Equator City

Shiar, aboard the Luck of Corell, rolled over and fumbled for her comlink. In truth, she was a little tired. She glanced at her Chronometer. She'd been asleep for three hours. She sighed. Slick? Is that you? What's this about Red?

Oraltor slowly makes his way toward the entrance of the temple when Kelko intercepts him.

Come with me, young padawan. I need to meet with your father and apprise him of the situation in full. However, to be brief, your master has decided to temporarily absent himself from our company and I do not know how long he shall be away.

Oraltor makes his way out into the city. The ground is sopping wet from the previous night's rain and a dense fog has rolled in which obscures most of Oraltor's vision. The spires of Equator City's tallest buildings extend out of the fog in the distance, giving one a general idea as to the locations of the city's most prominent constructions. With the river to their right, they travel slowly toward the government headquarters. By the time they arrive enough time should have passed for Vreegon to barely be arriving in his office.

Shiar yawned. Alright. I'm coming. But I need a shower first. You better have some caf waiting on me.

Shiar switched off her comlink and considered going back to sleep. She'd only slept four hours. She spent the evening replacing the hydraulic fluid in the landing gear, then recalibrated the entire system. The kid didn't know Red well. The Sakiyan had probably gone for a run and was halfway around the planet. Or he'd taken Bronze 2 out and was near one of Rodia's four moons. If there was anyone who could take care of themselves, it was Brulax, almost as much as Shiar herself. She told herself all of this. But still, if that were true, why was she going at all? Because she had a bad feeling. Because she felt like something was wrong too. She cursed in her native tongue as she rolled out of bed and then showered aboard the ship. Then she walked to the cockpit.

Morning Sister. I hope you slept well. Slick is worried about ol' Red. Guess we'd better pick him up.

She started the preflight on the Luck of Corell. Everything was running 100% or above, as it always was. Shiar loved this ship. After all checks were complete, she double checked the landing gear, then set the ship off on its repulsors. She flew over to the small Jedi Temple in Rodia's capital building, and set down just in front of Brulax's statue. Strangely, she felt this was an ominous omen. She disembarked the ship.

Ok Slick, that caf better be strong.

Kelko went through his normal morning routine. After conditioning by running a jungle path, he return for breakfast. Then, after his morning hygiene ritual, he went up to the top of the temple, to the memorial for his master, Brulax Ruso. There was a stone with the name, and a bush that Oraltor grew in Brulax's honor. It was pretty, but thorny and very deadly. It seemed appropriate. Next to that stone were others. Rulin Kahar, the Jedi who was taken hostage and killed in the very same Freedom War that took his sister's life. There was also the names Kitana and Lessa. Kelko did not know them, other than that they were dead Jedi. Still, it seemed odd to have a tombstone for his Master, who was still alive, just frozen. His father had declared a holiday, a week of morning for the frozen Sakiyan. He had stood next to his father in Jedi robes in public for the first time. Still, he did not understand. He was only nine, but he did not understand.

Auntie Shiar had decrypted the datapad. There were personal messages for her, Oraltor, Kelko's father Vreegon, and Salnor. Kelko was hurt that there was not one for him, other than Vreegon said that his message included for proud of Kelko Brulax was. But there was not enough answers. Brulax had contracted a simple, childhood Rodian disease. Apparently it was shutting down his Sakiyan physiology. Still, why had he not sought medical attention for a treatable illness? Why hadn't he asked Oraltor to heal him? He seemed eager for death at once, but scared on the other. That is why he froze himself instead of dying.

Kelko's training was continued by Oraltor, but it wasn't the same. Somehow, it seemed that Rodia would never be the same.

Landrin walks around the Esterly Phoenix and inspects it. He had not set foot in his ship for many months, but he still knew her very well. She may not look like much, but, who was he kidding. She was a piece of junk. Rather, she was many pieces of junk welded together. His ship had risen from the ashes of her own demise to many times to count. Surprisingly, he had never lost a passenger or crew member in all those wrecks. Now, the time had come to leave Rodia and continue his search. Coruscant, the heart of all galactic power awaited them. He had not decided whether he would stay with his master after they arrived, but something told him that his search was drawing to a close. The ship would be ready for departure at any second. He felt guilty that he had not told Shiar and the Wookiee good-bye, but sometimes it was for the best. He did not know the older Rodian who was accompanying them on the flight, but he was supposedly a diplomat to the Galactic Republic. The Grand Protector seemed to trust him, but Landrin had his doubts. Eventually one of them would be proven wrong. He reached into his pocket and drew a card from his Sabacc deck. The idiot. Well that fit. He put it back,boarded the ship, and began preflight procedures. ,