By Creed or By Code

The New Marshal

Back on the ship, Alina and Grogu were tucked comfortably in their beds, but the boy continued asking questions about his new armored guardians. After Leno was well fed and cleaned up, he began to loosen up quite a bit since the encounter with Amina. Perhaps it was due to his impressive and innate ability to sense emotions of those around him. Leno is a remarkable young boy, full of wonderful curiosity, but also filled with fear and uncertainty. It's understandable of course, from everything he's been through recently.

"Do you ever get hot?" Leno asked while Kia gathered prepared the bed, gesturing to the armored plates on her thighs.

"No," Din answered flatly as he leaned against the doorway of the children's room, his arms folded over his armored chest, and his helmet resting on a nearby shelf.

"Is it heavy to wear?" Leno continued asking.

"We're used to it," Kia responded, handing the boy one of Din's oversized black shirts.

"Are the helmets hard to see out of?" Leno asked as he tossed the large shirt other his head and shoulders.

"No. There's enhanced technology in them that helps us see things that others cannot," Kia says as she prepares a bed for their newest child to sleep in, grabbing blankets and pillows from one of the cabinets.

"How would you like to see the stars, kid?" Din says as he unfolds his arms and shifts his weight forward onto his feet.

There's a renewed sense of enthusiasm in Leno as Kia guides the boy up the ladder for him to see all of the blinking lights and sounds, then slow rise to orbit, and finally the jump into hyperspace. Leno watched Din look over the control panel as he sat in the pilot's chair, starts the warm up procedures and diagnostics. Once the computer returned with a good outlook, Din switched on the main engines and the ship was soon in the air. As always, the stars were dazzling blue and white, and Kia always loved to watch them stretch and warp past the window. But now it's even better reflected in the boy's curiously bright and shining eyes.

***

The next several days had flown by rather quickly with the children, and Kia has been able to keep a steady schedule. Her time has been filled with childcare, cleaning, mealtimes, meditation sessions, and free-range play. It's been hard for children to remain cooped up in a flying metal box for days on end, so Kia has had her hands full with keeping them focused and helping them vent their high energy.

For those who haven't traveled long distances through hyperspace, the continuous humming of the engines and the recycled air takes some getting used to. Yet the children don't make much trouble. With their eager enthusiasm in learning the Force, along with their persistent questioning on interplanetary travel and cultural history, Kia and the children have been endless companions during their trip to Tatooine.

Surprisingly, the children have been getting along rather well in such a short time together. Perhaps it's because of the mysteries of the Force, or maybe it's the result of being pent up together so closely. Four days of constant parenting and family time in such close-quarters is a factor Kia hadn't thought of before. Even though it's exhausting and she misses her down time with Din, on the other hand it's also sweetly captivating. It's a life Kia did not expect, but it's one she would not trade for any other life.

Yet she ponders the idea of presenting Leno to Luke. Maybe the boy will be better off with him than with her. But at the same time, Kia can't ignore her desire to train new foundlings. She marvels at the thought of possibly creating an order of her own, one that is uniquely different than the outdated Jedi Code. She wonders what Luke would think of this. Would he be upset? Would she be considered an enemy of the Jedi now that she's been casted out? Perhaps it's best to ignore this fantasy and do what is right - take the boy to Luke.