"Moving On"
By: Jae Dyn Brael - Jedi-in-hiding
Location: Space
Date: Eos 16, 3 ABY
***
Sleeping on a starship was never an easy task. The air circulation was
never quite right. And, the beds were never quite as comfortable. But, it
was as it was. There was no use complaining about the recycled air or the
overly hard sleeping mat.
Jae Dyn Brael opened her eyes as the ship shuddered against some sort of
impact. She was out of her bed and striding toward the door before the hard
rumblings hit. The sound of torches against hull plates sounded down near
the airlock. Master Tal Dan appeared from the forward cabin. His long hair
flowed like a cape as he strode toward her.
"An Imperial cruiser," he said. "They knocked us out of hyperspace and
managed to get grapples in place."
"Should we get to the escape pods, Master Tal Dan?" Jae Dyn asked.
"We would never make it," the Jedi Master stated. It was true. With an
Imperial Star Destroyer right there, the life pods would not make it far.
"We must attempt to repel them."
With a flick of his hand, Tal Dan was holding his lightsaber. Jae Dyn
released her own from her belt.
"They'll get through the blast doors soon enough," Tal Dan said. "We must
be ready."
***
Stormtroopers swarmed through the charred blast door, blasters firing into
the corridor. The narrow corridor was filled with crimson bolts seeking to
destroy the two Jedi at the far end. Tal Dan, his cyan blade flashing
against the rain of blaster fire repelled the bolts into the walls and
troopers.
Jae Dyn's own violet blade worked against the bolts. Their movements were
precise and well-timed. Soon, the troops would overwhelm them with numbers.
Tal Dan waded forward, long blade slicing through the white armor of one
of
the stormtroopers who had braved to advance.
"Master," Jae Dyn cried out, "the walls!"
The walls of the corridor looked like a Nebanna cheese log after it had been
attacked by a swarm of nysann flies. Jae Dyn could see into the rooms off
the corridor.
"Ignore it, young Padawan," Tal Dan returned as he sliced through the
blaster of one stormtrooper. "The outer bulkheads are well-shielded."
Jae Dyn quickly put the perforated walls out of her mind and returned her
full attention to the wave of stormtroopers approaching.
Alarms sounded throughout the small ship. After sending a blaster bolt back
to its owner with her blade, Jae Dyn hazarded a glance toward the outer
walls. Near the comm unit, a weakened portion of the hull gave way.
Precious air screamed as it was pulled out into the empty space beyond.
More holes appeared in the outer hull. Walls began crumbling away. The
floor disintegrated below her feet. Jae Dyn looked around for Master Tal
Dan, but could not see him. The small vessel's alarms continued to scream
in her ears.
***
Jae Dyn Brael sat bolt upright as the wail continued. The helmet she wore
banged against the canopy of the small fighter she occupied. A quick
assessment told her the alarm was the proximity alarm alerting her to the
impending drop from hyperspace. She was almost there.
The stars, streaking by as lines of pure light, contracted in upon
themselves until they were once again just pinpoints of light in the
vastness of space. In the distance, Jae Dyn could barely make out the
spherical shape of the planet that would serve as her home for the next
period of her life. Tae'Karada. She had heard little of the planet, but
rumor indicated she would be fairly safe from the Emperor and his minions
there. She adjusted her course slightly and prepared for her approach.
The small ship she flew wasn't very fast, but it got her where she needed to
go.
"Now to find a spaceport," she told herself as she brought up a schematic of
the system. Looking over some of the information on the system, Jae Dyn
frowned, wondering if coming here might have been a bad idea. "May the
Force
guide me in this my most foolish endeavour," she added.
"On the Ground"
By: Jae Dyn Brael - Jedi Knight
Location: New Plouton, Tae'Karada
Date: Eos 16, 3 ABY
***
Jae Dyn dropped to the deck, her eyes warily taking in her surroundings.
She reached behind and activated the canopy on her Skyhawk. The soft whir
as the fighter sealed itself up was comforting. At least her things would
be safe for the time being.
The port looked like every other port she'd seen in the last five years.
Slightly rundown with an energy that threatened to bubble over into
something violent. Another quick check showed that there weren't any
Imperial patrols standing around. No immediate Imperial presence was a good
thing, especially with the Star Destroyer hanging in orbit. Perhaps coming
here wasn't such a good idea after all.
But, hiding right under the nose of an Imperial cruiser would most likely
not be expected. Only the insane would try such a stunt. The insane, and
desperate Jedi Knights.
Jae Dyn stepped away from her fighter and toward a man in a black coverall.
He raised his eyes to look her over and smiled. The man's coverall provided
his name: Blaine.
"Mr. Blaine," Jae Dyn began, "I'm looking to berth my ship here for some
while. Possibly a month."
He gave her another appraising look and snugged a stylus into one of the
coverall pockets. "Your business here?"
"Relocation," she said. "The weather here is much nicer than Tatooine."
He laughed. "For the month," he said, running the numbers down the datapad
he held, "it'll be one fifty."
"One fifty it is then," she said. Jae Dyn pulled out her credit slip and
handed it to him.
He ran a funds check and transferred the money. "You're good," he said.
"Move your ship into docking berth seventeen."
"Thank you," she said. Jae Dyn turned away, but stopped herself before
moving. "Do you know of any good places to eat? I haven't had anything
other than dry stores for the last ten days."
"There's a place that serves good food just out on the main road. It's run
by an Ithorian, but he's good at what he does. Makes a great bowl of
noodles."
Jae Dyn gave him a smile. "I'll get my ship moved and check it out."
***
Jae Dyn Brael set the large bowl filled with noodles on the table and looked
around. She felt like every eye in the place was watching her.
She put the stares out of her mind and took a seat. Clearing her mind, she
began eating the first real food she'd had in days.