Mistress Dizzy

Star Wars: A Legend Reborn (Nobodyman123 and Mistress Dizzy)

Kijani turned toward him as Adam muttered something about his favorite shirt. "Oh no, you're hurt..." It didn't look too bad, but he'd still gotten that injury in defense of her. That was not a way to start a friendship. "Hopefully when we get to the spaceport, we can stop and have that cleaned and wrapped for you."

For now, there wasn't much she could do but ask questions. It would be impolite to sleep and leave the driver all alone. "Adam, what is it like, being a Jedi? That was an impressive display. I'm not sure that I could handle such a powerful weapon." There was a sweet curiosity to her voice as she pressed him for information. "But I'm sure it's not all about fancy swords. What else are you capable of?"

Poem of the Bladed Nightingale [Skull & Mistress Dizzy]

Jin awoke next to the tree, yawning and rubbing the impression of bark from her cheek. Birds were chirping merrily above her head. She got up, embarrassment all over her face, hastily heading inside before she was seen.

The house was quiet, still. The Prince was still blissfully asleep, and Ishawari was too. That left Jin alone to start breakfast, which was fine with her. Usually too much quiet was a bore, but she was starting to get used to it here. She threw some sticks into the stove and lit it with a match, letting the warmth coat her hands. It briefly brought back a flash of last night’s nightmare, and she shut the metal stove with a clang.

“Enough of that.” She muttered to herself. Then she put a pot on the stove and started to prepare breakfast. Miso soup was the order of the morning: filling, easy and blissfully simple. Even she couldn’t burn soup!

The smell of the meal soon began to waft through the little house, while Jin enjoyed a cup of green tea to wake herself for the day. If the Prince didn’t get up soon, she’d have to wake him herself. There was a small school here for the local children. While it was far behind what Prince Hotaru had already been taught, they made him attend anyway. Both to keep him occupied and prevent suspicion on their part.

Jin stood with her tea and peeked in the room where both of them were still sleeping away. Maybe she could give them ten more minutes.

Poem of the Bladed Nightingale [Skull & Mistress Dizzy]

"You're right. I should keep myself sharp." Jin grinned widely, glad that they were on the same wavelength. "You rest. I'll be outside if you need me."

With that, she rose up and went to the cupboard. Behind all of the pots and pans lay two heavy sticks that Jin had carefully chosen, as they were about the weight of her blades and suitable for practice. A long stick that served for Ishawari's "spear" was tucked behind it.

With her false weapons, she headed outside. She steadied her breathing, banishing the last of her fear, and calming her heart. Then she knelt and bowed to the ground, a ritual move from years of training. "For the good of Majima."

Then she stood up and began to practice. Slowly at first, then faster, she began to dance her way around a massive oak tree that served as her target. She stayed silent, her strikes the only noise in the midst of the night. Over and over, she struck, shaking leaves from their branches as she worked up a sweat. It felt like old times. She lost herself in the movement and rhythm, until her nightmare was gone and there was just this, just the deadly dance.

-

Dawn found her curled up beside the tree, her cheek resting on it's sturdy trunk.

Star Wars: A Legend Reborn (Nobodyman123 and Mistress Dizzy)

Kijani breathed out a shuddering breath, watching both Obi-Wan and Adam at combat. Now she believed. Watching those beautiful sabers do their work, carving blasters and troopers apart. The scent of ozone filled the air and she somehow felt a little woozy with the knowledge.

“...you really are… Jedi.” She wiped a layer of sweat from her forehead as politely as possible. Then she took a few deep breaths to steady herself. “I am fine. I have dozens of questions, but they will have to wait. Please allow me time to change, then we will leave as quickly as we can. I’m sure more troopers will come when these don’t come back."

She stepped into Adam’s room and shut the door, quickly stripping and redressing. The clothes were simple. Tan pants, white shirt, and a tan hood to go over it. She tied back her thick dreadlocks with a strip of cloth from her dress, then stuffed it away under the bed. Maybe if they were still looking for a princess, it would offer her more cover.

Stepping back out, she pulled the hood over her head. “I think this will suffice. But where will we go?” Kijani wanted to get off this planet as soon as she could, but was not in the position to make demands. For now, she would follow their lead.

Poem of the Bladed Nightingale [Skull & Mistress Dizzy]

Jin couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of Ishawari being tried for poison. As bad as her rice was, it really wasn’t quite a match for his “cooking”. The smell of burnt fish still wasn’t out of the walls. So much smoke that night, and she’d taken over the stove since.

“I’m sure it’s not quite poison, Ishawari. You just need practice. Or maybe we just eat the fish raw.”

She sighed, taking comfort at his warm touch for a moment. “I’m fine. It was just a dream, and dreams are nothing to be afraid of.” Even if her heart wasn’t quite back to it’s normal speed. But that possibly had little to do with the nightmare.

“I promise, I’m alright. But I think I’m good and awake. I’m not sure what I’ll do until dawn, though.” A good part of her itched for her stored weapons. Every day, she could feel her skill getting farther and farther away. It hurt, feeling her talent dwindle through idle fingers. She longed for the weight of steel in her hand, just for a moment.

“Maybe you can go back to sleep?”

Star Wars: A Legend Reborn (Nobodyman123 and Mistress Dizzy)

Kijani’s eyes widened as the hut went dark, not daring to speak as footsteps crunched in the sand outside. There was a rebellious part of her that wanted to scream. Had they found her so quickly? How? If they had known that there was life on the escape pod she’d left on, she would have been shot down immediately. Maybe they had seen her fall to Tattooine.

The pistol was heavensent. She felt much better with a weapon in her hands. Her father had been sure to train her in multiple types of combat, despite the three of them having bodyguards on Alderaan. There was a slender short blade with her name on it back home, one that she was sorely missing. The blaster was an older model, but it would do fine.

As the door exploded, she twisted around Adam’s back and took a pair of neat shots.

“I’ve never seen Stormtroopers like these before!”

Poem of the Bladed Nightingale [Skull & Mistress Dizzy]

Jin was shaking as she truly came awake, slowly realizing that their house was not on fire and everything was okay. She clung to Ishawari, trying to breathe and push away the last claws of the nightmare that had her in it's grip.

"You're okay... thank the Gods." She closed her eyes, fighting back tears. It had been so vivid, and he’d been so cold and stiff in the midst of the flame. “I thought… I dreamt I lost you. The house was on fire, the Prince was still inside. It was so real...”

Jin hated the nightmares. For some reason, all of her daily stresses and fears tended to come out in her sleep. It had been this way all of her life. It actually wasn’t the first time she’d had a nightmare since leaving the palace, but this was the first one to wake her in such a dramatic fashion.

Once she was sure she could speak without bursting into some very childish tears, she let him go. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” A quick glance left and right told her that the Prince was still fast asleep, and that it was still night outside the window.

“It’s not even dawn yet...”

Star Wars: A Legend Reborn (Nobodyman123 and Mistress Dizzy)

Kijani listened to Obi-Wan’s story with undivided attention, poised and polite as any princess should be. Inside she was reeling. So the Jedi were not just some story, they were real? And Obi-Wan and Adam were part of this group? It was almost too much to take in. If all those things were true about Jedi, and yet the Emperor still decimated them, then what hope did the Rebels have?

No, no, no. She couldn’t think like that. A leader should never show anything but courage in the face of despair. Both of her parents had impressed that upon her from a young age. Kijani nodded as Owi-Wan suggested that she rest some more.

“Thank you for the information.” She said as judiciously as possible. “I’ll need some time to… truly digest everything you’ve told me.”

To Adam, she smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality. I don’t need high fashion. I’ve worn a uniform like any other soldier. In fact, I think clothes common to your home territory will help me blend in.” A disguise of some sort was going to be necessary here, lest she be spotted and reported. “That was excellent thinking on your part.” She looked between Obi-Wan and Adam.

“I can’t thank you both enough for what you’re doing for me, and for the Rebellion. I promise, once this is all over you will be rewarded.”

Star Wars: A Legend Reborn (Nobodyman123 and Mistress Dizzy)

Kijani thought about Obi-Wan’s question, taking a careful sip to prolong the moment. “Well, I remember the stories my father told me as a child. Jedi Knights were warriors, and diplomats, sworn to protect the good of the galaxy. They had...” She tried not to laugh. “Magical powers, and powerful blades called lightsabers. Now, my father swore up and down that they existed, but when I got older I always thought that it was just a story he made up to entertain me.”

She took another sip of the tea and stared Obi-Wan directly in the eyes. “I’m guessing you want to expand on that story, do you?” There was something uncanny about Kijani’s eyes, both beautiful and slightly unsettling. Plenty of humans had brown eyes, but the shade of gold – nearly pure yellow – of her eyes was very rare. Under a direct stare, many people seemed to spill out information that they may not have otherwise. Kijani knew this to some degree, and used it when she needed it.

“The Empire says that they are nothing but children’s tales, and while I hate to agree with anything of the Empire, I have found no proof of existence of said Jedi. So.” She spread her hands.

“What can you tell me?”

Poem of the Bladed Nightingale [Skull & Mistress Dizzy]

Jin took her sweet time in the bath, scrubbing away and generally enjoying the time to herself. It was nice to have silence and just one’s own thoughts. Most of said thoughts were about the 5 days ahead of them, and plan after plan for what they needed to do. With the Gods’ blessing, it would be a short and uneventful journey for the three of them. Once she was done, she redressed in a clean robe and headed inside, humming softly to herself.

She noticed Ishawari asleep in the c hair and marveled at how he was staying upright. He could probably sleep standing up if the situation called for it. Jin was not the type of person who could sleep anywhere, unfortunately. It had led to a lot of exhausted nights on uncomfortable patrols. With a little smile, she found a blanket and draped it over him, then slipped into the room to sleep on the mat in the corner. Ishawari’s breathing and the Prince’s tiny snores lulled her off to sleep.

-

“JIN!”

“HELP ME!”

Their house was a sea of flame. Jin could barely see her own face in the smoke and blistering heat. “Prince Hotaru, where are you?!”

She stepped in, the fire searing at her skin and robes. It hurt, but she had to get to the Prince no matter what. He called for her and called for her, but she couldn’t see him. She tried to run through the flames, but it was as if her feet were stuck in place. Why couldn’t she get closer? And where was Ishawari?!

Jin ran and ran, getting nowhere. Eventually she stumbled and fell. She thought it was a beam of wood, but when she turned it over, Ishawari’s lifeless gaze stared back at her. She sunk to her knees, clung to him as if she could bring him back to life with a touch. “No- this is all wrong – I was only gone for a few hours! No, no, no-”

The house creaked around her, and then began to collapse.

“NO!”

-
Jin woke up screaming.