Sabine Wren continued staring through the Morai’s transparisteel canopy, long since passed her own admiration for the Yards workers craftsmanship, she found it difficult to ask the question that had been yearning to be asked. She blinked through the bright source light of the hyperspace vortex, a destination none would ever reach, finding the parallel within the sight itself a bridge to her own sensibilities, the commonality easing anxieties she would never admit. Sitting beside the sister she had chosen felt akin to being around Ezra again, something that should have been ease enough to simply ask.
“How much longer are you going to sit on that Sabine?” Kowani asked lightheartedly, turning her resting head to the side opposite and pulling her legs tighter into her chest.
“Sit on what?” Sabine responded, her arms crossed before her chest with her legs outstretched upon the spacious pilot’s seat.
Kowani chuckled mildly into the cabin air, an infusion of Jogan berry somehow added to the recycled mixture that reminded her of the vast grassy plains and craggy outcroppings of the planet they had just left, “have it your way then, remain elusive.” She responded with a smile, her eyes closed despite there not being a difference if they weren’t.
Sabine felt the irritation gnawing at her conscious thoughts, wanting to know more because she felt there was more to know. The irritation had been there for quite some time, she had to admit, ‘since Kanan had dredged it up,’ she reminded herself, quickly erecting the emotional walls that would keep any sorrows associated with his memory at arm’s length.
“It is because you feel, Sabine, and nothing more.” Kowani stated as she curled herself up tighter in her comms seat facing the Mandalorian.
Sabine turned to her, unsure how to react, but knowing the Mirialan was correct just the same, “now who’s being elusive?”
Kowani smiled just a little wider, “there is a difference between evasion and provocation.” A low muted sigh in return was all she needed to understand the woman’s emotions and body language, “Sabine, the path can only begin when you decide to ask the question, no one else can do that for you.”
Sabine knew the statement was the truth and felt the anxiety build once again as the approach became irrevocable, she just couldn’t figure out how to phrase it.
“Start with the Force Sabine...start with the Force and end with the Force. Whatever lie in between we will figure out together.” Kowani said softly between the two, willing her sister to break down the walls of apprehension.
“I feel it Ani.” Sabine finally said, a tension filled moment that found her contorting her face through multiple expressions, “I feel...something. It’s like a whisper that falls just short of coherence or a shadow that is forever in my peripheral vision…” She stopped abruptly, “sorry Ani.”
“No need to be, this is an excellent start.” Kowani returned cheerfully, opening her eyes if for no other reason than to relay her undivided attention.
“You feel it because it wants you to know it is there.” Kowani continued after a contemplative pause.
“Ahsoka said it’s always there.” Sabine replied, turning her gaze to her folded arms.
“That it is Sabine. The difference between yourself and anyone else however is what is being addressed.” Kowani responded, trying her best to remain ‘unelusive’ as the Mandalorian found her own answers.
Sabine was quiet for a long moment as she digested the implications, bridging her own ideas and thoughts into a web of others. Kowani could sense the frustration building. “It isn’t a matter to overthink, truly.” She said quietly, doing her best to only add enough to keep Sabine’s thoughts flowing toward her own answer.
The Morai hummed as the twin hyper drive units propelled the ship with perfect synchronicity, instilling a calming sense that Sabine found frustrating and Kowani found perfectly relaxing. Several long minutes passed between the two as the Mandalorian struggled within her own thoughts, Kowani simply allowing her the time to work things out for herself. “I am its focus…” Sabine said finally, Kowani lifting her chin toward the proclamation, yet remained silent. “...I can feel it.”
‘Yes!’ Kowani thought to herself, ‘and?’ She continued internally waiting for Sabine to follow through. Although the rolls had been quite reversed and the circumstances quite different, Kowani couldn’t help but remember the simple lesson in the swamps of Dagobah. ‘Surely it isn’t my place to train this woman...there is nothing that I can teach!’ The answer quickly followed with acute mental gymnastics. “Continue working that through sis. I am going to have CZ adjust the servos in the ankle.” Kowani said, unfolding herself from the vast comms seat and pushing herself to her feet, purposefully canting slightly on her left foot. She placed a hand on Sabine’s shoulder and squeezed tightly before turning to leave the cockpit.
✦
Sabine remained unmoving long after the hatchway had closed behind Kowani, staring continuously through the clear canopy and into the vortex beyond, something about it allowing a freedom internally to contemplate her own assessments and musings as they swirled around in her head with no clear beginning nor end. She could sense the myriad parallels between her own contemplations and several exchanges from the past, between either Kanan or Ahsoka and Ezra specifically, yet he had always found the information intuitive and inciteful, particularly when putting the lessons or advice to quick practice. It seemed the young man were a natural, where everything for her was a struggle.
Struggle. Conflict. Dispute. Arguments. Disillusion. Sabine could not move beyond the tenets of her foundation, finding solace only within her memories of Lothal, yet they too were rife with the same descriptions. And they too came with exceedingly prohibitive costs without sight of why they were paid to begin with. She felt herself being dragged well outside her intention, contriving thoughts that led to others and beyond that all had the same message, the same tone and blew out a long heavy sigh in exasperation. “I can’t begin to understand the Force….and maybe I’m not meant to…” She said softly to herself.
A pinging chime from the comms board halted her train of thought altogether, noting that Kowani would not be able to receive the incoming message in the aft holosuite. Sabine switched seats and accessed the miniature forward emitter within the vast array of dials and switches spread across the massive board.
“Sabine.” Ursa Wren didn’t waste a moment with greetings, her image flickering in and out of resolution.
“Mother.” Sabine returned the arid greeting.
“There is to be a Conclave of the Houses as Lady Kryze has called claim to Injunction. I would like you at my side as we hear what she has to offer.” Ursa came straight to the point, her tone haughty, clipped, and direct.
“At the moment that is not possible. How did you access this transponder signal by the way?” Sabine was curious, noting the hardware and software were intentionally off grid.
“General Syndulla was most gracious.”
‘Straight to formalities is it.’ Sabine thought, “General huh? And how gracious were you in your request I wonder.” She could feel her agitation rising without an ounce of effort.
“Sabine, now is not the time.” Ursa clipped, her tone more onerous as the waving lines coursing through a refreshing cycle zig-zagged sharply.
“Mother, it is never the time, is it.”
“Perhaps, as you’ve other more pressing matters to tend to it seems.” Ursa continued with alacrity.
Sabine blew out another exasperated breath as she worked to minimize any further contentious rebuttal, “we are heading to Ciutric at Kowani’s request. Following that, we will make our way to Mandalore.”
“Very well. Cordon’s immediates have issued proclamation that Kowani is to receive his effects to complete the sacrifice in line with tradition, please let her know.” Ursa was quick, leaned forward and ended the transmission abruptly.
“I love you too Mom.” Sabine said under her breath as she slapped the emitters actuator on the comms board and pushed herself to her feet.
Sabine worked a moment to compose herself, letting the agitation abate to its normal above average levels before turning to leave the cockpit, slapping the hull plating above the archway. She saw Kowani and CZ immediately within a recess adjacent the ships comm suite, the Mirialan bathed in the droid’s projector lights just as she reached forward to switch the device off. Sabine supposed the servo modifications could have been completed quickly and any recordings were Kowani’s business alone, “Mother just...reached..out.” She said with mock enthusiasm.
“Reached out sounds like a reach in itself.” Kowani replied turning to face her.
“About sums it up. She wants us on Mandalore for Conclave, but I told her it would be awhile.” Sabine said with little regard for the message itself, rolling eyes Kowani couldn’t see.
“She can’t help it Sabine.” Kowani tried for some form of reason.
“It would just be nice to know that not every request shouldn’t sound like an order.”
Kowani felt the connection immediately that she had been trying to get Sabine to understand but would not commit another word toward something she needed to figure out for herself, although a single thought did seem appealing, “well, she is Mandalorian after all.” ‘Let her roll that one over.’ She thought right behind the comment.
“Conclave? For what reason?” Kowani proceeded, Sabine quiet through her contemplation.
“Injunction. Bo Katan.” Sabine followed quickly, noting the procedures initiator before Kowani could ask.
Kowani froze. The blood in her veins felt like ice as it stabbed through the vessel’s walls, pierced the chambers of her heart, and slashed its way through her spine. ‘This should be impossible!’ The thought was so strong she was certain it had reflected outward.
“What is it?” Sabine asked, a notable change in pitch arcing through the question as she voiced her concern.
Kowani was uncertain how to respond while at the same time comforted by the Mandalorians’ acuity. ‘It was only a vision!’ She shouted to herself, ‘a dream!’ Although she knew it was anything but and scrambled for words to answer the question in some acceptable fashion. “Why would Bo Katan find reason for Injuncture?”
Sabine accepted the question with hesitation as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion, knowing the Mirialan far too well as she read the woman’s body language. “...more than likely speak on the increased Imperial pressure within the system.” Sabine did her best to convey the answer in her usual tone.
Kowani continued playing for time as she worked to stamp out the shock of her own realization, ‘she is calling it to notify the Houses that she intends to barter for peace.’ There was no way she should know that, but she did. ‘The strength you seek is within reach young Mirialan, do not falter by letting your guard down now.’ That deep resonate voice spoke to her again, the same that had implied Ciutric would provide the power to dispel what her vision had proven inevitable. It’s ancient tongue ticking with an accent she had never heard before, riddling his message with outdated connotations and dialect. Kowani realized she was stalling for answers once again.
“Whatever her reasons, it has been called. We will make it when we are able. Mother also wanted me to let you know you’ve been bestowed Cordon’s effects.” Sabine continued, opening her eyes somewhat despite her unwavering suspicion. Proximity alerts sounded out throughout the ship with a sharp warble and pitched whine, “and we’re here…I’ll get our descent mapped, but I’ll need you to tell me where were going.” Sabine smiled sardonically and clapped Kowani’s shoulder lightly before turning to head back into the cockpit.
Kowani simply stood in place, frozen like the blood in her veins as she heard Sabine leave the expansive central cabin, her mind lost to her for the moment through the haze her shock had brought to life. “It felt like a dream…” She whispered.
“Pardon Ani, but that can’t be true. Your recording would state otherwise. And as for your choice of destination, your mind seems quite convinced that it was anything but a dream.” CZ said quietly as he hovered in close proximity to her right ear.
“I know your right CZ, I am just trying to convince myself otherwise.” Kowani whispered in return, turning slightly over her shoulder to maintain a muffled voice.
“That is counterproductive Ani.”
“Of course it is...I didn’t say I was being reasonable.” Kowani raised her voice an octave to inflect her agitation. “This is all just happening too fast.”
“Then, Ani, I would encourage we proceed with extreme caution.” CZ advised with a warble as he tried lowering his voice.
Kowani only nodded her head in response as they both walked through the cockpit hatchway.
“Ani, I can’t map our decant much less descent with this level of Imperial activity! Did you know about this?” Sabine turned in the pilot’s seat as soon as Kowani entered the cockpit.
“Of course I didn’t, clearly our intel is out of date.” Kowani responded with a rushed advocacy of her lacking diligence.
“If I can remind you that Kallus did warn against this possibility until such time that he and Areti were able to disseminate N’dali’s files.” CZ interjected cautiously, his processor intercepting the dual stares from both women conveying nothing short of annoyance.
“We will just have to improvise.” Kowani stated as she sat in her seat, her hands a flurry of activity as she swung a secondary board down from above, beginning her surgical transponder manipulations. “Cargo or shuttle?”
“There would be expectations with either option. We have less than four minutes to figure it out.” Sabine almost shouted from her position.
“CZ, can you interpret Imperial channels? We need to establish why the Empire is here.” Kowani asked thoughtfully, her hands continuing to flip switches, rotate dials and push sliders.
“Of course I can.” CZ muttered quickly, removing himself to the adjacent cabin once again and voicing his link over the ship board comm. A flurry of two-way comms traffic sounded throughout the cockpit, overlapping what were obviously multiple channels of inbound and outbound receptions. Neither Kowani or Sabine could follow any one particular thread out of the chaos, “there are survey and archeological teams and installations, storage and warehousing in and around Daplona for staging purposes, Coaxium refineries, a prison and a training facility.” CZ did his best to relay the information as quickly as possible as he hovered back into the cockpit refreshing his photoreceptors with a mock blink.
“Masking the ship won’t be a problem...ourselves however?” Kowani stated, turning to Sabine for her thoughts.
The Mandalorian squinted through frustrated eyes, fighting the urge to expend that frustration outward, yet glad for any distraction that she could use as an outlet to vent an aggression that had been building for quite some time. “Truthfully, it depends on why we’re here to begin with Ani, that particular bit of information has been hazy at best.”
Kowani thought through a quick reply but found it severely lacking necessary substance to sound convincing.
“Look Ani, you can have your secrets, but do not lie to me.” Sabine stated, noting the Mirialans’ hesitation in the seat beside her as the deft fingers came to a sudden halt on the modified comms board.
Kowani blew out her own breath evenly, “I’ve no wish nor designs to lie to you Sabine, and yes, I do have my secrets. I am convinced there is a pathway to Ahsoka, Rex and Nara lying somewhere down there.”
“We have two minutes.” CZ interrupted, hovering at shoulder height between the two with a light hum.
“Well...that leaves a lot of ground to cover, but it is a good reason. Your masking should get us planet side with no issues, but this is going to be over pretty quickly if there is any visual contact.” Sabine said briskly, her tone somewhat lifted by the reasoning, notedly falling into line with her own wishes.
“The archeological endeavors seem to be the Empires primary focus, why not utilize that particular facet. It would seem to fit your particular interests in any case Ms. Wren.” CZ said between the two, Sabine glancing toward Kowani who was already smiling and shrugging her shoulders.
“Cargo vessel ‘Jessup’ it is, Zeta class. It fits our own specs, roughly.” Kowani added, “I think it best we hop ship, use the speeders to survey. It’ll be more difficult for them to track individuals.”
“I can’t argue with that logic.” Sabine stated with a smirk, “we’ll just need to locate a suitable landing cycle then.”
The navigational screen to the left of the control board began searching through particular lanes to enable just that, providing several options originating at their decant mark from hyper space and overlaying upon themselves with hastened refresh efforts. “Are you doing that Ani?”
“Doing what?” Kowani asked without turning her head.
“Someone...or something is routing a path for us…” Sabine relayed what she was seeing. They both turned to CZ.
“Don’t look at me, I’m only a medical droid.” He warbled in confusion.
“Syntax established. Link online. Codex finalized. Mapping finalized. Pattern initiated. Greetings.” A soft feminine voice filled the cockpit, surprising everyone. “We have arrived. Destination Ciutric.” The statement was punctuated by a mechanical clunk and soft lurch forward, a dark green sphere looming across the whole of the transparisteel canopy.
The cockpit was silent, Kowani noting a shift as Sabine had clearly turned to her for some form of explanation. All the Mirialan could do was shrug her shoulders and return the vacant stare of her own surprise.
“Chameleon prototype synthetic cybernetics, designation zero zero zero one.” The soft voice harmonized throughout the cockpit once again, “adaptive AI, courtesy of Areti Sigurn.”
Although the woman had proven herself through both action and words, Kowani froze nonetheless, her doubts never fully satiated.
“I am a culmination of efforts to utilize the cache of data compiled by my predecessor.” The voice continued.
‘N’dali?’ Was the only thought that raced through Kowani’s mind.
“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Sabine subverted Kowani’s reverie.
“I have established a decant position and appropriate landing cycle free of Imperial scrutiny. I do agree with your assessment and will approach the landing zone opening the rear cargo bay door for your decant. The 74-Zs are already online and waiting for you. I will then proceed to a high orbital pattern maintaining your deceptive tactics Ms. Y’mmat. All active links are established, just be sure to keep your commlinks open.”
“I believe, sister, that this ship is much more than we think it is.” Kowani answered Sabine’s question in the most aloof way possible, coming far short of answering all of her own. Sabine could only stare through the canopy as the world before them ceased presenting spherical and filled the expansive view with incredibly dark greens and black, wide swaths of deep blue cutting through the obvious vegetation in widely meandering patterns beneath a fast moving, light, cloud cover.
“The timing couldn’t be worse for a surprise like this…” Sabine retorted.
Despite her reservations regarding source, Kowani knew Areti would not betray the woman that had shown her the path toward truth, “I don’t disagree with that, but we are here after all.”
“Then why haven’t we been hailed yet?” Sabine was adamant things were progressing toward a path of destruction, despite Kowani’s calm demeanor.
“I have already relayed our designation and destination. I will convey direct signal scrambling after your departure. Currently, the ‘Jessup’ is delivering excavation equipment to a destination four hundred kilometers south west of Daplona. We will, however, be two hundred kilometers north of that designation.” The ‘ship,’ for lack of better understanding, told them both.
“Outstanding.” Sabine huffed with noted annoyance, the sarcasm in her voice only adding to the tension that suffused the compartment. The aggravation that brimmed just under her surface fighting diligently against the awe-inspiring view she couldn’t peel her sight from, ‘this place is beautiful.’ She couldn’t help but think as the ship guided itself through the atmosphere and into a high-altitude cloud bank that immediately buffeted the canopy with thick beads of heavy rain.
The deluge did not lighten as they broke free of the obscuring cloud cover, gray striations peeling themselves into thin bands as the planet’s sun broke through in radiant beams that glistened from the elaborate, gigantic fronds of the hosts taller trees like gemstones elated to be found.
“Twenty seconds to decant.” The soft voice informed them all.
Kowani pushed herself to her feet and offered a hand toward Sabine, “you’re not actually thinking this is a good idea are you?”
“Trust me Sabine, this feels right.” Kowani responded with a light smile stretching her lips.
Sabine stared into the Mirialans’ vacant eyes but only for a moment before rolling her own and pushing herself up from the pilots seat with an audible protest. ‘Feels right…’ She thought to herself as she fell into step behind the Mirialan and exited the cockpit.
CZ turned to the departing women processing his own course of action following the immediate silence in the cockpit, “I will remain behind, if it’s all the same to both of you, perhaps even find out more about this ship in the process.”
Both women turned in unison, facing one another briefly before turning to the hovering droid within the hatchway dividing the compartments, each nodding their agreement. “That is a particularly splendid idea CZ.” Kowani responded for them both, a chirp of delight within the voice that neither Sabine or the medical droid had heard from her before.
Scampering quickly down the corrugated steel staircase, Kowani heard the chugging repulsors of the bikes that were ready as advertised, only moments before the hydraulic actuators for the rear cargo bay door began hissing its descent. Sabine stopped hard, Kowani colliding with her quickly, “what was that for?” She asked in mild agitation.
“Only the sight beyond the ramp Ani, forgive me, but there is no way your navigating that tangle.” Sabine stated flatly, her gaze remaining on the mass of twisting tree trunks protruding from a choking wall of vines, shrubs, and variegated flora she knew the blind Mirialan wouldn’t be able to guide her 74-Z through. Kowani, stepping to Sabine’s side, lifted a hand to the Mandalorians shoulder and stared through the bay’s open doorway.
The darkness that would not lift didn’t seem as dark as it had been since her most recent memories on Lothal. Although she couldn’t see the physical objects Sabine had briefly explained, she could see the ribbons of Force currents that twisted their way through each frond, every branch and trunk and deep into the vast network of roots that connected everything together. The sight did little to reinforce what would have been a majestic rebuttal in her own defense as the criss cross of Force currents impressed upon her a nauseating vertigo that scrambled her own ability to remain balanced just standing in the cargo bay. Kowani staggered slightly, turning from the view.
“And it appears I was more right than I knew.” Sabine added, firing out a hand to steady the young woman.
“I’ll be fine...I think.” Kowani wasn’t sure if she had just lied but thought the comment appropriate just the same, “I just need to adapt Sabine.”
“What is it then?” Sabine asked, curious.
“A twisting network of Force energies….they flow so quickly here…” Kowani stammered slightly as her mind worked out the cause of her symptoms.
“That should be nothing new to you.” Sabine responded confidently.
Kowani thought on the comment, reinforced by the wall of darkness that had returned with the change in perspective. ‘It should be nothing new to me…’ she mumbled to herself, briefly contemplating the significance of the statement knowing full well the Mandalorian meant no disrespect. ‘It is familiar,’ she found herself thinking as the last vestiges her eyesight bestowed came to mind, large beautiful but delicate fronds laced with varying shades of green lying against the T-visor of her skewed helmet. “Conum Arnia?”
“Well, I was referring to your descriptions of energy flows and how they interacted with your surroundings in a way that offered you a version of sight, but, sure, Conum Arnia.” Sabine offered, not quite sure anymore if there was a sense of urgency tied into the Mirialans’ purpose here.
“Maybe it wasn’t the winds after all…” Kowani mumbled as she remembered the sweeping and archaic paths it had taken through the solid masses of vegetation on the far-removed world, the swaths that made no sense to anyone else that were seeing the same things she was. She paused within the thought as she remembered her interpretations, notably how they responded once she simply asked them to assist. “It wasn’t the wind. It couldn’t have been.” She stated clearly, turning back to Sabine and the miasmic view beyond the cargo bay ramp, “It was the Force Sabine, I had only thought it the winds.” She admitted heartily, knowing with some degree of precision that the Force had been visible well beyond the gold glowing currents she had always been able to recognize. “Its always been the Force.” A dawning revelation sent rockets of anxiety through the Mirialans core systems as it forced the memory of her dying mother back into existence, the solitary river of golden light that had guided her elder into its loving embrace many years ago.
Sabine stood half stunned on the cargo bay decking, not quite sure how to respond but quite certain there was no urgency whatsoever to leave the ship at all.
“Although it is well outside my purview to rush your chosen departure, if you are to leave it must be now or we will have to reposition ourselves to remain concealed.” The soft voice of the ships AI reminded them both.
“Sabine, could you tether my bike to yours please. I’ll ride with you until this nausea passes.” Kowani was quick to acquiesce to the voice’s directive.
“It’ll slow us down, but I couldn’t agree more. It’ll give CZ more time to familiarize himself with the ship in any case. Hop on.” Sabine agreed, engaging her rear energy binder then quickly pushing the second Z4 in line with her own and engaging its forward binder. A mild buzz of static burst through the compartment as the two gates familiarized and linked with a barely audible hum. Sabine lifted leg and hopped on the lead bike right in front of Kowani, set the binding field to one meter and engaged the throttle with a delicate touch, easing the tandem bikes from the ramps edge and onto the small patch of open ground the ships AI had designated.
With a chug of its repulsors, the Morai lifted back into the air just behind them and disappeared over the towering tree line with a waving flourish from its tallest umbrella like leaves. “Remind me that I need to have a word with Areti when we get home.” Sabine stated, turning her head finally from the ship’s departure and staring into the foliage ahead of her.
Kowani felt a sudden wave of apprehension, a nagging sensation that Sabine would be making that journey alone, as she felt the bike lurch mildly and hover forward slowly into the confines of a darkened silence.