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“Hi, I’m Kai. Kai Brightstar.”
“I’m Cyrus Vuundir. Good to meet you, Kai Brightstar.”
Those words, spoken so many years ago, filtered back through Cyrus’s mind like a wisp of smoke. He sighed, leaning back against the walls that built up the Jedi temple. The stone was beginning to cool under his fuschia finger tips as the Tenoo sun continued to set, staining the sky blush pink.
In the courtyard below he could see Wes Vinik and Celesta Kami, Nubs and Lys’ Jedi Masters, preparing for the knighting ceremony. Distantly he could hear Nubs doing pushups, while Lys was likely still getting ready in her quarters. She had asked Cyrus his opinion on which set of robes she should wear, and promptly shoved him out the door when he chose incorrectly.
Much had happened in the nearly eleven years since Cyrus had first come face to face with Kai, Lys, and Nubs. After the Nihil had been defeated, the younglings leveled up and became Padawans. They got to go off into the stars and have adventures and see new planets. Meanwhile, Cyrus just felt . . . lost. After giving up the mantle of Taborr Val-Dorn to focus on his role as the prince of Vuundalla, Pord and EB-3 drifted away to other pursuits. And just when he was getting the hang of the prince thing, his parents decided that they no longer wanted to be in charge, and turned Vuundalla over to a council of elders.
When she heard, Lys encouraged him to enroll at the University of Tenoo, thinking that it might give him some idea of what to do in life. Eventually he did so, hoping that it would mean he would also get to see his Jedi friends more often. But Kai, Lys, and Nubs were rarely on Tenoo, always on a mission or stationed on another planet. He still saw Lys and Nubs every couple of months or so, but it had been over a year since he’d last seen Kai.
They had danced together at a village celebration in Kublop Springs, and though holding Kai’s hands had made him so nervous, it was the happiest he’d felt in a long time. But then the human boy had left the very next morning without even saying goodbye. Cyrus’s holo messages also went unanswered until eventually he stopped sending them altogether.
But today, Kai was coming back to Tenoo. And he would be here any minute.
Two ships flew by overhead with a woosh, bringing Cyrus out of his thoughts. When he glanced up and saw what ships they were, he immediately darted to his feet. Vectors.
Instinctively, he started toward the landing pad, but then he stopped. What would he say? Would Kai even want to see him? Filled with nervous indecision, he glanced up at the darkening sky and then over at Wes and Celesta, still setting up. He still had a little bit of time before the ceremony.
Thinking of Kai’s wide smile morphing into a look of disgust made Cyrus shrivel up inside, and so he turned and headed off into town.
Eventually he found himself by a Tenoo tree growing near the edge of the university campus. It was just the right time of dusk that glowbugs were starting to gently drift from branch to branch, like little light-filled dust motes. He ran his hand over the smooth bark before eyeing a low-hanging branch and hauling himself up. As he settled onto his perch, his gaze kept drifting back toward the Jedi temple until he bit his lip and forced himself to look away.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
Cyrus startled, sliding a bit on the branch but keeping his grip. His hand automatically reached for where his electrostaff used to be but then relaxed as he looked down and put a face to the voice. “Hey, Lys.”
The Pantoran Padawan was in her formal Jedi robes, white and gold against her blue skin and tightly coiled purple hair. It was hard to see in the dimming light, but Cyrus made out traces of makeup around her eyes. The makeup was something Master Zia would ordinarily not approve of, but it was clear she’d made an exception. Just as how she’d made an exception by allowing all three Padawans to be knighted together, even though they’d all taken their trials independently.
Before he knew it, she had climbed up and was sitting next to him, gently swinging her legs.
“Why are you here, Lys,” Cyrus murmured. “You’re going to miss the ceremony.”
Lys rolled her eyes. “They can’t start without me. Besides, they’re all busy fawning over Ember.”
Cyrus froze. Kai really had been in one of the Vectors. “Kai’s here?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him searchingly. “Him and Master Bell.”
“Oh. That’s . . . great . . .”
Lys raised an eyebrow and then sighed. Cyrus knew what she was about to say and braced himself. Lys had been the one most frequently on Tenoo, and as such they’d become close friends over the years. So close that she probably knew more about him than even his parents, wherever they were.
“Cyrus. We all love Kai. But you love him differently, don’t you?”
He could feel her looking at him but he steadfastly kept his gaze on a glowbug that was slowly crawling along the branch.
“I . . . don’t think I love him like that.”
“But do you want to?”
“Even if I did, he doesn’t feel the same way about me!” Cyrus burst out, finally meeting Lys’s eyes. “At the festival last year, he left without even saying goodbye and never returned any of my holo messages.”
“Do you know why, though?” said Lys pointedly, adjusting her robes.
“I — no . . .”
She pursed her lips. “It’s okay you feel hurt, but it’s possible Kai had a good reason and just wasn’t able to return your holo messages. I haven’t had much contact with him either, but I know that he and Bell had been tracking down a Nihil remnant for a while now.”
A flicker of hope alighted in Cyrus’s chest. “But what should I do? I don’t want to ruin tonight for him by making things awkward . . .”
“Talk to him. After the ceremony. And you could never ruin things for Kai. Even when you were Taborr Val-Dorn, I know Kai always tried to hide how happy he was whenever you showed up.”
A snort escaped him but he could feel the tension in his stomach ease a bit. “Thanks, Lys. You’re a really good friend.”
She smiled at him, her face tattoos almost shimmering from the light from the glowbugs. “You’re welcome.”
“Can I ask you something?” Cyrus said after a beat. Lys nodded. “Have you ever felt stuff for anyone like what I feel for Kai?”
Lys frowned slightly, looking lost in thought. “Not really. I love my friends, obviously, but it’s never been more than that. It’s just not something I really want or need.” She quirked the corner of her mouth. “That doesn’t mean I can’t give good advice, though.”
Cyrus smiled back. “True enough.”
“Now come on,” she said, hopping down from the tree, “we’ve got a ceremony to attend.”
Despite his best efforts, Cyrus ended up standing near the front. After he and Lys returned to the temple, he’d been spotted by Master Zia, who greeted him with a warm hug and invited him to stand beside her during the ceremony. Feeling like it would be rude to refuse, Cyrus accepted with an awkward smile.
Once the small crowd had assembled, mostly composed of friends the Padawans had made on their many adventures, Masters Bell, Celesta, and Wes entered the courtyard, followed by Kai, Lys, and Nubs. It was only just twilight, but warm lights illuminated the space. Bell’s charhound, Ember, trotted by his heels, tongue lolling about happily.
But Cyrus only had eyes for Kai. The Jedi boy had a fresh fade and looked good in his temple robes. A faint blush was visible on his warm brown cheeks, and Cyrus noticed he was also wearing eye makeup, like Lys. Also new was a small scar on his jaw, barely discernable in the dim light, something he’d likely picked up on his adventures over the past year.
At first, the sight of Kai made Cyrus’s breath catch in his chest. Then the anxiety settled in and he fought to keep the invasive thoughts from crowding his head. Bell had stepped forward and was saying a few words before the ceremony began when Kai’s head turned, scanning the crowd before his brown eyes then caught on Cyrus.
The two boys held each others’ gazes for several heartbeats before Kai smiled and then turned to continue listening to Bell. A flood of relief broke in Cyrus’s chest.
Beginning the ceremony, Celesta stepped forward and ignited her blue blade. Lys moved to kneel in front of her. Cyrus barely processed what Celesta was saying until she lowered her lightsaber and cut off Lys’s Padawan braid.
“Rise, Lys Solay, protector of the light!”
Wes stepped forward to where Nubs was already kneeling and repeated the process. The braided strand of Nubs’ blue fur fell to the ground as he stood.
“Rise, Nubs, protector of the light!”
Finally, it was Kai’s turn. He knelt in front of Bell, the light of his blade casting a green glow over his face. Darting forward, Ember licked Kai’s face, causing him to let out a surprised laugh. The crowd chuckled and Bell smiled, motioning Ember away before beginning.
“By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I name you Jedi, Knight of the Republic. Rise, Kai Brightstar, protector of the light!”
“For light, and life!” he called out in reply.
After the ceremony, people mingled about the courtyard, congratulating the new Jedi Knights and engaging the Masters in conversation.
Cyrus retreated to the wall encircling the courtyard, leaning against it and surveying the crowd. There were people he could have talked to — he’d long since apologized for his actions as Taborr Val-Dorn, and he’d become friendly with some of the Kublop Springs locals, but there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.
Kai looked in his element, enthusiastically greeting old friends and grinning up at the temple he’d once called home. Lys and Nubs, too, looked equally happy, and Cyrus’s heart swelled for his friends. This was something they’d been working for all their lives, and he was glad for them.
Waiting for the crowd to thin out a bit, Cyrus studied the ground and played with a strand of his violet hair. He became so engrossed in a little glowbug that was crawling across the flagstones that he almost didn’t notice when someone gently tapped him on the shoulder.
His gaze flew up, and standing there before him — was Kai.
“Hey,” Kai said with a tentative smile. He still appeared upbeat, but there was something a little softer in his posture. “You wanna go for a walk?”
Cyrus glanced at the crowd still mingling behind him. “Don’t you need to stay and work the crowd?”
The other young man shrugged. “The ceremony’s over, and I’ve said my hellos. And now, I’d like to go on a walk with you. If that’s okay.”
Heat flooded Cyrus’s cheeks. “Uh — yes. Um. That would be — that would be okay. I would like that.”
“Great!” Kai said, adjusting his robes. “Um — this way, I guess?”
“Lead the way.”
At first, awkward silence filled the air as the two strolled through Kublop Springs in the darkening twilight. Cyrus kept alternating between glancing at Kai and staring at anything else.
Finally, Cyrus couldn’t take it anymore. “Congratulations,” he said, breaking the silence as they entered a park filled with Tenoo trees. “I know you’ve been waiting for this for years.”
Kai nodded and smiled. “Thanks. It feels a little surreal, to be honest. The ceremony was so quick.” He ran a hand over where his Padawan braid had been not even an hour ago.
“What are you going to do next, now that you’re a Knight and all? You already took down the greatest pirate in the sector,” Cyrus teased, gesturing to himself. “And you weren’t even a Padawan yet!”
“That’s very true,” Kai said, his tone amused before growing more contemplative. “Seriously, though, I’m not quite sure yet. I’m not really the Wayseeking type, so I’ll probably choose a temple to be based at soon.”
Cyrus hesitated before asking softly, “What about here on Tenoo?”
“I . . . I don’t know —”
It felt like the memory of Kai leaving without saying goodbye was coming back, and Cyrus felt tears spring to his eyes as his hopes were dashed.
“Why not? This place is your home, and they have a temple here, and Master Zia is here, and I’m here —” He abruptly cut himself off, turning away from Kai and wiping at his eyes.
“Cyrus . . .” Kai said softly. “I . . . I’m sorry that I left so abruptly last year. And that I haven’t been responding to your messages. Truly, I’m sorry. I know you probably felt hurt by it, which I respect . . . but if you’re willing to hear it, I do have a genuine explanation.”
After a moment, Cyrus nodded.
“The morning after the festival, Master Bell received an urgent distress call from his friend Burryaga, who had encountered a Nihil remnant. We left at once, and after rescuing Burryaga, Bell decided it was best for us to go under cover. That meant we couldn’t send any holomessages without getting detected. We were undercover for months, until finally we had the opportunity to expose their leadership and take them down. At that point, I wasn’t sure if you even wanted to hear from me. That was a mistake on my part, and I’m sorry, but none of it was because I randomly decided I hated you or something. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
Cyrus had been listening quietly, the pieces beginning to click together in his mind. The pain he had felt was real, but it was lessening after learning the truth. Kai didn’t hate him after all.
“Thank you for explaining that,” he said slowly, turning back around. “I — I really missed you.”
Kai gave a small smile. “I missed you too.” He hesitated briefly before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Cyrus.
Cyrus returned the hug, feeling how broad Kai’s shoulders had gotten and smelling the scent of his hair product. Heat once again rose in his cheeks as they broke apart.
“And I would like to stay connected to Tenoo,” Kai added, fiddling with a band on his wrist. “I’m just not certain of what my future will look like at the moment. But . . . I hope that you’ll be a part of it.”
Cyrus’s heart seemed to stop. “Kai . . . there’s something I want to tell you.”
“There’s something I want to tell you too, Cyrus.”
Under the bow of a large Tenoo tree, they both spoke simultaneously. “I like you.”
Cyrus frowned, unsure if he heard correctly. “What?”
“I like you, Cyrus,” Kai said, stepping forward. His face was bathed in soft light from the glowbugs drifting in the shadow of the tree. “Even all those years ago, when you were Taborr Val-Dorn, I think I liked you. I just hadn’t realized it yet.”
Hope was bubbling up in Cyrus’s chest. “I was so happy when we danced together, last year — but then you left, and I thought I’d somehow scared you off. There was so much I wanted to tell you.”
Kai grinned. “Well, you’re in luck, because you could never scare me off. And if I happen to have to go somewhere, this time I hope you can come with me.”
“I’d like that,” Cyrus smiled back. Kai was standing so close, he could count the faint freckles that scattered his nose. His gaze drifted lower to Kai’s lips, before darting up again to see Kai looking at him in amusement.
“What I’d also like,” Cyrus murmured, stepping closer, “is to kiss you. If you’re okay with it.”
“More than okay.”
“Thank the Force,” Cyrus got out before his lips were on Kai’s. He was kissing Kai Brightstar! Time seemed to stretch on and on until eventually Cyrus pulled back, his hands still holding onto Kai.
“I do have one more question,” Cyrus said. “Aren’t you Jedi supposed to avoid attachments and all that?”
Kai chuckled. “It’s obsession, not attachment that Jedi need to steer clear from. Besides, Bell told me that when he was younger, one of his fellow Padawans even got married on Eriadu. If she can do that, then I’m sure we’re fine.”
Cyrus breathed out a sigh of relief. “Awesome, because I did not want to go through all of that just for the Jedi Code to get in the way. Not that that would have stopped a pirate like me, of course.”
“Of course,” Kai laughed, leaning in and kissing him again. “Would you want to go on a date with me sometime? I’m not exactly sure what the protocol is for a Jedi dating a former pirate.”
Cyrus smiled. “I’d like that.”