The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano, Book Ten

Chapter Three: Brother And Sister

JANIRA BONTERI

In the outer reaches of the Cial system, there was a small distortion in the fabric of realspace and time like ripples on a still pool of water as an X-wing plastered in fading stickers dropped out of lightspeed.

From underneath the honey-colored visor of her helmet, Janira Bonteri, twin sister to Lux Bonteri, let a small smile curl the corners of her full lips. She switched the ship from autopilot back onto manual control, clenching and unclenching her fingers to get them warmed up again.

It had been a long flight, after all, and she was still a little stiff.

"Attention, unidentified craft. You are trespassing in private space. Please present your credentials," came a voice over her comm.

"Well, somebody's sure in a serious mood!" Janira said, brushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her face. Then, she keyed in her access code as well as her credentials. "Come on, Semm – I know that's you, and you obviously know it's me."

There was a chuckle from the other end of the line. "Just doing my job, Jani." Then, almost as an afterthought, the Cerean Jedi Knight added, "Please do not deviate from your present course while we verify your codes."

After a moment of silence, the comm crackled to life once more. "Okay, you're clear for landing, Ph–"

"None of that yet," she interrupted him. "I'm still Blue Leader of the Onderon unit as far as anyone else is concerned, okay? I want it to be a surprise."

"Suit yourself. Temple Base One out."

Janira hit the gas, sending her fighter surging forward. She pulled a few experimental twists and turns as she hit the mountains surrounding the New Jedi Temple, zigzagging around rocky outcroppings and sending her ship spiraling up into the sky. She cut the power to the engines as soon as she was high enough, closing her eyes in a moment of silent joy as the ship freefell through the air.

She rerouted power again a mere fifteen feet from the ground, laughing when, just as she had known it would, the fighter responded immediately, sending her flying forward at full speed.

She was going to miss this ship. With all the time she had spent flying it, the battle-scarred X-wing had become practically an extension of herself... but perhaps this was for the best. After all, she had always wanted to try flying an A-wing.

It was then that she realized she had probably spent enough time playing around. Janira had things to do, people to see. Although she wasn't here on behalf of the Rebellion, that didn't make her time any less limited.

Starting up the ship's landing cycle and setting it on automatic, she took off her helmet, pulling her long dark hair into a high ponytail. As the fighter finally touched down, she pushed open the canopy and climbed out.

It was like the second she was standing on her own two feet she was being knocked right back onto her behind. She squeaked in surprise, struggling to find her way through the mass of squirming children suddenly piled on top of her.

"Aeja, boys... can't really... breathe," she gasped.

It took a while, but, soon, the tangle of arms and legs and toothy grins and giggles had lifted. She pulled herself to her feet, smiling. "Thank you. Aunt Jani needs to breathe, you know." She chuckled. "Yeesh, you guys sure got heavy. Okay, now come here – some hugs and kisses are in order. Oh, how you've all grown!"

She meant to embrace each niece or nephew in turn, but that just wasn't how it worked out. That was the way it was for siblings – you got the entire package in one. And so she found herself wrapping her arms around Aeja, Aluxso, Enarion, as well as little Anakin, who, in all honesty, wasn't so little anymore.