Incident at Saris

Chapter Five

They walked into the Academy, and a happy shout echoed and a Gorta-Trellian girl in her early teens came running, her long white-blonde hair flying "Ren! Rik!" she said happily and threw her arms around Ren and then Rik, she knew them both as they had spent some time with her lately getting to know each other, once it was confirmed that she was going to be apprenticed to them.
"Kayla!" said Rik with a chuckle as the girl almost bowled him over.
"Are you taking me now!" she asked excitedly.
"Yes!" said Ren " we are, so are you packed ready to go Kayla? We have a ship and everything!"
"Serious!" she said.
"Yes," he said.
Rik nodded "yeah".
"Yes, I'm packed ready to go!" she said, "you know how much I have been looking forward to this day?"
"No doubt a lot," Ren said with a chuckle " a chance to put your training to use!"
She nodded "yes! And I promise I will be a good apprentice!!"
"Well ok, get your things then," Rik said.
She nodded "I don't have a lot...".
"Take your time," said Ren as he noticed the Head of the Academy approach him, she had been the then Captain of the Justice when they had first arrived here, seeing she was Gorta-Trellian as well, she was followed by a young human woman with a staff.
"Ren, Rik," she said, "I was hoping to catch you before you left".
"We had to come and collect Kayla," said Ren "although I'm surprised that you let us both have an Apprentice because I still don't think we have enough experience to be a Master yet! And given that fact and GT ages, Kayla isn't that much younger than us!"
She said, "Ren, Rik, you were both fully grown when you first came here, so you are both a lot older than you think".
"We weren't even fully grown then! By the standards of our people!" Ren said "we were I think the equivalent to 18 or 19" he paused " we're not much over a hundred! I'm surprised you have given us an apprentice!"
She said, "you are both strong in the Way and have proven yourselves worthy, and that is why I'm asking further favour of you".
"Ok," said Rik "guess we owe you one, seeing you rescued us so long ago!"
She said " there are no thanks needed for that as I have said," she said smiling at them both remembering when and how she had found them, naked and shivering on a beach in the middle of winter, scared, newly born, and confused, their skin still unmarked and shining, apart from the wounds and burns they had inflicted on each other in their confusion, it had been many years since then, and although she knew that they were still young by the standards of their alien people, they were a lot wiser and older than they gave themselves credit for, but part of her still saw them like that.
"What is the favour you wish to ask of us?" Ren asked, always the steadier and practical out of the both of them, he had come a long way since then, they both had, Rik and Ren came as a Pair and had always done so.
She indicated the woman next to her "this is River, she is  Way Sensitive, she found herself here alone along with her friend and a Droid and needs guidance".
"You want us to train her too?" Rik asked, " gee, I don't know what to say. I agree with Ren on this point; we barely have enough experience even to be called a Master!"
"No, not train her, but be a guide.... She has pretty much trained herself, but she still needs some guidance, so I'm asking you to provide her that guidance, much like I did to a newly born, young alien pair many years ago" she said, " she's mechanically trained and is mainly self-taught, and even has her Mech Droid with her...so she'll be a useful ally to you".
"Well, we do need an engineer....." Ren said thoughtfully "we just bought ourselves a ship...so we do need a crew for it".
"It's a Sunrise!" Rik said "it's beautiful! Master Ondrina".
"A Sunrise?" she asked, " and I heard that you had decided to go Freelance, you'll always be welcomed back on the Justice though".
"Yes!"
"You know how rare those things are?" she said "I'm impressed! How did you manage to get a hold of one of those!"
"From the Shipyards! The owner had died and didn't have anyone to pass it onto" Ren said, "it took just about everything we earn though for a year....so I hope it pays off, I'm still wary.....".
Ondrina said, "the Justice mourns losing you both to going Freelance, but we will always support you, and you are always welcome back, but as I pointed out to the current captain, there is a time in everyone's life when one needs to make their way in life and you two have reached that point, so what do you intend to do?"
"We intend to do missions and couriering, " said Rik "good money in that if you are not afraid to take a little risk" he paused, moving his tail "we just got ourselves a ship as Ren said".
She nodded "I wish you well then, and I will make sure you get some funds but will you do this favour for me?"
Ren turned to the girl "what can you do?" he asked.
The girl's eyes widened when she saw them both and said "I'm good at technical stuff and working on droids and that, I have a friend, Kimmi, she's a self-trained engineer and Techie, we came here together...from elsewhere".
"Much like us, originally," said Ren "Ok River, you and Kimmi can come crew with Rik and me, we're got a ship and we need a crew....it's a hybrid Cruiser/Freighter".
"Serious!" said River.
"Yes, as long as you don't mind sharing a ship with a 13-year-old and Rik and I," Ren said, " Rik and I, we come together".
She said " what race are you? I have never seen anything quite like you".
Rik said, " We're a Corran Pair, we aren't native to this universe, we just ended up here".
"You have a droid?" Ren asked.
She nodded "it's a mech droid".
Ren nodded " so do we, have a Droid I mean, and our ship has two, so well I guess that'll help, ok Master Ondrina you have a deal, least we can do for you for all that you did for us....".
Master Ondrina nodded "thank you Ren" she turned to River "this is Rik and Ren, River as you know, two Knights of the Order and medically trained, but as they said they come together, so I will leave you in their capable hands, along with Kayla of course!" as Kayla came back and she smiled when she saw River.
"River!" she said. Clearly, she knew the older girl " are you coming with us?"
"Seems that way," River said, she looked at Rik and Ren "you have a ship you say?"
"Yes," said Ren.
She said, "Kimmi, she's a mostly self-taught engineer and Techie, we're friends, um she'll be happy to find out that we're found a ship to crew on, so are you Freelance or otherwise".
"Freelance," said Rik " well we intend to be, we used to be crewmembers of the Justice though, but Saris has been our home for many years now, we have just bought a ship so we need to pick up a few things from our residence, and probably prime the engines a little more, do you two have much?"
"Not really," said River.
"Get your things and meet us here in an hour or so," Rik said, " and welcome aboard".
"So who's the Captain?" she asked.
They looked at each other as they hadn't thought about that and Ren said: " we both are I guess, seeing we both own the ship".
She nodded " fair enough" she couldn't figure them out, there appeared to be a strong link between them, not lovers though, as they both shared their colouring but they were two different races, although looking at them both she could see that there were similarities between them, they said that they were a Corran Pair.
Ren said, " get your gear and meet us here when you are done; we will take both you and Kimmi, we need a crew....so".
"Are you brothers?" she asked then sensing the link between them, they felt similar in the Force.
"You could say that," said Ren "it's a little more...um, complicated, but brothers, are close enough".
Master Ondrina said then "Rik and Ren's relationship is unusual, to say the least, but I think it is something they need to explain to you when they think that when and if they think you are ready to learn it. But no, they aren't lovers" she hugged both Rik and Ren "take care you two".
"We will," said Rik and Ren, Ren hugged her back and after a moment, Rik did too, the both owed so much to Master Ondrina.
Kayla said, "I'm ready to go!"
Master Ondrina smiled at the girl "so Kayla are you ready? Are you ready for the biggest journey of your life so far and the longest part of your training?"
"Yes!" said Kayla.
Ondrina nodded "Rik and Ren are the ideal teachers for your journey to become a full Adept Kayla and I wish you well, enjoy the journey, study hard, listen to your teachers, and learn, but don't forget to have a little fun along the way! You are now, officially an Apprentice! And Rik and Ren you are now officially your Masters, and therefore entitled to all that comes with the rank".
Kayla nodded and bowed "I will Master Ondrina".
Ondrina nodded " well Ren, Rik, she's officially your Apprentice now".
Ren nodded " and we will honour such a responsibility, with loyalty, devotion, trust, honour, and gratitude Grand Master Ondrina" and both he and Rik bowed to her "although I still don't think that we both have enough experience to be classed as a Master though" Ren added.
Ondrina said, " You have both earnt this RikRen, don't doubt yourselves so much!"
Rik said, "I guess, but part of me agrees with Ren".
Ondrina said "you both will be fine, I don't doubt either of you!" and hugged them both again " take care and may the Way and the Path always be clear to you".
"You to master Ondrina," said Ren he smiled at Kayla and added " every life has a Journey, Kayla, and it is time to start ours. Come along then, we shall begin our journey together and well, welcome aboard".
Kayla nodded and hugged Master Ondrina and said " and I'm ready to start mine.... Time for my next big adventure! Come on River! I can't believe that you and Kimmi are going to join us! " she liked and respected the older girl.
Ren said, " may we fulfil your confidence in us Master Ondrina and may the Path always be clear!" and with one more wave, he turned away and followed Rik.
Master Ondrina watched them go as they left the building and smiled to herself, she had known this day would arrive, that Rik and Ren would want their own lives and go freelance, she smiled and shook her head "May the Path and the Way always be clear to you both, Rik and Ren" and turning away she started to head back to her class, the world needed heroes and Rik and Ren would be part of that.
This, she knew, she had known that when she had met a newly born, yet full-grown Rik and Ren on an empty beach in the middle of winter, so many years ago.
"May the Path and the Way be with us and guide us all," she said softly.

End of Part One