Star Wars- In another Life.

Epilogue

The planet Geroon deep in the unknown regions, had been chosen as the meeting place. Shai had specifically selected Geroon because this planet was where she had collected her charge from the great Jedi Master himself, Luke Skywalker. Shai was a gatherer, or had been all those years ago when Luke had trusted her with her sacred duty. Once Shai had felt capable of protecting the precious ward placed in her care, thankfully, she was still a master of espionage and with enviable technology skills; she could slice her way into any system. Shai's combat skills had been similar to those of a bounty hunter or Mandalorian in her youth, but that was then; now, Shai felt old in her bones. Her body ached at tasks that had once been simple; she felt thin and tired. The time had come, her ward had sensed something in the Galaxy, something new and strong and had called out, and the call had been answered. It seemed only fitting to return her charge to the Jedi on the same planet she'd collected him from. Shai felt relatively confident about the meeting point. The blue-green world of Geroon had been relatively peaceful since Thrawn's demise, and the Chiss had ended the native Geroon's brief moment of slavery.

Shai's Auzituck anti-slaver gunship entered Geroon's atmosphere. She'd forgotten how beautiful it was- lush green landscapes, peaceful lakes and rivers that flowed into warm seas. In one of the only large spaceports, a tavern on the planet was where Shai was headed. It was safer to be somewhere with a lot of life; meeting somewhere isolated was far too risky. Shai landed her ship in one of the maintenance yards; mercifully, no repairs were required, just a refuel. She checked her weapons, blaster on each hip and knives in her boots. She wasn't taking any chances before departing for the tavern.

It was dim inside the tavern, as all taverns should be. Low artificial lights barely lit the recesses. Shai went to the barkeep and got herself a drink as she looked around. Some native Geroons sat around a table, there were humanoid workers, and pilots sat in chairs drinking as they discussed potential jobs. It was a shadowy figure in the recesses of the tavern that caught Shai's attention. The figure seated in a secluded booth garbed head to toe in black. The sleeves of the robes were wide, but beneath, Shai could make out a tight black tunic. A deep hood hid every inch of their physical appearance. Man, woman, alien, there was no way to tell. They sat casually relaxed, leaning back on the booth's backrest, one foot raised upon the seat, arms stretched across the back. All the patrons gave the stranger a wide birth gathered at the other end of the bar. Shai knew instinctively that this robed stranger was whom she'd come to see, but she would take no risks, not with her ward.

She approached the table cautiously; the figure didn't move, not even a twitch of the caped head to acknowledge her presence had been noted.
"Force be with you, friend," she said.

The figure turned to her, but she still couldn't see anything of the face within.
"And also with you," the voice was smooth, like water rippling over stone, calm and deep; a man's voice.

"I am Shai. Are you the one who heard our call?"

"We did. I can feel them now; they're here on this planet. It was wise not to bring them to this tavern. My name is Brayden," the hooded stranger replied, his face still hidden in the shadow of his flowing robes.

"That's not the name of the one we were expecting," Shai replied, suddenly anxious. She turned to walk away, angered and fearful by the risk she'd taken and the time she'd wasted.

"Wait," the robed figure stood, hand outstretched, and Shai turned.

The man raised his outstretched hand to throw back his hood, and Shai saw the man beneath. He was young and tall. His features were sharp, defined and handsome, his nose straight, his jaw angular. His eyes were dark as was his hair that fell almost to his shoulders in waves framing his face. Now standing, she saw the lithe and agile body beneath his robes, and she could see a weapon she'd not seen for decades attached to his belt. She took a nervous breath, knowing if he wanted, she could be dead in moments.