Trials of the Temple

Two

"Nedris Rhysode Kanata, get your self out of that bed and help me. We've got the Cur'oel coming in thirty minutes, and we still need fifty Yurot made. You know those men eat as much as a Hutt." The short woman hobbled by the bedroom and hurried into the kitchen, throwing various ingredients into a large clay bowl and mixing them with her bony hands. A moan was heard from under a thick wool blanket in the window, and a young man sat up, his wavy yellow locks falling in his face. He stretched his arms over his head and threw the cover off of his legs, his body shivering at the chilly air. He stood from his bed and strode over to the large chest-of-drawers, sliding one of the drawers open and pulling out a long-sleeved scarlet shirt and pulling it over his head. He then rummaged through another drawer and grabbed a maroon-colored vest, sliding it over his arms and walking over to the wash basin. He scooped up the cool water into his palms and splashed it onto his face, then wiped his hands on his pants. He combed through his hair with a hand, looking into the mirror before heading out into the kitchen to assist Maz. She barely even glanced up as he entered, but simply handed him a bowl and continued her task. That was what he both loved and hated about Maz; once she started something, she wouldn't stop until it was done. It was very helpful when, for example, she was serving the guests in the castle; however, if Nedris ever got out of line, she would put everything aside until he had received his due punishment. Nedris took the bowl and began the recipe he knew all too well; he had made it at least fifty times every year, as the Cur'oel visited in several different groups throughout the months. They always had to contact a week ahead, so Maz could order enough food and grog to last the day without running out for the other guests. There had been several times, however, that they hadn't prepared enough for the group, and had had to settle several riots throughout the castle. That was why Maz had been up all night, and why her usually bright eyes were heavy with sleep. Nedris finished making his own batch and walked over to his mother, taking the bowl from her hands and shooing her away. "Go get some sleep, Mada. I'll get these finished and take care of everything out here." Maz placed her hands on her hips and squinted her eyes at him, then pulled him down to her level and kissed his cheek. He smiled, kissing her cheek in return, and watched as she walked back to the bedroom.

   The castle was bustling with creatures of all kinds, sitting at the bar or at tables, with the tall blond darting back and forth with drinks and plates of food before being called by someone else to refill their drinks. The Cur'oel sat in a back room separate from the other guests, laughing and eating their food, most of it already gone within the hour of their arrival. However, it was some average looking person that intrigued Nedris the most; she was a Twi'lek with deep violet skin, and short lekku sprouting from her head. A small mouse droid scuttled back and forth around her feet, which were wrapped in dark leather all the way to her knees, a slight heel on the bottom of the shoe. Her eyes were a dark indigo hue, and she watched around her cautiously, as if someone would barge in the door at any second and attack her--it had happened in the castle before, but usually it was a drunk customer brawling with another over some overdue payment. He could tell she was an anxious person; the way she held herself was tense, and her eyes watched every exit and entrance as best she could. A mini blaster was hung on her side, barely noticeable as the holster blended in with her clothing, and apparently normally kept beneath her black robe, which now sat across the back of her seat. A half-empty glass sat on the table before her, the liquid inside vibrating as people stomped around the bar and spoke to their companions, but this girl seemed to be alone. Nedris walked into the room of Cur'oel and refilled the trays of food, then brought a keg of alcohol in and set it on the table. After finishing the task, he returned to the bar and grabbed another glass, filling it up and approaching the Twi'lek. "You doin' alright?" He asked as he poured the drink into her cup, placing the other on the table and sitting on the bench opposite her. She sat straight up and looked at him, the mouse droid beeping a warning as it dashed around their feet. She nodded silently and tapped the droid with her shoe, causing it to settle down and park itself by her seat. She cleared her throat and stared at the table, crossing her slender legs over each other and holding the glass in her hands. Nedris watched her and smiled, rising from his seat and beginning to make his way back to the bar. "Let me know if you need anything." She grabbed the edge of her seat and cleared her throat once again, looking up at him. "Actually, if you have a holo-transmitter, I really need to send a message to someone." Nedris nodded and motioned for her to follow, leading her into the back corridors of the castle and into his room.

   Nedris rummaged through the drawer in his bedside table, finding a cylindrical metal communicator and passing it to the girl. She took it and smiled, then closed the door, the mouse droid scuttling around the stone floor. She clicked the red button to begin the transmission. "General Organa, this is Um'ara Ahavi. General Organa, do you copy?" She paused, releasing the button as nothing but static came across through the transmitter. "General Organa, do you copy?" The response was the same, not receiving an answer. She clicked the receiver off and handed it back to Nedris, sighing disappointedly. He placed the device back into the drawer and pushed it closed, then followed her out of the room. "Are you talking about the General Organa? From the Resistance?" She turned towards him, tugging at the twine necklace around her neck, and rolling a small bead around between her fingers. She nodded, her lekku drooping downards. "I needed to inform her of the--um, something. It's... well, it's sensitive information. You don't have any other transmitters?" She questioned hopefully, her eyes pleading. Nedris shook his head, then stopped, his eyes widening. "We have a satellite on the roof. You could probably connect the transmitter to it and get a longer distance." She nodded understandingly and grinned, her eyes twinkling. "That may work!" She exclaimed and walked back to the room, pulling the transmitter back out and returning to him. "Let me go take care of some stuff in here, then I'll meet you up there," he said and walked hastily into Maz's room, waking her to inform her of the situation, then grabbing a blaster from his room and heading up the ladder onto the roof.

   Um'ara sat perched over the satellite, having removed a panel from the base and attached the transmitter with a red wire. The mouse droid beeped excitedly, and she nodded understandingly. "I know, Mo, but the elostatic cable has to be connected her," she said, before noticing Nedris standing beside her. She stood and looked at him, handing him the transmitter and motioning to the satellite. "I can't get it connected. Maybe you'll have better luck than me," she said, allowing Nedris to access the satellite. He knelt down and twisted the wire attached to the transmitter, then pressed a button on the control panel. He handed the device to Um'ara and clicked it on, allowing her to speak into it again. "This is Um'ara Ahavi calling General Organa. Do you copy?" The transmitter buzzed with static before clicking back on, a male voice answering. "Um'ara, this is D'Qar Base. We copy." She grinned, mouthing a thank you to Nedris, who nodded and turned away silently to descend the ladder when he noticed something down below. He motioned to the Twi'lek, who was talking to the man, and she stepped cautiously towards the edge of the roof. Several hundred feet below sat a silver First Order TIE fighter, and a glimmering figure standing outside of it questioning people. Nedris grabbed a pair of binoculars from the pouch on his side, examining the scene below; Captain Phasma seemed to be looking for someone, and Nedris was almost positive it was Um'ara. He motioned for her to get down, but it was far too late--a Stormtrooper had spotted the movement on the roof and brought the Captain's attention to it. Um'ara finished her call rapidly and unplugged the transmitter from the sattelite. She crept to the edge and looked down, breathing heavily. "What are they doing?" She questioned and grabbed the binoculars from him, barely catching the troops as they entered the building. "I take it they're looking for you," Nedris whispered, taking the binoculars back from her and returning them to his pouch. He stood and walked to the other side of the building, lifting a tile from the roof and removing a leather backpack from a hole in the roof. He looked down at the ships parked on the ground as he slung the backpack over his shoulder. "You got a ship?" He asked as she followed along with the mouse droid behind her. "Yeah, that one," she said and pointed to a bulky cargo ship below. "Anything important on it?" He asked, descending the building by crawling down the ledges. "No, why?" She picked up the mouse droid and stuffed it in a bag on her hip, then began scaling the building. "We'll take Maz's spare ride instead." He nodded his head towards an older, but obviously well-kept, starfighter, and jumped to the ground as footsteps approached on the roof. Um'ara followed as he jumped into the cockpit of the ship, starting the engine and pulling her aboard. "It'll be a tight squeeze, but we should fit. Look out!" He said and pulled the hatch shut, just as a blast of laser fire rocked the small craft. He pulled a headset over his head and flicked several switches, waiting for the Twi'lek to strap herself in. As she got everything adjusted, the ship launched into the air, hovering over the surface for a few seconds before taking off, narrowly dodging the turrets on the castle as it flew towards the stars. The troopers below watched momentarily before scrambling down to board their ships and follow.