Private Flight of the Sapphire Dragon

[Xian Xiao]

With only the clothes on her back, the street rat snuck on board a ship that was just about ready to leave Coruscant. Over the years, the girl had heard tales of adventures starting out like this and she intended to make a name for herself. This was just a beginning.

Sneaking up the ramp, she quickly found what she thought was an ideal hiding spot. She soon found it difficult to stay awake but was aware enough to know the ship had taken off and was now traveling faster than light. It brought some comfort to the teen and she started nodding off.

Jerking awake when she heard the noise of somebody approaching, she tried to make herself a smaller package. Accidently nudging the container she was hiding behind, the gig was up and now she waited to be discovered.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

With his business concluded upon Coruscant, Edward was busy preparing the Sapphire Dragon for the next leg of his journey. The last few weeks had been filled with meeting upon meeting, party after party, with various members of Coruscant's political elite. Securing funding and support to further his fight against Slavery. For some, it was not an extremely popular topic of discussion. Especially considering how often people managed to rationalize it.

But it was an archaic system, and one Edward sought to bring an end to. But to do that, he knew he would need supplies, funds, and support. Three things he was slowly working on accruing. Coruscant had been the first stop, but there were many more yet to come.

With the Sapphire loaded up at last, Edward headed to the bridge of the ship, and navigated the GX1 up through the atmosphere and into orbit. Once clear of the usual traffic lanes, he activated the hyperdrive. The stars seemed to stretch out, giving way to the blue-white tunnel of hyperspace as the ship went hurtling across the galaxy toward Kashyyyk.

With the autopilot set, Edward made his way back through the ship toward the refresher. Pausing in his progress when he heard the sound of a container shifting. His eyebrow raised slightly, as he headed into the room from where the sound came. His left hand settling upon the hilt of his sword as he drew closer to where he was certain the sound had come from. At which point he came to a stop. The lights in the room slowly fading on, so as not to blind or scare some potential stowaway. One whose presence he could sense. He spoke with a calm tone then, more than capable of defending himself. Though the presence did not seem aggressive
"Come on out... I know you're back there, no point in hiding there any longer..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

The girl mentally kicked herself for even moving, but the knocking sound had been heard. Luckily, the voice that spoke to her was rather calming and actually nicely requested she come out of hiding.

Not having had a shower in God knew how long, her clothing most likely smelled horrible let alone anything of her own body odor. She did as the voice asked and slowly stood up. Barely able to see over the box, black eyes met those of blue and she blinked slightly.

"Can I go back into hiding now?"

Gulping slightly, she was the one that was a stowaway on his ship. If she was lucky, he wouldn't just space her right now. That was the worst that could happen. Hopefully, he wasn't that kind of person and would at least drop her off on some planet.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward took a deep breath just before the odor hit him, doing his best to breath in through his nose as little as possible. He could just make out the upper part of her head and face as she peered at him from behind the box.
"I'm afraid not... Especially not before you get cleaned up... Then you can tell me what you're doing on my ship... Sound good?"
His hand moved off the hilt of his sword then, preferring to keep both of his hands in clear view so as not to scare his stowaway.

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Two eyebrows came together when he told her no and that she needed to clean up. Looking down at her clothes, she realized they were filthy and did need to get washed. Coming out from behind the box, she looked rather meek and wilted. Having been caught, even though he was nice about it at the moment, that didn't mean he would remain that way.

"Do you have any clothes I may borrow while these get washed?"

It would probably be best of these were spaced entirely, but they did fit her quite well.

"Alright, deal."

Holding a hand out to make the deal, she waited to shake his hand.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

He offered her a smile as she appeared from behind the box, taking in his stowaway. She certainly looked like she had not seen the proper inside of a bathroom or shower in quite a while. He reached out his gloved hand and took her hand, giving it a shake.
"I'm sure I can find a spare set of clothes somewhere around here for you to have... Those definitely... are beyond saving I think..."
He let out a chuckle as he then started leading the way out of the room and back through the ship to the circular refresher room. He came to a stop and motioned toward the floor.
"Get undressed and leave your old clothes here..."
Edward then pointed over to the refresher itself.
"Use that to get clean, make sure you close the door so you have some privacy. I'll leave a fresh set of clothes for you here..."
He let go of her hand then and turned around, heading off to one of the rooms to find some clothes for his guest to wear.


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

The girl folded her hands in front of her after they shook and looked at the floor as Edward was speaking. With a look of shock on her face, she glared up at him when he told her to take her clothes off and set them in a certain location.

"If you think I'm getting undressed in front of you, you're crazy!!!"

She had followed him further into the ship but did not actually look around much. This was a simple place to stay and would actually be far more comfortable now that she wasn't hiding behind a crate.

"So crazy guy, you expect me to get undressed in front you, place my clothes there and then go into that room to get clean?"

That was when he let go of her hand and started walking away. Almost regretting her words, Xian just shrugged and waited until he was entirely out of her sight before stripping and quickly dashing into the refresher.

After who knows how long, she exited and stuck her head out of the door to make sure he wasn't there waiting. Spying fresh clothes, she checked again for him and snaked her arm out to grab them. Taking them back into the refresher, it didn't take her very long to get into the new ones he had brought for her.

They were far too long for her small frame, but until she could get her old ones back, these were what she was going to need to wear. Once she was dressed, she finally came out and looked around for her host.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Once he was sure she had gotten into the refresher, Edward stopped by and placed the fresh set of clothes down and collected the old set of clothes. They were absolutely atrocious, and Edward doubted they would ever be clean or still hold together if he managed to get them to such a state. But as the gentleman he was, he took her clothes and placed them in the washing machine aboard the ship. Putting them on for a long, deep clean on a gentle cycle. Hoping they might get clean without getting destroyed.

Once the clothes had been dealt with, Edward had gone to the onboard holo theater and waited. Catching up on the news until his stowaway had finished showering. Something which he did not have to wait long for. Trusting that the sound of the news from the holo theater would draw her to his present location. His gaze shifting to her once she appeared nearby and the various displays volumes muting. With a decent wash and clean - albeit rather loose fitting - clothing, she looked quite cute.
"Ah there we go... I'm sure it must feel better with a wash... Come, take a seat and let's talk..."
He motioned for her to take any seat in the holo theater room she desired. Several of them were recliner style single seats, while a couple were two seater couches which she would likely be able to curl up on if she so chose.
"My name is Edward, but my friends call me Ned... Got a name I can call you by?"


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Her long hair was still wet, but it curled nicely in a natural way and hung down her back. Placing the towel on the hanger, Xian walked out of the refresher fully and didn't see Edward anywhere. The sound of television reached her ears and she followed that to find him waiting for her.

Almost as soon as she entered the room, they turned off and he motioned for her to take a seat. Smelling pretty much human now, her skin was tan and her black eyes were slanted slightly. Under the grime she had before, he might not have noticed the hue of her skin.

"Thank you. Why are you doing this?"

As if she was a deer caught in a light, the girl looked at him wide-eyed and held her hands folded in front of her. Following his motion, it indicated she could pick any place she wanted to sit and she decided to sit a couple of chairs away from him. Looking down at her hands, she looked up again when he introduced himself.

"Xian, but others call me Vex. Take your pick."

Shrugging her shoulders, what name he choose didn't matter to her.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward watched as Xian folded her hands in front of herself and asked her question. He waited, however, until she had entered the room properly and took a seat a couple chairs away from him, before speaking. It didn't take a genius to work out that she had experienced a rough life. So it was only natural that she would be wary of his generosity and actions.
"Why am I doing what, Xian? Offering you a seat? or being nice?"
He left out a soft chuckle and offered a genuine smile to her. Knowing full well what she meant.
"Contrary to popular belief, some people are just nice to each other. I have no reason to be unkind to you. Unless you're here to hurt or kill me... Are you trying to do either of those things Xian? If not, then the least I can do is offer you a shower and a fresh set of clothes. It is a gentleman's responsibility to treat a lady with kindness... So, what exactly are you doing on my ship?"


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

At first it seemed Edward was being dense, but eventually figured exactly what she meant. He gave her a smile and then said some people were just nice to each other. That was something very rare for her to encounter, but it had happened a few times as she grew up.

Right now, she was too insecure to return his smile, but the corners her mouth lifted up slightly and she looked back to her folded hands. Especially when he asked what she was doing on his ship. Shrinking away from him again, Xian certainly looked like she wanted to run and hide again.

"Running away."

What was she running away from though? Her first thought was to escape a dead-end future on Coruscant, but then another came into her mind.

"That's not quite all. Coruscant had no future for me, so I'm moving to that. You and your ship are just a stepping stone for me."

As she spoke, she gained confidence and raised her eyes to look into his by the time she finished. Though her body still showed that she wanted to hide.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Running away. It might have been the oldest reason in the book, but one Edward could certainly understand. The galaxy was a cruel place sometimes and filled with many evils. In fact, he had set out on a almost insurmountable task of ending slavery. So he could well understand why she would seek to escape Coruscant. He leaned over the side of his chair slightly then, and gave the side pouch a pat.
"You'll find a blanket in there if you would like one..."
He straightened back up in his seat, still offering a warm and welcoming smile.
"As to your predicament... I suppose the least I can do is offer you a ride to where I am going, or at least close to it... After all, no one else is aboard to protest, and you don't seem like you're out to cause trouble. You can use cabin number to for our trip. It has a bed in it that will be infinitely more comfortable to sleep on than the floor of the cargo bay..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

He seemed to understand what Xian had said. Running away was something that people did at times. Her story was just one among a number, but some day her name would become known to many. Edward was just a person, but he would be remembered fondly as Xian grew up.

When he mentioned there was a blanket in a pocket of his chair, her eyes followed his hand and she nodded. Almost as soon as he sat back up, her hand darted out to try and grab the blanket. As if he would attempt to take it away from her once it was offered.

Wrapping it around herself, she sat back in the chair but faced him by sitting sideways. Curling her legs up under her body, she looked like some sort of lumpy potato. The only thing that looked human was her head. The rest of her body was entirely covered with the brown blanket.

"Where are you going?"

It was a place to start and maybe he would take her the entire way. Not getting her hopes up too high though.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

He smiled softly as he watched her retrieve the blanket and curl up beneath it, seeming to get comfortable. While it was not much, he hoped it would at least take some of the edge off of her nerves. The last thing he wanted was for Xian to feel uncomfortable, especially considering they would undoubtedly be spending the next few days together along in this ship.
"I'm heading to Kashyyyk to meet with members of the Silver Jedi Order in hopes of garnering their aide in one form or another for a cause I am working on... Perhaps they might be able to take you in and offer you the home you seek... If not, I still have many places to go and visit if I ever intend to rally enough support for my cause..."
It wasn't in his nature to be vague about what he wanted to do. But given how little he knew about Xian, he did not want to go blabbing about wanting to end slavery. At least not unless she asked him. After all, he suspected she would be highly skeptical of his intentions. She had lived on the streets and in poverty for who knew how long. He was all too aware that he would probably just seem like this was all some publicity stunt or some scam. And he wouldn't blame her for it either. The wealthy classes of society had impoverished people like Xian to make sure they got richer. Sure, some rich families would donate to a charity or two to send help and supplies, but it was never enough. And those same families would write it all off and get that money back from one government or another in rebates. It was all just some cruel joke.


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

A small look of concern crossed her face when he mentioned the Jedi, then Xian recalled the stories she had been told in the orphanage. The Jedi were the good guys. So far Edward was proving to one as well. He offered her a place to sleep and be comfortable as well taking her as far as Kashyyyk. Blinking her eyes at him, she tilted her head slightly.

"Where is that? I only know where Coruscant is located really. It's the only place I remember clearly. I'm not from there though. Is it bad that I don't even know the name of my homeworld?"

When he mentioned his cause, it brought another confused look.

"What is your cause?"

She wouldn't be of much help, but it was nice getting to know the young man she was going to be spending the next few days with.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward tried to smile as comfortingly as he possibly could when Xian asked where Kashyyyk was and mentioned not remembering where she was from. He activated a couple controls on his datapad, causing a holo display of the galaxy to be projected in the space between their seats. Coruscant and Kashyyyk's positions were then highlighted. With Coruscant being closest to Edward, while Kashyyyk was right in front of Xian.
"Kashyyyk is located here, in a region of space known as the Mid Rim. While Coruscant is all the way here in the Core... And there is nothing wrong with not remembering the name of your home world. There are many people like you in the galaxy that don't even know where they came from or that they aren't from where they think..."
He took a steady breath as she asked him about his cause. Part of him had hoped she would not ask for clarification. But she had, and so he would honour her question with an answer.
"I... uhhh... I want to see an end to slavery in the galaxy... I know, I know, it seems arrogant coming from someone like myself. But I mean it. It's a barbaric practice and has taken the lives of many good and innocent people at the expense of far less deserving individuals. I'm hoping with the support I gain, to end the practice by freeing slaves and removing the bonds that keep them chained to their masters... I cannot pretend to, nor would I ever claim to know what these people and put through... But I do know that it is not right and cannot continue on..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Watching the hologram as it appeared in front of her, Xian listened to what Edward was saying with rapt attention. All of this was going to take her time to learn, but this was just one step in that direction. Nodding as he explained things, she half-smiled when he said it wasn't wrong for her not to know where she was from.

"Well, I know I'm not from Coruscant. My parents died when I was little and a lady with red hair brought me to an orphanage there. She would visit from time to time as I grew up. I wonder if there is a way for me to learn who she is?"

As much as Edward was teaching her about the Galaxy, he was learning a little bit more about the girl next to him.

"That is why I dye my hair red. To remember her!"

Ending slavery did sound like a wonderful cause. It was something Xian knew about, but had never experienced it herself nor did she want to.

"What are you going to do with them once they are freed?"

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

He tapped a couple controls, causing the holoprojection to sink down towards the ground and give him an unobstructed view of Xian. He couldn't keep something of a smile off his face as Xian mentioned something about a red haired woman having been the one to drop her off at an orphanage. He knew of someone in his life that could fit that description, but surely it was not the same woman. The chances of him meeting someone that also knew her in this vast galaxy were astronomical. But with the Force involved, maybe it was possible.
"There are certainly methods and ways of tracking someone down... If you'd like, I could try look into it for you... if you wanted..."
Edward leaned back in his seat as Xian asked what he planned to do with the slaves once they were freed. It was not exactly an easy to answer question, nor one he had an exact reply to just yet.
"After ensuring they have no implanted bomb chips... The plan at this stage would be to educate and teach both master and slave how best to move forward. Show those trapped in slavery what it means to earn money and how to not throw it all away... There's no real simple answer... But enough about such a depressing matter... How about we watch a holo? Got any favourite movies?"


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Her eyes lit up at the idea of finding the red-headed woman that had saved her. Even though she had ended up on the streets again. That was sort of her own choice though. Then again if the Sith hadn't attacked, then that orphanage might still be there.

"How? Yes! I would love that."

Large black eyes blinked at him now they were looking at each other. Her skin probably turned a bit darker, but Xian did not look away from him this time. Wrapped up in the blanket, she was comfortable. Listening to his plan on what he would do with any freed slaves, she smiled.

At least, he had an idea of what to do. She, on the other hand, was pretty lost. Comfortable, but lost.

"A holo?"

Then she understood what he meant. Shaking her head, she was quiet for a moment.

"No, there isn't anything I can say I really like as a favorite. Growing up, I didn't get to see many movies."

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

"I know a few people that can track down records and security footage. They should be able to find something that can point us in the right direction..."
Admittedly it was a long shot, Coruscant was several worlds within a much larger world. There was no guarantee he would be able to find who it was. But he was at least going to give it a go, especially with how her eyes lit up. He smiled back at her when she listened to his plan, before stating she had never really gotten to see any movies growing up.
"Oh, well... we're going to have to change that..."
He stood up from the chair he had been in, before it disappeared into the floor as he moved over to a two-seater next to Xian's. Providing them an unhindered view from where they were seated to the screen. Ned scrolled through the list of movies for a moment, before starting one. The opening logos appearing as he turned to Xian
"Let me introduce you to my favourite movie... Children of the Eternals"


Xian Xiao