Chapter 6: Guests

Unable to resist the sight of a good ship, Rey turned and also gasped; the fleet she saw was straight out of a galactic history book. She wasn't a fan of the imperial ship designs, but this ship and those surrounding it looked more like a blade than the more modern triangles. They were thinner and more elegant, less bulky, and appeared as though they could cut through space itself. Despite being relics from the Clone Wars, they looked to be in pristine condition and even were striped with fresh blue paint. It was the kind of fleet that anyone, even its enemies, had to admire.

They closed in on the flagship in silence till a stern male voice spoke out of nowhere over an intercom, “Warning, you are entering restricted space. Please identify yourself.”

The leader of the guards pushed a panel on the wall and shouted, “T1-86, you twerp, this is the Admiral's personal transport. What identification do you need?”

Laughter from several people came from the intercom for a few seconds before the original voice, now mischievous, responded, “Alright, Midnight 4, don’t get antsy, but we are reading four unidentified life forms onboard. You blaster-for-brains didn’t pick up dates, did you?”

The woman shook her head and grumbled, “I’ll bash his head in later.” She hit the button again and shouted, “No you screen-nanny, there’s two ex-imperials and two guests.”

T1-86 responded quickly, “See, I knew you couldn’t have picked up any cute boys with that fiery temper of yours.” The sound of typing could be heard momentarily before he finished, “Alright, you're clear to land. Please don’t hit me at roll call.”

Midnight 4 responded curtly, “Request denied, see you then.”

Midnight 7 nudged Jay, who looked shocked once again and chimed, “Just a bit of fun while the Admiral's not here.”

With his mind clearly reeling from the managerial differences between the Imperial Academy and the Spearpoint Fleet, Jay sat listlessly. Their craft landed in a bustling dock that ran along the middle of the flagship’s underbelly. No less than a dozen ships were either arriving or departing, though the scene looked well organized and regimented.

Exiting the transport, Rey saw an array of small shuttles neatly stored at the rear of the hanger. Noticing her glance, the gruff man commented, “Spoils of war from the pirates.” He gazed at them with pride and finished, “We sell most of them off, but a few are useful for undercover missions.”

Midnight 7 popped up to the man’s right and added, “Plus, they’ve been hella modified, won’t find funner ships to fly anywhere in the core worlds.”

Midnight 4 snorted at this and corrected, “More like suicide machines if you ask me.” She then gestured towards an exit, “Guests, follow me to the Passenger Wing.”

Jay made eye contact with Rey from the transport as he waited for medics to arrive. His view of the Jedi hadn't changed, but having been through a life-and-death ordeal together made Rey Skywalker a comrade of sorts in his mind. He nodded slightly to her with a sincere expression before reentering the craft to wait with Didi. Rey nodded back to him before following Midnight 4 while ushering Fama forward.

The two Stormtroopers carried their helmets at their side but kept their blasters in their other while guiding the Master and Padawan from the flight deck. Looking around, Rey had to admit the crew was unlike anything she had seen on an imperial ship. No one wore armor aside from a few security details, and the dress was otherwise a uniformed grey but non-restrictive. Over 90% of the crew was human, as was the case with most Remnant General forces, but a few other species could be seen working diligently. The people talked and chatted with each other openly and with a surprising cheer. On the surface, it looked like a rather messy operation, but each person seemed on guard and ready to spring into action. Even compared to the Resistance Fleets she had served on, Rey had never seen a crew like that of The Liberator.

Soon, their group entered a spacious hallway and began to make many twists and turns. They passed through a pair of sealed doors after the camera identified the guards, at which Midnight 4 informed the guests, “We've entered the Passenger Wing; feel free to move around here as you please.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Midnight 7 added cheerily, “And just in case you are Jedi…” He winked at Rey obviously, “There are cameras and sensors at every possible exit, and you may not leave the Passenger Wing unless the Admiral grants permission.”

With a rather halfhearted effort, Rey responded, “Why ever would we want to leave?”

The male guard shrugged and listed off, “Spying, tampering, assassination, blowing up the ship.” He then waved as though what he said was illogical, “But why am I saying this? You're just an actress and her cousin.”

Fama finally found her voice and grumbled, “I don't like him.”

Rey nodded back to the girl and responded, “I don't like him very much either.”

Midnight 4 snorted at this approvingly while accessing a wall-mounted computer. She then spoke up, “Looks like room C-36 is available. Just head down this hall, and you'll arrive at the Passenger Messhall. From there, the quarters are clearly marked.” Gesturing to the computer, she added, “These interfaces are located throughout and are public access in case you need information or assistance.” After one final check, she added, “I've already ordered some supplies for your leg. If you need help applying it, just use the interface.”

At this, the two guards turned and reopened the security door; unable to hold back her curiosity, Fama blurted, “You're just leaving?”

Midnight 4 looked back at them and, with a smile answered, “Admiral's orders, there's no need to worry about an actress and her cousin anyway.” Just like that, the door closed behind them.

Fama looked up to her Master with a pitiful expression and asked, “Why are they ignoring us? They know who we are, don't they?"

Rey could only shake her head and respond, “I have no idea.” With her completion darkening, she added, “Either the Admiral is trying to avoid a scandal before the peace talks, or he's up to something.”

The girl considered this but was too young to analyze the situation too deeply; instead, she asked, “What do we do now?”

The Master put on an air of confidence to reassure her disciple and said, “We go to our room, of course.”

With this being said, the two of them walked forward cautiously and soon entered the mess hall as had been foretold. The area was open and had a high ceiling that went four stories up. On each level were numerous rooms with their assigned numbers clearly posted outside. The top floor was for C-rooms, and below that, the B-rooms and so forth, while on ground level were three passages leading in three different directions. Rey and Fama could be said to come out of the South Passage that leads to the rest of the ship, while in front of them on the north wall was a long counter with many droids serving food and drink. The hall was full of tables, chairs, and other upholstery while many holo-screens projected a variety of news services, including some Outer-rim Channels, which was surprising.

Rey could only describe the area as diverse and lively. The sound of the talk was so loud it made it hard to hear their own thoughts. An invisible tension hung in the air, no doubt due to the looming diplomatic talks, but the mood seemed otherwise jolly. More surprising was the number of different species about, almost like Noah’s Arc, with numerous small clusters of different races all around. Rey soon realized these were likely diplomats that had friendly ties to the Six Generals or at least Admiral Primidian, who had sought safe passage. Fama let out a gasp of surprise, still unaccustomed to large gatherings of different species. While compared to the grey market transport ship they had just saved from pirates, this environment was far more pleasant and awe-worthy.

After a quick look around, Rey nudged Fama and said, “Let's get to our room. You need to rest.”

The two hooded figures made their way quickly to a gravity lift that took them to the fourth floor. Then, after traveling around the walkway for a while and dodging a few people, they arrived before the door labeled C-36. Looking at the door, Fama couldn't help but ask, “Is it safe?”

Rey also was wondering about this and placed a hand on the door before tentatively reaching out with the Force. She saw a simple room with a bunk bed built into the wall, a table with two chairs, a holo-screen, a wall-mounted computer, and a compact shower stall. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and she didn't have premonitions of looming danger. With a smile, she answered, “Looks safe, come on.”

At the press of a button, the door opened; once inside, Rey closed it and then opened it again to make sure they weren't trapped. Verifying the door was not meant to seal them, she activated the locking mechanism and finally sat down at the table. While Fama plopped down face-first on the lower bunk, her Master let out a sigh of frustration and helplessness. Rey noticed a pack of medical supplies was already on the table and took the opportunity to tend to her leg. In the end, it was just a graze, but it wasn't worth getting an infection due to negligence. Two years ago, it would have been almost too easy to heal such a wound, but now, with her diminished powers, she had to recover the old-fashioned way.

By the time her bandage was on, Fama was already fast asleep, worn out from the pirate fiasco and fatigue built up from stress and fear. The Master, too, was weary but knew now was no time to let down her guard. She glanced down at a small card situated at the center of the table; it read ‘Welcome Honored Guests’ in a fancy script.