Private Roam If You Want To

[Cato Harth]

Cato raised a finger at mention of the supply closet, "Ah, but you didn't. And that's the important part," He was teasing of course. Inanna very much had a point. The Harths sure knew how to have fun, but they didn't really have a sense of direction. And after a while, the aimlessness was becoming uncomfortably noticeable for the both of them. It was easy to just coast by on what they already had, but it's not who either of them really were.

“What would you say if I wanted to try being a Jedi again? Not with the NJO, cais ned’jin. But the Vonnuvi has a little Jedi enclave…”

"The one that Amani started? You think you'd want to?" Cato raised an eyebrow, "I'd say if that's what you wanted, you should absolutely give it a shot. The way I understand it, their work here is a lot more hands on than your standard temple fare. Service Corps type stuff, especially." The work was meaningful, and less consistently dangerous than the average Jedi. Not to mention the Enclave was right on their doorstep.

"Guess I should mention that I've been talking to the Enclave myself," He smirked. It wasn't something he was intentionally keeping hidden, but he never bothered to bring it up in the event that things didn't work out, until now, "We spoke a while back about me getting into teaching or something, remember? This seemed as good a chance as any. So— Maybe we could take a tour over there together?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Ah, but you didn't. And that's the important part."

Inanna lifted her finger to playfully touch the tip of his, but didn’t comment. She could tell that he was feeling much the same way as she did.

“Amani started it?” Inanna raised an eyebrow. She knew the Mirialan was connected to the Vonnuvi, she just didn’t know the connections ran that deep. “Does she run the enclave? Even while being part of the NJO?” She didn’t find Amani herself objectionable so much as she disliked the idea of the NJO influencing the enclave. It should be its own thing, in her opinion.

“I probably would’ve wound up in the Service Corps if I had stuck around,” she said, heading back toward their new ship. “Or the AgriCorps. Can you imagine me as a farmgirl?” Cato revealing that he had been talking to them himself earned him a little bit of side-eye from Inanna, but she wasn’t mad about it. They had talked about it before, so it wasn’t some huge surprise.

“Then it’s a definite possibility?” she asked, excitement tingeing her tone. Turning to face him at the bottom of the loading ramp, she cupped his face in her hands. “Ooh, Mr. Harth. Give me an A, because I’m hot for teacher.” Laughing, she kissed him tenderly, then raced up the ramp. “Let’s go!”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Well, yeah. Part of that whole festival over Coruscant was about her grand opening," Not that they had gone to it. Cato was a bit surprised that Inanna didn't realize that. Then again she wasn't as privy to Jedi affairs as he was. He may not have been affiliated for years, but he liked to keep his ear to the ground, "I'd assume her council duties keep her pretty busy. But she seems to like checking in when she can." Be it over holo or in-person. More like the superintendent than the principal. Evidently, there were other Jedi who could run the day-to-day operations without her being there.

"Well, technically the AgriCorps is part of the Service Corps," Catu um ackshually'd. One could almost see the proverbial glasses being pushed up the bridge of his nose. "But I'd like to teach groups like that. Not sure what branch though." He shrugged. It was still a bit of a work of progress. Maybe they had some kind of general education banner he could fall under?

Inanna seemed happy with the idea, even teasing him with a bit of teacher-student roleplay. Cato chuckled awkwardly before being pulled into a kiss. He hadn't considered that until she mentioned it, but she'd probably have to be kept out of any of his classes due to the conflict of interest. No matter, it was a fresh start for both of them. Now, maybe, they could really start moving forward.

---

Cato stood stiffly outside the entrance of the Vonnuvi enclave. An intimidating set of doors, engraved with the Jedi symbol, loomed shut over the short steps, "So… I guess we just…?" He walked up, and the doors slid open with no issue. It was as they crossed the threshold that he noticed a scanner, presumably checking them and their weapons. This foyer was a circular room, with a few seats against the walls, and a security desk in the middle. A hallway branched off to both the left and right, while the back wall led straight out to a cloister overlooking what could only be the courtyard. The foyer was empty at the moment, except for a humanoid droid attending the desk.

"Ahem… Hello?" Cato cleared his throat, and approached.

"Good morning, sir! How may I be of service today?" The droid immediately replied in a chipper, feminine tune.

"Um, I've been in talks with the Enclave about joining up? Cato Harth? This is Inanna Harth, she was hoping to do the same."

"Of course, Mr. Harth! Give me just a moment," The droid glanced down, apparently searching its databanks for confirmation, then looked back up, "Yes! I have this in my records. Take a seat, Master Tsilla will be with you shortly!" It spun around, and returned to its clerical duties.

"Aaalright," Cato meandered over to the nearest seating, and plopped down, "Not sure what I was expecting, to be honest." It had an almost quaint atmosphere to it. Small, but there was clearly evidence of life. The muffled sounds of an instructor and his class echoed from the courtyard, along with the pleasant sounds of nature that were ever-present on the Vonnuvi as a whole. After a bit more time passed, they found further proof, as a few padawans passed through the foyer, books and data pads in hand, presumably heading to one class or another.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna didn’t remember much about the festival. Well, she remembered the Keshian woman, and Serena’s antics, and talking to Cato in the park, but not why the festival had taken place. Probably because she didn’t really care. It had just been an excuse to party and have fun.

Of course, she wasn’t about to admit that to Cato, especially after saying that they needed to stop goofing off. “Those Jedi women are crazy,” she commented instead. “Amani, Valery Noble, Romi Jade—they run around the galaxy, fighting battles, solving disputes, being leaders, and somehow find time to raise kids and have families too? Utterly bonkers.”

Never mind that she had done a little bit of all that, too.

"Well, technically the AgriCorps is part of the Service Corps."

“Okay nerd.” She canted her head to one side, studying him. “I hope they won’t try to pigeonhole you into being the cool guy gym teacher. Or whatever the Jedi equivalent of that is. You’re too smart for that.”

And on that note, they set off…

---

If Cato was stiff and slightly awkward, Inanna was the complete opposite. She had brought Serena along and was busy excitedly pointing things out to the toddler. “Do you see that drawing on the doors? That’s the symbol of the Jedi.”

“Is a bird with spiky hair and a long mouth,” Serena observed.

“Sure it is,” Inanna said, giggling. To be honest, she didn't know what the symbol was supposed to be either.

They entered the enclave, passed through customs (despite being classified as a lethal weapon, Serena was nonetheless admitted without issue) and conversed with the droid behind the security desk, who summoned somebody named Master Tsilla. Cato sat down to wait, and Inanna joined him, setting Serena in her lap.

The toddler was full of questions. “Is a school?”

“Yes, it’s a school for Jedi.”

“What’s a Jedi?”

“It’s a person who wields a lightsaber and uses the Force to help people, like your daddy.”

“Is Daddy going to school?”

“No, he already went to school before you were born. Now he’s going to be a teacher. That’s why he looks so handsome today, because he wants to look nice and make a good first impression.”

“Oh.” Serena looked around. “Am I going to Jedi school?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato hadn't even considered brining Serena along, until Inanna mentioned it. This would be as good an opportunity as any to introduce her to what Jedi life was like. The toddler was relentlessly curious, asking her mother a flurry of questions. Cato just listened with a smile, until,

“Am I going to Jedi school?”

He glanced at his daughter, then at Inanna. They'd considered Jedihood as a path for Serena before, but it was never something that Cato explicitly pushed for. He didn't want to pressure her down a path without her having some agency in the choice, "…Well… Not right now. But, maybe in a few years— If you wanted to— You could go into Jedi training." He shrugged, and offered an earnest smile.

Just a moment later, a voice from the left hall called out, "Knight Harth?" Cato turned to see a woman, a Mikkian, with coral skin and flowing head tendrils, standing at the threshold. She was dressed in thick, comfortable robes, her hands invisible tucked into the opposite sleeves. Her age was difficult to pin down, but she couldn't have been older than her early forties.

"Master Tsilla, I assume?" He stood up, and walked over to offer a hand.

"You assume correctly," Tsilla replied with a smile. She hesitated a moment before reciprocating his gesture, presumably having expected a slight bow rather than a handshake. She just chuckled genially, before continuing, "And two guests, I see?"

Cato nodded, "Right. Hope you don't mind that we turned this into a family trip. This is my daughter Serena, and my wife," He waited, giving Inanna the chance to speak for herself.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna let Cato answer that one. Serena's future seemed so far ahead, and yet it might as well have been barreling toward them at lightspeed. Whatever happened, whatever she became, Inanna wanted it to be Serena's choice. Cato seemed to agree, choosing his words carefully.

"Would you like to be a Jedi?" Inanna asked her, just for the hell of it.

Serena shook her head. "I want cheese."

"Well, you're in luck. I have some cheese for you right here..."

Master Tsilla arrived. For some reason Inanna had been expecting a male, but Tsilla turned out to be a Mikkian chick. She seemed a little young to be a Jedi Master.

"Right. Hope you don't mind that we turned this into a family trip. This is my daughter Serena, and my wife."

"Inanna," she introduced herself, also shaking Tsilla's hand. Now that she was actually faced with an actual Jedi Master inside a real Jedi Temple, Inanna found that she was rather tongue-tied, even indecisive. Did she really want to go through all this again? "I was a student of the Jedi, many many years ago," she said. "I've been considering... joining again."

Balanced against her mother's hip, Serena continued to savor her cheese, oblivious to what the grown-ups were talking about.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"I want cheese."

Cato snorted, "Always thinking ahead." That was alright. They had time. And cheese, apparently, "You brought that with you?"

They exchanged greetings with the Jedi master soon after. Tsilla nodded, "Oh? Well, on behalf of the Vonnuvi Enclave, we'd be happy to give you that opportunity, should you decide to invest in it," She bowed, then stood back up with a smile, "And this one?"

Serena seemed entranced by the gentle swaying of Tsilla's head tendrils, mid-bite through a piece of cheese. She'd never seen a Mikkian before. Her father chuckled, "Not right now. We're keeping her options open," Tsilla nodded once more.

"I understand. In the meantime then, perhaps you'd like a proper tour?" She gestured off towards the hall she came from.

"Certainly," Cato looked to Inanna once more, then began walking with the Jedi, "So, Master Tsilla, what exactly is it that you do here? Are you like the, grandmaster?"

Tsilla chuckled, and waved a hand in denial of such an auspicious title, "Hardly. The Enclave has no "grandmaster". I suppose the closest comparison to that would be Amani Serys, our founder. But I'm sure she too would very much reject such a claim. We have a small council of masters who have taken up leadership positions, but the chain of command isn't quite as rigid as you might expect. I'm a general instructor for younglings. I teach them basic life skills, and the sort of curriculum you'd expect in a non-Jedi primary school. By extension I've also become the unofficial 'recruiter' of sorts, for the Enclave." Which explained why she was the one leading them around now.

Along the way they passed a small group of padawans, who all cooed at the sight of a pudgy pink baby. Then, they entered a wide theater: there were seats and varyingly-sized tables spread throughout, as well as a long service counter, behind which was another room stored with food. This was the cafeteria, no doubt, and it seems the last of today's lunch-eaters had just cleared out; Seeing as the only individual in here was an odd-looking droid behind the counter. If it hadn't twisted around and waved a vaguely-limb shaped appendage at them, Cato would have mistaken it for a common machine.

"The canteen, as I'm sure you've guessed," Tsilla made a sweeping gesture at the space, "The Vonnuvi brings in meals for us each day, which is then distributed by our lovely lunch lady over there," The droid waved again, "You are of course free to get your meals elsewhere if you choose. But for our students who live here, it's an invaluable addition."

"Pretty clean, considering the function," Cato remarked, giving the place a look over.

"Everybody pitches in. We've a few droids obviously, but generally Jedi are expected to clean up after themselves and help keep the grounds tidy." Cato shrugged, unsurprised That sort of routine was drilled into him during his own youngling and padawan years.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"You brought that with you?"

“Yeah. Why, do you want one too?” Inanna held up the plastic-encased slice of cheese before unwrapping it and handing it to Serena.

But back to Master Tsilla, who proceeded to give them a tour of the enclave grounds. She explained that she taught the younglings and recruited new students. “Do you go out into the galaxy looking for Force Sensitives?” Inanna asked, stepping aside as a horde of Padawans passed through the corridor and smiling as they cooed and giggled at Serena.

The toddler was thoroughly entranced with her surroundings, the last bit of cheese nearly missing her mouth as she reached up to take a distracted bite. Her latest fascination was with the serving droid behind the lunch counter. When it waved to them, Serena waved back.

“Is the food any good?” Inanna asked. This tour was beginning to feel like an advertisement. She supposed the Jedi Master might not be able to help it—she had said it was her job to recruit, after all, and Inanna had said she was considering it. But if this was her sales pitch, she wasn't doing that great of a job selling the Enclave as a mystical learning experience. So far it seemed like any other educational institution, just with magic powers thrown into the mix. Inanna wasn't so sure she wanted to go back to school, even for the sake of honing her skills with the Force.

“What about your teachers?” Inanna asked, winking at Cato. “Do you have enough for all your students, or do you need more?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato grimaced at the slice, "I'm good."

Tsilla glanced back a moment at Inanna, and shook her head, "Not exactly. Most of our students are transfers from other enclaves, praxeums, or temples. If we do any recruiting, it's from within the Vonnuvi itself. With so many refugees and newcomers moving in, we're bound to pick up a few Force sensitives with an interest in training. And as a result of both those factors, the enclave has become quite the melting pot for Jedi and Jedi philosophy. My duty as 'recruiter' more often than not just means I'm the one giving tours and helping situate our new students." She gestured vaguely at the tour they were currently on.

Not wanting to dally in the canteen for too long, Tsilla began to meander towards the next hallway, which formed a right angle with the one they just went through, "Depends on what you think of Ithorian cuisine. Lots of healthy greens and fruits," She smirked slightly, "It's not all salads though, I promise. They make sure to keep things from getting too stale, and we get to experience cuisine from other cultures on the Vonnuvi as well."

With a wave of her hand, Tsilla ushered them out into the hall, but not before giving the service droid a slight departing bow, "We could always use more masters and knights," She glanced at Cato with a smile, "We're far from the most populous Jedi facility in the galaxy, though the Vonnuvi has proven a more desirable station than Knight Serys originally thought." It was mobile, but maintained a natural environment, and ease of access to an entire city on top of it. It wasn't hard to see the appeal of such a place, especially among wanderlusting Jedi, "We're small but committed. Close knit. Symbiotic," They passed the middle of the hall, which had another large opening that led out to the cloister. From here, they could see a class taking place on the main terrace. A Kyuzo Jedi (identifiable even from here thanks to his wide brimmed hat), was leading a group of students in lightsaber motions. "We'll explore the courtyard more soon." Tsilla smiled, "Have you had the chance to visit the biodomes yet? We like to take the students from time to time. Give them a chance to explore and study in some new environments."

Cato shrugged, "A little. We checked some things out when there was that big festival over Coruscant, but we've really only just gotten settled in to our new home."

Tsilla nodded, "I understand. Well, I'd recommend it. They make for lovely excursions." She turned around towards a set of doors right behind them. They slid open to reveal shelves of books and datapads, along with a few seats and tables for study or research, "This is our archive. Maybe not as grand as the one on Coruscant, but it's denser than it looks."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Depends on what you think of Ithorian cuisine. Lots of healthy greens and fruits."

One corner of Inanna's mouth curled upward in a half-smile. "I don't think much of it. But it's good that you have options. Not every student is an Ithorian, or a Human for that matter. There's bound to be different diet requirements."

Master Tsilla seemed open to the idea of new teachers, though the topic was touched on only briefly before she shifted to talking about the biodomes. Inanna wasn't fond of them. She understood their practical purpose, but perhaps because she had grown up on a lush jungle world, biodomes always felt more claustrophobic than comforting, a lurid reminder that she was inside a big metal box floating through empty space.

Well, a planet is just a ball of dirt floating through empty space, some might say. But planets weren't confined. You walked across the surface of a world, and it felt endless. It was too bad that very openness made them easy targets, too dangerous to live on in a galaxy that could go to war at any moment…

Lost in thought, Inanna was roused from her musings by Serena, who exclaimed, "Books!" right in her ear. They were in the archives, which were small and about the size of a community college's library.

"That is a lot of books," Inanna remarked. Serena had begun to squirm, trying to wriggle her way out of her mother's arms. Inanna set her down, and the toddler scampered off down the aisles, eager to explore.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Indeed. And we meet such requirements accordingly," Tsilla concurred. Despite its confines, something the Vonnuvi was not lacking in was variety.

The archive seemed largely unoccupied at the moment. Serena wriggled free of her mother's grasp and immediately began to explore the space. Cato rubbed the nape of his neck awkwardly, but Tsilla seemed to enjoy the display, "She is an avid reader?"

He shrugged, "She likes bedtime stories."

The Mikkian nodded to her parents, "There are far less productive hobbies to foster in a child."

Serena was scampering as far as her little legs would carry her, when she was suddenly bumped to the floor by a figure, who emerged from one of the aisles, "Goodness, dear. I do apologize," A very deep and creaky, yet gentle voice spoke. It belonged to a tall Anx man, with leathery gray skin and a hunched posture. He was draped in Jedi robes, and hobbled on a lightsaber pike he used as a walking stick, "Far be it from me to interrupt one in the pursuit of knowledge," He chuckled resonantly, and reached out a hand to help the girl up.

Tsilla smiled, "Master Vray is our librarian."

"Sorry about that, Master" Cato chuckled awkwardly, then called to Serena "You good, pinkie?" Vray waved off Cato's apology, finding it unnecessary.

"Can I help you find something, Miss…?" The Anx asked her.

While that exchange occurred, Tsilla turned back to the Harths, "So— Inanna. You said you were interested in rejoining the Jedi. Is there something in particular you were hoping to… accomplish? Something you envisioned yourself doing with your training and experience?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna kept an eye on Serena while Cato and Tsilla talked. But the toddler eventually ran right into someone before her mother could stop her. The impact caused her to fall on the floor, as the old man who had knocked her down apologized and reached down to pull her up.

Thankfully Serena was unharmed. She didn’t even cry. She just staggered back to her feet and went back to running around, her energy boundless.

“I don’t suppose you have any books that would interest her?” Inanna asked the old librarian, only to have her attention drawn back to Tsilla when the Mikkian asked a question.

"So—Inanna. You said you were interested in rejoining the Jedi. Is there something in particular you were hoping to… accomplish? Something you envisioned yourself doing with your training and experience?"

“Uh, I’m… considering it, yes.” She did have a plan, at least. Sort of. “I’m not entirely sure. I figured I would finish my training, get knighted, and then go back to my homeworld of Lao-mon to help rebuild it with what I had learned here. Or just in general, learning more about the Force would help me. I didn’t give myself much of a chance when I first enrolled in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant a hundred and fifty years ago.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Considering she was just toppled over by a big old dinosaur man, Serena handled it quite well. Toddler resilience. Rather a respond to either her father or said dinosaur man, she hopped right back up and just kept on running around. Vray chuckled, and nodded to Inanna sagely, "We have some books to entertain the younglings around here," He turned and walked down the aisles with purpose.

Tsilla's eyebrows ticked up at mention of Lao-mon. Combined with the information that Inanna was over 150 years old, the Mikkian pieced two and two together, "I see. I am sorry for what happened to your world. But your commitment is admirable," She pursed her lips a moment, as if preparing to say something else, but it never came.

A moment later, Vray reappeared with an old children's book in hand, "This one doesn't see much use among our ranks. Most our students are a bit too old for such stories," He held it up for them to take, and smiled, "Perhaps your daughter will find some value in it."

Cato nodded, "Thank you. We'll be sure to bring it back."

Tsilla clasped her hands together, "Well, shall we continue onward? I have a feeling you'll like our next stop, Mr. Harth. If our correspondences were any indicator."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"I see. I am sorry for what happened to your world. But your commitment is admirable."

Her commitment? Huh. Well, that was one way of putting it. Technically Inanna didn’t have to lift a finger to help, yet she always wound up doing something for her people or her homeworld. At some point it had stopped being about shee’an, protecting her family and friends, or taking revenge against the people who had hurt her so much. She had no idea when it became about goodness and doing what’s right, but now that she thought about it, it was sort of funny that it turned out this way. A century and a half of failure, crime, and punishment had culminated not in tragedy or sacrifice, but with her standing here, with a new family and a new life, contemplating a future she had thought long since closed off to her.

Inanna was smiling to herself when Vray returned with a picture book. She reached out to take it, thanked him, and then turned to Serena. “Ooh, what’s this, Serena?”

Serena’s tawny eyes got big, and at first she could only make excited sounds. “A book!” she finally exclaimed.

“Yes, it’s for you to borrow. You know what borrowing means?” Serena had never borrowed anything in all her two years of life, so probably not. “It means you get to read it, but once you’re done reading you give it back to the library.”

“Ok,” Serena said, a bit less excited.

"Well, shall we continue onward? I have a feeling you'll like our next stop, Mr. Harth. If our correspondences were any indicator."

Inanna glanced toward Cato, one eyebrow raised. What was it going to be? An obstacle course? A classroom? A meditation room? Well, probably not that last one, unless Tsilla was trolling them.

As the group made to leave the library, Serena kept frolicking among the shelves, hiding from her parents. Of course, once she realized they weren’t going to wait for her, she dashed after them, flailing her arms and whining to be carried again.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Tsilla gave Vray a parting wave, and the rest of the group took their leave of the library. Cato looked down at Serena and chuckled, before picking her up once more. They continued down the hall, reaching another hall down the right, while this one continued on for a stretch. Tsilla pointed down the continuing hall, where numerous doors lined the walls, "Those are the dormitories for the Enclave. But seeing as you all already have your own home on the Vonnuvi, I figure it's not worth wasting your time with a look." The mikkian chuckled, and turned down the right hall. There was another entrance leading to the courtyard cloister on the right wall, but on the left wall was a set of large bay doors that slid open. Tsilla stepped inside, "This is our hangar. Private space for the enclave. We've a few individual fighters, as well as a light corvette for team use. Though at the moment its…"

Tsilla trailed off as lights began to flash around the magnetic shield door. A white and blue defender class emerged from the darkness of space and dropped into the hangar. The whirring of hydraulic pistons dropped the landing ramp, and a group of Jedi stepped out. One of them, a Belugan in flight gear, stayed behind, offering Tsilla a casual salute before crouching down to tinker with his astromech droid, "That's the one. The Knight Errant. Our Jedi typically use it for terrestrial operations."

Cato whistled, "Very nice. Is this what you wanted to show me?"

Tsilla shook her head, "Not quite, though we can give the interior a look in a moment, if you'd like." She then gestured at a side door to their left, and opened it. Inside were tables, tools, and machines set up for a variety of uses, "This is our workshop. Where Jedi often focus their more manufactured pursuits. Lightsabers. Holocrons. Or more common gadgets." She shrugged, "Admittedly such things are a bit above my comprehension. And we've yet to find ourselves a dedicated Jedi Artisan."

"You don't have an artisan?" Cato asked quickly, almost cutting her off.

Tsilla smiled, as if expecting the reaction, "We do not. But we would certainly be on the lookout for one."

Cato looked to Inanna, now grinning himself, "I could be an artisan."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“It’s a starship!” Serena could be heard exclaiming as they entered the hangar. She waved to the Jedi and the Belugan who remained in the corvette.

But that wasn’t what Tsilla wanted to show them. Afterwards she led them to a workshop, and then…

"You don't have an artisan?" Cato asked quickly, almost cutting her off.

Tsilla smiled, as if expecting the reaction, "We do not. But we would certainly be on the lookout for one."

Cato looked to Inanna, now grinning himself, "I could be an artisan."

Inanna giggled. Cato looked like an excited little boy. In fact, he and Serena practically had the same expression on their faces. It was adorable. “You could be an artisan,” she agreed.

“What’s an artisan?” Serena inevitably asked.

“Somebody who makes stuff.” She turned to Tsilla. “Can he be an artisan?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Tsilla chuckled at Cato's childlike expression, "Well he certainly seems to qualify. Perhaps a more hands-on demonstration would seal the deal. But for the moment, I'm happy to-"

"I can do that." Cato jumped at the opportunity. Tsilla blinked. She was going to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his already existing credentials, but if he didn't mind then who was she to stop him, "Do you have anything in need of fixing?"

The Mikkian tapped her chin, "Right now? Well, if you're offering..." She stepped out of the workshop and whistled, "XP-4?" Tsilla waved over a small, bipedal droid who was watching the goings on of the hangar, like a kid stuck inside during recess. It perked up, and hobbled over to the shop, one of its legs obviously in disrepair. She picked the droid up and lifted it onto a work table, "XP-4 here had its leg damaged during a survey not long ago. We haven't quite had the time for anyone to really take a look at the poor thing."

The BD-unit chirped, and looked up at Cato with what could only be described as puppy dog eyes. Cato grinned, "Let me take a look..." A quick check on the busted leg revealed the problem, "Oh. Looks like a busted servo. Should be a quick fix." He readjusted the joint motor, reattached a few wires, and locked it back into place with a hydrospanner. It was only a few moments before the droid stood up, with two functioning legs.

"Nicely done, Mr. Harth," Tsilla smiled.

Cato rubbed his neck, "To be honest a simple repairman coulda put that back together. But hey, I did it for free, so that's a plus."

The Master waved her hand, "It doesn't matter. I was already sold on your capabilities. But now XP-4 gets a new leg out of it as well."

The droid wiggled with excitement, and hopped onto Cato's back, "Woah, hey there, buddy."

"It seems XP has taken a liking to you," Tsilla chuckled, "Come on, let's not delay your tour any longer. But welcome aboard, Mr. Harth. As our new head artisan."

The two of them shook hands. "Thank you, master. I won't let you down." He could already envision himself teaching shop classes for Jedi. Not a bad gig.

"Would you all like a look at the ship, or shall we head on to the rest of the North Wing?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Cato was eager to prove his skills. Inanna swooped in to take Serena so that his hands would be free.

The toddler pointed to the limping BD droid, the higher empathy of her Zeltron half kicking in. “He hurted his leg!” she cried.

“It’s okay, baby.” As she began to pout, whimper and sniffle, Inanna rubbed her back and kissed her brow. “Awww, you’re sweet. Watch, Daddy’s going to fix him.”

Rubbing her eyes, Serena fixed her gaze on XP-4. The repair didn’t take long, and soon the droid was back on his feet. “See? He’s all better now,” Inanna said.

Serena smiled and waved to the droid. Inanna was also grinning, because Tsilla had just given Cato a job.

"Would you all like a look at the ship, or shall we head on to the rest of the North Wing?"

“Starship!” Serena exclaimed, all her upset forgotten by now. “I wanna go in the starship!”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Tsilla looked to Serena's parents for confirmation, to which Cato shrugged, "Can't argue with that."

"The ship it is then." She led them over to the ramp and dipped her head to the Belugan, "Knight Rondo. Just taking a look around," He nodded to the Harths, then was interrupted by a small spurt of sparks from his astromech, who trilled in dismay. "He's another Jedi, and an avid pilot. Do either of you do much flying?"

Cato shrugged once more, "Wouldn't call myself an ace or anything, but I know my way around a starship." They climbed up the ramp, which led straight into the cargo bay, then ascended to a second level, where most of the inner functions resided. They stopped in a central conference chamber, with a large holoterminal in the middle.

"The Knight Errant is a versatile auxiliary base for our Jedi out on missions. It has a direct line to the Enclave. It's spacious and amenable enough for long-term group occupancy. It's nimble enough to be a starfighter, and strong enough to be a corvette." Tsilla folded her hands behind her back, and let them explore the layout.

"Nice ship," Cato commented as they wandered down the hall, "A bit bigger than ours," He smirked. Definitely bigger. Expy, who was still on Cato's back, look over at Serena. It's antennae pointed up curiously, and it chirped at her.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Down!” Serena demanded as soon as they were on the ship, flailing her arms and legs. The moment she was set on her feet, she tried to take off her clothes.

“Whoa, hey,” Inanna stopped her. “This isn’t our ship, baby. You have to wear clothes when you’re out in public.”

Serena whined a little, but then took off like a shot down the corridor. Inanna followed the sound of little running feet to the cockpit, where she found the toddler in the pilot’s seat. She froze.

“Serena,” she began. “Don’t touch anything.”

The two year old started to reach toward the controls. “Serena!” Her mother’s warning tone stopped her momentarily, but then she leaned forward and pressed a button anyway.

Cato Harth​