Managing the Shadows

Chapter 3: Retiring the Space Cowboy

Chapter 3: Retiring the Space Cowboy

As the ship disengaged from Hyperspace, Wayland began to appear. Even from a distance the state of the planet was quite evident. It was nearly entirely covered in dark, lifeless browns and grays. These dull colors were only broken apart by smatterings of dark reds that gave the appearance of wretched scabs and scars littering the planet’s surface.

As the planet grew to roughly the size of his hand, however, Cade allowed himself a brief smile.

Even if it was only a quick respite, it did him good to see that the Green was still there. There, amidst all of the colors indicative of death and despair mocking his thwarted ambitions, was a roughly oval shaped area. From his vantage point it was perhaps only as large as a coin. Yet this spot, visible from space, was a canvas of lively greens and brilliant blues. Even while the rest of the planet was haunted by an air of darkness, the Green shouted its optimism, its hope, not just for the planet, but for the entire Galaxy to hear.

The importance of the planet as a symbol of rebirth, was not lost on the Galaxy’s ruling governing body, the Galactic Federation Triumvirate. Above Wayland orbited a fleet of ships sent by direct orders of Gar Stazi, representing the Galactic Alliance Remnant. This fleet had been sent after Cade had issued a request to the Triumvirate through the New Jedi Order.

Cade knew too well that, even though the Sith government had been crushed, how much evil, chaos, and destruction, the overlooked Sith remnants could sew from the shadows. He vowed that they would not make his father's mistakes. No one came on or off of this planet without first registering in with the fleet's flagship overhead, A New Hope. As the Mynock sent over their transponder codes a friendly voice lit up the coms.

"Ah Cade, glad to have you back."

"Ahnah! So good to hear your voice. You been taking good care of Syn while we've

been out? Keeping him out of trouble?"

"I've been trying, but you know him and trouble, like tryna stay dry on Mon Calamari."

Blue laughed as Cade continued. "Hear you loud and clear! So Ahnah, we good for landing?"

"Should be fine, just give me one sec- Hold up, Cade."

The comm went silent.

"Um... Cade... I'm really sorry, but as a precautionary measure we have an Imperial Knight on board. He's scanning your vessel for dark side energy, and he says he senses a powerful dark side presence on your ship. He wants me to ask you if there's any chance you might've had a stowaway on your vessel."

Cade turned off the coms and looked at Blue, irritated.

Blue waited, “well, it’s not her fault. That is the protocol.”

“I know it’s the protocol, I made it the crikking protocol!”

Cade knew that they were sensing Traya’s presence. His only relief was that she wasn’t in the cockpit to hear their suspicions directly.

Cade sighed. He flicked communications back on. "Tell him the source is Cade crikking Skywalker. If I had a stowaway Sith on board, he'd be as good as a dead Sith. I'm coming in."

"Cade, wait. I just need to confirm-"

Cade had had enough. "Confirm this. We're coming in for a landing. Skywalker out."

Cade disengaged the comms and made a beeline for Wayland. He turned to Blue, "unbelievable..."

"Cade, she's just doing her job."

"Just following orders, eh? That's always done the galaxy great, hasn't it?"

"Cade, you can't seriously be mad that she doesn't trust you, of all people, to not be bringing trouble."

Cade turned around with a childish grin, "Fair enough, Blue, fair enough..." She waited to see if he'd call back to A New Hope. No such luck.

Cade turned on the switch connecting him to the Mynock’s speakers. "Strap in boys and girls, things are about to get bumpy."

Traya opened the door to the cockpit, and came bursting in. She quickly grabbed the third seat Blue had rigged up for her on the side of the cockpit. "Aye, aye captain!" Traya yelled and strapped in.

Blue sighed and made sure she was strapped in herself. "Let's go, Cade."

Cade fired up the engines and before A New Hope was anywhere close enough to engage the Mynock in its tractor beam, Cade was already feeling the turbulence as the Mynock closed in on Wayland’s atmosphere. The shaking brought him back to his years of smuggling. He couldn’t help, but get a rush from the nostalgia.

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As the Mynock landed, a flock of blue skinned, four armed, humanoid creatures gathered around the vessel. There weren’t many ships in the galaxy that had the Mynock’s signature shape. The classic three central engines made it pretty hard for Cade and Blue to keep a low profile like they did back in their smuggling days.

As soon as the Wayland natives, the Myneyrshi, recognized Cade’s vessel, everyone wanted to greet their old friend.

As the landing pad came down, two Myneyrshi separated from the crowd, coming to greet Cade and his companions. The first Myneyrshi was an older member of his species.

He walked with an intricate wooden cane and had many scars on his body. These lesions looked as though the being had suffered from numerous crude surgeries. Cade had once offered to heal the old Myneyrshi, but his offer had been refused. Em’Achee had told Cade that his scars did not need healing. Em’Achee’s body told a story of his life, of his people.

When Cade thought about it now, he realized how selfish his request to heal Em’Achee had truly been.

"Ahhhh Em, how goes it?"

"Cade, it is wonderful to see you again." The older Myneyrsh said bowing, as was custom in Myneyrshi culture. "How have your travels been?"

"Wonderful as always," Cade said back with a bow.

Em’Achee then saw Blue exit the ship and greeted her with a bow as well. "And Lady Deliah, looking radiant as always."

Deliah bowed as well to the older Myneyrsh.

"And you are looking as sprightly as ever, Em'Achee.”

Em'Achee chuckled. "I know I am your senior by a few years, but it is Em, my child. Em,” he said with a wink.

The other Myneyrsh who had left the crowd to greet them had begun walking to the ship next to Em, had begun trailing him slightly as Em had gotten closer and closer to the ship itself. This Myneyrsh was a young Jedi in extremely good shape, even more fit than the average already athletic Myneyrshi.

At the Myneyrsh’s waist lay two weapons. Double the hands, double the weapons, Cade often thought when he saw Cha’ku coming. Something was off about Cha’ku today though, although Cade couldn’t quite figure out why.

“I had my 8th decennial only a few weeks ago." Em told Cade.

"We missed it?" Cade asked.

"Oh, dear Skywalker, you have important missions and travels. The Myneyrshi cannot occupy all of your time."

"The Myneyrshi will always hold a special spot in my heart," Cade responded with a smile.

"Oh, dear Skywalker, it feels like I am conversing with my old friend, Kol." Em’Achee said.

Cade looked down. The Myneyrsh came close to Cade reaching over with one of his four arms to gently lift Cade's chin so their eyes met. The Myneyrshi were not often physical with outsiders, which made the interaction all that more powerful to Cade.

"He would be so very proud of you, my dear boy. So very proud." Even Deliah could feel Cade's glow in the force at the Myneyrsh’s compliment.

"Now! Where is the young one?"

"I’m right heeere!" Traya yelled in glee as she came running out of her hiding place on the ship. She launched up and gave Em a huge hug, his four arms wrapped tightly around her. He even gave her a little swing as one might give a child much younger than Traya.

Cade realized how lucky it was that Em was in such good shape and had four arms. Not all species in the Galaxy could hold up and play with Traya in such a childish and physical way as Em often did with the girl.

While Em and Traya were fooling around, Cade noticed a swift movement from Cha’ku. It was a subtle gesture, that Cade didn’t think Traya nor Em noticed, but he saw it.

As Traya exited the craft two of Cha’ku’s four arms instinctively reached for the lightsabers at his waist.

Unfortunately, Cade had seen this reaction many times before. It happened largely when Traya was at her most vulnerable; at points of great joy or overwhelming sadness.

Cha’ku quickly settled, but Cade would not soon forget what he had seen.

Cade now looked back over to hear Traya regaling Em with a rather unflattering story about one of the adventures their crew had just been on, on Taivas.

"Em, you'll never believe what happened at Taivas.”

“Try me.” Em yelled back enthusiastically.

“We, Cade was coming in for a wild landing when-"

Blue cut Traya off here, “are you sure this is a story Cade would want you telling?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cade doesn’t mind.”

Deliah gave Traya a disapproving look.

“Right Cade? You don’t mind!” Traya said now turning the focus to Cade.

“Nah, it’s fine. Keep going.”

Deliah gave Cade a rather stern look. He tried to shrug, not totally sure what he had done, but he knew it most likely meant he had done something that would warrant a conversation when they later got back to their private cabin.

Traya was about to continue her story, but suddenly froze.

“Cade?” Traya asked, in an innocent way that reminded him how childish she really was at heart. Even if her looks, strength, and skills in the Force, indicated otherwise.

Cade locked eyes with Cha’ku who said, “I feel it too.”

Cade looked up to see a Predator class TIE fighter break through the atmosphere above where the Mynock had landed and come rushing down to an open area directly next to where the Deliah had landed the ship. The ship was still a good 10 meters in the air when an Imperial Knight, in the standard red Fel Empire uniform, jumped down.

"Cade, we told you to stop," the Knight shouted as he gracefully hit the ground, using the Force to minimize the impact of the landing.

Cade started sauntering over to the Knight. "Oh, sorry Red, I guess the message didn't come through."

"Cade, I know you got the message," the Knight in Red said, pulling his lightsaber from his waist.

"Is that so? You wanna put money on that, Rohan?" Cade started stretching his fingers, getting ready for a quick draw for his pistol.

“Cade I’m warning you.”

Cade gave a little chuckle, “go ahead Rohan, test me.”

He wouldn't need his lightsaber to dispatch one of these Jedi wannabees. The Imperial Knights always knew just how to get Cade riled up.

Suddenly Cade felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "Cade," Blue growled.

She whispered into his ear, "for Traya."

The second she finished her whisper; she could feel the tension ease in his body. He took a deep breath, and his hand down.

"Apologies Rohan. I have a strong presence in the Dark side; you know I was taught by the Sith. I still give off dark side energy. It must have been me you felt. I’m sorry for not following protocol. I will make sure to notify you next time."

Cade watched as Rohan stood in stunned confusion as he tried to read the very un-Cade-like behavior from the Skywalker. "Well... good. Next time make sure to follow protocol. I will let it slide this time, but you won't be given leniency the next time."

Cade gritted his teeth. "Sure thing, Red..."

The Imperial Knight walked off, when he was almost back to his ship, he turned back to Cade and the others. "Thank you, Cade."

Cade gave a wave, but Deliah could see him grumbling when he turned around, "Let me slide…? I created the crikking protocol."

“Thank you, Cade.” Blue whispered as they walked back together. Then she noticed he seemed different, "Cade...?"

“He almost seemed more angry when I apologized. Well, if I had known that would happen- Maybe I should try that more often.”

Deliah shook her head.

Cade looked into Blue’s eyes and grabbed her hand in sincerity. "No, but seriously. You're right… you're right. I need to be more diplomatic."

Even Deliah looked a little concerned at this remark. "You do... but?" She waited for the stubborn space cowboy quip that usually followed a comment of such compromise. Cade was many things, but compromising was not one of them.

"No but's about it. You're right. If it was just me, I could poke whatever Killik's nest I wanted to, but,” he looked at Traya. “Traya's situation is too fragile for me to be doing that loose cannon stuff. I need to be more conscientious about the outcomes of my actions."

"Wow hun." Delilah was genuinely taken aback by this new Cade. "I'm very impressed." Blue chuckled and gave him a peck on the cheek. She pulled away for a second before Cade grabbed her back, gave her a romantic dip, and gave Deliah one long kiss before releasing her back on her feet.

“Are you okay, Cade?” Cha’ku asked.

“Yeah, no biggie, just administrative bantha dung!” Cade growled.

Cade looked over to Traya and briefly could see her glowering.

“You good Traya?” he asked.

Traya smiled as if no other emotion had ever been there. “Better than ever, Cade!”

Blue gave one more wave to the crowd and turned to head back to the ship. “Ok well you two go greet the Myneyrshi, I’m gonna go check on the ship. Still a few last measures to make sure that hyperdrive isn’t gonna give out on us next trip.”

“You won’t be joining us?” Em asked?

“Nah, she’s gonna be tinkering with the ship.” Cade stated.

“Cade knows!” Blue yelled behind her as she threw up a wave goodbye over her shoulder.

“It’s her happy place,” Cade shouted loud enough for Blue to hear him on her walk back to the ship.

Blue’s wave turned to a thumbs up as she sauntered away.

“Take care of your Padawan!" She yelled.

"Apprentice!" Cade and Traya corrected her in unison.

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