A Conversation With An Old Friend (Month 2, 22BBY)

Kaia looked at Ranik. "I was able to reach Zavian through the Force and he appeared before me and was able to speak to me." She sighed a little as she thought about what to tell him in regards to the purge. She wasn't entirely certain he was going to like what she was going to say. "A purge is a cleansing. It means that a lot of Jedi and Sith are going to die. I need to get to the Tython system quickly and find this holocron...and I think I need to go alone."

When she told him what the purge meant all thought of her going anywhere evaporated in his mind. He shook his head. “I think we need to lay low. I know of places to hide. We could go to them and lay low until its over Kaia,” he said with a concerned look on his face. Ranik put his hand on her left arm.

“Forget about Tython, come with me,” he said and smiled at her. He leaned in toward her ear. “We can go where ever we want, do whatever we want. Do it all together,” He whispered and softly kissed her cheek. He needed to steer her away from...whatever she was talking about. This ‘purge’ sounded dangerous and final and he didn;t want her anywhere near...where ever that was happening. If she was with him, he’d make certain she was no where near that.

For a few moments Kaia thought about just going with Ranik. They could go somewhere far away and start a new life together. That was what she had wanted with Zavian. However, deep in her heart she knew that she could not do that. She couldn't just leave and forget about what was happening.

She sighed and shook her head gently and then stepped back away from Ranik. "I'm sorry. I want to, but I can't. I would never be able to live with myself knowing that I just walked away when I could have done something. Please, just wait here for me. I'll go and find the datacron, learn its contents, and then return. I've already spoken to Eeth. He knows someone with a ship I can use."

Ranik pressed her. He saw her on the edge. He didn’t even completely hear the last thing she said. “But you could live Kaia. Doesn’t that matter too? We’re both survivors and sometimes you have to walk away. When I ceased to follow the way, when that choice was taken from me I adapted. We can adapt to what's happening and stay alive,” he said and shifted his hands up to her face.

“I need you Kaia, since you’ve come into my life I can’t think about anything else. Come with me, be with me, I love you,” he said softly and kissed her on the lips. A soft, gentle kiss then he shifted back to look into her eyes. “Please…” he said almost pleading the word.

Kaia felt like her heart was being pulled apart. She hated doing this to Ranik. She wanted them to be happy...together. But she knew that if the Separatists won then there was nowhere in the galaxy they could go where they wouldn't be affected. Could she live with herself then? Would she be able to look other beings in the eye knowing she had allowed it to happen?

Kaia felt a few tears come to her eyes as she looked back into his. She then looked down, knowing that if she continued to look at him that she would break down. "I'm sorry Ranik."

Ranik felt a sickening twist inside him. His stomach made him want to sick up but he didn’t change his hurt expression. A frown painted his face as he contemplated what to do. What could he do? She was going to pull them into more fighting. More conflict. He could continue to run freight and passengers and make a living no matter who won or who lost. But Kaia already picked a side. And it sounded as if the side she picked was going to the losing side.

“I’m sorry too,” he said as he took a step back from her and he let her go. He saw she wanted to move up to him but he took a few more steps back, turned and walked toward the exit ramp. He tossed the rag he had been holding angrily onto the floor and he didn’t look back.

R2 rolled up behind her. He squeaked and buzzed and clicked at her. ‘Is everything ok?’ He asked.

Kaia watched Ranik as he stepped away from her. She tried to step towards him but he continued to step away from her. She fought back tears as he walked up the ramp of his ship. She heard R2 roll up beside her. She glanced down at the droid.

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly.

She tried to find Ranik, but couldn’t. She knew she needed to leave. She needed to find this datacron as quickly as possible. Eeth had an ETA-4 Macar-class light Inceptor ship that he had offered to let her use. It was a smaller craft, but had enough room for R2 and herself. She hoped Ranik would wait for her. With the information from the datacron they could make their next decision together.

“I will return as soon as I can,” she told Eeth. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I know the children will be safe here.”

She had R2 input the coordinates for the Tython system as she fired up the engines and ran through a pre-flight checklist. Once R2 told her everything was ready she lifted off and then jumped to hyperspace.