Cheese crackers and the funny pages

[Sanis Prent]

<center><font size=-3>OOC: This takes place after the Oord Tupa thread. If you would like to still be a passenger on Layla, PM me.</font></center>

Cathar was an exception to the rule of my luck. It was about the only port I'd weigh keel in outside of Hutt space without worrying about getting jacked, robbed, hoodwinked, or otherwise exploded. The downside to that was that it was a fair bit of a ways away from my usual stomping grounds.

It wasn't exactly the most profitable enterprise, either. My client had a taste for cleaner cargo, so that left me with a boat of the galaxy's finest bootlegged holos, as well as some cheap clothes following the latest Core fashions, and a few other fineries from the core such as fire water.

No hard stuff. No glitter. No ryll. Probably for the best, as the Hutts would want a franchise shake at anything getting passed outside their reach. They already took their slice of the candy coming in from Kessel and Ryloth, so as long as it stayed in their house, it was a free market, so to speak. The key to being the Red Light District of the galaxy was all about consolidation, it seemed.

Of course, the Cathar didn't mind selling me some of their hallucinogenic spikeflower, which made a decent sale in whatever head shop I could unload it in. Nobody used the stuff but mystics and wannabes, so it didn't carry enough market for the Hutts to care about.

I'd gotten the call-in two days back, and so my cargo wasn't very respectable. In fact, I was still pulling fares from as far back as Oord Tupa, so it was a bit of a rush job to haggle for some wares out of Malastare. The usual bootlegged holos and fire water were easy commodities, but the clothing wasn't as cosmopolitan as I'd like. Not that the tribals would care. I'd still get credits for it.

The planet began to grow in my viewscreen, and I broke from sublight approach, sling-shotting Layla into a pattern of computer-generated orbit and descent waypoints. James sat in the reclined seat to my left, bare feet resting in the console's corner as she napped, with my jacket as a blanket over her. I hated to make any noise at all with her around, but it was becoming unavoidable. I flipped the comm on, and adjusted to the appropriate frequency.

"If you're still down there s'Il, the ice cream man's here. Make sure the kids know I'm coming."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Joffa market was full of traders, Cathar salesmen crowding in on passerbys in an attempt to sell their goods while holymen and con artists did the same.

Want to travel to Imram'Lien? Then Brother Saanra'ssa would take you!

Want a charm to help protect you from the armies of General Mogadu? Look no further friend, Kherris has every protection charm you'll ever need!

Want authentic pottery? Or how about a rare amulet worn by Anun'Khet, the fifth ruler of the Jagga Dynasty? No? Then perhaps you would be interested in something a little more exotic, like this sunstone - rumored to come from Uruk'Lien, the Buried City? Mystics say that it is from the Great Statue of A'Ra, The first ruler of Cather after the Cataclysm. Just think! To hold a fragment of sunstone that came from a statue of our greatest king!

Such things were not uncommon, and there was always some poor offworlder taken in by the historical mystic claptrap and ended up buying anything that was shoved at his face - as long as it was from the ancient world of Cathar and its' great kings and rulers, that is. It was all just a part of the Cathar's greater inner commodoties engine, and conmen everywhere took advantage of it. Most Cathar paid these traders no mind, knowing better than to be pulled in by one. They were at the Joffa marketplace for supplies, not trinkets and superstitious buggery.

And while most offworlders were vulnerable to the less than legitimate market-goers, there were those that had been on the planet long enough to be as savvy as the natives.


Tak perched atop her shoulders, s'Il threaded her way through the Joffa market, intent on reaching the small spaceport which sat farther within the walled city. It was seldom used, other than to allow the odd tourist to land, and more often than not nary a ship was seen gracing the bays. But today was different, and s'Il was expecting. She was fairly certain that Sanis would take what he could from the stopover, and sell whatever offworld wares he could manage to scrape up in so little time. Yet, even if he had nothing but a toothbrush and eyeliner to sell he'd still have a gaggle of wide-eyed Cathar ready to purchase. The Lupine wasn't sure how he'd managed to pull it off, but for some reason Sanis had built up his own little following in Joffa, and his goods were usually gone within a day.

Hopefully, a day was all that he'd have to spend here.

Dan was behind her at the moment, and s'Il pointed ahead as the crowds began to thin at the peripheral edges of the market. "Docking bay 2. He should be here within ten minutes."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

The sea was an unforgiving one on this accursed dawn. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning was the age-old caveat, passed from seafarers lips old and young. The young deck hand strained his eyes to the horizon, which was obfuscated in every direction by treacherous icebergs, slate grey and calm seas, and wisps of fog.

The sea was still as death, a coiled spring ready to be released into chaos. The only sounds in the young man's ears were the silky folds of sea water surrendering to the advancing ship's keel below his feet.

The skipper's shadow overtook the deck hand's feet, and his age-gravelled voice broke the faceless calm.

"Thar be a treacherous sight before mine eyes."

The deck hand looked starboard and port, and turned to the grizzled captain, unsure of his meaning.

"Sure as my skin be salted, these waters be infested with nefarious sea beasts, lad!"

Pish posh, the deck hand thought. Those were the tales of old, told by those wishing to put fear in the hearts of the inexperienced, or perhaps by those too ignorant to explain the world around them.

"There's no such thing, Skipper."

"Keen on lecturing this Salty Dog, are ye? I sail by my word, boy. Fast beneath the waves and the caps, he be. Watchin us. Smellin the marrow in our bones. I've yet a nose on this drift-scarred crown, and I declare it smells the festering scales of the beast, casting his lazy humps across our wake! Avast, he means to strike us before midday rum!"

As if on cue, a vast shape cut the surface of the water. Where icebergs bisected it, so they were cleaved and tossed away. In scant moments of terror, it could be seen by the deck hand and the skipper that the old man's tales had indeed come to pass. The great beast of the north seas unfurled its ghastly coil, and mounted for the sky, before turning down upon the lonely trawler in hell's spite!

The sea roared, boiling itself forth and conspiring in terrible purpose with the beast to consume the seagoing vessel and the souls that gave her course. By the time the waters were still once more, the ship and the beast had retreated from sight.

Cirr reached down with cupped hands, and gathered enough water to rinse the shampoo from his hair, as he pushed the toy boat to the far side of the tub with his tail.

They would be touching down within minutes, so this was probably the only time he'd be able to get a little alone time, hygeine, and entertainment. Then, there would be plenty of time to undo the process again, and begin coating himself with engine oil and other exotic aphrodesiacs.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani pursed her lips as she hotwired the door lock to the refresher, grinning in impish satisfaction as the door silently unlocked. Gathering her energy she slid the door open and burst in on her brother.

"BOO!"

Giggling madly, Daani turned tail and ran for the ladder to the cargo hold where she could hide out in the crates until Cirr calmed down. He always calmed down. Eventually.

[James Prent]

"Climb you fool! You'll kill us both!" The image of the man dangling by his hand was blurred with motion, and his surroundings were far too murky to make out. His eyes tracked to the Watcher's, and a venemous hiss erupted from his wrinkled throat. Darting towards the Watcher like a snake, ready to kill -

"Ah!" I jerked myself awake, throwing Sanis' jacket off as I leapt to my feet. "Wha -?" I fell back into the co-pilot seat, pulling at the restraints. "We're landin' already?"

"Mm hmm." Sanis battled the jacket that seemed to have wrapped itself around his head, and I blushed as I reached over to help him free.

"Sorry." I draped the jacket over the back of his seat, and hoped he wouldn't say anything about my rough transition from sleep. "Heard anythin' from the fares about this stop? No one's said anythin' to me, but personally I wouldn't be too happy at how long it's takin' us to get to..." I subsided at the look on Sanis' face, and added, "Ah.. um."

[Jack]

He had been most likely the only indervisual who had remained silent the entire journey since his acceptance on board Layla. He had not slept nor had he taken his eye off the other passengers surrounding him. His growing paranoia since his name had been thrown out to the galaxy for capture had crept steadily upwards since his imprisonment with Khendon Sevon.

Dangerous times called for drastic actions, he had never felt comfortible with traverling with space 'transporters' or anyone more likely to throw the cuffs on him and let the Imperials drag him away, but whatelse could he do? He had changed his name, tried to look unimportant, and it was the fault of another feighter pilot that he had been banged up the last time.

The only way to stay ahead of the game was to be ahead of the game, noone messed with somone who looked as if they knew their position. Face value, you look tough, you clearly are tough, noone argues with face value. 'Jack' had adoped this tried and tested methord and it had worked so far. Look mean, keep them far from keen.

Although he knew he looked far from normal, he knew he also looked far from just simply approachible, which was more than what he wanted. Sitting up straight, he kept his eyes on everyone and every moving thing on the ship, he was going as far as this bus would take him, hopefully away from Imperial rule.

He was a Jedi through and through, and a wanted Jedi at that.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The Joffa Market


"Nanikhama san ss'imas!"

Perched on Dama's shoulders, Tak took in the Joffa bazaar with wide, excited eyes and a constant barrage of requests to visit any vendor selling something that caught her eye. Which was, of course, just about everything. Small fingers pointed every which way as the little girl exclaimed her desire for Dama to purchase her a trinket from every stand they passed by.

Leaning over rather precariously, she gave a wide smile to the small giddu dog that darted through Dama's legs. "San-San Akhu! Jukhida ss'o'oni sasama baan! A'nakha nakha!"

Dama had told her that they were going to meet Sanis today, and Tak was bubbling with anticipation. She hadn't seen him in what seemed like forever, and she couldn't wait to see what he'd brought her this time. Small fingers winding themselves through Dama's hair, Tak watched everything that happened around her with growing excitement.

Dama's friend had come as well, but the little girl paid him no mind. In fact, she refused to go near him, afraid that his wrinkles were contagious - and by A'Ra she would make sure that she didn't catch them.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by James Tau
"Sorry." I draped the jacket over the back of his seat, and hoped he wouldn't say anything about my rough transition from sleep. "Heard anythin' from the fares about this stop? No one's said anythin' to me, but personally I wouldn't be too happy at how long it's takin' us to get to..." I subsided at the look on Sanis' face, and added, "Ah.. um."

I shrugged, easing the freighter towards Joffa.

"I said I'd get them to their destination. Isn't unreasonable to assume there will be a few stops along the way. Besides, I don't plan on being here more than an hour or two. Won't put us behind schedule much."

The landing gear lowered, and Layla slowly drifted into a large cobblestone circle, which was used as a primitive landing pad. I switched the comm on, talking to Cirr belowdecks.

"I doubt we'll get much in the way of maintenance and parts, so keep it simple, okay?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With Tak atop her shoulders, it made reigning in her wandering fingers that much easier, and s'Il had only to worry about Akhu. The stout giddu was easy enough to keep in check though, as he never strayed from Tak's presence.

Every exclamation for her to buy some shiny trinket was met with a following 'a'hga na, Tak,' and the Lupine repeated those words without tire. Years of the same routine had given her a fair amount of patience whenever they visited the Joffa marketplace, her daughter's exhuberance constant.

The arched doorway leading into Landing Bay two could be clearly seen through the thinning crowd. Making her way through the stragglers of the market's outskirts, s'Il slowed as she reached the doorway. She stopped beneath the stone arch, standing in the shadow it cast upon the ground and using the shade as meager protection from the unforgiving midday Cathar sun.

Tak was lifted from her shoulders, and s'Il set the little girl gently on the dusty ground while in the same motion making sure to keep a hold of her hand.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Aiee!"

Cirr, mortified by the intrusion of privacy, spazzed and slipped beneath the soapy deep, as his sister fled the scene of the crime. He immediately drained the tub and towelled off, embarassment sagging his ears low.

He gingerly passed the distance between the ship's head and his quarters with a towel around his waist, hoping to spot his delinquent sibling so he could throttle her a bit. Of course, she was far too quick and smart for that, so he simply retrieved a fresh pair of coveralls, and suited up.

Exiting his room, he passed by a few passengers going to and fro between the general quarters and galley and the cargo hold access point. Living on the freighter had been a bit tight quarters recently, but it was something he'd almost become used to.

He climbed up the tube into the pilothouse, and took a peek at the viewscreen.

"jI love Catharr. Wjish we werre stayjing morre than a few hourrs."

He smiled, crossing his arms on the floor deck as he stood on a few ladder rungs down in the tube.

[James Prent]

"Looks hot." I turned to look at Sanis, "And we need more parts? What has Cirr been doing, breaking things when he gets bored?"

I kicked my heels back up onto the console as we landed, and grunted non-committedly at Cirr's comment about the planet when he poked his head into the cockpit. "Looks like a hell-hole to me."

[Zabian Bal-Wandler]

' That it does miss Tau.' Said 'Jack' indiffrently as the YV-666 came to a soft touch down upon the dust laiden landing pad. The sun was coming in from he west, the pad was basked in a rich sun light that positivly ached with heat. Perhaps wearing black was not such a good idea.

For an instant Jack began to turn away from the cockpit and attempt a decent down the ladder, but as he was turning Jack caught sight a blonde woman, hand in hand with a little girl by the side of the pad, no doubt expecting the ships arrival.

He had seen her before, somwhere, that beautiful long golden hair. His face behind the mask furrowed with thought and recelection but his memory simply refused point blank to think any further back than when he was in Khendons' custody.

Jack balanced the possibilities but nothing came really to light as a prominant idea. Shaking his head free thoughts of any kind, Jack slipped his leg onto the first rung and began to climb down, what exsactly he was going to do on this primitive planet for two hous he had no idea, as long as it was Empireless, he was glad to be here in any case.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

With one hand being held securely by Dama, Tak wrapped her free arm around San-San Akhu's neck as he sat obediantly beside her. Blowing at his ears, she giggled when he shook his head and lolled his tongue out to deliver a sloppy 'kiss' to her cheek.

She caught sight of someone emerging from the ship, and with a quick tug was free of Dama's hold. Both girl and giddu took off running, the excitement just too much to hold in as her little legs pumped as fast as possible. She hoped Cirr was with Sanis - he never seemed to tire of listening to her chatter incessantly about everything that had happened since he was gone, regardless of the fact that he couldn't understand but maybe a few words of the Cathar language.

"Sanis! Makhi a'ss'umo khappa Cirr!"

[Lamar Starworth]

"What the--"

The words were quickly cut off as Lamar's head banged against a nearby box as he rose to wake. Even as his eyes opened he only saw darkness. The helmet...it was backwards. From the impact he quickly was forced back, pushed by sheer agony. Failing about as he dropped back down as if he had gotten in a punch from a Teras Kasi Master.

"Frack, flack, frag..."

Not a restrain was hold as Lamar's trooper attired body struggled to hold his grumble free from his helmet covered lips. Frustration over took his being as he grabbed at the mis-directed helmet, unlatching and throwing in an enraged swift movement. Clanging against the very box he stood to bang against, he rose to his feet. Running his hand across his torso, he brushed off the unseen dust as he tried to calm himself.

Surprisingly there wasn't a bump on his head, but that didn't change must. In his eyes still was a glint of annoyance that was subsided like a shackle on a gundark.

"Anyone there?" Lamar shouted from the cargo bay where he had dozed off at. It wouldn't be a shock that they had left him, because his body was telling him that slumber wasn't just a nap.

[Sanis Prent]

"I, uh...hi Tak."

I stooped down to catch the girl and keep her own momentum from causing her to fall on her face.

Cirr was by my side to lay a big hand on the girl's mussed up sandy mop. With the bundle of energy seen to, I met eyes with the mother, standing up once again.

"Hey Lok."

The rest of the ship's passengers and crew seemed to unload on the gangplank behind me, eager to at the very least - stretch their space legs on terra firma.

It took a moment, but I finally recognized the old human standing discretely behind s'Ilancy.

"...and Dan?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il stepped from the shade of the archway, a gentle smile on her lips as she approached Sanis and Cirr.

"Good to see you again, Sanis." She nodded at the Cizerack, "And Cirr; I see you've still managed to keep Sanis from accidentally killing himself one way or another... " her lips fell into more of an easy smile as she stopped in front of them, "I feel I must congratulate you."

The Lupine made no move to accept her daughter back from Sanis though, instead letting an amused expression fall over her face as the little girl rattled off question after question without regard to anyone else who was speaking.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

A throng of little felinoids began to approach the gangplank, and Cirr had seen it enough to know what was coming next. He raced back up the gangplank, lightly brushing by James and Jack as he went back into the main hold to retrieve a few medium-sized crates.

He nearly tripped over Lamar's frame as he returned, and nudged the ex(?) stormtrooper with the toe of a boot.

"Hey, wake up. We touched down on Catharr. Come out jin the sun forr a spell."

With that, he went back down the gangplank, custodian of all of the various goods from the outer rim an beyond...

[James Prent]

I remained in the cockpit for a moment, allowing Sanis his little reunion. To tell the truth, I felt a bit jealous of this s'Ilancy.

However, the fact that the mask-faced serial killer-esque Jack was in the cockpit as well was enough to send me down the ladder and through the ship to the sunshine. Unfortunately, the man followed. I then had to skirt around Lamar, a shady character that haggled the ride under one name, and then introduced himself at the ship with another name. If that wasn't stupid, I didn't know what was. Stupid people also made me nervous, and the whole "wear my armor all the time" thing was weird.

I stopped just at the end of the gangplank, lightly kicking the sandy ground. Cathar actually smelled exotic. I thought that was only a turn of phrase from a cheap one cred novel, but here the scent of the marketplace was a living thing, tantalizing the nostrils with a spicy, heady aroma. It was almost enough to make me forget the sweat that instantly formed and trickled down my back.

s'Ilancy knew Sanis, and Cirr, and I felt like the little newcomer once again, backwards and bungling around the ship. I scuffed my boot again, told myself it was that time of the month and that I should get a real life besides being paranoid all the time.

I walked away from the ramp and began to stroll around the ship while the others caught up on old times.

[Lamar Starworth]

"Maybe they'll have some clothes outside. I've been in this trooper crap since accident on Cardia." He grumbled to Cirr.

Twirling about, Lamar watched carefully for a moment the two ship owners go to the gangplank and out to this place called Cathar. Lamar was simply a Core Boy, and even with his stint around the galaxy, Cathar wasn't exactly the sort of planet he had ever expected finding himself on....much less with any knowledge of. So with that in mind, he stayed prepare and kept his eyes on the area where he kept his weapons in the room. Maybe...just maybe, they might come in handy.

Following the big Cizerak, he excited the storage bay and went on to the gang plank not too far from the large near-human. It was enough space, at least for Lamar, to observe and take in detail the surroundings leading up to the entrance to a grand land. Lamar had never even heard of the place, and the ship was no more comforting than the thought of the "mysterious", but at least he felt at ease enough to sleep there. It was a sort of run-down homey place, even in the engineering, and clutching in the details once more before dropping on real ground gave him something to look forward to when coming back.

Rolling slowly into the sun of Cathar, he felt the calm heat radiate over his body. The beads holding tightly at the end of his braids beat against the top-end of his pale and newly polished armor. Letting his eyes wonder, he dug deep into the ship landing grounds, soaking up the unique terrian. First his nose smelt, for his eyes were blinded by the change in light. The place was different than the ship...more lively, more lush. The aroma setting in drifted deep into the crevice of Lamar's mind until he could taste it. Slowly his lips smacked, his tongue swinging about in his closed mouth as he realized he had a dry throat.

"Man...do I have some demands," Lamar mumbled as he strolled down the ramp, catching up with the Cizerak.

"Can you ask Sanis for me where I can get some clothes. This armor is makin' me sweat like a eopie."

[Akrabbim]

Though he had been awake for sometime, Akrabbim lay dozing in his bunk for several minutes after landing. He had been awoken earlier by the clank and bustle of a ship's landing, but figured he should keep up his appearance as a doddering old timer. In all honesty, it wasn't that bad of a disguise. You weren't expected to move quickly, the "younger" folk seemed to differ to him on a regular basis, and you were generally allowed to sleep in and eat whatever you liked. He'd have to use this again if he wanted a break.

The trip had been mostly uneventful. There were a few odd characters, such as the guy in the mask and the other guy wearing Storm Trooper armor, but other than that, nothing of note.

He rolls out of the bunk and onto his feet, checking his disguise in the mirror. After making a few adjustments here and there where his sleeping had distorted it, and headed out down the gangplank. Resuming the hobbling shuffle he'd affected for the disguise, he wanders over to where Sanis is conversing with a young lady and a child. He makes sure to keep a respectable distance... no use butting into someone's reunion. He is, however, close enough to hear the conversation with a bit of aid from the Force. He listens in mainly just to see when the reunion is over. He'd like to know how long they'll be on the planet, etc. Of course, any useful information he might overhear would be an added bonus.

[Zabian Bal-Wandler]

Finding himself on the dusty surface of a planet was nothing out of the ordinary for 'Jack' for Tatooine had been is home for many a year. Having to endure both suns of the Hutts planet had at first been a burden, but now just normality. The masked figure who had walked out behind Tau found himself consistantly looking at the blonde woman, however. He had seen her face before, most certainly, but from an age long forgotten, a time most Jedi hated to speak of. Looks can be decieving but the force always told the truth.

He could feel, from her, a presence with the force. A strong presence, and he was sure she could sence his use of the force within. Looking down on the little girl who was questioning Sanis about everything and anything possible, for the first time in a very long while, he smiled, ow could even the coldest heart not smile on something so beautiful.

For once, just for once, everything just might be okay, thought Zabian,a small portion of his real Jedi side revealing itself..

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Watching all the people that left Sanis' ship to wander around the dusty landing bay, Tak quickly reverted her attention back to the man who held her. Her voice went low as she leaned forward to whisper in Sanis' ear.

"Adomo ss'en ya-ta?"

They were words Sanis had heard plenty of times, and knew enough to know that the little girl was almost bursting at the seams, wanting to know what it was that he'd brought her this time.

[General Dan]

Dan's brow furrowed as he stood adjacent to s'Il. He crossed his arms, and tilted his head toward her slightly, talking low.

"There are more than a few odd-looking characters he's carrying as fares. Keep your eyes about you on board, okay?"

Dan's eyes stayed on the swarthy-skinned man with long midnight hair. Something about his manner stood out to him.

[Sanis Prent]

I smiled big at Tak, and looked up as Cirr lowered the small crates next to me, and opened them up. There were a few holovids, a pair of repulsorlift boots, a stack of comics, a few "convenience foods" that seemed to be somewhere between junk and novelty, and a few droid motivator parts. The other crate held a few dresses, and a couple of stacks of trousers and long-sleeved shirts.

I said nothing and waited for her to make the first move. Despite not understanding the little girl, she had a way of broadcasting her intentions beyond language.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sidelong glance was sent to Dan as s'Il nodded slightly in acknowledgement. She smiled though, at her daughter's squeal of excitement. The Lupine watched as Tak scrambled down from Sanis' arms, clamboring over to the crates Cirr had set down.

The little girl triumphantly held a holovid up, silently asking for Dama's permission, and s'Il shook her head. "A'hga na." Tak's second choice, a few comics from the ample stack, were greeted with a nod of acceptance. s'Il smiled as her daughter beamed widely, taking the two picture books and scampering up the ramp to disappear into Sanis' ship.

The Lupine turned an amused eye to Sanis, inclining her head to the dropped holovid. "The special edition of Killer Bothan Cheerleaders on Meathooks IV?"

[Sanis Prent]

"We can discuss payment later."

I said it jokingly, but she was already out of earshot, sprinting up the ramp.

I glanced at Cirr, who was already rising to his feet to follow her.

"Keep an eye on her. I dunno, make sure she doesn't skip rope with the hydraulic hose or whatever."

A few Cathar natives approached the crates, and I tended to affairs while talking to s'Il and Dan.

"You two sure make for odd bedfellows." I noted aloud as I passed a dress off to an interested Cathar, who felt the quality of the fabric and began discussing a proper barter for it.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr disappeared back into the belly of Layla, wondering how such short legs could move that fast. He initially lost track of her, but caught her scent quickly. Smelled of dirt-covered feet and berries.

Two stubby legs crossed over themselves as they poked out of an empty cargo crate on it's side, as Tak intently studied her picture books. Cirr thought about distracting her, but instead took a seat on a smaller crate adjacent to her. As much as he should be running routine maintenance on the engine and systems, he enjoyed the distraction just as much.

[General Dan]

Originally posted by Sanis Prent
"You two sure make for odd bedfellows." I noted aloud as I passed a dress off to an interested Cathar, who felt the quality of the fabric and began discussing a proper barter for it.

"Could've said the same myself, what with you two being on a first name basis."

Dan arched an eyebrow, and reached in his pocket for his stim case. Lighting up, he studied Sanis's expression through the initial puff of smoke.

"I won't pry. Not much at least. This isn't about me, anyway, it's about s'Il and the little lady. I'm just a concerned third party, with a checkbook."

He glanced back to s'Il as if to say and don't even try to refuse it.

"She said you were the best, and I agree."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Behind Cirr, there was a rustle as Daani tried to pull herself further into her hiding place.

[James Prent]

I completed my circuit of the ship, and came up next to Proon Jeffries, the oldest fare we had traveling with us. I stood next to him, still shorter inspite of his crooked back. I folded my arms and remarked, "I love the feel of the ground under my feet."

As he turned to look at me, I added, "Sleep well, Proon? I hope Daani didn't disturb you again..."

[Lamar Starworth]

"People these days..."

Lamar was soon off, heading about the landing bay to converse with the closest native. They were a unique species of felinoids and the least human were the males. Their tusk excerted from their closed lips, ready to bare it's true strenght in any bafoon who dare insult them. A smile graced Lamar's lips at the thought of such terrifying end, for he knew the next words that dropped from his sly tongue would be definately in fair ground.

"Clothes?" The foreigner said slow and firmly. Cathar weren't exactly the species that went far from their planet and expecting them to know Basic was improbable.

Sliding his hands into his pocket, his eyes wondered a moment as he waited for a response from the Cathar. Glancing at the natural, dirt surface below his feet, he felt a sense as though he was still on the horrid Oord Tupa. They weren't, but an escapade through the stars had made every world look more the same to him. That was just the way of a Trooper.

Turning his head quickly back at the calm Cathar, he watched as the humanoid feline reached through his luggage and pulled out some items for picking. As expected only a few of the objects in his hands were what he asked for, but it was clear from a glance that the man was a buisnessman. So Lamar was quick to point to the clothing instead of the numerous spacer tools, cupplings.

Pulling out a few credit chips, he dropped the roll in the man's hand in a quick exchange. Taking back to the ship, he watched as the young girl played, Cirr sat, and the others mingled in conversation. As always, he was an outsider...and that was good.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Even though Sanis had landed away from the marketplace, s'Il knew that the distance would not deter those who constantly awaited his visits. Already a small crowd had gathered around the crates Cirr had brought out, and the Lupine turned her head to regard the gaggle of Cathar who haggled and traded with Prent.

Even a few of the deep desert throwbacks had ventured to Joffa - something rare in itself.

But her interest in the buyers only went as far as her surface thoughts. Something a bit more intruiging had caught her attention, and while s'Il made no move to acknowledge who she felt it from, it was undeniable.

Prent was transporting Force sensitive people; two from her count.

[Akrabbim]

Akrabbim affects a good-natured smile and nods to the young woman.

Yes, I did sleep well, Ms... Tau, is it? And don't worry about the little one. It's nice to see a little activity here and there.

As much as I enjoy a good trip, though, it is indeed nice to be on the ground. So, tell me... what is there to do in this place?

[Sanis Prent]

The chatter around the group became a buzzing sound, full of energy and alien languages. I made eye contact with s'Il for the obvious reasons. I had a grade-school grasp of the Cathar tongue, and bartering is almost a work of art in terms of prose and dance. She helped me keep my head afloat. In return, I kept trade clean.

As it got busier and busier, I replied to Dan.

"You were saying something about a checkboook?"

A snaggle-toothed Cathar cub got its paws on a small bit of packaging in bright colors, gleefully exclaiming a phrase that I'd long figured to be something to do with candy.

It...uh...wasn't candy. With a nervous laugh, I pried it away from the youngster, eager to fill his grasping hands with a few pieces of Namana gum.

[General Dan]

"Expenses and a considerable commission."

Dan busied himself by joining in with the other Cathar, analyzing Sanis's wares.

"There's a good chance you might attract some Imperial attention. As I said, the commission will be...considerable enough."

He paused, finding a brightly colored comic book, which was also being contested by an adolescent Cathar. Counter-bartering with a deck of playing cards from his pocket, Dan won over the book, flipping through its pages as if he were sagely familiar with the pulp graphic novel.

[Khendon Sevon]

The face of death gazed with a single, intent, crimson sphere into the storm-gray eyes of the Imperial Executor. Like a reaper choosing its next victim, the dark-clad figure moved through the ranks of white-armored soldiers, optical sensor scrutinizing every individual.

Khendon clenched his jaw at the sight of the dangerous shroud. “Sergeant,” spoke the leader in a calm tone dripping with electric wickedness, “are your men,” demons was the correct word, “ready?”

The filtered voice rasped through the dangerous-looking helmet, “Ready to bathe the land in scarlet passion.” Yes, it was cliché; yet, it had a certain malevolent tone that the Sith enjoyed.

“Excellent, then the mission begins!” A snarl grew on the Imperator’s lips.

Waiting at the edges of the system, the Dominator-class star destroyer Death Advocate prowled with teeth bared. Her wedge shape brought the majority of her deadly arsenal to a focal point directly in front of the massive warship. In addition to the craft’s heavy armament, she sported four gravity well generators more than capable of inhibiting hyperspace jumps in her vicinity.

Daggers bled from the belly of the beast like hunting bats stirred from their rest atop a cave’s ceiling. The school of predatory fish ignited hazy-blue engines and easily advanced passed the star destroyer.

“Admiral Gregorus, you have your orders. Follow them to the letter and you will be rewarded, make one mistake and I shall have your head. This foolish jedi has already escaped me once. He will not free himself from my grasp this time!”

Khendon boarded the black-coated assault shuttle and took a seat with the stormguardsmen strapping into crash-webbing. The deadliest man in the Empire wore matte armor and a cloak darker than night. On either hip, the soldier had firmly fastened a lightsaber.

“Cathar burns today,” growled the Dark Warrior, “incinerated by the Empire's might!” Cheers reverberated through the shuttle as it fell from the destroyer’s stomach. This will teach planets not to harbor treasonous villains.

[James Prent]

The question was not all together unexpected, but I had no idea how to answer it. "To do, here?" Proon nodded, and I shrugged, putting my arms out to encompass the busy scene. "I think at the moment we're the most exciting thing going on. You know these backwater planets - once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all."

Since joining up with Sanis and Cirrsseetto, I'd seen my share of the ugliest places in the galaxy. Cathar wasn't ugly, just simple. "We really aren't staying long enough to sight-see beyond the market." I looked over at the older man, and added, "Want to take me shopping, Mr. Jeffries?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Thoroughly engrossed in her new picturebook, Tak remained opblivious to the outside world, crossing and uncrossing her legs as they stuck out from the crate she'd taken cover in. Thumbing through the pages, the little girl idly hummed an old Cathar children's song that Dama often sung to her.

San-San Akhu had followed her quite happily, and perched himself atop the crate she sat in. He turned to stare at Cirr as the Cizerack lumbered in and took a seat on an adjacent crate. The Giddu dog's attention was soon reclaimed by Tak however, as the animals large ears swivelled in the direction of her voice and he turned to look back down over the edge at her fidgeting legs.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr smiled as he watched little Tak, lost in her color-printed world. He fiddled in a jacket pocket, and pulled out a small clear plastic container, holding some kind of foodstuff obviously designed to withstand the tests of time and probably cosmic radiation.

He rustled the package, holding it for the girl to see, as he had no other real way to communicate with her.

[Akrabbim]

With an over-exaggerated bow, the "old" man extends his arm for James to tkae hold of.

Why, madam, I'd be delighted.

The head toward the bazaar, passing by s'Ilancy as they go. Strangely, the young woman eyes Akrabbim oddly as he passes. She seems to... bristle... as he walks by. If she'd been a dog, her hackles would have risen. Strange indeed... but Akrabbim stores it away for later. It wouldn't be a good idea to just ask her why she reacted that way. Not yet, at least. He turns his attention back to James.

So, young lady... tell me about yourself? How did you end up working with a scoundrel like Sanis over there?

[James Prent]

I took the offered arm and allowed Proon to direct me towards one of the nearer stalls. Cathar was similar to what I'd seen of Tatooine, but smelled a lot better. More exotic spices, less bantha dren. "It's what I get for bein' spontaneous."

I smiled at the vendor in front of us, who was enthusiastically showing me a bit of native jewelry. "Really, I just ran away from my dead-end pay-the-bills job and my horrible apartment to see the stars with two very interestin' characters. I mean - the Layla on a bad day is better than Nar Shadda on a good one."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As the old man and the woman on his arm passed by on their way to the marketplace, s'Il couldn't help but stop her translations for Sanis. She watched the two for a few moments before feeling Prent tugher sleeve, demanding help. Drawn back to helping bridge the language barrier, the Lupine let her thoughts drift.

Finally, during a lull in the bartering, she turned to Dan who was still thumbing through the book. "You're coming with us, right?"

[Khendon Sevon]

The first few shuttles skidded across the planet’s atmosphere. Trails of friction left crimson streaks across the pale sky as the landing craft descended with all the grace of tumbling stones. The soldier-bearing hulks landed elegantly and their mouths yawned open.

From the depths of the dark, cavernous throats of the beasts marched single-eyed soldiers. The feline-like grace of the warriors was accentuated by the smooth lines of their dark-colored armor. Weapons scanned the horizon with trained care.

Khendon emerged from one of the black-bathed assault vehicles and allowed his silver eyes a moment of wonder at the city that wrapped its arms around him. Warmth flooded through his veins as light beat down on his pale skin—the melanin of his flesh had changed after so many years away from his home world.

Something, the scent of exotic foods or the sight of shocked civilians, reminded the Dark Warrior of home. A smile formed and left the Sith’s face like a snowflake formed only to burn on the warm coals of a fresh fire.

Squads of troopers—both of the stormtrooper variant and stormguardsmen type—fanned out around the city. Khendon snarled with the thought of his mark—a man that had escaped his clutches once too many times. Soon the dark warriors of the Empire would have their terrorist, their fiend, and all would be right. All the pieces of the massive puzzle of government would align themselves; the Executor would reaffirm his position and power.

The darkest of men in the galaxy snarled, “Burn the city. Bring hell to this wasted land, let it be known the Executor of the Empire is here.”

[General Dan]

Originally posted by s'Ilancy "You're coming with us, right?"

Dan turned back to s'Il, suddenly brought back to the here and now.

"It won't be safe for either of us. We have to split up, at least in the here and now."

The shootist turned his head skyward, and his expression turned grave.

"A man like you faced is bound to have friends both numerous and powerful."

[James Prent]

I looked up from the stall Proon and I were window shopping at, and frowned. "What are those streaks in the sky?"

The older man followed my gaze, and his demeanor changed slightly. I don't know how I picked it up, but he seemed to tense up, without tensing up. "Imperial landing craft, Miss Tau. We should get back to the others."

"Uh... yeah." I dropped the necklace I'd been playing with on the counter and allowed Jeffries to pull me back to the ship. "Sanis!"

[Akrabbim]

As the streaks are brought to Akrabbim's attention, he cannot help but ready his body, setting himself to move if necessary. After he makes his comment, he barely allows the young woman to drop the trinket before dragging her along with him. His grip tightens a bit much for a man of his "age", but with the threat of Imps, he sincerely doubts she'll notice.

They arrive at the ship in moments. It doesn't seem that the others have noticed. He finds Cirrsseeto biding his time with the youngster. Once he gets the felinoid's attention, he points skyward.

Imps're comin'... I sure hope yer ready to git with this rig...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The words hadn't even left Dan's mouth before the Lupine craned her neck, a warning going off in the back of her head, and the feeling of darkness about to fall. For a few moments her eye saw nothing.

Footsteps approached, heralding the hurried arrival of the old man and the young woman, but s'Il ignored them as she stepped away from the group of bartering Cathar.

The woman cried out Prent's name, and s'Il finally took her gaze from the now visible streaks rapidly descending. She spoke a stream of hurried words to the Cathar, and they dropped the wares to turn and run.

s'Il turned to Prent, then. "Unless these crates hold anything exceptionally valuable, I'd suggest you leave them and get your people onto your ship."

The Lupine pulled her duster closer to her body and looked up to the falling craft once again.

There was no way anyone could know she was here... unless... they were here for someone else. Someone on the run.

[Khendon Sevon]

These weren’t the massed tactics of traditional Imperial soldiers. By no stretch of the imagination did this invasion force seem normal. Not only did the strangely armored soldiers move with all the presence of shadows, they also possessed the full spectrum of fear entailed by such dark, nefarious shapes.

Four demons flanked the most wicked Imperial in the galaxy. His penetrating eyes shifted from building to building. “We’re closing in. My implant is picking up on the beacon.”

“Sir,” came a deep and digital voice, “the Death Advocate reports that she is in orbit and has initiated her gravity well generators. Fighter support and orbital bombardment are now available.

“Additionally, my Executor, the Admiral is launching shuttles and fighters to aid in planetary blockade.”

“Good, good. The spaceport is our objective, Sergeant. Stormtroopers should be securing the vicinity. We’ll be performing the penetration of the facility and apprehension of the terrorist.”

“As you command, my Lord.”

It was at that time that Khendon drew his family saber, a two-handed relic from a bygone time. The Sith snarled and clenched the hilt in his right fist.

Ribbons of red danced from the stormtrooper teams’ rifles around the outermost area of the spaceport. Anyone left alive in its proximity would be a threat to the mission, and failure was not an option permitted by the Executor.

Fire traced across broad and narrow streets alike. Women, children, and men were cut down like so many weeds. The streets would soon run red and forever stain the sands of Cathar.

It seemed the blitzkrieg was succeeding.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Ai'jaa'naa!"

Cirr cursed, scooping up little Tak before looking around in confusion as to where she should be put. Giving up, he carried her with him into the engine compartment, plopping her in one of two wall-mounted seating pads, before frantically beginning the warm up sequence. He paused as the ion drivers turned over, slapping the comm on the wall with the flesh of his palm.

"Sanjis, we gotta fjind some rrarre ajirr. Get us out of herre!"

[Sanis Prent]

"I, uh..."

Lights in the sky were seldom lucky and mostly trouble for a guy like me. Especially in this forlorn corner of space. Misery loves company and vice versa.

I kicked my cases over, the contents spilling into the arms of the nearest Cathar.

"Uh, we're having a promotion and everything's on sale. Thanks for shopping!"

I didn't bother with anymore pleasantries, hauling tail back up the ramp, almost knocking over the kid in the buckethead armor.

"Port leave's up! We're butts to the dust in a hurry. I'm heading up Cirr, I'll need juice when I make it to the top!"

Punching the button to raise the gangplank, I ran down the hall to the pilothouse ladder, leaping to the middle rungs as I pulled myself up.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Sanjis, we stjill have passengerrs on the grround!"

Cirr watched through the doorway as Sanis closed the hatch, and scrambled off.

[Sanis Prent]

I paused on the ladder with aggrivation seeping into my voice.

"Refund their money if they survive! Not my problem!"

I finished making my way to the top, and began the pre-flight, releasing the landing struts and engaging repulsors, looking for the best ascent corridor to take us away from all hell breaking loose.

[Lamar Starworth]

[OOC: I think I'm in the ship. So if I'm not, someone PM me about this post.]

Lamar watched.

His eyes followed as Sanis dashed up the gangplank, his hands in his pocket. The young trooper shook his head at the radical change of pace, confused but yet embarassed for the ruggid pilot. Such low self-control was shunned at the base he had been trained, and it was only to be expected that those sort of ideals would rub off.

Yet those times in which he was so like Sanis Prent weren't far off, so he smiled...

"What is going on?" Lamar questioned, his head still shaking off the sly smirk pressed against his face. The rattle of the beads at the end of his braids could be heard echoing softly in the background as Sanis went to work at lifting off.

[James Prent]

I hardly noticed when Proon left my side and disappeared with surprising haste into the Layla, and I felt weak in the knees as I looked at the Cathar who were still grabbing through the trinkets Sanis had spilled onto the sand. He pulled the hatch closed on my heels and raced out of the cargo bay and up the ladder to the cockpit level.

The ship lurched and I grabbed Loklorien's elbow to steady both of us as Lamar smirked and asked what was going on. I can't really excuse what I did next, but I was badly scared by the sudden appearance of the Imperials. And he had practically assaulted me the day he came on board.

I turned around and slugged him in jaw. "Frelling Imps! You're probably AWOL you dren-sucking frell-faced stormy!" My hand hurt like hell but I tenaciously stayed the course and leapt at him, trying to knock him to the ground so I could hit him some more.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

One hand grasping a support strut along the bulkhead to stable herself as Layla rocked, s'Il reached out quickly and pulled James away from the man she'd just tried to lay out, keeping the other woman from continuing her attack. Her grip firm yet gentle, the Lupine absorbed the shock of another rattle that passed through the ship.

"No, it's not him - it's someone else."

She didn't let go of James, but her eyes seemed to turn upwards as she felt that inner darkness grow closer. She could almost see the dark approaching, as roiling clouds consuming the ground. "... there is a Force user with them; a darksider.

"They wouldn't send one if they were here to collect a simple missing man."

s'Il released James then, as a small hand suddenly clutched her duster. Instinctively the Lupine reached down and scooped up Tak into her arms, whispering softly in Cathar. It was easy to see from the girl's wide eyes that she was terrified.

Another lurch, and s'Il handed Tak to James. "Watch her for a little bit - I'll be back soon."

Without waiting for a reply, the Jedi turned, heading back to the cargo bay.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani wriggled out of her hiding place amongst the crates in the hold, and followed Sanis up the ladder to the cockpit. "Need a co-pjilot?" She didn't wait for an answer and stubbornly strapped herself into the seat.

[Khendon Sevon]

“Sir, we’re detecting a vessel leaving the port,” monitored a voice over the closed combat channel.

Khendon snarled, “Admiral! Make sure no one escapes the planet! I will not accept even one civilian vessel making orbit! Do what has to be done.”

With back pressed firmly against the wall surrounding the spaceport, the Executor set the blood red blade of his ancestors ablaze. The Sith weapon growled deep from within its intricate housing and covered the scene in an eerie, cold, crimson light.

“Now!” He commanded as he turned into the doorway with weapon raised in a powerful guard.

The stormguardsmen went through the wall of packed clay and mud with precision charges. As they erupted through the obstacle, lasers dotted from civilian to civilian. As if the wind had suddenly stormed in a single outburst, the forms fell to the ground and moved no more.

One feline-like man attempted resistance. He charged Khendon and batted at the soldier of the Dark Side with an ancient relic of a sword. The steel whispered through the air and pounded into empty, churned earth, sending dust and sand in two clean-cut geysers.

The Sith’s hilt cracked the man’s crown and he fell limp to the scorched ground.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Daanarri Raurrssaatta
Daani wriggled out of her hiding place amongst the crates in the hold, and followed Sanis up the ladder to the cockpit. "Need a co-pjilot?" She didn't wait for an answer and stubbornly strapped herself into the seat.

"First co-pilot duty is to not touch anything, okay?"

I dipped the flight stick, hugging the terrain as I headed toward the canyon-scarred badlands to the west.

"Cirr, we got a thunderstorm north-northwest. I'm gonna peel those rainclouds. We gotta drop chaff when we hit cover."

I edged the ship closer to solid ground, skimming parallel to broad mesas.

"Anybody interested in the in-flight movie better book it to the nearest window. Drama is hot and inbound."

[Akrabbim]

The Imps are definately getting close. Akrabbim rushes inside, finding Sanis alrady in the cockpit. Normally, keeping his cover would be of utmost importance, but now...

He slides next to Sanis, speaking in a low whisper. He drops the accent for now.

Listen, Sanis. I can help you, but you're going to have to trust me. When you hit those clouds, stop cold, change direction, and head off on some other course.

Sanis looks at him to protest, but Akrabbim cuts him off, allowing his eyes to glow a bright blue for a moment.

Remember how we got away from Korgogg? Same principle. Trust me. Neither of us want to be caught by the Imps.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani squeaked as Proon Jeffries sat on her. "Hey! Ow!" She wriggled and shoved at his back as he tried to talk to Sanis. "I'm the co-pilot!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Wasting no time, the Lupine slapped the release panel for the boarding ramp as she passed by it's alcove. Layla hadn't left Joffa just yet, skimming over some of the higher rooftops on whatever course Sanis had deemed the most reckless.

Surging ahead, she watched as the ramp yawned open. Her duster was shed during her sprint, and her double bladed gauntlet seemed to beg to release the orange blades it held in check. But not yet; she had to get to the ground, first.

... and that problem was soon remedied as she flung herself out into open air. A fleeting memory of falling from the many catwalks during her fight with Decepis flashed through her mind, but she dismissed it. The ground was speeding beneath her at an almost dizzying pace, but the Jedi gauged the distance between herself and the upcoming rooftop. Unlike her uncontrolled crashes upon the stone walkways of her home, s'Il hit the ground almost in midstride while tucking her body into a quick roll to absorb the shock of making landfall.

She was on her feet less than a second later, and within another scant few moments she had dropped easily to the ground, silent clouds of dust rising like halos around her feet.

[Lamar Starworth]

Fist and woman, they were a combination that could get any man confused. It was certainly the case when the small James swung quickly at Lamar. His head cocked back only a matter of a second, but it didn't matter. The blow had done the damage and for a moment he could only hear the rattle of the cultural beads at the tips of his braids banging against one another. There was an onslaught of blows thrown from that point, but all he knew to dismiss was the annoying sound in his ear. Lamar never was fond of lull rumble behind him, and it was no better at a faster pace. Instinctively he bobbed his head, side-to-side, flinching in sequence in hopes of dodging the wild strikes.

He managed. It was to be expected...he was a trooper and she a small, frail woman with rage. Well...maybe not that expected, but he was saved. The woman that had talked to Sanis Prent on the ground jumped swiftly between the two. In the blurr of an assault and a decipher of horribly woven curse words, it was quite hard to focus on the surrounding details. Dropping back against the floor, he watched as the Lupine dashed off toward the ramp door.

Twirling smoothly about, he struggled to his feet. Placing his hand out behind him, he warded off any remnants of hatred. Hopefully this "James" girl didn't have too much distate for his presence. Even though the blows were only a sting, Lamar was certian that was only a taste of her true fury.

"Frag!" He grumbled, pushing off the wall with his extra hand. The trooper was sure to keep his gloved hand behind him still. There was no telling when the young lady might swing again. Balancing himself, Lamar took one last breath before refocusing on the present.

Running his eyes up, he scanned the ship. Sounds of a door hatch being open rushed through with a whisper of dust.

Where in Coruscant's Blue Hell was "my" crazy woman protector going? Lamar thought.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Akrabbim
The Imps are definately getting close. Akrabbim rushes inside, finding Sanis alrady in the cockpit. Normally, keeping his cover would be of utmost importance, but now...

He slides next to Sanis, speaking in a low whisper. He drops the accent for now.

Listen, Sanis. I can help you, but you're going to have to trust me. When you hit those clouds, stop cold, change direction, and head off on some other course.

Sanis looks at him to protest, but Akrabbim cuts him off, allowing his eyes to glow a bright blue for a moment.

Remember how we got away from Korgogg? Same principle. Trust me. Neither of us want to be caught by the Imps.


Originally posted by Daanarri Raurrssaatta
Daani squeaked as Proon Jeffries sat on her. "Hey! Ow!" She wriggled and shoved at his back as he tried to talk to Sanis. "I'm the co-pilot!"

The pot was finally boiling over.

I pulled my shell gun free from the holster and primed the actuator.

"You two either keep your mouths shut or find a seat below deck, or I swear on the ghost of Xim that I will crash this damn ship into the first thing that strikes my fancy."

I glared at Akrabbim and Daani, and pointed my shell gun at my console for emphasis.

"Man's gotta fly with a clear head. Now get!"

Suddenly, a klaxon lit up on my terminal. Further annoyed, I de-primed my sidearm and holstered it, and flipped on a comm to the engine room.

"Cirr! What in seven hells is our cargo bay door doing open?"

As if anything else couldn't go wrong. Oh yeah, besides the angry finger of God coming down on my head in the form of an Imperial star destroyer.

"I don't have time to fly and play babysitter!"

[James Prent]

Tak wriggling in my arms, I slapped the intercomm from the passageway just fore of the cargo bay. "Your lady friend just jumped ship, Sanis. Going to close the doors now!"

I had to yell over the rushing sound of the wind whistling through the doors. Not waiting for an answer, I hiked Tak up on my hip a little better, and the girl tightened her grip on me as I made my way to the controls. The slightest bump in flight and we would both probably tumble out of the door as well.

Grabbing a bolted down crate with my free hand to steady myself, I bit my lip and looked at Tak's blue eyes, at Lamar in the other corner of the cargo bay holding himself securely in place, and then at the panel that was still just out of reach. Hot air blasted us both, Tak's fine blonde hair whipping in to my eyes.

C'mon... c'mon! Reach it! I shifted my feet slightly just as the ship jinked to port, dislodging my hand. Tak clutched at me, burying her face in my shoulder as we slid down the smooth deck towards the open door. I yelped, frantically trying to do something, anything, when I felt the controls move for the doors, and the cargo bay sealed itself against the desert.

I hit the doors a little less than gently, Tak shielded from harm with my body. How had I closed the doors without touching them?! I shuddered, and not from the close call. "You okay, Tak?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr ran/stumbled into the cargo bay from the engine room, yanking a pair of protective goggles off his face as he looked at James.

"What? Who opened the doorr?"

The floor plating groaned almost imperceptibly, and the felinoid scowled at it.

"We'rre enterrjing a lot of chop."

He looked out the viewport at a rolling bank of purple storm clouds.

"Oh. Well that explajins everrythjing of courrse."

Cirr sighed, his broad shoulders lowering a few inches with the gesture.

[Khendon Sevon]

The white-armored scout leaned into the butt of his rifle and peered through the sniper weapon’s scope. Reticles narrowed themselves around the falling form. The trooper shifted in his prone stance slightly and mumbled on his comm., “Talon, ya’ see that?”

“Yeah, that’s not normal. I’ve never seen someone jump from a moving freighter like that before.”

“Should we maybe report it?”

“What for?” The other stormtrooper looked through his enhanced binoculars. “We have orders to kill, so, let’s kill. It’ll be a good story to tell the boys back at the five-o-one.”

“Yeah, ‘I shot a person that jumped out of a speeding freighter after they perfectly landed.’ Great story, Talon, great.”

“Shut up and take the shot, Johnson.”

The sniper took a deep breath, let out half, allowed himself a moment, then squeezed the trigger gently. A red lance of energy spat forth from the malevolently engineered device of death and sped towards the target.


*************

“Sir,” came a voice over the comm., “native forces seem to be assembling en masse, we’re starting to receive casualty reports from stormtrooper squads.”

“Alright, we’ll reinforce this one spot and use it as a temp base. Call down the heavy gear—artillery and turrets. Have all units converge.” Khendon was beginning to get frustrated with this dusty planet and its mirages.

Where was his mark? “Orbital Tracking, I need a location find on frequency Executorial D32 sub A.”

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

In a graceful display of fluid motion, s'Il brought her arm up across her body as if pulling a blanket over her head, the double orange blades bursting to life. Even in the sunlight they shone brilliantly. Eyes closed, she opened her mind to her surroundings and turned on the balls of her feet while wrapping her arms around her torso and letting the dual blades seemingly encircle her as she twisted.

The whole display took less than a second, yet seemed to last forever before the Lupine suddenly flung her sabre arm in a level, cross-cutting swipe that sent the bolt heading straight back its' point of origin.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani was strapped into her seat, unable to move, and was thankful when the old guy stood up, gripping the top of the chair tightly. In a flash she had her crash webbing unbuckled, and darted out of the cockpit. Sanis was mad, so it probably was best she left, even if it wasn't her fault.

Behind her, Proon took the co-pilot's seat and fastened himself in.

The little Cizerack slipped down the ladder, skipped down the passageway, right past her harried looking older brother, and made her way to one of the gunning stations. It was cool because she had to take another ladder down and ended up staring out of the bottom of the ship. She slapped the controls that opened up the shields from the transparisteel bubble that surrounded the port, and settled the headset on her wild looking hair.

Human heads had ears down further than Cizerack's did, so Daani could either talk into the headset, or hear what was being said to her, but not really both at the same time. Below the escaping freighter she could see plumes of dark smoke in the distance, and occasionally the bright flashes of blaster fire. No one seemed close enough to shoot at.

[Lamar Starworth]

Nothing about the situation was securing in the least. Even as Lamar held tightly in the corner while the ship went through a moment of shakes, turns and twist he could nothing but accelerated those boggling motions. His mind shifted from one point to the next, but his eyes didn't follow. Instead the two orbs did the complete opposited and closed.

Letting out a small sigh, he opened his eyes to the world. A refreshing atmosphere grew from his breathe as he carefully examined his surroundings. Allowing the memories of the moment only second previous to come back to him, he felt as his eyes transfixed on James.

The big co-pilot had come into the room, but even with his attention-catching height his eyes didn't budge. That breif lack of sight when his vision was shut by his lids had done his senses wrong. A tingle ran down his spine as he peered deeper, as if trying to pry out her soul. Then as sudden as the tingling began, it all stopped. Forfeiting to normality, he looked up at the tall, furry creature.

"What now?" Lamar asked. "What is going on?"

[James Prent]

Tak seemed to be ok, silently clinging to me as Cirr bounded into the hold. "s'Ilancy opened the doors. I think." I made my way across the deck towards the passage that led to the galley. The ship bucked under my feet, but I was close enough for Cirr to reach out and keep me upright. "She jumped out."

Around us the desert storm thickened and I frowned as a strange noise tickled my senses. "What the -" The storm had kicked up sand into the clouds, and the Layla was flying right though it.

Tak moved in my arms, and Cirr pointed towards the galley. "Get strrrapped jin." We did.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Dama was gone, leaving Tak in the arms of a stranger. The little girl squirmed uncomfortably, craning her neck around to try and catch a lasting glimpse of the bay door.

"Dama!"

She fought then, struggling against the strange woman's hold as they settled in to the galley. "Dama, Dama answa ss'i!"

Blue eyes, in striking contrast to her mother's own orange, began to fill with tears and out of instinct Tak ceased her struggles to clutch fearfully to the stranger. Layla rocked, and the little girl let out a muffled sob before tightening her grip.

[Khendon Sevon]

Johnson only had time to go wide eyed before a blaster bolt tore open his cranial cavity.

Talon had leaned away from his sighting binoculars while the shot was taken—not something he normally did, but he had wanted to see the kill with his own eyes, not some optically enhanced vision. He regretted it.

The shower of crimson that erupted coated him in a thin layer as his friend’s corpse slumped over the sniper rifle that had, seemingly, delivered the fatal blow. Talon only heard screaming.

With Imperial training failing for a moment, the soldier brought his hands to his unmasked face and tried to rub away the scarlet juice that coated him from head-to-toe. It was useless.

A second later the soldier was backing away into the corner muttering to himself—this was shell shock in a brutal form.


***********

Harbinger knelt with rifle across his lap in the rubble of a fallen building. He breathed steadily, his chest moving underneath the enhanced carbon-composite armor. The single red eye of his helmet narrowed then made a virtually inaudible whizzing sound as it zoomed.

He had seen the energy bolt travel towards its target only to traverse the same distance and slam into its sender—foolish sniper hadn’t know who, or rather what, he was dealing with.

“This is SG-352, I’ve spotted an alpha priority terrorist in sector lambda four, sending exact positioning satellite coordinates.”


***********

Khendon heard the communication. His headset was unfiltered at the moment and only his implant was enough to allow him to dissect the fistful of conversations going on.

“Roger that, SG-352,” came a crackling voice from space, “we’re forwarding your information to Executor—“

“No need, Battlefield Ops, I’ve heard. Executor Sevon, out.” He looked into the angled face of a demonic soldier and smiled. “Take over for me, I’ve some hunting to do.”

[Akrabbim]

He glances at Snis one last time before moving to another viewport in the back.

Remember what I said...

He reaches a back window and sits, focusing his concentration. For everyone to see this, he's going to have to make an illusion out of light. It won't be easy... an illusion that size will take some effort, but he should be able to pull it off.

He waits until the ship moves into the cloud and launches his illusion. An image of the Layla bursts out of the dust in the direction they were heading, complete with a small distortion of the dust cloud as would be caused by a ship that size. Now to wait and see if Sanis used enough sense to change course.

[Sanis Prent]

"Dammit!"

I slammed a fist on the console at James' comment.

"Who jumps out of a perfectly good starship?"

I asked nobody in particular. We were now neck-deep in the storm. Winds and heavy rain whipped about the ship, as lightning storms danced over our heads. I tried to get a good reading in all of the chop, which was in itself a tricky task.

"James, if you could climb your butt up this ladder as fast as possible, your captain would greatly appreciate it."

Topography mapping was lagging, and I was having to approximate our rate of drift relative to the ground. With visibility shot to hell, it was a matter of playing it gentle with the stick. Fortunately, there were more than a few canyons and mesas in the badlands. Lots of places to hide with hardly a prying eye between.

Any other situation, I'd have cut bait and run. This time I had a job to do. More than that, it was a bit personal.

"Cirr, prep the Black Cat. I'm about to take a spell out of here and see the world."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"What now?" Lamar asked. "What is going on?"

"You know, gettjing chased by jImperrjials, havjing passengerrs leap out of movjing starrshjips. All jin a day's worrk."

Cirr shrugged, with a tinge of exasperation on his face. Sanis's call came down from the pilothouse.

"What? We'rre not leavjing? Ai'jaarra'ka'neeia wherre's the money jin thjis job?"

Cirr threw a wrench on the floor in frustration, tromping down a corridor to the back of the ship, where a small shuttle was berthed, just above the engine superstructure.

[Lamar Starworth]

"Frag!"

A frown carved it's way onto Lamar's lips. Twirling about, he followed in Cirr's steps, but quickly motioned to the side where he had left his things. The hectic enviroment was pestering him to no end, and the fact that he had no hold on it drove him to hold something. Grabbing up out of his bag, he gripped tightly onto the ancient Jedi relic and a newly bought blaster. Weapons were comforting to the voilent soul, but for him it wasn't enough.

Quickly, after a cautious glance over his shoulder, he placed the Jedi weapon back into the the small bag. Pulling at the bag's closing strings he swinged it over his shoulder. The blaster in hand, he ran back to the ladder. Steps weren't even realized in his large two-touch leap up into the head of the ship.

"Calm down, calm down..." The young trooper muttered, letting his arm, occupied with the blaster, to relax. Chaotic situation were part of the battlefield and to loose his head over this would be unprofessional.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

In the aftermath of the blaster bolt's reversal, s'Il stood motionless. Her sabre blades were left activated and she held them at the ready.

Scant seconds passed, and she let her eyes dart to either side of her. Dan had almost virtually disappeared the moment the commotion began, and she wanted to find him - to make sure the man was safe.

The darkness was approaching though. She could feel it coming closer, seemingly encroaching everything it rolled over. She could almost see the blackness swallow whatever lay in its' path.

The Lupine took a step forward, intent on meeting this obstacle head on. She would have to deal with this problem before looking for Dan.

[Khendon Sevon]

Like a World Devastator, Khendon left destruction in his wake. His anger was exponentially growing by the second, becoming a blazing inferno threatening to consume the entire planet it its unrelenting wrath. Hatred seethed from the dark soldier like liquid from a fallen container. The contents splashed out and corroded all life touched by the Executor’s sphere of enmity.

A swift palm killed one Cathar youth that stood in the wicked warrior’s path. The body fell with a heavy thud as Khendon ran onward, already meters away from his victim. He was just another notch on a growing list of conquests and kills.

The Sith was getting close, he could feel it. There was a certain something about the area ahead—he wasn’t exactly sure about the feeling, it was almost an itchy sensation on the back of his palms.

“Take the shot, take it!” the Executor commanded as his eyes peered at the wash of colors emitting from the woman’s deadly weapons.

In an instant, crackles of red energy lashed out from Harbinger’s assault rifle. The trooper, aware of what had happened to his compatriot, dove under cover after his burst of malice.

Khendon, still sprinting with ungodly speed, tore his saber from its holster and ignited the silver, biting blade in a single outward circle. His two-handed grip brought the weapon over head in a dangerous, aggressive stance.

In a display of speed, the Executor sent a diagonal slash toward the woman, using the power of his mad dash to aid in the fluid dance of assaulting plasma. A guttural, vengeful growl rumbled through his throat and out his mouth as he struck.

[James Prent]

I made sure Tak was strapped in securely to the galley couch, and looked around. "Frell, Sanis, I can't leave her..." As I wasn't anywhere near an intercomm he couldn't hear me.

Lamar came bounding up the ladder towards the mess, and I yelled at him. "Strap yourself in an' watch the little girl." He had a blaster in his hand, and I glared at it as I pushed past him. "Whatever you do, don't shoot that thing in here. Cap'n would take offense. Just make sure Tak stays strapped in, and I suggest you do the same." With that I left the two in the galley together. Jack had disappeared - I assumed he'd been left behind on the surface when we'd taken off. Tak's little pet was missing as well.

As was Daani. And I was getting a headache.

I scrambled down the passage and up the last ladder to the cockpit level. "I'm here - !" The ship jinked to the side and I fell off balance and slammed into the bulkhead. "What did ya want!?" My voice came out loudly from the surprise of my sudden impact.

[Sanis Prent]

"I'm putting down for a spell to go find our pleasure seeker."

Perspiration started to show on my forehead, as I deftly maneuvered alongside jagged cliff faces, lower toward an atrophied riverbed below.

"I need you to keep a lid on things here. You're in charge, and if nobody pays you heed ask Cirr to pull their arms out. Weather's rough, and you'll be socked in. Little if anything on sensors or communications."

Through the chopping sheets of rain, the dried riverbed appeared from below, with a thin vein of swollen rainwater dividing the center of it. I steered Layla low, and extended the flaps and landing struts. A second later, the ship bucked sharply, coming to a rougher than normal landing.

I pulled myself out of my crash webbing, and made for the access hatch,

"If I'm not back in an hour, you fly hard out of this canyon and come and save me!"

[Lamar Starworth]

Lamar watched as the yelling woman headed out, away from the mess that he had found himself in. It was clear that the situation wasn't getting any better, even with his trusty blaster by his side. So instead of clutching helplessly onto his only material of defense, he let it go. Placing it on his lap, he sat beside the little, blonde haired girl and strapped up as commanded.

"Civilizians, there just a bunch of idiots." He said, unknowingly, to Tak, who said idle beside him.

"So, whats your name, little girl?"

[James Prent]

"Uh uh, okay Boss." I slipped into the pilot's seat, still warm from Sanis's body. I smiled at Proon as our captain dashed down the ladder and his footsteps echoed down the passage beneath us.

"Guess we're stuck here. You might want to go back to your bunk..?" The old man seemed tired. Or maybe he was exasperated. I flipped on the intercomm, "Hi all, we're going to be here for a while. Feel free to move around, but you may have to strap in again at a moments notice."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a burst of speed to match that of the oncoming Darksider, s'Il rushed forward, her own sabres coming up to seemingly deflect his diagonal strike. Using his own momentum, the Lupine sidestepped only slightly as she twisted her torso to avoid his attack while in the same motion bringing the twin orange blades to send his own crackling and sparkling against the ground, scoring the earth with blackening results.

Free hand coming up, she briefly placed it between his shoulderblades and shoved, aiding her action with a Forcepush and sending him forward - where she had been standing less than a moment before, and into the incoming fire of his own man.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon hadn’t expected the push, in fact, he had been prepared for his saber to encounter meat and slice with a satisfying resistance. Instead, he now found himself floundering in open space.

Control. It came over his body and fit like a well tailored suit. The details of the battle processed with inhuman speed—an awareness beyond normal senses.

The Sith’s left hand gripped the edge of his coat and spread it in the air before the wall of laser fire. Black smoke billowed from the incinerated material as it absorbed the first few shots, as its design was intended to do.

Heat formed on Khendon’s flank as the final blasts contacted the thin armor closer to his skin. The material acted according to its specs—the Executor would have to send a well deserved message of appreciation to the developing laboratory when this whole incident was over.

Attention firmly fixed on the saber wielding woman, Khendon shunned his trenchcoat and recommitted to a two-handed grip on his weapon. Weightless blade overhead, he allowed himself to embrace the Force. Without the need of a physical whip, he simply bent the slaved energy to his will—he could already feel the intoxicating injection of power floating through his blood like a combat enhancing drug.

She was good. Too good. A thin piece of plaster remained firmly lodged in his mind—he couldn’t exactly place her face, but he recognized it.

Who was this blonde bombshell?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a click.

The Lupine had reached behind her to unclip the leather strap that held her freehand sabre, and it slid from its' inverted position within the leather holster at the small of her back.

The elegant silver hilt held loosely in her hand, s'Il thumbed the actuator switch. A brilliant amethyst sprang to life, and she held it - tip down - waiting for her opponent to gather himself.

Orange complimenting purple now, the Lupine let herself crouch ever so slightly, waiting for the Darksider to attack. She had startled him, that much was certain, and she knew that he would seek retribution for her slight of hand.

[Khendon Sevon]

Who was this woman! She had all of the elegance of a Jedi with the wit and trickery of a Sith! As she drew her second weapon, Khendon felt a pang of warning in his stomach—could he be in over his head?

The master swordsman twirled his saber overhead in a fake diagonal strike and rolled the assault smoothly into a step-forward thrust. It wasn’t overly complex, nor compromising. Instead, it was tactical—he wanted to know how well she fought before revealing any of the cards he kept stashed for emergencies.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

What began as another slashing diagonal attack melded into a thrust, and the Lupine acted accordingly.

The amethyst blade came up to take the feint, but as the man's blade altered its' path, her gauntlet came around in a sideswipe, parrying the strike to the side.

In the same motion, she took advantage of the momentary opening his absent sabre created and stepped up into him, her foot coming down on his own as her elbow jerked upward on a collision course with his chin.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon, it seemed, was at disadvantage. He was using a single blade with two hands firmly placed on his hilt.

Relax. Take it slow. Reaction is key, yours and hers. The Executor was starting to sound like his father’s instructions up on that mountain so many years ago. Fighting with cold katana in numb fingers, he had battled through pitched struggles against his skilled father in the blinding snow. Just like this engagement now, his opponent then had the intent of killing him.

With weapon aside, he watched the woman’s weight distribution. A foot pinned, maybe a knee strike? Shifting in her upper body, the inward turning of the forearm—an elbow was about to be thrown, or maybe an inside knife strike would snap out?

Khendon leaned back and displaced more weight on his back leg. As the woman’s elbow came up where his face had once been, he brought his own forearm into hers from the right and stepped forward, bringing his body near enough to smell her scent—it was a dangerous, bold move.

In a crude show of his ability to use every element of his arsenal, the Executor drove a headbut into the woman’s nose.

Bring it in close. Make it personal. It's a dance. In, out, and back in again.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She watched his body, the silent language speaking volumes to her hardened eye. Her elbow was robbed of its' target, and she watched his neck muscles tense. A headbutt. He was smart; smarter than the average Darksider. He thought his movements through, took calculated risks.

Even as his head shot forward, she herself was moving. The orange blades deactivated and she snapped her hand came up to palm his face, to slow it down minutely as her head canted to the side, both eyes now closed as he too was robbed of his target.

The amethyst blade went up and over the both of them then as they stood in their ugly embrace, and s'Il brought it savagely down, using the butt of its' hilt to return his intended headbutt with one of her own, only to the back of his head.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon’s hair registered the sudden change in attack. It was a minute and short warning, but enough to allow him to roll the delicate parietal portion of his skull away from the assault. Instead, the hilt came crashing down upon the frontal region and sent waves of contact pain through his spine.

It was almost blinding.

Reflexively, the Executor dropped, allowed his weight to fall back, and tumbled away. He sprang back to his feet, saber held out in a left handed grip. Khendon frowned and shook his head. Indicating the woman with a nod, he spoke in his rugged command voice, “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure to introduce myself,” the classic Khendon smirk rolled onto his features, “I’m Executor Sevon. You are?”

He drew on the Force and summoned a series of bricks from the rubble behind the woman. With a mental yank, they sped towards her back.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Typical.

She let the flurry of bricks approach her back, without affording them a glance. His use of the Force had been expected, and s'Il let him excersise his power.

If for only a short while.

A blink, and the hurling bricks came to an abrupt halt, still suspended in the air.

If it was a show of power he wanted, then she would certainly oblige him. She stood, framed by frozen, suspended rubble and washed in the soft purple glow of her lightsabre.

The Lupine was silent, looking upon Executor Sevon with a scrutinizing eye. Finally, she spoke.

"I am no one of consequence, unless you continue this attack on my home. In which case, I am your guide into the world of the Reaper."

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon frowned—that sullen lament of a frown he always made when disappointed by someone’s answer to one of his fair questions. “If that’s what you really want,” he removed a communicator from his belt and brought it near his lips.

“We’re done here. The troops should all be at the rally coordinates anyway.” The Executor was an honest man; he would give the woman what she wanted.

“Begin orbital bombardment.” He clicked the device off. “Now you are of consequence. I thought it was a straightforward answer; instead you gave me dramatic response. Well, I’ve given you an equally dramatic reply.

“Miss what-ever-your-name-is, prepare to earn a few more scars on that pretty little face of yours.” His silver saber cast odd relief on his smirking visage, making his features appear even more devilish.

She will attack, and if she won’t… well, cross that bridge when it presents itself. Like a spring, his body prepared and his stance altered. Khendon wasn’t a fool, he would not remain static—instead, he weighed his body in advance to pivot and kept his center of gravity well ground and low, muscle memory already high tuned to the dance of death.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You are testing my patience."

Her orange blades sprang to life once more, and the Lupine released her mental hold on the rubble behind her. They clattered to the ground, raising small dust clouds.

s'Il took a step forward then, her weapons downcast, their tips pointed to the rough ground. She returned his frown with a scowl of her own while reaching into the Force.

The Executor's sabre suddenly seemed as though made of lead, and its' weight grew the closer she approached. It seemingly begged to be set upon the ground, pulling at his grip steadily with growing force and every step she took. In her eye it was plain to see the anger she kept in check, and with each stride she pushed his sabre towards the dirt that much more with invisible hands.

[Khendon Sevon]

More cheap Jedi tricks. His Greatest of Great Grandfathers had warned him about the dishonor and deception of the Old Way; yet, he had never experienced it in such a great degree.

The straight path may be harder than that which snakes around obstacles. The old man’s voice came to Khendon’s ears in that moment.

Patiently, the scorpion waited for the wolf to come within striking distance. With a deft hand, the Sith let go of his saber and pulled on the gravity blade at his shoulder. At the same moment, his steel-toed boot kicked up a cloud of dust and debris. Before the energy field could dissipate or the cylinder hit the ground, the sharp dagger was already free of Khendon’s hand and flying through the murk of brown powder.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There were certain advantages to being a Lupine, and coupled with the Force's aide, it produced an effect that many refused to believe even if they had seen it with their own eyes. It was this advantage that s'Il fell upon now.

Her sabres disengaged, their blades vanishing as she strode on.

Her anger had broken free of its' prison, and the Lupine snarled a gutteral growl. Her eardrums registered the barest of metal whispers, of a fingernail ever so lightly scraping against steel. Even with the sudden onslaught of the dustclowd created by his boot, she pressed onward. She heard the slightest of exerted breaths seep through his lips as he loosed his weapon.

Very well. If this was how he wished to fight, than she would give him what he so desired.

And with her next step, the Lupine let the muscles of her legs take over, and with a miniscule crouch, she lept up, over the path that his knife took. The blade flew unemcumbered, and it would soon fall to the ground, still as polished as when it had left its' sheath; no blood would decorate it today.

s'Il came down then, her right hand hooked like talons as it closed around the Executor's throat, and her other sliding her second sabre behind his neck. She drove him crashing to the ground, the cylindrical handle of her sabre digging painfully into his spinal cord for the briefest of moments as she herself landed in a crouch beside his head.

She waited, looking down at him and his now immobile body; waiting for him to realize just what it was she had done.

[Khendon Sevon]

More tricks.

Memories of fighting the Calvetta Monks flooded Khendon’s mind. He had seen similar attacks wither well-trained soldiers into floundering, spasm-prone messes. Watched as medics tried to prevent patients from swallowing their tongues, helpless to do anything about their inflictions.

It was a pressure point attack—one of considerably lesser level compared to the Calvetta martial art. Never the less, it was a setback. He hated setbacks.

Two cards would have to be played. He mentally drew them and set them face up on the table.

Instantly, his neural pathways became busy as his internal processor began analyzing the situation for a possible quick solution—the software had been upgraded during the fighting when stormguardsmen were deployed to kill the final resistance monks. Like a good immune system, the software would bank the fix and provide future protection. For now, it had to solve the problem.

Already Khendon could sense some feeling and motor function returning.

The second asset tapped was more tangible.

Harbinger crouched with rifle firmly against his shoulder. “Buh bye,” he mumbled in his helmet and snapped off several aimed shots of deadly energy.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Another growl, and s'Il released her hold on his neck, roughly pulling her sabre free in the same process. Another quick jab to his jugular bought her more time, and she rolled over the top of Khendon, pulling him with her and presenting his back as a shield from the oncoming blaster bolts.

[Khendon Sevon]

Gotchya’.

A sly smirk rolled onto Khendon’s face with ease, “You just want to be close to me, admit it.” He licked his lips and sent a powerful knee strike into her stomach with his right leg. A sore sensation ripped through his body but he shelved it.

The Executor gauged at her good eye with his free hand.

Without his trenchcoat to stop the incoming rifle fire, Khendon prayed his armor would hold up. This fight had been taken to the ground, he wanted to keep it there—where his grappling skills would help.

He tried to roll on top of her and gain dominance.

Heat welled up in his side and back as two shots burned dangerously close to his skin—Khendon was certain his armor had gaping, smoldering holes now. Oh well, he’d have to get a new set made.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You flatter yourself," the Lupine grumped as her hand moved to intercept his and redirect it into the ground. She channeled the pain from his knee in her gut, using it to fuel her own anger.

She let him atop her, feeling his weight on her body like the oppressive dark powers he practiced; heavy and almost choking.

Her sabre came to rest beneath his side, its' emitter flat against the armored plating, and she returned his smirk with one of her own.

Then she ignited the brilliant purple blade.

[Khendon Sevon]

Oh frell.

Time slowed down to a crawl—as it tends to do in combat quite often. It wasn’t enough to see every pore on the woman’s visage, or the reflected shock of his face in her eyes, he could make out the beginning of the smell.

Flesh burned by a lightsaber has a certain tinge to it. The plasma boils the fat in such a way that the scent is distinguishable. Oh, this would hurt, and Khendon was about to live one of his greatest hates—burning.

Every muscle in the man’s body pumped in protection, he pushed against any bit of resistance he could find. Like a cat held too long, he physically protested and tried to roll away.

The agonizing pain of heat melting flesh furthered Khendon’s reaction of repulsion. Lavender energy entered in a focused tip and cut a curve as the Executor’s body turned. It parted flesh and seared it shut, leaving a black, smoldering gauge in its wake.

His face tensed and turned into a powerful, tightly pulled scowl. The smell of his own burning flesh became overwhelming.

The physical turn brought the woman’s saber out of the small cavity as it activated and rolled its growing tongue over his back, exposing and quickly incinerating bone. Muscle turned to ash.

In agonizing torment, the world came back into sharp focus—epinephrine and the complete shutting down of his pain response system kept him from going into shock and dying that moment.

Khendon rolled away, dirt entering his dangerously deep wound. Small bouts of fire still curled and blackened bits of flesh that had resisted the initial heat. He was a mess.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Rolling to her feet, s'Il held her still lit sabre in a loose grip as she looked down upon the Executor. In distate, she patted at the front of her shirt to dust off specks of dirt.

Attention going to her opponent once more, the Lupine watched his agony. She had seen it in his eyes - caught so off guard by her actions. It was something she relished.

She let him alone, writhing on the ground, having no desire to end his suffering. No - she would let him live with his failure here, today, on this world. Mercy would be given to this man who had so wished to cut her down. He had been too bold, and s'Il had only allowed him to reap the benefits of what he had done.

"Think of this as a lesson, Executer Sevon," she said finally, "in exercising caution when engaging your elders."

Her eye rested on his form. "And in answer to your previous question, my name is Loklorien s'Ilancy."

[Khendon Sevon]

Shock. This woman is S’ilancy! This woman IS S’ilancy! She IS S’ilancy!

Bite her back. Bite her back. Just do it.

He wasn’t thinking logically. His neural interface was already causing his body to release a cocktail of proteins that would help him cope with the massive damage incurred. It had mind altering affects, he knew this.

Khendon, under normal circumstances, would’ve said something different. “Think of this as a lesson,” he spoke softly, “in not messing with Executor Sevon. Watch Cathar burn.”

He caught sight of the first jade turbolaser beam falling from heaven like an angel’s lance and blacked out.

[James Prent]

"Dren in a bucket!" I shielded my eyes against the first sizzlingly bright green blast from the sky. Even with the storm picking up around us, the far away turbolaser beam was nearly perfectly visible.

"SANIS!" I looked down and remembered to toggle the commlink. "Sanis, they're slaggin' the planet. You best hurry!"

[Sanis Prent]

"Come on, it's a big planet!"

I yelled back into the comm, a bit unsure of myself as the first green turbolaser rain blossomed on the horizon.

Dirt. Dirt, dirt, and more dirt with dirt on the side. And I was supposed to retrace my footsteps and find a suicidal mystic in the middle of raining hellfire.

"I really could use a sign here!" I said to nobody at all.

I kicked the shuttle higher into atmo, trying to get a better vantage as I headed back toward the village.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Anger. Righteous anger. It burned in her soul and the Lupine glowered true hate down at the unconscious form of Sevon. Without a second thought she called his thrown blade to her hand. It whipped through the air from where it'd fallen to nestle itself firmly in her grasp.

The Jedi pulled her arm back, launching the blade downwards and into Sevon's exposed hand.

Her breath came out quick and rapid as she stared down at the prone form of the Executor. Oh how she wanted to kill him - to drive her sabre through his chest and end his horrid life. It was the last look in his eyes though that stopped her. In their depths she had seen a rage fueled by failure. To live with that would be worse than dying, and the Lupine huffed an indignant breath from her nostrils.

Turning on her heel then, s'Il picked her way through the rubble that had once been a shopkeeper's hut. The ground beneath her feet shook momentarily as the ordered bombardment comenced, and she had to catch herself.

Another few steps and she was out of sight, leaving the bleeding and burned body of Executor behind.

Now to find Dan.

[General Dan]

A group of dead Sorrow trees stood clinging to the balding crest of a parched hill, and a shadow that was not their stood among them.

Dan's lean silhouette stepped out from the grove, where he had found a vantage point to the fight between the two force users. Though the temptation to intervene was high, he had resisted until the outcome was clear.

The earth shook beneath his feet, and the gunslinger's eyes took to the sky, as the hurricane of turbolaser blasts crept closer.

"s'Ilancy!" He shouted, running after her a at a good clip down the hillside.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon’s eyes opened and his face winced with immense pain—his implant was releasing chemicals to keep him conscious.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

There was an anvil in his head and the smith was beating the sin out of it.

His eyes shot around, examining the confusing scene but not really seeing anything. White. That was the sensation; but, there was more.

His arms felt like they had been submerged in vats of ice water for hours. His extremities were ungainly and barely tangible.

The Executor tried to move and a spike of pain ran up his back and sent heat with the intensity of a planet-wide forest fire.

Warm, warm liquid traced its way around his side and over his tattooed arms. It was so perfectly hot. It was. Blood warm. It hit him—he was bleeding to death on this foreign soil.

I will not die here. I will not die here. I will not die here. I will not die here. I will not die here.

Lightning in the sky, thunder as it crashed into the ground.

Thump. Thump. Thump

A face, all too confusing. A voice, muffled by a mask, screamed, shattered by the sound of energy coming to terrestrial rest and setting an entire building ablaze. “STAY WITH ME, EXECUTOR! STAY WITH ME!”

The shuttle had landed and he hadn’t even noticed. Already, Harbinger knelt near his leader, rifle scanning for any rebel assault.

A medic dressed entirely in white and with a large crimson cross on the side of his mask was shinning lights into Khendon’s eyes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It was the repulsor whine from the shuttle as it took off, its course set for space.

The Executor indicated for Harbinger to come close. The hideously armored face approached, its demonic gaze entrancing Khendon for a moment. “Stop the bombardment,” he mumbled through parched lips.

“What, Sir!? Repeat!?” The shuttle was running fast. Fast enough that its engines were whining in complete protest.

“Stop the bombardment.” Harbinger nodded in recognition and talked to an invisible audience through his helmet’s headset.

S’ilancy one. Khendon zero. Just wait, my dear, just wait. With that, the medic injected him and he blacked out.

[Lamar Starworth]

The beads of Lamar's head rattled as the green spearheaded from the sky. A fear overcame him like no other before it, sending a trail through his spine that left him in a cold shiver. For a moment he cowered in his buckled seat, pressing against the back as he peered from the ship's window.

Taking a quick glance down at the blonde-haired child beside him, he frowned. It was rare that his composure was completely disorientated, but it was worst when he compared it.

He felt weak.

"Frag! When in seven rings of Corellian hell are we going to get to Coruscant," Lamar screamed, clenching his teeth and forming an angered fist. His hand shook like the beads of his braids, ready at any moment to unleash the turmoil that battered his senses.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

For as young as she was, Tak was fairly observant of many things - living on Cathar, and with her mother, had taught her alot in her few years.

"A'hga na Omi'uka," she said sternly; or at least as stern as a child could. It was a mild rebuke, and the little blonde shook her finger at the man sitting next to her. Of course, in their current situation and given that the ship Dama had brought her aboard was rattling rather fiercely, Tak opted to scramble from her seat.

Best to find the other lady until Dama got back.

And with a speed only a toddler could possess, the youngster quickly made her way after James.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il stopped, turning her head sharply in the direction of the one who'd called her name. She should have known - Dan always seemed to show up just when she either needed or wanted him the most.

The Lupine let a smile of relief wash over her features at the sight of him, but her expression quickly turned sour as another lance of green energy shook the earth beneath her feet.

And then, no more. No other following spear of destruction. She had steadied herself after the last one, and gingerly s'Il released her handhold. A cursory glance around her revealed nothing. The sky remained deathly silent.

Pushing off from the wall she'd used as cover, the Lupine strode out while in the same motion expertly replacing her second lightsabre in its' inverted leather carrier on her back.

Her step a little lighter at the sight of the old gunslinger, her hands reached up to pat away any remaining dust smudges, and her stride soon became a slow jog.

[James Prent]

Lamar's shout came clearly up the ladder to my ears, and it knocked me out of my fear. I toggled the intercom as the bombardment stopped, and said, "I believe there are nine hells in Corellian belief."

Tak appeared, clambering up the ladder, and I moved quickly to help her the rest of the way up. "Yeah, I don't like him much either." I settled the little girl on my lap and waited for Sanis to get back in touch.

[Lamar Starworth]

A scowl distorted Lamar's features as he listened to the sudden response. Nothing about the woman had sent a friendly vibe through his bones, but sarcastic remarks were not making the situation any better. It was clear that the trip to the Core World would not be coming anytime soon, and that little pleasure Lamar had was dwindling away.

Reaching for the buckle, he snatched it off and quickly picked up his blaster. Over time it had become an object of comfort, but now it stood for anger. The strong grip that accompanied his hold on his blaster usually became considerably stronger. A lull pop rumbled through his hand as he strained to refrain from using the deadly item for its purpose. He was ready at any point to unload on any moving creature.

Taking his intense gaze off from the void ahead, he looked down at the spot next to him. The blonde girl had managed to wiggle off, but Lamar could care less. All he wanted now was to leave the broken planet and head to the Imperial Center. Scrambling off to the ladder, Lamar climbed quickly up the steps until he found his face meeting James and Tak. Not a millisecond of hesitance could be seen in Lamar's motion as he pointed the blaster's eye to meet between James' two orbs.

"Take me to Coruscant. Now!"

[General Dan]

"You okay Lok?"

Dan ran toward her, and gave a cursory visual inspection, and his expression hardened.

"What in seven hells are you still doing on-planet? Where's that damn Prent?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a rare smile touching her lips, s'Il seemed almost giddy with the first tinges of victory over the Executor.

"I don't know where Sanis is," she almost laughed, "I jumped off Layla."

What an odd thing to say. Jumped from a flying ship? Ha! Oh I kill myself.

The Lupine cast aside all airs of formality as she swiftly took up his hand in hers, pulling him about and with her as she continued on - away from the previous battlezone.

[General Dan]

"I may never understand you Jedi mystics."

Dan growled as the two made their getaway back toward Layla's general direction.

"But I don't know if you're fast talking can ever explain away jumping out of a perfectly good freighter, which I paid for this mission mind you, to go fight a Sith Lord and his starfleet. Do we need to stop and look around for the marbles that you lost?"

[James Prent]

I've dealt with drunks in the wee hours of the morning, and gotten them bundled into taxis or talked down. I was even robbed at blaster point twice while waitressing back home. I was helpless in the face of Lamar's weapon, but not entirely.

Calmly, perhaps more calmly than Cirr or Sanis would ever believe, I said, "Certainly. We'll leave right away."

I shifted my eyes to Proon, who was still sitting in the co-pilot's chair, looking uncomfortable. "Jeffries, d'ya mind takin' the girl?" Slowly and carefully I grasped Tak under the arms and handed her off to the old man, looking at Lamar the whole time. The girl out of the way, I put my hands on Layla's controls and added, "I can take us up right now, but there's an Imperial fleet upstairs. Y'want to stay hidden until they leave, or should I just make a run for it?"

I kept my tone as mild as if I were discussing something rational, instead of being held at gunpoint by what I was convinced was a raging Imperial nut-job. "I'll also have to notify Cirrsseetto about us takin' off. Is that ok?"

[Lamar Starworth]

'Imperials' Lamar thought, clenching tightly onto the blasters grip. 'Here'

For a moment the blaster faltered in it's direct point, the man's grip weakening as his focus became isolated on his thoughts. The Empire had some sort of part in the green light. Nothing of such magnitude could come from anything other than the Imperial reservoir. A sigh escaped Lamar's lips as his eyes glaze wavered and his orbs targeted James. There was a sense of clarity now, but still the blaster stayed pointed at her face.

A gulp ran down his throat, dropping in the young soldiers system. The moment had gone and passed now leaving only a conclusion.

"If the Empire is here I need to put my beacon on. Maybe they can get me out of this hell-hole." The young man eyes switched to the side, hoping to intake any more thoughts he forgot to file.

"I’m not going to kill you if you don’t do anything stupid. I'm just not patient..."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Finding herself deposited in the old man's lap, Tak took one look at him before her eyes went wide. The wrinkles!! So many!! Squirming to her belly, she deftly slid off the old man's lap and back over to James while begging to be picked back up.

"Nadha kho'ss'umo Adia'vu," she said, turning a worried glance behind her at the old one.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Something was up. The thump thump thumping of the orbital turbolaser strikes had ended, but Sanis was still out there somewhere, and they were still idling in the canyon.

A bit leery of the sudden quiet, Cirr climbed up through the engine access hatch, to return to the crew compartment.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Offering only a backwards glance to Dan, s'Il flashed him her pearly whites as she turned about to face him. In the same motion, she threw her arms around his neck, sending the both of them into a controlled spin.

Her nose was scant centimeters from his.

"Mayhaps I lost my marbles," she grinned, "but I'm still two for two."

[General Dan]

Dan caught his tongue on more than a few lashings he wanted to give her. She'd disregarded his concern for her, disregarded her own safety, and just about anything else inbetween.

"Whats a little thing like a turbolaser bombardment to come between a pair like us, eh?"

He smiled lopsidedly at her, and kissed her lightly.

[James Prent]

I quietly gathered Tak back into my arms, keeping the girl's head well away from the end of Lamar's blaster. I suddenly knew that Cirr was approaching, although the big Cizerack wasn't making any noise to announce his arrival.

And Lamar's beacon was probably...probably... in his bags on the lower levels. "If you want t' activate the beacon, then you should. We'll all still be here when you come back up."

As long as Daani didn't run into him downstairs instead of Cirr. The stormtrooper would probably pop the little Cizerack between the ears if she startled him.

[Lamar Starworth]

The young man glared as Tak dashed off into James' arms. Not a single flinch from his blaster could be seen as he dangerously pointed it ahead at the woman and child. Mercy was not a subject taught in neither times of war nor the life of a Bounty Hunter, leaving very little empathy in Lamar.

"I'm not stupid." He snarled. "You two are coming with me."

Lamar spat to the side, twirling the blaster down into a holster at his waist. Bringing his eyes back, he stared upon the two, beckoning them without even a single gesture. Smoothly turning about, he trailed down the steps below before awaiting the James and Tak to follow.

"I don’t trust you! I turn my back, I might find a blaster in it."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

On the way up the ladder, Cirr spotted Lamar coming down, with a blaster in his off hand. Reacting on the fly, he reached up and grabbed each of the stormtrooper's ankles, then let go of his foothold and let his 300 pound frame do the rest.

Both Lamar and Cirr fell down the access hatch and back down to the lower level.

[Lamar Starworth]

Lamar came down in a sudden flail, his arms flopping like a Gunman out of water. The grip had come as a shock, but the sudden fall left a jolt rushing through every chord of his body. A moment before he was in control, and the next he was dropping like a stone. All he saw was a red blaze flying from his blaster as his uncontrollable hand bolted down on the fragile trigger. It meant very little though as he continued down in a short scream.

Whoever had grabbed his legs was carrying far too much mass for him to counter for a soft land. The only hope that ran through Lamar's risen adrenaline pump was a nice land a top that momentum-shifter. In the end it was just another empty seed, leaving him hopelessly hitting the ground. A thud banked in the back of his head as he came in collision with the ground. The blaster let out another scream, hitting a nearby wall as he lay barley conscious on the ground.

Pain kept his eyes open, telling him to look for the purpose behind the horrendous agony. Taking a moment's gaze, he saw nothing. Instead of a clear vision there was a display of hot crimson dripping from his busted lip. The taste, the sensation, the feeling kept his eyes roaming instead of falling back into a haze. Finally locking onto the large object sprawled across the floor; there was nothing more to be said than...

"Frag..."

And then he was gone.

[James Prent]

Tak in my arms, I moved as smoothly as possible to follow Lamar. As he stepped onto the ladder, still gesturing at me with his blaster, he said, "I don’t trust you! I turn my back, I might find a blaster in it."

Meekly I moved closer to him, Proon Jeffries considered harmless in his old age and left behind in the cockpit. Plus, Lamar had two hostages now. The stormtrooper scowled at me, and then disappeared down the ladder. His blaster discharged as he fell, catching me high on the shoulder. I spun to the side from the impact of the energy bolt, falling down in my attempt to keep Tak from harm. Landing hard on my hip, Tak was still on top of me, clinging tightly.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Only the slightest of yelps passed through her lips as Tak went down with James. Her hands clenched at the woman's shirt, fingers clutching the fabric in a near-deathgrip.

The little girl buried her head in James' shoulder just below the wound, beginning to quietly sob. Why wasn't Dama here??

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il smiled, resting her cheek on Dan's shoulder for a few moments. It was odd that she felt so happy, with so much destruction around her. Maybe that's what happened when you were with someone you cared about? There were still many times that Dan made her feel like nothing more than a little child. In all the years that she had known him, she felt safe with him, and he'd always helped her whether she had wanted his offered hand or not.

Finally, s'Il pulled away a little, looking up to him as her smile slowly faded. She could see it in his eyes, a sort of frustration, and the Lupine knew it was brought on by her own actions. This was one of those times that she felt like a child in his presence. It didn't matter that she was a Jedi, nor that she was an Apex Pureblood of the House Losstarot - in fact, s'Il doubted that even he cared for the significance of such a thing.

"I had to do this, you know. I had to stop him I had to make him stop the bombardment, and he's leaving now - him and his fleets.

"Please understand that."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Down in the gunners station, Daani had found a folded up old newspaper from some unknown world. It wasn't written in Basic, or on a datapad, but was a huge papery fold-out job that crinkled and was hard to prop up to look at.

She was engrossed in figuring out a comic from the pictures alone when she heard blaster fire. Tossing the funny pages out of the way, she peered around underneath the freighter into the murk of the storm. Nothing down there.

Daani reached for the intercom, but paused. If it was from inside the ship, better that she didn't alert anyone to her whereabouts, Jussst jin cassse. Unstrapping, and climbing back out of the station, the little Cizerak crept into the lowest deck of the ship. She prowled to the galley, to see if there was anyone in there.

It was empty.

Grabbing a box of provisions, in case she had to hide herself in a smugglers hidey-hole, Daani edged along the passage and peeked into her brother's bunk. Empty again. Hmmm...

[General Dan]

"I understand that people get close to other people."

Dan's eyes squinted against the sun. In the distance, he could see a small craft weaving on the horizon.

"Makes them do all manner of things a clear headed person wouldn't. Don't make it any less right, if you look at it in that light."

The craft seemed to be getting closer.

"You did what you had to do for them. Raised my hackles a bit in the process, but that's done. Now, I'm asking you."

His eyes returned to hers.

"Go.

Tomorrow, we'll see each other, somewhere. It just isn't ours today."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Lamar's stray shot was a ricochet, hitting a high gloss carbide press and continuing on.

As Cirr hit the ground, he blinked hard a few times and sniffed at the air.

"That smell..."

Looking up, he saw a hole in his chest, leaking crimson.

"...uh oh."

[Sanis Prent]

The two specks way out there almost looked like people. I weaved the shuttle closer to get a scan with close range sensors.

"Finally!"

Two humanoid life forms in the middle of nowhere. If it wasn't s'Il, I'd know in a few seconds at least. I brought the Cat low and slow across the contours of the land, coming up the side of a bluff before following the grade of a hillside to a dried-out gully. The repulsors began to kick up a puff of dust as I slowed down even further.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

That fleeting moment of youthfulness departed, and s'Il let her eye follow Dan's previous line of sight. The shuttle was closer now, and it was easy enough to see that it wasn't Imperial. The closer it got, the more recognizable it became, and she soon could make out more detail.

The Black Cat. Layla's shuttle.

The Lupine turned back to look up at Dan, the weight of her years settling once more upon her shoulders.

Her arms went around him once again, and she embraced him fiercely. "Don't dally," she whispered in his ear, "it's been too long since I last laid eyes on you."

[James Prent]

I struggled upright, placing the little one as gently as I could on the deck. "Stay here, Tak." My shoulder hurt like someone had... well... shot me, but it was too quiet on the deck below.

I had no trouble breathing, and there didn't seem to be too much blood, at the moment, so I moved to the ladder and peered down cautiously. Crr's feet were just in my line of sight, and to my relief they moved. Lamar, however, I couldn't see. I'd have to go down there.

Pulling my small holdout blaster from it's hiding place in my clothing, I gritted my teeth and held it with my right hand. The wound in my right shoulder made it painful to move my arm, but I really couldn't climb down the ladder with it. Thanking the deities, I made it to the second deck without incident. Lamar seemed to be unconscious but Cirr... "Oh, frell." I pushed him back to the ground when he appeared to be trying to sit up. "Cirr, lay still. Hold on, I'll go for help."

But I didn't have anyone to go for help to. Frantically I pulled my shirt off over my head, gingerly drew my right arm out, and pressed the fabric to Cirr's wound. "Stay still big guy, I'm going to have to get the medpac from the cockpit."

[Sanis Prent]

No sooner did the shuttle land with a soft thud than I was out of it, heading toward Dan and Lok.

"Oh great, you're here."

With a look somewhere between anger and paranoia, I reached in my pocket and pulled out a pair of stun cuffs, tossing them at s'Il's feet.

"Put these on."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine pulled only slightly away from Dan, a look of confusion descending upon her features as she slowly let her arms fall. s'Il blinked as she stared first at Sanis, then the cuffs at her feet, then back up at Sanis.

"I beg your pardon?"

[Sanis Prent]

My gun was out before her sentence finished, leveled off at her from the hip.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I've got a job to do. And a powerful urge to live, even if you don't. Ladies throwing themselves out of moving starships more or less complicate that."

There was the whole issue of what the hell was she still doing here with Dan, but that took a back seat.

"Don't mean to mince words. The sky up there's thick with people I don't want no business with, so the next thing I'd better hear from your general direction is the sound of those cuffs closing and you stepping along."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"G-get me a blanket too."

Cirr winced as he applied pressure to his blaster shot, and his teeth began to chatter.

"Too cold down h-herre."

He turned on his side slightly, the blood from his wound engorging the now-soaked shirt he used to stem the tide.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her confusion was quickly transformed to mild frustration, and s'Il's eye hardened as she turned to face Sanis.

"Son, I think you'd best rethink your words."

Booted toe nudging up under the stuncuffs, she kicked them up and into her hand, but made no move to put them on. "What I did had to be done. No one is going to bother us now."

[Sanis Prent]

<font color=ff0000>BLAT!</font>

A smoking scorch mark erupted in sparks a few inches from the Lupine's feet. I looked down at my gun with a suprised look on my face.

"Man! That trigger's a might sensitive. I need a smith to see to that. Somebody could've been hurt."

[General Dan]

Dan laughed at the smart-aleck mercenary's banter in an appreciative manner.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Only a grumbled look of annoyance passed across her face as s'Il cast a look behind her to Dan.

She said nothing however, and took a step away from the gunslinger. Free hand reaching blindly back, she let a gentle hand pass across his arm. "On the morrow," she said without turning.

And stepping carefully over a few loose pockets of rubble, she addressed Prent.

"Let's go then."

[General Dan]

"Be safe, Loklorien."

His eyes smiled at her as he reached across with his other hand, giving her passing hand a gentle squeeze.

[Sanis Prent]

The walk back to the shuttle was short, quiet, and tense. I had to break the ice.

"You look like hell. Rough date?"

I passed the lupine my handkerchief to deal with the more immediate layers of battle grime that had caked onto her during...whatever the hell she had been doing.

[James Prent]

In my thin tank top I knew that it wasn't cold inside Layla. I snapped the medpac out of it's place in the bulkhead. Tak watched me with wide eyes, too afraid to go back over to Proon who was peering out of the front of the cockpit and generally being useless. I gave her a reassuring smile I didn't feel and slid down the ladder.

"Hold still, you big lunk." Medpac open, I grabbed the bacta paste and bit the top off. My hands shook a little as I pulled away his hand and the blood soaked shirt. I ripped at the burn hole in his shirt to clear the area around the wound, and squeezed the pinkish clear gel into it. "I'll get some synflesh on there and then we'll turn ya over and check the back."

I doubted that the bolt had passed all the way through, but he had been fairly close to Lamar when the blaster had gone off. And there seemed to be some blood underneath him. Adrenaline kept the pain of my own shoulder at bay, but my arm was starting to feel numb and stiff.

Daani came running up the passageway. "Cjirr!" She skidded to a halt on her knees beside her brother, a box of crackers falling to the ground behind her.

I grabbed her face with my good hand. "Daani, I need the blankets from his room. And a pair of stun cuffs. Quickly!"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Stricken with fear at the sight of all the blood around her brother, Daani needed a push to get started. "Rrrjight!" Jumping to her feet, the cubling ran down to Sanis' quarters and dug the cuffs out of his dresser drawer. Then she snatched the blankets off of Cirr's bed, and his pillow.

Stumbling and tripping on the blankets, pillow nearly blocking her vision, Daani got back in time to see that James had turned Cirr over and was fixing some synflesh on the back on his shoulder. There was too much blood. "Herrre." Daani pushed the pillow under her big brother's head and left James to worry about the blankets.

She hopped over to Lamar and snapped the cuffs on - one on his right wrist, the other on the bottom rung of the ladder.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Creeping down the ladder, Tak gingerly touched the deck as Daani arrived with blankets and a pillow. She watched the other girl fasten the unconscious man to the ladder she'd just descended down, and skittered a few steps back.

But the sight of Cirr was enough to propell her forward once more, and the little girl crouched at his head. A small hand carefully touched his forehead, and she lowered her voice to a whisper.

"O'ah ou'ulah, me'halo ah'oara iulu leh'lah," she began quietly - it was something Dama had said many times before while holding her after many a spill. However, unlike Cathar, these words were much softer, smoother, and lilting.

Tak didn't want anything to happen to Cirr - he was her favorite "uncle". She closed her eyes, praying as she continued to softly murmur a long lost Lupine lullaby.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With her free hand, s'Il accepted the offered handkerchief. "I would hardly call it a date," she answered evenly, albeit just a tad curt.

A few wipes later and she gave Sanis a sidelong look. After another moment of silence she pushed the still unused stuncuffs into his chest as they walked side by side.

The Lupine opened her mouth to speak, a mildy scolding tone in her voice.

"Now tell me, was all of that back there really necessary?"

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon’s shuttle landed on the main deck of the Death Advocate. Red lights bathed the large area in an oddly calming manner—there was a paternal sense to the space.

Medics rushed to the opened door of the emergency craft and lifted the now awake Executor via the stretcher he had been placed on. Fluids flooded his body and brought his mind back to sharpness. Already, first aid had stabilized Khendon and reduced the bleeding significantly.

“Can you move your legs, Executor?” It was a white garbed man.

“Of course,” came his grumpy response, “I’m fine, Doctor. I just need—“

“You need to tell me what the frell you were doing down there!” It was Admiral Gregorus with an angry look on his wrinkled face.

Khendon, of course, knew what he meant. He expected words about his lost men to flood from the Admiral’s throat and drown him. Instead, the man did not speak.

Of course, when one is choking it is very, very difficult to make any noise besides a mild gargle. Gregorus was on his knees, hands grasping at the invisible force that threatened to draw every last breath from his body.

One of the nearby medics ran toward the fallen officer and Khendon shot him a warning glace. He backed off.

“For conduct unbefitting a field officer, I hereby sentence you to death.” It wasn’t as good as killing S’ilancy would have been. “Sergeant,” he addressed Harbinger as he stepped off the transport.

“My Executor?”

“I’m ordering a blockade. See to it. The nearest Imperial fleet is to send another Destroyer to support. Ensure our gravity wells are at full operational output.”

“As you command.”

[Sanis Prent]

"Seemed a might too clingy for just acquaintances."

I smirked at s'Il as she went about cleaning herself. Opening the shuttle's egress door, I ducked and stepped inside, moving to the pilot's seat.

"Trust me, I'm fighting back tears coming to terms with splitting you two up."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr wanted to yell at James and get the two little girls out of the room, but his words were only audible in a wheeze of painfully exhaled breath. The big felinoid rolled back onto his back, finding no comfort on his side either. His chin and lower lip quivered slightly as he looked up at Tak.

[James Prent]

I stumbled to my feet and handed Daani my blaster. "Keep an' eye on that one," indicating Lamar, "And sing out if he wakes up."

The blankets covering Cirr were doing a good job of covering up the blood on the deck as well, and I didn't have time to worry about the two kids being scarred for life. I pulled myself up the ladder one handed, and fell against the comm. "Sanis you need to get here double time. Cirr's been shot."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

About to retort back at Sanis, s'Il jerked her head sharply to the shuttle's dash as the sound of James' voice came over the comm unit. Of its' own accord, the Lupine's hand reached out to slap against the panel that would close the door before hurriedly lowering her small frame into the co-pilot's chair.

[Sanis Prent]

"What the hell do you mean, Cirr's shot? Did we get boarded? Is he okay?"

My hands were frantically going over the power-up sequence for the shuttle, and we bucked unevenly into the air, before I dumped the throttle into drive, putting down a beeline back to Layla.

[James Prent]

"It was Lamar - he lost it. Cirr got here in time t' stop him from activating a beacon for th' Imps," I took a sharp intake of breath as I jostled my arm, "but he got shot high in th' chest. Close range. I did the best I could... but I'm not a medic."

[Sanis Prent]

I bit down on my lower lip, with nothing to say to the bad news. I was practically standing on the throttle pedal, and the shuttle was shaking slightly from the stress put on the engines.

I wanted to tear the yoke from its mounting and beat the console into sparks and scrap metal.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Grinding her teeth, s'Il gripped the armrests briefly before addressing James.

"What about the children - are they safe? Is anyone else hurt?" The Lupine had caught James' sharp breath, hoping that her suspicion was wrong as she waited for the other woman's answer.

[James Prent]

"Th' kids are fine. Just - hurry. I have to go back down to middeck."

There was a way to pick up the main comm line from every deck, but I didn't feel like pushing the button so I could still talk while I sat with Cirr. I turned to move back to the ladder, and my vision narrowed to two small points. Confused, I opened my mouth to comment on it, and then I fainted.

At least I think I fainted. Anyway, I don't remember what happened next.

[Sanis Prent]

The shuttle burned atmo as we hurtled back to the canyon. I couldn't berth the Cat quickly enough.

I looked s'Il in the eyes and growled on my words.

"Let's go."

[Lamar Starworth]

Sprawled a long the floor, Lamar had very little to wake up happy about. Even though his body didn't shift in the least, he was quite conscious. The activity about him only made the once probable sleep nearly impossible. A shiver rolled down his spine as he lay motionless, feeling the cold of the clamps that attached him to…something.

Hopefully he could stay in limbo, taking whatever possible escape that may come up. From the sounds that swung about in his ear lobes it didn't seem like anything would come soon, but patience was a virtue.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani's ears perked up and her head swiveled at the sound of the shuttle docking. "Saaaaanjis!"

Cirrsseetto was mumbling to himself, and after the thump one deck up she hadn't heard anything from James. But what if it wasn't Sanis? What if it was Imperials?

The little Cizerack looked at Tak, who looked back with big blue eyes. Daani pointed the blaster down the passage, towards whatever was approaching.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Sanis hadn't even needed to utter any words of motivation for her to disembark. s'Il was up and out of her seat, close on his heels as they stepped onto Layla's decking.

Her pace was hurried, and the Lupine pushed past Sanis as her legs took her into as fast of a run as she could manage within the confines of the ship.

Left, right, right again, up an access ladder to another level, it seemed nothing but a blur. Rounding the last corner, s'Il reached out to grab at the edge of the bulkhead and stop herself, momentarily taken by surprise at the sight of Daani holding a blaster.

[Sanis Prent]

Lok moved around the ship easily as well as I did, and I followed up on her six, until we were both in the habitation level. Between Cirr's chest and the kid stormtrooper's brainpan, the stink of blood crept up on the room's perpetual machine oil and sweat rank.

Daani held the business end of a blaster at me, in some kind of vestigial guard duty stance. She'd already recognized me, but she didn't move until I eased the gun barrel away from me.

There were a million things I wanted to say, and about as many that I wanted to do. One thing at a time.

"What happened?

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her lullaby interrupted, Tak turned to see who it was that Daani had said was coming. She eased Cirr's head from her lap, turning only slightly to get a better look at the corridor.

And then there was Dama! Dama was back!

The little girl scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over herself as she pushed past Sanis and into Dama's open arms.

"Jahga ama'ukha! Cirr liakha'au na hguna!"

The rest of her words were drowned out in Dama's dusty shirt as she buried her head into Dama's chest, clutching at the weathered overshirt with white knuckles.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Relieved that it was Sanis there to take over, Daani let her arm drop to her side as he pushed the tip of the blaster away from him. "jI dunno what happened! jI was rrreadjing an' jI hearrrd a blassterrr, and then Jamess told me to get blanketss, an' jI djid, an' then jI cuffed Lamarrr up, but he's out, an' Jamess went back up to the cockpjit an' jI was guarrrdjing!"

She let out a huge, dramatic sigh of relief.

[Akrabbim]

He should have done something. He should have hit the Trooper, knocked him out, SOMTHING. He just wasn't thinking. He never would have expected the idiot to do something as stupid as threaten a pilot in a situation like this. What were they going to do? Fly past the Imps?

He follows to find everyone gathered around the big felinoid. Unfortunately, Akrabbim does not have the gift of healing. He would use it if he could. He kneels down next to the fallen Trooper, touching his hand to the man's head.

Hmm... looks like he'll be out for a while.

Akrabbim makes SURE that he stays out. He floods the man's mind with a blast of Force Confusion. He tries to flood it lightly at first, to be safe. He feels a resistance, though... apparently, this man has some Force sensitivity. He pours on the Confusion, sending wave after wave of sensory overload into his mind. He should stay out for a while longer.

What can I do ta help?

[Sanis Prent]

"Proon, got a medkit down in the mess. I need it yesterday."

I looked up to s'Il, and honestly felt a little overwhelmed by it. I didn't want to admit it, but I was in over my head, and this was a great time to have an eccentric Jedi in my corner. I'm used to things flying off the handle, and when it does, its way more simple than this. Shoot the other guy first or get shot. That's easy. This? Whatever shooting had started was over. My best friend was leaking on the engine room floor pretty bad, and unless Proon was a renaissance man of a sort, we were without a doc.

"James!"

I relieved Tak from cradling Cirr's head, and examined the synthflesh that clung precariously to the edges of his blast wound.

Not a sound.

"James! Where the hell are you??"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani plopped down, sitting on the ground beside her brother. She tweaked the end of his tail, but there was no response. She swallowed hard. "He... he's gojing to be okajy, rrrjight?"

[Akrabbim]

Akrabbim nods at Sanis' words, raising up to leave the fallen Trooper. He shuffles out of the area toward the mess. As soon as he is out of sight, he puts on a burst of Force Speed. He reaches the mess, finds the medkit in short order, and then returns. He shuffles back into the room, handing the kit to Sanis.

I'm all yers. Anything else ya need?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The old man might've been out of sight, but the sudden use of the Force was unmistakable to s'Il, and she let herself bristle only slightly at this fact. There wasn't any feeling of the darkside to him, but that didn't mean much; and if he was skilled enough to hide his true colors from her, then there would definately be problems in the near future.

As soon as the old man returned, the Lupine reached out and caught him by the arm. Pulling him down without a thought to his well-being, she spoke firmly.

"Help him," she said firmly while nodding to Sanis. s'Il had seen the look Prent'd given her, and she knew he wasn't quite used to this sort of situation.

"There should be a sedative in that kit - use it, then clean the wound as best as you can." Stepping past Sanis and the old man, s'Il began pulling herself upwards. "I'm going to get James, but I'll be back to deal with Cirr."

And without another word, the Lupine ascended up the ladder.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Neverr been shot beforre."

Cirr gulped hard, pushing back the blankets covering him slightly to look at the epicenter. The synthflesh was beginning to reinforce itself, but the whole area looked very fragile and pink.

He took a deep breath, but cut it short painfully.

"jI don't underrstand. The kjid just fljipped hjis stack."

[Akrabbim]

The sudden pull on his arm almost pulls him out of character. At the last second, he remembers to overbalance himself and generally act like the tottering old man he's supposed to be.

I'll do what ah can, lil' missy, but it ain't much...

He hobbles his way over to Sanis, helping administer the sedative and bind up the wounds.

Let me take a try at it, sonny...

Akrabbim reaches down and presses on the wound ever so slightly. He's no healer, but he does know a small amount about transferring energy. He does what he can, sending a bit of life into the felinoid. It's not much, but the big guy should survive.