Both Nal Talla and Caecilius Kostek were in their private workout room meditating when the comm unit on the wall began buzzing. Nal hopped up and strode over to it to answer. Her prosthetic leg clanked on the floor as she walked.
"Jedi Talla here," she said as she pushed the answer switch.
"This is Captain Moklam. You two may want to get down to Docking Hangar Four right away. We have company, and I believe it's for you," the captain said.
"We're on our way," acknowledged the Nautolan Jedi.
The two Jedi strode down the corridors of the Republic warship side by side. "Who do you think it is? I sense it's a Jedi, but I don't recognize him," Caecilius said as they walked.
"Neither do I," replied Nal. While she hoped the new arrival was here by coincidence, she knew deep down it was not.
Inside the hangar, they watched as the small spacecraft settle down onto the deck. The landing gear compressed a bit and a Chiss male exited the craft.
He was big, bigger than either Nal or Caecilius expected. He was nobody they knew, yet still, he seemed familiar. He strode over to meet them.
"Greetings, Jedi Knights Nal Talla and Caecilius Kostek," the giant blue-skinned alien said, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Val? It seems like forever since I've seen you!" Nal exclaimed.
"I feel the same way, Nal," the big Jedi said, smiling.
"So tell me, do you still teach da padawans how to defend demselves against dat evil Sith weapon you prefer?" Nal said a bit teasingly.
"Yes, although technically a weapon is a tool, and is not inherently good or evil. It is he or she who wields said tool that makes the choice of whether to use it to help or to hurt," the Chiss corrected.
"Ever the instructor, I see," Caecilius said with a smile.
Val chuckled. "Yes, I've been doing it for a while now, so it's sometimes hard to take that particular hat off."
"Can we take you to da mess hall to get some ting to eat?" Nal asked. She didn't know why, but there seemed something calming about this newcomer.
"Alas, refreshment will have to wait a moment. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Val asked.
"Our workout room slash meditation chamber is not far. Come," Caecilius said and motioned for Val to follow.
Once they arrived, Val wasted no time in getting down to business. "Jedi Kostek, I have orders for you to return immediately to Coruscant," he said, pulling a small sheet of flimsiplast from inside his robe.
"No! Why!" cried Nal. "Why would they do this?"
"It says they have a mission for me to undertake, but it doesn't say what it is," Caecilius said aloud, reading the sheet of flimsi. He looked up at the newcomer. "Do you know anything about this?"
"All I know is that you were chosen for your particular skill-set and that you were to return immediately. I'm sorry I can tell you nothing more at this time," Val informed him, shrugging his shoulders a bit.
Nal could feel her anger rising. So many questions began to run through her mind. How on earth was she supposed to face several Sith by herself? Why would the council take away her only moral support?
Val must have sensed her boiling emotions. "I am to stay here with you, Jedi Talla. Master Taisun and the others felt that my abilities would suit this mission better at this juncture."
Thirty minutes later Nal and Caecilius hugged at the base of the ladder leading to the cockpit of his starfighter. "Tank you for you're help. I won't forget it."
"I'm just glad I can say I helped track down Nylan's murderers. You be careful," Caecilius said, then turned and climbed into the cockpit.
"May da Force be wit you, Caecilius Kostek!" the Nautolan called as the canopy lowered.
"And with you, my friend!"
A few minutes later, the Miralukan gave Nal and Val a thumbs up through the canopy window, then floated out of the hangar bay into the blackness of space.
Nal let the Force creep into her vision and tried to see into the future. She looked to see when she her friend again, but the future seemed cloudy and uncertain.
Val put his big hand on her shoulder. "Come, introduce me to this ship captain."
"Jedi Talla here," she said as she pushed the answer switch.
"This is Captain Moklam. You two may want to get down to Docking Hangar Four right away. We have company, and I believe it's for you," the captain said.
"We're on our way," acknowledged the Nautolan Jedi.
The two Jedi strode down the corridors of the Republic warship side by side. "Who do you think it is? I sense it's a Jedi, but I don't recognize him," Caecilius said as they walked.
"Neither do I," replied Nal. While she hoped the new arrival was here by coincidence, she knew deep down it was not.
Inside the hangar, they watched as the small spacecraft settle down onto the deck. The landing gear compressed a bit and a Chiss male exited the craft.
He was big, bigger than either Nal or Caecilius expected. He was nobody they knew, yet still, he seemed familiar. He strode over to meet them.
"Greetings, Jedi Knights Nal Talla and Caecilius Kostek," the giant blue-skinned alien said, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Val? It seems like forever since I've seen you!" Nal exclaimed.
"I feel the same way, Nal," the big Jedi said, smiling.
"So tell me, do you still teach da padawans how to defend demselves against dat evil Sith weapon you prefer?" Nal said a bit teasingly.
"Yes, although technically a weapon is a tool, and is not inherently good or evil. It is he or she who wields said tool that makes the choice of whether to use it to help or to hurt," the Chiss corrected.
"Ever the instructor, I see," Caecilius said with a smile.
Val chuckled. "Yes, I've been doing it for a while now, so it's sometimes hard to take that particular hat off."
"Can we take you to da mess hall to get some ting to eat?" Nal asked. She didn't know why, but there seemed something calming about this newcomer.
"Alas, refreshment will have to wait a moment. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Val asked.
"Our workout room slash meditation chamber is not far. Come," Caecilius said and motioned for Val to follow.
Once they arrived, Val wasted no time in getting down to business. "Jedi Kostek, I have orders for you to return immediately to Coruscant," he said, pulling a small sheet of flimsiplast from inside his robe.
"No! Why!" cried Nal. "Why would they do this?"
"It says they have a mission for me to undertake, but it doesn't say what it is," Caecilius said aloud, reading the sheet of flimsi. He looked up at the newcomer. "Do you know anything about this?"
"All I know is that you were chosen for your particular skill-set and that you were to return immediately. I'm sorry I can tell you nothing more at this time," Val informed him, shrugging his shoulders a bit.
Nal could feel her anger rising. So many questions began to run through her mind. How on earth was she supposed to face several Sith by herself? Why would the council take away her only moral support?
Val must have sensed her boiling emotions. "I am to stay here with you, Jedi Talla. Master Taisun and the others felt that my abilities would suit this mission better at this juncture."
Thirty minutes later Nal and Caecilius hugged at the base of the ladder leading to the cockpit of his starfighter. "Tank you for you're help. I won't forget it."
"I'm just glad I can say I helped track down Nylan's murderers. You be careful," Caecilius said, then turned and climbed into the cockpit.
"May da Force be wit you, Caecilius Kostek!" the Nautolan called as the canopy lowered.
"And with you, my friend!"
A few minutes later, the Miralukan gave Nal and Val a thumbs up through the canopy window, then floated out of the hangar bay into the blackness of space.
Nal let the Force creep into her vision and tried to see into the future. She looked to see when she her friend again, but the future seemed cloudy and uncertain.
Val put his big hand on her shoulder. "Come, introduce me to this ship captain."
I find myself inexplicably saddened by the fact that flimsiplast wasn't your guys' idea. I just thought that it was such a cool name and thought... the fact that someone else thought it up makes me frown. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI love the unlear future... lol. I was going to say you should've ended with 'never to be seen again'... but then I got to where you nearly did that. lmao.
ReplyDelete