Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 0:41:50 GMT -5
Snippar Sol had walked towards the city Grounds and and training facility. In doing so he shouted. ''I Snippar Sol shall take this rank of Saiyan Monarch and vow to defend the Prince and bring him home to lead our infinite Empire!'' As Snippar Sol thought of this, he thought back to a mores serious time in his younger days. A cold sweat enveloped her body, her limbs jerking and twisting in the sheets as she tossed and turned. Something or someone was calling her - something familiar - something close. With a gasp, Radasha jerked awake from her deep slumber, fingers grasping the bed sheets tightly and her chest heaving. Glancing to her side towards her snoring Husband, she pushed herself to the edge of the bed with a cringe and grasped her chest. The message played through her mind as though it were still speaking to her. “Kanasa?” She murmured softly, rubbing her tired face. “Kanasa…” Radasha cringed, pushing herself to stand. It had been days that her sleep had been interrupted with visions of the frozen planet. Familiar feelings not felt for years whispered to her through the Force in her dreams. The platinum haired woman pondered whether it had been her injuries causing such unrest -- but she knew better than that, the Force was calling her. Someone needed help. “W-wake up.” She shoved Xai. A grunt bellowed in response. The woman sneered, clutching at the blankets and pulling them off the man’s body. “I need you to fly me! Wake up!” This time the man stirred. Autumn colored eyes groggily stared in confusion at the woman through the darkness but there would be no questioning or arguing with her.
Clutching her dark colored robes, she wrapped it around her bandaged body. “We’re going to Kanasa.”
The man pushed himself up from the couch and pointed a finger at his child "You're in charge of making sure your mother gets enough sleep, young lady, alright?" The child have a mock salute, which the man returned with a smirk. He finished off his tea and set it down onto the table before heading down to the exposed cargo bay door. With one of his three remaining smokes still in his hand, he stepped down into the defensive position directly outside of the cargo bay door. He glanced at his wife and nodded "Your turn to sleep." He took a calming breath of his stick. He didn't notice how stressed he was until a few moments ago. It wasn't his lack of faith in his abilities that made him nervous: it was the complete helplessness he felt. The inability to protect his family are at him constantly, and the upcoming shortage of death sticks was only going to increase the tension. He was never much of a smoker before, but after expanding the pastry shop to late night hours, he found that a lot of customers would bring him quality smokes as gifts. In that time, he had become a connoisseur of sorts. There was even a crate filled with them somewhere in the back, but he wasn't stressed to the point of needing to go rummaging through their stuff just yet.
She glanced at him when she heard his voice. There was a hint of dark circles starting to show under her eyes. Something that had not adorned her features in years. There were multiple layers of stress for her. There was the reuniting of the force. There was the education that her daughter would need. There would be the return of the soldier, not that he had ever left, but that side of him had been pushed down for years. It had not been a necessity. But now, just being back, she could see him peeking out. She uncurled her legs from under the robe that she was wearing and let it fall around her legs as she stood. She had been using the force to keep her warm, not wanting to get into the mindset of armor again. Even though, she knew it was coming. There was just a hint of sadness in her voice as she stepped closer to him. “I am not tired.” Her appearance didn’t match the words, but she said them anyway. She brushed against him as she moved inside. “I love you.” As she reached the inside, their daughter stood in the center of the room, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a book in her hand. She was being informed of the bedtime they were about to have and all she could do was smile faintly at the child and follow orders. “Yes, little Love. Let’s go read.”
The man looked up from his makeshift heater as something jarred him from his sentry trance. Noise. Loud, high pitched. Getting louder every second. Someone was coming. It definitely wasn’t a star ship, it was a speeder. He got up from the bench and pulled his helmet over his head, flicking the stump of his smoke into the snow to conceal the heat signature before slowly walking out into the plains between the ship and the surrounding ring of hills and statues. If someone attacked, he wanted to be as far away from the ship as possible. The thought of a stray bolt in the general direction of the rest of his family terrified him. He listened carefully. There was only one speeder. Making a split second decision, he set the cannon down and switched to his rifle before dashing forward, liberated from the heavy burden of the cannon. He made his way to one of the statues and got down, the white and blue armor giving him excellent camo in the snow. He watched from a distance as the speeder pulled up behind the ridge-line overlooking the plains where the shuttle was crashed.
A scout hopped off the speeder. Not military of any kind, more rag tag. He looked through the scope of the rifle and eyed the weequay. Either a scavenger or a pirate of some kind, presumably leftovers from the battle of Kanasa, scraping up high tech gadgets leftover from the Republic and Imperial armadas that clashed above the planet. He got into a low crouch and ducked and weaved back and forth between statues and hills, taking advantage of the fact that the pirate was focused on the crash site. Once he was close enough, he listened in on one side of the conversation the pirate was having. “Looks undefended. Shady work, but I’ve never seen a shuttle like this. If there’s anyone down there, it doesn’t look like they’re paying attention. This is an easy score, boss.” The man snuck up closer, his rifle tucked over his shoulder. This was a situation more suited for a knife. The pirate continued “Right, I left markers coming out here. It’s about a three, maybe a four day trip, but this loot looks like it would be worth the trip. Alright, I’ll see you when you get here.” With that, the pirate turned around, presumably to set up a hidden camp, only to find a man in armor towering over him. “Oh what th- ACK!” the pirate lurched as a knife was driven into his shoulder, the towering mass of armor knelt down and growled “If you want to live, you’re going to tell me everything you know about the people that are coming here. . .”
The interrogation was short. It was a skill that the man had had to perfect in the years prior to the quiet life. A task force was coming, and it was only a matter of days until they were going to be under fire. He made his way back to the cannon to pick it up and haul it back to the ship. He was going to need all the help he could get.
The fight was over before she had even made it outside. She had sensed the alarm from her husband, but she had to think about something else before she could go rushing to his side. She tapped the top of the helmet after suiting the child up and moving her all the way to the front of the ship. “Do not move from this spot.” The words were as much an order as they were a plea. She rushed through the ship, gathering defenses from the ki shield. An outstretched hand put the energy sword into her grasp as she passed near the area it was stored. She pulled the hood over her head and shrouded herself. She was there in just enough time to see her husband taking the pirate down. She frowned as she dropped the force shield that hid her from sight. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as questions were answered. She pulled the hood further forward to hide her features, as she commented offhandedly, going back into the ship. “You used to comment how you missed the fight. Looks like you won’t have to miss it anymore…” Her tone held a hint of venom, that she recognized the moment it slipped out. She was out of balance. She’d forgotten the struggles she went through to stay in balance. She was slipping down a dark path and needed to get that back in control. She let the thought turn over in her head for a moment before deciding that she would just worry about it later. Let the darkness seep in, it would be easier to fight whatever enemies came their way.
The man frowned as he entered the ship. Something was off. He found his way over to his wife and pursed his lips as he looked at her. Instead of saying anything, he simply wrapped his arms around her and hummed softly as they swayed from side to side. He had seen her like this before, and knew that, sometimes, words would be more of a hindrance than a help.
For a moment, she tensed. She hadn’t expected him to follow her into the ship, she hadn’t expected his arms. She tilted her head back, causing the hood to slide off. The circles under her eyes were getting darker, the normal crystal blue of her eyes, was ringed with a darker blue. “Not right now. There is a child waiting for someone to tell her she can move.” She wanted to push away from him, but at the same time she wanted to be pulled further into his embrace. “You should be watching for more trouble.” The humming, the song, the one they always used to pull calm into a situation, called to her senses, even with her struggle to resist it.
The man pursed his lips as he shrugged “We have two and a half days to prepare. Then, well, if help hasn’t come, we’ll be in for a fight. Nothing we can’t handle, though.” He doesn’t let her go, refusing her claims to need to do other things “She’ll live, love. Right now I need you in a good head space. More than anything else, I need you to just be you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I am well out of practice when it comes to any sort of battle. My head space is where it needs to be.” She knew what he was doing, she could respect and appreciate it, but at the same time, she needed a certain strength that she was no longer positive she would have, if it did come to fighting. The shift in her expression gave away that he was winning, even if she was not admitting it. “I am me. Who else would you expect for me to be?” It wasn’t the representation of her specifically, not what was on the surface, but what resided below the surface that he was seeking. She released a sigh as she took one small step toward what he wanted and put her forehead to his chest, closing her eyes to simply listen and allow him to guide movement.
The man nods slowly "Then stay here when trouble comes. I'll handle any pirate scavengers any day of the week. You stay here and keep our child safe. Then, if something does go wrong, I know you'll be there to protect her if you have to." He kept his head pressed against hers as he slowly continued to sway her from side to side "You are you. Just making sure you're going to stay that way when trouble gets here." He kept his arms around her, refusing to let go.
The Vagabond Spirit rattled as it veered through Hyperspace, it’s navigational systems beeping as the ship came closer and closer to its destination. Radasha stared out through the cockpit window, the stream of lights reflecting against her pale skin. She did not speak to the man beside her, her thoughts focused on their mission, worry plaguing her mind. Was it a trap? With the Galaxy in such turmoil and her organization now a pawn in play within the new war, anything was possible. She adjusted herself, cringing as her wounds tensed. Kanasa was only a couple of hours away now. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Radasha concentrated on her KI, allowing it to envelope around her in an attempt to reach out towards the calling.
She took another breath, sighing it out as she surrendered to his influence. If it was the ki that he used, she might have been able to fight that, but this was different. This was their love and it always won. She leaned her head back so she could see him. “You know that I will not be able to do that. My place is at your side, as it always has been.” She leaned up to kiss him gently, her expression having softened some. “I am going to go in.”
The man nodded as he looked out over the landscape "Thought it was worth the try. You know I worry about you in those situations." He elbowed her playfully before he took a deep breath and slowly let it out "Alright. We'll tackle this. I'll get a battle plan going inside." He leaned down to return her kiss before wrapping an arm around her and escorting her inside.
later. . .
“You should get yourself dressed if you plan on going planet side. We’ll be entering the atmosphere momentarily.” Xai placed a firm hand on Rafasha’s shoulder, giving it a shake. She had fallen asleep a while into the trip, her eyes blinking open tiredly. Clearing her throat, she nodded and arose shakily from the co-pilots seat. Yanking the winter coat from off its hanger, she slid into it and reached for her energy swords. She was not sure what to expect on the surface but knew whatever and whomever was down there, she would need to be prepared. Having taken far too many chances already, this was a risk she was not willing to take lightly.
The ship began to enter Kanasa’s atmosphere, its haul trembling and clanking as the icy air and sleet beat against it. With a jolt, the ship landed onto the snowy surface, its engines hissing and moaning.
“Are you certain you are feeling well enough to go out there?” Xai questioned her, leaning to the side of his chair to catch a glimpse of her.
“I’ll be fine.” Radasha mumbled, lifting her cloak up over her head. The bay door opened, a gust of wind sweeping into the ship. Her teeth clenched and chattered. “Let's not waste any time.”
Xai nodded and rose from his seat. “I am right behind you, Sol.”
She woke with a start, sitting up straight in bed. The child next to her didn’t even move. She could hear ki blaster fire which sent her into a minor panic. She rushed out of bed grabbing her energy sword and hooded robe as she made her way through the ship. When she reached the back she saw him engaged in a small fire fight. She shrouded herself in the force and made her way through the darkness to try and get behind the attackers.
“You kids just don’t seem to get it!” the man shouted across the battlefield as he hopped from one set of cover to another, giving the ship’s cannon time to recharge. “Just because I’m outnumbered, doesn’t mean I’m outgunned!” He stepped out of cover to level the cannon at the attacking pirates. He had to lob the bolts a bit, the energy pack not providing the velocity that the ship’s power reserves could, but they all exploded upon impact, so the result was powerful enough to be noticeable He slowly stepped over to another piece of laid out cover, his finger firmly squeezed on the trigger as he walked, until he arrived at the barricade. He pressed his back into the prepared cover and panted heavily. It had been a while since he had engaged of open combat of any sort. While it was exhilarating to be back in action, it was also exhausting.
The attackers were so focused on their initial target that their awareness was extremely limited. She killed the first one silently. The only sound he made was a slightly gurgling as the life left his body. She’d forgotten what it felt like to take a life. A fine line between horror and exhilaration. She'd gotten lucky with that one. The others seemed to be in pairs. The call from their intended victim made her smirk. So bold. So controlled. She slipped back into the shroud as she felt a familiar presence. She couldn’t afford to get distracted now. She moved through the area, an explosion from the cannon made her rethink her path for a moment. She watched, she waited and at the perfect moment she used the force to shove one into a coming round and swung on the other slicing across his midsection. Both attackers screaming just before their lives ended. Her element of surprise gone.
The man looked over as he felt his wife’s motions. It wasn’t the force, but it was close. He had forgotten what it was like to be so close to her and, even though they were in combat and they were taking lives, he couldn’t help but smirk. Together again, at last. He turned to the other side of the pirates’ line and sent off a volley of explosive rounds, trying to draw their attention away from the shadow and back towards him. “It’s not the rank or the medals you should fear!” he taunted as he ducked between cover, sending off a trio of rounds before hiding back away “It’s the name!” Realizing that he would have to switch to his rifle soon for the safety of his wife, he began to hold onto the trigger longer, wanting to put as many explosive rounds down range while he still could.
She waited, counting, contemplating her path. She reached out crushing the throat of one of the pirates. His friend looked around wildly for where the attack was coming from, but she was still concealed well enough that he could not find her. When she felt the life leave the one she moved to the other. She was almost on top of him when he realized what was coming. Her saber ignited, impaling him. She was focused. Determined. As she lowered the dying man to the ground, she whispered the name that they had been warned about. His dying expression said it all. The fear. The realization of the mistake.
He held the trigger down until the chamber was dry. It would take a team of engineers thirty minutes to replace the gas chamber on the cannon. It would take the man, alone, about a day. He set the cannon down and switched to his sniper rifle, confident that the pirates would not have the nerve to try to rush him while he switched weapons. He took a deep breath. Now, not only did he have the upper hand, he was in his element. He looked down the scope and spotted something else coming down to the surface. A shuttle of some sort, and some distance away. He wasn’t sure if it was friendly or otherwise, but it definitely wasn’t part of these pirates. The shuttle’s lights gave it away as vaguely imperial, but beyond that, he couldn’t tell. Truth be told, at the moment he didn’t care. He had closer targets to worry about. In a flash, he poked out from behind cover and sent off a volley of rounds, pinning the pirates that weren’t hit to the snow.
The all too familiar sound of the sniper rifle calmed her, enabled her greater focus. She would not have to be trying to judge where cannon rounds would be landing. His aim was true when it came to the rifle. It also meant that the pirates would start to get a better sense for where he was and know that his shots would only hit one of them at a time, unless they were stupid. The landing ship caught her attention and for a moment, she thought it was reinforcements for the pirates. Only for a moment. A familiar sense came from the direction of the ship and had she not been so focused on the fight, she would have recognized the sensation sooner. A calm washed over her. Panic subsided. They were reinforcements, but they were there to help them and not the pirates.
It did not take long for the man to get back into a groove. At first his armor had felt clunky, his rifle too unnatural. However, the longer he looked down the sights of the weapon, the more he felt his training come back to him. Breath control. Target leading. Patience. All things he had not even considered in the past years of his life came rushing back to him. Even though there were only two of them at the moment, he knew that they were more than capable of protecting their child. He spotted a figure walking out from the ship and quickly turned his sights on the shadow. He didn’t come close to pulling the trigger, but he needed to know what was coming their way.
Snow pelted against Radasha’s face as both she and her companion tracked through the frozen surface. Despite the conditions, Xai followed closely to the woman as she followed the Force to where it beckoned her. A familiar feeling tickled her senses, but in her weakness, she couldn’t place it yet. Her heart began to race anxiously. She paused, glancing over the landscape. “Something’s not right.” Radasha called out. The distant sound of blaster fire echoed through the area, faint flashes of light illuminating the low lying clouds and blowing snow. Luniara’s eyes squinted from behind her goggles. Turning to Xai, she sneered and gave a nod. Their weapons came to life in a burst of aqua and blue, the blades hissing as speckles of snow melted at its touch. Sprinting into the battlefield, the duo moved in unison and elegance across the icy tundra, they heels sliding down a snow dune, meeting a barrage of blaster fire. Twisting and turning their blades, the blasts deflected off.
She couldn’t help but smile, which had to be terrifying given the circumstance. As she drove her saber through another of the pirates, his companion realized he would be next and attempted to make his escape only to run into the crossfire, effectively killing himself. The attackers were quickly dwindling in numbers and those furthest back decided to escape with their lives and retreated toward their ship. She touched the mind of her husband through the force. "I believe we have forced a retreat and a rescue has arrived." She strode toward the two force users, her hood still drawn forward, concealing her face for the most part. When she was within a few meters, she deactivated her energy sword. She stood before the couple, her head tilted slightly. "Sol's?"
He wasn't even trying to hit the poor bastard who had run out from cover, but he wasn't going to complain about the lack of effort he had to put into the kill. They were retreating, and he didn't have the mind to pursue and eliminate today. He stood up and turned his rifle over to add another notch into the under barrel of the rifle, marking another successful engagement. Words echoed through his mind, and he narrowed his eyes before replying "I'll be right there." He set the cannon more properly down before making his way over to his wife. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and chimed "Small Galaxy."
Huffing as a pirate slumped over lifelessly at her feet, Radasha glanced up towards the figure approaching in the distance. Her posture straightened, uncertain whether they were friend or foe... until they drew closer. Glancing towards Xai, she disengaged her energy sword and turned towards the figure; awestruck. The man followed suit, his brow furrowing with concern. He stared off into the distance as the figure approached, energy sword in hand. The familiar feeling, a wave of calmness, the calls from the Force and her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Radasha took a few steps forward, staring in disbelief. Was it the Kanasans? It had been years without a single word or trace of evidence as to what had happened to the family.Pulling her goggles and cloak up over her head, Radasha’s worn eyes glanced down at the hooded figure as her voice cracked a single name. “Luri…?”
She reached up to push her hood back, smiling faintly as she looked at the two. She glanced to the side as her husband joined them. It occurred to her in that moment that it was going to be strange. People would start to call him Pike again. A name she’d not so much as muttered in, what had been seven years for them. How much time had passed here, she didn’t know, if any at all. From the look of the two in front of them however, it had to have been at least a couple of years. “The last time I checked, I was still being called that, yes.” She bowed her head slightly in form of greeting. For the first time, she was actually aware of the cold, she’d been so focused that she had not even considered the temperature. She glanced around briefly at the carnage around them. “Forgive me, I need to go check on someth...someone.” Just before turning, she launched forward to hug Radasha before sprinting off toward the crashed ship.
Pike removed his helmet and held it at his side as he looked at the couple in front of him. He had definitely aged in their absence, but his features remained relatively the same, save for some pepper in the front of his hair. As his wife threw herself around Radasha, he couldn’t help but smirk. They had done it. They were going to get off this rock. He nodded to Radasha and Xai as Luri ran back to their crashed shuttle, explaining “Ari.” He frowned as he studied Radasha for a moment “The hell happened to you? Come, let’s get you inside where we can talk without this snow and wind nonsense. We have tea waiting.” before turning and walking with them back to the shuttle, making sure to grab the cannon and place it back in a safe location inside the cargo bay. He looked back at the Sol's as they entered the back of the crashed ship “What’s left of the living room is on the right. Take a seat, I’ll get drinks.” before quickly ducking away to get the good tea going. After a few minutes of work, he returned to the couple and set down hot cups of tea before sitting down in a chair “Welcome to Kanasa.”
Everything was happening so fast. One moment Luri had been embracing her, the next they were standing within what was once a suitable sized living quarters. Radasha stared wide-eyed at their surroundings, her hands clenched into a tight ball. There was a plethora of questionings stewing in her mind begging to be answered. The Sol's sat down slowly upon the couch, their gaze catching one another.
“Thank you.” Radasha murmured lowly, reaching forward to take both cups, offering one to her Husband. She did not immediately sip and simply stared towards Pike with curiosity, taking a small sip of the hot liquid. Her eyes closed and her nose wrinkled. It did not taste familiar at all. Regardless, she swallowed and her eyes opened once more to focus on Pike. The woman cleared her throat. “This was not something I had been expecting to find. We thought you guys for dead.” She spoke in a monotone voice, her eyes squinting.
Luri slipped quietly into the main area, looking far more relaxed than she had in days. Pike would be the only one that would know that though. She smiled faintly as she moved across to sit down on the edge of a small crate. “I wasn’t certain I had managed to actually reach you.” She glanced at Pike and stated offhandedly, “Solid sleep at the moment.” Just as quickly as she had been distracted and made the comment, her attention was turned back to the Sol's. She had heard the dead comment as she was walking in, so she felt the need to state, “Being hurtled through anomalies in space can’t kill Kanasans. You should have known we would turn up at some point. Maybe not on Kanasa, but well, here we are.” With the exception of the actual power armor that Pike had been wearing, their clothing, the furniture, all of it uniquely styled, nothing like what would be seen in their galaxy. “Can’t really control where the anomaly will dump you, we just got lucky. Well, maybe not lucky. Years of research and tuning equipment, projections, simulations. Was hoping to be closer to Vegeta, but you kind of take what you can get in this situ… I am rambling. Apologies.”
Pike nodded in approval to Luri "Good. Hopefully she stays that way." He shrugged to Radasha's statement "You of little faith. Haven't I told you? I'm planning on living forever." He sipped from his tea, contemplating for a moment the fact that he hadn't had tea from this Galaxy in ages. He pursed his lips "Yeah. Seven years of luck, if the definition of luck has changed to 'spending every credit you come across on a project you put every waking hour of your life towards', then yes, lucky." He shook his head "My parents are going to kill me." He narrowed his eyes for a moment. He had never thought of his parents as old, but after almost a decade after he had last seen them, they could be considerably older, or worse. He shook the thought away "So... How's the Galaxy holding up without us around?"
“I could only have hoped you both would turn up, but being incapable of feeling you without a word...especially with the state of things, you stop hoping.” Radasha’s brow furrowed, again glancing towards Xai. “Wait. Seven years…?” She paused. “Don’t you mean 5 years?” Setting down the cup of tea, she leaned forward with her arms resting on her legs. “I can not imagine where you lot have been...but you’ll be lucky if your parents are even alive at this point. The past 5 years have been…” Radasha sneered,sitting straight. “Wherever you both had disappeared to, I fear I would have preferred you stay there than be here.” Turning to glance away, she stood up from the couch and paced slightly, her arms folding tightly across her chest. Nothing within the room looked remotely familiar. The smells, the tea, their clothing... where they had been, it was far, far from home. Xai cleared his throat, his autumn eyes falling upon the Kansan. He spoke softly. “The Galaxy is in pieces. Both the new order and the old have fallen apart.”
Luri furrowed her brow as she looked from Radasha to Snippar and then back again. “No, he definitely meant seven. We have the data to back that up. Arina is nine. She was almost 2 when things got a little, as Pike likes to say, crashy. Rebuilding technology we didn’t totally understand, with the assistance of others who only knew slightly more than we did. Well, it took time.” She looks curious. “What do you mean?”
Pike furrowed his brow as Radasha talked. Something was, clearly, a little off, but not by too much. Things could have been worse, and only a two year difference in the grand scheme of things wasn’t horrible. He leans forward slightly and sets his cup of tea down before sighing “I can’t imagine they’re dead. I’d know if they were. The rest of the family, though. . . I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” He turned to Xai and nodded slowly as he spoke. “I’d feel guilty if I hadn’t retired.” Then again, he probably would have been called back into service, but even then, he wasn’t sure if he would accept. Now, however, after the Republic had, as Xai had stated, fallen apart, he might be called back into action, despite being significantly older than he had been before. He ran his hand through his hair as they explained more details before pausing and questioning “And Vegeta?”
Radasha raised her upper lip, her hips swaying side to side anxiously. “She is nine?” She scoffed, brushing her fingers through her short, disheveled hair. “Wow.” Remaining silent as she took everything in, she spoke up once more. “5 years back, a series of attacks began throughout the Galaxy against both the old and the new.” Her lips pursed. “The ‘Unknwin Empire’, as they call it. Wiped out the capitals. The aliens, the saiyans? All went running once the battle was lost.” Her eyes shifted towards Snippar. “It’s surviving. After everything started to go down, we did not feel it was right to stay back and hide in a little hole. Those who did not wish to fight...stayed. Those that did...well, they didn’t. Ships were sent out to help both sides.” She sighed gruffly. “It was scattered for a long time. It is only recently that we’ve started to pick up the pieces.” The woman motioned to Xai. “We’ve only just returned to Vegeta.” Radasha’s voice sank, her face worn and tired as her posture slumped slightly. “Many lives have been lost.”
Luri nodded about their daughter. “I would reintroduce you, but she is sleeping.” She wrinkled her nose. “And a little explosive. Trying to keep her mind level until I have more time to teach her. It was a weird feeling and I think it scared her and well, we’ll figure it all out, once we are back home.” She was still turning over in her head the thought that the rest of the Kanasans may be in danger or worse. They were resilient people, she hoped resilient enough as she continued to listen to how things had been in their absence. She tapped her fingers idly against the side of her leg. She was going to want a lot more information, but it didn’t seem like the right time to make Radasha tell her everything. Once they were in civilization, she would just look everything up, research, do what she did. Locate every bit of data possible and act accordingly. “It sounds trying. I am not sure if I should apologize for not being here to assist, or straighten my back and figure out how to help restore the galaxy.” She glanced at Pike, a hint of concern in her expression.
Pike frowned as he tried to process the information. It was all happening so fast. To think that, after all these years, the downfall of both the Natto and the Empire would come from an outside source was mind boggling. In some ways, it was better than falling to the Freiza clan, but at the same time, he didn’t know how to fight this new enemy. There was definitely learning to do. “Well. . . at least the next few years won’t be boring.” he half jokes without emotion behind the words. He nods slowly to Radasha “Sounds like we got here just in time, then. How are you two doing?” He glances to Luri as she talks, pursing his lips in contemplation before nodding in approval “We’ll have to take some time to get our bearings, but yes, I think that’s a good place to start. Restoring the galaxy. After that, infinite energy and galactic peace. Then, perhaps, a sandwich.”
“Another time then.” She murmured, her attention focusing off out of the room. Radasha continued to pace around the room. She thought to ask exactly where they had been, but regardless of where and how, it did not matter anymore. They were home. She turned towards Luri, canting her head to the side. “Apology? Not needed. It would not have mattered and even so...I feel content knowing you three were safe from all of this.”
“The important thing now is getting you three back to safety and off this planet.” Xai grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. “Our ship is capable of hauling what you need, but if you would like to salvage what’s left we will need a larger transport.”
“Mmm.” Radasha agreed, staring towards the Kanasa. “The sooner we get you guys home, the more we can talk. There’s no telling how many more of your friends from outside are left.”
Luri nodded. She contemplated for a moment. “Of course, if we are going to be leaving, it will probably be sooner, rather than later. A lot of the stuff in here, I am not sure it matters really.” She glanced at Pike. “Just the stuff in the cargo hold, right?” She glanced around at the things in the room they were in. “I mean, I guess, I will leave it up to you, Love.” She knew what the things were that were important to her and most of them were stored safely in the crates. It would just be a matter of shoving the few loose things back into the bag they had been in.
Snippar nods slowly as he hand his hand to his head “Right. . . Well, at least we’re home. At least, we’ve come back to what’s left of it.” His head was spinning. He had so many questions and so few ways of finding out answers to all of them. He took a deep breath “Right. Our stuff. Yeah, we just have a few crates of junk. Had to keep it light to get back here.” He sighs “I’m going to miss our diner.” before shaking the thought away. He had to look forward now. “Anyways, yeah, only a couple of crates, and we have the tech to get them moving, too. Shouldn’t take more than two trips.”
As he set the last crate down in the Sol’s ship, he couldn’t help but look back at the shuttle that had crash landed in the distance. It was an entire life they were leaving behind. He had hoped that they would have popped out somewhere where they had the option to go back, if they really wanted to. Now, however, it seemed that they would never have that chance. For better or for worse, they were here now.
Clutching her dark colored robes, she wrapped it around her bandaged body. “We’re going to Kanasa.”
The man pushed himself up from the couch and pointed a finger at his child "You're in charge of making sure your mother gets enough sleep, young lady, alright?" The child have a mock salute, which the man returned with a smirk. He finished off his tea and set it down onto the table before heading down to the exposed cargo bay door. With one of his three remaining smokes still in his hand, he stepped down into the defensive position directly outside of the cargo bay door. He glanced at his wife and nodded "Your turn to sleep." He took a calming breath of his stick. He didn't notice how stressed he was until a few moments ago. It wasn't his lack of faith in his abilities that made him nervous: it was the complete helplessness he felt. The inability to protect his family are at him constantly, and the upcoming shortage of death sticks was only going to increase the tension. He was never much of a smoker before, but after expanding the pastry shop to late night hours, he found that a lot of customers would bring him quality smokes as gifts. In that time, he had become a connoisseur of sorts. There was even a crate filled with them somewhere in the back, but he wasn't stressed to the point of needing to go rummaging through their stuff just yet.
She glanced at him when she heard his voice. There was a hint of dark circles starting to show under her eyes. Something that had not adorned her features in years. There were multiple layers of stress for her. There was the reuniting of the force. There was the education that her daughter would need. There would be the return of the soldier, not that he had ever left, but that side of him had been pushed down for years. It had not been a necessity. But now, just being back, she could see him peeking out. She uncurled her legs from under the robe that she was wearing and let it fall around her legs as she stood. She had been using the force to keep her warm, not wanting to get into the mindset of armor again. Even though, she knew it was coming. There was just a hint of sadness in her voice as she stepped closer to him. “I am not tired.” Her appearance didn’t match the words, but she said them anyway. She brushed against him as she moved inside. “I love you.” As she reached the inside, their daughter stood in the center of the room, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a book in her hand. She was being informed of the bedtime they were about to have and all she could do was smile faintly at the child and follow orders. “Yes, little Love. Let’s go read.”
The man looked up from his makeshift heater as something jarred him from his sentry trance. Noise. Loud, high pitched. Getting louder every second. Someone was coming. It definitely wasn’t a star ship, it was a speeder. He got up from the bench and pulled his helmet over his head, flicking the stump of his smoke into the snow to conceal the heat signature before slowly walking out into the plains between the ship and the surrounding ring of hills and statues. If someone attacked, he wanted to be as far away from the ship as possible. The thought of a stray bolt in the general direction of the rest of his family terrified him. He listened carefully. There was only one speeder. Making a split second decision, he set the cannon down and switched to his rifle before dashing forward, liberated from the heavy burden of the cannon. He made his way to one of the statues and got down, the white and blue armor giving him excellent camo in the snow. He watched from a distance as the speeder pulled up behind the ridge-line overlooking the plains where the shuttle was crashed.
A scout hopped off the speeder. Not military of any kind, more rag tag. He looked through the scope of the rifle and eyed the weequay. Either a scavenger or a pirate of some kind, presumably leftovers from the battle of Kanasa, scraping up high tech gadgets leftover from the Republic and Imperial armadas that clashed above the planet. He got into a low crouch and ducked and weaved back and forth between statues and hills, taking advantage of the fact that the pirate was focused on the crash site. Once he was close enough, he listened in on one side of the conversation the pirate was having. “Looks undefended. Shady work, but I’ve never seen a shuttle like this. If there’s anyone down there, it doesn’t look like they’re paying attention. This is an easy score, boss.” The man snuck up closer, his rifle tucked over his shoulder. This was a situation more suited for a knife. The pirate continued “Right, I left markers coming out here. It’s about a three, maybe a four day trip, but this loot looks like it would be worth the trip. Alright, I’ll see you when you get here.” With that, the pirate turned around, presumably to set up a hidden camp, only to find a man in armor towering over him. “Oh what th- ACK!” the pirate lurched as a knife was driven into his shoulder, the towering mass of armor knelt down and growled “If you want to live, you’re going to tell me everything you know about the people that are coming here. . .”
The interrogation was short. It was a skill that the man had had to perfect in the years prior to the quiet life. A task force was coming, and it was only a matter of days until they were going to be under fire. He made his way back to the cannon to pick it up and haul it back to the ship. He was going to need all the help he could get.
The fight was over before she had even made it outside. She had sensed the alarm from her husband, but she had to think about something else before she could go rushing to his side. She tapped the top of the helmet after suiting the child up and moving her all the way to the front of the ship. “Do not move from this spot.” The words were as much an order as they were a plea. She rushed through the ship, gathering defenses from the ki shield. An outstretched hand put the energy sword into her grasp as she passed near the area it was stored. She pulled the hood over her head and shrouded herself. She was there in just enough time to see her husband taking the pirate down. She frowned as she dropped the force shield that hid her from sight. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as questions were answered. She pulled the hood further forward to hide her features, as she commented offhandedly, going back into the ship. “You used to comment how you missed the fight. Looks like you won’t have to miss it anymore…” Her tone held a hint of venom, that she recognized the moment it slipped out. She was out of balance. She’d forgotten the struggles she went through to stay in balance. She was slipping down a dark path and needed to get that back in control. She let the thought turn over in her head for a moment before deciding that she would just worry about it later. Let the darkness seep in, it would be easier to fight whatever enemies came their way.
The man frowned as he entered the ship. Something was off. He found his way over to his wife and pursed his lips as he looked at her. Instead of saying anything, he simply wrapped his arms around her and hummed softly as they swayed from side to side. He had seen her like this before, and knew that, sometimes, words would be more of a hindrance than a help.
For a moment, she tensed. She hadn’t expected him to follow her into the ship, she hadn’t expected his arms. She tilted her head back, causing the hood to slide off. The circles under her eyes were getting darker, the normal crystal blue of her eyes, was ringed with a darker blue. “Not right now. There is a child waiting for someone to tell her she can move.” She wanted to push away from him, but at the same time she wanted to be pulled further into his embrace. “You should be watching for more trouble.” The humming, the song, the one they always used to pull calm into a situation, called to her senses, even with her struggle to resist it.
The man pursed his lips as he shrugged “We have two and a half days to prepare. Then, well, if help hasn’t come, we’ll be in for a fight. Nothing we can’t handle, though.” He doesn’t let her go, refusing her claims to need to do other things “She’ll live, love. Right now I need you in a good head space. More than anything else, I need you to just be you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I am well out of practice when it comes to any sort of battle. My head space is where it needs to be.” She knew what he was doing, she could respect and appreciate it, but at the same time, she needed a certain strength that she was no longer positive she would have, if it did come to fighting. The shift in her expression gave away that he was winning, even if she was not admitting it. “I am me. Who else would you expect for me to be?” It wasn’t the representation of her specifically, not what was on the surface, but what resided below the surface that he was seeking. She released a sigh as she took one small step toward what he wanted and put her forehead to his chest, closing her eyes to simply listen and allow him to guide movement.
The man nods slowly "Then stay here when trouble comes. I'll handle any pirate scavengers any day of the week. You stay here and keep our child safe. Then, if something does go wrong, I know you'll be there to protect her if you have to." He kept his head pressed against hers as he slowly continued to sway her from side to side "You are you. Just making sure you're going to stay that way when trouble gets here." He kept his arms around her, refusing to let go.
The Vagabond Spirit rattled as it veered through Hyperspace, it’s navigational systems beeping as the ship came closer and closer to its destination. Radasha stared out through the cockpit window, the stream of lights reflecting against her pale skin. She did not speak to the man beside her, her thoughts focused on their mission, worry plaguing her mind. Was it a trap? With the Galaxy in such turmoil and her organization now a pawn in play within the new war, anything was possible. She adjusted herself, cringing as her wounds tensed. Kanasa was only a couple of hours away now. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Radasha concentrated on her KI, allowing it to envelope around her in an attempt to reach out towards the calling.
She took another breath, sighing it out as she surrendered to his influence. If it was the ki that he used, she might have been able to fight that, but this was different. This was their love and it always won. She leaned her head back so she could see him. “You know that I will not be able to do that. My place is at your side, as it always has been.” She leaned up to kiss him gently, her expression having softened some. “I am going to go in.”
The man nodded as he looked out over the landscape "Thought it was worth the try. You know I worry about you in those situations." He elbowed her playfully before he took a deep breath and slowly let it out "Alright. We'll tackle this. I'll get a battle plan going inside." He leaned down to return her kiss before wrapping an arm around her and escorting her inside.
later. . .
“You should get yourself dressed if you plan on going planet side. We’ll be entering the atmosphere momentarily.” Xai placed a firm hand on Rafasha’s shoulder, giving it a shake. She had fallen asleep a while into the trip, her eyes blinking open tiredly. Clearing her throat, she nodded and arose shakily from the co-pilots seat. Yanking the winter coat from off its hanger, she slid into it and reached for her energy swords. She was not sure what to expect on the surface but knew whatever and whomever was down there, she would need to be prepared. Having taken far too many chances already, this was a risk she was not willing to take lightly.
The ship began to enter Kanasa’s atmosphere, its haul trembling and clanking as the icy air and sleet beat against it. With a jolt, the ship landed onto the snowy surface, its engines hissing and moaning.
“Are you certain you are feeling well enough to go out there?” Xai questioned her, leaning to the side of his chair to catch a glimpse of her.
“I’ll be fine.” Radasha mumbled, lifting her cloak up over her head. The bay door opened, a gust of wind sweeping into the ship. Her teeth clenched and chattered. “Let's not waste any time.”
Xai nodded and rose from his seat. “I am right behind you, Sol.”
She woke with a start, sitting up straight in bed. The child next to her didn’t even move. She could hear ki blaster fire which sent her into a minor panic. She rushed out of bed grabbing her energy sword and hooded robe as she made her way through the ship. When she reached the back she saw him engaged in a small fire fight. She shrouded herself in the force and made her way through the darkness to try and get behind the attackers.
“You kids just don’t seem to get it!” the man shouted across the battlefield as he hopped from one set of cover to another, giving the ship’s cannon time to recharge. “Just because I’m outnumbered, doesn’t mean I’m outgunned!” He stepped out of cover to level the cannon at the attacking pirates. He had to lob the bolts a bit, the energy pack not providing the velocity that the ship’s power reserves could, but they all exploded upon impact, so the result was powerful enough to be noticeable He slowly stepped over to another piece of laid out cover, his finger firmly squeezed on the trigger as he walked, until he arrived at the barricade. He pressed his back into the prepared cover and panted heavily. It had been a while since he had engaged of open combat of any sort. While it was exhilarating to be back in action, it was also exhausting.
The attackers were so focused on their initial target that their awareness was extremely limited. She killed the first one silently. The only sound he made was a slightly gurgling as the life left his body. She’d forgotten what it felt like to take a life. A fine line between horror and exhilaration. She'd gotten lucky with that one. The others seemed to be in pairs. The call from their intended victim made her smirk. So bold. So controlled. She slipped back into the shroud as she felt a familiar presence. She couldn’t afford to get distracted now. She moved through the area, an explosion from the cannon made her rethink her path for a moment. She watched, she waited and at the perfect moment she used the force to shove one into a coming round and swung on the other slicing across his midsection. Both attackers screaming just before their lives ended. Her element of surprise gone.
The man looked over as he felt his wife’s motions. It wasn’t the force, but it was close. He had forgotten what it was like to be so close to her and, even though they were in combat and they were taking lives, he couldn’t help but smirk. Together again, at last. He turned to the other side of the pirates’ line and sent off a volley of explosive rounds, trying to draw their attention away from the shadow and back towards him. “It’s not the rank or the medals you should fear!” he taunted as he ducked between cover, sending off a trio of rounds before hiding back away “It’s the name!” Realizing that he would have to switch to his rifle soon for the safety of his wife, he began to hold onto the trigger longer, wanting to put as many explosive rounds down range while he still could.
She waited, counting, contemplating her path. She reached out crushing the throat of one of the pirates. His friend looked around wildly for where the attack was coming from, but she was still concealed well enough that he could not find her. When she felt the life leave the one she moved to the other. She was almost on top of him when he realized what was coming. Her saber ignited, impaling him. She was focused. Determined. As she lowered the dying man to the ground, she whispered the name that they had been warned about. His dying expression said it all. The fear. The realization of the mistake.
He held the trigger down until the chamber was dry. It would take a team of engineers thirty minutes to replace the gas chamber on the cannon. It would take the man, alone, about a day. He set the cannon down and switched to his sniper rifle, confident that the pirates would not have the nerve to try to rush him while he switched weapons. He took a deep breath. Now, not only did he have the upper hand, he was in his element. He looked down the scope and spotted something else coming down to the surface. A shuttle of some sort, and some distance away. He wasn’t sure if it was friendly or otherwise, but it definitely wasn’t part of these pirates. The shuttle’s lights gave it away as vaguely imperial, but beyond that, he couldn’t tell. Truth be told, at the moment he didn’t care. He had closer targets to worry about. In a flash, he poked out from behind cover and sent off a volley of rounds, pinning the pirates that weren’t hit to the snow.
The all too familiar sound of the sniper rifle calmed her, enabled her greater focus. She would not have to be trying to judge where cannon rounds would be landing. His aim was true when it came to the rifle. It also meant that the pirates would start to get a better sense for where he was and know that his shots would only hit one of them at a time, unless they were stupid. The landing ship caught her attention and for a moment, she thought it was reinforcements for the pirates. Only for a moment. A familiar sense came from the direction of the ship and had she not been so focused on the fight, she would have recognized the sensation sooner. A calm washed over her. Panic subsided. They were reinforcements, but they were there to help them and not the pirates.
It did not take long for the man to get back into a groove. At first his armor had felt clunky, his rifle too unnatural. However, the longer he looked down the sights of the weapon, the more he felt his training come back to him. Breath control. Target leading. Patience. All things he had not even considered in the past years of his life came rushing back to him. Even though there were only two of them at the moment, he knew that they were more than capable of protecting their child. He spotted a figure walking out from the ship and quickly turned his sights on the shadow. He didn’t come close to pulling the trigger, but he needed to know what was coming their way.
Snow pelted against Radasha’s face as both she and her companion tracked through the frozen surface. Despite the conditions, Xai followed closely to the woman as she followed the Force to where it beckoned her. A familiar feeling tickled her senses, but in her weakness, she couldn’t place it yet. Her heart began to race anxiously. She paused, glancing over the landscape. “Something’s not right.” Radasha called out. The distant sound of blaster fire echoed through the area, faint flashes of light illuminating the low lying clouds and blowing snow. Luniara’s eyes squinted from behind her goggles. Turning to Xai, she sneered and gave a nod. Their weapons came to life in a burst of aqua and blue, the blades hissing as speckles of snow melted at its touch. Sprinting into the battlefield, the duo moved in unison and elegance across the icy tundra, they heels sliding down a snow dune, meeting a barrage of blaster fire. Twisting and turning their blades, the blasts deflected off.
She couldn’t help but smile, which had to be terrifying given the circumstance. As she drove her saber through another of the pirates, his companion realized he would be next and attempted to make his escape only to run into the crossfire, effectively killing himself. The attackers were quickly dwindling in numbers and those furthest back decided to escape with their lives and retreated toward their ship. She touched the mind of her husband through the force. "I believe we have forced a retreat and a rescue has arrived." She strode toward the two force users, her hood still drawn forward, concealing her face for the most part. When she was within a few meters, she deactivated her energy sword. She stood before the couple, her head tilted slightly. "Sol's?"
He wasn't even trying to hit the poor bastard who had run out from cover, but he wasn't going to complain about the lack of effort he had to put into the kill. They were retreating, and he didn't have the mind to pursue and eliminate today. He stood up and turned his rifle over to add another notch into the under barrel of the rifle, marking another successful engagement. Words echoed through his mind, and he narrowed his eyes before replying "I'll be right there." He set the cannon more properly down before making his way over to his wife. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and chimed "Small Galaxy."
Huffing as a pirate slumped over lifelessly at her feet, Radasha glanced up towards the figure approaching in the distance. Her posture straightened, uncertain whether they were friend or foe... until they drew closer. Glancing towards Xai, she disengaged her energy sword and turned towards the figure; awestruck. The man followed suit, his brow furrowing with concern. He stared off into the distance as the figure approached, energy sword in hand. The familiar feeling, a wave of calmness, the calls from the Force and her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Radasha took a few steps forward, staring in disbelief. Was it the Kanasans? It had been years without a single word or trace of evidence as to what had happened to the family.Pulling her goggles and cloak up over her head, Radasha’s worn eyes glanced down at the hooded figure as her voice cracked a single name. “Luri…?”
She reached up to push her hood back, smiling faintly as she looked at the two. She glanced to the side as her husband joined them. It occurred to her in that moment that it was going to be strange. People would start to call him Pike again. A name she’d not so much as muttered in, what had been seven years for them. How much time had passed here, she didn’t know, if any at all. From the look of the two in front of them however, it had to have been at least a couple of years. “The last time I checked, I was still being called that, yes.” She bowed her head slightly in form of greeting. For the first time, she was actually aware of the cold, she’d been so focused that she had not even considered the temperature. She glanced around briefly at the carnage around them. “Forgive me, I need to go check on someth...someone.” Just before turning, she launched forward to hug Radasha before sprinting off toward the crashed ship.
Pike removed his helmet and held it at his side as he looked at the couple in front of him. He had definitely aged in their absence, but his features remained relatively the same, save for some pepper in the front of his hair. As his wife threw herself around Radasha, he couldn’t help but smirk. They had done it. They were going to get off this rock. He nodded to Radasha and Xai as Luri ran back to their crashed shuttle, explaining “Ari.” He frowned as he studied Radasha for a moment “The hell happened to you? Come, let’s get you inside where we can talk without this snow and wind nonsense. We have tea waiting.” before turning and walking with them back to the shuttle, making sure to grab the cannon and place it back in a safe location inside the cargo bay. He looked back at the Sol's as they entered the back of the crashed ship “What’s left of the living room is on the right. Take a seat, I’ll get drinks.” before quickly ducking away to get the good tea going. After a few minutes of work, he returned to the couple and set down hot cups of tea before sitting down in a chair “Welcome to Kanasa.”
Everything was happening so fast. One moment Luri had been embracing her, the next they were standing within what was once a suitable sized living quarters. Radasha stared wide-eyed at their surroundings, her hands clenched into a tight ball. There was a plethora of questionings stewing in her mind begging to be answered. The Sol's sat down slowly upon the couch, their gaze catching one another.
“Thank you.” Radasha murmured lowly, reaching forward to take both cups, offering one to her Husband. She did not immediately sip and simply stared towards Pike with curiosity, taking a small sip of the hot liquid. Her eyes closed and her nose wrinkled. It did not taste familiar at all. Regardless, she swallowed and her eyes opened once more to focus on Pike. The woman cleared her throat. “This was not something I had been expecting to find. We thought you guys for dead.” She spoke in a monotone voice, her eyes squinting.
Luri slipped quietly into the main area, looking far more relaxed than she had in days. Pike would be the only one that would know that though. She smiled faintly as she moved across to sit down on the edge of a small crate. “I wasn’t certain I had managed to actually reach you.” She glanced at Pike and stated offhandedly, “Solid sleep at the moment.” Just as quickly as she had been distracted and made the comment, her attention was turned back to the Sol's. She had heard the dead comment as she was walking in, so she felt the need to state, “Being hurtled through anomalies in space can’t kill Kanasans. You should have known we would turn up at some point. Maybe not on Kanasa, but well, here we are.” With the exception of the actual power armor that Pike had been wearing, their clothing, the furniture, all of it uniquely styled, nothing like what would be seen in their galaxy. “Can’t really control where the anomaly will dump you, we just got lucky. Well, maybe not lucky. Years of research and tuning equipment, projections, simulations. Was hoping to be closer to Vegeta, but you kind of take what you can get in this situ… I am rambling. Apologies.”
Pike nodded in approval to Luri "Good. Hopefully she stays that way." He shrugged to Radasha's statement "You of little faith. Haven't I told you? I'm planning on living forever." He sipped from his tea, contemplating for a moment the fact that he hadn't had tea from this Galaxy in ages. He pursed his lips "Yeah. Seven years of luck, if the definition of luck has changed to 'spending every credit you come across on a project you put every waking hour of your life towards', then yes, lucky." He shook his head "My parents are going to kill me." He narrowed his eyes for a moment. He had never thought of his parents as old, but after almost a decade after he had last seen them, they could be considerably older, or worse. He shook the thought away "So... How's the Galaxy holding up without us around?"
“I could only have hoped you both would turn up, but being incapable of feeling you without a word...especially with the state of things, you stop hoping.” Radasha’s brow furrowed, again glancing towards Xai. “Wait. Seven years…?” She paused. “Don’t you mean 5 years?” Setting down the cup of tea, she leaned forward with her arms resting on her legs. “I can not imagine where you lot have been...but you’ll be lucky if your parents are even alive at this point. The past 5 years have been…” Radasha sneered,sitting straight. “Wherever you both had disappeared to, I fear I would have preferred you stay there than be here.” Turning to glance away, she stood up from the couch and paced slightly, her arms folding tightly across her chest. Nothing within the room looked remotely familiar. The smells, the tea, their clothing... where they had been, it was far, far from home. Xai cleared his throat, his autumn eyes falling upon the Kansan. He spoke softly. “The Galaxy is in pieces. Both the new order and the old have fallen apart.”
Luri furrowed her brow as she looked from Radasha to Snippar and then back again. “No, he definitely meant seven. We have the data to back that up. Arina is nine. She was almost 2 when things got a little, as Pike likes to say, crashy. Rebuilding technology we didn’t totally understand, with the assistance of others who only knew slightly more than we did. Well, it took time.” She looks curious. “What do you mean?”
Pike furrowed his brow as Radasha talked. Something was, clearly, a little off, but not by too much. Things could have been worse, and only a two year difference in the grand scheme of things wasn’t horrible. He leans forward slightly and sets his cup of tea down before sighing “I can’t imagine they’re dead. I’d know if they were. The rest of the family, though. . . I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” He turned to Xai and nodded slowly as he spoke. “I’d feel guilty if I hadn’t retired.” Then again, he probably would have been called back into service, but even then, he wasn’t sure if he would accept. Now, however, after the Republic had, as Xai had stated, fallen apart, he might be called back into action, despite being significantly older than he had been before. He ran his hand through his hair as they explained more details before pausing and questioning “And Vegeta?”
Radasha raised her upper lip, her hips swaying side to side anxiously. “She is nine?” She scoffed, brushing her fingers through her short, disheveled hair. “Wow.” Remaining silent as she took everything in, she spoke up once more. “5 years back, a series of attacks began throughout the Galaxy against both the old and the new.” Her lips pursed. “The ‘Unknwin Empire’, as they call it. Wiped out the capitals. The aliens, the saiyans? All went running once the battle was lost.” Her eyes shifted towards Snippar. “It’s surviving. After everything started to go down, we did not feel it was right to stay back and hide in a little hole. Those who did not wish to fight...stayed. Those that did...well, they didn’t. Ships were sent out to help both sides.” She sighed gruffly. “It was scattered for a long time. It is only recently that we’ve started to pick up the pieces.” The woman motioned to Xai. “We’ve only just returned to Vegeta.” Radasha’s voice sank, her face worn and tired as her posture slumped slightly. “Many lives have been lost.”
Luri nodded about their daughter. “I would reintroduce you, but she is sleeping.” She wrinkled her nose. “And a little explosive. Trying to keep her mind level until I have more time to teach her. It was a weird feeling and I think it scared her and well, we’ll figure it all out, once we are back home.” She was still turning over in her head the thought that the rest of the Kanasans may be in danger or worse. They were resilient people, she hoped resilient enough as she continued to listen to how things had been in their absence. She tapped her fingers idly against the side of her leg. She was going to want a lot more information, but it didn’t seem like the right time to make Radasha tell her everything. Once they were in civilization, she would just look everything up, research, do what she did. Locate every bit of data possible and act accordingly. “It sounds trying. I am not sure if I should apologize for not being here to assist, or straighten my back and figure out how to help restore the galaxy.” She glanced at Pike, a hint of concern in her expression.
Pike frowned as he tried to process the information. It was all happening so fast. To think that, after all these years, the downfall of both the Natto and the Empire would come from an outside source was mind boggling. In some ways, it was better than falling to the Freiza clan, but at the same time, he didn’t know how to fight this new enemy. There was definitely learning to do. “Well. . . at least the next few years won’t be boring.” he half jokes without emotion behind the words. He nods slowly to Radasha “Sounds like we got here just in time, then. How are you two doing?” He glances to Luri as she talks, pursing his lips in contemplation before nodding in approval “We’ll have to take some time to get our bearings, but yes, I think that’s a good place to start. Restoring the galaxy. After that, infinite energy and galactic peace. Then, perhaps, a sandwich.”
“Another time then.” She murmured, her attention focusing off out of the room. Radasha continued to pace around the room. She thought to ask exactly where they had been, but regardless of where and how, it did not matter anymore. They were home. She turned towards Luri, canting her head to the side. “Apology? Not needed. It would not have mattered and even so...I feel content knowing you three were safe from all of this.”
“The important thing now is getting you three back to safety and off this planet.” Xai grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. “Our ship is capable of hauling what you need, but if you would like to salvage what’s left we will need a larger transport.”
“Mmm.” Radasha agreed, staring towards the Kanasa. “The sooner we get you guys home, the more we can talk. There’s no telling how many more of your friends from outside are left.”
Luri nodded. She contemplated for a moment. “Of course, if we are going to be leaving, it will probably be sooner, rather than later. A lot of the stuff in here, I am not sure it matters really.” She glanced at Pike. “Just the stuff in the cargo hold, right?” She glanced around at the things in the room they were in. “I mean, I guess, I will leave it up to you, Love.” She knew what the things were that were important to her and most of them were stored safely in the crates. It would just be a matter of shoving the few loose things back into the bag they had been in.
Snippar nods slowly as he hand his hand to his head “Right. . . Well, at least we’re home. At least, we’ve come back to what’s left of it.” His head was spinning. He had so many questions and so few ways of finding out answers to all of them. He took a deep breath “Right. Our stuff. Yeah, we just have a few crates of junk. Had to keep it light to get back here.” He sighs “I’m going to miss our diner.” before shaking the thought away. He had to look forward now. “Anyways, yeah, only a couple of crates, and we have the tech to get them moving, too. Shouldn’t take more than two trips.”
As he set the last crate down in the Sol’s ship, he couldn’t help but look back at the shuttle that had crash landed in the distance. It was an entire life they were leaving behind. He had hoped that they would have popped out somewhere where they had the option to go back, if they really wanted to. Now, however, it seemed that they would never have that chance. For better or for worse, they were here now.
