I am Euphoria

The Pirat's Palace

When I close my eyes, she is still so vividly standing there on the rooftop of our building.
Wind in her hair, stars in her eyes, laughter on her lips and kindness in her heart.
How can someone like that be someone they say she is?

Stone

——

"The world is changing. The empire has taken over most core worlds by now." Maz sat next to me and brought me up to speed what I had missed in the past five months I had been in isolation. After my breakdown a few days ago Maz had taken care of me and Hayim showing me, that she could be trusted.

"What is with Kamino?" I asked and she chuckled. "Tipoca City got overtaken and is now running strictly under imperial supervision. Rumours go around, that the clones get replaced, most commanding officers got regrouped on Daro and Kamino's reign is ending."

That Tipoca City was in close supervision of the empire did nothing to me. But what did something to me was the knowledge that Drift, the shy cadet, I had embosomed over time, was somewhere out in the galaxy under the influence of a chip.

The sweet boy had taken over my heart in a matter of seconds from the moment he looked at me with those big, innocent, round brown eyes and I knew how much Stone had liked the cadet. Drift had been a very shy and reserved twelve year old, who reminded me often times of a younger, but less grumpy, Stone.

The last time I had seen him in person was the last time I had seen Leal months before the war had ended. I had played with the thought about adopting him in the event of the end of the war. But due to his exhilarating aging he must be nearly turning fifteen by now.

"But how did you find the worm here?" Maz and I looked at the sleeping baby in the old and boiled crib, which Maz had found somewhere in the city. "An old friend rescued him and gave him to me to keep safe for a certain amount of time. I had hoped to find another Jedi at a temple of the Jedi on Ahch-To." I sighed and shook my head rubbing over the scar on my shoulder.

"And then this execution commando showed up and I had to jump down a cliff." She hummed in response equally deep in thought.

"You two can stay as long as you want." She said and I tried to smile at her, but it was probably way more forced, than anything else. She jumped down from her chair and smiled. Her orange wrinkled skin contorted and she patted my hand.

"Maz?" I asked as she wanted to leave. "Yes, dear child?"

"Do you happen to know anyone with the nickname the 'Pathfinder'? In one of my visions I saw my sister...it's dumb, but maybe she did talk to me like Yoda. And I know you are knowledgeable in these things, so maybe..."

"I'm sorry, dear, I have never heard about such a person." The temporary hope I had felt these past few days since my jump in the sea got slightly crushed. "Although... I know someone, who may can help you find this mysterious guy."

I jumped to my feet and immediately the world spun around me. "Easy there, kid. You have to get well first." I grumbled annoyed, but laid back in the bed again. Hayim stirred in his crib, but just smacked his lips and slept on. "Then at least tell me, who I will be looking for."

"That is a story for another time. You need to rest and we have to start making plans. I will find your ship and get it transported here." Something knotted in my chest as I let her go. This feeling of despair clouded my senses even more than before and maybe Maz was right. I had spent months on a planet, without any real food and secretly thriving off of plants and small animals. I needed to regain my strength. That the water had taken me out that hardly shouldn't happen anytime soon. I needed to be laser focused if I wanted to get Hayim to safety.