Managing the Shadows (Star Wars Legacy - AK, After Krayt, Part 1)

Chapter 7: New Messes

Traya made it back to camp a little while later. Em and Cha'ku came over to greet her, but she could tell they were nervous. "Where's Cade, young one?" Em asked.

"I don't know. Probably cleaning up another one of my messes."

"You don't know where he is?" Em asked, concern growing in his voice.

"No, but he'll be fine. He always finds a way."

Cha'ku and Em looked at each other.

She brushed past the Myneyrshi pair. "I'll be in the hut." Traya said. She wanted to go back to the home the Myneyrshi had set up for her and Cade. She needed some time away from everybody right now.

"Okay, um, I think we'll wait here for Cade."

Traya stopped. Something seemed suspicious about the two. She stared at them for a number of seconds, but before she could enquire any further a limping Cade came out of the woods carrying the large creature on his shoulders. Em and Cha'ku ran over to greet him.

Traya didn't want to listen, but something about her paranoia heightened her senses. The conversation that would be out of earshot to most, she heard quite clearly.

"Cade what is this?" Em asked as he approached the large, rotund creature Cade had brought out of the woods.

"This is one of the creatures we fought in the woods. Traya disarmed him earlier and we thought he was dead, but I managed to revive him somewhat. How is the Mynerysh we rescued earlier?"

As Traya approached the group she noticed Em acting strangely. He kept looking at the creature, but refusing to make contact with it. At one point he almost seemed to try to move it with his toe, almost as though it would curse him if he got too close.

"Tsintah is doing well." He began walking, or perhaps more accurately pacing, around the creature. "Now you are certain this creature is alive?"

Suddenly there was a great gasp from the thing, eyes opened, hands outstretched to the sky, seemingly grasping for something just out of reach, and then quickly it fell back to the ground, almost lifeless.

"Yes I'm certain!" Cade shouted, clearly growing frustrated with Em'Achee's uncertainty and delay. "Now Em. Get it medical treatment!"

"Yes, yes. Of course, of course."

Em began calling over other Myneyrshi in their native tongue. Quickly two arrived carrying a long stretcher made of leather, sticks, and branches. As they carted the creature away, Cade asked, "do you have any clue what it is?"

Em sighed. "He is a Psadan."

Cade had a look of shock and confusion as the word left Em's mouth. Traya didn't understand what was so significant. "What's a sadan?"

"Before the Yuuzhan Vong, there were two sentient species on Wayland. One was the Myneyrshi," Cade gestured to Em, "and the other was the Psadan." He paused. "In all my time on Wayland, I have never seen a Psadan. I assumed they were exterminated by the Yuuzhan Vong."

"So did I," Em offered. "I guess we were wrong."

Traya sensed something suspicious in Em's voice, but was too mad to help Cade right now. "I'm going back home."

"Can I join?" Cade offered.

Traya huffed. "Fine." The pair began walking back to their hut in silence.

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Blue turned off her welding equipment and flipped up her mask to see Cade and Traya walking back to the hut. She was working on some large ship part in front of their home.

"Hey you two!" Blue started waving as she saw the pair approaching. Cade gave a small wave and a half smile.

"Tray' come check this-" Traya stormed past her, into the hut, and slammed the door behind her.

"Good to see you too!" Deliah shouted into the house. She turned to Cade, "someone's not in a good mood."

"Yeah, she isn't too happy with me."

Deliah could tell Cade was upset, "look babe, she's a teenager, it's what they all do."

"I suppose... Still doesn't help when she's mad at you..."

"I know... Here babe, come check this out," Deliah gestured and started showing Cade the mechanism she'd been working on.

"... it took me a bit of searching and I needed some help from Em. You were right that the Myneyrshi really dont have any junkyards or parts dealers on world, but apparently it came in with a delivery of maintenance parts for the Triumvirate fleet.

"You think she'll like it?"

"Right now? I'd give it a hard pass." Blue looked a little hurt. "But give her a few days to cool down, then I'm sure she'll love it."

"You mean it?"

"One hundred percent!"

Blue jumped onto Cade, legs locked around him and gave him a kiss. With one arm around his neck, she reached the other out and extended her pinky. With the arm not around Blue's waist, Cade locked pinkies with her.

"My True Blue?" Cade whispered.

"Always."

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