Private Flight of the Sapphire Dragon

[Xian Xiao]

Smiling at the thought of actually finding the redheaded woman, Xian would trust him to let her know if he found out anything. That is if they remained in contact after this journey. Knowing her luck, she would drive him nuts and he would drop her off before they ever got to Kashyyyk.

Tilting her head a little when he said they were going to have to change that. At first, she didn't know what he was talking about. She was so comfy all wrapped up that she didn't feel like moving away when he took a seat next to her. When the screen in front of them turned on, she figured it out though.

"What is it about?"

Paying attention to the starting logos, she wasn't looking at Edward but was listening for his answer. He would probably just tell her she would need to watch it and learn, but the question had been asked.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

He leaned against the arm of the chair and smiled over at Xian as she snuggled in and watched the screen. Edward had seen this movie so many times he could just about quote it line for line. But it didn't take away his enjoyment of it. There were several movies and short series' that made up the universe that started with 'Children of the Eternals', all of which would be far too much of an overload to dump on her right now. Instead he would keep it succinct.
"It's set in a fantasy world filled with magic. It's kind of like the Force, but different... You'll see. Basically it follows the story of Zion Morviael, the last of his people, as he deals with a rising threat posed by an unknown evil and the Eternals... And that's all the spoilers I'm giving you..."
He chuckled as he returned his attention to the screen as the movie opened with a brief prologue with a voice over, describing how a malevolent deity created two races and pitted them against one another. How a benevolent deity came along and created a third race whom was meant to watch over the other two. And how a great war consumed their world moments before its destruction which forced the three races to flee through magic portals to other worlds. The screen went to black and the title card appeared, setting the scene for the movie to follow.

The story started with a group of friends of various races discovering an artefact which takes them across the sea to a mysterious island covered in ancient ruins. There, beneath the surface of the island, they meet Zion Morviael. The last Guardian. Together, they set off to deal with a growing army under the command of one of the Eternals. Zion and the group of friends gather together a following of resistance fighters that want to be free and do not wish to partake in the further extermination of one of the world's races. The story culminates with a massive siege of one of the major cities and Zion heading beneath the group to face the Eternal that exists there. A fight ensues between Zion and the behemoth of an Eternal, but ultimately, Zion binds the Eternal and forces it to slumber, but not before learning that the Eternal did not act alone. The other Eternals were waking up and a servant of darkness was binding their allegiance while assembling an artefact of great power. Even as the group of friends celebrate their victory, Zion is left with the knowledge that this was not over. That this fight was just beginning.

The credits would start to roll then, leaving more of the story to be explored in the next movie, some of which was teased in a mid credits scene showing a shadowy figure awakening another of the Eternals. When that scene ended, Edward turned his attention to Xian.


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

He gave her a vague answer and then said that was all he was going to say. Nodding just enough he would be able to see it if he was watching, the teen was looking at the screen. Listening to the prologue, the girl was pretty quickly engrossed in the story that was being told.

Of course, if any mushy scenes came on, she would color and turn her attention to something else until they were done. When they were, her eyes snapped back to the screen. As the movie came to an end and the credits started to roll, her eyes drifted shut and before they were finished, she was very likely snoring.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward had kept his attention mostly upon the movie, but every now and again he shifted his focus over to Xian to make sure she still seemed to be enjoying it. When at last the movie ended and the credits started rolling, he remained sitting there and let her doze off and fall asleep. He brought the lights gently up and smiled over at her curled up on the couch. He got up off the couch and moved over to where Xian was laying, gently removing the blanket and picking her up in his arms.

She looked peaceful and cute like this. While she might have been a scruffy stowaway, she cleaned up really nice. He gently carried her from the theater to the co-pilot cabin, where he set her down on the bed and pulled the blanket to cover her. He smiled down at her before leaving the cabin, turning off the lights as he did. He thought this was going to be a long lonely trip. But Xian's presence was likely to make it that bit more enjoyable. He made his way across to his own cabin where he got changed and slipped into his own bed.



Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

The next thing Xian knew was waking up in a different room and entirely covered with a blanket. Brushing the hair out of her eyes and sitting up, she looked around. Checking to make sure she was still clothed, she climbed out of bed and stretched around a little.

Poking her head out of the room, she checked to see if Edward was nearby. Not seeing him, she tiptoed to the galley to see if she could find something to eat. Only seeing a few things, she took a bowl out of the cupboard and poured a box of cereal into that and went searching for some milk. Once she found that, she sat down at the table and started eating.

For some reason, she didn't feel like she needed to keep her activities secret, yet she had walked quietly to the galley. Maybe it was her trying to be courteous to him in case he was still sleeping. Resting her head against the hull, her eyes closed. She wasn't sleeping though. Just waiting patiently for the captain to wake up and join her.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

A few minutes passed after Xian arose, before Edward woke up. His trip so far had been a slight bit more eventful than he had expected, due to the sudden appearance of Xian. Something he had not been thinking too much upon as he slipped out of his bed in nothing but a pair of shorts and made his way out of his cabin to the galley. He was still somewhat lost in a morning daze as he collected some cereal and finally sat down at the table opposite Xian. His mind was still on autopilot as he ate a mouthful of the cereal and lifted his gaze to Xian.
"Morning..."
He paused for a moment, as his brain processed that he was sitting half naked across from Xian right now. His tone, muscular, scar covered chest on full display for her. A number of thin and thick straight lines marred his skin, as reminders of the blades that had kissed him, leaving marks for the galaxy to see. Edward coughed and did his best to gather his wits about himself as he tried to act non-nonchalant about his current predicament.
"Uhhh... Sleep well?"


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

While he might only be half-dressed, Xian was still in his oversized (on her) shirt and pants. To some, this might have been cute or even attractive. Not to the young teen. This was just something that needed to happen until she could get her old clothes back or get new ones. Highly doubting Edward would take her shopping, she really just expected him to return the others when they were clean.

When he sat down across from her, she opened her eyes and blinked the sleepiness out of them. Blinking a few additional times, she pointed at one of the larger scars.

"How did you get that one?"

Starting to lift the side of her borrowed shirt, she stopped to give him the time to answer. Deciding to show him, she finished lifting it to reveal a small scar.

"I got this from some kids when we were playing in the street. It wasn't done of purpose or anything. But it really hurt. I can't imagine how much yours did."

Taking another spoonful of her cereal, she allowed the shirt to fall back down. He asked if she had slept well and swallowing the food, she nodded.

"Reasonably well considering this is a new ship for me. You?"

In a way, this was his home and so Xian totally assumed he had slept just fine.

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward directed his gaze to the scar that Xian was pointing at. It was a gash that ran from his left shoulder down to his right hip, a wound he remembered quite well. He set the spoon down in the bowel.
"I got this on my homeworld... While my people have learned to travel across the stars, we still hold onto a lot of our traditions... Some for better, some for worst... Most of our society have held onto the better ones, like learning to wield a blade. But there are those on the fringe of society that live far from most cities that still practice slavery... Not long before I left my homeworld, I rallied my people and took the fight to one of the largest colonies on the planet. There, we fought the slavers and liberated hundreds of people. I faced the leader of the slavers in a duel... I got careless in my defence and he gave me this cut... In return, I ended his life..."
It had been a terrible fight and he had almost lost his life that day. Edward barely remembered anything afterwards. He had apparently passed out and been rushed back to the city where doctors tended to his wound. The slaver's blade had been laced with poison, which the doctors had managed to counteract and save Edward's life. He picked his spoon up and took another mouthful of cereal as Xian revealed a small scar of her own.
"Accidents happen, and sometimes they hurt the most, since we are never expecting them... I don't really remember the pain. The rage and drive to survive just blocked it all out... Before I blacked out myself. I didn't have to endure the pain like you did. So you're a lot stronger than me..."
He chuckled a little, trying to take his mind off memories of that day. He smiled then.
"I slept just fine. Though I'm glad you slept well, it always helps to feel rested..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

"What is your homeworld? I don't really remember mine but I mostly grew up on Coruscant."

Not intending to interrupt him, she asked this during one of his pauses. Waiting on the answer until he finished, she listened to his tale on how he got his large scar.

"That stinks. I mean it's great you freed all those slaves but it stinks about you having to do that. If I could kill all the slavers of the Galaxy I would!"

Lowering her shirt, Xian nodded when he said accidents happen. Her eyes lit up when Edward said he didn't really remember the pain.

"You must be really strong to not remember the pain."

He said she was stronger but the girl didn't agree with that. Finishing off her breakfast, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Very similar to what she had done the night before.

"How long until we get where we're going?"

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

"My homeworld? I doubt you'd have ever heard of it. It's small planet in a part of space known as the Unknown Regions. I lived and grew up there for many years, before moving to Coruscant..."
He let out a small chuckle as Xian claimed strongly she would kill all the slavers in the Galaxy.
"Perhaps one day you can join me on my crusade then..."
He finished eating his breakfast not long after Xian, still confident in his assessment that she was much stronger than himself. Even if she didn't believe it herself yet, he would believe it for her. His gaze then glanced toward a nearby screen displaying the trip time to Kashyyyk.
"It would appear we still have several more days remaining until we arrive to Kashyyyk. As long as you wish to continue traveling there with me. Otherwise I can drop you off somewhere along the way. The choice is entirely yours..."



Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Even though Xian still probably looked more like some sort of street rat, there was quite a lot of innocence hovering around her. Listening to what Edward said, the teen was quiet for a few moments.

"You probably haven't heard of my home either. I don't even remember it. Just the red-headed figure of a woman that rescued me and brought me to Coruscant. It's Castell. What's the name of yours?"

Nodding when he said maybe someday she could join him, she smiled in a shy manner.

"I would like that."

She would have thought space travel to be fast and groaned mentally when Edward said they were still a few days away from Kashyyyk. Shaking her head, Xian chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds and looked at him.

"There is no other place I can think of that I need to be. So I'll stay until we get there. Unless I drive you nuts and you drop me off early."

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Edward sat in thought for a moment. Castell didn't ring any bells, but that was not unusual. The Galaxy was a vast place and filled with many worlds.
"I can't say that I have heard of Castell, no... As for the world I grew up on... I don't think anyone ever put it on a map and named it. The locals called it Gaia..."
He chuckled and offered a confident smile in response to her shyness.
"I would like that as well..."
He had to admit, he was somewhat glad she had agreed to continue on with him. Several days in hyperspace with no one else around did get lonely after a while. Some company would do him good.
"Excellent! It's decided then. We can catch up on some movies, and maybe see if there are any other spare clothes around we could adjust to fit you. The Sapphire Dragon is quite well equipped and stocked..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

For the girl, most planets were not heard of so when Edward told her the name of his, she shook her head and kept quiet. She did smile when he agreed that he would like her to stay with him and finish their journey together. Each of them had their own room to stay in so Xian was confident he wouldn't be peeping in on her. When that thought crossed her mind, she giggled slightly and blushed.

"What kind of movies?"

Hopefully, he would think her giggle had something to do with what he said. Even if there really wasn't anything to laugh about. Different clothes would be nice though.

"Do you have many extra clothes?"

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

He raised an eyebrow as Xian giggle somewhat randomly and blushed. He wasn't sure what had drawn such a reaction from her. But if he was honest, there was a lot about her he didn't fully know or understand. So he would just put it down to some peculiarity best left unasked.
"Well, the Sapphire has access to a store of nearly every movie and show made in the past hundred or so years. So we have plenty of choice for entertainment... As for extra clothes? Well... I don't typically have a lot of different outfits. But a generous benefactor did donate a number of containers containing clothes. Something to use to resell for additional credits, or use for bargaining, or provide to those in need of clothing..."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Holding out her arms and legs while trying to stand probably made the young teen look extremely funny and maybe even a bit peculiar but she did her best to do it.

"The ones you loaned me just slightly too big. Where are these extra ones?"

Her statement was an understatement in all honesty but Xian didn't want to make him feel bad about it. So she used the word slightly when they were very much too large. Tucking the pants into her shoes and rolling up the sleeves a few times, one could tell they were oversized for the small girl. She wasn't going to complain though.

When he mentioned the different shows and movies, her eyes grew wide and she was quiet for a moment.

"I'd like to see more of those adventures like yesterday, Edward."

Edward Sinclair

 

[Edward Sinclair]

Ned watched as Xian rose from her seat and showed of the rather baggy clothing off, while trying to downplay it. He was under no false impressions how she felt about them, and his feelings weren't going to be hurt because of it.
"In my defense, I didn't have a lot of time to shop around for some replacement clothing while you showered... As for the extra's, you can find them in the Cargo Hold. There is a handful of small crates in there."
He smiled as he noticed her reaction to being told about the movies and TV shows on offer.
"Well, there is another six movies after that movie from last night. So that should keep us busy. There's also another series we can try start if time permits, which you might also enjoy. For now though, a change of clothes would be good."


Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Knowing her luck, it was one of the crates she had knocked over that contained the clothes. Hardly waiting to be told to go change, Xian was off and running. Well not really running but moving in the direction of the cargo hold at a fast pace.

Edward had said they were smaller crates, so she started pulling out and setting them where she could easily open them. Totally sitting on the floor, she opened all of them and started sorting through the things inside. Holding up a few items, she made piles of acceptable clothes and those she didn't think would fit.

"Don't look!"

Standing up to slam the door in his face, if he was standing there. He would soon start to hear her shuffling around. A couple of soft thumps on the floor happened before there was more rustling. Then silence for a few seconds. Opening the door, she presented herself in the new to her but still used clothing that had been in the tubbies...his clothes were on the floor in a pile.

Edward Sinclair