Elias grabbed the parts for the hyperdrive, and Winter took the ball.
“Thanks kid. It’ll keep him busy.”
Elias and Winter were walking out when Winter stopped. Elias looked at her with a weird expression.
“I know I know. I might regret this. Don’t give me that look.”
Winter turned towards the kid.
“Hey. If you need an out, docking bay 32. The big Pantoran ship. We’re leaving as soon as we can. Don’t make me regret this. Force sensitives are hard to find these days, and every one of us being hunted. So you might as well join someone who knows what they’re doing for the most part, than wait to be found.”
Elias and Winter rushed out of the shop and headed back to their ship. As soon as they got back, Elias started on the repairs and Winter stood waiting at the cockpit. She was looking out for the kid, and keeping and eye out for the not so friendly imperials they had managed to stumble across earlier.
Hiro came walking into the bay, something silver glinting on his side as he walked.
Winter looked out the window and smiled. She yelled back to Elias.
“Hey the kid is outside! I’m lowering the bay door!”
Elias yelled back.
“What? He actually showed up? That poor boy is going to need a jacket!”
Winter shook her head and went and lowered the door.
Hito noticed and rushed in “better hurry, I may or may not have snuck some extra parts from my boss for you guys “ he said with a sly smile
Winter pointed back in the ship.
“Elias is that way. Take him the parts. And do you by chance have anything to keep you warm? We’re cold weather dwellers. Our ship doesn’t get warm. It stays perpetually cold. If not that’s okay, we’ll find something. I know we have blankets. As soon as Elias fixes that hyperdrive we should be good to go. We paid premium price for the outside engines to get fixed by the working droids outside. Something about senatorial status and money really gets people going to help ya. Anyways kid. Make yourself at home. We’re headed to Coruscant. Apologies from earlier. We never introduced ourselves. I’m Winter, and the little boy running around somewhere on this ship is Frost. His father, Elias is the one fixing the hyperdrive.”
A resounding curse came from the back, followed by maniacal laughter. Winter scratched her head.
“Looks like he’s got most things up and running. But I bet he could use some of those parts. Let’s get out of here before anyone says anything.”
Winter stopped and put her hands together and looked at the boy.
“There’s something you should know. We’re being tailed by a small cell of imperials who still think the Empire is alive and well. You might have to use that flashy laser sword on your hip later on.
Elias shouted from the back.
“Don’t ask how we know that’s a lightsaber. We felt that things presence over yours. It’s got some history behind it. Anyways, we should go. Like right now.”
Winter rolled her eyes.
“Aye aye captain Elias. Let’s be on our way.”
Elias walked up to the cockpit covered in oil and grease stains. He winked at the boy, and smiled at Winter.
“Careful or I might get this on you. You know we can’t afford to be here longer than we have too. Frost is in his room, I put him down for a nap before I started working on the hyperdrive. He’s out for the count.”
“Thanks, ma’am but I was born on a dark year here. I'll be fine in the cold for a bit. Hiro chuckled as he looked down at his saber. “ mom said it was my fathers, he died when I was born. “ he watched as Elias walked in, “ here sir, I guess I stole these for you, and a little grease never hurt anybody. “ he chuckled, looking around the ship. “Woah.. This is an old one.” he said softly
Elias smiled and slapped the bulkhead.
"You don't have to call me sir kiddo. And thanks for the parts. We'll need them eventually. She's an older model, but she's reliable. It was one of the few the Pantorans could convert over in such a short time. They are cold weather dwellers, but not cold enough for Hothians. We have to keep our ship at a solid 38 standard degrees in order to be comfortable."
Elias nodded at Winter.
"Hit it hun. Let's get out of here. I don't want to be here any longer than we have too."
Winter slid into the pilot's chair and pressed a few buttons to begin the take off sequence.
"So kid, what's your name and who were your people? You said your saber there was your father. Maybe we knew him."
“I was young when my mother and father were killed, I don't really remember them. But I know after he died I took on his name like he always wanted. So my name his hiro. Hiro shimada “
Winter thought for a moment.
"The name sounds familiar. But I can't be sure. However, I do know that when we reach Coruscant, we will have access to the old Jedi archives. We can search for information for your family. Or anything about the Jedi. Truth be told, Elias and I need to look up more on the Jedi ourselves. We need to know more about the Force. We know we can use it, and we sense things with it, and we use it to help ourselves, but beyond that we have no idea what it's capable of. We just want some answers. Just like you."
“Then maybe we can become out own little bookworm family,” he said with a chuckle.
Elias laughed and rubbed his head.
"Kid, we've barely even met. Give it a few more days, weeks, months, and yeah sure if you stick around then we can call each other a family. But we have to find out more about you first. I love the enthusiasm though."
“It was a joke but I don't plan on leaving. Y'all just drug me from my only home,” he said, though hiro tilted his head when frost came back in “ hi small being of chaos.”
Elias laughed, and then threw his hands in the air when he saw Frost.
"We're only taking 30 minutes naps now aren't we? What a record."
Frost giggled and made his way towards Winter.
"Hey baby. Sleep good? Ama is flying the ship. Are you hungry? The same goes for you Hiro. Are you hungry?"
“I'm not all that hungry,” he said, taking a deep breath as he watched the planet escape from view. When he let his breath out, it came out as a midnight blue could..
Elias nodded at Hiro's cloud.
"That's a cool little trick. I'm going to assume it's Force created and not because you're smoking some special new strand of spice. Eiher way it's cool."
Hiro laughed “ no. I don't smoke, “ he said and sighed “ my mentor called them feeling clouds. It's a visual release of my emotions because of the force..” he said and looked the child. He can see it without it being visual “
Winter picked up Frost.
"I wouldn't doubt it. He also possesses Psychometry. Or Force echoes. When he touches an object, he can see past events, and future ones. He got that from Elias and I. I can see the past, while Elias can see the future. Frost is good at both. He also senses emotions, but cannot project his own. We had some Jedi test him back on Coruscant. She was a personal friend of Leia's. Last name of Tano. Leia wanted her brother to test him, but he was away on some business. The Jedi wanted to test Elias and I, and we allowed some tests, but we elected to keep our Force abilities in combat to ourselves. Now when we get to Coruscant, we can look for your father in the old archives. And if Leia's brother is there, or the one she called Tano is there, we can have them look at your abilities."
Hiro nodded, yawning softly as he watched the child. “ is he the one who can take ships apart in seconds?”
Elias laughed as he reached to take his son from Winter so she could realign the ship’s flight path.
“Oh you have no idea. I can leave him alone for two seconds and some sensor goes off or a cubby door is mysteriously floating down the hall. Now kid, you’re obviously tired. We have a spare bunk in the back, next to Frost’s room. You can have it. Go make yourself at home. Fair warning though. You will probably have to sleep in a jacket. It always gets colder at night. Even on a spaceship.”
“Okay, that you,” he said and gave a soft smile. Hiro started to head that way, finally letting out a shiver when no one seen
Elias set Frost down and Frost took off running. Winter shouted back at him.
“Slow down son! You’re going to take Hiro out!”
All she heard was laughter and footsteps speeding up. Elias looked at Winter.
“You do know he gets this from you right? All that boundless energy.”
Hiro started bull face laughing after a few minutes, “I think you all lot something!” he called happily
Elias threw his hands up.
“Now the guest thinks we’re crazy. Great.”
Winter smirked and crossed her arms.
“Now that part is all you hun. Frost come here. Let Hiro go to bed. It’s almost time for you to go to bed too. As a matter of fact, why don’t we all go to sleep? Everyone has had a busy day.”
“He's fine ma’am, in fact, I think he's gotten a bit comfortable.” hiro said, watching the small boy at the side of his bed, making sure he didn't fall
Elias rolled his eyes.
"He's like that with everyone new. He wants to know exactly who they are, and what they do. I'm just going to pick him up and put him in his room. He's right beside you, in his room, but if you don't wake up naturally, you'll wake up with the feeling of being watched, and it's going to be Frost staring straight into your soul. He does this frequently with Winter and I, and it's enough to make us jump. Sleep well Hiro."
