Cookies?

[Liam Quez]

Best place to find the person I’m looking for had to be one of the camps that she popped up to further her goal for whatever reason. I had only met her face to face a handful of times, which I plan on changing now that I’m marching towards her tent or whatever the dome shaped living quarters was. I continued to walk, I wanted to get to know this girl I blindly follow, she talked a good talk so I was convinced quickly. She was a Talith though, so a part of me wondered if she was like her siblings and basically good at everything.

Either way it was time for Aela to get to know me. I wasn’t a fancy tutor nor was I some fancy dude who knew the force – I was a hero…that could bake. The bag in my right hand held a plethora of cookies that I had baked that morning, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate macadamia, among other concoctions I came up with. I wanted to make a good impression. Getting waved through by the guards I made my way to where she was located. There I dropped the bag of cookies onto a desk and crossed my arms.

“Aela Talith I challenge you to an eye staring contest. If you win, you get the cookies. If I win we play another game called 21 questions and I get to take you on a date. Sound fair?”

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Liam Quez"]

Her eyebrow arched higher up than it ever had before.

At first Aela wasn't quite sure if the boy was at all serious. His face was certainly stern enough, his eyes held a certain spark, and his gaze seemed to denote that he was in act being completely genuine. The Talith frowned slightly, looking Liam up and down as though he were insane. Perhaps he was. Most people in the camp hardly approached her, those that did usually talked about business or training. She had never spoken with Liam, but she knew a few things about him.

She knew a few things about everyone within the Covenant.

Aela wouldn't have minded talking to him more, but a date? No. She had neither the time, the inclination, nor the want to go out with Liam. She was also pretty sure that he belonged to Ibby or something along the sort. So her answer came simply. "No."

Her body turned back towards the map on the table, her hands resting on its edge.

 

[Liam Quez]

The word fun was quickly erased from any association with Aela’s name in the back of my mind. She was to the point and probably a bit harsher than she intended to be. I scratched the back of my head, so she wasn’t up for games – that was fine. I grabbed the bag of cookies and placed it this time on the edge of the table she was looking at. She was a bit of a mystery, I knew enough about her other siblings, but there was something more about Aela.

“Okay no date, I was kidding.” Maybe I wasn’t, but I’m not going to let her know that pft. “I uh, I did bring the cookies for you though. I don’t know if you’re into sweets or anything but it’s the least I can do as a visiting gift. I mostly came to ask you some things that have been on my mind since Ibaris and I joined up with the group.” It seemed sudden when we joined, so of course I had a few questions especially to the young woman who led us. She wasn’t much older than us if she even was older than us. By us I meant Ibaris and I.

“Mostly I want to ask why? What is the purpose for all of this?” I looked at her as I moved towards the edge of the map table. “Where are we going with all of this Aela? What’s your end goal here?”

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Liam Quez"]

She stopped, her eyes cast away from the map on the table and back towards Liam.

"Why?" She didn't sound insulted, more confused. She had always been upfront with why she was here, with why she did what they did. She had never asked any of them to follow her or listen to her commands, though maybe Liam hadn't been following her at all. He was here with someone else, he followed her. A slight nod tipped her head as she came to that understanding.

"When I was sixteen I walked into the Senate building on Onderon." Aela began. "When I was there I met the Prime Minister. I talked to her, about the Senate, the Jedi, her own efforts, the war against the Sith. After that I was in a few of the battles, not on purpose, but I was there anyway. Sometimes with a few of the people here."

Liam had been there once or twice. "I saw the galaxy, I saw what the Sith were doing, and I saw what the Jedi and the Republic weren't. I'm here to do something. I won't end the war, Liam. I won't kill the Dark Lord or end the One Sith, but I'm helping, and I'm helping in a way that isn't restricted by a Senate, a bureaucracy, or anyone else."

She smiled at him, a soft and rare smile. "My end goal is to help those that can't help themselves."