Chapter 6
After catching their little thief, Hider and the Jedi returned the stolen goods back to Janice in the upper city. Master Darran explained the situation to the Twi’lek, who agreed to forgive Jun for his theft. However, everyone agreed the boy needed to atone. As punishment, Jun had to work at Droids for Janice for the next few weeks.
By no means was it a bad punishment. Jun would get the chance to learn from an Janice herself. Plus, she agreed to give him spare parts at the end of his shift so that he could finish his own droids. A questionable punishment to say the least, but it gave Lyra much relief knowing she’d helped at least one person on Taris.
Still, the reward was worth it. Janice agreed to her end of the bargain by contacting every store she had good ties with. After a lengthy conversation over a commlink, Hider was given discounts to various stores in the upper city. The Twi’lek also offered him another discount to the T3-utility droid she had in stock. A deal which he took, though he was still suspicious as to why she seemed so eager to get rid of the droid.
Evening had arrived. Hider had spent the rest of the afternoon buying the parts he needed. The sun was setting, and the four moons that encircled Taris began to show in the dark orange sky. The group had returned to the Omega with Hider already working on his ship. His first order of business was to repair the hyperdrive, which needed the most attention.
Sitting in the hyperdrive room, Hider began replacing torn wires with the new ones he bought. With him was Padawan Lyra Heartstrings, who remained at his side as he repaired his ship. Her master figured that it’d be a good chance for her to learn more about ship mechanics, so he allowed her to help. It was a decision that annoyed Hider at first, but he allowed it due to the Padawan’s curiosity.
“There, that’s another one replaced,” said Hider as he finished connecting a strip of cables to the hyperdrive. “It still not enough though. Lyra, you mind giving me more cables please?”
“Yeah, sure,” Lyra replied as she used her magic to levitate some nearby cables over to Hider. “I still don’t know why you bought these cables. What’re they even for anyway?”
“Many things actually. But in this case, these cables are needed to accomplish two things. First, it gives power to the hyperdrive before jumping to hyperspace. Then it sends a signal throughout the entire ship, which activates an inertial damper and a field generator to protect the ship and its crew during lightspeed travel.”
“Sounds very complexing. How did you learn all of this stuff?”
“I went to a pilot school when I was younger. It took me years to graduate, but I managed to get my pilot license and earn a degree in engineering.” Hider explained as he installed the new cables into the hyperdrive. “Pliers please.”
Lyra nodded as she levitated a nearby plier to Hider. “Sounds pretty rough learning all that stuff. Still, it’s nothing compared to all the things I had to learn at the Jedi academy.”
“I wouldn’t take it that way if I were you, Padawan. Underestimating the common man is foolhardy,” advised Master Darran, who was observing them both at the back corner of the room.
“Yeah, the last thing you want to do is to underestimate us normal people. Who knows, your butt might need saving from a non-Jedi one day,” chuckled Hider.
Lyra groaned. “Okay I get your point. Still, I wish you could’ve waited until that T3 unit showed up. It would’ve been a lot faster if we had that droid by our side.”
“What? And ruin all my hard work? Never.”
“Hider, I’m serious.”
“And I’m the Senator of Alderaan,” joked Hider, dismissing Lyra’s concerns entirely. “In all seriousness, I don’t want that droid messing around with my ship just yet. I’m still a bit suspicious of that hunk of metal.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because Janice never told us why the droid costed so little. Usually, T3 droids costs thousands of credits on different systems, yet she discounted ours twice! Don’t you all think that’s a little suspicious?”
“That does sound dubious, but I know little about the droid market, so I can’t say,” said Master Darran while rubbing his chin.
“I don’t know anything about droids either. They weren’t part of my studies,” said Lyra with a shrug.
“Studies, huh? Just what exactly did you study at the Jedi Temple? Since you blabbed about it a couple of times, why not tell me more about Jedi training?” asked Hider.
“What, besides how to use a lightsaber or the Force? There’s lots of things a Padawan can learn. It depends on what path they follow.”
“Wait, path?” Hider briefly stopped working as he stared at Lyra with a raised brow. “Okay, you lost me. What’s this path you’re talking about?”
“It’s…. difficult to explain, but I’ll try my best. You see, when a Jedi becomes a Knight, there are three distinct paths, or branches, that they can choose. The first is a Jedi Guardian [1], who’re basically front-line soldiers who specialize in combat training. You can easily tell a Jedi is a Guardian if he’s equipped with a blue lightsaber.”
“Guardians, huh? Like your Master?”
Master Darran nodded. “Correct. I was once a Jedi Guardian. But the Council gave me the title of Battlemaster once I proved my prowess. They also gave me the title of lightsaber instructor as well, making it my sworn duty to train students in the art of lightsaber combat.”
“Wait, Lyra isn’t your only student, old man?”
“No, that is a misunderstanding. Though I do teach other pupils, Lyra is my only Padawan. Most of my days involve teaching her rather than teaching other students.”
“Okay. But what about the two remaining paths?”
“Oh, well, there’s also the Jedi Consular [2] and the Jedi Sentinel [3],” Lyra continued. “The Consular isn’t a Jedi who focuses on fighting, despite having awesome Force powers. Their purpose is to maintain stability in the galaxy through diplomatic means.”
“So, they’re negotiators, huh? What color are their lightsabers?”
“Green like mine. But before you ask; no, I am not a Jedi Consular. Padawan’s aren’t given the opportunity to choose their path until they become Knight. As for my saber, it’s difficult to describe. Let’s just say I’m attuned to the crystal I have inside the hilt.”
“I…. don’t follow.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s only something a Jedi can understand.”
“If you say so. But what about the last path, these Jedi Sentinels? Who’re they?”
“They’re a class that specialize in civilian expertise. Not only can they use the lightsaber and the Force, Sentinels can accomplish things that many other Jedi can’t do. Intel gathering, computer skills, tech experts, espionage.”
Hider smirked. “Oh, I like the sound of that. So, these Sentinels are professional spies for the Order?”
“From a certain point of view, yes,” answered Master Darran. “As my Padawan said, Sentinels are jack-of-all-trades Jedi that combines both disciplines of the previous two paths plus other skills that don’t require Force sensitivity. They usually carry yellow lightsabers.”
“Yellow? There are yellow lightsabers? I thought they only came with blue and green.”
“There are other saber crystals with different colors, but they’re rarer than the usual colors you see. But enough about the Jedi paths. I believe it’s your turn to talk now.”
“Pardon?”
“Hider, you said you’d tell us more about the Exchange and your history with them. Considering all that we’d done for you today, I’d figured you’d share some important details regarding said organization?”
Hider raised a brow. “It sounds as if you’re trying to threaten me, old man.”
“Ah, forgive me if I seem ominous, but my Padawan and I would like to know more about this organization. If you have anything that can help us, please do tell.”
“And in return, we’ll tell you why were here on Taris in the first place,” said Lyra.
“That is if your explanation is sound,” finished Master Darran.
Hider let out a groan. “Fine, I’ll tell you. Just promise me one thing, okay. If I tell my history, don’t freak out. I’ve already moved on from my past, so I don’t need a bunch of Jedi judging me based on the actions I’ve took.”
“Judge you? Why would we do that? By the Force, what kind of connection do you and the Exchange have?”
“Because I’ve worked with them before. I’m a former Smuggler.”
For a moment, Hider almost regretted blabbing out his old lifestyle. Seeing the Jedi remain quiet made him squeamish. He could feel it; the sense of awkwardness and confusion that filled the air, and it was uncomfortable to him.
Master Darran was the first to respond. Despite the major news bomb, the Jedi Master remained rather poised as he leaned back against the wall. “I figured,” he said, calmly. “It would explain why you were able to purchase this freighter. There’s no other occupation in the galaxy can afford this kind of ship, at least not legally.”
Hider winced. “Hey, not all Smugglers deal in illegal activity you know.”
“I’m not saying that you’ve done those things, Hider, nor will I judge you for your past. But I won’t be surprised that you’ve found other discrete methods to earn credits. Perhaps finding loopholes or bribing officials suits you? After all, you seem rather knowledgeable when it comes to planetary law and finance.”
Hider groaned. The Master’s words pierced through him like a vibrosword, but at least the old man didn’t judge him too bad.
He then turned toward Lyra, who’d remained silent so far. But to Hider’s surprised, the Padawan showed no ill expression. Rather, she stared at him curiously with squinted eyes.
“When was the last time you worked for the Exchange?” Lyra asked in a rather suspicious tone.
“That was years ago. I haven’t worked with those guys since my final smuggling days.”
“Then why did those thugs attack you in the first place?”
Hider stuttered. “I…. did some things that got them mad at me. And I mean, really mad.”
“What did you do?”
“I cheated on them with some of the deals we made. Whenever I finished a job, they take whatever stash I got, and pay they me. But the Exchange doesn’t pay well at all, so I took matters into my own hands.”
“You cheated them by giving away the bare minimum,” said Master Darran. “You take a job and finished it, but you kept most of the goods locked away. When the deal is done, you took whatever stuff you had left and sell them to a higher bidder.”
“Yup, you got it old man.” Hider sighed. “I remember those days where I went on dangerous missions for the sake of money. When I started my smuggling career, I often worked with the Exchange as all newbies do. But like I said, they don’t pay well. And as my paycheck didn’t grow, I began getting frustrated.”
“But they discovered your deeds eventually, right?” asked Lyra.
“Yeah, they did. Somehow, they managed to find my extra stash and the other deals I’ve made with other businesses. The Exchange has a strict no policy when it came to their workers. As soon as they figured everything out, I was dead.”
“But here you are, alive and well,” said Master Darran. “Granted, you had one close call today, but you’re still here.”
“Yup, I managed to evade those losers. Nearly died during my escape, but I eventually fled to the core worlds. I’d figured I’d stay at Coruscant at least, since the Exchange doesn’t have a stronghold there.”
“So, what do you do now?” Lyra asked.
“When I arrived at Coruscant, I promised myself I’d never get into that trade again, so gave my old life up and became a news journalist. My job now is to write articles about the various planets of the Republic. It’s kind of boring, but at least the pay is good.”
“Well, that explains why you know so much about Taris. How long have you been here?”
“For over a week. In that span, I’ve traveled all over the planet, helped a few people, dug up some confidential information about the planet’s government, and even threatened a racist old man at gunpoint.”
“Impressive. Most impressive,” said Master Darran with a smirk.
“Don’t pretend to be impressed, old man. I know sarcasm when I hear it,” Hider rebuked. “Okay, I told you guys about my past. Now it’s your turn. So, do you mind telling me why two Jedi are out here on Taris? And why is Lyra so eager to find the Exchange?”
The room got quiet again. Hider hoped that either Jedi would be ready talk by now, but it looked like they weren’t so eager yet. He glanced over at Lyra for answers, but she paid no attention to him and instead stared at her master. “Uh, is anyone going to talk or what? Come on, don’t leave me out of this. I’ve kept my end of the bargain, so I expect you keep yours.”
“Your tenacity is most admirable, Hider. You’re not afraid that we might turn tail and run?” asked Master Darran.
Hider shook his head. “No, I’m not. Besides, betraying a promise doesn’t sound very Jedi like is it?”
“No, it isn’t. You seem like a trustworthy individual, Hider. And for that, my Padawan and I trust you.” The Jedi master then looked at his Padawan. “Lyra, would you like me to explain, or would you do the honors?”
“No, Master, I’ll do the talking,” said Lyra as her horn began to glimmer. From her tunic came out a small holo-recorder shrouded in a bright golden light. “Take this. It’ll explain why we’re here on Taris.
Hider paid no attention to Lyra’s words. Instead, his eyes were fixated on the levitating holo-recorder in front of him.
“Hider!”
“Oh, right. Sorry about that.” Seriously, what’s with that gold light? Is her horn levitating the recorder or is it the Force? Ugh, I guess just add that to my questions pile.
He took the holo-recorder from mid-air and activated it. As the holographic image appeared, he let out a gasp. In front of him was another alien akin Lyra. The difference being the lack of a horn on the forehead.
Hider listened carefully as the holographic image began to talk. It started out awkward at first, the alien looked like she didn’t know what she was doing. But she eventually gave the very details he needed.
“So, let me get this straight,” he said as he gave the recorder back to Lyra. “You are part of an alien species called, ponies. And you—along with your master—are trying to find this Sweetie Drops who’s currently traveling the galaxy with nine other ponies.”
“Yup, that’s about it,” Lyra replied, nodded.
“Okay, but that just leaves me with more questions. For one, this Sweetie Drops said that they’ve just recently discovered space travel. If that’s true, then how does that explain you?”
“I can answer that,” said Master Darran. “Or would you like to do the honors, Padawan?”
Lyra shook her head. “The floor’s yours, Master.”
“Thank you. You see, Hider, my Padawan’s story is a rather convoluted one. But let me start from the beginning. Do you remember what I told you earlier today, about Lyra’s introduction to the Jedi Order?”
Hider nodded. “Yeah, you said she came into the Order about ten years ago. This happened in Coruscant, right? Were you there when she was inducted?”
“No, I was off-planet at the time training students at a Jedi Temple far away from the core worlds. You see, the Republic Navy was patrolling Coruscant at the time, when suddenly an undocumented ship came out of hyperspace.”
“What kind of ship?”
“Nothing big. From what I read in the reports, it was just a transport ship. Anyways, the battlecruiser patrolling Coruscant took the ship inside its hanger and did a thorough examination. The engineers marked it as a Republic spacecraft built over nine centuries ago.”
Hider’s jaw slacked. “Nine centuries old? But how? If it’s as old as they say, then flight wouldn’t be possible, let alone light-speed travel.”
“That still puzzles me as well. To this day, none of the Republic engineers figured out how that ship remained stable for so long. But that wasn’t the only head scratcher the Navy had that day.” The old master paused for a moment, then he continued: “Take a wild guess, Hider. What else do you think the Navy discovered inside that ship?”
“Aside from old rusted technology? I’m not sure what you’re getting at, old man. It’s not like there was anything alive inside that…. ship.” Hider fumbled mid sentence as the truth popped in his head “It was Lyra, wasn’t it? She was discovered inside that ship.”
“Your insight serves you well. When the Navy did a full scan of the spacecraft, they discovered my Padawan alone in the ship’s cockpit, crying.”
“Alone, huh. Dang, it sounded like she was scared. But how did Lyra get inducted into the Order?”
“Two Jedi Masters by the names of Zez-Kai-El and Kavar were present on that cruiser. They sensed Lyra’s strong connection to the Force and decided to take her to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.”
“The Council had some doubts about me, seeing that I was an undiscovered alien species,” Lyra said. “I remember that day I stood before them, alone and afraid. It took some convincing, but eventually, the masters decided to take me in.”
“That doesn’t explain how you managed to get to Coruscant, Lyra. How were you able to travel to the core worlds when the rest of your species hasn’t shown up till now? And where did you manage to get a nine-century old Republic ship?”
“That story’s even more complicated than the first.” Lyra paused for a second, then continued: “I’ll tell you, but bear with me. There’s a lot I need to cover.” Before she could continue though, a loud beeping sound echoed inside the room.
“What is that?”
“An alert. Someone’s approached my ship.”
“Who do you think it is?”
“My holopad is linked up to a camera on the ship’s boarding ramp. Give me a moment. I’ll see who our visitor is.” Hider reached inside his jacket and turned on his handheld device. On the screen was the T3-utility droid from Droids by Janice. “The T3 unit is finally here. It’s waiting outside the ship right now.”
“That’s great! Let’s go greet him then.”
Hider rolled his eyes. “Don’t call it a ‘him’ Lyra. Droids aren’t humans. Besides, it’ll have to wait out a bit longer. I still want some questions answered first.”
“Okay. What kind of questions?”
“Just one. Why were you so worked up about the Exchange? Back in the port lobby, you got all anxious when I mentioned who those thugs worked for. Why is that?”
Lyra hesitated. She turned to her master for guidance, though much to her relief—and Hider’s—he gave a nod of approval. “We have evidence to suggest that the Exchange had found the missing ponies,” she explained. “They’re currently being held captive on the planet, Ord Mantell.”
Hider raised a brow. “Ord Mantell? That’s out in the mid-rim. Why are you here on Taris if your destination is over there?”
“We couldn’t get a direct flight to Ord Mantell, so we had to make a stop here,” answered Master Darran. “The next flight to our destination wasn’t until later this evening, so my Padawan suggested we go sightseeing. You know fully well what happened next.”
“I see. How about this? Instead of waiting for your next flight, why don’t I take you both over to Ord Mantell now?”
“Excuse me?” asked Lyra.
“You Jedi are on a mission, right? Staying here on Taris isn’t going to do you guys any good. Besides, you’re on an important rescue mission. It’s better that you leave now than wait hours for some slow passenger ship. The Exchange is an organization filled with dirty scumbags. There’s no telling what those guys might do.”
“You’re offering your services to us?” asked Master Darran, suspiciously. “Why? What’s the catch?”
Hider shook his head. “There’s no catch. Think of it as payback for your timely rescue of me, and for your honesty.”
“What about your current job?” asked Lyra.
“I have time for a detour. Plus, Ord Mantell isn’t too far off from Coruscant. I’ll just drop you guys off and we’ll go our separate ways.”
“I don’t know about this. Master, what do you think?”
“I don’t mind at all,” replied Master Darran with a shrug. “I don’t sense any ill intent, and he seems honest with his words.” He paused briefly to look back at Lyra, who seemed rather alright with the proposal now that he approved of it. “Very well, Hider. We’ll take your offer.”
“Thank you, Master Jedi.” Looking back at the hyperdrive, Hider bent down and plugged in the last string of cables to the device, causing it to roar with life. “Alright, the hyperdrive’s repaired. Let’s go greet our little droid so we can get off this planet.”
He and the Jedi left the room and walked down the Omega’s main corridor to the boarding ramp. As they got close to their destination, Hider noticed a strange noise echoing across the corridor. “Do you hear that?” he asked.
“Hear what?” said Lyra.
“That noise. Come on, can’t you all hear that?” Hider kept quiet for a second, allowing the Jedi to take in the noise.
“Yes, I hear it now,” said Master Darran. “It sounds as if someone is drilling something.”
“But no one’s here on the ship except us. You think someone boarded the ship, Master?” asked Lyra.
“Someone came on board?” Hider went quiet. Who else could’ve boarded his ship? He specifically authorized that no one board unless given clearance from him. A request he made clear to the port owners after The Omega was robbed.
“Hey. I think the noise is coming from the boarding ramp,” Lyra continued.
“She’s right. The sound is definitely coming from the ship’s entrance,” replied Master Darran. “And I’m starting to figure out who our little boarder is.”
“What? Who?” Hider asked with wide eyes.
“Think, Hider. Your ship’s boarding ramp was left unattended; and a minute ago, you got a notification that the droid had arrived. Who else could it be?”
Hider gasped. The Jedi Master’s words made sense. Though he authorized that no one board but himself and the Jedi, there was one thing he didn’t account for.
The T3 utility droid boarded on its own.
“Why that little piece of junk!” Gritting his teeth in anger, Hider darted for the boarding ramp, praying that the droid didn’t ruin his precious ship even further. As he arrived at his destination, he and Jedi Master’s suspicions were correct. The T3 utility droid had already made its way inside the ship; and apparently, it was drilling the walls on its own.
“Hey, droid!”
The droid honked in confusion.
“Yes, I’m talking to you, droid! Stop working for a second and face me.”
T3-G4 beeped in annoyance as it regrettably followed Hider’s instructions.
“Don’t give me that attitude. You are the one who barged into my ship without me knowing. Why didn’t you wait outside?”
T3-G4 hooted in response, berating Hider with a series of beeps.
“Well, sorry for being late. I didn’t know you droids followed a strict schedule.”
T3-G4 didn’t want to hear it. It let loose a series of chirps and beeps directly at Hider.
“Don’t you dare insult my baby like that. I have you know, I took care of her for years without a droid by my side. So, I don’t need a piece of scrap like you criticizing my work!”
Amused, T3-G4 responded with a sarcastic beep.
“Why you little!” Angered, Hider reached inside his jacket and pulled out his pair of blaster pistols. “Say that again, droid, I dare you. The second I hear one more insult, I’ll blast you into scrap metal!”
T3-G4 responded by pulling out his own blaster pistol with his multifunction arm, pointing it directly at Hider.
“What’s going on here?”
Hider winced as Lyra’s voice rang inside his ears. He turned his head around and saw that both Jedi were standing behind him, with the Padawan staring at him with wide eyes. “Hider, what are you doing?” she asked. “Threatening the droid with your weapons, seriously? I thought you were better than this.”
T3-G4 chimed innocently as it attempted to hide its pistol.
“Don’t you play innocent on me, droid. You pulled out your weapon too,” berated Hider.
“Both of you, calm down. There’s no point in starting an argument when you just met,” cautioned Master Darran. “Hider, please, put your weapons away and leave the droid be.”
“Master Jedi, that thing is the one who started this mess in the first place!”
T3-G4 beeped furiously as it once again aimed its pistol at Hider’s head.
“I’m full of what now? Who taught you that kind of language?”
“Enough bickering!” shouted Master Darran. “Both of you, put away your weapons, now! And T3 unit, stop it with the insults. I will not have you spout such vulgar language.”
Hider groaned as he put his blaster pistols back in his jacket. He stared at the T3 unit and scowled. Damn that piece of scrap metal. And damn that shop owner too. She knew this droid had issues from the start. That’s why she sold it at a low price in the first place!
“Uh…. Hider? What did the droid just call you?” asked Lyra.
“Excuse me?”
“The droid called you something, didn’t it? What did it say?”
T3 beeped curiously at Lyra which caused Hider to snap at it.
“Hey, don’t call her that you tin can. Lyra’s a Jedi, so you better show her some respect.”
Lyra tilted her head. “Wait, what? What did it call me?”
“Padawan, what that droid said is none of your concern,” replied Master Darran.
Hider raised a brow. “Wait a second. Master Darran, your Padawan doesn’t understand droid binary?”
The Jedi Master shook his head. “No, she doesn’t. Aside from her regular Jedi training, Lyra’s studies had other priorities. She knew little of the galaxy, so we drilled her on subjects we deemed important.”
“Important, but boring. Learning about galactic history and the different types of alien species was interesting, but I wouldn’t call it fun,” said Lyra.
“Be fortunate you got something out of it, Padawan. But regarding the droid, why is it acting so childish? Never in my life have I seen a machine act like this. It’s as if it has a personality of its own.”
“You aren’t far from the truth, old man. T3 unit droids can develop their own personality and behavioral traits over time. Only by giving it a periodic memory wipe can owners can avoid such a hassle,” explained Hider.
“If that’s true, then how did this droid avoid it’s wipes?” Lyra asked. “Wasn’t Janice responsible for something like that?”
T3-G4 gave a disturbed enthusiastic chime as it pulled out another weapon from its access port. One which Hider recognized.
“A flamethrower? You threatened to set her on fire!”
Lyra ears drooped. “Oh, Force. Sorry I asked.”
Master Darran sighed. “I can see why Janice was so eager to get rid of it. Well, with its rudeness and sociopathic tendencies aside, we must not delay any further. Ord Mantell is still our top priority.”
“Yeah, I know,” Hider replied with a groan. Guess I’ll deal with the droid’s schizophrenic at another time. “I’ll go ahead and get the ship moving. The sooner we leave this planet, the better.”
“Doesn’t your ship need more repairs before taking off?” asked Lyra.
“It’ll be fine as long as the hyperdrive and the navi-computer are still working. I’ll fix the rest of the ship later when we get to Ord Mantell.”
T3-G4 let loose a series of annoyed beeps.
“No, rust bucket, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m just used to working alone rather than rely on droid for help. Just do whatever you’re programed to do and not mess up my ship. Believe me, I’ll know if you do.”
T3-G4 replied with a more aggressive beep.
“Look, I don’t care what name you want to go by, alright. But if calling you that prevents you from incinerating me, then so be it.”
“What did it say now?” Lyra asked.
“The little sociopath wants me to call it by its name, Geefour. Not Teethree, because it doesn’t want to be confused with the other T3 utility droids.”
“Sounds simple enough,” said Master Darran with a shrug. “Ah, before I forget, may I ask if there is any room on this ship large enough for my Padawan and I can use for sparring sessions, Hider? I’d like to get some drills done before we rest.”
“The garage might be big enough for you guys. Just head down the corridor and it’ll be on your right. Watch out for the speed bike though. I don’t want you guys to accidentally destroy it with your lightsabers.”
“Noted. Alright, Padawan, meet me in the garage in a few minutes.”
Lyra beamed. “Of course! Oh, but can you wait for me a little bit, Master? I want to join Hider at the cockpit, if that’s alright with him.”
Hider shrugged. “Sure, I don’t mind. But why do you want to go to the cockpit with me?”
“It’s been years since I sat at a ship’s cockpit; and to be honest, I want to see what it’s like for a ship this fancy to take off.”
Hider cracked a smile. “So, you want to witness The Omega in all its glory, eh? Sure, I don’t mind. Not everyone gets to see a dynamic class freighter in action, let alone be in one. What about you, old man? You wanna join us?”
“I’ll pass,” replied Master Darran as he shook his head. “Padawan, come meet me in the garage when you’re done, alright.”
“Will do, Master. So, Hider, where’s the cockpit?” Lyra asked.
“Just follow me. I’ll lead you.”
Together, Hider and Lyra walked along the ship’s corridor to their destination. It didn’t take them too long to get there. The cockpit was a short walk from the hyperdrive room, just past the main hold. As they reached their destination, Hider sat at the captain’s chair. He then punched in several buttons on the navigation board, causing the ship’s engines to roar with life.
He smiled. “Ah, I love that sound. Hearing my baby roar always makes me happy.”
“Are you always this obsessed with your ship?” Lyra asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“You’ll understand when you own your own freighter, Jedi.”
“Attachments are not the Jedi way,” Lyra rebuked.
“Whatever. Just sit down and enjoy the view.”
Hider pulled the steering wheel back, allowing the ship to slowly lift into the air. Once he’d got a notification that the Omega’s landing gear had retracted, he moved the ship out of the hanger garage and into the orange Tarisian sky.
“It’s beautiful,” said Lyra as she admired the view.
“The one benefit of being a space pilot. You get to see scenery like this,” replied Hider.
The Omega zoomed past the planet’s atmosphere and eventually made its way into the emptiness of outer space. The way was clear. All that Hider needed to do now is enter hyperspace. But as he prepared his ship for lightspeed, he couldn’t help but ask Lyra one last question.
“Say Lyra, you said that you’ve been with the Order for ten years, correct?”
Lyra nodded.
“If that’s true, doesn’t that mean you’ve been away from your home for ten years?”
Lyra shook her head. “There’s no home I can go tor The Republic hasn’t found any trace of it in the galaxy. Technically, it may have been discovered centuries ago, but there’s no record of it.”
Hider groaned. “Remind me that you still need to clarify your past a bit more. But seriously, what are your plans after we rescue the ponies? They likely have the coordinates to your home. Do you plan on heading back with them or are you staying with the Jedi?”
Lyra didn’t reply. Instead, she only stared at Hider with wide eyes.
“Based on that look, I’d say you haven’t given it much thought, huh?”
“No, I haven’t,” Lyra replied admittingly as she shook her head.
Hider sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ask such a touchy question. Well, don’t dwell on it. You got the time to think it over. Just focus on the mission for now.”
Lyra nodded. Her head slumped solemnly, avoiding direct eye contact. Seeing that she was no longer in the mood for talking, Hider decided that it was best to leave her alone for now. Without saying another word, he pressed several buttons on the ship’s navi-computer, allowing the Omega to jump to lightspeed.
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Huh, what will she do when she finds her fellow ponies? Quite a conundrum.
(This story exists)
Me:
i.imgur.com/ZLXQYyS.jpg
9615949
lol
Wow, that T3 has some issues.
How deep into Legends material are we going?
9620195
Deep. This is KOTOR era. Mandalorian Wars is just now starting to escalate.
9620208
Guess I have some reading up to do. Kinda forgot about this stuff once it was declared Legends.
Okay, it is official. The Administration shall monitor this world.