Dad Days of Summer

[Corran Velt]

He had faced near constant danger. Infected had chomping on his visor and armor-plating. Goons and thugs of every variety stabbing, slashing, and blasting. Sith, drenched in red and black, trying to choke and crush all before them. Deranged droids proclaiming galactic conquest. Corran had endured them all. Suffering through pain, anguish, lose, and fury towards his real goal. Injuries had only slowed him down. Exhaustion tried to pin him down in chains. Vast distance of stars, the tallest mountains, and the deepest pits did not stall the quest. He kept moving, obsessed with reaching the single thing he valued most. The greatest treasure in the entire galaxy. Something so precious and awe-inducing that many beings went their entire lives clamoring for it. And now the Sector Ranger had it within reach. All he had undergone for this. Corran leaned forward to take in the sight, eyes wide, and drinking deep from its splendor. His lips pursed before opening, "You... are the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Two sky-blue eyes, much like his own, blinked open from their nap. A tuft of white hair, pure and untouched as the first snow, messily adorned the infant's head. Corran reached into the crib and lifted his daughter, Silvi Velt, into his arms. "Oh, look how much you've grown," he exclaimed, "What has your mother been feeding you?" When the baby had been born, she had seemed such a small, fragile thing. Where breathing on her own had been a test of will but now looked sturdy, healthy, and adorable. Even in his broad, dense arms, the infant was heavier than expected. Tucking his hands under her arms, holding her securely, he lifted Silvi up and down gently. Like weighing a sack of tubers. After the second rise, the baby gurgled a giggle. "You like that, huh?" Corran asked with a cocked eyebrow and a boyish grin. Up and down Silvi went, not too quickly or with too much force, just enough to get a child's laugh. And laugh she did. It was infectious too. The blond man found himself giggling along with his daughter.

"Okay, okay, you've won me over. It's play-time," Corran said with relish. Not that he needed much convincing anyway. They both went into the living room and found themselves laying on their tummies facing one another. A well-built man, made rugged by his line of work, and a soft, plump infant without a single sin. The father rested his chin on the back of his hand on the floor and the daughter made cooing noises at the change of scenery. Silvi was only 4 or 5 months old but clearly had an powerful personality.

Without any real reason why, Corran felt compelled to tap the baby's nose with his finger. "Boop." The first time, she did nothing. "Boop." The second, a toothless grin appeared. "You know you like daddy being home. Boop." The third caused an uproarious giggle from the toddler. Corran mirrored the same glee. Time ceased to matter as boops on the nose led to more giggles. A raw innocence so rarely seen in the galaxy. Silvi decided she wanted to play a new game. Instead of merely accepting taps on the nose, she started trying to grab her dad's finger as it swooped in. Now it was a game. Corran would swoop in, evading her pudgy hands, and tapping the adorable nose. "Gotta be quicker than that. Almost got me! Boop." Silvi bubbled with laughter, her feet kicking and swinging. She couldn't quite crawl yet but by the Stars she was trying.

The determination to grab the index finger was all her father's. The wit that outfoxed a grown man was definitely her mother's. Corran dove his finger from above like a Y-wing bombing run, complete with zooming sounds. But Silvi changed the rules. Her hand jutted out and clumsily missed the incoming boop. Or so he thought. A baby's hand clenched her vice-like grip around some of Corran's hair. She tugged hard. "Ow." Another tug. "Ow. Okay, you got me." Each yank of her father's chair elicited a protest, even though it didn't really hurt, which in turn caused the victorious toddler to bounce and giggle in immense joy. Silvi's glee was so palpable, Corran didn't have the heart to loosen her grasp. They chuckled and played until, like all babies, she grew tired and cranky.

Setting Silvi back down in the crib felt wrong. Fatherly instinct demanded more time. So instead, Corran took up position on the sofa, his arms supporting the bundle of pure happiness, and they both drifted off for a nice nap. Silvi on his chest, rising and falling with each breath, dreaming of the next playtime.

 

[Corran Velt]

Parks like this were rare on Coruscant. Rare and often times expensive to visit. The ecumenopolis had no natural soil left and for plants even to get sunlight they had to be at the highest levels. Silvi had been practically born around greenery with the apartment she dwelled in covered in types both rare and common. But it wasn't the real thing. Pots could only do so much compared to the smells and sights of rooted trees, shrubs, and flowers. The atmosphere of the warm sun and birds chirping. Being away from urban sprawl. It couldn't be replicated.

That's how Corran and Silvi found themselves on Chandrila. With the baby's mother away, either for business, politics, or whatever else she had going on, the young father felt comfortable whisking Silvi away for a little day trip. The garden world was a short jump from Coruscant and it had plentiful, manicured parks that would be a good start to introducing the toddler to nature. Corran had on casual jeans, sneakers, and a flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves and the top few buttons undone. A harness hung over it all, straps over his broad and square shoulders, that carried little baby Silvi. She faced forward to look out into the world and her feet dangled freely to kick and fidget as she pleased.

Tall trees lined the paved walkway that curved and swirled through the fresh-cut grass endlessly onward. Pocket of gardens, each with a unique theme of flowers or colors, were periodically placed at equal distances along the trail. Beyond the trail itself, trees native to the environment were scattered to shade picnic tables and grassy areas. Families played, teenagers strolled, and joggers kept their rhythm. Pink petals from blossoming flowers on the trees that lined the path floated past with regularly in the warm, comforting breeze. It gave the whole park a dreamlike quality. Reality itself could relax here.

Silvi relished the wisps of pink as they fluttered by. Unprompted, she would giggle exuberantly and reach her arms out at their full extent. Her finger clutched at the air in uncoordinated grasps. Her father smiled paternally, walking along at a slow pace, "I can't tell if you like the flowers or if you just like to grab things." Given the past few weeks, being at park like this was soothing. A temporary salve to the painful burdens. Silvi boosted that effect ten-fold. The baby's gleeful innocence opened a portal to a world without care. Seeing the galaxy for its good and not its ill. Her blue eyes, very much like his own, beamed at every new sight, sound, or thing. "You're so well-behaved too," Corran said softly before kissing the back of her head with a peck.

He spoke too soon. In defiance of countless failed attempts, the white-haired infant actually snatched a pink flower petal from the air. She surprised even herself and swirled her arms in celebration. "You got one! Yaaaaaaay," Corran cheered in a low voice. Then the toddler promptly tried to put the organic material in her mouth. With the type of reflexes only a dad can have, a hand covered Silvi's mouth and another pried the pedal from her clutches. He cooed at her with loving disapproval, "No no, don't eat that."

Despite losing her newly captured toy, no ear-rending scream followed. There too many new wonders to observe in this truly new environment. Corran released a long exhale similar to when a bomb-squad cut the right wire with seconds left on the clock in the holos. The lungs on this kid. Peaceful coexistence remained and so their journey persisted. A garden section beckoned the father and daughter into an artificial grove based on summer rain. Massive leaves above provided the 'storm clouds' and vines with blue flowers of various shades swirled around the trunks of trees into shrubs that provided 'puddles' of blue at their roots. One tree held a zig-zagging flower that was supposed to be lightning. Silvi swung her head this way and that, absorbing everything in sight. Her dad couldn't help but smile again. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Their conversations were always one-sided. Except this time infant gibberish and gurgles had something recognizable in them. Not words of any kinds, but sound. Sounds that were not totally alien. A lot like... Galactic Basic. Corran's hand shot over Silvi's mouth. "Nope, nope, nadda, not gonna happen. You are not even thinking about saying your first word without your mother to hear it." Was she really going to say something tangible? Not likely. Not at this age. Was he going to take that risk? Hell no. Silvi's mother wouldn't like to be left out of such a momentous occasion. Mother. He couldn't even will himself to say or think her name. He hoped, distantly, it wouldn't always be this hard.

Saliva began to seep down his fingers. A look of indifferent annoyance dawned on Corran's face. Not the first time nor the last this would happen. Baby-friendly wipes were fished from the baby-harnesses side-pocket and he began wiping down Silvi's face first and then his own hand. Even when making a mess, the bouncy baby laughed at the attention from her dad. She was unbearably cute.

By now they were nearing the end of the trail. An arch of natural wood festooned with flowers of every color and creed wishing them safe travels and to come again. All the excitement had tuckered out the baby on Corran's chest. She hung more limp now, no longer kicking or grabbing at everything within reach. Silvi enjoyed nearly everything she came into contact with at this age but today had been of special note. Nature called to her. A faint echo of a dead memory called from the depths of the blond man's mind. A special place still hidden in the galaxy. "When you're older, I'll take you to Starfall," he promised, brushing the small strands of hair from Silvi's face, "A natural garden all your own. Just for you."

She was already asleep. A promise unheard was still a promise made and Corran Velt never broke his promises. He made his way out of the park to their rented speeder with the safest car-seat he could find. They'd return to Coruscant, back to the urban sprawl. The real world. A new experience shared for both their memories when pink petals didn't sleepily breeze by in the sweet spring air.

 

[Corran Velt]

White, florescent lighting filled the common area of the YT-1300 light freighter dubbed the Crimson Venture. That was the name on the paperwork when bought used anyway. An engineering and communications suite sat near the wall closest to the hallway exit ramp. A circular table surrounded by a semi-circular booth offered most of the seating space. Holobooks and datapads took up most of the far wall, ranging from fiction, to history texts like Jury-rigged Victory: The Mon Calamari Fleets of the Rebel Alliance and Flags Cast Down: The Failures of the First Order, and texts on laws and codes from various worlds and governments. Above the booth sat a red-painted sign which bore the ship's name in unusual flourish. A small kitchenette took up the rest of the space and that was where Corran stood, various bowls and tools laid out before him.

Baby Silvi sat in a high-chair near the booth but turned towards the kitchen so she could watch her father at his work and take in more sights than a durasteel wall. Until object permeance took hold, whatever her blue eyes caught was her entire world. Light freighters were always pragmatically built with only the necessary metals, acceptable comforts, and colorless interior. Not the place to raise a child, and he would do everything in his power to keep her among nature and soil, but Corran wanted to introduce his daughter to ships at an early age. Get use to the clanks, sputtering sounds, and subtle vibrations.

Veggies had been mashed into paste and mixed together in one of the bowls on the counter. Baby food was cheaper in containers off the shelf, but the bearded man wanted to try something homemade. They were making lunch a little early. He was anticipating shrill, ear-shattering cries of hunger from the infant soon and wanted to get ahead of it. A baby-blue bib with a child-friendly fathier on it adorned Silvi's neck. Corran wore a matching, equally baby-sized one that looked absolutely miniscule on his physique. The pack came with two, okay? His own meal, a bowl of berries and protein oats, sat off the side, only needing to be warmed.

Entertaining a baby from far was difficult. That only left the option of talking to someone too young to speak or even understand language. Silvi still flapped her arms and smiled her gums when her dad spoke. The topic of conversation for today was odder than most. "Do you think you'll have force-powers? Like your mom?" the blond ranger asked aloud, stirring the orange and green contents of the bowl. He still couldn't bring himself to say her name aloud, but the casual address was a start. Hopefully. The child in the high-chair provided an answer in senseless baby talk. Corran raised the spoon in his hand and pointed it at his daughter, "You make a good point. When does that start showing up anyway? Like can you lift rocks in the hospital nursery or does it come later? Like your first tooth?"

Likely distracted by another noise from the hull of the starship, Silvi raised her hand and turned her head heavily to stare at seemingly nothing in that direction. The food was nearing done, so the 'chef' tossed his protein oats into the reheater and set the time. The beeps recaptured the attention of Silvi who slapped her hand on the tray in front of her. "I'm almost done! Hold on a second," Corran pleaded. The bowl of baby food was finally reaching the necessary consistency. To maintain her mood, he returned to the silly conversation. "And what's the difference between force-sensitive kids? Are some naturally stronger than others? One tosses a starfighter into a lake while another can only float a toy into the toy box." The orange-coated spoon pointed at Silvi again. "You should start doing that by the way. Clean up would go much faster." Somehow the child's stubborn, and adorable, attitude made that unlikely, even if she commanded the full breadth of the Force.

Three mechanical chimes proclaimed that the protein oats were complete and in sync with the baby food. Both were poured into cooler bowls, one much smaller than the other, and completed with spoons of equal size. Corran making zooming noises, like a swooping X-wing, as he made his way to the table and placed one bowl before Silvi and one for himself. As always, she came first. A tiny, toddler-portioned, green spoon scooped up the self-made baby food and presented itself to the gummy maw. "Open wide, its good tummy food, come on!" The blond dad cooed in baby talk. Silvi's mouth plopped open and readily accepted the first bite. She was hungry. Warding off those killer screams was a sign of a good day.

After a few good bites, a mixture of drool and orange residue began to form around the infant's chin. By now second nature, Corran wiped off her mouth and continued the process. He filled the air with his own musings, "It'd be okay if you had those powers, you know. You'd be good with 'em. Helping people. Lifting groceries for the elderly and stuff. No matter what you are, I will always love you." A soft, thoughtful admission for a man who used to hate such beings with unceasing disdain. How far he'd come, even after the mysteries of the Force caused him such personal, lasting pain.

Serenity was not to last. 'Love you' sometimes drew unmitigated excitement from the baby and this was one of those times. She flailed her arms, accompanied by ruckus, bubbly giggles. A pudgy, open palm slammed down on the tray while also hitting the lip of the bowl. Mush went airborne. Orange paste spattered the Ranger's cheeks, a little on his forehead, and flicks got into his heard. Most of it spilled onto the tray in a gross mess. This only elicited further laughter from a thoroughly pleased Silvi. He stared blankly at his offspring. "This is why we wear bibs." Taking the blue cloth from his neck, Corran dabbed off what he could before surrendering to the size of the mess. It would require more powerful cleaning later.

Silvi was now in a more playful than hungry mood. Tormenting her father with tugs on his beard or requiring a whole stand-up comedy routine to take a single bite. Such were the demands of the daughter Corran loved beyond all measure. By the time she was finished, his own food would be cold again. But he wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

[Corran Velt]

The world was muted and numb. Corran's ears rang like he was in an enclosed room when a concussion grenade went off. In fact, he might have preferred enduring the effects of a concussion grenade than this. Silvi's banshee wail of displeasure would give a Wookie pause. The bearded dad raised his eyebrows in visible discomfort as he tried to blink away the pain in his eardrums. Babies at this age only do four things - eat, sleep, play, and poo. Unfortunately it was time to handle the responsibility of the fourth thing. "Shusshsushsush," the blond man urged the baby as he finished depositing the dirty diaper and wipes into a nearby container. Pacifying the toddler was nigh impossible when she was upset - an omen of her forceful personality. Mercifully, his comforting hushes made her piercing scream subside to a sniffing whimper with an occasional baby word.

Finally he fished out a fresh diaper from his gym bag. Corran never went anywhere without the appropriate supplies necessary to take care of the infant. A tiny dash of powder here, brushing away of her fidgeting arms there, and finally began to troublesome application of the diaper. The single father kindly spoke to Silvi as he worked, "You're doing great, starshine. A little less kicking. One side down, theeeennnnnn just the ooooootheeerrrr. And there!" Corran put his hands on his hips in pride. It wasn't the first time he'd accomplished the necessary task, but each time was a triumph of the will. He began wiping down his hands with clean wet-wipes when he noticed that while Silvi had gone quiet, she was clearly not happy. Her bottom lip stuck out and her eyebrows dented upward in a look of discomfort.

Today was another day of Corran's long work out routines. Ever since the burning of Sector Ranger Headquarters, he'd been dedicating a lot more time to endurance and strength training. Ever since the worst weeks of his life since joining the Rangers, he'd been at some sort of gym more often than not. Even sacrificing sleep for it. Who was he kidding? He couldn't sleep very much recently. His super-sets and rotations required lots of equipment and so he either came to gyms on the off-hours or, like today, rented a private room. First Responders service discount helped. While a set of weights beckoned, the bearded man couldn't leave his child in anguish.

"Come to dad," he said as he lifted Silvi from the changing station then threw his gym back over his shoulder. Instead of the usual reps for upper back, Corran laid out a gym mat on the floor and carefully sat down while holding the baby up. He then laid flat on his back and lowered Silvi to his chest. She was already making bubbling noises in anticipating. "Kzzzrk. This is Coruscant Valorum Memorial Starport," The ranger playfully mimicked the sounds of traffic control, "Weather is fine. Lanes are clear. Silvi Velt, you are clear for take off."

Suddenly the baby girl was rocketed into the air but safely kept in her parent's grasp. Laughter practically shook the rafters. But she knew this game well. Silvi stifled her giggle to sputtering chortles as a sign she wanted to be roared back into the air again. Corran obeyed. His arms thrust her upward, "Liiiiiift off!" Riotous laughter followed like clockwork. This cycle of a toddler being shot towards the ceiling and unrestrained joy continued for awhile. Until mischievous ideas began to form. Why combine child and exercise?

Setting Silvi on the mat for a moment, leg and ankle weights were added. "You must be a genius or something," Corran told his daughter as he picked her up and laid back down himself, "I always get the best ideas with you around." He adjusted his shoulders and readied himself. The white-haired, sky-blue eyed infant was launched into the air to uproarious giggles. Simultaneously he crunched his stomach by pulling his legs upward. "One." Silvi came back down again and his legs retracted. She was rocketed upwards again with a weighted ab crunch. The infectious baby laughter echoed through the empty gym space. "Two."

This process continued for a lot of repetitions. Then came sit-ups where Corran launched himself to bent knees and lifting Silvi over his head in sync. All the while, her enjoyment rose with the height to which she soared. After a series of every type of work out imaginable while playing with a toddler this way, the bearded man plopped back down on the mat; his chest rising and falling heavily from exertion. The baby herself seemed to be growing weary as well.

But one final curiosity had risen within Corran. Only the kind of mischief father's got into with their children. He arched his back and looked behind him, over his shoulders, and everywhere around. The pair were seemingly alone. That dumb boyish smirk crept onto his face. "We'll call this one Afterburner." His thick arms thrust Silvi into the air once more, but instead of staying firmly safe in his grasp, he released his grip. Silvi truly flew in the air just above her dad's hands. Unbridled laughter sprung forth like never before. She safely came back down into his clutches and was still laughing. Even though the mother was likely lightyears away, Corran felt an amber glare scorching his back.

He sighed heavily, as if his very breath would have smashed through the floor if it became tangible. The blond man nibbled on his lower lip and sat up. "Okay, enough of that. Just don't tell... well, you know." The atmosphere of frivolity felt dampened like after a late autumn rain. Not for anyone else's fault but his own. Memories refused to fade. He put away the weights, slung his gym bag over his shoulder and placed Silvi into her carrier. As Corran tucked her under soft blankets, she smiled a wide, gummy smile. He couldn't help but return a closed-mouth grin. Silvi really did help. The bearded ranger rose to his feet, adorned with all he came with, and headed for the exit. "Come on, kiddo," he told his best friend and child, "We'll play another day."

 

[Corran Velt]

Sector Ranger stations were never really empty. Criminals never rested, only working in shifts between the day and the night. Law enforcement did the same. There was a small window of time in the evening, between day and night shift, where most stations had relatively few staff. This was the time Corran entered into one of the Coruscanti stations he had not ventured in awhile. The one where Vera Coulter use to call her stomping grounds. Maybe literally. There was a duty here he had long avoided but one no one else had taken up. One that was harder than the funeral.

That's why Corran brought a little back-up. Two straps clung over each shoulder and a carrier hung over his chest. Inside sat a baby with thing tuffs of snow-white hair and large, innocent sky-blue eyes. His daughter, Silvi, took in all the new sights with wonder only children have. He had waited until it was Bring Your Daughter to Work Day for this outing. Well, the Sector Rangers didn't really have such a thing, but other companies did today. Silvi's mother went to great lengths to keep the baby unnoticed from the public eye and this was the best way to spend time with his daughter as well as handle this troubling affair. The bearded ranger had slipped in a side entrance using his access code and made sure the coast was clear before heading inside.

Like all the countless stealth operations, Corran stuck along the wall, keeping his torso tilted and back nearly against the wall. Was it technically infiltration if he was allowed and expected to be here? Footsteps echoed through an open door at the end of the hall. The path formed a T with the dutiful father in the longer south portion. He stopped moving immediately and held his breath. There closest room or closet to duck into was a number of steps down the way. Too far to reach. Footsteps came closer, closer, more determined. Under furrowed brows, grey-and-blue eyes stared at the doorway as if they could shoot lasers.

Another Ranger finally entered visual range. He stopped, facing down the way he was walking. "Ah, where is the bathroom? I am going to hose!" Suddenly, Silvi made a baby word. More of a bubble than language. An instinctive, fatherly hand clasped over her mouth. The other Ranger tilted his head, his face contorted in confusion or thought. Time stood still. Corran's glare stayed on target, trying to come up with a solution rapidly. After what felt like an hour, the other Ranger finally widened his eyes, "Oh yeah! Just a little further!" Then he jogged off on his way.

Corran let out a long exhale of relief. Then he realized his hand felt moist. Of course. By now, the father was use to the constant goo coming from his daughter's mouth when she was excited. Without even looking, the blond ranger rubbed his hand on his pants, withdrew a napkin and wiped off Silvi's mouth. She giggled a little from the attention. Loveable little trouble maker.

Their mission continued uninterrupted from then on. Lieutenant Velt crept through the halls of the station, moving silently as possible with baby in tow. There. Duty lockers. Looking both ways for anyone coming, he tip-toed into the room adjacent to the main hallway. Inside were benches and lockers in all possible space. It was sort of like a high school locker room. Sector Rangers stored their stuff here they used during their work day. Badges, jackets, trinkets, even pictures of loved ones. Each one could be adorned inside with any number of things. Corran stopped before the dreaded threshold. A locker with a nameplate, untouched, that read COULTER,VERA.

Stickers, notes, and heart-felt farewells covered the unopened door. Despite her rugged attitude, Ranger Coulter was loved. And missed. The bearded man looked down to the infant on his chest, "You ready to help daddy be brave?" Silvi bounced a little in her holster. Good enough. His hand reached up the entry-pad and hesitated. Once this was cleared out, Vera Coulter would truly be put to rest. All her belongings removed. Silvi was here. He could do it. Fingers deftly punched in the memorized password and the locker door came loose. Corran pulled it open and witnessed all inside.

Notes from well-wishers and mourners stacked up. A jacket was on a hook inside. An ammo-less blaster. Was that a knife? A leather cleaning kit. Piece by piece, the lieutenant emptied the container and placed the belongings onto a nearby bench. He'd find a box somewhere here and deliver this to her next of kin. If she had any. Two shot glasses and a half-empty bottle of caramel hard liquor were towards the back. "Really, Coulter?" Corran huffed. He hefted the bottle, examining it. He probably shouldn't be that surprised.

Silvi started reaching forward from her carrier, arms completely outstretched. She made tiny grunts; the kind a child makes when it wants something. Corran glanced away from the alcohol and down at his daughter, "You better not be eyeing a pack of cigs in th-" His eyes opened wide in utter shock. "...there." One very last thing sat at the far back of Vera's locker. Shoved so far back it still was half-hidden in the shadows. A circular, metal rod with a singular button. With awe and reverence, the blond ranger reached out for slowly. His hand gripped it tightly. It was cold. He lifted it up and back delicately, like a cooked grenade. It was lighter than he expected. Once fully in the light, it became clear what had been in her possession and now... in his. A Sith lightsaber.

Corran exhaled in a quick, surprised huff of disbelief. It was here. Real. In his grip. Was this a dream? He turned it over in his hand, eyeing the details. It had some carbon scoring from the flames of Sector Ranger HQ. The power... His thumb ghosted over the button that would activate the long-feared Red Saber...

An innocent coo brought the blond father back to reality. "Oh, sorry Starshine," he apologized and kissed the top of Silvi's head. Best not expose his daughter to a dangerous weapon. With a click, he secured it to his belt. Finding a box was easy in the locker room. One was atop some unused lockers at the end. All the items from Vera's locker were respectfully placed inside. The locker door was shut and all that remained was the name across the display. Corran's hand clasped Silvi's gently, "Here is the hard part. Give daddy a little strength, okay?" The infant looked up, not comprehending, but her tiny fingers gripped his hand anyway. Buttons clicked on the keypad until only one remained. Lieutenant Velt inhaled shakily. Closed his eyes and pressed the enter key. COULTER,VERA, vanished into the digital ether. The nameplate blank.

She was gone. Finally gone. At peace. Corran opened his eyes to confirm the deed was done before lifting the box, extending his arms to give Silvi room still. Leaving the station was uneventful, mercifully. No one saw the father and daughter duo. No awkward questions or ducking into side rooms. Just a quick exit and loading up the speeder. Once belted in (with age-appropriate booster seat), the speeder lifted off and headed away from the station. The deed was finally done and all made possible by Silvi's bravery. Vera Coulter was finally and fully at rest, but she had left one last middle finger to the universe. And it hung on Corran Velt's belt. A device he was eager to test.