RISE AGAIN ─ star wars

XVII. Survivors

Chapter Seventeen
Ragnar

"Why were you so shocked that I wanted to help you?" I ask Killian as we travel through hyperspace.

We've attacked three Imperial ships so far. On one, we found no rations and supplies, and the officers weren't willing to give an information. The second one had lots of supplies, which we have loaded onto our ship, but once again, the officers and troopers wouldn't talk. However, with the third ship we attacked, a freshly trained trooper was willing to talk. He said we should go to Corellia, that's where shipments of supplies come from an unknown location. So now we are on our way to Corellia, hoping it won't be a trap, though with the Empire, most things are.

"I've done a lot of traveling in my life, met a lot of people, high ranking government people, and they're all stuck up assholes. As an advisor to the king of the most powerful planet in the outer rim, I figured you would be the same."

"You figured wrong."

"Clearly."

We're silent for a moment, then I ask: "You say you've traveled a lot? Why? Business?"

Killian shrugs. "Yes and no."

I note their odd accent again, and the symbol on their jacket. Despite my better judgement, I ask: "Where are you from?"

He stiffens for a second, then responds: "Nowhere you would know."

"Are you always this cryptic?"

He smiles at me, and I feel my cheeks flush. "Are you always this invasive?"

"Invasive? I asked where you were from and why you travel a lot. I would hardly call those invasive questions."

Killian studies me for a second, their smile dipping into a smirk, like he's at a show and I'm the main entertainment. "Alright, Niran, how about we play a game? You ask a question, then I ask a question. Since you already asked two, I get to go first. I won't promise I'll answer everything you ask though."

I nod, then he asks their first question: "I'm assuming you're from Taris," He waits for me to reply so I nod. Then he continues: "How did you end up being the king's advisor? You clearly aren't from a noble family, you didn't grow up around money or power. That's probably why you aren't a stuck up asshole like the rest of them. So how?"

"I was an informant for Governor Jax Barrett of Lothal when the Rebel Alliance came to free Taris from the Empire. I helped everyone get onto the planet and led them through the tunnel system to rescue King Jayce. Jayce thought since I had lived on Taris my whole life and cared about the people that I would make a good advisor. And the rest is history."

He nods, then moves right along to their second question: "What do you think of King Daulton?"

"I think he's an amazing man, and I think he'll become one of the greatest rulers Taris has ever seen. Like his mother. Why?"

He shrugs again, which seems to be common response from them. "I've never seen him in person, just heard about him. So I was curious."

Now it's my turn to ask a question. "How did you end up on Cardellia?"

To my shock, he answers. "After a lot of traveling I decided it was time to grow some roots. I picked Cardellia because I admired it's beauty and the mountains reminded me of home."