Little Mysteries

[Corrin Tal'verda]

How many times had Corrin done this?

He hugged his legs to his chest, and stared the holo of his father. He was a large man, brown eyes, tall in stature. His smile was so bright that it could stop wars. Calico Tal'verda was an honest man. A clan chief since childhood, and a man who was not afraid to show his wife and children how much he adored them.

Corrin missed his father desperately.

It had been over a month since the events in Netherworld. He and his little sister, [member="Rawnie Tal'verda"], had escaped that hell with the help of a ghostly spirit. There they had reunited with their mother, and learned that their weather was still missing.

Mom was still looking for her. Corrin stayed home with Rawnie, keeping watch over his sibling until their mother returned from her trips. He knew what she did out there on the fringe of space, and he didn't care. They needed credits to survive, mom was just doing what she knew how to do.

Maybe she would take him on one of her trips one day.

Either way, he was currently enamored in a message his father had left not too long ago. He was clad in his beskar'gam save for his helmet. The Tal'verda chieftain was droning on about the fauna of Felucia and how much he wanted his children to see it.

The subject matter didn't matter. He just wanted to hear his buir's voice.

The picture flickered for a moment. Curious, Corrin crept forward, poking the holoprojector.

A bright light filled the room, and Calico was replaced with an archaic spider droid.

"The Harbinger has been secured."

"RAWNIE-EEeeEE."

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie had been taking Fathers disappearance fairly well, all things considering. She used the time to practice with the other kids, get stronger. When Dad came home at last, she would show him once and for all that she was the strongest of his children. Yes.

The girl sat by the fireplace as her brother watched that holo. Again. The boy needed to learn to suck it up! Dad wasn't going to come back at all if he kept sniveling like that! Same with mom. Mom didn't want a weak son, and Rawnie didn't want a weak brother either. She sharpened her knife with a stone, a birthday gift from her parents. The handle was her favorite part, made from the horn of the uxi beast she'd killed. She ran the stone over the smooth blade, testing out the point with the tip of her finger.
Then her brother yelled at her and she stabbed her finger until it bled. She dropped the knife, running to his side.

"What?! Did you get hurt?"

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"]

 

[Corrin Tal'verda]

Corrin was the compassionate one in the family. He hated to admit it, but it was true. His father was loving, but he was also tough as nails. His other robbed cruisers for a living. Even Rawnie kept her cool in most situations. The most he had done was chase a ghost wolf and shoot a few undead beasts in what might have been hell.

Weird resume.

He shot up to his feet as he saw the blood dribbling from her finger. "Shab! Are you okay?" He asked with obvious concern. He reached out for her hand, inspecting the wound to make sure it was not deep when the holoterminal acted up again.

The spider droid shifted on its spiny legs toward the two children. It's single eye expanded as it observed them.

"The Harbinger's children...could be useful for study. Perhaps. Perhaps not." It extended up to stand a meter in the air. Still, it was just a hologram. "Your father has been called upon for a greater purpose. Forget him. He will not return. Move on with your lives."

There was the faintest inflection of sympathy in its artificial voice. "Please. It is for your own good."

Corrin blinked. He shifted his bright blue eyes to the droid; mouth agape. "Greater purpose? Forget him? Where is he? I want to talk to him!"

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

It was just a cut. Rawnie hadn't even noticed the blood until her brother pointed it out. She wiped it on her trousers without another glance at it. She'd live. Or she wouldn't, and that would be nobodies fault but her own. Her attention was caught when she noticed the holoterminal. What...? She wasn't often confused, but now she really was honestly totally confused.

"Let me see my dad!" she shouted, pulling herself up to her full height (not much to work with, really) "Let me see him or you'll have me to deal with!"

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"]

 

[Corrin Tal'verda]

There was nothing. The hologram of the droid bowed its head forward in a little show of courtesy, and winked out. Corrin was still too concerned about Rawnie's hand to pay it too much mind - but he caught the sudden silence.

Panic welled in his chest at the sudden realization. Someone, or something had his father. He hadn't left on his own accord: Calico Tal'verda had been kidnapped.

His hold on his little sister's hand relinquished as the thought registered. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his brow knit in displeasure. Who would want their father? Why would someone want their father?

He quickly reached into one of his dressers, and pulled free a wrap of gauze. Without waiting for her protest, Corrin pulled back part of the strip, and began to wrap it gingerly around her finger.

"You need to wrap these things when they happen." He chided like a worried parent. "I'm going to check the holoreciever to find a source point. Keep the holocomm running for me?" He asked as he finished the wrapping.

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

The transmission died. Rawnie was furious. She stared ahead as her brother fussed. Stupid. Didn't he know? It was just a scratch! He didn't need to worry about it! Not when dad was is trouble.

"Would you just stop, Corrin?" she snapped, wrenching her injured hand away, "You go trace it. I'll take care here. Go."

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"]

 

[Corrin Tal'verda]

Idiot. Corrin grumbled a curse under his breath as she forced her hand away. Rawnie was so reckless at times. She couldn't help buir if her hand was cut open.

Grudgingly, the young Tal'verda strolled over toward the comm system. He gave it a once over, and jogged out of the room. The wooden floor creaked as he ran toward the holonet router.

Lord Cabur was sitting next of it at the moment: enjoying the device's warmth. Corrin settled down next to him, and opened his datapad.

"Gonna get dad." He breathed. Cabur tilted his furry head in confusion.

The connection only took a moment. The datapad gave a shrill beep as the signal tracking was complete. Corrin scanned the words on its screen.

"Nar Shaddaa!" He shouted.

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

"Nar Shaddaa?" The girl thought for a moment, biting her lip, "Mom was heading there."

Mom sent them messages when she could. Often enough to know she was alive and where she was going. It was a dangerous place, Nar Shaddaa. No way could they go. At least not both of them.

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"]

 

[Corrin Tal'verda]

Rawnie might be against pursuing, but Corrin wasn't. They were Mando'ade. Their ancestors had fought for the Republic at ten years old. Even further back, teenagers had battled Jedi Masters on Dxun, Malachor, and a thousand other worlds. They were old enough to continue that legacy now.

"Rawnie." He jogged back to her, his little chest heaving with the sudden exertion. "I can track him. The droid. Mom can't." He pointed at the holoterminal. "I'll get us a ship. We can find buir."

He settled down on the floor, and stared at the terminal. "You'll come too, right?"

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

"Corry..."

The girl heaved a great sigh, looking down at her hand. He was irrisponsible. Always running off. Honestly, she felt more like the older sibling half the time, and she was the baby of the family. Idiot boy. But he had a good heart and his intentions were pure.

"You're so... stupid. Alright, alright. We go, okay? But not alone, got it? Don't matter how powerful you think your force magic is, you're still puny."

She pressed her injured finger tight, watching the blood seep through the bandages. Good. As long as she had blood in her to give, she felt powerful.

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"]