34 Chapter

"Coruscant control to shuttle 14651726ABA, you are clear for deorbit along corridor 461." I heard from the com system and I purr before answering them

"This is shuttle 14651726ABA to Coruscant control. Deorbit along corridor 461 acknowledged. Shuttle out." I reply before I snort in amusement. Shuttle indeed.

I flex my wings to initiate the deorbit burn and it doesn't, take long before I feel the first wisps of atmosphere along with my armor as I follow the deorbit profile displayed on my HUD. This is how I am meant to fly.

Slowly spreading my wings wider I increase the thrust to negate the heat buildup as the inertial dampener starts working. I quickly bleed off speed and soon the plasma dies down to reveal clouds above a dense city.

I fold my wings and fall like a rock.

15 kilometers.

12 kilometers.

7 kilometers.

5 kilometers.

1 kilometer above the roofs I spread my wings to the max and going to full thrust.

I can feel the air struggle against my movement but slowly and surely I change my vector and soon I swoop in between the buildings like a hawk to join the rest of the traffic on countergrav.

Glancing to the side I trill in amusement at the looks on the faces of the humans in the aircar next to me before pulling up the 'GPS' system and map. I'm only a few hundred kilometers from the Jedi temple...

Pulling up the path I switch to a different layer and head in that direction, following the way the suit computer provides for me.

An hour later I do a lazy circle around the temple, wondering if I should go for the roof, one of the hangars, or just the front door before I do a mental shrug and head down for the main entrance.

I fly low along the path until I reach the stairs where I flex my wings, cupping the air and activating the thrusters, bringing myself to a smooth landing.

The claws of my armor barely scraping against the stone of the path as iI lower myself onto the ground.

I look around and I don't see anyone coming running to shoot me or cut my head off so I assume I didn't actually break any security rules. Entering the code to retract the helmet I start making my way up the steps, careful not to damage them.

I hesitate when I reach the main entryway. The floor is made mainly marble and I don't want to scratch it and that's when I hear a chuckling voice.

"Damage the floor, you will not. Covered with a strengthening agent, it is. Not the first shuttlecraft on it, you are." a small green being says while hobbling closer with his cane and I blink before spreading my head feathers happily.

"Jedi Master Yoda. It is good to see you again." I say and he nods happily

"Captain Atreus. Good, it is. Heard from Jedi Zebb and Padawan Mara, we did. Thankful we are."

I snort and shake my head "I wasn't that much help. If the Republic ship didn't show up when it did I would have been sucking vacuum. Thanks for picking up the cost of the repair, by the way." I tell him and he hmmms with a smile.

"Try you did. And the message you got out. Paying repairs we were happy to do...what Captain willing to save Jedi if the rescue wrecks his ship even if paid for it, we did in the first place?"

Nodding I start to follow him as he motions for me to "How are they?" and he nods while hobbling along with his cane.

"Fine, Fine. Cybernetic hand, work well it does for Zebb. Sad it was, but an adequate replacement, it is. More worried for Padawan Mara, I was. Troubling things..." he says sadly and I sigh.

"She saw her master and teacher be mutilated and was herself beaten badly enough to need emergency treatment and was already under stress. It's not strange she was bothered."

He hmmms and shakes his head "Right you are. Bothered she should have been." as I frown down at him.

"She wasn't?" and he shakes his head before sighing. "Bothering you with this, we should not. On a mission, she and Zebb is. Better she is getting, we think." he continues and I slowly nod.

"And Princess Ni'Korish?"

Yoda smiles and hmmm "Well she is. Back to Hapes, she is, Jedi's bodyguard she has. Left something for you, she did." he tell me while his cane click softly against the floor as we walk and I blink down at him before nodding

"I see." I say even if I'm not sure I do and he smiles as we enter one of the food courts of the Jedi temple. Luckily it's one of the bigger ones with a high ceiling.

"Message chip, we have in the vault. Get it, I will. Eat first, we shall." he inform me and he hobbles over to collect some kind of stew from the buffet.

I simply pick some fruit before we find a table.

He jumps up and sits on the table before digging into his stew as I chewed down on a big orange slightly bitter fruit. Reminds me of blood orange.

He hmmms and then nods "Proposition, I got, Captain Atreus." he says while licking his spoon and I swallow half a fruit and can't help but ask

"Is it going to involve me getting my ship shot up again?" I ask while trying to figure out if the green sphere I picked should be pealed or eaten like it is and he chuckles.

"Dangerous, it is not. Trip to the Telos system, I need to take. Emergency it's not, hire your ship, I would like." he says while chewing on some kind of root and I frown.

"Master Yoda, while that would be perfectly fine, it seems like a waste of money. The Jedi has its own transports...besides, I gave my crew two weeks of leave, something they very much deserve." I tell him as cut another fruit in half with my lower beak and he nods.

"Need the cargo bay, I might. Consular class, not much space for cargo, it has. Archeological dig, found Jedi ruins, they have. Many artifacts to be found." slowly finish his stew "Hire your ship, I want. Valuable artifacts be, and trusted, you are. Time-critical it's not. Wait a few weeks, it can."

I slowly nod. "Very well, Master Yoda. Then it's just a matter of payment..." and he chuckles.

"Security, vital it is. No passengers you can take. Compensate for this, we will."

Shiny.

I love doing business with Jedi.