Alex awoke with a start. She was covered in sweat. She sat up holding her head that was about to burst. The headache had come on so suddenly but that wasn’t what worried her. She thought she heard Diego’s screaming in the strangest dream she had. No, she couldn’t have possibly heard his screaming in her dream. Besides it was just a dream. Surely he was back by now. She got up from the bed and walked back into the small dinning area but didn’t find Diego. She checked her watch and saw three hours had gone by. No he must have stopped to get a drink. She knew how much he liked his Brewster’s. She walked into the bathroom that connected to the bedroom and drew some cold water into the small sink. She proceeded to splash the water onto her face. As she toweled away the water her eyes fell on Diego’s ring, a blaster, and a circular hologram chip.
She walked over to the dresser, grabbed the ring, blaster, and the hologram. That was when she heard the familiar sound of the engines roaring to life when suddenly she was thrown backwards onto the bed as the ship took off. It took her a few moments to collect herself Who could be flying the ship?! Perhaps it was Diego. Rushing out of the bedroom and through the dinner room she made her way through the hull to the flight deck. She pushed a button and opened the room where her and Diego shared many conversations. Looking about she saw that the automatic pilot was on and that she was now in the depths of space.
"What the...?" she asked and before she could get anything else out she noticed that the circular hologram device in her hand was shinning blue. She stared at it for a brief moment before worry overtook her senses. What had gone on?! She placed the circular device into the pilots seat and sat down in her co-pilots seat.
A blue light filled the room when suddenly a hologram of Diego appeared in front of her.
"Alex....Hey honey. If you are now wondering why Foxfire is on auto pilot and you aren’t flying it and I am not back then...well I fear the worst has happened and that I have been killed by Jabba." The hologram form of Diego smiled briefly.
Alex’s eyes widened at the disheartening news. Diego was dead! Her lower lip trembled as she felt a few tears fall down her right cheek. Her father was dead! The hologram of Diego continued his final message.
"Look Alex, you were the best thing that ever came into my life and you brought me happiness. You accepted me for who I was even though you knew what I did was wrong. Look Alex, you are a terrific pilot but I know that deep down inside my heart smuggling is not for you. Honey, I do not want you to be running from the law the rest of your life as I did. I want you to be free of all the dangers involved in being a smuggler. I want you to find your own purpose in life."
Alex nodded silently as she listened, she knew Diego was right about her not wanting to become a space pirate. Too much looking over your back was involved and in the end she could wind up in a slammer away from everyone she cared about. Or worse. Dead. And then nobody would come her funeral, at least her parents wouldn't.
"Considering I am no longer here Alex, I leave all of my possessions to you. Namely, the Foxfire and I know you’ll take good care of it just as you always have. I know that I will miss you my darling but I had to do this in order to get out from underneath Jabba’s rule. I didn’t want to be running from him and let you get hurt or worse killed. Know this kid, I did it for you. I love you dear heart and I will always be at your side wherever you may go. I want one last favor from you though..."
Alex wiped away her tears and answered. "What is that?"
"I have put on the automatic pilot and set a course for Coruscant so you can go home to your parents for a while and gather all of your things. Then bid your farewell to them even though they no longer see you as their daughter. I want you to close that piece of your heart off. I know it will be hard for you. Believe me I KNOW from past experiences what you’ll be going through. Be happy my daughter. I love you. Be safe."
The hologram of Diego placed his finger tip to his lips and blew a kiss at his daughter before it faded away leaving Alex sitting alone in the Foxfire. She took out her chain and unhooked it. She looked at Diego’s ring she held in her palm and placed it onto the chain. The ring sat snuggly beside her Phoenix necklace. She wiped away her final tears and shuddered because when she first awoke she knew he was dead. She walked in a zombie like daze out of the hanger and back into the dining room where she sat at the table lost in memories of her and Diego’s adventures. That was when her tears really came and this time with more sorrow.
She didn’t know long she had wept but she finally regained her composure. She knew it would take her a long time to grieve for Diego but she couldn’t let it get in the way. After all she knew he was in a better place and he had Saved her from the ultimate danger. He had given up his life for hers. That was something nobody else had ever done for her. Rising to her feet she blew her nose on a tissue and took a wet rag from the sink and washed off her face. Her eyes were red from crying and she knew what she had to do.
She would visit her parents and she knew damn well they weren’t going to like it. Of course she would only stay a very short while to gather her things and bid her fond farewell. Maybe she would give them a piece of her mind. She had never stood up to her parents for what they had done to her growing up. She wasn’t going to make them suffer or anything like that but she wanted to let them think about all of the horrible things they had put her through.
Nodding slightly she walked back into the piloting room and sat down in the pilots seat. She would worry about everything else later on. For now she looked out the window and at the stars, comets, and planets that zoomed by. She felt at peace whenever she did this. This was her true home.