Incident at Saris

Chapter Nine

Saris Prime Space Station- 2952

Rik led Kayla into the business district, there were news broadcasts all over the place of the disaster on the mining platform, noone knew what had caused it, the rumours were flying mad, and all they could say was that it was pending investigation, 110 people were believed dead as they had not yet found any survivors.
Rik paused " they won't," he said, making Kayla stop in amazement, and look at him in awe.
"Won't what?" Kayla asked.
"Find any more survivors," Rik said, " we felt them die".
"How do you know?"
"Ren is not the only one who can predict the future," Rik said to her " he is just better at it".
She looked at him "oh".
"It is a carryover from what we once were," Rik said "but they won't find any more survivors, only more dead" he paused for a moment, and Kayla suddenly saw that he was a lot wiser than many would take him for, she could see it in his face, and his bright intelligent and very non-reptilian eyes, Master Ondrina had said that they were older than they seemed.
"You are much older and wiser than you seem, aren't you?" Kayla asked.
"I am," he said softly and rubbed his eyes " come on Kayla let's go shopping" as his own Astromech Droid joined them.
"BOB!" said Rik with a smile "Kayla meet BOB, my mech droid, he's mine! Not the Justice's, figured he could help us carry some stuff".
"It's....cute," said Kayla.
"I had to rebuild him, I found him on the scrapheap, " Rik said " which is why he is called Bob" he paused " so do you want a blaster? Kayla cause if you do, I know the perfect model for you!"
"Master Ren he doesn't want me to have one," she said.
"Master Ren also said that it was your choice," said Rik " he doesn't like guns! So he refuses to use one, although he can and is quite a good shot on it he doesn't like guns, so he doesn't use one, which is why if you choose to get one I will tutor you in its use, your, my apprentice, too!"
She said, "I don't know.....".
"Tell you what, I'll get you one and if you chose to use it, I would tutor you, although the most important thing to do at the moment is to get you to start building your sword, that is one thing we will both teach you and help you to do".
"OK," she said, "Ok, get me one".
Rik nodded "I know the perfect model! Follow me" he took her to a shop and looked around and then nodded and pointed one out to her "Sporting model, light, small and perfect for your first gun! Ren has one just like it."
"Well, Ok," she said, "um ok?"
Rik said, " we'll get you that one then" he looked at a bandolier and a powered, pistol crossbow, "Hmm might be useful" and tried it on, frowning a little as he slipped it over his back, his feathered spines, his vestigial 'wings' and his odd shape sometimes caused issues, he hid them under his coat, but he was still oddly shaped "Mmm I like this! A powered pistol crossbow!" he looked at Kayla " want one too!"
"A what?"
"A powered pistol crossbow?" he replied.
"Um, I don't know," she said.
"I'll also get you a power knife and a non-power one," he said " even Ren can't protest about that, he has a power knife which he tends to carry around with him" he got a trolley and added some ammo and other stuff in it and a couple of emergency power packs and picked up the numbers for the gun and the crossbow.
Kayla said "Ok" and as she walked she noticed that Rik's long sinewy tail had blue-grey markings on it as well, she didn't know whether Rik was considered 'handsome' by his race's standards, but he was a lot more colourful than he looked at first.
Rik was looking at some stuff "you got a decent sleeping bag, Kayla?"
"Err no," she said.
"Ok one decent sleeping bag then, sleeping mat, blow up pillows, and you may need some decent cold-weather gear, Ren and I have decent camping gear already, we'll get you some outdoors gear then " he found some and looked them over, and added some items to their trolley and said, " feel the Way, timeouts are great, going somewhere where the Force is wild, Ren and I do it fairly often".
"Going camping," the sales assistant asked.
"No," said Rik "but we're just gotten our apprentice, so she needs some equipment".
She looked at him then "Oh I see" as she noticed his garb. Rik like Ren tended to dress like an Adept Knight, in subdued colours and practical clothes.
Rik grinned "thanks" he smiled a toothy grin " so how much is this lot?"
"Err," she told him.
Rik nodded and paid and added a few more things and then they arranged for it to be delivered to the ship and walked out, Rik lighting a pipe as he did.
"Don't tell Ren?" he said to Kayla with a wink.
He doesn't know?" she asked.
"Yeah he does and has done it once or twice himself," Rik said " doesn't fully like it though or approves been a Doc and all" he blew smoke rings "I don't do it a lot though, but after that..." he indicated the broadcasts " I need it".
"But you're also a Doctor," she said.
"Not as much as Ren," he said " we're both Healers, but I'm more of a Field Medic or Paramedic" he looked at the broadcast "might check that later, Ren is going to need me to relieve him soon, sorry you got caught up in this on your first day out as our Apprentice!"
"It's Ok," said Kayla " makes it seem more real somehow, I mean I gotta expect this right seeing I'm a Healer and I am an Apprentice now".
Rik said " come on, kid, let's go see if we can get the rest of your equipment" Kayla nodded.
Rik called her 'Kid' but she didn't mind, he wasn't offensive but she had acquired a new nickname and it made her feel already a part of the crew.
She said, "you been so generous already".
He said, " you're our apprentice Kayla, so we are now responsible for your welfare".
"I guess you are huh?"
"Yep," said Rik " when you take on an apprentice it is like adopting a child".
She nodded "I guess," she said, " never thought of it that way".
"You are our apprentice Kayla, so it time that we look after you!" he tapped her nose and smiled.
"You have teeth, a fair few actually" she remmarked.
"Yes I do," he said.
She said, "I thought you were Artean when I first saw you".
"No I'm Corran, I just look Artean, I can easily be mistaken for one, it is part of Ren's and I's story of how we came to be ...." He chuckled "Hmm" he looked at his list "Ren wants us to pick up supplies food and all that for the ship that we can store, there is a synthesiser of course but Ren prefers non-synthesised and so do I" and then nodding they went into a store.
Kayla said, "I almost feel like we're in a frontier world station or something".
Rik said " this is a mining station and a stop-off point for the moons of Saris, it was initially built so the miners could have somewhere to live, seeing Saris Prime is unliveable so yeah I guess it does in a way, I have never thought of it that way, so I guess in a way it is like a wild west style place...you like Westerns?"
She nodded "I love Westerns, especially classic ones ".
He nodded " so do Ren and me, but keep close Kid".
She nodded and followed him into the store and looked around. Rik looked at his list and went to the shelves.
"Flour, rice, salt, spaghetti, Pasta of all kinds, sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, dried meat, lentils, dried veggies, canned goods, spices...hmmm," he put their stuff into a trolley.
Kayla followed him around, amazed, this was something she had never done, she decided she probably had to get used to it, as they wouldn't always be in highly populated areas as she moved along her apprenticeship.
"Tea!" said Rik "Ren and I like a good cuppa occasionally, especially Ren, it calms you and clears your channels we're found," he said to Kayla who nodded.
"Cooking chocolate" he added a couple of blocks " normal chocolate, yeast, " he paused.