Jedi in Peril

Chapter 25: Meantime

Arc Lanarr

"So, how often are you on Coruscant." Arc asked Azara.

"Well, I'm not as familiar with it as I am Pantora, but my sister is almost always here, so I come here to visit her pretty often." Azara responded. "When I am on Coruscant, I normally spend all my time in this apartment, or in the senate building."

"Well, both those places are better than my home." Kalen spoke.

"How about this." Arc spoke. "Once I'm better, I'll take both of you on a tour. I know all the best spots."

Kalen and Azara looked at each other.

"I'd be down." Kalen said. "Maybe Xera could come, too."

"Who?" Azara asked. 

"Uh... the friend I mentioned earlier." Kalen told her.

"Oh, that friend." Azara said, teasingly.

Kalen punched her shoulder.

Arc stood up.

"Everything alright, city-boy?" Kalen asked.

Arc sighed and shook his head at the fact Kalen still had nicknames in store for him.

"Yeah, my leg just hurt, and I needed to stand." He replied.

Azara noticed his lightsabers when he stood up.

Arc saw her staring and held one out. Kalen walked over and grabbed it.

"Careful." He warned.

"Yeah, yeah." Kalen said, activating it.

At this point, Azara was up, standing next to him, admiring the green blade as Kalen slowly waved it around.

Arc's comlink began to flash and beep. He answered it to hear Kit's voice.

"Arc, are you near a holo-table?" He asked.

Arc looked up.

"If you leave the apartment, there's one down the hallway." Azara said.

"Yeah, give me a minute to get there." Arc told him.

Arc slowly struggled to get to the door.

"Do you need help?" Azara asked.

Kalen put Arc's arm over his shoulders, and his hand on Arc's front, as support. He helped him walked to the door and down the hall.

"Thank you." Arc said. "Alright, Master. I'm at the holo-table."

"Connect your comlink to it." Fisto instructed.

When Arc connected the devices, he saw Kari and Xera pop up in a hologram.

"Kari? Xera?" He asked.

Both of their faces dropped. They're eyes widened and filled with tears as their arms dropped from their sides.

"A-Arc...?!" Xera said in disbelief.

Kalen smiled at the wholesome sight of the Jedi seeing that their friend was alive.

"How?!" Xera and Kari asked.

"Hondo." Arc told them. "Surprising, I know."

"We're so happy you're alive." Kari said. "But..."

"Oh good. A 'but'." Arc said, annoyed. "Typical."

"Just as we get one friend back, we lose another." Kari told him.

Xera rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, friend." She scoffed.

Kari lowered her eyebrows and elbowed Xera.

"Ow!" Xera said, bothered.

"It's Jai. He sacrificed himself." Kari said, with a shaky voice.

"Kari... I'm so sorry." Arc consoled her.

"He did it for Akahn..." She told him. "Dooku left. His dream came true. The planet's free." 

Now, Kari was beginning to tear up again. Xera began to lighten up towards Jai.

She put her hand on Kari's shoulder and spoke.

"He didn't do it for Akahn. He didn't even do it for you. He did it for himself."

"Xera-" Arc spoke. "That doesn't seem very helpful."

"Shh." Xera said sharply.

Kalen was amused by that.

"He felt so guilty about what he did. He thought that sacrificing himself for all of us made up for it. And he was right."

Kari looked up at Xera.

"Yeah..." She said. "Thanks."

The two of them hugged.

"This is weird." Arc whispered to Kalen. "Xera's not usually like this."

"Shut up." Xera told him. "It will never happen again."

"If you say so." Arc said.

"Jai's funeral is being set up now, then after that we'll return to Coruscant." Kari said.

Azara came in, as it had been a while since they left.

"Who is that?" Xera asked.

"Kalen's friend." Arc said, as he waved for Azara to come over to them.

Azara handed Arc his lightsaber.

Xera raised an eyebrow.

Arc put his lightsaber back on his belt, sheepishly, avoiding looking at Xera as he knew what would happen if he did.

"Well, we better get going. See you soon." Xera said, moving on.

"We're really glad to see you're alive, Arc." Kari said.

"Barely." Kalen said, lightly punching one of Arc's bruises.

"Kalen!" Azara said.

"Alright, we'll be back soon." Xera told him, ending the transmission.

"I think it's time for me to go back to the Jedi temple, now." Arc said.

"Can you drive a speeder in your condition?" Kalen asked.

"Probably not." He responded.

"I'll have one of my guards drive you." Azara offered.

"Thank you." Arc said, accepting.