"Master Yoda, welcome on board the Clear Skies," I greet him a week and a half later, as he hobbles up the ramp with his cane.
He nods and answers "Good to be here, it is. Change of plans, there has been I fear. Three Jedi, interested they are. Come along they want...Problem, I hope this isn't?"
I blink and then shake my head. "No problem. Life support and food are more than sufficient and you did hire the entire ship, so as long it's not too many to fit in the cabins, we are fine."
Yoda nods and calls out through the hatch, and three more Jedi join us. All of them human, two females and one male, somewhere between 15 and 18 years old. He turns back to me "May I introduce Jedi Knights Kal, Trok and Meroc. Knights, Captain Atreus of the Clear Skies, this is ."
They all bow and I give them a nod in return. "Jedi" I say simply, before holding out a small lockbox. "If you would all put your lightsabers in this box please, they can be locked away in the ship's vault. Nobody carries weapons on my ship except for my crew. Not even Jedi."
The male, Kal starts to protest. "Captain, a Jedi's lightsaber is a..." and is interrupted by Yoda chuckling
"Calm down, you will, Knight Kal. In his right, the Captain is" and hobbles over, putting his own small lightsaber hilt in the lockbox. He looks sternly back at the knights. "Unarmed a Jedi, never is. Remember this, you should."
The humans hesitate for a second before nodding. There is a triple echo of "Yes Master" coming from them as they put their weapons in it, so I can close and lock it."
I give them all a nod of gratitude. "Then I welcome you all onboard the Clear Skies. If you all would follow me, I will take you to your cabins" I tell them before hitting the intercom. "Bridge, this is the Captain. Get us flying" I order and wait until I get an acknowledgment from Swan. I close the line and make my way through the ship with the four Jedi following me.
We soon enter the passenger section. "Either way, this is the passenger compartments. There are a hundred of them and you can pick any you want I guess, as you are the only passengers on this trip. Cargo bay, Engineering, and everything in front of the red door is strictly of limits for passengers without my express permission. Normally Icri, the Passenger Manager, would be here to greet you as well but as I know Master Yoda, I thought I would do it personally. Besides she is having a...disagreement with the cook about the menu." I inform them.
Yoda nods and then looks up at me, before speaking to the other Jedi. "Go find somewhere to sleep, you can. Speak with the Captain, I must." I frown down at him, keeping my gaze unmoving until they have left.
"Master Yoda...why exactly do I have a sudden urge to turn this ship around?"
He shakes his head. "Smart, you always were, Atreus. Learn quickly, you did. But trouble, there will not be" he replies, and I tilt my head in confusion.
"So, what is the problem then, Master Yoda?" and he chuckles before answering.
"Problem, not right word it is. Trouble, more like it. For your assistance with archeology site, I ask. Two researchers, killed they have been. Defenses, active, they are."
I sigh and shake my head. "This was not the agreement, Master Yoda. This sounds very dangerous."
Yoda nods slowly before answering. "Dangerous...yes. Grateful, I would be, for your assistance. Friend of Jedi, you are."
Looking down at the little green muppet I frown. "Master Yoda, calling on my honor to save Jedi in trouble is one thing. This is completely different" I tell him and he chuckles, nodding.
"Right you are, Atreus. Do that, I do not. Find some way to compensate you, I will." I raise an eyebrow, burring up my feathers slightly. The Jedi do pay well, but he simply shakes his head.
"More credits, I can not offer. Some other way, I will find. My word, you have."
Sighing, I shake my head. "I'll think about it. No promises. This is why you brought the Knights as well?" I ask and he nods in confirmation.
"Help, they can. More people, always helpful in such matters are."
I give him a nod, before leaving him to find somewhere to sleep and I head up to my quarters. I intend to coil around my brand new pillar, this one out of actual stone instead of metal and synthetics, and I frown unhappily.
I should have really learned by now that Jedi equals trouble. Sighing, I shake my head and climb down from the pillar to pick my laser cannon from its rack on the wall.
Who am I kidding. I can't let the old dustling walk into that place with only some humans as backup, Jedi or not.
Shaking my head once more, I put the cannon down on my workbench and start pulling out my tools. Time to give this thing a once over, to see it actually works before seeing if there is something else I can get ready. I do have almost four days.
At the very least my crew won't be in danger this time.