A few years later.

[HeresHoping]

Moving across the hanger she glances from side to side, this is what she loves, all the ships docked in the hanger hold small pieces of her. She smiles to herself as she thinks back to the day she was first brought into the hangers. The wonder and amazement she felt seeing all the ships. This had been the one thing that saved her so many years ago when Zek had brought her here. She was told by Zek that she may go anyway on the small base, but she is not aloud to leave, she can still remember his words clearly as she looked around. “ Little Dear….Sibh, this is your home now and you are safe here with me. You needn’t worry about anything anymore, okay?” Her smile widening on her lips as she moves farther into the hanger. She let’s the memories of all the hours she had spent here run through her mind, all the time learning everything about the ships. All the time she had spent by Patics side, listening and trying to take in all he had to teach. He always teased her that she must be a natural with the ships. He only had to show her once and she could fix anything. Same with flying the ship too, Sibh is a natural, she’s fifteen the first time Zek set her in the pilots chair. She had flown with him many times but never from the pilots chair, he tells her that it was time for her to start earning her keep. She remembers his voice holding a hint of laughter as he told her these. Along with so many other memories this one she holds dear, she can feel her hands wrap around the controls, feel the ship slowly curve as she tilts the control to the right. She imagined this is how Sran, her long lost brother felt when he first started flying. After that first flight, Zek was speechless and let her start flying with him and his trusted crew on the Sparrow’s Claw.

 

At the age of eighteen she had managed to become basically Zek’s partner in all his legal and illegal ventures. Everyone respected her knowing she had worked hard and earned her own way. It didn’t hurt that her beauty over the years became stunning, and Zek was in love with her, he wanted her but never forced the issue.

 

She had went to Zek’s bed willingly, she was twenty and he thirty-one, she couldn’t lie to herself. She loved him just as much he loved her, he was one of those young looking men, even at thirty-one. Raven black hair that fell to his shoulders, smooth skin the color of bronze, not a huge man but tone and standing only a few inches taller then her. His eyes though, they are what mesmerized her, green eyes that glimmered with the intelligence that over the years had taken his small pirate outpost to a trading business that dealt with many around the galaxy. Ranging from the Hutt’s to the Imperials, to the Republic. Zek eyes had been the one thing that really captivated Sibh, she could sit for hours and stare into them.

 

Giving her head a small shake trying to bring herself back to the now, Sibh’Bae Ly’ang, but just Sibh to everyone here, strolls to the ship and grabs the datapad on the table. The ship next to her is not hers, but is one of the many in their small fleet, The Cracken, a small freighter has been having trouble with its hyerdrive. Sibh yells up and leans back so she can see around the wing. “Hey up there old man….what’re you screwing up today that I’ll have to fix.”

A small old human man with thick goggle like glasses pokes his head up and grumbles at her. “Sibh…Sibh that you?”

“Yes Patic, you old buzzard, Minus said Cracken here is given you some grief. Care for a hand?”

“It’s about time you get off that ever widening *** of yours and get back in here with us grunts and do something.” He grumbles as he climbs out of the compartment, and down the ships front side. The years have not been good to Patic, rough and scary looking, but Sibh knows that his appearance shows nothing of the gentle soul that lays inside.

 

“Ever widening ass… huh?” Sibh laughs softly and attempts to twist her head around and look at her butt. “Zek hasn’t said anything about my butt getting big, I think he’s still pretty happy with it.”

 

Patric’s shuffling steps coming around the wing and towards her draws her attention. She looks up from the datapad and smiles. “How are you Patic?” Sibh gently pats his shoulder.

 

“That’s it… you’ve been gone for weeks on a run and that’s all I get.” Patic grabs her and frail as he may seem, his arms wrap her in an iron grip hug. “Sibh your okay…” his voice trails off and she can hear the relief flood from his sigh.

 

“Sorry Patic,” She gets out softly. “I’m fine, really. I am. It got a bit tense but….I’m fine,” Her tone of voice trying to reinforce her words. “Hey where’s Zek, I asked around and everyone seems to think he some where else. I got three different answers. Fess up, what’s he up to.” She pulls out of Patic’s arms and starts looking at the datapad again.

 

“Oh you know him always trying to make money. Before he left he told me he had a job for the Jedi and he would be back before you.” Patic turns to the ship and opens a panel, cursing and grabbing wires as he look for the problem that seems to be eluding him.

 

“A Jedi job,” she says with a hum. She takes a knee next to him and starts examining the inside of the small compartment, glancing between it the datapad. “That’s it…that’s all he said was a Jedi job?” This gives her an instant twang of fear with the tension between the Imperials, Republic, and Jedi. She tries to concentrate on the problem in front of her face, The Cracken and why its hyperdrive is not working. But in the back of her mind she can feel the worry nag at her, and she hates it. “Hey look here, this plasma coil is just barely running a pulse through it, hold on and I’ll grab another.” She stands and moves to one of the tool chest setting the datapad back on the table. Picking up a few tools and a new coil, “Patic go get ready to start her up.”

“Okay little dear,” Patic starts off to board the ship and then stops and turns speaking quickly. ”Zek knows what he’s about Sibh, you don’t worry yourself, okay?” with that he off again. Besides Zek, Patic is the only one that she ever allows to call her that. Secretly she hates it.

 

She walks back to the open panel and arranges her tools next to her, she has picked up a comlink to and buzzes the ship. “Patic you there?” there is a click and a soft buzz.

 

“Seriously Sibh you let yourself get work up over the silliest things.” Patic voice comes over the comlink. She let’s herself scouls at the voice coming over the com.

 

“I know Zek is a big boy and he can take care of himself, but with all the tension between the masses these days. I don’t want anyone thinking he is picking a side.” a hint of worry in her voice as she speaks over the open com. Her hands make quick work of the coil and she gets up, wiping her hands on a rag. “Okay, Old man fire her up.” Taking a step back she hears a ship coming in over head and she let’s her eyes track the sound of it across the roof of the hanger. The engine of the Cracken starts to turn and a whining sound starts to come from the panel that she has just replaced the coil in. Leaning down and looking into the panel a smile crosses her face right before there’s a loud bang and a plume off smoke comes billowing out covering her from head to toe. She starts for the open hanger door waving her hands to clear the smoke in front of her. Patic comes hobbling down the ramp of ship and sees her wiping her face with a rag, the soot is making smudges on her smooth blue skin. A wide smile greeting his frown, “Patic, really you are getting old,” her tone playful. “It’s the vibera cable connecting the vax thruster to the coil. Right before the engine kicked there was a spark.” Her eyes twinkling like lavender pools she winks at him. “Zeks back!” She doesn’t give him a chance to responded before she is out the door of the hanger.

 

More to come……

 

 

I'm new at the writing, but I have fun doing it. Been kinda nervous about it too. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.