Eye Of The Needle (Star Wars)

Chapter 43: The Duchess Of Mandalore

My leg injury was healed a few days after we left Saleucami. A month had now gone by and now Anakin, Nova, and I met up with Obi-Wan on the planet Mandalore. We were tasked with bringing the Duchess along with several senators safely to Coruscant.

"Reporting for escort duty, General." Anakin greeted Obi-Wan as soon as the three of us approached him.

"Oh Anakin, Storm. Am I glad to see you." Obi-Wan said, relieved to see us.

"You sound tired." I commented.

"The peaceful ways of the locals wore me out a bit." Obi-Wan explained.

Anakin snickered. "Never thought I'd hear that from you."

With that we boarded the Mandalorian spaceliner called the Coronet, where the Duchess Satine, her guards, and several of the senators already were. As I boarded the ship, Nova, who was also helping out approached me. "My brother and our cousins are on board. Do you want to meet them?"

"Who are we talking about? And how many?" I inquired.

"Grandma Sincra Setalvi and Grandpa Prikri Kryze had two children: Uncle Yusanis and my mom, Raskta. My mother married a nobleman, Andon Organa from the planet Alderaan. And she had me and my younger brother, Jeren." Nova explained. "My Uncle Yusanis Kryze married Jasgra Dendup, princess of Onderon, and they had three children: Lorea, Vorlega, and Orlamax Kryze." Nova clarified.

"Jeren is a senator of Alderaan like our relative, Bail Organa. Meanwhile, Lorea is a senator of Onderon...and you already know about Vorlega..." Nova mentioned. "And finally Orlamax became a politician as well." She continued.

"Alright, let's meet them then. They're family after all." I commented.

As we made our way through the ship to where our cousins and Nova's brother was, a question came to mind.

"What happened to your grandfather, Prikri Kryze?" I questioned.

"He went out on a secret diplomatic mission by Chancellor Valorum to Oba Diah to help the Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and Chancellor Valorum's personal aide, Silman, to discuss the Pyke Syndicate." Nova explained.

"If the mission was top secret why do you know about it?" I pointed out.

"Chancellor Valorum only told my family because it involved the death of my grandfather. Master Sifo-Dyas have not been seen then..." Nova clarified.

"But it's possible that he may still be alive." I commented.

Nova shook her head. "No, they may have never found Master Sifo-Dyas's body, but they found grandpa's...he was found on the ground near his personal ship."

I furrowed my brows. "Was Master Sifo-Dyas and the personal aide not with him?"

Nova shook her head. "No, my grandfather insisted that he take his ship and that he'd meet them there...but that never happened."

My face fell. I can't imagine how heartbroken grandma Sincra was when she first discovered the news. We then approached one of the living quarters to find one man about a few years older than me, a woman about a few years older than me as well, and a teenage boy.

"Storm, this is Jeren Organa, my younger brother. This is our cousins, Lorea and Orlamax Kryze." Nova said, introducing them to me.

Nova was older than me by six years and her brother, Jeren, was older than me by four years. He had short black hair and blue eyes. Jeren was wearing the traditional Alderaan clothing. Lorea was four years older than me, while I was older than Orlamax by three years. Lorea had medium long golden copper hair with green eyes. She wore a traditional Onderon dress. Orlamax had chestnut brown hair with gray eyes. He wore traditional Onderon clothing.