Incident at Saris

Chapter Sixteen

Saris Prime Observation station- The Serendipity

 **Close Encounters reference here**
Once inside they detected great smells coming from the kitchen/galley area, they walked in, and Kimmie was at the stove and Saffi the Hostess droid was helping her.
"Gingerbread!" Kayla said delighted recognising the smells.
"You're right, and ginger cake," Kimmie said, "I found it in a recipe book, and Saffi offered to help me make them".
Saffi spoke then "I know millions of recipes Mistress Kim, from all over the universe!"
Saffi was built to look like a human woman, although she was silvery in colour with blue lights for eyes, and was currently clad in an apron although she was probably more Android than she was Droid and she enjoyed cooking.
"Gingerbread!" said Kayla "yum!"
"Should be ready for consumption soon," Saffi said as Kayla left the kitchen with her new pet.
"You got her a Kitten?" Kimmi asked with a smile.
Rik shrugged "thought she might enjoy it".
"Rik you're a big softie," Kimmi said with a chuckle "it's Ren who is more reserved!".
Rik said "Ren's a softie too, it's just that he tends to worry too much about thing and is more practical than I and yeah he probably is a little more reserved, in many ways, but like me, he uses it as a shield he 'feels' things more intensely than I do, the number of times I have found him curled up in a ball crying or he's gotten sick because of something...he tends to use his reservation and professionalism as a shield but it doesn't always work" and went after his counterpart worried about him.
Ren was going through the cupboards in the Medlab and taking note of what they would need and writing them down and looked up when Rik came in.
Ren said, "the Justice has generously offered to send us a couple of containers of medical supplies, they said that they would unmark them so we can't be accused of stealing them, over to us, I wanted to turn them down but Captain Silvermist insisted, she said it was the least she could do for us, to get us a start off....she also offered to send someone from the Justice over as well, but I said we had a crew already and Master Ondrina was good at her word, she transferred us some funds apiece into our shared account, courtesy of the Jedai Council and even some to Kayla, I didn't realise we had so much support and so many friends".
Rik nodded "I think Master Ondrina still feels somewhat responsible for us seeing she found us and still sees herself as our mentor and sponsor."
"And perhaps a sort of surrogate mother" Ren said "I mean we might have been full-grown but gee! We were newly born!" he looked down at himself "Saris 4 was where we were born, and we were alone, we only had each other! So, I agreed to the offer and gave them a list of what we needed, which was everything, we got tools but nothing to use them with! And we needed stuff like aspirin, penicillium, more basic first aid supplies, and we need to talk to the girls ask them if they need anything? Or whether they have underlying medical conditions like diabetes or anaemia, or allergies and whether Kayla's ridges have fully come out or are in the process of doing so, she's 13 so's she's the right age for either".
"Oh yeah, I forgot about...that" Rik said "I should have asked her, it's not like it's personal or something, all GT get them. I told her to get what she needed for personal use, but I forgot to ask her about her ridges".
"I'm sure the girls have taken stuff like that into account, but we need to ask her anyway," Ren said, "you're treated enough GT, just like I have and you know as well as me that Kayla is at the right age for either her ridges to be coming in or have already, some of them have them by the time their 13, male or female".
Rik nodded "Ok we'll ask them at dinner then, we do need to take inventory and know stuff like that so what else do we need?" for another hour or so he and Ren went over what they needed, and Rik realised that Ondrina had indeed been generous, she had sent them enough to get by on until things started to pay for themselves. Also as Rik found out, Braxis had been true to his word and had transferred a third of what they had agreed up into their account with a message where to pick the goods up and where to drop them on Asfarus.
"I wonder what Kingpin or Crime Lord he's run afoul of," Ren said with a slight smile, he and Rik had run into scoundrels before like Braxis, most of them weren't evil, just slightly grey and they had their code of honour.
"We probably don't want to know," said Rik " although he seems good at his word and if we follow his rules, we might be able to get him as a regular customer and employer".
Ren nodded "I'll make some discreet enquiries. Maybe we could do him a slight, favour, in the future....."
Rik nodded and grinned, Ren wasn't above going 'above the Law' sometimes, depending on the circumstances, the Adept Order wasn't beholden to anyone but themselves, they worked basically for the 'good' of all and if it meant sometimes going 'outside the law' they would do so.
Rik said, "Ok, let's go see if there is anything more we need for the crew".
"I've got a total list more or less of basically what we need, but I'll ask anyway," Ren said.
They went and joined the girls as Kimmi had reheated the bolognaise and had set the table for them all, fresh bread rolls and butter sat in the middle of the table and a teapot full of tea, which by its smell was Ren's favourite brew, a pitcher of water sat on the table as well and one of the girls, possibly Kimmi or Kayla had even put a vase of flowers on the table and a tablecloth, the scene was homely and pleasant.
"We need curtains for the portholes," Kimmi said as she walked in "I know that they'll be mostly closed but it'll be nice, I'll set about making some at once!"
"I agree!" said Kayla " and we can open those if flying, their covered."
River smiled and said, "forgive Kim, Rik, Ren; it's just that well you're given us both a home at last".
"You already feel that?" Ren asked.
Kimmie nodded "for the longest time we've been well...drifters, but you and Rik have given us both a home at last, and a ship to crew on...".
Ren said, "well I'm glad you feel that way, it's not going to be easy though for a while until we get ourselves established but I'm glad that you both feel a part of the crew".
"You even got Kayla a kitten!" Kimmie said with a chuckle, as said kitten was awake and currently in a corner playing with a ball, it was too young to fly yet but it's tiny folded wings were a cute sight to behold.
"Every ship needs a cat!" Ren said.
"She likes Ivory," said Kayla.
"Ivory it is then," said Rik sitting down and pouring himself some tea, unlike Ren he preferred coffee over tea but he drank tea as well.
"Thanks so much, Master Rik, Master Ren," said Kayla then " for the kitten".
Rik said " glad you like it Kid" he indicated Ren "Ren wants to say something to us all".
Ren nodded "I have been doing an inventory on our medical supplies as the Justice has generously offered to donate us some containers of supplies to use, as we don't have much more than basic first aid supplies at the moment, so I need to know some stuff so I know what to ask for".
"Go on," said River "Kimmie and I, we have our first aid kit too".
"Ok," said Ren "Kayla. I'm asking you this because I need to know; your ridges? Have they come out? or are they coming out?"
"Her what?" Kimmie asked.
Kayla said non-plussed " pretty much done Master Ren, Master Ondrina made sure I had some cream for them, but I haven't had to use it for a while".
"Ok," he said, "I was going to get one of the other girls to do them for you if they were still coming out".
Kayla said, "I forgot that you are also a Doctor, I should have mentioned it".
"Ok I will get you a couple of extra tubes though, even when they come out they can still get infections under them," he said writing that down "believe me I have treated a few Gorta-Trellian in my time, Justice had a lot of them, I've always admired your race, anything else I need to know, I know about the penicillin".
"I have never gotten a reaction to it," said Kayla " maybe it is because I was born on Saris 4 or something, it seems to work ok on me".
"Not all GT get it," said Ren " it's about a 50/50 chance, so we can use penicillin on you?"
"Yes," she said.
"Ok," he said "I took the precaution though and got the alternative anyway speaking of that, Kimmie, River, are either of you allergic to penicillin? As I know some humans are" it was when he made statements like that it reminded them that he wasn't human and nor was Kayla!
"No," said River.
"No," said Kimmie.
Ren nodded "our race, Rik's and I, we are the same, 50/50 when it comes to penicillin, and sometimes it doesn't always work even then" he paused " anything else any of you would like to tell me, underlying medical conditions or something?"
"No," said Kimmie
"No," said River
Kayla said " no".
Ren nodded " fair enough, but I'm a qualified medical Doctor, as is Rik so you can always ask either of us if you want to talk privately, I also have a qualification in Counselling too...".
"What's Kayla's ridges?" Kimi asked.
Kayla said, " GT we get these well...we call them Ridges but they're the remains of scales on our backs along our spines, when we get to around my age, they go down our backs along our spines all adult Gt get them".
"Scales?" River asked.
"Gorta-Trellian are descended from Dragonkin," said Ren " so they still have some offshoots from that, their ridges are part of that, Kayla if you do feel pain in them though, come see Rik or me if they start to hurt or get itchy, you can get infections under the scales, regardless of age".
"I know," she said, "I had one, it's cleared though now".
Ren nodded "ok" and sat down and took a bowl of Bolognaise and helped himself to some bread "if there is anything any of you want to discuss privately you can come to see either of us too" he paused "guessing since your ridges have come in, you had your first Cycle too, Kayla?"
She nodded "yep".
"Ok," he said leaving it at that.
Rik helped himself to some Bolognaise as well and said "this tastes even better since it's been in the fridge overnight! And helped himself to the Parmesan cheese which was fresh " do you know how to make Chilli Con Carne, Kimi?" he asked.
"Yes," said Kimmi " and so does Saffi".
"Rik likes extra Chilli in his," said Ren " and he also loves Chilli dogs".
"more Chilli the better," said Rik with a grin which showed his teeth.
Ren groaned " too much tends to upset my stomach though, I don't think my stomach is made for overly hot foods!"
"Your such a wimp when it comes to spicy foods, Ren!" Rik teased "he ends up groaning in bed, which naturally starts ME off as well!"
"Rik!" Ren groaned " but it is true" as he buttered some bread.
Kimmie said, " I know how to make a really hot curry!"
"Sounds good," Rik said.
"It can make you breathe fire!" Kimmie continued.
"Ouch, that may be a little dangerous to your insides!" Rik chuckled " especially seeing Ren and I have a tendency to blow things up!"
Ren asked, " literally breathe fire?"
"Uh huh," said Kimi "it's the spices in it when they react to your digestive juices, you can literally breathe fire with it temporarily, but you don't do it too much, it's a great party trick, there is a more well....toned down variation it just keeps you warm inside if you're on an ice planet or something".
"Like Saris 2! Although that's a moon" said Kayla.
"More like Asfarus," said Ren " Asfarus is beautiful, but it is very cold! Glaciers that gleam in the night, crystalline creatures made of ice, a sky that changes colour at night. The Resistance has built a base there, but it is in occupied space, but that is where we are going once we leave here. That is one of our courier jobs, we will leave in two or three days, as there are also medical and educational supplies that need to be delivered to a neighbouring system".
They all nodded and Rik said, " so I hope your both got some winter woollies gear, River and Kimi, If not we could probably buy you some".
"Yes, I have," said Kimi.
"Me too," said River.
"Ok," said Rik " we do have some spare cash if you need it, due to the generosity of Master Ondrina and some upfront payments" he lit his pipe and continued " so feel free to use some of it".
Ren rolled his eyes he didn't fully approve of Rik smoking but he'd probably earnt it over the last two days and it wasn't like he smoked a lot anyway.
Rik continued "I'm beat, it feels good just to relax".
Ren nodded "I'm hoping for a good night's sleep tonight" as Kimmi offered ginger cake around.
Rik said " ginger usually makes me sneeze but it is baked into a cake it should be fine" he took a piece and took a bite "yum! You know how to cook Kim!"
She chuckled and said " thanks Rik".
Rik nodded " we'll stick around for another day or so but then we have to go the medical supplies especially need to get there" he stood up and stretched and sat back down again.
"We'll wait for the other deliveries," said Ren.
"Ok," said Rik, he paced a bit and then came back and sat down and said " sorry I'm restless, I feel like somethings going to happen to us all...something exciting!"
Ren chuckled and said, "I for one want a quiet night so that I can meditate or read or work on my drawing or something...."
"You draw?" Kim asked.
"Yeah, we both do," Rik said, " Ren's just better at it".
Ren said, "I like to draw" he paused " and write, some occasionally, it's a sort of release" he poured himself more tea.
Rik said " yeah" he smiled at Ren and floated an apple across to himself, Ren grinning floated one up himself and then added an orange and another apple.
"Show off!" Rik said.
"Ren's stronger than you?" said River,
"In many ways yes," said Rik and then to prove a point he added some more fruit and soon they had a whole orbit ", but this is easy!"
"Can I!" Kayla said wanting to be in on the fun "Master Ondrina, didn't like us well 'playing' like that too much".
"Don't' we know it!" Ren said " she was our master as well! the trouble with you GT, like us you live for a long time!" he smiled at her then " don't worry Kayla we'll let you 'play' a little with the way it's good to practise, River too, speaking of which Rik, where are our practice crystal balls?"
Rik lowered his fruit then Ren his and Rik said " back in a moment" he got up and walked out and then came back later with a box of crystal balls, and a few foam ones and a couple of others like tennis balls, a basketball, and a couple of cloth ones, one of which he threw at Ivory, who leapt at it happy to have a new toy.
At their confused looks he said "there was a game we played on our original homeworld, it was meant to improve your ability to fly and that, we used crystals, Ren and I altered it somewhat and got a whole pile of crystal balls made, it is one of the few things we both remember from....before" he paused "and I am not sure if we originally invented it".
"Fly?" River asked.
"Our original people, they well...hover...I guess you could say, levitate, Ren and I can do it too, still, but we're out of practice".
"You can levitate?" Kim asked.
"Yeah," said Rik and without another world did so " we can do it for a while but it takes a little concentration like I said we're out of practice" Ren joined him.
Ren said " we can both do it, it is partly the way and partly ourselves" he came back down again "but the game, we place the balls at different heights and you see how high you can throw a smaller ball" he held up a small one "the balls glow when you hit them....our people they used to use their voices too".
"Ok," said Kimmie.
Rik grinning used the Way to make all the balls rise from the ground "they're also tuned so when you hit them they let out a note, Ren...he can make them sing".
Ren said, " yeah I can, here I will show you".
Rik nodded "ready? Play the five tones!"
Ren nodded and started to sing "Do, Do, Ra, Mi, Sol, do, re, mi, Sol, La" he raised his arms and started to sing in earnest making the crystal balls glow.
"Wow!" Kayla said.
"As I said, Ren, he sings," said Rik.
"It's beautiful!" said Kimi as Ren had started to sing another tune.
"He doesn't have the power that some others of our kind do or even our original power we had as One being, but it suffices," said Rik.
"Can you sing?" Kimi asked.
"Kinda, but my voice, it lacks the power, Ren got what was left of that," said Rik "I do play keyboard though, and Ren is pretty good on a guitar or a flute, our original people, now they could sing!"
Ren nodded "Rik's right but we were showing you how to play the game".
Rik nodded " basically you try to get the ball as high as you can and if you can throw it in such a way that it hits a couple of others and makes a tune, our original people. They did it with their minds and their voices, something like so" Rik concentrated making the smaller ball float up and under Rik's excellent control, the ball bounced from crystal to crystal making a tune, Ren hummed.
"You really can use the Force!" Kim said amazed to Rik.
Rik chuckled " did you doubt my ability to do so Kimi?" he asked.
"Well,....".
"I'm as good as Ren is with it, in many ways, I'm just different that's all, it is a tool I have, so I use it as such mostly, Ren is the one who contemplates on it".
Ren nodded "Rik is good on the Way too, it's just that he tends to use it more as a tool".
"Isn't that kinda well...wrong though?" Kimi asked, "I mean River uses her similar as well but then she's not an Adept".
"No," said Ren.
Riks said "I got it, so I use it" he grinned "Ren show them how the game is played".
Ren nodded " although they didn't call it 'play' it was seen more as an educational tool...you know how scholarly they are".
"No wonder we rebelled! And blew something up, including ourselves! " Rik said with a chuckle "RikRen...NOT a model citizen, crikey! I can hardly remember been RikRen! I mean how young were we?"
"Me either, and fairly young," said Ren "but I do remember this" he started to hum and to use his mind making the balls flare up again and hit all ten of the crystal balls, in turn, making a tune.
Rik laughed and clapped his hands and River said: "that's amazing!"
Kimi said, " I can't float things around though".
Rik said, " then just throw the ball".
"Ok," she said.
Rik said, " try to throw it in such a way it hits the other balls, like playing pool I guess".
Kimi nodded and smiled " now Pool I can handle!"
"Try using the same theory then," said Rik.
"Never get involved in a game of Pool with Rik," said Ren " he's dam good at it! People tend to get scared off though if he's clad in his robes though, but believe me, it is a skill and not only the Way that makes him good at it".
Rik said, " yeah we have to set the pool table up in the rec room, I can see some long nights been whiled away by playing Pool".
Ren nodded "yes I packed our boardgames as well...Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Chess, Monopoly all our favourites".
"Do any of you play Tarok?" River asked.
"Yep, we both do," he said, " be warned though we are both pretty good at it".
Ren nodded " and I packed some books and art supplies if anyone has an artistic bent as I do".
"It's why it took so long for us to pack stuff," Rik said " we packed a lot of our favourite stuff from home on the ship, I foresee some long flights so we might as well be comfortable, this isn't the Justice!" he paused " Ren's right though when he said the two of us are too used to our creature comforts...due to living on and working on the Justice all this time, we had everything we needed....so anyone else want a go".
Kayla said " yes! Can I have a play!".
"Sure," said Rik smiling at her and stepping aside " go for it".
Kayla nodded and started to concentrate, the ball floated up and hit three of the Crystals.
"Well done!" said Ren.
Kayla said, " I still bet you could make the mountains sing on Crasolia Master Ren".
"Or at least a cliff-face," he said, " never tried it, I know someone who can though".
"Who?" Kayla asked.
"Someone who is a legend, and oddly enough he and his people are somewhat similar to our own, which kind of makes me wonder if we have a common ancestor," said Ren.
"Yeah," said Rik " legends can indeed live forever" he paused "try it again Kayla" Kayla nodded and concentrated and bounced the ball between three of them.
"Nice try," said Ren.
"Thanks".
Ren said " watch this" and he concentrated and before their eyes he made all ten of them glow and play a tune.
"Wow!" said Kimmie "but you don't need to do it that way, seeing you can sing to make them do that".
Ren laughed " yes, but it is good to practise, it keeps your edge, Kayla have another go!"
Kayla nodded eager, to have a chance to practise and 'play' with her Way enhanced powers and managed to make five sing.
"Good go," said Ren " ok try it like this" he put a blindfold around his own eyes and before their amazed eyes, he made them all sing again, his aim was perfect.
"Wow!" Kimmie said, "I'm impressed!"
Rik nodded " he always impresses even me when he does that!"
"You just don't practise enough," said Ren "I bet if you did, you could do it as well as I".
Rik said " Nah think I'm to action-orientated, to restless," Ren took the blindfold off and said, " try it, Kayla, with the blindfold, you too River".
Kayla nodded eager to try and put it on, Kimmie said: " how is she supposed to see where she aims the ball?"
"Watch," said Ren "Ok Kayla concentrate, feel the balls, you don't have to be perfect at it, just the best you can".
Kayla nodded and picked up the ball and threw it, hitting two and then a third, they all chimed even if a little out of tune.
Rik and Ren both clapped and Rik took the blindfold off and nodded "well-done Apprentice!"
"How?" Kimmie asked.
"The Force or the Way!" said River " here let me try!"
Ren nodded and put the blindfold on her and said: " try".
River did so, concentrating her own somewhat untrained gift, it was wayward at times and she felt one of them correct her somewhat, probably Ren but as they all watched, she hit two and glanced a third.
"Well done!" said Rik.
Ren nodded, reclining in his chair drinking his tea and said " well shot!" and then remmarked " you do need some training though River, I could feel it getting away from you, that could be dangerous, that's why I corrected you,".
River said "it's a little um...wayward sometimes".
Ren nodded " you are quite strong, so picture it as a river, a river flows, it changes but it is always steady. Rik and I had a little trouble with it at first, when we first came here, as our first night here showed us, so maybe this will help, picture your mind as a deep pool, I can teach you some meditation tricks that may help you".
Rik said with a toothy grin " you know what kind of suits you to Ren!"
Ren said "I'm not that wise!" he frowned at his counterpart.
Rik said " wiser than I am at any rate!"
"No, you are wise too in your way Rik, we can't help NOT to be!" Ren said.
"You both strike me as wise," said Kimmie then.
"You are wise Master Ren! Master Rik!" said Kayla then " especially you Master Ren!"
Ren said " there are those...wiser, Rik and I, we're young still".
Riks said " Ren's right, there are those far wiser than either of us, Master Ondrina comes to mind, we owe her and the Justice so much!" he paused " so Kayla want to try again".
Kayla nodded and for the rest of the evening, they spent it playing the game until the girls got tired and decided to call it and retired, leaving Rik and Ren in the kitchen/Galley together.
Ren put the crystal balls away in the box, they had cost a fair bit to make and Rik pulled out the chess set he had made (it wasn't only Ren who was artistically inclined) and set it up for them, the ship had a rec room but they hadn't set it up properly yet and Ren said " tea?"
Rik nodded, "white or black," he asked his counterpart indicating the chess set.
"White," said Ren.
Rik nodded and set up as Ren joined him and poured them both a warm, calming tea, knowing Rik was as shook up as he was from the last two days events, he just handled it differently.
Rik said, " thanks Ren, I know I haven't shown it as much, but you're not the only one who has found the last two days taxing".
Ren nodded "I know, you're not as happy go lucky, or as laid back as you appear, like me you use it as a shield like I use my professionalism I'm surprised you haven't broken down either" he paused "it has been very hard and taxing for us both".
"Yeah" Rik agreed "I know people think I'm well....not like you, but the truth of the matter Ren, there have been a couple of times over the last two days that I have almost curled up into a ball, shaking or crying, this is... well, not exactly what I had in mind for our first trip out as Freelancers".
Ren chuckled "yeah but we also didn't intend to blow ourselves up so many years ago either!"
"True," said Rik, " say do you even remember how we did that?"
Ren chuckled " we were attempting something we probably shouldn't have been trying to attempt an experiment, unsanctioned and unsupervised I think".
Rik nodded " I can't remember much more after that, apart from light and pain and feeling like I had died.... Apart from waking up on that beach on Saris and attacking you and you surprisingly attacking me back mirroring my skills".
Ren nodded " I'm tainted by darkness just like you are Rik, and we both still bear the burn scars and scars from that night, I still see us in my mind's eyes sometimes, newly born, our skin smooth, soft, unmarked and gleaming apart from our racials ...we have come a long way since then, Rik, but we both still have a long way to go, we are still naïve in the ways of the world, geez have you even gotten well... intimate?"
"No," said Rik " come close though, you?"
"No," said Ren.
Rik said, "I've come close, but no, not yet, I don't think I'm ready".
Ren nodded "same here,".
"Do you think we'll know, if well one of us do?" Rik said.
"Possibly," Ren said, looking at the chessboard "Rook to your knight" and moved his piece.
"Hmm....bold move," Rik said and responded in kind and for a few hours more they did just that, played chess, and when they got tired, Ren put the board carefully away just as it was so he and Rik could pick it up again.
"Night Ren," Rik said.
"Night Rik," said Ren as they went to their separate rooms, which were next door to each other, within moments the ship was quiet, and Sera put it on sleep mode