STAR WARS: Gray Jedi

Chapter 19

The sound of children's laughter passed through the living room area, the echo of their footsteps dancing across the wooden floor as they entered into the kitchen. Destin's eyes slowly fluttered open and he could hear the sound of a door sliding open, letting the chilly morning area enter the house. He rolled over and saw some of Dedra's orphans exit the house through a back door past the kitchen. He rose from the floor and lifted the blanket form his body, spotting Bozin still snoozing away on the sofa beside him. 

"No running in the kitchen!" Destin heard as Dedra grilled some eggs on a pan. 

"Yes Mother," the children said in unison as they entered the back yard of the orphanage. 

As Destin entered the kitchen, Dedra gave him a, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Destin replied. "Are they always so energetic in the morning?" he asked.

"Oh yes. Every morning," said Dedra with roll of her eyes. 

Destin watched as the children began kicking a ball between them outside. 

"You should join them," she said. "Do you good to have some fun. Besides, breakfast won't be ready for a little bit anyways."

Destin hesitated, but he decided she was right. Stars knew he needed something to distract him.  Destin trapped on his boots, and followed the children outside.

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As Neema woke, rays of sun warmed her face, streaming through the sliding door windows at the far end of her room. She felt heavy as she tried to move her limbs from beneath her bed covers. They were sore and tight, and the back of her head pulsed with a feint headache. It took her a moment, but she recognized the polished, olive painted walls of her room. She soon remembered it belonged to Dedra's orphanage, the woman who generously took her in after escaping a First Order prison. She always liked this place. It smelt of lavender and memories well forgotten.  

Just outside, she could hear children playing and laughing. Intrigued, she slowly moved from her bed, feeling a little dizzy as she did so, but she quickly found her bearings. She grabbed the rolling stand beside her bed where an IV drip connected to the inside of her arm and glided it with her as she walked to the sliding doors in her room. She pulled back the curtains covering them and watched the children play in the dewy grass outside. To her surprise, she found Destin among them. He was...having fun. It was a nice sight, one she found lifted her spirits more than she thought it would, so much so, that she grabbed her jacket at the end of her bed, slid on some slippers, and made her way out to join them. 

She wasn't ready for the cold air that brushed her skin when she stepped outside, but she braved it anyways. It was the nice to see the children, and even though she may have been embarrassed to admit, it was good to see Destin too. Her memories before she fell unconscious on Nar Shadaa were still hazy, but she could still clearly see the glow of a blue saber in her mind, and Destin as the one who wielded it. When she first encountered him, she thought him a little innocent,  eager even, but now she began to see there was more to him than met the eye. He was reliable, smart, and a pretty decent fighter. If Destin had joined the Resistance, he would've proven himself a capable soldier. 

 "Aunty Neema!" one of the children cried, and all the rest turned to run to her.

Neema outstretched her arms, nearly falling off balance as she caught all of the children that rushed to hug her. 

Destin soon followed. "Hey," he said to her.

"Hey...," she replied with a smile.

Just then, Dedra appeared from the back door of the house. "Kids! Kids settle down!" she said. "Give her some room to breathe, why don't ya. Come. Go on in, get cleaned up for breakfast." Dedra shushed all the children inside. Then, she turned to Neema, "You should be in bed."