Molly Losoda tapped Logan MacKenzie on the shoulder, smothering a smirk as the other man jumped.\u00a0 He\u2019d been absorbed in mournfully watching some of the ground crew from Shay Memorial move his freighter from the Legacy<\/i>\u2019s landing bay to the tarmac–so absorbed that he\u2019d missed the NRI agent\u2019s approach.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to just stand here, you know.\u00a0 You can<\/i> get off the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d he said, tearing his gaze away from his craft and focusing on her.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are we, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cXenen,\u201d Molly said simply, slipping past him and heading for the landing bay\u2019s yawning maw.\u00a0 \u201cGateway to the Kartuiin Sector.\u00a0 Seat of New Republic military operations in this area of space.\u201d\u00a0 She glanced back over her shoulder at him.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t you coming?\u201d<\/p>\n
He glared at her for a second, then shook his head and followed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll need to get my gear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone\u2019s taking care of that.\u00a0 I doubt you had much time to unpack, right?\u201d\u00a0 Molly jogged down the ramp the ground crew had maneuvered into position.\u00a0 She stopped once her boots hit the tarmac and waited for him to join her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea where we are,\u201d he said as he joined her.\u00a0 \u201cWhere did I end up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCloser to the Rim than the bright center of the universe,\u201d Molly said, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit\u2019s slacks.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you don\u2019t actually<\/i> have problems with Jedi.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shot her a wary look.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She spotted her mother vaulting out of the speeder, leaving a slightly bewildered looking Les Wyler in the front seat.\u00a0 Molly smirked and turned back to Logan.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s probably more Force users per capita attached to the Aurora Force\u2014that\u2019s what they still call the New Republic detachment out here\u2014than there are in any other New Republic unit out there that\u2019s not designed to be a strictly Jedi detachment.\u201d<\/p>\n
His nose wrinkled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cSomehow, I find that hard to believe.\u201d\u00a0 He slouched slightly in his jacket, a habit probably born of watching too many holofilms about dashing smugglers and rogues.\u00a0 \u201cHow does something like that happen?\u00a0 Accident or something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, there\u2019s an old story about that,\u201d Molly said, keeping a surreptitious eye on her mother even as she turned toward Logan.\u00a0 \u201cThe old timers still repeat it sometimes and it\u2019s an urban legend among the newer generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cStory goes that there was some kind of conspiracy back when the unit was created.\u00a0 It was supposed to be part of a task force to take the capital of the Minos Cluster–Aurora, hence the name.\u00a0 Torin Qel Droma was the commander back then, distant relation to the famous Jedi bloodline by the same name.\u00a0 The unit was maybe two dozen people at the time, a strike force that could be inserted into a locale, take it down, then move on to the next target.\u00a0 Probably half, maybe more, of that two dozen were Force sensitive.\u00a0 That includes Admiral Bridger, and she\u2019s been in charge of New Republic forces in the sector for\u2026gosh.\u00a0 My whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s a unit of Jedi led by Jedi.\u201d\u00a0 Sarcasm mixed with bewilderment and disbelief in his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cNah,\u201d Molly said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of non-Jedi.\u00a0 And, you know, normal people.\u201d\u00a0 She smirked, then gestured toward the diminutive woman approaching.\u00a0 \u201cBrace yourself.\u00a0 They sent General Rendar to greet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy should I\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
She grinned, then.\u00a0 \u201cShe used to be the head of sector intelligence before she told Airen Cracken to shove her commission where the sun doesn\u2019t shine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she\u2019s still–\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Logan frowned, brows knitting.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the kid with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLes Wyler, Jedi Knight and apparently her newest prot\u00e9g\u00e9.\u201d\u00a0 Molly patted him on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, she shot her mother a smile and pivoted on her heel, heading back aboard the Legacy<\/i> without another word.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
~ Erin<\/p>\n