Purge (Star Wars)

Connection

Ilyana bursts onto the ship ready to confront whatever threat is there but there is no apparent threat, just a great disaster. Boxes of supplies that had previously been organized and stacked neatly are now in disarray around the common area. Containers of spices are lying on their side, their contents having spilled out onto the kitchen counters or dining table. Dishes and utensils litter the floor.

"What happened?" Ilyana asks Greez and Cere who are standing frozen in the middle of it.

"I have no idea!" Greez yells, throwing all four of his hands in the air. "I was preparing the scazz steaks when suddenly everything was floating!"

Ilyana's eyes become wide as she realizes what has happened. She had done it again. The same thing that had happened back in the barracks. She looks over at Cere and is met with a knowing gaze. For a moment Ilyana is sure Cere is going to accuse her of something, as if she had done this to them on purpose. Instead, an almost imperceptible smile curls the corner of her mouth as Cere says "Let's get this cleaned up."

"Yeah," Ilyana says and nods. Then they both go to work.

"Get it cleaned up," Greez mutters from the kitchen, "Sure. Is anyone going to explain what happened? No. This planet is weird." He says, shaking his head, and starts picking up containers of spices until he pauses, lets out a long sad sigh and sags his shoulders. His scazz steaks on the floor, ruined.

Several days later Cal again meets Ilyana outside the Mantis just after dawn. Each day she had risen before the rest of the crew, a remnant of the Empire's strict routines, and used the time to breathe in the silence. Occasionally Ilyana has found herself missing her shuttle, the isolation of it, as the constant interactions among the crew are unusual to her and can be overwhelming at times. Under no circumstances, however, would she truly want to return to the Empire, even if it was possible. For now she waits, drinking in the quiet.

Cal had a restless night's sleep. Shortly before dawn, he heard the quiet sound of footfalls on the ladder to the lower level and a rustle as Ilyana passed his bunk. He knew she rose before him everyday, but this was the first time he was awake when she did. Though he tried for a short time to go back to sleep, rest would not come. So he went to the galley and made a cup of caf from an instant pouch. It tasted more like charcoal than any bean, but it would do without any other options.

Cal sat on the sofa in the common area and slowly drank his caf as he turned his troubles over in his head. The longer they stayed the more he worried that the boy would not return in time and they would miss their chance with the other potentials. Were they waiting too long? While they were here they were not able to pursue other missions that would bring them credits and without credits could they keep the ship flying? Was bringing Ilyana here the right choice? She had not had another episode like the cantina but as her skills with the Force improved over the last few days he wondered if he might be training his enemy, giving her the skills she would need to defeat him. Today was the day, today he would get an answer to that last burning question.

He sets the remains of his caf on the table and rises, checking his lightsaber, then unlocks and removes the electrostaff from its mount and heads outside. As he walks towards the door he catches sight of Ilyana, barely visible from this perspective, and halts. She had been standing there, unmoving, while he drank his caf but suddenly she jerked her head and looked over her shoulder as if expecting someone. Was she sensing his approach? No. It was something else because now she looks around her as if hoping to find something. Cal had seen this happen before, once during their first night in town as he left the gambling den and several other times during training or around the ship. It was as if something had distracted her. Cal waits till she is focused in front of her again before heading down the ramp.