>>5660033>>5660038>>5660049>>5660054>>5660059>>5660061>>5660099>>5660117>>5660206>>5660248>>5660287>>5660305>>5660405>>5660590>>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in on the KakariNujem spots you first. The young kalleran waves excitedly, tugging at his master’s robes. “Master Farren, Ceyla! Hey, we’re over here!”
Said master snorts. Even from across the berth, you can see Arotta rolling her eyes as she cuffs her padawan’s shoulder. “Don’t go making a ruckus.”
It’s been a month since your departure and return to Amagi, but much has changed. As they approach the <span class="mu-i">Albatross</span>, you spy the length of a padawan braid hanging around Nujem’s wrist like a bracelet. In contrast, the little length of beads that hung along Arotta’s montrals is nowhere to be found.
You grin. It seems like she kept her promise – she’d passed her trials and became a Jedi Knight, all in the time it took you to come back from the Empire.
Nujem breaks ranks with his master, running towards Ceyla with outstretched arms. “Ceyla! Look, I’m a padawan now!”
She sighs, but smiles ruefully, reciprocating the gesture with an ‘omph’ as they collide. “Congrats, Nujem. You must’ve worked really haAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!”
Your hand drops instinctively to your lightsaber as she breaks away, screeching bloody murder as she scrambles at the back of her neck. “Ceyla, what-?!”
Arotta’s palm meets the front of her head in a meaty smack and a groan of consternation. Red-faced and furious, the miraluka produces a runny ice cube. And Nujem, the little brat, has the guts to look completely and utterly unapologetic.
“We have ice now!” he declares triumphantly, “The MSDF took the Chiller back from the Tof, so we can have cool pillows like the one Luaine made you-”
He yelps, ducking as a vindictive Ceyla winds her arm and throws the ice cube back towards him. The kalleran has all of two seconds to realize his mistake as he books it, your padawan hot on his heels.
“NUJEM CLAVIS,” screeches your aggrieved padawan, “GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN!”
…on the one hand, it seems that Nujem’s recovered from the trauma he experienced on the Chiller. He doesn’t seem to be struggling with the moral quandary of his “pranks” being used to kill people that were trying to kill him.
…on the other hand…ah, what the hell.
…watching him run away with his latest victim brings back memories of more pleasant times when it was just you, Master Larid and the brat pack.
No Jedi Purge. No Sith.
...bliss.
Arotta idles up beside you with a grimace. “Yeah, uh…sorry about that. I felt his excitement through the Force, but I thought it was to see Ceyla again.”
Pulling your hand away from your lightsaber, you chortle dryly. “Better learn quickly. Nujem loves pranks almost as much as lightsaber practice.”
"...I know that look on your face, pink skin. You ain't mad, are you?"
(cont.)
