SW: Jaeriel, Turning for Home

Orbiting Endor's Sanctuary Moon, Alliance Fleet, aboard the Alliance flagship Home One

Orchid ran down the passageways of Home One, rushing past the Alliance flagship's crewmembers despite their protests. Reaching her mother's cabin she rushed inside, huffing and puffing breathlessly.
“Mom!” she panted as she caught her breath. “Jae's gone!”
Quinn looked up from her desk, she was still recovering from all the mayhem of the last few weeks as the Alliance had absorbed the shock of its victory over the Empire here at Endor. Just a week before a task force had been dispatched to some Imperial fringe world to aid them against some sort of attack from unknown aliens. The galaxy was changing very fast.
“What?” she asked.
“She's gone!” Orchid sobbed. “I went to her room to see her and all her things are gone!”
Quinn slapped the companel on her desk.
“Flight Control this is Commander Shara, is Flight Officer Nokta's fighter still in the bay?”
“Yes ma'am.”
“Ground it.”
There was a pause as the flight controller hesitated.
“Ma'am?”
“Do I need to repeat myself?” Quinn snapped as she stood and threw her jacket on. “Ground that fighter until I get there!”
“Do you require security?” the controller asked worriedly.
“Negative, just don't let that fighter lift!” she grabbed Orchid on her way out of the cabin. “Come on.”

Jaeriel finished packing her things into the Ace in the Hole's storage compartments. The message from her father hadn't asked her to hurry, it hadn't even asked her to come home. It had just said that her mother was missing and Ay-lana was having nightmares about a great evil swallowing the galaxy. She didn't know what greater evil there could be beyond the one that she'd just helped to vanquish here but the fact that her mother was missing alone told her that she had to come home even if her father hadn't asked. The bond that her mother and father shared should have allowed him to find her anywhere in the galaxy, that it apparently wasn't doing what it was supposed to worried Jaeriel. She only wished that she was going home under better circumstances.
“Jae!”
She turned at the all too familiar voice just in time to have Orchid slam into her stomach. With her beskar'gam on she barely felt the impact though she felt the CLUNK as Orchid's head connected with the metal armor.
“Ow,” Orchid whimpered as she looked up at Jaeriel with tears in her eyes. “Why are you packing everything up?”
Jaeriel looked down at the chiss girl in exasperation as she tried to pry Orchid's arms from her.
“Let go you goof.” she said gently.
Orchid shook her head, scrunching her eyes shut as she clung tighter to Jaeriel waist.
“No! You're trying to leave aren't you?” she looked up at Jaeriel. “Please don't leave Jae! Please!”
Jaeriel opened her mouth, hesitating as she spoke. She couldn't tell Orchid anything about her family, she couldn't.
“I—I have to Orchid, there's...there's something I have to do.”
“No!” Orchid said stubbornly. “I won't let you!”
Jaeriel felt her temper flaring at her 'little sister's' stubbornness.
“I don't want to hurt you Orchid, please let go.”
“That's good.” Jaeriel looked up to see Quinn approaching. “Because I would really hate to beat you senseless for hurting her.”
“Don't let her leave mom!” Orchid pleaded. “We're just now starting to win, she can't leave!”
“Hush Orchid,” Quinn said gently. “Let her go,” she looked at Jaeriel. “We're going to talk about this.”
Jaeriel swallowed and nodded. She didn't know if she could take her mentor—she'd never called Quinn her master, that title belonged to her father—and she really didn't want to find out either! She let herself relax as Orchid let her go reluctantly, though she kept a firm grip on Jaeriel's hand.
“Where are you going?” Quinn asked.
“I can't tell you.” Jaeriel said.
“Can you tell me why you're leaving?”
Jaeriel shook her head and Quinn sighed in exasperation.
“Look kiddo, I don't want to do this but you're not leaving until I get some answers. You can't just pack up and leave like that.”
“I'm sorry Quinn, but I can't tell you.”
Quinn stood there for a moment, gazing at Jaeriel steadily with her green eyes before she spoke again.
“Alright, I'm going to tell you where you're going: the brig unless I get an answer I like.”
Jaeriel looked down at Orchid's pleading gaze and wondered how quickly she could teleport or phase to get away from the two of them...did she really want to leave them like that?
“It's about your family isn't it.” Quinn said suddenly.
Jaeriel's head jerked back up to look at her in surprise.
“Thought so.”
“How did you—“
“—it isn't hard to figure out.” Quinn said. “We've known each other for three years Jaeriel. In all that time I've never seen you take so much as a day off and now suddenly you're running off without a word?” Quinn nodded. “Has to be your family, there isn't anything else aside from myself and Orchid that I can imagine you caring about enough to hurt us like that.”
Jaeriel winced. “I didn't want to hurt anyone...this was just...easier than saying goodbye.”
Orchid jumped on Jaeriel again.
“You can't leave!” she protested.
“I have to.” Jaeriel said, trying to fight her own emotions. “I have to go.” she looked up at Quinn. “They need me.”
Quinn stared at her for a long while before sighing and pulling out her comlink.
“Flight Control this is Commander Shara, Flight Officer Nokta has clearance to lift whenever she's ready to depart.”
“Mom!” Orchid cried.
“Not now Orchid,” Quinn said gently, coming over and taking her daughter's hand. “Jaeriel has something she has to take care of alright? But she'll be back,” she looked up at Jaeriel. “Won't you?”
Jaeriel swallowed and opened her mouth before closing it again. Then she nodded tightly.
“I'll be back, promise.”
Quinn nodded, pulling the younger girl into her arms tenderly.
“I've never been sure whether you were my little sister, second daughter or apprentice. What I am sure of Jaeriel is that you're part of our family...so you come back or else you understand?”
Jaeriel leaned against Quinn, nodding tightly as she forced herself not to cry.
“I will.”
“Then go, go do what you have to. We'll be here when you get back.”
Quinn released Jaeriel and she stepped away from her while Orchid whimpered tearfully.
“Jae, you can't.” she sniffled as she wiped her eyes.
“I have to Orchid.” Jaeriel said she embraced her little sister tenderly. “They're my family.”
“We're your family.” protested the chiss girl. “Stay.”
Jaeriel shook her head and looked into Orchid's red eyes tenderly.
“They need me Orchid. Something awful has happened and they need me.”
Orchid swallowed. “It isn't fair.”
Jaeriel smiled slightly. “Yeah, but when has life ever been fair?” she ruffled the younger girl's hair gently. “I'm coming back alright?”
Orchid nodded. “You have to.”

Quinn watched as Jaeriel climbed up into the cockpit of her A-wing.
“You know a part of me wants to come with you and meet this mysterious family of yours...I've always wondered who raises a kid like you.”
Jaeriel looked down at her and smiled. “I know, but don't Quinn...maybe one day you'll meet them, but right now I can't betray their trust like that.”
Quinn snorted. “You act like I'd tell their secret.”
“They haven't lasted this long by sharing that secret.” Jaeriel replied.
Sighing, Quinn nodded. “Yeah, I guess you're right.” she waved her hand. “Get out of here kiddo, before I change my mind.”
Jaeriel nodded in return as she put her helmet on and sealed the cockpit. As the Ace in the Hole lifted on its repulsors and flew out of the hangar and into the void, Orchid held Quinn's hand worriedly.
“Do you think she'll come back?”
Quinn watched as the A-wing vanished from sight as she answered.
“I think we'll see her again...come on, we've got our own work to do.”