Ask Yavin IV About a Handful and a Half

[Maura Starwalk]

"Maura! ... MAURA!"

Startled out of her daydreaming, Maura's head shot straight up as the sound of her teacher's voice rang out into the hushed classroom. Her tan skin was bright red where it had been in contact with the cold, slick desk. She had initially looked quite surprised, but it was replaced by an annoyed expression as she waited to get reprimanded for one thing or another. 'Did she ask me a question? I didn't hear her ask me a question.'

"Yeah?" Maybe she wasn't in trouble.

"You're wanted down in the office." She was definitely in trouble.

"Ugh, okay." Maura swung her legs up and slid off her seat. Her hand waved her textbook back to its slot, and she quickly made her way out of the classroom and towards the office hallways. 'What did I even do? Did that knight tell on me?' Her giggles filled the hallway as she recalled the prank she and Issyl had pulled on an unsuspecting knight earlier that week. If she was about to get in trouble for that, it was so worth it.

There was no one in the office when she got there, so Maura sauntered over to the chair and scrambled her way up into it. For the first few minutes, she sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Then, she began to absentmindedly kick her legs. After about five minutes, Maura grew impatient and turned around in her chair to stare defiantly at the door. 'Where the heck are they?'

'What if I'm in the wrong room?' The girl's eyes narrowed at the thought. She probably shouldn't leave, but it would be super embarrassing if she was just sitting in the wrong room. A cat can't help but be curious, and neither could Maura, so she slithered out of the chair and headed for the door. The office over had lights on, but the door was closed.

Knock, knock, knock, knock...

Maura knocked on the door for a solid ten seconds while looking upwards expectingly. "Hellooo~?" Hopefully someone really was in here!

tag: @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“They did what?” Alex’s voice was measured…hiding just a hint of mirth. “A bucket of water Grandmaster, apparently part of a running prank.” She just shook her head. The Order housed ever age and the younger generations skewed towards mischief. “Have Master Olana talk to the girls…and tell him I said to go easy on them…our Knights can handle a couple of kids.” The com crackled. “Yes, Grandmaster.” A click filled the office as the Temple Guard went to fulfill her orders. Alex quickly returned her attention to more pressing matters. The entire situation surrounding Mon Cala was a tangled mess. She needed a path to maintaining their alliance, but none was readily clear.

The Morellian Jedi sighed. The future was clouded…how cliché. She instinctively rubbed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. Old habits died hard. Her head tipped towards the ceiling. If only those closest to her weren’t gone or exiled. Her life was increasingly isolated. Alex leaned forward to continue her work when a loud knock sounded at her door. She could sense the bubbling presence beyond. Ah…a lost student. They would probably quickly realize the door was locked and leave. Instead, the knocking continued followed by a long hello. Alex’s brow furrowed and she flicked her fingers. The door flew open to reveal the small Padawan. The prankster lost on her way to see Master Olana.

“Padawan Starwalk.” She gestured for the young girl to enter. “Are you lost?” Alex smiled warmly. “Isn’t one of your classes in session?” The Grandmaster quirked an eyebrow. She knew young Maura was one of the perpetrators soaking Jedi Knights. It was time to see how honest the girl would be. She was a child after all but lessons matter…regardless of age.

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[Maura Starwalk]

'Huh, maybe I was in the right office.' Maura stared at the grandmaster with wide eyes, blinked twice, then gave two shakes and two nods of her head.

"Nope!" began the rainbow-haired girl, "I'm actually not lost at all! My teacher told me I was wanted down in the office, but I think I went into the wrong office because no one showed up! So I knocked on your door to see if this was the room I was supposed to be in, but now I think I got the wrong office again!" Though she had just admitted this was not the right office, Maura marched right in and promptly plopped herself in the chair opposite of Alex's desk. She immediately began to kick her feet in the air, and every so many seconds, the tip of her shoe would come into contact with the grandmaster's desk.

"I think I'm getting in trouble 'cause I did some pranks, but I dunno why I would get in trouble for them 'cause it was just water. I think it would make more sense if I got in trouble for skipping class, but it's not like I was gonna learn anything useful from a substitute so I dunno why I would get in trouble for that either." After Maura finished babbling about the entire situation to Alex, a serious and intense look overcame the girl's face as her wandering eyes landed on Alex's. They slowly narrowed, then widened once more as more words tumbled from the girl's mouth. "Master Voran, can I ask you a question?"

Psych. She was going to ask it regardless.

"Did you ever get bored when you were a padawan?"

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[Alexandria Voran]

Alex watched with mild amusement as Maura flopped her way into the office and plopped down in a chair. Small taps of feet hitting her desk began to vibrate in the room. Alex leaned back in her chair and interlaced her fingers. She eyes the young girl over her hands. Now what was she to do with this one? The Morellian Jedi was just about to tell Maura she could ask whatever she wished when the question just immediately popped out.

“Oh dear.” She shook her head slowly. “A few harmless pranks are hardly grounds for an inquisition, but you should be focusing on your studies.” Alex leaned forward to put her elbows on the desk. Her chin propped up on her hands. “I got bored sometimes but things were a lot different back then.” She’d been a Padawan over 80 years ago. Rarely, had Alex spent any time in the Temple. “We were still rebuilding…I didn’t spend any time in a classroom…or with classmates really.” She quirked any eyebrow.

“Are your classes boring? Or the Temple?” Alex smiled softly. “Surely you haven’t mastered all the mysteries of the Force just yet…or you should be in my chair.” A small laugh punctuated her smile. Maura had talent which was probably why she was bored. Unfortunately, the unruly Padawan could not be allowed to terrorize the older Knights because of boredom.

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[Maura Starwalk]

"You didn't have to sit in a classroom? Lucky!" She hated sitting in a classroom. "I dunno... it's just like..." When Alex insinuated Maura should sit in her chair, the kid stopped to groan. "No it's not like that. The classes just move so slow and I get bored."

Maura stopped kicking her feet so wildly and her big black eyes began to dart around the room. She wondered, briefly, what it would be like to be Grandmaster Voran. She thought it would be cool to be able to do whatever she wanted and to get to tell others what to do too. With a big, overdramatic huff, Maura turned her gaze back to the woman across the desk.

"My teachers say I'm too young to do a lot of stuff but I already know everything they're teaching 'cause they teach sooo slow and I read ahead," she explained. The alien girl's eyes squinted in thought for a moment before she continued. "Well, except my Force and fighting classes 'cause we actually get to do stuff in those." Maura enjoyed those classes the most because she didn't have to sit at a desk all day.

"Do you have any juice boxes? I'm thirsty."

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[Alexandria Voran]

Just who was this little creature. Alex often forgot the Order housed literal children. She hadn’t taught formal classes in ages. She worked tirelessly to ensure all had a roof, proper nutrition, and capable instructors. Her eyes narrowed at Maura.

Perhaps she should have been spending more time in those classrooms. A wave of the Force opened the door behind her desk. Stairs leading into the upper sections of the Temple reveled themselves. Those particular stairs led to her personal chambers. Maura wouldn’t know that yet. Alex stood smoothly from her desk.

“I’m sure I have something.” She turned towards the door. “Come on.” She motioned for Maura to get up and follow her. “If your classes are so very boring, why don’t you tell me what you’ve learned.” The Morellian Master turned to fix an eye on the young girl. “Because being a Jedi is more than just the Force and fighting.” She wasn’t about to lecture a ten-year-old but learning the importance of their Order beyond marital skills was necessary. Responsbile Jedi did not just spring out of the ground.

@lizziie

 

[Maura Starwalk]

Yes, Maura was a literal child, and as a literal child she was oblivious to any social faux pas she was committing by being so blunt and talkative. If anything, that was the privilege she had as a child.

"Okay!" Maura pushed herself off the chair and hurried to join by Alex's side. She wasn't sure why the juice was located up a staircase that was behind a door behind her desk, but the promise of juice was enough to quell any questions for the moment. Alex had questions for her though, so she obliged as she scrambled her way up the stairs. The quest for a juice box was laid with many trials and tribulations, so if those obstacles were questions so be it!

"Well, I've learned a lot. Maths, science, history-" Maura stuck out her tongue in disgust for that last word. "And other stuff, too. Like how to do that thingy with the Force that makes you jump higher and run faster." Jumping higher was a lot easier than running faster. Jumping was more fun anyway. "Meditation is my least favorite class though, 'cause I can't sit still that long. My leg starts bouncing and then I have to bounce too."

Maura would continue to ramble on about all the things she knew about her classes until the two reached the top of the stairs. Her long ears perked up attentively as she glanced about the room. "The juice box is up here?"

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[Alexandria Voran]

Alex listened politely as they climbed the stairs. Nodding along as Maura explained all the intricacies of her little world. The Morellian Jedi couldn’t solve galactic problems, but she could complete one quest. “Somewhere around here.” Unfortunately, Alex’s quarters did not get much use. Sleep was a luxury she found difficult to afford.

The Force sustained the Grandmaster and she slept when able…which was rarely. Maura, of course, wouldn’t know that. Alex poked around the small fridge in the kitchen. A smile spread across her face. Perfect. She set a juice box on the counter. “This is probably still good.” She pushed it towards Maura. “Only one way to find out.” Alex removed her own juice box from the fridge and poked in a straw.

She’d let the youngest have the first sip. Alex was brave but not that brave. “Why do you think you have to learn all that?” Her eyebrow raised. “What about your other classmates? Are they having fun?” She could image how boring all this must seem to a child, but Alex knew the importance of such an education. The war was fought on more than battlefields. She prayed things might be different by the time Maura ventured from the Temple. The path was cloudy.

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[Maura Starwalk]

Maura couldn't believe that the Grandmaster actually had juice boxes. Score! The little rainbow-haired girl happily accepted the box from Alex, enthusiastically stabbed the straw into the designated circle, and then chomped right down on it. Hm, kinda sour... oh well! The action of drinking a juice box was so much more important than the taste. Sure, there was a picture of an apple on the front and it tasted like sour grapes, but it was better than nothing.

Ew, more questions... but she did pay the juice box price... Alright, she'd humor her for a bit.

"Well, if I'm to be totally honest, I think it's 'cause you all wanna bore us to death. But—" Maura's sentence was interrupted by a loud and sour burp. "—But like, actually? I think it's prolly 'cause of education and stuffs." She took a moment to suck down the remainder of the juice box before she went on to answer Alex's other question. Were her classmates having fun? The girl shrugged at that.

"I dunno, maybe. I don't really talk to the other kids in my classes. I think they think I'm too cool for them or somethin'." Maura liked to keep to herself nowadays. She used to be friends with everyone, but everyone decided she wasn't fun anymore. Annoying. That was the word they used.

Oh well! Their loss!

"What's it like being the Grandmaster of the WHOLE Jedi?" Her turn for questions! "I bet you get to do all sorts of cool stuff, like travel all across the galaxy! I wanna do that one day! But my teachers always say—" Maura straightened her back, put her fists on her hips, and lowered her voice. "—Great power comes with great responsibility!" She set her juice box back on the counter and stared up at Alex with her big, black eyes. "I bet that means you gotta be responsible all the time then, huh?"

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[Alexandria Voran]

Maura was a never-ending chatterbox. Alex pulled over a stool and sat down quietly. Her smile was genuine when she answered. “You think you’re bored now? Wait till you have my job.” She raised an eyebrow. “I must carefully consider all of my actions…I’m just not always very good at it.” Alex laughed. “You know I’m hundred, Maura? Ten times your age and I get bored too and then I’m not a very good Grandmaster.” The Force quickly filled her chest.

With a few twirls of her fingers, various objects in the room floated up and began circling them. A chair, a lamp, a book, a stool.

“But I do get some privileges.” She shrugged. “Being a grownup isn’t much fun. You should be having fun and not worrying about responsibilities.” They weren’t training little robots. They were training Jedi. “What would you like to do.” She kept the objects spinning. Had anyone ever really asked the young Jedi what she wanted? Probably not.

@lizziie

 

[Maura Starwalk]

She was one whole hundred? "Wow! You're REALLY old!" Maura exclaimed. What would it be like to be that old? The girl squinted at the seated woman and not so subtly studied her face. "You don't look a hundred though?" Oh! Maybe she was one of those people who just lived a really, really long time. Maura wondered how long she would live, and if she would ever be a Grandmaster like Alex. Does everyone get to be Grandmaster? That sounded like a lot of responsibility to the girl. I hope I don't have to do that.

A quiet whoa! was exhaled from the girl's lips when Alex twirled a finger and caused a whirlwind of objects to begin floating around the two. She stretched out a long fingers to bat at a one of the objects, which sent it spinning in place as it circled around them. Maybe being an adult wouldn't be so bad if she could have this control over the Force!

But Alex asked her what she wanted to do next, so Maura pulled her hand back and rested her chin on it as she thought. It wasn't long before her eyes lit up and her answered followed suit.

"I wanna see the stars!" She still vividly recalled when the orphanage sisters asked her what she wanted her last name to be. "Starwalk!" she had exclaimed. All she'd dreamed of was getting to walk among the stars, which she knew now she could do by flying in ships. "I wanna travel the galaxy and see all of the stars!"

Wait, she should probably add something about helping people too, right? "And I wanna take other people to see the stars too!" She knew she wouldn't be allowed to do that until she was a lot older, though. A pout crossed her face for a moment at the thought. "I wish I could get older faster so I could have a master and we could travel together and help people and I could learn how to use the Force like you can. I don't wanna be ten." She didn't think it was fair that there were padawans three times her age that could do all sorts of things she couldn't even though they were both padawans.

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[Alexandria Voran]

Yes…she was really old. Recently, Alex felt every one of those long years. Morellian’s were gifted with long life and the Force extended that life. But she still aged, and those years were beginning to weight on her. Maura would learn all children wished to be older and all adults wished to be younger. What she wouldn’t give for the carefree life she’d lived with her Master. Traveling from world to world simply helping people. Those days would never return. Her place was here. She’d only ever leave the Order one way and it would not be to travel the galaxy.

Alex smiled softly as the objects continued to spin, sliding back into place if knocked by Maura. “Oh, I wouldn’t wish away your life, young one.” She shrugged. “You have so much life ahead of you. You don’t want to miss that…” Alex stood so she could move a little closer. “I know it’s hard now, but someday you’ll miss only having to worry if you’re bored in class.” Yavin was as safe as Alex could make it. No Jedi Temple was perfectly hidden. Even Ifrane had holes in the defenses.

“I will make you a deal.” She raised an inquisitory eyebrow. “You show me that you can listen in your classes, and I’ll take you off world.” Where was Maura safer than with the Grandmaster? She was confident she could watch one easily distracted ten-year-old. Besides, the kid seemed to stick to everything. “But you have to promise me you’ll listen to everything I say and do exactly what I tell you.” If they took one of the Destroyers there was only so much danger they could possibly find.

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[Maura Starwalk]

"REALLY?!" Maura had only gone off-world once, and it had ended up a disaster. She set fire to half the clearing and then managed to lose the very thing she'd accidentally done so with. On top of all that, someone her training saber had broken. It was a whole mess. "I promise I'll listen!" she promised, jumping up and down from her tippy-toes to flat feet in an excited little dance.

As for listening to every little thing Alex was to tell her... that was debatably possible for Maura, but she would agree anyways. "Okay!" The girl could hardly contain her excitement for adventure. She was going to get to see space! Travel! Oh, it was going to be so cool! All she had to do was listen to things she said, and do the things she told her to do.

"Soo...." Maura clasped her hands behind her back and swung side to side. "That would make you like, my master... right?" It was a bit of a bold question, so the little alien did her best to put her biggest, brightest look in her black eyes.

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[Alexandria Voran]

What had she just agreed to? Alex certainly had not invited Maura into her office with the intention of teaching the Padawan and yet…here they were. The Force hummed in her head. She could see the path unfolding under her feet. This was what she was meant to find. There was no denying the little gremlin Jedi was odd but special. Something Alex could not exactly put her finger on. She trusted the Force and the Light steered her in this direction. So be it.

“Yes, that would make me your Master.” The future quickly firmed before them. Yes…that was the right choice. “You still must attend some classes. There are responsibilities I have that are too dangerous.” She raised a hand to bite off any retort. “That is not negotiable, but you will train with me off world.” Alex turned to look clock on her wall, running a hand through her hair. “That starts today.”

She had a short, required, stay on New Alderaan. That was one of the safer places to start. “Go to your room, pack your bags, and meet me in the hangar in one hour.” Alex made sure her eyes connected with the young girl. “Maura…do…not…be…late.” She waved her fingers to shoo the girl towards getting ready.

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[Maura Starwalk]

"YES!" Maura made no effort to hide her triumph as her hand closed to a fist and was brought up and down in one of the most enthusiastic fist pumps Alex had probably ever seen. Her body was alive with excitement; it could be seen from the upward tilt of her long ears, to the dilated pupils in her black eyes, to the rhythmic bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Alex continued on with some words about her still needing to attend her classes, but they were hardly important in lieu of the monumental moment she was having. She had a master!

Alex shooed her away, and Maura darted off like a greyhound to the races. Her legs couldn't carry her fast enough as she rushed back to her room, and her arms took the brunt of her speed as she burst into her room and began to throw her bag together. She spoke her list of necessities aloud, muttering the name of each item as she snatched it from its place and tossed it into her bag. "Training saber...clothes...extra socks..." Was she missing something?

"Oh! Can't forget my hat!" Her long fingers snatched the blue cap off a shelf and plopped it only her head, forcing her fluffy bangs down into her eyes. After a moment of wrestling with her hair to get it out the way, she resumed throwing shit into her bag. Her hand moved to her datapad next but hesitated before grabbing it. Did she need to bring it? The answer was objectively a no, but the child couldn't decide whether her new master would dislike her bringing it or not. "Hmmm..."

The datapad hit the contents of her bag with a soft thud! as she decided to bring it and tossed it in. What if she got bored on the flight there? She couldn't risk her login streaks either!

-----​

Two minutes after an hour had passed, Maura burst into the hangar with her bag slung over her shoulder. She came stumbling to a stop a few feet before Alex, unable to do so gracefully with a bag full of her belongings weighing her down. It would be painfully obvious the child had massively overpacked, but she was almost on time.

"I'm here!" She grinned up at Alex, her hands holding her bag at her shoulders. "Where are we going?"

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[Alexandria Voran]

“Are you sure, Grandmaster?” Alex folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brow. Her position quite clear on the matter. “I can handle one ten-year-old.” She hummed softly. “If you remember, I used to teach all these young ones.” She gestured generally around the Temple. Simpler times when she had first become a Jedi Master and then Council member. Her responsibilities as Grandmaster removed many of the small joys in life.

She had precious little time for shaping the younger generations. She was forced to leave that to others, but she could teach one young girl. “Com the Aurora to tell them we’re coming.” Alana, her administrator, shrugged. “Of course.” The tone very clear. Alex barely had time to retort before a rainbow haired missile streaked into the hangar. Oh, by the Force, that hat. “New Alderaan.” The Morellian Jedi examined the huge bag strapped to Maura. “Hopefully some formal robes are in there.” Alex had a long history on the reformed world, and it was about to get longer.

“Load your things and we’ll get going.” The ramp on her shuttle was lowered. Alex led the way into the confines of the ship. “Put your bag in a passenger seat, you can sit as the co-pilot.” She would have full control of the shuttle with an astromech. Maura could sit in that spot but no way in the Light would she pilot. Once the young Jedi was situation, Alex would toggle the engines and move them slowly out of the hanger. In short order they were headed toward the Corvette. “Maura, what do you know about New Alderaan?” The flight into orbit would at least a few minutes. There was no time like the present to get to work.

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[Maura Starwalk]

"New Alderaan? Cool! I've never ever been there before!" Maura's face lit up, though her eyes darted away when Alex mentioned formal robes. She definitely didn't pack any formal robes, but she wasn't too worried about it. I'll just wear my robes right! What would she even need formal robes for anyways? Maura was about to ask Alex a million questions about why she needed formal robes, but then she told her to throw her bag down and sit in the co-pilot seat.

Alex wouldn't have to tell her twice! Maura all but ran full sprint into the ship, skidding around the corner and disappearing out of view. She chucked her bag into the passenger seats, then leap into the co-pilot's chair, causing it to spin around on impact. Maura positioned herself backwards so that she was looking over the headrest at Alex. Once Alex got to the pilot's seat, she could sit down "properly."

"I don't know anything about it!" she declared enthusiastically. "What's on New Alderaan? Are we doing diplo-mancy? It's "new" 'cause the old one was blowed up right? What do all these buttons do?"

There were so many buttons! Her eyes widned to saucers, then squeezed shut. Nope! Maura bounced up, slid her hands under her bottom, and sat right on them. She looked over at Alex, wondering if she noticed her being cool about choosing not to touch things.

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[Alexandria Voran]

Alex could feel the enthusiasm rolling off Maura. The child was literally bubbling. Well…she was not about to burst those bubbles. “Right you are, young one.” Her hands remained on the controls, her eyes darting over every some often to ensure Maura remained sitting on those hands. “Before even I was born, the Empire destroyed Alderaan and all its people…those that remained founded New Alderaan.” Slowly, the shuttle began to break for space. “The Alderaanian people have always been friends of the Jedi and things are no different now. We have a Temple in the Capital, and they are close allies.” The shuttle breached the atmosphere.

“Sometimes your friends need help. This is one of those times.” She looked at Maura and smiled. “We will be doing diplomacy. Which is important for you to learn. Not all problems can be solved with a lightsaber.” The Aurora came into view. The large corvette hanging above Yavin. Alex pointed. “That will be our home for our short journey.”

She had taken to using the Aurora over the larger capital ships. It was less conspicuous. “Have you been to many other worlds Maura?” Alex had not had time to study the young girls file completely. She was young and came to the Order at a young age…but it never hurt to ask. The Aurora loomed in their view as Alex moved the shuttle towards the hangar. They would be docked shortly.

@lizziie

 

[Maura Starwalk]

"I'm not that young! I'm ten!" Maura corrected as Alex began her speech. Nine was young, but not ten because that meant she was almost eleven which was a preteen. Maybe compared to Alex she was young, Maura considered, but she also didn't think it was a fair comparison because Alex was old. The kid stayed quiet for the rest of the time though, her long ears twitching when she correctly pronounced diplomacy.

When Alex pointed out the Aurora, Maura's black eyes followed. They lit up too, excited by the sight of the vessel. She was going to get to stay on a ship? That was so cool! She would get to look out the windows and see so many stars!

"Nope! Well, other than Old Mantwell. Mantrrel? Yeah! But I was a baby! I was like...four or five or six I think. Wait!" Maura interrupted herself to swivel back around and look at Alex. "I'm a decade old! 'Cause I'm ten! That's so cool!"

"I don't have a lightsaber," she announced moments after, jumping back to Alex's mention of them. "I have a training saber but it's ugly and annoying because it's long."

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[Alexandria Voran]

Alex deftly piloted the shuttle in the Aurora’s hangar. She settled the craft on the landing struts before hitting the button to lower the landing ramp. She side-eyed Maura. “You’ll be sticking with the training saber.” The Morellian Jedi unbuckled her crash harness. “The Force will tell us when you’re ready for the next step.” One thing was certain, Alex was not giving a child a functioning saber…not unless the Force screamed it in her mind. In time, kyber would call to Maura and Alex would ensure they answered. “Leave your bag on the ship, I’ll make sure it gets settled.” She gestured for Maura to follow.

When they neared the end of the ramp, she turned to look at her diminutive apprentice. “I have a few things I have to do in order to prepare for our arrival.” In a perfect world, she would have stayed with Maura, but her duties had to be tended. “You’ll have a few hours to explore the ship while we prepare to jump.” Her eyes narrowed. “Stay in the common areas…I don’t want to hear you had to be plucked from an air duct.” Alex quirked an eyebrow to ensure Maura understood. “Last chance for questions or forever hold your peace.” She could not have possibly understood the door she potentially opened.

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