School is... cool?

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was studying. She didn’t want to be studying, but she was anyway. Her father was… she hadn’t seen him in the halls, but [member="Jared Starchaser"], her fighter jock brother, who might be the favorite because her father was a fighter pilot in the same Wing, was around though. They had dinner the other night. It was nice, but she couldn’t talk about what she was doing. Sure, the Underground stuff, and how she was flying transport for a group of friends, but not the Warden stuff.

She loved her brother. He was always there for her, but he wasn’t going to be a Warden. He had the Wing to worry about, and was helping to run some of her father’s classes here. Really, she thought he brought a class on ‘looking like you belong’ to the flight sims. He was probably not cut out for being an instructor. She snuck into one of his flight sims, and really, there was a reason he was a fighter pilot and she flew transports. Even in the Exalt mod to the sim, her brother was tearing it up in Republic style vessels.

Maybe she should take some time to do some work and actually declare a major. But she wanted her Levantine certifications… Who exactly was giving those out? An important company, she assumed, if her father and Jorus Merrill were in charge. The latter had announced he was a Warden, too! Granted, Kaia kept that quiet.

And while the galaxy was a big place, Kaia was making friends. She made friends in the Underground and in the Covenant, and a few classmates here. Sure, a few were younger, but they were still awesome people! And it didn’t really bother Kaia, everyone was so knew in the galaxy. She was finally getting out of her father’s bubble, but… she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be free of that.

Hell, she might even go back to working with the Dawn Treader, and that was most likely what she wanted to do. The ship was working within the Sanctum Defense fleet, and that meant if she was in the Frontiers Corps, she was living in the right fashion, if her home-ship was any indication.

Still, the girl had messaged a few of her friends to see what they were up to, and she knew Name-Twin [member="Kaili Talith"] was on Oswaft Station. So, she contacted her on Spacebook (that thing was sooo cool, they didn’t have that on the Treader, granted it was one ship, and not needing to be in contact across the galaxy, but still! Sharing everything??) and told her that if she had nothing to do, she was sitting in the mess hall. And by sitting she meant fuming and staring at the holo book.

Tapping a pen on a notebook, of flimsi, Kaia was doing things in a hard copy, something her brother suggested. She flew every day since she was like 12, when her brother first got into a shuttle, why did she need to know this stuff if it hadn’t shown up in like five years of flying? Couldn't she just get a droid to help?

That was what she needed! A droid that could tell her this stuff. And help with repairs.

Right, Kaia, stop doodling space-fish and learn your transport law.

 

[Kaili Talith]

The hyperventilation had stopped and the for all intents and purposes Kaili had finally started to seem like a normal person. Less overly excited bouncing back and forth as each corner proved itself as equally amazing as the rest of it all. It was a spaceship except bigger. It was a space station and just the fact that it was like a small artificial planet capable of sustaining life was amazing.

Which was not to say Kaili had never been on a station. She had, but she had never been able to live on one for an extended amount of times. It had almost become a weekend thing. Except it was stuck in reverse. She went home for them and stayed in school where it was all going good. Her pendant practically glued around her neck and with her majors dotted down and underway she was slowly learning all that she could about ships, how to steer them and also, medicine.

The latter of which she only picked because the life she was setting for herself called for the ability to look out for herself. Life aboard a ship meant the presence of a doctor wasn’t always guaranteed. To have a grip on such matters would help her and those around Kaili dramatically.

While usually at class today was different. Class was called earlier today for a reason that wasn’t really relayed to the students. All they could hope was that it wasn’t anything in particular, though it was no secret that the man’s wife was pregnant and due at anytime now. A month without school? They were teenagers, needless to say they could survive it.

Stepping out of the classroom she let her hand reach up to reactivate Henry’s voice modulator.

< “Gaaah! Finally!” >

“Sorry, champ. You know the rules.”

The robot never answered. He didn’t really find the rules an all too welcome change which he described as something in the style of ‘oppressive’ and ‘barbaric’. It still brought a smile to Kaili’s features.

Her pad chimed up. Message from Kaia? A familiar name, she had seen her around before. They had never really interacted all that much but that was easily fixable. After all, if it ever got bad enough they could always discuss ships. That was the core concept of the LAA after all.

Kaili entered the mess hall with little to no idea what the girl looked like. Blinking she turned around only to feel Henry prod away at her repeatedly before pointing away at a girl on the other end of the room.

That must have been Kaia.

“Hello.” Kaili approached her. “I am Kaili, and this is-”

< “Henry!” > The droid interrupted her before raising it’s left front leg towards the black-haired woman. < “Hit it.” >

Kaili raised her fist towards the droid’s extended limb. < “No, not you! Her! [member="Kaia Starchaser"].” >

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia spent her whole life aboard ships and stations. For her? This was normal. It was like living in Water World, but in space. Being on land? Sometimes that was cool, especially the tropical planets, but unlike her father, she really preferred the clean, recycled air of a starship and the blackness between stars. Sure, with Star Wars being what it was, the blackness was always really busy, but still, that was cool! She wouldn’t have it any other way. Enough people to run across, people to help, and of course, places to study and learn.

She was going for her certifications, maybe she’d get her Master Starship cert, but for now? She’d stick to her freighter and shuttle certs. The rest, once she was able to get a job for a respected company, that wasn’t the Covenant nor the Underground, no offense to either of those, but this little Warden needed something to pay the bills and give her a better cover story, instead of working for the Light Side Tree House Gang (This was said with the utmost respect and adoration) and the We’re Better Rebels Than You Club.

Still, she had to do her work to get to that step. But the work was lame. She knew how to fly. And she knew that most of these laws? They didn’t matter. Well, not until they were broken, but most were simple and self-explanatory. Anyone who broke them were a fool.

Make it idiot proof, though…

And yeah! She did kind of know [member="Kaili Talith"], but only so much that Kaia might be called a stalker. The girl really did fail social interactions. She was mostly all business and the focus on everything else? It sometimes got lost in translation. Working with the Covenant, though, she heard Kaili’s name and, well, it was similar to hers! So of course, Kaia wanted to learn about her sort-of-name-twin.

What she didn’t expect was a droid. That was so cool! She had an astromech that lived on her ship. He was… well, he got the job done, he wasn’t nearly as interactive as this one. Looking over at the younger girl, Kaia nodded. She made a fist and hit Henry’s extended leg. “Hi Henry! And Kaili! How was class?” See? Excited.

Over excited.

 

[Kaili Talith]

Henry’s voice module the sound of an explosion as he withrdrew his leg from the zone of impact. Kaili in turn giggled and looked at [member="Kaia Starchaser"]. She was older, perhaps around Aela’s age which made it all the more interesting to get to know them. That was not to say she didn’t know other people her age but every person she met seemed to be an indicator that Aela, for all that Kaili loved her as a sister, was a bit of the odd one out the way she kept to herself.

“It was cut short.” Kaili smiled as she spoke. “The teacher had to rush over to medical for his wife, or something like that.”

< “His, uh, rapid heartbeat and wide smile indicated joy.” >

Kaili slowly shook her head again and laughed. “Yeah, his wife was expecting. People tend to be excited for that if they want a family, you know.”

“Anyway, yeah, I was surprised to see your message. We haven’t really met before!” The younger girl said as she extended her hand. “I am Kaili Talith. I like ships and droids. Flying too, when I can.”

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was awkward. This was a thing that should be noted for future encounters. Her way of acting, physically and verbally was just… didn’t quite keep up with her peer group. But she was able to adapt, she was a Starchaser, she was a pilot. That was really her mantra. Still, the sound of the explosion and she kind of moved her fist back, like the droid did and imitated her hand exploding. Quick, choppy and awkward.

“Oh really? What class was that?” She didn’t think any of her instructors were having kids, but again, Kaia wasn’t going for a major. Not yet… Maybe some day. It’d be nice, right? To have that, when she could study during her long flights. If she could put down playing Battlefront ever. See? That was a Star Wars-ception right there. A Star Wars game within a Star Wars game. Tell me that won’t happen.

I dare you.

She smiled at Henry. “I guess some people don’t plan on disappearing…” She shook her head, cutting herself off there. No need to drop that baggage.

Taking the Talith girl’s hand, Kaia smiled. “I know. I just, saw you were around the station and not at Camp Covenant, and well, figured we probably had a lot in common. And well… procrastination.” She laughed. “What do you fly?”

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

“Medicine.” Kaili shrugged as she spoke. “Mostly to balance out all the design and navigational stuff I have signed up for.”

The girl paid little attention to the baggage that was nearly dropped. Kaili certainly wasn’t planning on disappearing. At least not until she had finished her education at which point she’d most likely not ever have a reason to come back again. Unless it was expected of her to do so, of course. Maybe she should have asked that before.

Then again, they should have said so too. Or something.

“I don’t really fly anything.” Stupid family curse. “I can, but I prefer to stick to navigation.”

The girl set her eyes for the floor as she shuffled her feet around. “There’s an uh... Family curse that makes actual piloting impossible unless I get help from others. Which sucks, but at least I can still be of use and navigate.”

“What about you?” Kaili’s brought her orange hued eyes up to look at Kaia again. “Do you fly a ship?”

[member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Oh right! They had people training for everything that would be needed aboard a starship. That was kind of cool, really. She could find someone who could be the medic, or the chef of a ship! That’d be neat. Her astromech was cool, but… y’know, astromechs. Right? I mean… they rolled and beeped. Not the best conversation, even if they were a challenging opponent on Battlefront.

“You don’t fly? How come?” Right, that was prying, Kaia. “A navigator, huh? My family does a lot of that.” Plus instinctive astrogation. On spice freighters. Yeah, that was canon. But they also flew. A lot.

All the time really, and with Corellia being all broken and Csilla being all Sith, they were going to keep flying, it seemed. Gotta keep flying.

“How does that… work?” Curse? Was it like if the Red Sox… right, that was another world, and that one was over. Never mattered now if they caught up to the Yankees. But still… It would be nice, some day. Overpaid pinstripers. “I never heard of such a thing. I don’t mean to pry.” Except she totally did.

Totes.

“A few, but my family kind of lives on starships. I was born on one. And I’ve got a fighter…” Well, two, but one was a Warbird Special, the other was a Twintail. “And a freighter, she’s my baby.” She was starship sexual, after all.

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

“It’s really sucky. Trust me.” Kaili said as her hand reached up to check the pendant around her neck. “I was told to never share it with anyone, but I figure LAA people are trustworthy enough.” The girl tapped at her necklace as she spoke. “This is the one thing that gives me a measure of control when flying. Without it I have to stick to navigation.”

“Which isn’t too bad, Instinctive Astrogation and all that. A friend showed me how to do it and I’ve practiced it every now and then ever since.” Kaili sighed as she paused for a moment. “I mean, I know it’s frowned upon and all that. The LAA has a hard on for ‘no force powers’ and all that, but I still do it every now and then.”

Because nobody could tell Kaili she couldn’t prepare herself for the future. It would be like telling a rancor what he could or couldn’t eat, or telling a weequay a joke. It just didn’t work that way. At least she hadn’t been caught yet, which in itself was a good thing. Probably.

“Like I said, I don’t have a ship of my own but since you know about my sister’s little, uh, ‘secret fun club,’ I can only assume you have seen the Rising Tide yourself at some point.” Kana chuckled as she spoke. “Yeah, I wouldn’t go for that size though. I prefer them more compact and easy, like my friend Mara.”

[member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

She really wanted to know HOW a curse happened like that. Did it mean any ship the girl tried to pilot would crash… or that she just didn’t know HOW? That second bit could be fixed… Unless it was a brain marker or something that was messed up. But then could Kaili drive? Like an airspeeder, or a landspeeder? “Still, navigation is fun. Kind of runs in my family, the whole instinctive bit.” Her last name WAS Starchaser, after all.

“It’s a useful skill, helps when you know what you’re doing.” Jared had to figure it out himself, but when it started to manifest for Kaia? “I think that not using the Force is kind of silly. I mean, I’m not in for any degree yet. Just certifications. Doing it backwards, but I mean, I’m going to fly with everything I have… Y’know?” And the rest, if a situation needed her to change, would adjust.

“I have seen it! She’s a lovely ship. But…” She nodded to agree with Kaili. “Too big. I’ve got the Wandering Star, but even she’s like… 125 meters long. But helps with moving people and cargo around. And everything else I gotta do.” Right. Shut up, Kaia. Make up a lie, or something. “OH! Mara! Mara Merrill, right?”

Kaia knew Mara.

Kaia knew a lot of people. She did a lot of flying.

Nomad-Hermit.

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

The way the curse worked was that it crashed all ships she tried to pilot, but since it was the one part she hated about herself she tended to never ever bring it up. As such [member="Kaia Starchaser"] would simply know that the Pendant around the girl’s neck was something she valued more than any other possession she had.

“Yes, Mara Merrill.” Kaili nodded as she spoke. “We’ve hung out since I was way younger.”

At least it felt like it. The two had known each other for a long time.

“She’s the one who taught me and a few other friends of mine how to do Instinctive Astrogation.” Kaili scratched the back of her neck. Sharing the part about wardens was out of the question. “We usually hung out around a Chop Sho- Garage on Ord Mantell, but there’s been a lack of activity lately.” Kaili sighed. “I suspect they’re all too busy with the Covenant or something.”

“Anyway, how do you know Mara?” Kaili tilted her head out of curiosity.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia just… she couldn’t comprehend that. Not that she needed to. It wasn’t part of her life, and really, she wasn’t going to press it. She wanted to know how it worked, and why, because it sounded awful. But really, that was because the girl was born star-side. Also, it meant Kaili wans’t going to try to steal the pilot’s chair from Kaia. Kaia was a bit selfish when it came to that. She smiled, though, about Mara.

She was interesting.

“Yeah the Covenant has kind of gotten a lot of people busy. I haven’t seen Mara in…” Well, it was a while. “Her father and my father work together, I guess.” Underground, LAA, whatever. “And well, she and I were talking about them, and instinctive astrogation and flying and stuff.” Real smooth, Kaia.

And yeah, you’re nodding. That wasn’t guilty.

“I think I challenged her to a dog fight one day.”

Clearly the best move.

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

The Covenant and Aela were one of the two big secrets around the dinner table, at least so far. It wasn’t exactly one of those things that you just went ahead and announced to your parents. Going all out and proclaiming ‘Oh by the way, I am fighting the Sith with all my friends’ was more likely to gain you a stern staring and talking to rather than anything else. Parents were afraid for their kids like that, perhaps.

Not that it was an issue with Kaili since she didn’t feel much like a member in the first place. An associate, perhaps, but not a full member. She had no urge to truly get out there and fight or even get herself involved, there were spacelanes to keep safe and pirates to quell. That alone was a real good reason to keep to herself and work on her droids.

Henry would most likely agree to that sentiment as well.

“Oh?” Kaili cocked her head in surprise. “Your father knows Jorus, huh?”

Was this the kid of a Warden? Kaili nearly squinted as if it would make things all the more obvious to her or if ‘Child of a Warden’ was a stamp somewhere on [member="Kaia Starchaser"]’s forehead. Obviously Kaili didn’t squint, but she kind of really wanted to.

“How’d the dogfight go?” Kaili asked to avert her curiosity.