Help Me!

[Riley Dee]

The night started with me running for my life... and it was ending with what sounded like a job opportunity. Rex smiled to himself. Could this have been part of Jade's plan along. He shook his head. No way, you're being paranoid. Again.

A sudden realization struck Rex and he had to compose himself before saying, "You don't... you don't have... a lightsaber, do you?"

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Yes. I have two actually." Jade smirked, "why do ya ask?"

 

[Riley Dee]

And all of a sudden Rex felt like a 10 year old orphan again, eagerly listening to his Ithorian guardian tell him tales of the Jedi and their famous lightsabers, defending the republic as instruments of the force.
Wide-eyed and excited, he asked, "Can I see?"

 

[Jade the Protector]

Chuckling, Jade took out her sabers. "Be careful with them, Rex."

 

[Riley Dee]

Rex took both hilts in his hands carefully, setting both down in front of him. He admired each of them separately, the seams, shape, the craftsmanship built so carefully into each hilt. Then he pulled out his own broken hilt, cracked and empty, the carbon scoring covering three quarters of it. Next to Jade's hilt it was plain and lifeless.
"They're so different."

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Mine are maintained, you know who had yours? Feels like it went though an explosion." Jade said calmly. "Plus, yours needs a crystal and parts to work."

 

[Riley Dee]

Staring down at the broken hilt, Rex said solemnly, "His name was Jogao... My parents did him a favor and lost their lives for it..." Rex cleared his throat and slipped the hilt back into its place on his belt. "But that was a long time ago."

 

[Jade the Protector]

"I see..." Jade spoke with a term of respect. "Well, let's get out of here before one of us gets shot." She stood up, waiting for him.

 

[Riley Dee]

Rex looked up at Jade confused. "'Let's get out of here'? As in us, we, together? You, me, and," Rex pointed at the Anooba, "That thing?"

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Yes, and Night Eyes is a guide dog, she won't harm ya." Jade half-glared at Rex.

 

[Riley Dee]

What is happening?
Rex should have been finding a crime boss with plenty of enemies and plenty of credits. Rex should have been going through a catalogue of ships being sold on-planet. Rex should have been shooting, stealing, running, cheating, fighting or dying--anything but what was happening right then and there. And yet there he was all the same... The Unlucky One, of all people, was spending his evening following around a Jedi Knight, and from Jade's tone, it didn't seem he had much choice in the matter.

Rex patted Night Eyes between the ears and said, "Okay, Jade. Let's go," and followed the Jedi out into the night.

 

[Jade the Protector]

Jade led him to what was a decent ship. It had an autopilot feature that got her here, but it needed a driver.

"Your ship, good sir" Jade said with a flourish.

 

[Riley Dee]

The Ship was a Consular Class Space Cruiser.
Rex stared at the ship dumbly, then looked at Jade, then back to the ship. "I don't... understand."

 

[Jade the Protector]

"It's yours, was mine, but I cannot drive." Jade smirked.

 

[Riley Dee]

Rex was dumbfounded. He dropped to his knees first, mouth open. Then he stood up and ran up and down the length of the ship shouting and hollering at the top of his lungs. Some of the maintenance workers on the docking port stopped their tasks and stood to watch the human literally jump and clack his heels, whooping and never quite finishing a sentence. "I-- I can't-- I mean-- How did-- What do I--" Out of breath Rex ran back to Jade and composed himself as much as possible. He grabbed the Jedi by the shoulders and looked down earnestly into her face. "You're serious about this? This isn't a joke?" He looked into her eyes but there was no expression there. Only her lips gave him any hint of what she was thinking.

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Yes, I'm serious." Jade smiled as she felt his disbelief and excitement. "She's yours, Laddie."

 

[Riley Dee]

Rex went on another bout of screaming and whooping, this time making everyone else not only curious, but nervous. This was a dream come true.
"I swear--I swear to you, Jade, I'll earn this. I've got plenty of cash to keep us fueled for as long as we need. I'll take you anywhere you wanna go from here on out! I'll even cook every meal--I promise!"

Beaming, and saying "thank-you-thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!" the pair had the ship signed to Rex's name in the Republic Registry System. Rex himself paid the docking and fuel feeds, with a smile so big it made the half of his face cramp.

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Dude, calm down, you're welcome." Jade laughed.

 

[Riley Dee]

Rex spent the rest of the next day learning the comms and navigation system, watching tutorials on the on-board holo. He had seen both of the systems both before, though and was sure he knew enough to pilot.

The morning after, Rex found Jade in the galley. "I'm ready. Where do you want to go?"

 

[Jade the Protector]

"Illium, there is a Temple there that should be livable." Jade said after a few moments of thought.