The Legend of the Jedi Queen

6. Running With the Shadows

The Falcon landed on a rugged precipice right outside a collection of tents and shacks haphazardly assembled to make the most of so little space. Further down, there was a small city that was a mix of cobblestone and durocrete— the durocrete being a remainder of the days of Corellia's imperial occupation.

The party disembarked from the Falcon, and the first thing Nellith did was turn around, surveying the mountainsides and steep valleys in-between. It was colder in Corellia, colder than the Belt, Anch-To, Aquilae, and certainly Tatooine.

At least I'm getting to see a lot of the galaxy, Nellith thought. She turned back to Artoo, who was telling her to follow her mother and Chewbacca.

"I'm coming," Nellith assured him. She hurried after her mother, and couldn't help but steal glances at the denizens out of the corner of her eye. They were poor, downtrodden individuals whose lives were trapped. They were here for a short time of suffering, of struggling to survive, and then they were gone.

We should be helping these people, Nellith thought. Isn't that what a Jedi is about? Helping the downtrodden? Yet all we seem to be are people for war. . .

She followed Rey and Chewbacca into the main city, and into a seedy bar. Nellith pulled the hood up so the patrons couldn't see her youthful, delicate face and think of her as someone to swindle.

Rey went up to the bar itself and pulled a few credits out of the dark greenish-brown pouch on her belt.

"One Sweetfruit Shake," Rey ordered.

The bartender accepted the credits. "Haven't seen your face around here, sweetheart."

"I'm not from around here," Rey said. "But I plan on leaving, soon enough."

The bartender laughed as he began to mix the drink. "Good luck with that, sweetheart. With the occupation, we don't exactly get to leave this hellhole."

"What?" Nellith couldn't help herself. "Occupation?"

"The First Order's decided that we should be part of their territory, never mind that we're a Core World and not even in the Uphatu system," the bartender said. "I was visiting my family, was a chemist for the Trade Federation's weapons division. Now I'm here, doing the only thing that a chemist can do. Make food and drink."

Nellith squirmed, uncomfortable with the strange man sharing so much information.

"The First Order's on this world?" Rey raised her eyebrows, alarmed. "Then we've got to leave—"

"Might as well stay and finish your drink, sweetheart," the bartender said. "No one's going anywhere, don't you understand? Not without the proper papers."

Rey leaned in. "Is there any. . . Other channel to get out of here?"

She waved her hand as she said that, and Nellith could feel the shift in the Force.

The bartender leaned in. "I've heard rumors about a Kyber Master. I'd ask that one over there—"

He pointed to a young blonde in a shabby, repurposed Imperial uniform from the days of the Empire, sitting alone in front of a round table cloaked in shadow.

"She knows everything about everyone," the bartender said. "She could probably help you."

"Thanks," Rey said.

"No problem," the bartender said, passing his drink with a wink. Rey rolled her eyes and took it, downing half the drink in one gulp. She looked in the contents of it. "It really wasn't worth it, was it?"

"What?" Nellith tilted her head, confused.

"Nothing," Rey said. She looked to Nellith. "Alcohol is terrible. Don't try it."

Rey quickly finished the drink, and then looked to the woman the bartender had pointed out.

"Come on," she said. "The sooner we're out, the happier I'll be."

Nellith nodded, and followed her mother to the blonde.

Now that they were closer, they could see that the woman was fairly young, in her late teens at the youngest and early twenties at the most. Thin, and bearing a few scars that were visible and uncovered, Nellith could see that this young woman had a difficult life, that she must have struggled terribly. The series of glasses holding her drinks were evidence of that.

Still Rey hardened at the series of drinks, as if she were seeing someone else in the young woman's place.

"We heard you know of someone called the Kyber Master?" Rey asked.

"What for?" The woman didn't even look at them. Her watery blue eyes were somewhere else.

"We need papers," Rey whispered.

"Tallis Shan," the woman said. "You'll find his tent close to the monorail station, at the edge of Bendak's slums. He'll cost you, though."

"We can pay it," Rey said, puffing up her chest a little.

"Your funeral," the woman said with a shrug.

"Thank you," Nellith said.

The young woman just slumped over, resting her head on her folded arms. Nellith and Rey shared a look before walking out of the bar. Once out of the seedy little place, Rey turned to Nellith.

"I'll find Chewie and Artoo," Rey said. "I want you to find this Kyber Master. Tallis Shan. Can you remember that?"

Nellith hit back a snarky response, and nodded obediently. As Rey ventured down the street, Nellith returned to the tents and shacks of the slums. As she passed, she thought she could see some people turning to look at her more properly, although she didn't know why they would.

The tent that belonged to the Kyber Master was easy to find. There was a crowd of people around it, pulling out credits or whispering about the truth of the matter. Nellith approached, and a Twi'lek male turned.

"Kyber Master's business hours haven't opened yet," the Twi'lek said.

"I'm afraid I can't wait," Nellith said.

"Your funeral," the Twi'lek said with a shrug.

I am not dealing with this, not today, Nellith thought angrily as she pushed her way forward. She pushed aside the flap of the tent, and entered.