Felucia's Open Orbit

Time has a way of being marked in Hyperspace that is unique to itself. Being dependent on no sun, no moon, no overlying planetary rhythm, moments pass in ways that are only noted internally to those travelling the paths between stars. Any common traveller, thus, will develop their own habits to keep time from vanishing entirely into the emptiness of space--eating, sleeping, all the regular minutiae of life. Their interruption means disorientation, an alarming sense of vertigo, or even the utter momentary loss of where or when one is. 

That was why, when Vidalu Na'an woke an hour early from sleep by a sudden jolt of someone else's terror, it was with a start of her own. 


Na'an lurched from the cot she had set up in the cockpit with a curse on her lips and both eyes open, and immediately looked for Leigh. The droid had just pulled the Hawk-class freighter out of hyperspace, her hand on the controls as they had been the minute she'd dropped off. Her dome lit slightly at the rustle of the jacket Na'an had taken off to use as a blanket. 

"I was just about to wake you," she said evenly, and then with some concern, "Something else woke you."

Na'an's hair had fallen entirely loose in her sleep, lying in a thick tangle around her shoulders; she pushed it out of her face, then rubbed at her bare arms to banish a sudden rash of goosebumps. "She's awake. I can hear Adelle working on it, but the planet's too big," she said. 

"Then I suppose she is lucky we considered this a day ago." With a twist of her wrist, Leigh swept up something that was lying on the control panel, and flicked it back to land solidly in Na'an's hand. 

The last two days had given the pair the time to consider the problem of Elly's uncontrolled senses, and find a possible, albeit temporary, solution. On instinct, Na'an had inspected the saber she'd taken from Caoimhin, cracking the hilt open easily to examine the crystal inside. The result was no Sith crystal, or indeed anything that either of them had recognized on sight.  But something about the air around it seemed...cleaner, somehow. Emptier, like a still quiet space encased in an irregular sun-colored fragment. 
Na'an flipped the crystal in her palm again, her expression settling. "I'll prep her, then," she said, and made to exit the cockpit. 

***

Alert to Felucia airspace; this is Leigh aboard the Hawk-class freighter approaching the planet. Per our previous communication, requesting expedited landing clearance and assistance upon landing. Some of our cargo requires direct and careful handling. Over.

***

Na'an jumped the stairs two at a time and made her way quickly down the hall, pausing only to pull her hair back into an untidy tail at the back of her neck before entering the medbay.

Eliana Shan was not quite awake yet; still, even with Adelle bending over her, she strained against the bindings she had been in for the last two days, clearly more than halfway conscious of the jungle planet suddenly right beneath them. If she wasn't contained properly, and by something other than her brother locked in the secondary quarters...
"We can't let her have another freakout on your homeworld," she said quickly to Adelle. "But I think I've got something here that'll help." 
Without pausing, she took Adelle's free hand and pressed the crystal into it, the sharper edge of the fragment jabbings against the heel of her palm. "Feel that? If we do with this one like I did with mine, we might get her calmed down."

*Felucia. Admittedly, his history with the purple world below was minimal, having been here just one time. But it certainly had been an eventful time... Perhaps the most dire time of his recent life, for that matter. But all had turned out the better for it, and it was a strange world, but a strong one. Strong in many ways, most of those Keith was incapable of feeling, but others still were easily apparent. Morgan had taken a liking to the world, and the family had apparently seen fit to make it their new home. If he hadn't learned of the attack on Belkadan and the damage to the academy there, he would have almost been certain the move was for her sake alone.*

"The AI in charge of orbital control is quite eccentric..." *Corinne commented, breaking him of his reverie.

In response, he smirked, chuckling before quipping,* "Not like yourself?"

*Even though her hologram wasn't present, Keith could almost feel her glare upon him.* "Ignoring that," *she continued,* "but we're clear to land, only been told to take caution in the hangar. Apparently Aerandir's expecting a potentially-dangerous arrival."

*Keith perked up at that. A "potentially-dangerous arrival"? First they arrived at Belkadan in time of need, and now this... Keith seemed to be full of fortuitous timing lately, it seemed.* "Then perhaps he could use my help," *he mused as the ship began to descend toward the planet; fortunately, they could make a simple landing, instead of an orbital drop.*

"Perhaps," *Corinne replied.* "Though it certainly sounds like we won't have a simple meeting once again."

"Those are overrated." *As the world grew larger and larger in the ship's viewport, so greater did Keith's anticipation.* "Service is what I'm meant for, not pleasantries..."

Trying to hold Elly's awareness to one room felt a bit like trying to contain pudding with her arms. More effective than that, sure, but still very trying. Adelle found she constantly had to shift her focus to weak points in the illusion, never able to rest for a moment. Adelle hissed through her teeth, furrowing her brow. The crystal held between her hand and Elly's skin helped her focus, but it could only help so much. Elly's Force presence was far too much to be held to one room. What she lacked in weight, she made up for in volume. Adelle could hear, barely, what Na'an and Elly were saying. Adelle nudged Na'an's mind, although for Na'an it took more of a push.

We're beginning landing sequence. What do you plan on doing? She paused abruptly. Also where the kriff did you find a Kasha crystal?