Peek-a-boo

[Hunter Blackburn]

Standing in the chambers of Nila the Hutt, Ador watched as the Hutt stared at him from across the chamber. All around beings of different races flocked about, some guests of Nila partaking in food and drink watching the display laid out before them. The dancers and servants keeping to themselves not wanting to get too close to the Hutt who was visibly raging at the young Corellian.

“Listen Nila, I’ll get your money as soon as I can, but the duties of a Jedi comes first.” For the third time, Ador reiterated the sentence feeling his temper flare slightly and having to fall back on the teachings of Morteg. A Jedi should not give into their base emotions, and yet dealing with the Hutt’s always seemed to bring those out of Ador. Perhaps it was their disgusting and gluttonous mannerisms, perhaps it was the lack of morals, perhaps Ador just didn’t like Hutt’s at all, but in the end he had to deal with them. Having inherited the debt from Dace, his adoptive father before his death Ador now owed effectively double the amount he had before.

“Uba pihoha nan don mah lumpa see yanee an oto ta ba dokanu?!” A large blubbery arm lashed out smacking into the silver plated protocol droid next to Nila that easily knocked the droid off its feet with a raucous clang as it met the floor. The arm then came around a meaty finger pointing at Ador. “Catke cohka ninba mah votetka?! uba doth nyowkee Jee cha gee uba hhonoo joniu wata!”

Sensing that the conversation wasn’t going to make any headway Ador decided to simply bow, his dark hair falling forward. “I am sorry Nila, I will leave you for now and return when you are calmer so we can discuss the consolidation and extension.” With that Ador turned walking out the building into the Nal-Hutta streets, pulling the red hood of his cloak up and over his head to shield himself from the heavy rainfall Ador headed through the streets towards the starport.

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

A Jedi, well, that was a change. As far as Keira was aware their kind didn’t make it a habit to have prices placed on their heads, but apparently there were exceptions to every rule. How this one had managed to fall in such bad favor with the Hutts was anyone’s guess, but being a mercenary meant building a career around others’ misfortune. It wasn’t her job to worry about what got her mark here, but rather to finish the job set out for her.

At least her options were open. ‘Dead or alive’ left room to be flexible, and depending on how this fight went she was willing to take the hit to her paycheck. Not that she wanted it to come to that, especially since instigating a firefight outside a Hutt’s palace was a surefire way to get a price on your own head in return. This would have to be kept quiet, then, something she was unaccustomed with. Subtlety didn’t often mesh well with her natural persona.

For the time being she’d positioned herself among the crowds outside the palace, fitting in rather easily among the groups of other hunters and guns-for-hire, though a T-visored visage would always draw some modicum of attention most places in the galaxy. It wasn’t easy to disguise the infamy her people heralded, but she made no attempt to.

As soon as her target emerged she marked him in her HUD, letting him create distance before she began tailing, careful to keep at least one or two bodies between them for the time being. As soon as he rounded a corner she picked up her pace, drawing her pistol and pressing the muzzle against his back at the same moment she rested a hand on his shoulder. “Udesii, let’s find somewhere nice and quiet, ‘lek?”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

Lost in thought Ador was foolish enough to not be paying attention to his surroundings as the concerns of what he’d do about the debt began to weigh on him. He couldn’t simply tell his Master of the debt, seeing Morteg disappointed would hurt more than any blaster bolt. Even if the debt had been accrued years before his joining of the Jedi. The Hutt’s showed no mercy, they’d willingly let a child acquire debt with them and would burden them with the weight of their family. It was vile, but they were Hutt’s, what more could one expect of them? Ador had yet to hear of a single well-meaning Hutt in all of galactic history. Didn’t mean there were none, just that he hadn’t met them.

Brought back to reality by the sound of booted feet moving quickly and approaching Ador began to move and look behind himself and was stopped by the sensation of a barrel pressed against his back and a hand on his shoulder. A strong hand, a gloved hand with an incredibly strong grip. Reaching out through the force to sense the being Ador was left speechless. There was no presence. He’d heard of beings that were voids in the force but he’d thought them only to be the Vong. What was one doing on Nal Hutta and what did they want with him?

“Nice and quiet? What are you planning on doing with me?” Ador asked not yet moving hoping the question would buy him just a few seconds. His will stretched out falling back on the teachings of those at the temple as he sought to seize the pistol and send it hurtling away. Nothing happened, not even the slightest wiggle. Nearby Ador sought to move a piece of loose stone and fling it at the back of his assailant. Once more nothing happened. The limitations of Ador laid bare. Unlike others who could rely on the force to lift and throw objects, the Corellian possessed no such affinity with it. His cheeks flushed with the effort, knowing that it was futile.

Unable to do anything, seemingly helpless the Jedi began to step forward. His reactions no matter what put him in danger. If he went along with his assailant he risked being shot dead in an alley on Nal Hutta. If he put up any obvious resistance it would be the same. Completing his step forward in those milliseconds before the Mandalorian stepped and the pistol would be once more at his back Ador called upon the force and this time it answered. Beneath his cloak a thin barrier was formed, one that would serve to defend him if she did fire and to provide something that would aid in his next maneuver due to how smooth the barrier was. While me may have lacked on the telekinetic spectrum of the force Ador wasn’t completely useless.

As the second foot came down the pistol once more pressing to his back Ador acted. Spinning on his heels to the Ador’s right arm came up, elbow at a 90-degree angle to smack away the woman’s hand, for his own to attempt and seize her wrist. His left arm coming to bolster the first and push against the Hunter’s elbow and force her into a lock then to the ground.

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

As soon as he cranked her wrist and before he could lock her elbow Keira turned left and into the hold, her intent to escape his grip and throw him off balance. For the moment her grasp remained on her weapon, though aiming it to fire wasn’t the immediate strategy. That would come later if it became a necessity, but for now, compliance similar to his own attempts.

If she was successful at maneuvering out of his hold she would reach up with her free hand to grab the back of his head and pull it down towards her in a vicious headbutt made famous by her people. Her helmet would soften the majority of the blow and prevent any serious trauma, but the same couldn’t be said for her opponent. She’d been on the receiving end of enough armored attacks similar to know that even with some kind of barrier they didn’t feel good, never mind if one’s face was entirely exposed.

Lethality remained at the wayside still, and hopefully this had ended before it could truly begin.

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

Now as he went to restrain his assailant did Ador see who it was making an attempt on his life. All he needed to see was the T-shaped visor to identify them. A mandalorian, a people known for both mercenary work and hunting bounties. Just my luck that a Mandalorian picked up the bounty. Ador thought as his foe turned into the hold to off balance him and breaking the hold. A skilled Mandalorian at that.

Stumbling back a half step his back bumping into the alley’s wall the Mandalorian giving no quarter one of her hands reaching for the back of his head. Letting her get it would possibly spell Ador’s defeat, at the same time her closing in for the headbutt had given him the perfect opening. Raising his foot, upper body leaning back slightly and pressing against the grime covered wall, the bottom of Ador’s booted foot raised to meet the Mandalorian’s armored torso. The force went from powering the thin barrier to once more flooding Ador’s being, empowering him, pushing the young padawans physical strength above that of an ordinary being. While he may not be able to use the force on his assailant he could still channel it through his own body. The force of the kick enough to send the hunter into the opposing wall and save his own face from being broken by a headbutt.

Right-hand reaching to his belt the youth grabbed the oversized hilt of Fortitude and with a snap-hiss it came to life a vibrant green blade coming to life the tip leveled at the Mandalorian’s chest, Ador taking up the plow stance, his legs a bit over shoulder’s width apart, his left leg back, his right forward with a slight bend in it. A skilled combatant would’ve possibly pushed the offensive but Ador didn’t. The Corellian simply stood there watching from beneath his hood.

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The kick forced the breath from her and threw her off balance, giving her opponent plenty of time to right himself and for the familiar hum of a lightsaber to fill the alleyway. That he didn’t press the attack failed to faze her, such a thing was typical of the Jedi. What did strike her, however, was how young he was. Certainly Keira had encountered her fair share of young soldiers through the years, and Mandalorians were considered full adults at thirteen, but in her mind he was still very much a child.

For a handful of seconds they were at a stalemate, his blade leveled at her chest as she took in the young face beneath the hood. In a matter of seconds she acted, left hand taking up her tomahawk and aiming to hook his saber beneath the head, twisting sharply up and away in a disarming movement. Her right hand pulled her dagger from its sheath, and with the same forearm she drove him back into the wall, the blade held in a reverse grip against his throat.

The serrated edge would barely graze his skin if she succeeded, her dark eyes looking directly into his own from beneath her helmet. “Are you stupid, ad’ika?”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

The silence between Ador and the Mandalorian would’ve been deafening if it wasn’t for the sounds of Nal Hutta floating down the alley. No one even casting a glance down the alley to see what was taking place. Many things happened on Nal Hutta and most of the inhabitants had learned to mind their own business. Even if someone had noticed the chances of them doing anything besides placing bets on who they thought would win was low. Ador wished the Mandalorian would resign from their hunt and leave him be but from what he’d heard they were more stubborn than even Corellian’s.

Proving what he’d heard correct the Mandalorian acted using a tomahawk to pull up Ador’s saber. A trick that was perfect on physical swords, that would’ve left the Jedi completely defenseless as his arms began to raise slightly but this is when one of the special traits of Fortitude came into play.

A shift of Ador’s fingers on his hilt and a faint click caused the green blade to retreat within the hilt. The inner mechanisms of the saber working, the crystals much like the stars realigning. The jedi brought his arms back down, the hilt of the saber now tilted slightly to his left. Near instantly after the green blade had retreated leaving the Tomohawk to continue on through empty air the weapon came back to life with a Silver beam of plasma that jumped greatly in length almost a foot and a quarter longer than the one before. The blade much longer than that of an average saber, as tall as Ador himself. This however worked perfectly as the lower portion of the silver blade locked the knife of the Mandalorian, the upper half coming down for his assailant's right shoulder instead of for the crook of the neck where it should’ve been and where it would’ve brought an end to the fight. If the hit landed one thing his foe would notice is that the saber was capable of cutting through even Beskar as it would leave a deep furrow in her armor not yet penetrating it completely.

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The heat of the blade was easily felt even through the armor, but Keira didn’t take the time to inspect the extent of the damage, figuring that if her arm was still attached then it wasn’t anything immediately life-threatening. Her right shoulder dipped instinctively in response to the press of the saber, and the stalemate ended as she shifted to the side in an escape maneuver, tomahawk dropping into its sling on her belt.

In the same movement she ducked low to retrieve her pistol, and as she pivoted away it came up in a full draw leveled at his center mass. It would have been easy to come up firing and put an end to things with a handful of gunshots, but a nagging in the back of her mind stopped her from doing that. Her chest rose and fell visibly, dagger finding its sheath again as both hands stabilized the firearm.

“You don’t move, I don’t pull the trigger.” She spoke slowly and deliberately, knowing full well whatever her plan had been, that had changed. “What are you thinking, ad’ika, being in debt to their kind? You look young to be getting killed.”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

The Mandalorian foe rolled away in retreat, Ador did not move to pursue his foe that was folly along with the Jedi not yet used to pushing the offensive. The Jedi instead raised his left hand before his body, stance shifting with his left foot now forward slightly bent at the knee, his right back and parallel with it. Right arm pulled back almost as if ready to thrust the blade forward Ador simply waited.

From the palm of his left hand a barrier formed before the Jedi as the Mandalorian came up from her roll the pistol aimed at him. If Adore wished he could move forward and strike once more but was that what a Jedi did? Should he give the hunter a chance to flee even though he knew she wouldn’t take it? The last thing he expected, however, was for her to attempt talking to him a second time.

“Put the pistol down and there will be no more need for violence.” The Jedi said not breaking his stance, those green eyes staring past the semi-translucent barrier that separated him from the warrior. Her questions about the debt with the Mandalorian’s caused the tan skinned Corellian to flush. “I didn’t choose it, I needed to eat as a kid and the debt of my adoptive father fell onto me… I’m trying to pay it back. I just need more time.”

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

His retort drew a small smile from her, his stubborn, unrelenting attitude and embarrassment at the mention of the debt embodying everything about a hard-headed child who didn’t know any better, something that reminded her all too much of her youth. It was easy to ignore the very real threat he posed in the moment, but Keira forced herself to remember that this was a contract, and her people made good on their word.

But gods above, he was just a child in her eyes, and that changed things. Cursing to herself while knowing full well there was a good chance she’d come to regret this later, she was well aware her subconscious had already made the decision for her.

“Okay, ad’ika, okay.” Moving slowly so as not to startle him, there was a quiet ‘click’ as the safety of her pistol was engaged, and the weapon was shortly after holstered at her left side. “Put your saber away, then we’ll talk, ‘lek? I won’t hurt you, I just want to talk.” Her hands were kept at her sides where they would be fully visible, but she was by no means relaxed, though she might appear as such to the untrained eye. In reality she was ready to move in a split-second if necessary, knowing he had her at a disadvantage given he was still armed.

“Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll take you back to my ship, and we’ll get you back to wherever it is you’re staying. Your best bet right now is to lay low and disappear, because they’re not going to stop looking for you, and I guarantee I’m not the only person to accept that contract. You need to go back home, or wherever your people are, and stay there for a long time. Those other hunters won’t be as lenient, you understand? This is a pass most people don’t get. You’re free to make your choice, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

Watching the Mandalorian holster the pistol Ador still had his doubts, the armor of a Mandalorian was a walking armory, who knew what weapons the woman had built into the arms, feet and even knees. However, she’d done what he asked without complaint and as such Ador wanted to show the same trust despite knowing it would possibly be the end of him. With a flick of his thumb, the saber turned off retreating into the hilt. Hands moving to rest on his hips Ador listened to what his assailant had to say not clipping the saber hilt back to his belt. He wasn’t completely foolish.

“If you didn’t want to hurt me you shouldn’t have attacked in the first place. Do you take bounties to simply let us go? To take us home?” The words of the Mandalorian were highly suspicious very off-putting, from what Ador had heard they were coldblooded warriors with ice for blood, uncaring as long as they got the job done. Despite his disbelief, Ador didn’t have much of a choice but to accept the woman’s offer, after upsetting the Hutt he was sure his bounty may have been increased and that there would be others out to capture him before he could take a shuttle off-world.

Debating the options before him Ador worried his lower lip almost to the point of drawing blood before sighing. He’d managed to hold his own against the Mandalorian in a constrained space. He could perhaps do the same on their ship. Plus he could barely afford another shuttle off the planet. “Fine, I’ll go with you, lead the way.” The Jedi said sliding the hilt up the wrist of his robes and holding it there and waiting for the Mandalorian to lead the way to the spaceport.

“Just answer one thing, what changed your mind?”

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

It was difficult to suppress a laugh at his questions, because Keira knew she would have wondered much the same. Most hunters didn’t go to the trouble of accepting a contract just to throw potential credits down the drain, but then, Mandalorians were far from most hunters. Theirs were a people that had a penchant for doing what best suited them no matter the circumstances, and this was no different.

For a moment she considered his final inquiry, deigning not to respond right away and instead turning, jerking her head in an indication for him to follow. If he did so that silence would persist for a few moments more, and she would adjust her pace so the two could walk side-by-side as she finally glanced over, seemingly wholly acknowledging his presence as more than just a target for the first time. “You remind me of my kids.”

A genuine answer to a genuine question, though likely not the one he was expecting. None of her three children were quite his age yet - the twins were only in their early teens - but his stubborn attitude reminded her far too much of them, their Corellian heritage shining through in much the same way. The saying went that one Corellian was able to know another by sight alone, and this was no different. Perhaps that was part of it, as well, Though she had all but denounced that aspect of her heritage, it was still fundamentally a part of her in a way she couldn’t deny.

“I don’t do much bounty work anymore. Yours is the first contract I’ve accepted in a long while. Rest assured that most of them aren’t as lucky.” The way she discussed her work was maybe too casual for an outsider, the loss of life mentioned off-handedly in much the same way most beings would discuss a day at work, because to her that’s all it was. “Which Temple is it you belong to?”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

The silence that hung between them made the Jedi all the more nervous in essence making the entire thing seem like a show the Mandalorian was putting on. Toying with the idea of bolting Ador was caught off guard when the hunter finally answered. The revelation enough to almost send the boy tumbling as he tripped over a dip in the ground barely catching himself. He’d been expecting her to say it was something about him being a Jedi not that he reminded them of their kids.

Whether to be thankful for his luck or to be somewhat offended that the hunter saw him as no more than a child was a conflict that Ador now battled with inside himself. He sensed no immediate threats to his being and while he may not be able to read his assailant turned allies mind she seemed to be genuine. Approaching and then entering the spaceport Ador glanced around sure that him and the Mandalorian made an odd pair walking side by side. One drabbed in robes and a crimson cape, the other covered from head to toe in armor.

“I… I really don’t know what to say. Thank you for not pushing things further than they already progressed and I apologize for ruining your first hunt in awhile.” Moving at the pace of the mercenary he’d follow her to the vessel, questioning where to ask her to drop him off at. “I bounce between the Silver Jedi Temple on Kashyyyk and the Green Jedi temple on Corellia. Perhaps Corellia would be best? I don’t think the Silver Jedi would take too well to your ship approaching their planet.”

"So are your children Jedi like me?"

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

With a wave of her hand, Keira dismissed his apology. “Nothing to be sorry for. Call it a mutual agreement.” Had she wanted to push the fight any farther she would have, and he would have most like ended up right back in front of the Hutt he was hoping to evade, this time with no hope of escape. Despite the better judgement that heralded a nice paycheck, she’d foregone all of that to escort him back home. Gods only knew what the rest of her vode would have to say, but she didn’t have to guess at knowing they’d call her soft for this.

And of course, it was just her luck that he would belong to two sects of Jedi she was intimately familiar with, neither for particularly good reasons this time around. The last time she’d spoken with any of the Silver Jedi at length it had nearly meant war, and she’d had a particularly nasty end of a marriage with one of the Green Jedi. And, if memory served correctly, she knew her way to both of those temples without the help of a navigator.

Leading her way onto the ship, she led him to the cockpit, gesturing for him to sit in the co-pilot’s chair if he so wished. She used the time it took to run through the pre-flight checks to consider just how to answer his last question, knowing there was no perfect response. “Jedi? Not quite.” As they took off, she relaxed a margin, not speaking again until they were in hyperspace. It would be a few hours until they reached their destination, giving them plenty of time to talk if that’s what he wished.

With both hands she removed her helmet, resting it in her lap and running her hands down her face. “The twins are Force-sensitive, but not Jedi. My youngest son, he’s…” That memory still stung. “He’s, ah, being trained by his father, last I knew. Our separation wasn’t what you’d call civil.” She’d still kill him and take their son back, if she ever got the chance. That was something she was at peace with.

Exhaling in a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, facing him properly now. “So, ad’ika, what about you? Why the Jedi?”

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

Entering the ship Ador walked through the interior behind Keira, and as he examined the ship something caught his eye. A holoproject, on it an image about 10 inches high was shown. They were pictures of children as they grew up. First were two, a boy and girl both absolutely adorable. Ador had never expected Mandalorian children to look so innocent, but then a third child appeared in one of the images with a woman holding them in her arms a strange man in the frame. I watched it cycle through the images a few times before breaking away.

The currents of the force swirled around me creating eddies that revealed emotions and imprints left upon the ship. They spoke of great love, loss, hatred, and they bore down on the Jedi all at once. Ador had experienced such things before, echoes of one's past emotions but with the Mandalorian now being a void in the force, she was as closed off to him as anyone ever could be.

Moving to the cockpit and taking his seat next to the woman Ador realized just how aged she was. Old enough in fact to be even his mother. Her hair cut short, though he imagined she had once been a striking woman. “I am sorry to hear about that, but there is still a chance for you to see him again. The force is always in motion and perhaps you’ll even be able to settle things with your ex-husband. If not civilly I’m sure you could kick his ass.” Ador said chuckling slightly.

“I didn’t choose the Jedi so to say, they chose me. I was nothing more than a smuggler and scavenger and then I found this.” Patting on the saber on his hip Ador smiled fondly remembering the time his life had turned around. “It wasn’t like this at first, it had been two separate sabers but they spoke to me, or their past owner I believe. It guided me and opened my eyes to a world I never imagined. When I saw this world I knew I wanted to make a change and fight for the galaxy.”

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

His optimism was admirable, she’d give him that, but in a galaxy like this it was also misguided. “I’ve made my peace with it. If he didn’t have the gettse to look me in the eyes and do what he did, then he isn’t deserving of any sort of honor. If I see him again, he won’t be walking away. His death is the only settlement to be reached.” That was how her people operated, and Keira was no exception to the rule. Retaliation was done only with extreme prejudice, and marital affairs gone wrong were no different.

Nodding along to his tale, she found a sort of familiarity in it. She’d found the Jedi in a similar destitute period of life, after the murder of her parents. Unlike him, however, she hadn’t meshed with their ways and instead found another path that better suited her, until eventually she ended up where she was now, an old warrior whose story still wasn’t over.

“I used to be a Jedi once, when I was young.” Letting that no doubt surprising statement hang in the air for a moment, she continued, “By the time I was your age I’d long since left them behind. It wasn’t the right path for me, and besides, I found a home among the Mandalorians one way or the other. Now I do mercenary work to support my clan, and live out the rest of my days among family. I found my place, and I’m glad you found yours at an earlier age.”

Considering the whorl of hyperspace that comprised their current view, she posed another question after a moment of thought, “Where did you grow up, if you don’t mind me asking?” Though she had a feeling she already knew the answer to that.

[member="Ador Horn"]

 

[Hunter Blackburn]

Ador wished he could comfort Keira and assure her that her Ex-husbands death didn’t have to happen. That regular means of reconciliation were open but the boy thought better of it. He was already within the confines of a ship of the woman who’d just been hunting him less than an hour ago. No need to push it and add himself to her poodoo list and end up dead for trying to preach to her about the Light. The Corellian was sure others had made that mistake in the past and may have paid dearly for it.

“It saddens me that you did not stay with the Jedi, in another universe our meeting may be completely different. Who knows perhaps in that reality you ended up being my Master.” Ador said leaning back in the co-pilots chair feeling the soft leather on his back and relaxing. The material so much more comfortable than the harsh plastic seats on public shuttles. Ador’s back was still sore from his trip to Nal Hutta. “But as you said it is good that we both found our own paths."

Reaching within the confines of his robes Ador drew a flask, a silver one with no symbol on it but when he opened it the stench of Corellian Whiskey filled the cabin. Taking a long swig, Ador attempted to somewhat numb himself to the memories Keira’s questions had dug up. The strength of the brown liquid brought slight tears to the boys eyes as it went down his throat the warmth beginning to fill him. “I’m from Corellia, I… Well in short I was a street rat and was there when the planet broke.”

Jaw tightening slightly Ador continued. “I had snuck aboard a ship in hopes of finding food but before I realized it we lifted off into space and I was caught. The man threatened to take me back down to the planet and return me to the authorities and thats when it happened.” Eyes shutting head tilting slightly Ador replayed the fracturing planet in his mind. “The screams, the pain, the horror. Families torn asunder in an instant, the death of trillions. I just stood there and watched, I wanted to help, I wanted to do something but I did nothing.” Standing up Ador faced the wall his fist slamming into the wall with solid meaty thwacks. Blood splattering the wall as his knuckles bust from the force of impact. “I DID NOTHING!” Wobbling on his feet moreso from agony and rage than anything else Ador tried to steady himself but slumped to the floor. When the Corellian’s eyes opened tears poured freely down his cheeks his bloodshot eyes filled with a deep-seated pain. “I can’t do nothing anymore.”

[member="Keira Priest"]

 

[Keira Priest]

As soon as he stood Keira stood with him, pulling him into a tight embrace to restrain him as he began swinging at the walls, bloodying and bruising his hands. She knew exactly what he was feeling, for she had felt much the same when her parents were murdered. It was a sensation of gut-wrenching hopelessness as you were plagued by the what-ifs, thoughts that whispered to you that if only you had been there, if you had arrived a few moments earlier, maybe you could have stopped it all from happening. The subconscious mind had a way of blowing everything out of proportion, until it had you convinced even the most uncontrollable events were a direct consequence of your own personal failures. Yes, she knew what he was feeling all too well.

“It’s okay, ad’ika, it’s okay.” Still she held him as he slumped to the floor, cradling his head in her lap and brushing dark hair back from his forehead, her touch uncharacteristically gentle. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re here now, and you’re safe, what happened wasn’t your fault.” Her voice was no more than a murmur, and she brushed tears away as they came, stroking her thumb across his forehead with her other hand. “I’ve got you. I’m right here.” This was a side of her only a rare few glimpsed at, the one that cared deeply and entirely, the aspect that was no doubt a mother in heart and soul.

Carefully she shifted him to hold him properly in her arms, gently rocking back and forth, holding him there on the floor of her ship. It started softly at first, barely audible, but grew to hushed tones that filled the cockpit as she sang a lullaby in Old Corellian, one she remembered from her mother. It was the same song that had soothed her in the weeks after the deaths of her parents, when she would wake up crying from nightmares to one of her older siblings holding her tight. It had carried her through a troubled childhood, and now she hoped it would do the same for him.

“You’ll be okay, I’m staying right here.”

[member="Ador Horn"]