"...I really can learn to control this?" He asks quietly. He looks down at his hands, fingering a burn. He thought he'd just... keep going like this, until he finally slipped up, and fell the rest of the way to the dark. 

She takes her hands out of Nine's chest and turns to look at him. "Yeah, you can. I did, and I was in much worse shape than you are. It won't be fast, but you want to, and that's what matters, in the end. Guess the Jedi might not have mentioned that."

"They didn't, no. They say, if you Fall, you've doomed yourself to become ruled by the Dark side. That it's a Jedi's duty to kill anyone who Falls, to prevent them from becoming another enemy." 

"Well, the Jedi are kind of ridiculous, apparently." She scoots closer to pat his hand. "We've got a whole civilization out here; couldn't do that if all of us were as bad as the worst of us. It takes some work, to learn how to master the Force instead of letting it master you, but most of us manage it. And you will, too."

(He twitches at the touch.)

"Yeah." That makes sense. "Yeah, Okay." 

"Good. Just have a little faith in yourself, that's all." She withdraws and gets back to work.

'Faith in himself', huh. Well, he can try. 

He settles back down to watch her finish helping Nine. 

It's only another couple minutes until she has the restraining bolt out. "There, that should feel much better. And now you don't have to call us ma'am and sir anymore."

"Yes ma'- huh. Wow."

"It'll take a little while to break the habit, if Daisy's anything to go by. Still, better, right?"

"Yes," he says, with careful emphasis.

"Good to hear it," she beams. "Sweetheart, you did a good job with him." And she gets back to work.

He smiles a little at the exchange. He's glad Nine's going to be alright. 

His grip on the technique slips again, now that he's more sure of that. He sleeps for the rest of the trip.

By the time the ship touches down, Pradnakt's finished putting Nine back together and gotten changed into the civilian outfit Daisy brought her, and the three of them are sitting together by the speeder, Pradnakt lounging half into Nine's lap with Daisy facing her, signing to each other.

Isk comes back in as the ramp lowers, coming to a stop at Alek's cot. 

Alek himself sleeps through the landing, and doesn't seem likely to wake up on his own. 

"Are we bringing him?" she asks Isk quietly. "The logistics of it aren't great."

They rock back and forth once, thinking for a fraction of a second, and then make a negative whir. 

"Let Not-Jedi sleep, not needed for this. Hutt currency is physical coin. Crates in cargo bay." Pause. "Who will stay?"

She looks up at Nine. "Do you mind, sweetheart?"

    "I can stay."

"Thanks. And I'd rather keep Daisy with me," she tells them, "the speeder'll fit both of us just fine. I'm not sure we can put you and the tank both in the wagon, though."

Another moment of consideration.

"I will stay also, then," they decide. 

"All right. Anything else we should get while we're here? Food, I suppose, my supply for the month is still in town."

"Food, yes. Other medical supplies. Replacement parts, for the ship," they name the parts in question. Their Not-Jedi could use new entertainment, as well, but would like to be awake to choose them, they think. Another time. "Can stop on the way back to pick up supplies in town," they mention. 

"That sounds doable. Anything we don't pick up this time we can get when we drop the tank back off, I'm going to want a longer visit then anyway - pick up another speeder and get this one his manumission papers. You too, if you want them."

Considering whirr. 

"I am a person. I am free. I know. Others will believe or not. Papers will not change that." Manumission papers will not stop anyone who wishes to treat them as a slave. Perhaps they would have wanted them twenty, thirty years ago, but they have no need for them now. 

She nods, once Daisy translates. "The symbol matters, I think. To us more than you, maybe," she nods at Alek. "But it's good that you already know."

Their dome swivels towards Alek.

"He's not going to forget," they offer after a moment.