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The knocks didn’t stop. In fact, they only grew louder. More intense. And much more annoying. Mid captain Ufsa’mak’ro growled and covered his head with the other side of the pillow. Hoping that whoever was making those atrocious sounds would kindly find a better way to spend their time than waking him up from a well-deserved sleep in the middle of the night. To Samakro’s annoyance, the stranger had clearly different plans. He was prepared to make more sounds of disagreement and irritation, even yell or bang on the door if needed.
Suddenly, he snapped out of the sleep as behind the tapping he could recognize a familiar thin voice.
“Mid captain Samakro?”
He slowly rose on the bed. The knocks sounded once again. Now quieter and somewhat unsure. He stumbled as he was making his way across the dark room. Unfortunately, his intentions were suddenly foiled. An opened shelf of a cabinet blocked his path and he wasn’t fast enough to avoid it or even notice it. He only had time to shout out in surprise when he found himself lying face down on the floor, pain spreading across his body.
From not far away, from the place where his couch would be came a laugh out.
“I was just going to tell you off for waking me up, but this was definitely worth seeing,” said the voice, still wheezing from laughter.
Samakro overcame the pain and managed to pick himself from the ground. Through the darkness he could recognize a figure of his friend, Wutroow, sitting on the couch.
“You should’ve seen yourself! I can’t help it, but I am amazed by your ability to trip on thin air.”
“It wouldn’t be like that if you would close the shelves properly, you know,” he reminded her.
During occasional Vigilant’s crew visits of the Springhawk, Wutroow pretty much resided in Samakro’s quarters, always making a mess and not cleaning up after herself, which resulted in various objects lying on the floor. Though he too couldn’t be bothered with putting them away. And now he regretted it.
Luckily, and much to his surprise, he survived the rest of his journey without any additional damage to his body or to any of his belongings.
He groped for the door switch and pressed it. The door hissed and although the lights in the hallway were dim it was enough to make his eyes squint in pain.
“Mid captain?” the quiet voice asked again.
“Yeah? What’s going on?” he replied. Or at least, he tried. He wasn’t really sure if the sounds came out as he intended and weren’t more like growls of a growzer.
It took some time until his eyes adapted to the light and he saw a small curly-haired girl. She was trembling, one hand tightly wrapped around a yellow whisker-cub plushie, and the other wiping tears off her face.
A shiver ran across Samakro’s spine. What happened? She wouldn’t come to his room in the middle of the night if it wasn’t serious. Not to mention she wouldn’t be crying. The confusion Samakro felt was replaced by panic, sympathy and concern. He had no idea how to deal with crying children, but he wanted to help.
“I- I… I’m sorry for waking you up…”
Upon hearing those words, Wutroow quickly jumped down from the folding sofa and rushed to Samakro and Che’ri. She kneeled beside her to meet her eyes and touched her cheek lightly to soothe her.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
“I had a nightmare…”
Samakro let out a sigh, his hand rubbing his forehead. Where the hell is Thalias?
“Why didn’t you let your caretaker know?”
Che’ri’s gaze was now locked on the ground.
“I wanted. She isn’t in her room. And I-“, her words were distorted by the sobs.
Now he realized that his reaction might have seemed too harsh to the girl.
“Hey, it’s okay. I am not angry at you.” he reassured her, “Everything will be all right.”
She sniffled, still refusing to look into his eyes.
With a little hesitation, he reached down and patted her on the head: “There, there. I am here.”
He opened his arms in an invitation. Che’ri returned the hug and her cries slowly hushed. Wutroow did the same - reassuring the little girl that they are with her now and she does not have to be afraid of anything.
“Can you stay with me?” Che’ri whispered.
“Of course,” Samakro picked her up and carried to the room, careful not to trip again while making his way to the bed. He gently put her down and tucked her in.
“Do you want me to be beside you until you fall asleep?”
“It’s okay,” she said, “I am feeling better now.”
Samakro and Wutroow eyed the little girl for a while, making sure she was not afraid anymore.
Then Wutroow picked up Che’ri’s plushie and petted it. “What’s its name?”
“Aiv.”
“Nice name,” she smiled and returned it to Che’ri, “Aiv will stay here and watch over you, okay? And me and Samakro too.”
With a kiss on her forehead, she said “goodnight” and returned back to her place on Samakro’s couch.
“Goodnight,” Samakro said as well and began to walk away, but turned back once again, “If you have any more nightmares, just wake me up.”
He hoped she wouldn’t. For both his and Che’ri’s sake.
The girl gave a small nod and closed her eyes.
The feeling of relief spread across Samakro’s body. Finally, he was ready to get the much-needed sleep. Not that he was angry at the little girl, he didn’t lie to her. Nightmares were clearly something that happened to sky-walkers quite often and the mid captain felt sympathy for her and grew to like her over the time they spent together on the Springhawk.
He gave her one last look and couldn’t help but smile. She looks so calm now.
Che’ri was now lying in his bed, so Samakro had to find somewhere else to sleep. And there was no other way he could rest his head comfortably than making Wutroow scoot over on the folded out couch. The mid captain sat on the sofa and waited until she moved to the other side. He lay down and closed his eyes when he felt Wutroow moving. Assuming she was uncomfortable, he began to shift to the very edge of the sofa, but Wutroow’s hand stopped him a pulled back.
Samakro hummed in a question.
“Stay,” she whispered trying not to wake up Che’ri, “I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep. I just can’t. Not until I’m sure Che’ri is okay.”
“Me neither.”
“Would you mind if I read for a while?”
With Samakro’s nod of approval, she sat up. Samakro did the same wrapping them both up in a blanket. He rested his head on Wutroow’s shoulder and hugged her. All the bad thoughts and worries started to disappear. It was just him and his friend, enjoying each other’s company in the quiet night. Despite his eyes kept closing, he occasionally glanced at her questis. Wutroow patiently waited every time until he finished the page before moving on. After a while, she couldn’t hear steady breath of her friend who wasn’t nudging her to turn the page anymore. His head was somewhat lower and his eyes tightly shut. She laid him gently on the couch and with a “goodnight” she covered him with a blanket. And now, she was finally able to give in to the dreams.
***
The next morning, Samakro woke up to Che’ri’s voice: “Mid captain Samakro?”
He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the floor. Cold. In an uncomfortable position. Without a blanket or a pillow.
Wutroow, on the other hand, was sprawled across the whole couch. He sighed. So much for sharing a bed.
The girl was standing beside him, still tightly hugging her toy.
“I’m hungry,” she murmured, “I looked for Thalias, but she is still away.”
So does that mean that he was now the caretaker?
“I have some candy bars here. Or do you want me to make you something different?”
“It’s okay.”
He handed her one and took his favorite mug from the shelf. It was actually Wutroow’s mug, but he liked it and she didn’t mind him using it. After a year in his possession it became an irreplaceable part of his morning ritual. It was the time when he could take it slow for a while, think and just enjoy the present moment. He watched the smoke rising from the mug and a pleasant aroma filled the room. He brought it to his lips and smelled the hot caccoleaf once again before savouring the delicious taste of the drink. It was just what he needed.
Che’ri eyed it wishfully.
“No,” he answered the question in her eyes, “you are a kid. Caccoleaf is not for children.”
“I am not a child! I am ten!” she pouted, “and Thalias never lets me have any…”
“And Thalias is right.”
Che’ri let out a small sigh. For a little while, she looked as she had given up but then she looked right in his eyes.
“Please?” she demanded, “I only want to taste it.”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“How can I know that when I don’t try it?” she countered.
Samakro sighed. He just could not resist those pleading eyes. One sip surely never killed anyone. Besides, she went through a lot the last night.
“Just one sip. No more,” he said and handed her the mug.
Her face lit up with happiness as she took it to her hands and took a long gulp. In that moment, the joyful expression turned into a disgusted grimace.
“It’s bitter. Senior captain Thrawn makes better.”
Samakro frowned. “He lets you drink caccoleaf? I expected more responsibility from him.”
“Sometimes. Just one sip. Sometimes he makes me tea. I like it more.”
A loud yawn could be heard from the other side of the room.
“I’ve been summoned by the smell of caccoleaf,” Wutroow said with a happy smile. Even though it was painfully early in the morning, she looked fresh as a daisy and wide awake.
“How can you function at a time like this?” Samakro sighed.
“Early bird catches the worm. Or something like that.”
“Says the bird who slept the whole night comfortably in a warm bed.”
She just shrugged her shoulders.
“So, any plans for today?” she asked and sat on the table pouring hot water into a mug, making a drink of her own.
They were just returning to Csilla from the mission, which meant that they had no more than standard responsibilities and much more free time.
“To find Thalias. Probably” he replied.
“Would you really do that?” Che’ri asked, ”She’s just busy, right? She- she didn’t leave me-“
Memories of the past flashed in front of her eyes. She didn’t want to be abandoned by another caretaker. She couldn’t- If Thalias left her… Tears started to roll down her cheeks. Che’ri tried to calm down, but a much worse thought crossed her mind. What if she is hurt?
Wutroow’s attention turned to the girl and her gaze softened. She lowered to meet her eyes and hugged her.
“She didn’t leave you. She’s somewhere around here. We will find her, right Samakro?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
Che’ri smiled slightly. “Okay.”
Then she looked at Samakro and with a little hesitation, she wrapped her hands around him too.
Samakro gave Wutroow a silent gaze. She nodded in understanding. Or at least he thought so.
Then, she looked back at Che’ri: “I’ll go to look for her now, okay? Samakro will stay here with you until I find her.”
He flailed his hands in the air in an attempt to change her mind and make her stay. He did not agree to this. Going together to look for Thalias was fine, being together with Wutroow and Che’ri was also fine. But there was no way she was leaving him with Che’ri alone. Unfortunately for him, Wutroow was no tone to argue with.
With an apologetic look and promise of soon return she left his quarters.
“So,” he cleared his throat. There was not much he could do with his basically zero experience with children. What did Wutroow expect of him? And really, where was Thalias?
Che’ri looked him deep in the eyes. With curiosity. And expectation.
“Shall we wait for Wutroow to return? Or do you want to do something?”
“I don’t know,”
“I- uh…” he looked around the room, trying to find an activity that would keep Che’ri busy and to get himself a few additional moments of rest. Preferably in his own bed.
“I have papers here. And a pen.”
Didn’t she like to draw? He surely heard Thalias talk about it, right? He could only hope he wasn’t wrong.
As Che’ri heard those words, her face lit up with happiness.
“Really? You do? I have markers! I’ll go get them,” with those words she ran off.
Shortly after, the navigator returned holding a huge pile of art supplies in her hands. Then she sat on Samakro’s chair and he helped her raise it so that she could comfortably reach the table. With excitement, she pulled out a couple of papers and started to draw. A feeling of relief washed over him. It was much easier than he thought. Che’ri was drawing calmly and he could-
Only that Che’ri was not drawing. She was looking at him. With a question in her eyes.
“Is there something wrong?”
Then his gaze shifted to the other paper laid on the table. In an oddly suspicious position. Next to Che’ri. And right on the spot where some space for another chair would be.
An unsettling thought crossed his mind.
“I thought that maybe we could draw together,” Ch’eri confirmed his worries.
“No, I am not very good at it. I don’t draw,” he muttered in an attempt to save himself from utter embarrassment.
“You don’t like drawing? You don’t think it is just for kids or stupid, do you?” she frowned slightly.
“It’s not that I hate it. And I don’t think it is stupid,” he reassured her, “but it certainly is not one of my talents.”
“Senior captain Thrawn says it is nice that I draw. And he likes looking at my pictures. I wanted to draw him something and give it to him as a gift.” she said with a quiet voice, “I don’t want to draw alone. And no one wants to draw with me…”
Samakro sighed. He hadn’t done it since he was around Che’ri’s age. Moreover, he was sure that his drawing skills hadn’t magically improved since then. But he didn’t want the girl to be sad, so he agreed. It’s not like anyone expected a masterpiece from him.
A half an hour was enough for Samakro to discover how wrong he was. Another hour later and his confidence dropped below zero. Not only that his doodles looked much worse than he thought they would, but also Che’ri’s skills were much more impressive. And occasional side looks and giggles didn’t help to boost his self-esteem at all. She wasn’t mocking him directly, she even told him that she likes it and the colors he used. But she must have realized that he was nowhere near her level.
When he heard familiar footsteps behind his back, he knew he was rescued. Wutroow was away for only an hour and a half, but he was happy to see her as if she had been gone for months. Finally he could stop and would not have to put up with his own artistic incompetence anymore.
Unfortunately, Wutroow did not bring any good news about Thalias. In fact, she did not bring any news. She even tried to ask the crew, or at least those who were awake at such an early hour, but that was in vain as well. Thalias was still nowhere to be found.
“What are you two doing?” she leaned across their shoulders to see what they were working on.
“That looks very pretty, Che’ri!”
“It is for senior captain Thrawn!” she grinned widely and reached for another one, “and this one is for you!”
She handed it to touched Wutroow. The senior captain thanked her and stuck it onto a board full of sticky notes and photos. Samakro could swear he saw a tear coming out of the corner of her eye.
Wutroow’s attention turned to her friend and his artwork. Suddenly, she burst out in laughter.
“Can you please explain why this whisker has five legs?”
“That is a tail.”
“Doesn’t look much like a tail,” she blurted out between laughs, “though, I can see at least some resemblance. Not like with this one.”
She pointed to an unidentifiable object, “What is that?”
Samakro gave a defeated look.
“That was supposed to be you,” he pointed out to the “Wutroow” on the picture, “and this one is me. It’s our life when we retire. We’ll buy a cottage in the mountains, adopt a dozen of whiskers and perhaps a growzer too. I made it for you.” The mid captain’s annoyance started to be visible. There was no future in art for him.
“Me? What gave you the idea that I look like that?”
He just gazed at her, trying to ignore the giggles from Che’ri that she unsuccessfully tried to silence.
“Well, I think it is very sweet of you. I’ll keep it forever,” she said, pinning it to the board next to Che’ri’s picture “just please, promise me, that you’ll never ever draw me again.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Or perhaps, if Che’ri is willing you to give some lessons…” she laughed and hugged him, thanking him for the drawing. That made Samakro feel a little better. And when she promised to treat him to a huge pile of cupcakes
when they go to a café next time, his frown turned into a genuine smile.
“Come on now, I am starving. Let’s get some food. And I mean some real food,” she glared at the packages of the empty sweets lying around the table.
Samakro couldn’t argue with that. He was hungry too. And candy bars were probably not the best breakfast choice.
When they reached the mess hall, the mid-captain couldn’t believe his eyes. Right in front of them, there was Thalias standing. Leisurely leaning against the table with her back, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning, senior captain,” she said to Wutroow cheerfully. The other woman just stared at her in disbelief.
“Mid captain,” she nodded to Samakro in greeting as well, “Are you hungry, Che’ri?”
“Where were you?” the girl demanded with a hint of tears in her eyes.
“I would like to know that too,” said Samakro in an angry voice.
“I am sorry, I thought you were still asleep. I did not mean to scare you,” she said to Che’ri
“But you have been away the whole night. I had nightmares. I could not find you anywhere.”
For a moment, a shocked expression appeared on her face, quickly replaced with guilt and regret.
She remembered very well her times as a sky-walker. As well as all those nights when she refused to go to sleep because she was haunted by her dreams. There was no way to make them go away. The only thing that could help was when someone was with her. Someone she trusted and felt safe with. If only she had told Che’ri or left a simple note…
“I did not want to leave you. I would never,” she said hugging Che’ri, “I’m so sorry for not telling you anything. It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Che’ri just nodded with a faint smile.
Thalias then turned to the duo –angry Samakro and slightly annoyed Wutroow. She searched the whole ship and the mess hall was the only place where she hadn’t looked.
She apologized to them as well and thanked them for taking care of Che’ri.
Wutroow smiled, saying it´s fine, but Samakro wasn’t convinced.
“What were you doing the whole night?” he inquired.
Thalias stepped aside, letting them see the table behind her. On it there was a huge cake.
“We didn’t have a chance to go to that bakery on Naporar, so I wanted to make it up to you. It was supposed to be a surprise,” she said to Che’ri.
Girl’s eyes lit up with joy. And she immediately ran to take a closer look at it. Eagerly waiting for Thalias to cut it.
“You were here all night. Baking,” Samakro sighed.
“Would you like a piece?” Thalias offered, paying no attention to his irritated tone.
“We were looking for you everywhere. Thought you got into another of Thrawn’s crazy plans or something,” Wutroow explained, “and thank you, I’d like to have some.”
Thalias handed it to her as well as one to Samakro. At first, he hesitated, but he accepted it. And he was really glad he did.
The sweet taste of fruit made his worries and irritation go away. Not to mention it was like a piece of heaven for his empty stomach. Still not the best breakfast choice, but he couldn’t resist. And Wutroow who was resolved to eat something “proper” was already having the second piece.
“You know,” Samakro said with a full mouth, “I am glad you’re not gone or hurt.”
Thalias chuckled: “Is that supposed to mean that you appreciate me being here or simply just the cake? Or are you trying to say that taking care of a ten year old was too much to handle for you, mid captain?”
“Not at all! I can look after kids. We had fun, right, sky-walker Che’ri?”
The “I am not a child” expression flickered across Che’ri’s face for a brief second, but then she grinned widely.
“We’ve been drawing! ”
She jumped down from the chair and showed Thalias a drawing she made for Thrawn.
“You should see Samakro’s too!” Wutroow said with a smirk, earning a quiet “Don’t you dare” groan from her friend.
The rest of the morning was calm and joyful. Thalias and Wutroow were discussing their favorite vids. And Che’ri was asking Samakro many questions about piloting and keenly listening to him talk about courses at Taharim academy.
Then Wutroow challenged Samakro to a duel for the last piece of the cake. The challenge being, who eats the piece left on their plates the fastest. Wutroow won. But she took pity on Samakro and divided the piece in half. Or more like 70:30. Even though Samakro earned the smaller part, he did not complain.
Memories from the previous night were slowly fading away. Not just from Samakro’s mind, but Che’ri’s as well. Leaving them happily gathered around the table enjoying the sweetness of the dessert and the company of fellow warriors.
No, Samakro thought. They were not just fellow warriors or colleagues. They were friends. They were family.