Binary Skies

Chapter 14: Progress

Anakin and Nakari followed Luke out if the Desert Jewel on Rodia after landing to place their order with Utheel Outfitters. To everyone's dismay, the Rodian they met was callous and cold, very unlike their first meeting with Taneetch Soonta.

Anakin eyed Luke's attempt to mind-trick the Rodian without success, and he was about to step in when their contact got a call on his comlink. His tune changed instantly and they were led to Soonta, who, after receiving their order and apologizing for the confusion at the landing pad, assured them it would be an excellent opportunity for the company to showcase its abilities.

As promised, the ship was upgraded and ready to fly by the next morning. However, since they didn't fully trust the Rodians, they stopped in a neutral system to scan for any bugs that may have been snuck onboard.

Once the Jewel was deemed clear of any bugs, they returned to the Alliance fleet to receive their mission.

They were now enroute to Denon with instructions to order from a noodle shack—owned by a Kupohan named Sakhet—Corellian buckwheat noodles with, and Anakin blanched at this detail, Rancor Sauce.

Their order would inform Sakhet who they were, and Sakhet would give them the information she could on the Givin prisoner Drusil Bephorin.

Anakin now sat in the pilot's seat while his companions were elsewhere in the ship. He was currently thinking back on the varied reactions of Luke and Nakari to the fact that they would more than likely be required to take Imperial lives on this trip.

Luke hadn't seemed too eager, and indeed even a little uncomfortable about the notion. Nakari, however, hadn't been phased in the slightest.

Anakin himself, being used to the casualties of war, would do what he felt was necessary, and that didn't always mean killing your opponent. It was a good skill to be able to render an enemy temporarily helpless than to just kill them. However, there were times when the kill was the only option.

Anakin trusted Luke to be able to do what he needed to for the success if the mission; the youth knew his boundaries.

The hatch opened behind Anakin, and he glanced back to see Artoo approach. Anakin smiled, grateful for the companionship.

Not that he begrudged Luke and Nakari their newfound relationship, but Anakin missed being able to freely speak with Luke whenever he wanted or needed to.

After all, even the "Hero With No Fear" got lonely sometimes.

"Hi, Artoo," Anakin said softly, patting his metallic friend's dome affectionately.

Nakari and Luke, meanwhile, were curled up on a couch together, with Luke showing Nakari his lightsaber and explaining how it had been his father's before it had been passed onto Luke by Ben or Obi-Wan Kenobi, recounting the stories he knew that were behind some of the scratches along the lightsaber as well as explaining what he knew about how lightsabers worked and were put together. He did his best to keep it interesting, not wanting to bore Nakari with his babble, but also excited to share what he knew with someone—Anakin already knew all of this and was the one teaching Luke. Now, Luke could share what he knew with someone else.

Nakari was far from disinterested, and as she leaned into Luke's warm side, she listened with rapt attention to all of his stories.

When he finished his latest account about his father fighting off a woman named Asajj Ventress, she sat up, looking at him oddly.

Luke cocked an eyebrow at the look the Nakari was giving him, one hand gently running along Nakari's arm in the same soft, tender touch he'd been giving her as he'd spoke. "What's that look for?" he asked curiously, pulling some of her dark curls out of her face.