Buckets: A Star Wars Story

16. Godfather

It was going to be some time before we got sent to Jedha, and to keep us fresh, Director Dorne had given us mandatory shore leave to do with as we pleased. Everyone decided to take time off to go and see family, which left me alone on one of the many bases of my choosing. With nowhere to go in earnest, I was content with just relaxing in one of the barracks and pretending I didn't exist for a while. It seemed like it was going to be much simpler than heading back to Corellia. Aurek was taking time to go see his mother back on Coruscant while Besh was returning to Kuat to see his own family before we shipped out. Even timid Osk had booked a solo flight to Dantooine to see his entire family in time for the harvest, and just a day into our leave I found myself alone in our shared barracks for the first time in an eternity. With Sevens gone off with his father's fleet, I was feeling rather alone since Thesh was occupied with getting ready to go home and see Brea and Shenna. It left me alone in the room with little else to do besides twiddle my thumbs until I decided on a vacation place.

However, Thesh found out about this and cornered me one evening after everyone else had packed up and left, "Heard you think you'll be staying here."

"Uh... yeah," I raised an eyebrow at him as he tossed a bag at me.

"Pack. Brea wants to meet you in person." He didn't say another word to me as he turned around and walked out without another word

I don't know exactly what I had expected out of all of that, but that certainly wasn't it. I did what I was told and packed my things, and before long I found myself sitting beside Thesh on a shuttle bound for Alderaan.

He looked up at me and smiled, "She's wanted to meet you in person for a while now. I figured this would be as good a time as any. Fair warning, I tend to find my home inhabited by... friends. I swear, if Enric has been dodging the Moff but has enough time to visit me, I will never hear the end of it..."

"Who all do you think we'll see?"

"Everyone wants to give their best for the birth of Shenna. I have no idea exactly who all will be there, but I can suspect that The Pride will be in attendance. They always did enjoy harassing me." My blank look in response made him sigh, "Right. It's what they called my friend circle back in the academy and from my admiralty days. Harrsk, Kaine, Delvardus, Pryde, and myself."

"Quite the group. Heard about Pryde from some of the other Teekays. They say he's one hell of an officer."

"Enric is... Well, he's Enric. He's severe, he's cunning, and he's one of my best friends."

"Bold claim. I wasn't aware you had friends, Thesh."

He chuckled at me and shook his head, "Ah, far and few between, but I do indeed have them. Enric was among those who testified on my behalf and said that I wasn't completely incompetent. I owe him quite the debt."

We sat together in a comfortable silence before I turned to him again, "You don't talk much about the trial."

"No point in it," was his reply with a little shrug, "considering that I was found culpable but not exclusively so in the loss of an entire fighter wing. Ardus and Sander arranged for my defense and Blitzer very vocally opposed Ozzel. We were all younger officers then. It was risky to do, but when you have influential young men standing up and arguing vehemently, someone is bound to notice."

"Who did?"

"My old instructor, Caius Morrissey. He was the Commodore of the Coruscant Academy while you were there, I believe? A much deserved promotion. The man was a fine officer."

"How did you meet most of these guys? I figured you all trained at separate facilities."

"We did. The academies work together often, especially when training officers. You want to build networks, teach coordination. I studied on Alsakan as well as Coruscant. Alsakan was my first posting. It was closer to Alderaan so that's where I wound up. I got transferred in my third year. Enric was in his second then, I believe. Gifted man, that one. Let's see..." He sat back in his chair and passed a hand over his chin, "then I went to Vardos for a term when I transferred out to train at one of their newer programs... That's where I met Ardus. He was always one of those men who had a group around him. He has this way with words and this natural pull to him. Sander and Blitzer, now, I met on Coruscant when I was officially transferred there."