, giving the cockpit a final once-over before committing to flight.

Adia keyed up the repulsors, and the ship began to hover.

“I’m not sure what I can do with him while we’re on Coruscant.” Adia was feeling haggard. She had worked for several weeks on acclimating Lianna to what Coruscant would be, and now they had unseasoned meat for the grinder. When the task was to blend in, with an uninitiated traditionalist Jedi, it would be a monumental undertaking.

“I have no idea how to keep him out of trouble, even without the Padawan braid. I’ve been completely focused on getting you through the possible hoops we might need to jump through.”

“I guess we’ll figure something out. Not like we have much of a choice.”

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

"No, that's not entirely true," she allowed Adia to confirm their departing vector before continuing. The repulsors hummed to life, vibrating through the durasteel as the shuttle began to lift off the ground. "Ridwan did not have to come with us, nor did you have to accept him, though I am in your debt once more that you did."

Eventually the shuttle broke through atmospheric pressure and into space. They were only a few seconds away from making the jump into light speed. Their next stop: Coruscant. So much awaited the Jedi there and with her objective so close in hand, she couldn't help but feel anticipation swelling inside her heart. Regardless, she was ready to play her part.

"We have a choice with everything that we do. We just have to hope that we are making the right choices for the right reasons." Seeing her mother and understanding her heritage. Yes, those were valid reasons for her impending subterfuge.

[Adia Issoris]

“I’m loosing my composure.” She hadn’t lost her composure in a long time, not since that night just after the Clone Wars. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her cheek in memory.

Adia let her breath out. She had been holding it. She loosed her ponytail and ran a nervous hand through her hair. For the first time in weeks, Adia had doubts about being able to successfully pull this off.

“We need some way to lessen the scrutiny on you.” Adia declared, looking at Lianna with the hard eye of an Intelligence Agent.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

“I’m loosing my composure.”

Lianna realized what that meant. She needed to alleviate Adia's concerns for her friend to feel at ease once more but the answer eluded her. "I'm not sure how that is possible seeing. I'm supposed to pretend to be my sister after all. It takes great difficulty to be anymore scrutinized then that.”

[Adia Issoris]

Silence loomed while Adia contemplated the problem. She had no answer.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do yet.” Adia said, and pulled the hyperspace lever like it was an irrevocable act. The stars became lines, and then the universe began to swirl blue. She stood from the pilot’s seat and arched her back. She made a slight shimmy, and started for the cabin.

“Maybe we need a fresh mind’s input on this.” She said to Lianna.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

She unbuckled her belt, agreeing, "You're right. Ridwan's mind is swimming with questions that need to be answered as well."

Lianna followed Adia into the back seating area where the Padawan was patiently waiting. He seemed more relaxed but the Jedi was still trying to recover from removing the symbolic braid.

"Ridwan?" She took a seat across from him. "We've entered hyperspace and it will take about a day to get to Coruscant."

Her eyes strayed over to Adia who was looking as pensive as ever. "This is the only chance we have to talk about what's going to happen."