FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Syrran came out of his trance the moment the Outcast dropped from hyperspace. The jump had been short; enough to get to the adjacent system. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the stars appeared again on their sensors and viewports.

"Thank the Force," said Syrran, melting back on his seat grateful he had pulled off the navigation.

Theleema jumped into his arms and kissed him. "I would have gladly gone to the Chaos with you," she whispered into his ear.

Elynn leapt from her seat and hugged him from behind. "I knew you could do it," she said.

"Do I have an eye for talent or what?" Virra joined in the embrace.

They left the cockpit to celebrate their miraculous escape with the rest of their friends at the crew lounge.

"I can't believe we pulled it off," said Quinlan, hugging Syrran. "You guys were brilliant." They traded stories of their actions during the battle. Jarriss made a toast, quoting Admiral Raddus, "'It's a terrible thing when one has to go to war alongside allies, but it's worse to do so without them.'"

"Where are we heading?" Quinlan said.

"As far away from Christophsis, for one," Syrran said. "I plotted a route to Falleen, the only planet I knew around these sectors."

"Any chance you can drop me off on Kashyyyk?"

"We've been to Kashyyyk," Elynn said. "What's there?"

"Home."

"You live on Kashyyyk?" Jarriss said.

"Since the end of the war. That's how I knew where to find Saw Gerrera. Chieftain Gumbaeki welcomed me among his people in Palsaang after the end of the war."

"We met Chief Tarfful when we visited," Gorin said. "We fought alongside him and Gerrera a few months ago. He gave us some very nice gifts." He pulled on his Wookiee ammo halter.

"I was hiding there after Order 66," Quinlan said. "I came out of hiding to find my former Padawan, Aayla Secura, when I felt her death and ended up running into Sy in Felucia. I returned to Kashyyyk after I Knighted him and tried to keep a low profile."

"That didn't work out too well, did it?" Theleema said.

Quinlan laughed. "It didn't."

"You never really told us how you first got involved in all of this in the first place," Ilum said.

"Remember, Dex?" Quinlan said to Syrran.

"Of course," he said.

"Who is that?" Elynn said.

"Dexter Jettser was the owner of Dex's Diner in the upper levels of Coruscant," Jarriss said.

"Home of the best nerfburgers in the galaxy," Addia said.

"He was also a friend of the Order and a reliable source of information on the underworld," Syrran said. "And the only reason my uneti tree survived the attack on the Jedi Temple. He kept it safe for me."

"And now he's wanted by the Empire for treason," Virra said.

"That's why he became part of a group hiding in the underlevels of Coruscant called the Erased," Quinlan said. "People also wanted by the Empire for treason, who were able to erase all traces of their existence.

"Dex and I are part of an underground network that help Jedi and Force sensitives escape the Empire and gain new identities. Including children."

"The Path?" Virra said.