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Anchorhead. She’d made her shoto and having handed in her eopie, she wondered if she’d have time for a glass of blue milk before she headed off.
Deciding that one wouldn’t hold up her return to Ossus, she headed back to the bar she’d so recently frequented but had only got six steps when she felt a tug on her robes. Looking down, she thought it was a Jawa but realised it was a young girl.
Before they could speak a woman rushed over and swooped to pick the little one up. “Hush my precious. No need to bother the lady.”
“But mamma, she’s a Jedi.”
The woman looked at Corvus as if she’d only just seen her for the first time. “Reckon she is. But reckon it matters little. We’re just a couple of stragglers is all.”
“But mamma, she can help us.” The girls wriggled in her mothers arms so she was facing Corvus. “You will, won’t you?”
Corvus nodded and ruffled the girl’s hair. “I’m a Jedi. That’s what we do. So why don’t you tell me all about it.”
Twenty minutes later, she’d rehired the eopie. It may not be fresh but she was used to it by now. And it was used to her. “Come on then,” she said as she patted its neck. “We’ve some lost travellers to find.”
And she set off in the direction the woman had indicated her husband and some fellow scavengers had set off on seven days ago, never to return. Tusken raiders? Sarlaac? The heat? There were any number of possibilities. And it wasn’t like she’d have to scour a desert looking for them. As she shielded her eyes from the heat that radiated from the sand you could almost hear her chuckle at her own joke. Almost.
Connor Harrison stood atop the wreckage of a large landspeeder, just outside the Jundland Wastes on Tatooine. Stood in his charcoal grey greatcoat and combat outfit, sporting a nice cut on his right cheek – stupid womp-rats – he watched a chaotic scene pan out in the distance, his high position causing the warm winds to blast his face and dark hair.
They had moved fast towards a lone rider; Tusken Raiders. And there was a dewback… and an eopie in some wild chase over the rolling sand dunes.
Connor squinted against the sun and almost moved in to help when it was over as quickly as it had begun. The dewback thundered on riderless as a rider helped another, and the eopie fell with both riders riders in what looked like either a rescue mission or a kidnap scenario.
His Force sense tingled – a familiar tremor. A presence he hadn’t felt since…
No. Get her out of your head. The galaxy is too small to keep bumping into HER.
And her was Jedi Master Corvus Raaf. The bane of his thoughts at present and one he needed to shake.
Hugging the large chunk of durasteel that jutted from the sand, Connor watched as both riders came to, got their bearings, and moved on as if nothing had happened. It was, what looked like, robes that sparked his imagination. However, being out in the harsh Tatooine suns wasn’t something you did without some protection from the elements. The Silver Jedi patted the wreckage as the figures vanished from sight, and he turned back to continue his journey alone.
Present Day...
Bestine was certainly better to wake up in than a cave. Connor had little on him - lightsaber, credits, water flask and a comlink. That was it, and the clothes on his weary back. Arriving in Mos Eisley days ago, and heading into the town of Anchorhead and then out through the Jundland Wastes (cave stop and womp-rat , and then over to Bestine.
The second day on Tatooine was looking just as boring as the other two, but Connor wasn’t in a rush. More time away from the Silver Jedi was a good thing. The Order was quiet - Coci and Thurion were away together, Iella doing what she did best in keeping it all together, and the Padawans were busy training and out on their own assignments. Aika...well, the less of Aika the better at present.
On a trip that had taken days, Connor had plenty of time to read and research why he was here; the legend of the Skywalker family and the Jedi / Sith / Imperial roots. The Silver Jedi were those born from the same ideas as the Republic Jedi, which stemmed hundreds of years. Countless names in history had caught Connor’s interest in his studies and learning, but none more than Skywalker. Darth Vader - Anakin Skywalker - Luke Skywalker - The Hutts - The Empire - Kylo Ren - The Rebellion - Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The secrets buried within the sands was too great a challenge to let go by. There was no prize at the end of such a journey, but rather than read a holobook, Connor decided to see the planet for himself and walk in the footsteps of history that paved the way for the Order he now served.
With a black cloth over his mouth and nose coming from his greatcoat, and the hood up to cover his face from the suns, he held out his hands to keep his balance as he crawled up a rocky embankment and away from Bestine, heading West towards...well, more desert and the next cave to stop over in on his journey.
Rhen Var. Tatooine. Why did he never get a planet just right?
Hot, dry and filled in their entirety by wave after wave of steep sided sand dunes, the desert was quite literally endless. It was too hot to keep her hood up and too sunny to keep it down. So heatstroke being worse than discomfort, she sweated profusely and was glad of the regular stops for water. Even the eopie seemed to be feeling the heat.
The dunes ran north-south in parallel lines and her crossing cut perpendicularly across them all. It was much harder work than following one of the valleys along the line of least resistance but she had no choice. Every now and then she’d find a sheltered spot and find some tracks. Thank heavens for people’s desire to walk in straight lines. Of course the wind had removed most traces that anyone had ever come this way.
26 dunes crossed thus far. Each one was up to a hundred metres or so in height and a kilometre or two wide. Sometimes it was hard to tell where one dune finished and the other started and it was like being lost in a sea of rolling sand hills but it was at least a measure of progress; like counting lengths in a swimming pool.
Of course due to the prevailing winds, the dunes were always steeper on the western side. A fact that gave a small measure of comfort that the return journey would be quicker.
Ideally she’d travel by night by the light of the full moon. It was less tough than travelling through the heat of the day. Except the night increased the chance of Tuskens or Sarlaac – and of losing the trail. So she kept going. Resting every few hours when she could, keeping the eopie fed and watered, keeping her own energy levels up.
If there was a positive by-product of the excessive sweating it was a limited requirement to remove excess fluid by any other means. It may have been a useful beast of burden, but it watched Corvus everywhere she went and its gaze could be…off-putting.
Finally she saw it. Up ahead there was the unmistakeable signs of an abandoned speeder. Maybe a kilometre away. There was not, however, any sign of life.
The three moons starting to form up above were certainly more welcome than the twin suns setting behind. Connor’s stuck to the naturally eroded pathways of the outskirts of the Jundland Wastes, the next destination to stay low and see through the night.
The planet seemed to change when darkness crept in - it was far more tranquil, peaceful and beautiful with a warm white glow from the largest moon and the blanket of stars above in the clear sky. It didn't however reduce the smell of danger in the air. Danger, and sweat from the exhausted Jedi below. To be honest, the only darkness Connor found attractive now was the darkness of the night that brought with it such beauty in the sky above.
While the dunes behind him were disorientating and tricky to navigate, even out of Bestine, the sun kissed rocky region that was naturally formed by the Tatooine environment was perfect. The large outcroppings provided shade, and the ground beneath his boots was firm and easier to grip than sand.
Sticking low to the surface in case of anything dangerous literally reared its fanged head, Connor felt the horrid feeling of sweat on his back starting to go cold with the change in temperature. It was cooler without the suns glaring down, but it was naturally still humid and warm.
Pushing up with all his strength to crest the final golden dune which followed the Wastes, Connor almost crawled across a slight incline of hot stone that led to one of many caves. It had taken a couple of caves to find one large enough to bed down in with a good view of the plains, but Connor was finally sorted, and grateful of the early evening light.
The cave was high enough to stand in, given you stooped slightly, and had a nicely rounded interior with assorted dry fauna and a few traces of fire from other visitors. Connor kicked a few loose rocks out of the way, sending them rolling out the entrance. He saw a nice smooth edge of the cave and steadily felt his way over and slid down it to the floor, shuffling here and there to get comfy.
One leg stretched out, one raised up to act as a rest for his paper notes, Connor sighed and looked over his observations of the planet, the locations and dangers encountered. If he woke during the night but felt rested, he could continue – so be the risk of Tusken Raiders, bandits and other native creatures roaming the dark.
He had all the protection he needed for combat, but his water supply was diminishing so soon after Bestine. Thus reminding him why didn’t want to wait too long before moving on and hopefully finding some redeeming settlement or water source.
Corvus slowed the eopie as they approached the speeder. Whatever caused the people to disappear could still be lurking, or have returned for fresh supplies.
She focused on the Force. Dehydration and tiredness were having an effect on her but she was able to sense that there were no other lifeforms nearby to worry about. So she jumped off her mount and walked over to the speeder. It was in quite good condition, albeit it was in two pieces. And not just any old two pieces but ones that would join neatly together if you matched up the teeth-marks. And things with incisors that big? She could think of only one. And if it was this close to civilisation, she needed to do something about it.
So she gave another look around and got back on Ben's back. For, as ever, she'd taken to naming forms of transport and Ben seemed as good a name as any given the location. No blood in the area was neither a good or bad sign. To be honest, she figured they'd been eaten whole. Her task had changed from missing persons to pest control.
And judging by the tracks she was about to follow, she was going to need a large piece of cheese.
Arms folded, legs down, Connor was drifting away. It was warm, but cool thanks to the rock on his back. His saber, comlink and maps were by his side.
And then it came - a sound that boomed through the rock and out over the dunes. A horrible, piercing cry before turning into a trembling roar full of power and might.
Connor's eyes snapped open, arms falling to grab his lightsaber. He pushed up in a panic as the sound sent a chill up his spine, hopping forward to the door (stumbling, actually), and skidded to a halt at the lip of the cave. His blue eyes scanned around the large cliffs surrounding him, and then out to the far reaching dunes below.
It was a roar that could only belong to the Krayt Dragon, a beast Connor had seen in Bestine, a skeleton of anyway, and heard about but never seen. His heart was racing, pounding in his chest until the cry ended. Then there was silence, except the Jedi breathing hard and fast.
Not wanting to move, Connor stayed put and pushed back into the cave, sliding back down the far wall far from sleepy anymore. Discarding his blade, he scooped up the notes and comlink, scanning over his observations of large remains, bones and native beasts that he had come across in the past few days.
Connor blew out a breath and wiped the perspiration from his head.
Looking up to the mouth of the cave, he crawled forward just as he peered over the edge and lay flat on his stomach, resting on his elbows and, like the curious Padawan he had been on Rhen Var, looked out over the dunes that were illuminated by the moons above, eager to see a glimpse of something - anything - that was far close for comfort.
His Force senses were tingling with life, the very essence of the Force he controlled, but he only needed to know if he was in immediate danger. But he felt that if a Krayt Dragon suddenly reared up to the cave now, it wouldn't be worth the fight.
She followed the tracks for three hours. She could move quicker now as the trail was easy to pick and was heading for the rocks ahead. Except as she drew closer she could see they were more hills than rocks and around here rocks meant caves. And if the bite marks and tracks were anything to go by, there would be a very, very big cave up ahead.
That was when she heard it. She’d never actually heard the noise before in real life, only from holocrons. And her friends on Corellia used to mock her for trying to copy it just because he could. Well she was six at the time and she thought it was more than a passing resemblance, looking back on it now.
But hearing it now made her realise that her effort was nothing like the cry that became a roar. Her eopie started to act up under her. She did what she could to control it but realised she was not only going to fight a losing battle but that her mount might actually entice the Dragon to come after them. She had no plan to fight it, but facing it out here, sitting astride an eopie wasn’t top of her very short list. Sneaking up on it when it was asleep was her first, second and third choice.
So she pointed Ben back in the direction of Anchorhead and saw him head towards safely as quickly as his legs would carry him. She, foolishly, headed in the opposite direction – reaching out with the Force to see if she could locate the beast.
Pulling the cloth up over his mouth, Connor flipped the hood of his coat up and grabbed his comlink, notes and lightsaber, fixing it to his belt as he moved along the cave to the gaping exit. His heart was pumping still, and his body was tingling with excitement and panic at the same time. This was what being a Silver Jedi was all about – danger and adventure in one.
Dropping down the rocky outcrop to the solid ground below the cave opening, a good 6 foot up, Connor stumbled down a few steps thanks to uneven footing. The light wasn’t helping, but he moved forward. He was sticking to the edge of the canyons as best he could, but found himself venturing out to where the dunes started again.
And the roar came a second time, splitting the air with a horrendous volume, from further along inside the Jundland Wastes, well – it sounded like it was coming from there. The varying heights of the canyons and caves were enough to bounce sound around in a disorientating style.
Connor spun on his heel, hand hovering over his hilt, scanning high and low for whatever it was. The planet certainly was creepy once the suns went down. The Force senses tingled in his head, keeping him alert and wary of life and movement all around him. With so much life teeming in the natural habitat surrounding him, Connor felt he had to depend on his own senses to survive misconception of danger.
He scrambled back on himself and suddenly saw movement up ahead. Frozen in fear, Connor dropped down to the sand and held his breath. It was too small to be a Krayt, but perhaps it was a Bantha? Or a small Dewback? Scavengers? Tuskens? Rising and falling in the distance, whatever it was, it was oddly shaped and moving fast.
Lights could be seen in the far distance, obviously the settlement of Bestine. Connor kept low and moved forward smoothly and quickly, keeping hidden with the rise of the small dunes and using the rugged canyon walls as cover. His eyes narrowed against the sand that blew with the evening breeze and saw it – wild, thundering towards him!
A stumpy lizard-type creature, purple and green with wide eyes, crested the dune ahead of Connor as he lay flat, motionless. Not one, but three of the large reptiles scurried along, thick legs thumping up sand as they ran by, ignoring the human shrouded in dark clothing. Peering out with one eye, Connor saw the lizards run and run and run, with one tunnelling down into the sand and disappear.
Exhaling softly, Connor slowly pushed up, dusting down the sand as he watched them scurry away into the Wastes. He laughed softly at his over-reaction and turned back to where they came from.
As his hands brushed down the warm gritty sand, Connor slowed down as the Force picked up a feeling again; a presence. He stopped and looked up at the moons for a few seconds. Closing his eyes, he cut himself off from the planet around him and listened to the Force, letting it speak to him.
The last time he had seen her, he had sworn it would be the last. For her sake as much as his. Wherever he went, trouble seemed to follow, and seeing her in danger inside a Sith tomb was enough to know he wasn’t the best companion.
It couldn’t be her – the galaxy was too large to encounter her for the third time. If it was, then questions needed to be asked as to why?
Opening his eyes, he crouched down and picked up some sand, letting it fall through his fingers as he looked out into the darkness, seeing only a stretch of dunes lit up by moonlight.
Is it really you? Or are you a trick my mind is playing?
Corvus found the heat of the sand, even thoughts day was drawing to a close, oppressive. And walking through it was a lot harder than it looked - climbing up one side of a dune and then having to control your speed travelling down the other side. After one such cycle she stopped for a drink and reflected on tactics. Her mind was a blank so she simply stowed her canteen and set off again.
She heard another roar - closer this time - but out here, so close to the canyons, it was difficult to sense the exact direction. She used the Force to check the creature wasn't too close. On the plus side it wasn't. On the debit side, a familiar presence was. Did he travel around the galaxy following her?
Didn't he trust her to land a ship by herself or handle a Krayt Dragon single handedly? She reflected that the crashing part gave him due cause for concern on the former and she most definitely needed the help on the latter.
And they were a pretty decent team, she'd have to admit - although never to the man himself. Although if she just inflated his ego a tiny bit more, they might be able to club the dragon to death with it. She smiled. In truth he had no ego, but he didn't need to know that.
So she took a deep breath and started to had in his direction as opposed to where the tracks led. Better to meet up with him and see what he knew before taking on the overgrown lizard.
Swirling the sand under his fingers, feeling it cool and warm at the same time on his skin, Connor took a moment to find the presence in the Force down below over the rolling sand dunes. However, he laughed to himself and collapsed down, sitting on the sand bank, back to the rocky canyon.
With no explanation as to why Corvus was on Tatooine at the same time as him, Connor watched the distance for the vision to appear. It was another twisted vision; the Sith Magic feeding on Connor’s subconscious and toying with him. Which meant the moment he had thought about the Republic Jedi, the brain stem had decided to pass it over the toxic Sith visitor and simply wind him up.
Thankfully there was no crippling pain, no buzzing noise or demonic laughter – it was more dangerous; deceiving his Force perception on someone (or someTHING) to be seen as something else.
”Come on, Raaf. Appear from beyond – the great Jedi come to lecture me.”
He smiled at himself, be it a mixture of tiredness and defences up to repel whatever vision would present itself.
There it was, a dark figure, a spectre, moving across the dunes in a most lifelike fashion. Connor rested on his knee and leant over slightly, watching from behind his face cloth and hood, devoid of fear or panic. His body was relaxed, his muscles at ease; ready for action.
The figure was nearer, and he could make out that it was a human, which was better for a vision rather than a hideous beast of a creature. Connor waved to the figure.
”Hello there! Tell me, what brings you out here, you pain. Look – sand! I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.”
He brushed his hands through the golden sand and looked up at the figure cresting the dune.
What was it the great man had said? The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly. Well he wasn’t wrong.
As she approached the canyon that possibly wound its way around a mesa she was mindful of the Dragon, Tusken Raiders and the Jundland Waste Womp rat.
Apparently ‘Jundland’ meant ‘No Man's Land.’ Glancing around, she mused that it was well-named. Fortunately the layers of rocks which contained magnetic deposits didn’t affect the Force but they did obscure sensors and she suspected this is what got the men she’d been following into trouble.
His aura grew stronger and she finally spotted him. Without the Force she would never have seen him. In this light and against that background, he was practically invisible. And why was she the one doing all the walking whilst he just knelt there, relaxing? But she smiled. Best to get it over with before she met him, she thought. If not, it’ll only encourage him.
As she drew closer she heard him call to her. Her white teeth in the dim light betrayed her. She was smiling.
”What am I doing here? I’ve been here for days. And in case you’re wondering, it’s a grimace, OK. It’s a long walk up and down those dunes you know.”
“And I suspect you know why I’m here.” Her voice was more solemn now. ”I was asked to help out as some prospectors went missing around here. I found their speeder and from the tracks and the recent noise, I’d say I found the main suspect in their disappearance.”
“The sand is a pain. That Dragon? Well, all I can say is I’m glad you’re here.” She’d set him up for a riposte but she was too tired to care. Closing her eyes, she called on the Force and meditated for a few moments, looking to push the aches and pains away.
As she came closer, Connor stood, face hidden partly by his makeshift protective gear and the deceptive moonlight. It sounded like her alright, that sure-fire wit masking a great appreciation for him, but that professional tone in her voice was unmistakable. He stepped forward and reached out, gently prodding her upper arm.
”Well you look real and sound real. If this is some vision, it’s one of the best I’ve seen.”
Looking around their surroundings, he sighed and returned to her violet eyes.
”I had no idea you were here, whatever you’re doing. I was simply out here for my own reasons, but I’ve seen nothing about your missing travellers.”
He turned and stood beside her looking out to the Wastes.
”I take it your heard that noise too, or you wouldn’t be here. That or you just can’t stand to be away from me when danger rears its ugly head.” He smiled underneath the cloth.
Connor took a few steps forward over the dune and motioned for her to follow.
”I know a great cave if you want to rest up and wait until sun-rise. Sounds like the odds against you versus that dragon have just increased slightly in your favour.”
The warm wind blew over them, and he waited for her reply.
She missed his repartee. And no, there was no follow-up barb, she enjoyed his company in a similar fashion to her best friend Kana. It was different but it was still good.
”If I were a vision, I’d choose to look less worn out – and I’ve have cleaner robes on. But I’ll still settle for being the best.” She smiled but it evaporated at his next words.
”I fear nobody will find any signs of the travellers. If the Krayt Dragon didn’t eat them where it attacked them, I’d be surprised. And I guess that answers your next question. Sorry if I burst any bubble but it’s the Dragon I came for. And yes, resting up sounds good right now.”
As she followed him over the dune and towards the caves, she managed a smile again. ”Tell me about these ‘own reasons’ and convince me you weren’t simply following me like you normally do.” By the time he looked around she had her game-face on, looking indignant at the possibility she was followed. This could be fun…
Digesting her words, a small smile at her sharp comebacks, it sounded as if she was out to cull the monster now; the root of the problem. From what he had seen, Corvus – or Corvus and Connor – would have a hard time against such a large beast, but then again, they’d survived worst. Just.
”You know how large a full size Krayt can be, right? You don’t have to go through one to confirm something you already know the answer to.”
Pulling himself up and over the lip of the cave he had come from, Connor crouched and offered his hand out to pull her up.
”And I think you’ll find it’s you following me – “he let out a breath of air as he helped her up and over into the cave, “ – I mean I don’t mind, but just tell me next time so I can wear my best outfit.”
Pulling back his hood and taking down his cloth over his face, he stood at the entrance and motioned to the cave before them.
”It’s comfier than most caves. Please – take the weight off.”
She was such an enigma of a Jedi – and a woman – so that was double the mystery. Noting her face that evoked a grumpy Ewok, he gave his own reasons for being on Tatooine as he moved to the back and sunk against the nice curvature of the sand-smooth wall, getting comfy as he did.
”Think of this as an expedition born out of sheer curiosity of the Jedi. For me, the name Skywalker was one I heard a lot growing up and studying, and the family fascinated me. They seemed to emerge at points the galaxy was to plunge into turmoil and pull it out of the darkness, one way or the other. Of course, none of them were perfect, but I also know a name you’re familiar with – Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know he lived on this world and I know the legacy he left behind, and so I am here simply to take a look at the world that bore such important significance; it brought me and you to where we are now as servants of the Force.”
He paused, noting her reaction.
”And you never actually said what you were doing on Tatooine in the first place, although I suppose if you tracked me here, that makes sense. Never mind.”
Connor made a good point. She would have just walked up to the Dragon and looked to defeat it…somehow. Two of them improved their odds but it would still be a formidable foe.
And she smiled at the easy banter. ”I was here first, so technically you’re following me. And I thought that was your best outfit.”
She gladly stepped forward into the cave. Out of the desert air, the silence was almost deafening. It was odd how even a slight wind, hour on hour became silent and it wasn’t until it was taken away you realised how loud it was.
Slumping to the cave floor, her back to the wall, facing Connor, she sat cross-legged. And she listened. His interest in this era of Jedi history matched hers. She nodded as he spoke. ”Never figured why Obi-Wan brought the child here and left him with a family who had Anakin’s mother’s grave just outside their front door. Surely he figured he might turn up one day? And Obi-Wan was the reason I came here.” She waved her newly created shoto. ”I wanted to create it somewhere special and here was the place. Actually in the exact cave that Luke used to build his first saber. Kind of a homage. Yeah, I know, Corvus getting sentimental. Well don’t worry, it won’t happen again…”
Her eyelids had been closing for longer and longer as she spoke. As the final words left her lips, she drifted off into sleep. Two days in the saddle without any sleep will do that to a girl. Even a Jedi one.
Swinging his leg from side to side as Corvus spoke, Connor laced his hands together and enjoyed the company of one he respected greatly, and relished the chance to talk and get to know her without Sith Lords lurking in the shadows or expeditions demanding their attention.
He was smiling half at her passion and half at the fact she was nodding off right before his eyes, talking through heavy eyes but still talking.
”Mhm.”
A few quiet agreements to her story was all he did, as before she finished, she was gone. Body relaxing back against the wall and head leaning sideways, locks of hair falling over her face.
Chuckling to himself, Connor called her shoto to his palm with the Force and studied it, impressed at her attention to detail and craftsmanship. Feeling it in his grip, he eventually got up and carefully placed it by her side. Looking out to the dreamy night time blues, white and blacks of the planet, he removed his greatcoat and rolled it up into a makeshift pillow.
”I didn’t think I was that boring company,” he whispered to himself.
Gently placing a hand on Corvus’s shoulder and radiating a calm wave of his Force aura through his palm, he placed the other hand on her forehead and gently lay her back to rest on the coat. She’d obviously been through one hell of a journey, and she needed the rest.
Crouching back to his niche, Connor slid down and rested his chin on his torso, crossed his legs and kept one hand on the ground near his lightsaber and one on his chest, looking out to the moon, glancing over now and then to Corvus, lost in a deep sleep. He chuckled again.
Corvus slept a deep sleep and awoke feeling both refreshed and in pain. Despite waking up with a makeshift pillow that she knew she didn't go to sleep with, her neck was clearly unhappy at the position it had fallen into overnight.
Realising the pillow was in fact Connor's greatcoat, she unrolled it and stood. "Good morning," she said, her disposition cheery. "You must have been boring company as I don't remember falling asleep." She flashed him a grin and handed over the coat - turning the part that was now covered in her saliva away from him as she held it out. Glancing around she added innocently, "I think they must get a lot of snails in here."
"Anyway, plan of attack. What master-stroke have you come up with whilst I was napping?" As she spoke, she stretched and walked to the cave mouth - taking in the beauty of the early dawn.
Corvus’ voice broke his concentration, reading over his notes and observations of the planet. He glanced up over the brown paper.
”Good morning Corvy.”
Placing the paper down, he leant up and took back his greatcoat, eyeing both it and her warily after her comment. Tatooine snails? Hardly. He smiled and kept it on the ground next to him and watched her stretch, yawn and crack stiff bones as she looked out of the cave, blocking one of the twin suns now up and baking the planet.
”Plan of attack? I hadn’t thought of any plan of attack.”
He reached for his notes and looked at them, highlighting words and drawings with his finger.
”This Krayt is going to be huge – at least 100ft, probably more. If your travellers were the appetiser, they’ll be nothing left to salvage or identify them. All you will do is either get us both killed or alert probably a whole pack of the critters.”
Connor looked up at her and shrugged.
”I know your values are strong, but – this is a suicide run. Say we DID slay this beast and retain a few limbs…then what? Go back with the head and say “Here’s your culprit, see ya!”. I don’t think so. There’s no real positive outcome of this for them. What we should do is maybe try and make positive ID that there is a Krayt and then go back and advise what’s happened. We’re not the Beast Hunters Guild, Corvy. Don’t go getting yourself killed on some mercy mission.”
Corvus looked crestfallen. Simply accepting there was a killer here and going and telling someone didn't compute as a viable option here. Perhaps it was that naivety again? Or that stubborn streak a mile wide.
Her tone was initially sharp, but she quickly regulated it. "A Jedi must conquer overconfidence but he must also conquer defeatism. I mean..." she paused and her voice softened, "We should plan first for success and then for failure. Come up with a strategy to defeat it and then - should that be unsuccessful have a back-up plan."
"I say a positive identification and an accurate description of its size and location is the least we should expect - not the most." There was a steel in her eyes now. "And they have weaknesses. They can't resist bantha. They have poor vision and will we easily distracted by two-dimensional images. And they have a weak sinus cavity." Corvus presented these as if she'd discovered not one but three significant Achilles heels.
And she gave Connor a new look. It was her best puppy-dog impression - one she'd learned from countless Younglings who'd failed to do their homework on time. She was unable to resist, the question is, what about [member="Connor Harrison"].
One thing about Corvus that Connor found wonderfully irritating was her text-book responses to every situation. He would often wonder if this girl was not a specially bred test-tube Jedi; he could detect no cracks, no flaws – he had seen her stumble slightly, but her resolve was always there. In another dimension, she could have been the Jedi Connor had aimed to be.
Before the dark times. Before the –
Her voice shut his thought up again, that snappy but soft tone echoing in the cave.
Standing, he quietly laughed to himself in disbelief and throw on his greatcoat, shuffling to get comfortable with a small shake of the head.
”Miss Raaf, one day, you and I are going to go to a Corellian bar and leave our sabers and egos at home so I can see you actually take ONE night off from being the poster girl for the Republic Jedi Order and let your heart speak before your head.”
He snatched up his hilt, fixed it to his belt and crouched to collect his notes.
”I guess we gather a herd of bantha together and corral them into the Wastes, stand really still and then punch it in the forehead with our blades, right?.”
Connor walked to the mouth of the cave, ignoring her awfully adorable gaze. Looking out at the planet, he sighed and shook his head again. He turned and pointed a finger to her chest.
