Star Wars Character Cafe

TRIX

CHAPTER 6

The two hours that they had spent on Tapan seemed to be a blur to Lo. After being introduced to Marshal Thonas, Lo examined a few of his ships and showed him around the Wild Nerf, taking care to point out the modifications she had made over the course of the past year. She liked Marshal but wondered what a beauty like Trix saw in the short stocky businessman with a receding hairline.

As she explained all of the changes she had made to the Nerf, Lo couldn’t help feeling proud of what she had accomplished. Marshal was particularly impressed by the way she had managed to hide her enhancements. Marshal’s smuggling ships may have seemed unremarkable to the untrained eye, but Lo could walk around any of them and point to things like how the thruster outlets had been subtly enlarged to accommodate more powerful sublight engines and how the ancient looking rectenna had been modified to house enhanced sensors. Marshal, who had been operating YT-1300s for decades, had trouble believing that Maxx’s old freighter had been modified at all, at least until Lo had taken him inside and pointed out the changes to him. He was particularly amazed by the way Lo had managed to hide the various sensors around the Nerf’s hull, giving the freighter a first class sensor suite without a sensor tray or rectenna that might tip off the authorities.

***

As Maxx, Lo and the droids walked up the Nerf’s boarding ramp, Lo couldn’t help wondering what their next stop might be. The Corporate Sector had been profitable, but she couldn’t help thinking that it might be wise to stay away for awhile to let things quiet down after they had raced away from Etti IV like that. There was that other possibility, but she wasn’t certain that Maxx was ready to go that far. Still, she wasn’t too surprised when she heard Maxx ask Trouble to plot a course for one of Doc’s beacons.

“So we’re returning to the Corporate Sector after all?” she asked.

Maxx nodded.

“I have one last job that I need to do before we return to the Outer Rim,” Maxx replied, “and I need a few things from Doc.”

Lo nodded thoughtfully, so he was going through with it.

“You’re rescuing Aayla then?” she asked.

Maxx nodded.

“I’d be wiser to let it go,” he replied, “but I just can’t.”

Lo listened intently and replied.

“Then I want in.”

“You do?” Maxx replied, unable to hide his surprise. “I thought you didn’t care for Twi’leks.”

“I didn’t,” Lo answered earnestly, “but a lot has changed since then.”

Maxx smiled.

“Indeed it has,” he answered warmly. “Is that what this is about?”

Lo frowned and pondered the question for a moment. She had known that she wanted to go with Maxx if he went after Aayla, but she wasn’t exactly sure why.

“Yes and no,” she finally answered. Maxx raised an eyebrow, so she continued.

“I can’t say that what is happening between us hasn’t changed things, but even before then you were the closest thing I had to a friend and the Nerf the closest thing to a home. Besides, I sort of owe Trix for her hand in all this.”

Maxx smiled.

“Thanks, but are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked. “This won’t be nearly as easy as our escape from Etti IV.”

Lo smiled grimly as she nodded.

“I know,” she said, “but I really want to do this. Besides, I want to make sure you get out of this alive.”

Maxx gave Lo a puzzled stare.

“Look Maxx,” she continued, “I know I’m no Chewbacca, but there are things I can do to help. No human knows the Nerf better than I do and there are things I can do that no droid can do. Please let me come with you.”

Maxx looked very deeply into Lo’s eyes before answering.

“Ok, you can come,” he replied, “but on one condition.”

Lo stared at Maxx and pursed her lips.

“Yes?”

“I’ll need you to do what I tell you to do,” he replied. “Like you said, you’re no Chewbacca, and I’ll probably want you to wait on the Nerf while I do what I need to do. You’ll be my insurance that the Nerf will be safe and ready to go when I need her. I’ll need you to monitor communications and do what I say.”

Lo nodded.

“You’ve got it,” she replied.

With that she took Maxx’s outstretched hand and pulled herself out of her seat. She lost her balance and would have fallen onto the floor between the two seats, but Maxx suddenly threw his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him so that she fell into his lap instead.

“You alright?” she asked.

Maxx just smiled.

“Kiss me and I’ll feel better.”

***

Lo sighed contentedly as she walked to the lounge. Her time together with Maxx, his embrace, his kisses, his touch left her feeling things she wouldn’t have imagined a few short days ago. She barely noticed TC-23J sitting at the engineering station as she sat down at the lounge’s table and pulled out her datapad. The protocol droid turned around as Lo pulled up a holographic representation of the Wild Nerf.

“What brings you so far from the cockpit?” she asked, TC-23J knew that Lo preferred to be in the cockpit any time the ship was moving.

“Work,” Lo replied with a breezy chuckle. “Maxx wants me to see how many concussion missile launchers I can slip into the forward mandibles without too much rework. He wants to give the Nerf a little extra punch in case we find ourselves in a jam.”

“Oh,” TC-23J replied. News that Maxx wanted to add concussion missiles, which were used for attacking capital starships, unsettled her. “Doesn’t this bother you?”

Lo had turned the hull plating translucent so that she could see the ship’s systems.

“Not really,” she replied distractedly. “Maxx wants to enter the Corporate Sector and take Aayla Sedota back. It makes sense to upgrade our armaments a bit.”

“But don’t concussion missiles seem a little blood thirsty for Maxx?” the droid asked firmly.

Lo shrugged.

“We’ve been attacked,” she reminded the droid, “both Trix and I have spent a few hours in Eva Maru’s infirmary and Aayla Sedota has been kidnapped. I think Maxx can be forgiven for wanting a little extra muscle.”

If Lo hadn’t been so intent on zooming in on the Nerf’s mandibles, she might have noticed TC-23J shudder.

“Even if that muscle pushes him over to the Dark Side?” she asked.

Lo suddenly turned around and stared at TC-23J.

“Dark Side?” she asked. “What the Sith are you talking about?”

TC-23J stared into Lo’s eyes.

“This is not a time to speak lightly about the Sith,” she said firmly. “Your partner could be placing himself in dangers that the two of you know nothing about.”

Lo narrowed her eyes.

“You’re talking in riddles Mother,” she replied. “What are you trying to say?”

“You were right about Maxx,” TC-23J answered firmly. “Maxx’s real mother, Tamrin Kjell, was a Jedi Knight. The abilities you and Maxx were arguing about during our journey to Tapan are due to his sensitivity to the Force, and there are dangers that come with a Jedi’s power.”

Lo’s eyes widened as she stared into TC-23J’s eyes.

“Dangers?” she asked blankly.

“Have you heard of the Dark Side of the Force?” the droid asked.

Lo shivered.

“I know that it is evil and seductive,” she said haltingly.

“The Dark Side is seductive because one accesses it through common feelings: hatred, anger and desire. Many Jedi have fallen to the Dark Side when their desire to do good was corrupted by righteous anger and they were overcome by the desire for revenge. Darth Vader was once a great hero during the Clone Wars. Then he met with a bad influence and fell to the dark side, becoming the monster we now know.”

Lo couldn’t help staring into TC-23J’s photoreceptors as she listened.

“And you’re afraid that this quest could push Maxx over to the Dark Side?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“That is what frightens me,” TC-23J replied.

Lo suddenly sprang to her feet and put her hand on TC-23J’s shoulder.

“Then we must talk to him at once!” she urged.

The droid nodded sagely.

“I should have done this much sooner,” she replied sadly as she stood up.

***

Maxx was surprised to see Lo and TC-23J rush into the cockpit together.

“Is there some kind of emergency?” he asked Lo.

“I don’t know, I don’t think so, at least not yet, but there could be!” Lo blurted out frantically.

Maxx looked at TC-23J hoping that she could make sense of Lo’s rambling.

“What mistress Price is trying to say is that we’re hoping to avoid a catastrophe,” the droid replied the tension dripping from her voice.

Maxx frowned as he listened, he couldn’t remember the last time the TC-23J sounded this nervous.

“Catastrophe?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with the ship?”

The droid shook her head.

“I’m afraid I misspoke,” she replied. “We have a serious problem, but not an urgent one. We’re not in any physical danger, at least not yet, but if we aren’t careful, all could be lost.”

Maxx frowned and shook his head.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

TC-23J turned and stared into his eyes.

“It’s not an easy thing to explain,” she replied. “You are heading into dangers that you don’t understand. These dangers are not physical, but spiritual in nature.”

“What in the universe are you talking about Jay?” Maxx asked.

“It is time for you to learn who Tamrin Kjell was, why she had to die and the powers and dangers that she has passed down to you.”

Maxx’s eyes widened a little as he listened. He had been waiting for TC-23J to tell him about his mother for as long as he could remember. He hadn’t expected to hear stories about power and danger connected with it. For a moment he wondered if Lo’s Jedi nonsense might have had some truth to it.

“I’m ready for you to tell me about my mother,” he said.

TC-23J shook her head.

“Actually your mother is going to tell you about yourself,” she corrected.

With that TC-23J turned to Lo, who took her small hydrospanner and quickly removed the droid’s faceplate. Then TC-23J motioned for Lo to take a seat, bowed slightly and reproduced the hologram of Tamrin Kjell that she had shown Maxx and Trix. This time, the hologram was moving.

“Hello my son,” the figure said. “If you are not sitting down, I urge you to do so now. I need to tell you many things that may not be easy to hear, let alone understand and I will need your full attention.”

With that, the figure stood patiently and waited for a couple of minutes before continuing.

“I’m sure your mind must be full of questions about your mother. Who is she? Why did she abandon you so shortly after birth? Why do you have these strange talents? Is there a special purpose to your life? Tee Cee Fifty Four Jay Dee has decided that it is time for you to know the truth. I need you to listen closely.

“My name is Tamrin Kjell, a traveling Jedi Knight for the Republic. Three years ago I was visited by a series of terrible visions. A great war will come and the Jedi will be hunted down by a man in black. Our temple in Coruscant will be destroyed and the flame of democracy will be extinguished under Sith rule. I have reported this to the Jedi Council, but I am not certain they take my words seriously. I’m afraid that there may be nothing I can do to prevent this from coming to pass, so I am doing what I can to prepare for it. Ten months ago, I met your father and, unbeknown to him, conceived you. Seven months ago, I have retired from my duties as a Jedi and now live with a trusted friend. I will soon be sending you and my trusted droid to live with your father on Tapan. He may not be the best of men, but I trust him to take you in and keep you safe from harm. When the time comes, I hope that you will learn the Jedi way and join with those who will fight to restore democracy to our Republic.

“I know that it is not fair that I saddle you with this burden. The life of a Jedi is hard and it demands serious commitment. I am not only asking you to shoulder an impossible task, I may be requiring you to abandon some of the greatest joys of being human.

“No matter what you choose to do, you must beware of the Dark Side of the Force. Once you give in to it, the Dark Side will destroy everything that is good in you and lead you to do great evil. Beware of anger, hatred and desire for these things lead to the Dark Side. You will also have to be careful about love. Love can lead to jealousy, jealousy to anger and hatred, anger and hatred to the Dark Side. I have seen this happen time and time again, so beware.

“I know that this is not a fair thing I ask of you and I will understand if you are not willing to make the sacrifices that it requires. If you do find yourself resolved to follow into my footsteps, however, my droid will be able to introduce you to a friend of mine who can train you to become a Jedi Knight. Goodbye,”

Maxx and Lo stared blankly at the spot where the hologram had been, each lost in thought. Each of them silently wondered if Tamrin Kjell’s warning about love and the Dark Side would end their fledgling relationship. Lo wondered if it would be best if she left the closest things she had to a home and a friend in order to prevent harm from coming to Maxx. Maxx was intrigued by the good he might do as a Jedi Knight, but he didn’t feel ready to make the sacrifices that his mother seemed to require of him.

“Why do you show me this NOW!?” he demanded.

TC-23J lowered her head.

“I should have told you about this sooner,” she replied quietly, “but I didn’t want to burden you at too young an age. I showed this to you at this time because I am concerned about your plan to load the Nerf up with offensive weapons and rush into the Corporate Sector to rescue Aayla. It could be a noble mission, but many noble missions have led to the Dark Side.”

Maxx listened intently.

“You’re concerned that my desire to rescue Aayla Sedota could lead me to the Dark Side?” he asked.

TC-23J nodded.

“Why do you want to go after Aayla?” she asked. “Revenge against the man who attacked Lo and Trix? Wounded pride at having Aayla stolen under your very nose? Desire to show the men of the Corporate Sector that you will not be beaten?”

Maxx slowly shook his head.

“Mostly the desire to help a friend who has done so much to help others,” he replied sadly. “Trix has spent a lot of money to buy Aayla out of slavery and Aayla’s kidnapping may make it impossible for her to remain in business. I feel that I owe it to Trix to do something to get Aayla back.”

TC-23J slowly shook her head.

“But Trix insisted that she would be alright,” she reminded Maxx.

“She lied,” Maxx replied bluntly. “The very feelings that you have always told me to listen to tell me that this is hurting Trix much more than she is willing to admit.”

“Still,” TC-23J replied earnestly, “Trix is willing to accept her loss, why aren’t you?”

Maxx chuckled.

“A protocol droid should be able to understand that,” he replied. “Trix is a Twi’lek, and Twi’leks tend to be fatalistic. Trix believes that there is nothing a good individual can do against those in power. Is this what your Jedi believe?”

TC-23J couldn’t help feeling proud as she listened to Maxx’s words.

“Of course they do not,” she answered firmly. “Still, your desire for concussion missiles concerns me. You have never needed them in the past.”

Maxx nodded.

“I have never tried to do anything like this in the past,” he answered somberly. “When we enter the Corporate Sector, the only help we will have is each other, the equipment we bring with us and this ship; and we’re going to need all the help we can get. In a way, I understand your concerns, but I promise, I am not arming the Nerf so that I can go on some rampage. I only want a little extra punch in case we need it.”

TC-23J stared deeply into Maxx’s eyes for over a minute before replying.

“I understand your need to pursue this quest of yours. I only ask that you approach it as though you were a Jedi Knight. Use as little force as necessary and try not to harm others if you can avoid it.”

Maxx nodded.

“I will do my best,” he vowed.

“Then lets hope that your best will keep you out of trouble both from within and without,” TC-23J answered as she turned and left the cockpit.

Lo turned and looked at Maxx and he in turn gazed into her eyes, giving her a weak smile as he did so.

“What does this mean for us?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Maxx answered. “The only thing I know is that I still want there to be an us.”

Lo pressed her lips together and lowered her head. She had wanted to hear this more than anything, and yet Maxx’s words frightened her. It would have been easier if Maxx had just said that this was the end. It would have been hard to leave, but there would have been no doubts and little to worry or feel guilty about.

“Do you think that’s safe?” she asked. “You heard what your mother said.”

“I heard every word,” Maxx answered. “She said that I should be careful about love because it CAN lead to jealousy which COULD lead to the Dark Side. She did not say that I should AVOID love or that love WOULD lead to the Dark Side. Big difference.”

Lo frowned and shook her head.

“You’re being technical,” she replied.

“I’m being ACCURATE,” Maxx answered. “I understand my mother’s concern. The problem with love is that the feelings that it produces can be very powerful. Jealousy and anger can come very quickly when things go wrong. The question is whether I can be strong enough to love you without becoming possessive or jealous? Can I face you betraying me or walking out on me without my love for you turning to anger or hatred?”

Lo shook her head.

“I don’t know much about love, but it sounds like a tall order,” she said.

Maxx nodded.

“It IS a tall order, and one I have faced before.”

Lo’s eyes widened a bit, so Maxx continued.

“Do you think it was easy to be in love with the mistress of a pleasure lounge? Every evening my beloved would dress provocatively and interact with customers who were seeking pleasures of the flesh. There were many wealthy and powerful men frequenting the Twi’light Lounge and more than a few of them wanted Trix as a lover.”

Lo blinked as she listened to Maxx.

“How do you know that?” she asked.

“Trix used to tell me about it,” Maxx answered. “One of the strengths of our relationship was that we were always honest with each other. Trix never lied about the advances of other men and I have always trusted her. Sadly, I also had to learn to let go.”

Lo frowned and shook her head.

“But did you really?” she asked. “How did you feel when you learned that Trix had a new man?”

Maxx smiled warmly.

“It felt good,” he answered. “I already had feelings for you so I really didn’t want to start another fling with Trix. besides, Trix and Marshal are such wonderful people. I was glad to learn that they had found love together.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to feel the same if I had found someone new?” Lo asked.

Maxx winced.

“I hope so,” he replied, “I also hope that you’ll find someone as wonderful as Marshal. Men like that don’t come along every year.”

Lo frowned and shook her head.

“Neither do men like you,” she replied sadly, “but what if I take up with someone you don’t like?”

Maxx frowned.

“Then I’ll tell you what I think and urge you to find someone better,” he replied sadly. “As your friend I owe you that. Then I’ll let you go and hope that I’m wrong.”

Lo nodded sadly, it was the best answer she could have hoped for.

“It would be a dangerous game, you know.” she said.

Maxx shrugged.

“I’m a smuggler with an Imperial Death Mark on my head,” he replied somberly. “My whole life’s a dangerous game, one where I’ve always had to rely on my strength, my skill and my character.”

Lo nodded.

“I have to get back to my work,” she said.

“I know,” Maxx replied. “Just stick around until Aayla’s safe on Tapan.”

“No problem,” Lo replied as she stood up to leave.

***

Lo felt relieved as she sat down at the lounge’s table and returned to her datapad. There was nothing like challenging engineering work to take her mind off of her problems. As she stared at the hologram of the Nerf’s wedge shaped forward mandibles, she could see places where a concussion missile launcher might fit. She selected a few of the more common off the shelf launchers from her database and soon had managed to place six launchers, each holding three missiles, in the mandibles. She looked up and saw TC-23J staring at her.

“Any government official who catches us with that setup is going to send the two of you to Kessel on the spot,” the droid said archly.

“I know,” Lo replied coolly, “that’s why I’m shielding them so carefully. If I do this right, then scanners shouldn’t be able to pick them up.”

TC-23J stared deeply into Lo’s eyes.

“They’ll know when we use them,” she said.

“Hopefully, we won’t be forced to use all of them very often,” Lo replied. “Besides, it’s been a few years since the Wild Nerf has had a legal title that matched her capabilities.”

TC-23J nodded.

“I know,” she answered somberly, “but I’m not comfortable with Maxx’s insistence on packing so many launchers into the bow. Illegal missile installations may be common, but nobody installs six launchers into a ship this size.”

Lo shrugged.

“They could prove useful if you join the Rebellion,” she replied archly. “I imagine that they need all the firepower they can get.”

TC-23J stared right into Lo’s eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘you’”, she asked. “You’re a part of this crew.”

Lo sighed.

“I am now,” she replied sadly, “I may not be for much longer.”

The droid nodded.

“You’re leaving then?” she asked.

Lo lowered her gaze and stared at the hologram of the Nerf.

“Don’t act surprised,” she replied, “I know you listen to our ‘private’ conversations.”

TC-23J nodded.

“It’s a bad habit of mine,” she answered.

“Then you know my concerns,” Lo replied. “I can’t be the one who drives Maxx to a life of darkness.”

TC-23J leaned towards Lo.

“I know, and I suspect you’re doing the best thing. I just wish that there was another way.”

Lo looked up and stared at the droid.

“Why?” she asked.

TC-23J shook her head.

“I’ve never really thought about it before, but I wonder if it’s a good idea for Maxx to be alone,” she answered.

Lo chuckled mirthlessly.

“But he already has you and Trouble,” she replied, “what more does a Jedi smuggler need?”

TC-23J sighed.

“He needs a flesh and blood companion,” the droid replied, “someone who stays with him not because she’s programmed to, or because she belongs to him, but because of the bonds of friendship. Maxx is just so distant that I’m afraid he’s just going to cut himself off from everybody if you leave.”

Lo frowned thoughtfully as she listened.

“You may be right,” she replied. “The thing is, I can’t be that companion. Maxx and I love each other so much. I don’t want to leave, but if the two of us have to be together without loving each other, we’re just going to explode.”

TC-23J nodded slowly.

“That’s the problem,” she replied sadly. “You can’t love him, you can’t stay here without loving him and yet you’ll both suffer if you leave. I just wish there was some answer to it all.”

Lo frowned and shook her head.

“Some problems just can’t be solved,” she replied.