Chapter 95: 95. Chapter

-From the perspective of Nizzal-

After the classes were over, I was asked by Ms. Lana to stay behind for a little chat. I felt a numb sensation around my scalp since I caught her multiple times over the class staring at me absentmindedly while she thought I didn’t look. It was painfully obvious that she wanted to speak about my notes… I could see she was genuinely curious about me now…

Uhh… I am going to be chewed out, aren’t I?

The other kids left the classroom, giving me a worried look, but they couldn’t find a good reason to stay behind with me.

I was standing in front of the teacher’s desk, fidgeting slightly. The whole situation felt unfamiliar to me. Is this what going to school means? It’s interesting, but isn’t this sudden tension a bit much, I feel like I joined the military or something like that...

I felt Ms. Lana’s dark brown eyes looking at me quizzically. Saw a curious glint passing over her pupils. She finally lifted her eyes from the digital note she so comfortably forgot to give back…

Her eyes narrowed at my smaller form, her lips parting a few times, visibly thinking over the possible questions she might want to ask.

At last, she spoke up in a soft, supportive tone.

-Nizzal, may I ask how old are you?

Uh… that means our cover is probably blown… Maybe I can still lie my way out of it…

-I am ele-…

She interrupted me.

-Don’t lie to me, young lady, tell me your actual age… I am pretty sure that no eleven-year-old could solve such advanced calculations as hyperspace jumps. Not without the help of advanced artificial intelligence, at least, and seeing your hand drawn calculations… no, you are not eleven years old.

I looked at my feet, saying nothing for a while. After I could sense her impatient glare on my skin, I decided to speak.

-… Fine, I just turned fourteen…

She accepted that answer, saying.

-Yes, that seems about right. I never believed you to be an eleven-year-old to begin with. Your height is on the small side, but not that small, you know?

I nodded, feeling a bit annoyed. Ahsoka would tease the hell out of me if she heard some of the kids took me for a ten or eleven-year-old… It’s just… ah, never mind. Luckily, she doesn’t know.

I was a bit surprised that the teacher figured out what I was calculating; it wasn’t that easy to guess it from a half finished calculation. Still she guessed it, just needed some time to figure it out.

I was taken off-guard by the next question. As Ms. Lana spoke.

-So which one is the school you learned that? Could you tell it to me?

I was completely surprised by this question, and blurted out an honest answer without thinking.

-Which one? I don’t go to school… at all…

About halfway through that sentence, I knew that I messed up big time. I couldn’t decide which one was more hilarious: her shocked expression, or the horror-stricken face she made after my words sank in.

The teacher exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

-You don’t go to school and can still do advanced math! You must be a math genius… I will have to talk to your parents right away… not sending you to school is an absolute no! How could such a thing even happen? Going to school at your age is mandatory, war or not, that doesn’t change the need for a proper education.

She took a moment to calm herself somewhat, and continued the rant.

-It’s decided… I will be the one who will escort you home today. It seems I have to speak with your parents.

At this point, I was frozen over like a thousand year old ice statue left in the ice covered fields of Hoth.

Teacher Lana naturally spotted my unease immediately and asked with a suspicious tone.

-Is everything alright, Nizzal?

I finally stuttered out a few words, trying to anxiously lie my way out of this ridiculous situation.

-Teac-cher Lana, I am alright… there is no need to worry, my father is a busy man… but he cares about my proper education… as you can clearly see the results yourself. I have a private tutor and because of that; I stay ahead of the actual learning course.

I lied, feeling a bit panicky at the time. Ms. Lana was clearly suspicious about my change in behavior. She clearly saw that something wasn’t right.

She gave me a sweet smile. As she threw new questions at me.

-So… who is your teacher? It should be someone famous, since he or she managed to teach you such advanced math. I might even have heard about this person. Who is this teacher, pray tell?

-Its… she… I mean he is called Ma-… master Joseph?

The teacher smirked at me victoriously. As she stood up from the table, she walked past it and stood in front of me. Looking at me with a playful smile.

-Are you asking that from me, or was that another one of your little lies? Hmm?

-I… oh, blast it! Sorry for this, Ms. Lana, but you left me no choice!

I reached out with my right arm towards the forehead of Ms. Lana. I fully intended to erase or at least change a part of her memories that included my arrival at this school today.

I saw her look at me bewildered as I tried to force my way into her mind… then to my shock; I realized that I couldn’t hold on to her mind at all. My grasp was slipping away every time I thought that I had managed to connect to it.

However, the way my hold slid off the edges of her mind was familiar… A dreadful suspicion came over me, as I looked at Ms. Lana’s temples with slowly widening eyes…

-Oh no…

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The words left my mouth on their own, as I saw the signs of a brain implantation. There were thin metal plates with a few small connectors hidden between the layers of natural skin and her hairline. This must be a type that enhances willpower and increased brain functions and memory capacity by creating an electronic memory bank that can project out pictures or videos to the eyes. It can also take pictures using your natural eyesight as a camera.

It wouldn’t be called a rare body implantation, nor was it a common one, but I did not expect this to happen… Not many people besides force sensitives know this… but willpower enhancer implantations basically nullify the effects of any subtle mind invading force abilities… I could still change her memories of me by brute forcing my way in, but that would likely cause her irreparable damage… That was something I wasn’t ready to do in this case…

While I was thinking about what to do next. Ms. Lana shook off her bewilderment and narrowed her eyes at me.

Soon after, I heard a deep sigh filled with disappointment.

-Ah… Just as I suspected. I can see that the others have already started to poison your mind with their new passion for Sith vs Jedi… I keep telling them that playing a game like that when we are actually in a war with the Sith is not exactly a wise move…

I decided to try to change the topic to anything else. Maybe she will forget about what we were talking about. With that thought in mind, I cheerfully asked.

-Ms. Lana, do you believe in the rumors that the Sith still exists?

-Well, since the Jedi vouch for it, I think I do. I mean, what do I know about these mysterious force abilities the Jedi or the Sith tend to use… I only know basic stuff about it, since it was thought in the university and such, but that is definitely not enough to even properly question the statement of the Jedi High Council… Enough about that, since this was my last class for the day, I will escort you back to that restaurant where you supposedly stay. If that statement wasn’t a lie as well.

I shook my head, denying her accusation, while simultaneously feeling hopeless, as my attempts to change the topic proved ineffective.

-Cheer up, little one.

Said the teacher, seeing my disheartened expression.

-I only want to make sure that a bright young girl such as yourself receives proper education. Learning new things is one of the most wonderful experiences you will ever have. You better cherish it as much as possible.

-… I can agree with that…

She spared me a happy glance, as she said.

-Thought so, now shall we go?

-Ugh… Can’t I change your mind somehow?

She turned back to me and frowned.

-And pray tell me, why should I do that? Are you lost, or not? Was that another lie?

-… Maybe…

Her expression darkened even further.

-It seems that I under… no, perhaps overestimated my little pupils after all.

With that, she grabbed onto my hand, as she began to walk towards the door with a certain momentum. I decided to follow her obediently. Trying to not think about the possible chaos that will be unleashed upon the realization of this teacher meeting my "parent"…

On the way out, Ms. Lana scolded the kids for their lies and things like that… Then we left the school, heading towards my home. She asked a few things on the way about my family. I told her that my mother died a long time ago, and she said sorry about bringing it up so casually. I assured her that it wasn’t bothering me since I barely remember her, but she didn’t seem to believe it.

I guess that is only natural… since it turned out that I was lying about half of the things I told her… she would likely expect me to continue with such behavior.

The minutes passed as we walked and made small talk while she never let go of my hand. I guess she thought that I might decide to run away if she let me go. How right she was about that… I could only lament.

At last we arrived at the place, and at that time I decided to submit to the idea of having another awkward talk. What was I supposed to do? I could force push her into a wall, and run… but I would feel awful about it like the biggest jerk in the entire galaxy… I mean, the teacher was genuinely trying to help me, to the best of her abilities. I couldn’t just attack her for it… and she will remember what I did… the school where she is, is like a thirty minutes away if you walk quickly…

Also… there are more than a few kids from the class actually trailing us in the shadows. Those little bastards think that I didn’t notice them… Unfortunately, this last part was the one that made it completely impossible to run away. I am ashamed to admit it… but I don’t want to ruin my new friendship with them. And attacking their teacher would definitely lead to that outcome.

And so it happened that I was standing in front of the gates of the restaurant with a teacher holding my hand stubbornly.

It was a reasonably peaceful day. I expect that to change soon.

I waved at Kate dreamily, who was picking up the leftover plates from a table that was placed outside of the restaurant for those who wished to eat in the open air.

She gave me a warm smile, saying hi to me, then turning to the unfamiliar woman standing next to me with curiosity. Then her eyes grow bigger with a new realization.

-Ah! Teacher Lana! Is that really you? I didn’t see you since school, which is quite surprising since the school is just a little bit from here.

Lana looked at the server and she also smiled with a happy realization.

-This voice? Kate?

Kate nodded with a wide grin.

-Oh, my, you were a lot smaller when I last saw you, but now… look at you, such a beautiful young lady! It’s indeed unfortunate that we didn’t meet for so long, but you should never underestimate the streets and levels of Coruscant. One could walk for a lifetime, and never meet with a familiar face. It’s quite disheartening at times, truly.

She placed her hands on my shoulders while stepping right behind me, finally letting go of my hand as she continued.

-Just like this little one here. My pupils brought her into the school, claiming that she was lost and couldn’t find her way home. I decided to escort her, since she stated that her father and her were staying here for a while. May I be allowed to have a personal talk with the spoken gentleman about letting a little girl wander the streets of Coruscant alone… Especially in these unfortunate circumstances of war and such?

Kate's expression was to say simply, comical. She gave me the look, and I tried to describe my absurd circumstances by showing her a desperate expression. I guess she got the gist of it. Hopefully, then why was there such a mischievous glint in her eyes... 

I saw her smile lightly, then she stated in an overly cheerful voice.

-Ah? You mean the pirate guy? Sure, he is inside drinking with his other daughter and that weird mercenary. It’s a bit early for so much alcohol if you ask me, but until he pays for it, and doesn’t start to break more plates for misguided celebration purposes, I am fine with it!

I felt Ms. Lana’s hands tense up and grab onto my shoulders harder. Simultaneously my stomach dropped to the ground as both me and Ms. Lana turned towards the cheerful sounds coming from the back of the restaurant. I could hear Hondo’s voice laughing loudly as I resigned myself to a fate worse than death.

I could only stare at Kate with a betrayed expression. Asking a simple question with my glassy eyes, why? Which she ignored completely. I guess I wasn’t worth lying to her favorite teacher. Or, she was annoyed with Hondo so much, that she hoped this would force him to get out of here… Probably, both.

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