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The bright Pabu sun shone down on the wings of the Havoc Marauder, warming the back of Tech’s neck as he examined the slightly smoking undercarriage.
“I’m sorry, Tech.”
A jet of steam fogged Tech’s goggles as he loosened a bolt. The hissing noise nearly drowned out Omega’s quiet apology.
Tech peered at the damaged hoses and connectors on the chassis of the Marauder. He wiped his goggles free of the condensation. “Do not be. The damage is minimal.”
Omega hovered at his shoulder, wringing her hands. “I should have been more careful. Hunta’s going to be so mad at me.”
“That is true.” Tech said as he examined the part of the hull that Omega’s crash landing had shaved down. “But this is nothing I cannot fix.”
Omega crouched down next to him. “Do you need help?”
Tech cocked his head. Omega’s help would likely make the repair take longer. “I do not require your assistance. This will take no longer than six or seven hours.”
Omega stiffened. “ Hours? ” she gasped. “But Tech! You’ll miss the festival!”
Tech flicked the light on his goggles so he could see more clearly. “The what?”
“Teeeech” Omega’s head popped into his field of view, upside-down. She was holding fast to the side of the ship in her abnormal orientation in order to get his attention.
“Wrecker and I have been talking about it for seven rotations!” She vanished from sight only to return a moment later, swinging from a bar on the underside of the Marauder’s right wing. Her small feet skimmed the ornate tiled ground of Pabu’s shipyard.
“Every summer, the tides turn gold with algae. Pabu throws a festival on the first night with food and games and something Lyana called ‘spark-bursts’!”
Tech adjusted his goggles. He did recall Omega and Wrecker speaking at length about something lately, but he hadn’t paid them much attention. It took a lot of energy to keep up with Omega and Wrecker on an average day, let alone a day they were particularly excited.
“I apologize. I had forgotten.” Sometimes, he had found, it was better to lie to Omega than tell the truth.
Omega smiled at him. “Are you going to come? It starts at sunset.”
Tech checked his data pad. It was 1600 hours. Sunset was at 2100 hours this late in the year on this planet.
“I will not be finished with repairs by then.” Tech said.
Omega’s face fell. “But I thought-” She was cut off by a familiar voice calling a greeting.
“Everything alright up here?”
“Phee!” Omega dropped from her perch and left Tech’s field of vision.
“Hey there.” Phee stepped up to the side of the Marauder and crouched. Her sharp eyes took in the damage and she clicked her tongue.
“My, my, browneyes, what did you do this time?” She said.
Tech fumbled the wires he was handling. “ I did not do anything.” He informed her. He shot a glance at Omega who had reappeared at Phee’s side. Omega blushed and grimaced.
Phee raised an eyebrow at Omega. “Trying to blame the cadet, huh?” One side of her lips was twitching with a smile.
“I gave her sufficient instruction.” Tech pointed out. “She merely lacked the capacity to-” He stopped, seeing Omega’s face fall.
He cleared his throat. “I may have failed to give clear directions.”
Omega regained her usual demeanor. “Nah, I definitely messed up big time.” She said it with a smile. “Tech is a great teacher.”
“I’ll bet he is.” Phee’s eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. The back of his neck grew warm under the late-day sunlight. He refocused on the wiring at his fingertips.
“Are you going to the festival tonight?” Omega asked Phee.
“Maybe.” Phee said in her lazy way. “Who wants to know?”
“Me!” Omega said with a laugh.
“Well you know,” Phee said, “It's a Pabu tradition to ask someone special to go to the festival with you. It shows them that you really care.”
“ Really ,” Omega said. “That’s very interesting.”
Phee eyed her. “It sure is. By the way, Hunter was looking for you. Something about missing a lesson?”
Omega jumped. “Oh no! I forgot!” She grabbed her utility belt and bow from where they lay on the stones. “I’ve got to run. See you later!”
She was gone before Phee could say farewell. Tech hadn’t even bothered speaking, as he knew it would have been fruitless.
Tech began stripping the wire he had isolated from the tangle. Wrecker had surely been the last to perform maintenance on this panel of the ship. The wire-work was a mess.
“So,” Phee said.
Tech looked up. He hadn’t expected her to still be here. She sat cross-legged on the tiles, hands resting on the ground behind her. The sun caught her golden hair ornaments and made an intriguing pattern on her dark skin. She had her sleeves rolled up to her shoulders.
“She’s quite the character isn’t she? Omega I mean.”
Tech glanced away from Phee’s aesthetically pleasing features. “If you mean that she is amusing, yes.”
“More than that.” Phee said. “She’s smart and capable too. More than I was when I was her age, anyway.”
“Most children her age haven’t faced imminent death as often as she has, either.” Tech said sharply. “Nor have they been held captive, repeatedly taken from their family, or deprived of a true childhood.”
Phee was quiet. Tech reached for his multitool and began laser cutting through the metal housing to get at the tangle of wires. Something had to be done about this mess.
“You want her to be free.” Phee said quietly.
“Of course I do.” Tech said. “I want us all to be free.”
Phee shook her head. “No, I mean you want her to be free of the life she’s been living with you.”
Tech slipped. The beam of his tool passed over the first finger of his left hand, burning through the black glove and singing his skin. He blinked.
“Careful, browneyes.” Phee said, sitting up straight.
“I am always careful.” Tech said. He stared at his slightly smoking glove.
Phee scooted around the side of the craft until she was at his side. She reached out with her hand, hesitating before she touched him.
He paused for a moment before resting his gloved hand in hers. She removed the synth-leather and inspected the injury.
“Sometimes I think it would have benefitted her if we had made her go with Cut.” Tech blurted out. “Sometimes I become angry at Hunter and myself for keeping her with us.”
Phee glanced up at him, but he did not feel like making eye contact. She looked away.
“She loves you.”
“She is a child .”
Phee ran the tip of her finger over Tech’s wound. It didn’t hurt. The redness was only superficial. The glove had protected him from any real damage, as he knew it would.
“Pabu is a wonderful place to grow up.” Phee sighed. “And to grow old.” She looked out over the edge of the landing platform and towards the glittering ocean.
There was quiet between them for a long moment. Tech found that, curiously, he did not mind Phee’s gentle touch.
“You’ve done well for her.” Phee said. “This place is everything she deserves.”
Tech flexed his injured finger and Phee removed her hand.
“There are those in the galaxy who hunt for her.” Tech said. “She will never be truly safe because of us.”
“She is safe because of you.” Phee said firmly.
Tech suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and held out his hand for his glove. Phee returned it.
“Please hold this in place for me.” Tech said, gesturing to the bundle of wires. Phee did so without question.
So they continued until the sun began to sink behind the waves, staining them yellow-orange. Phee proved to be a capable assistant, and the work went quickly. They did not speak other than to communicate about the task at hand.
Without warning there was a distant screech and explosion of flying ordnance.
Tech pushed himself out from under the Marauder and onto his feet in one swift movement. His arm was up to his mouth in a moment, ready to comm to Hunter that he was under fire. He scanned the sky, trying to find where the attack had come from.
Another high-pitched whistle streaked across the darkening sky. It burst into a shower of green and red sparks in a circular pattern.
Tech stared.
Phee got up next to him. Her calm eased him off the edge of a soldier’s readiness.
“What is that?” He asked.
“Spark-bursts” Phee said as another exploded over the island, this time blue and gold. “I’m sorry, I forgot to warn you. They’re harmless. Just for show.”
Tech watched as several more of the spark-bursts bloomed overhead in different shapes and patterns.
“They mark the start of the festival.” Phee said, pointing up towards the courtyards at the top of Pabu’s mountain.
Tech looked up. There were lights and sounds of merrymaking drifting down to his landing pad. He imagined going up and joining Omega and Wrecker and the people of Pabu in a loud, close-quartered event with a bombardment of sounds and smells.
“I can’t imagine festivals are your style.” Phee said with a chuckle.
“Definitely not.” Tech said. Another spark-burst exploded overhead and the crowd atop the mountain cheered loud enough for Tech to hear. He frowned.
Phee thumbed over her shoulder. “Come with me, browneyes. I’ll show you what I do during the Golden Shores festival.”
. . .
Tech and Phee arrived at the beach twenty minutes later. The sounds and lights of the festival faded into obscurity down here. The only sound was the ocean’s surge against the sand, in and out in a steady rhythm. Tech glanced down at Phee’s bare feet. The sand squished between her toes as she leaned down to roll up her trousers.
“I used to love the festival.” She said as she exposed the smooth brown of her calves. “But after a few decades, it gets a little stale. This is what I like to do when I’m on world nowadays. It feels like treasure hunting.” She winked at him.
“What is it we are hunting?” Tech asked. He let her hold on to his arm for balance as she affixed her trouser legs into place.
“That.” Phee pointed down the beach to where a soft golden glow was starting to spread across the sand.
Tech watched as what he deduced was the algae began to shine with bioluminescence.
Phee smiled. “I’m lucky this year. I like to try to find where it begins.”
Tech raised his eyebrows. “You are extremely lucky. This beach spans many square kilometers.”
Phee laughed, though Tech did not see what was funny. He didn’t mind, however. He quite enjoyed the sound of her laughter. An unrestrained sound. True and unmasked. Like most of her.
They stood together, watching the algae glow under the light of the moons above. Tech had to admit it was striking. It looked like Coruscant from the atmosphere.
“Omega is lucky to have you.” Phee said quietly, her voice almost lost in the sound of the ocean.
“That remains to be seen.” Tech said.
Phee raised an eyebrow at him.
“I…appreciate that.” Tech said. “Thank you.”
Phee smiled. Tech found himself admiring the subtle smile lines around the corners of her eyes and the soft contour of her lips. Her smile faded slightly and her expression changed to something…different.
“You’re welcome.” Phee said.
Tech became very aware that his hand was hanging mere centimeters from Phee’s. He was surely imagining the heat between their fingers. He glanced down.
Phee followed his gaze and her smile returned. She looked up and out over the ocean and ran her right hand through her thick coils of hair.
Tech watched her. Did this woman really enjoy his company that much?
He felt a soft touch on his little finger. He looked down and saw that she had extended her own little finger to close the gap between them.
Tech felt a tingle in his hand that ran up his arm.
He reached for her finger with his own. She hooked them together and glanced at him.
“This okay?” She asked.
Tech considered the feeling.
“Yes.”