Chapter 6

He paced the floor anxiously, his navy blue cape swirling behind with each turn, as he awaited their arrival. Casual onlookers thought that the heir to the Alonian throne was simply uptight about the planet's current state of affairs. Only Cort's closest advisors, however, knew the reason for his pacing. He hadn't seen Obi-Wan in ten years and he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Jedi and his apprentice. Cort had ordered preparations for a huge welcoming banquet for that night. He stopped his pacing for a moment to look out the window on the observation deck. I can't believe it's been ten years! I wonder what you're like now, Ben? He smiled; thinking of all the trouble the two of them used to cause. We're just like two brothers, Ben.

However, as he looked over the city, he heard a security alarm sound somewhere off in the distance, and saw a vehicle with flashing lights go tearing down the streets after some unseen menace. Unfortunately, I don't think that things will ever be like the old times again. He rested his arms on the window's ledge and sighed. The vehicle called time often brings responsibility to its passengers; an old teacher had once lectured him. And I seem to have got the bantha's share, he thought with a sigh. While Cort believed it was very important to serve as a leader to his planet, he often wished the job had fallen to someone else.

Footsteps sounded behind him. He turned around to face an aide who began speaking.

"Your Highness," the aide said with a customary bow, "A ship bearing the markings of the Jedi has entered space just outside the planet."

"Thank you," Cort replied with a nod of his head and a smile. He followed the aide to the security control deck inside the docking bay. Inside the room, officers sat at their posts with bored looks on their face, but straightened in their chairs and acted busy as soon as Cort enter the room. I hate this phony, holier-than-thou, royalty image, he thought with a grimace.

"Coruscanti light freighter, please identify yourself and give the proper clearance code," an officer stated monotonously into his comm as the ship blipped on the radar. Cort looked at the officer's desk where the visual screen was starting to blink as the communications link was made. A smile forming on his face, he tapped the officer on the shoulder and motioned for him to leave his desk. The officer got up without a question and handed his headset to Cort, who put it on and sat in the vacated seat. He looked at the screen, which now blinked into view with the face of a Jedi who looked older, more mature, since Cort had last seen him.

"This is Coruscanti light freighter Nova Wing," the brown-haired Jedi said, looking not at the screen, but apparently at someone or something off to the side. "The clearance code is 'Shinoa'."

"Identification and clearance confirmed," Cort said, keeping his voice as flat as possible. Then, in his normal voice, "I trust that you've gotten all of that ratier dung off your boots by now."

The face on the screen snapped up in surprise, and a younger face appeared behind him, struggling very obviously to contain his laughter. Cort smiled as he watched the blue eyes of the Jedi widen and the startled features break into a grin with a hearty laugh. Cort offered a goofy grin back to the pair onscreen, and then somewhat comically resumed his stone-faced security officer pose.

"Please follow the designated coordinates to docking bay 21, sir. That is all." He gave an exaggerated stiff-lipped nod, a smirk, and then turned the desk over to its previous owner as the still laughing Jedi signed off.

Cort stood to leave and straightened his cape. He looked over his shoulder, and the bewildered faces of half a dozen officers met his eyes. They had never imagined their leader to be a practical joker!

"Yes?" he said with a raised eyebrow, and all hands scrambled back to work. Chuckling to himself, he walked towards the docking bay to greet the arrival of his friends.

The door slid to a close when he left. The security officers all turned to look at each other with confused looks on their faces.

"I hope that ruling this planet isn't getting to be too much of a strain on him," one commented. The others nodded or shrugged their shoulders in reply and gradually turned back to their work. None of them knew that Cort was listening on the other side of the door, laughing the laugh of a mischievous child that had been hidden too long.