Never Hide Your Heart
"Never Hide Your Heart"
The Northstar slipped through hyperspace with little help from its pilot. Katarine Ryiah was curled sideways in the pilot's chair, one boot tucked beneath her and the other resting against the edge of the console. The ship's automated flight systems handled the tedious work of carrying her home while the blue-white rivers of hyperspace streamed beyond the viewport.
Home. That was still a strange word. Five years. Katarine let her head settle against the side of the chair, dark hair falling across one shoulder as she stared absently at the stars that weren't really stars.
It was hard to believe she had only been awake for five years. She had entered the galaxy again in 900 ABY after centuries spent frozen and forgotten, opening her eyes to a future that bore only a passing resemblance to the one she remembered. At the time, adjusting to new technology and unfamiliar faces had seemed overwhelming enough.
Then the galaxy had decided to fall apart. The Galactic Alliance was gone. The New Jedi Order had fallen with it. For a brief time, another galactic empire had risen in its place, promising stability where chaos had taken root. That had collapsed too, swallowed beneath the advance of the Sith until darkness stretched across the Core and deep into the western reaches of the galaxy.
And the Jedi…
Katarine's lips pressed into a thin line. They were scattered. Some had found purpose serving alongside the High Republic. Others had disappeared into hiding, gathering in forgotten temples, distant worlds, and small enclaves where they could protect whoever remained within their reach.
Little islands of light scattered through a galaxy that desperately needed something brighter.
Chalacta had become one of those places. It wasn't much.
A small enclave. A handful of Jedi. Students who still believed the Order could mean something. Supplies that always seemed to run out faster than they could replace them.
But it was theirs. More importantly, it was alive and it was her way of honoring the fallen New Jedi Order.
That was why Katarine had spent the past several days running supplies instead of chasing criminals or digging through whatever mystery normally attracted an investigator's attention. Food, medical equipment, replacement parts, training materials, hardly glamorous work, but necessary.
The navicomputer chimed softly. Her eyes fluttered closed. She'd only rest them for a minute. Her breathing slowed. The constant hum of the Northstar faded into the background until she hovered somewhere between sleep and consciousness.
Then something touched the Force. Katarine's eyes snapped open. She bolted upright so quickly her knee slammed against the underside of the console.
"Ow!"
The complaint died immediately. Her heart began pounding. She sat completely still, scarcely breathing.
There it was again. Faint. Distant, yet unmistakable. A presence in the Force she knew. Or thought she knew. She slowly leaned forward, eyes narrowing as though she could somehow see through hyperspace itself.
For a moment she wondered if exhaustion was playing tricks on her. Maybe she had fallen deeper asleep than she realized. Maybe memory and dreams had tangled themselves together.
Her fingers were already moving across the navigation console. She abandoned the course from Chalacta and began feeding new coordinates into the navicomputer, following instinct more than reason. The computer chirped a warning about the course correction. Katarine confirmed it anyway.
The Northstar shifted. Seconds later hyperspace collapsed around the ship. The streaking tunnel of blue vanished, replaced by the endless black of ordinary space. Katarine stared through the viewport. A ship floated in the distance.
Her breath caught. There was someone aboard. She could feel them clearly now. A Jedi. A remarkably powerful Jedi.
Her hands tightened slowly around the edges of the console. Katarine reached for the communications controls.
For once, she hesitated. What exactly was she supposed to say? Hello, are you someone I thought was gone forever?
Her finger hovered above the transmitter before she finally opened a channel.
"This is the Northstar calling unidentified vessel." She paused. Her voice softened. "If you're receiving this… please respond."
She released the transmitter. Silence filled the cockpit. She remained perfectly still, green eyes fixed on the ship beyond the viewport. Her heart was beating far too quickly now.
Katarine leaned closer to the console, almost afraid to breathe, and whispered softly.
"Valery…?"
Valery Noble