Star Wars: Rebel Rising(46)

Behind the hangar was something of a town—a warehouse where Akshaya’s cargo was being sent, some sort of factory, a few shops, a diner, and a cluster of homes. The main street cutting through the town was decorated with baskets of flowers hanging from poles lined with bells that tinkled in a beautiful melody. The people walking down the street greeted each other in a friendly way, as if they all knew each other. Even from there, Jyn could hear cheerful music and smell the roasting meat from the inviting diner. At the opposite end of the town, Jyn could just make out a small spaceport, not good for much beyond shuttles and planet hoppers.

Akshaya’s house stood just a little downhill from the hangar. It was a small clapboard building, painted bright blue, a color that blended in perfectly with the clear sky and the blue-green grasslands that stretched into the distance. The door was red, and yellow designs had been painted around each window. It was the strangest house Jyn had ever seen, but it seemed to fit well there.

When Akshaya pushed open the front door, someone called out.

“Mum?”

“Hadder,” Akshaya said, “come and greet our guest.”

A boy about Jyn’s age peered around the corner. He had the same dark brown skin with red undertones that Akshaya had, and the same black hair, though his was cropped to chin length. His eyes widened when he saw Jyn standing behind his mother.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hello.” Jyn stuck out her hand.

“Where’d Mum find you?” His tone was friendly but curious.

“Near old Hamma’s place,” Akshaya said, shoving her son goodnaturedly into the room and leading Jyn inside before closing the door.

“My name is Jyn,” Jyn said.

“Where is she staying?” Hadder asked his mother.

Jyn had been staring at the beautiful mandalas painted on every possible surface in the room—walls, floors, ceiling. But the question made her focus on Akshaya.

“Where do you want to stay, Jyn?” Akshaya asked politely.

Jyn shrugged with one shoulder. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I could…stay on the ship?”

Hadder started to speak, but his mother cut him off. “You could. Do you want to? You could stay here if you like.”

Jyn’s eyes darted around the warm house. “Here?”

Akshaya seemed to be asking her son a question with her eyes. “You know I don’t care,” Hadder said. Akshaya nodded as if she’d made a decision.

“You can have Tanith’s room,” she said.

Akshaya’s house was small, and the bedroom Akshaya showed Jyn was a lot like a ship’s bunk. She suspected that the room was originally part of a larger one and that the whitewashed wall had been added more recently. The small bedroom had just enough space for a pallet on the floor, a small shelf that contained a wooden box, a vase with dried flowers, and little else. It seemed stark and empty compared with the beautiful bright mandalas and designs decorating the rest of the house.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like,” Akshaya said graciously.

Jyn nodded, although she wasn’t sure how much of that she believed. But she didn’t want to go back to hiding and being alone.

“I’m just on the other side,” Hadder added, pointing to the whitewashed wall.

Jyn dropped her bag on the floor.

“That’s settled then,” Akshaya said. She turned to her son. “Is dinner ready? I’m starving.”

“I mean, I made bunn,” Hadder said, although Jyn wasn’t sure what bunn was, “but we have a new housemate! We should celebrate!”

Hadder hustled Akshaya and Jyn back to the door. Akshaya laughed. “Any excuse to eat out, huh?” she said.

Jyn glanced behind her as they headed into town, noting that Akshaya hadn’t locked the door to the house. Come to think of it, she hadn’t locked up her ship, either. Even when they were the only ones on Wrea, she and Saw had kept everything secure.

As dusk dipped into night, fewer people were on the main street, but it was still well lit. Those who lived directly in town lingered on their stoops, chatting with neighbors. A few waved in greeting to Akshaya or Hadder, making the trip down the road take twice as long as they stopped to give updates. Most looked at Jyn curiously, but Akshaya ignored the pointed looks and discreet questions.

“You’re the most interesting thing to happen here in ages,” Hadder said in an undertone as he pushed open the door to the diner.

Jyn was a little surprised at how big the diner actually was, and how crowded.

“There’s a refinery on the other end,” Akshaya supplied, guessing what Jyn’s expression meant.

Jyn recalled the building that had looked like a factory. It made sense. Akshaya carted ore from small mining facilities to the refinery and then took the refined stock to manufacturing planets to sell it. This section of the Outer Rim was rather close to some rising Mid Rim worlds, and trade was growing.

“I’m surprised there are so many different kinds of people here,” Jyn commented as she sat down with Hadder at a table near the bar.

Jyn looked around. A Drabatan was laughing loudly with a Cyran. Over in the corner sat a group of Winrocs, talking darkly among themselves. The owner of the diner was a Chagrian, his mottled blue skin the same color as the sky outside. He caught Jyn staring at his lethorns and flicked a forked black tongue at her, winking when she smiled at him.