The Renegade: Episode V: Allegiance

Chapter 33: The Outlander

Prisa Dax Tersu was eight and the center of attention at the Matno farm. Since Lenore and Unit 56 had arrived, the farm had become known as a refugee center for displaced citizens from the civil war. People from every walk of life trickled in and out, which is why Lenore insisted on showing Prisa the basics of self defense and how to handle a blaster. Rya, her mother, was not pleased her eight year old could name the various series of weaponry she once used to fight against the Empire with, but she had to admit her sister-in-law had a point. It was better for the girl to know these things than to be at someone else's mercy.

Prisa was a natural shot. It wasn't long until she could hit targets meters away. Lenore knew it was something she had gotten from her father Lee. She was unsure if Lee would have been proud or displeased of his eight year old being a bullseye. But he wasn't there, and that fact left Lenore completely devoted to ensuring the girl knew how to protect herself.

That morning, Prisa had gotten up early to go help Lenore check the sensors on the farm's perimeter. She was so excited she had rose before the suns had. She decided to walk around the yard until the others woke. She had made her way to the large tree Lenore liked to sit under and tell her stories of her time in the Empire and traveling around the Outer Rim. Prisa loved hearing her aunt talk of all the interesting people she had come across. She wished she had more stories about her father, but she understood he was almost as much a mystery to Lenore as he was to her.

Still antsy, Prisa began to dig her hands into the earth and pull up the soil letting it sift through her fingers. She knew farming ran in her blood but there were times she found it boring. As she continued to disturb the earth she could hear Civa yelling at Besa to get up from one of the other houses they had built for their growing household. She giggled and continued to play with the dirt until she felt a prick. She frowned and examined her hand. It was a clean slice but not bad. She carefully dug around the sharp object and discovered a knife.

What was a knife doing buried under the tree?, she thought.

As the rest of the farm began to start their day she knew she needed to get back to the main house to meet her aunt. She scooped the knife up and placed it in her vest pocket and ran toward the main house.

"Besa, Civa, did you patch up the roof on the west side of the barn?" Lenore asked as she approached the pen of blurrg around the corner from the main house.

"Not yet," Besa answered.

"We would have by now, if Besa didn't take so long to get up in the morning," Civa complained. The two soldiers still couldn't see eye to eye.

"See that it's done by the time Prisa and I get back," Lenore ignored the comment and opened up the pen, preparing one of the blurrg to ride. "Prisa! Let's go, those security sensors aren't gonna check themselves."

"Coming!" Prisa yelled running. She stopped to catch her breath and saw the other children who had come to live on the farm gathering in the side yard to play.

"You don't need to come if you want to play." Lenore said, mounting her blurrg.

"No! I want to hear about how you lost your arm! That's the one you still haven't told me," She said, running into the pen and startling the other blurrgs.

"Not today," Lenore said, pulling the reins to keep the blurrg calm.

"Hold on there Ace. Why don't you hang back and wait for your mom. I gotta talk with your aunt." Harillo walked toward the commotion.

"Well hurry up," Lenore said impatiently motioning for him to get on one of the blurrg.

"Ha ha you can't make a lothrat out of me 'Nore. I'll get the speeder," He protested. Prisa grabbed his arm.