Enigma: Part 3

Chapter 5

        The various vital monitors hooked up to Jolie beeped in rhythm as Evander and Corr awkwardly sat across from one another. Corr leaned against a counter with lots of medical supplies. He sterilized them with a sort of medical spray and some wipes. Evander, on the other hand, sat on the other side of Jolie's cot in a poorly padded chair that he'd found. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wouldn't let himself. Not again.

"So, I've gotta ask," Corr began with an intrigues smile as he set down the strange piece of metal he was holding. "What was it like being a Jedi?"

Evander laughed and crossed his arms. "It has its perks. I learned a lot. I can say that at least. To tell you the truth I was grappling with the death of my mentor for most of my teenage years and into my 20's. I failed all my trials, was sent away to learn how to be a pilot, and came back only to be assigned to an exploration crew," he said flatly. "That's how I met Flint."

"And Alda too?" Corr asked softly.

"Yeah. She's the only reason I'm still here. I'm assuming Synyc told you everything about that, right?"

He nodded. There was a look of empathy in his eye. Evander could sense it too.

"I'm sure if I actually did it all right I could sit here and tell you it was great to be a Jedi, but for me, it wasn't." Evander thought for a moment in the tense silence but then cracked a small smile, his eyes flickering to Jolie. "But it is how everything I love came into my life."

Corr smiled. "I'm sure Synyc's glad everything worked out how it did. He really cares about you."

Evader just smiled to himself, then changed gears, some skepticism growing in his voice. "So how did you and Synyc meet?"

"He first met my parents, actually. When the clone troopers started attacking the Jedi he was wandering around the city. My parents were there on a vacation, cruising around on a speeder, and saw him running back to the Temple when the craziness started. They drove ahead and saw he'd be gunned down in an instant so they grabbed him, disguised him, and took him back to our planet, Boonta."

"I thought everyone believed we were evil?"

Corr shook his head. "Most people did. Synyc was really what changed their minds for good, though. Not to sound rude, but seeing that despite him being small, pretty frail, and clearly having a panic attack, he still was running back towards the danger was proof that he wasn't bad. He was going back to take on an army just to save his people. My parents always said to me that he proved the Jedi had good hearts, so they saved him." Corr had this look of admiration and pride on his face that Evander had never really seen before.

Evander smiled. "I guess I have a lot to thank you for, then."

Corr cocked an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look.

"You and your parents saved Synyc and now you're saving Jolie. I owe you."

Corr genuinely smiled from ear to ear and shook his head. "Nah. It's what you do for good people."

First thing the next morning, Synyc was waiting in the command center for General Fall.

"General!" He shouted as he jogged across the room once she walked in.

She looked over, a confused yet interested look on her exhausted face. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"She's awake. Went into cardiac arrest last night but she should fully recover," he said urgently as he walked beside her.

"Is she stable? Mentally?"

"We don't know. She was only conscious for a matter of minutes before she got treated. Come with me, there's a lot to fill you in on," Synyc said as he started for the door. General Fall curiously followed, her data pad in hand ready to take note. Synyc filled her in on Jolie's true identity, her affiliation with the Jedi, her experiences there, and her relationships with Evander and Flint. General Fall took it in stride as well as she could and jotted it all down on a report.