James Tau is Dead

[James Prent]

The night sky was lit with torches. It was approaching midnight, which was the appropriate time for purification, and the crowd was angry. It had started off confused and frightened, but that had led quickly to fury, and would be a profound resentment before the night was over. A woman was pushed through the crowd, her skirt torn and her head covered up with a burlap bag. Two men flanked her, shoving her up a pair of makeshift steps and standing her on a wooden dais with her back to a pole.

Her feet were bare, and she was covered with filth. One of the men drew a knife, cutting free her hands, only to yank her arms behind her back where they were bound securely around the stake. The other man shouted in their strange language as an over-enthusiastic member of the crowd tried to pelt the woman with dung and hit him instead. After she was lashed securely upright, the bag was drawn off, leaving the girl blinking in the torchlight. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears and her short, dark hair had been shaven to the scalp on the right side of her head showing all in attendance that she had been found guilty of witchcraft.

The two men, leaders of the community, spat in her face and then turned and climbed down from the pyre. Under the dais, straw and wood were bundled, ready for the fire. More wood was piled on around her feet, and then one of the men took a torch and thrust it into the straw. It caught, burning brightly, and others surrounded the stake, lighting the pile at even intervals. Then the people withdrew, watching in silence as the witch sagged against her bonds in the growing smoke.

I was tired of fighting. Smoke swirled up around me, but all I could do was stare down at the flames, my eyes dull and bloodshot from the heat and growing smoke. The villagers were silent, watching with anticipation as the fire grew around me. They didn’t speak Basic, but a halting, rough language that I couldn’t understand. I was far away from where anyone would be looking for me – if anyone was. And to think, less than twenty-four hours ago I had thought that things were finally making a change for the better. A tear slipped from my eye, only to evaporate almost immediately.

Flames licked at my feet as I lifted my head to where I could just make out the midnight sky, and I screamed.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Twenty-four hours earlier



Crates and trunks were scattered all throughout the interior of the Black Cat, waiting to be unpacked. Some were standard fare as far as crates went, and others were much older, looking almost as if they were antiques. As of yet, nothing had been unpacked, but there would be a time for that once everything had been moved from the cargo bay.

Thankfully, that particular task was almost done, as the last trunk had been taken from the lower decks and was now being carried to the Cat.

"Last corner," s'Il said with a touch of strain in her voice.

She and James had been carting boxes for a good part of the morning, taking only a few breaks before continuing on with their task. Setting the last crate down for a moment, the Lupine let herself catch her breath. Leaning slightly against a bulkhead, she looked gratefully at James.

"Thanks again for the help, I appreciate it."

[James Prent]

I sat on a crate with an exaggerated sigh, wiping my brow and pushing damp hair off my forehead. “Well, if I’da known you had this much stuff I might have changed my mind.” I’d been a part of the Layla’s crew for five months, and I could see the changes in my body. I was leaner, and my muscles were more defined. When I wasn’t wrestling Daani into her bed, I was down in the engine room dragging containers of coolant around for Cirrsseetto. I’d come on board on the pretense that my memory of starcharts would be my ticket, but so far it seemed that I’d done everything but read starcharts.

It was a lot more fun than babysitting a diner in the wee hours, though. I looked in the pocket of my cargo pants for a stim, then stopped. I adjusted my tank top instead. “I think we almost got everythin’…”

I jumped to my feet and scooped up Tak, who’d made the mistake of standing too close to me, and held her upside down. “Where did you want this one, again? It might not fit in th’ Cat, mebbe I should put it in the hold.” Tak squealed and wriggled, but I held her tight.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Siezing the opportunity to allow more motherly instincts take over, s'Il leaned over and grasped at her daughter's wrists so that Tak was now held foot and hand between the two women.

The little girl shrieked in delight, giggling uncontrollably as she was held up in the air.

A few words in the Cathar dialect spawned even more laughter, and s'Il smiled up to James while nodding towards the hatch that led to the Cat. Thankfully, Cirr had helped move a bed into the shuttle, and while it had no sheets just yet, it was still soft enough to playfully toss the toddler on as if she was nothing but a sack of atos.

[James Prent]

After we tossed Tak onto the bed, I sat on the edge, watching s'Ilancy interact with her daughter. The fact that they were giggling in their Cathar dialect didn't matter, it was pretty obvious how much love the pair shared.

I reached down and absently scratched at my ankle, dislodging the flimsy of my father and sending it to the floor of the shuttle. I fixed my sock, and then bent down to pick up the picture and put it back in it's 'place of honor.' I looked up nonchalantly to find s'Il's eyes on me.

"So... that it then?" I offered her a half smile.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A raised brow was all she afforded James, and pulling in a breath as she let her eye wander the shuttle's interior, s'Il lowered herself down to sit on one of the trunks. Leaning forward, the Lupine pulled one of the smaller crates toward her and unclasped the latches.

"For the most part, yes." With a quick word to Tak, she pushed the crate to the side. Happily plopping herself to the deck, the little girl set about rummaging through its' contents.

s'Il reverted back to basic, "I'll just ask Cirr to move that last trunk in here - it doesn't really have anything in it that needs to be unpacked right away."

A booted foot nudged at Tak as she pulled old leatherbound books from the crate, and the youngster lightly slapped at it in childlike annoyance. An easy smile came to the Lupine's features, and she looked to James from over the top of her good eye.

"Mostly it's just full of old flimsiplast photos of family."

[James Prent]

I grunted, and turned to watch Tak as she rifled through the pages of a book. "Must be nice..." My words were softly spoken, almost under my breath.

I smiled, to take away any edge that might have been in my tone, and tried to change the subject. "So, you an' Sanis - d'ya go back a long time together?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il blinked, then leaned back on her perch slightly. She digested James' question, mulling it over for a few quiet moments as her gaze went to Tak. She watched the little girl happily fished for whatever hand-drawn pictures she could find in the pages of the book in her lap.

The Lupine leaned to the side, plucking another smaller book from the open trunk out of idleness.

"About six or seven years. Not too terribly long, but long enough. Actually, we met while he was in the middle of trying to steal something from my home back on Cathar.

"I don't even remember what it was though anymore,"

Holding the book lightly, s'Il looked back to James.

"And you? I must confess to a bit of curiosity on how you threw your lot in with Sanis."

[James Prent]

I flopped backwards on the bed, feet dangling off the side. “Oh, Sanis an’ Cirr had a late night meal at the diner I was working on Nar Shaddaa, and tried to scam dinner off me. Y’know, as per usual.” I rolled my eyes dramatically. “They brought me aboard for th’ fun of it, I think, but I’ve managed to stick around. I studied astronomic history in secondary school, and the pretense is that I’m here to read star charts, but it looks like I fit ‘errand-girl’ better. For th’ moment, at least.”

I stretched my small, five foot tall frame, and looked surreptitiously at Lok. She was watching Tak dig further into the crate, and I pulled myself into a sitting position. “So that’s how an orphan from Nar Shaddaa got to leave. Honestly, I’m grateful to be outta that place. When a girl gets down on her luck there… there are only two options. Sell yourself to a slaver, or …” I blushed lightly, casting a sideways glance at the little kid on the ground.

Considering where I came from, the subject of prostitution did not make me embarrassed, but talking about it in front of a Jedi did. As I had always said, my mother’s gift to me had been dying in childbirth. At least this way I’d had a chance to better myself. Had she raised me herself I would probably still be perpetuating the cycle of poverty on some underalley corner on the Smuggler’s Moon.

Of course, the Imperial foster program wasn’t all that great either. My thoughts were taking me places I didn’t want to remember, so I tried to think of a way to change the subject.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Still looking at her daughter, s'Il broke the silence with a firm, yet strangely tranquil tone in her voice. "I'm the last person you should be mindful of when talking of such things as prostitution. I've travelled enough in my years to see most faces this galaxy has to offer, and I'm not one to judge anyone for their actions."

A briefly coughed laugh was followed by a sidelong look to James. "I'm not exactly a model of wholesome family values myself, you know - least of all a paragon of Jedi virtue. I do what I can with what I am given, and while I can't even give my child a straight answer whenever she asks about who her father is, at least I can tell her that he is the most kind-hearted of men.

"I've done my best to preserve the teachings I was given before the Purge, but I know I fall woefully short of the standards from times past. All I can hope for is to do what I feel in my heart to be right.

"As long as you feel that leaving Nar Shaddaa was the right thing to do, I highly doubt that you have much to worry about.

"I'm always running from someone, trying to lose something; but you... "

The Lupine looked more fully at the other woman, locking eyes with James for a few silent moments before going on. "... you're running to someone, and looking for something."

A gentle smile.

"I just don't think you know who or what, quite yet."

[James Prent]

I broke the eye contact and stared at my shoes. "Maybe." A new subject! But what?

"Ah, I think we're about the same size - you don't happen to have any old clothes you don't want anymore, do you?" I indicated my tank top and pants. "Sanis let me have money for clothes shopping right when I came on board, but a few pairs of pants and some shirts... I could use some more." I grimaced eloquently.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il held her position, even if James turned away, The change in subjects was inevitable, she supposed. Perhaps she had been too forward at such an early time? It was true she and James didn't know much about each other, and it was entirely possible that the Lupine had put her foot down a bit too far ahead of where James was wanting to be.

No matter.

Turning to let an eye wander over the trunks and crates scattered about the Cat, s'Il settled on one that wasn't quite out of reach. A quick lean to the side, and she dragged it closer to her.

"I might have a few things, though don't be too disappointed if they're not your style."

A few quick motions and the lid was lifted up on its' hinges to reveal a small collection of the Lupine's wardrobe. Pulling a few shirts from their folded resting spots, she set them out on the bed for James to inspect. Two pairs of trousers followed suit, and s'Il dug deeper into the trunk.

"Living on Cathar for so long gives one a bit of a different taste for apparel," she went on, extracting another pair of pants. These were a bit older, worn and scuffed from years of use. This pair was set off to the side however, and the Lupine gave one last cursory glance into the trunk.

"I think that's about all I have that you would be interested in. My apologies that that the shirts are mostly open-backed," s'Il gave a smile, "... old traditions never really die out for people like me."

[James Prent]

I supposed she was referring to Jedi traditions, although I didn't remember anything about Jedi wearing shirts with no backs. Robes, I thought. "Anything would be great. Thank you so much." I grinned, hopping up to give the clothes a closer look.

Lok laid a pale blue cotton dress on the bed, and I fingered the thin fabric. "Wow, you don't want this?" I picked it up, noting the low cut back, and held it against me. I hesitated, and added, "Sorry t' change the subject, before. The whole looking for something - it's sorta true. I guess I've always been lookin' - and bein' on Layla is the first step."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Okay, thjis should be the last of jit."

A figure entered the shuttle, concealed from the waist up by a stack of boxes he carried in front of him.

"Wherre to?"

Cirr precariously leaned his head to the side of the payload to get a look at where he was.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As James picked up the light blue dress s'Il had set out, the Lupine's eyes lit up momentarily. It was a subtle change, but there nonetheless.

"There are a few seperate pieces that go with that dress, actually," she said, turning once more to the trunk before her. At Cirr's entrance though, s'Il looked over her shoulder at him while pulling a jewelry box out. A quick scan of the shuttle's interior and she nodded her head to the far bulkhead. "Over there, please."

[James Prent]

I grinned, gave Cirr a saucy wink, and pulled the dress over my head. Tugging the hemline down, I modeled it over my clothes. "Hey, almost a perfect fit."

I carefully peeled out of my tank top, removing it from underneath the dress, and pulled it over my head. Tak goggled at me from the floor, and then laughed, pulling on my shoelaces.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Finished with the heavy lifting, Cirr crossed his arms over his chest, casting an appreciative eye at James and her creative clothing contortions.

He allowed himself to stare, and his tail errantly slapped against s'Il's backside.

[Sanis Prent]

I gave a series of knocks at the shuttle's threshold hatch, before sticking my head through the door.

"Permission to come aboard, Oh Lady of the Dinghy?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il blinked in mild surprise as Cirr's tail made contact. The second time it flicked in her direction, the Jedi blindly reached behind, and with a deft hand caught the big Cizerack's tail in a firm grip. A fingernail scritched lightly at the tip, and she finally turned an eye to Cirr.

Her mouth opened, but the Lupine was interrupted by Sanis' knock and following request to enter. Annoyance flashed across her face.

"No."

[James Prent]

I pulled my shoes off, and hiked up the dress to unfasten my cargo pants. Pants and skirt fell down at the same time, keeping me fully covered. I sat back on the bed to pull the pants completely off, waggling my feet.

I caught Cirr staring, and shook the pants at him. "Enjoy the show?" Standing up, I gave an experimental twirl.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Only jif therre's an encorre perrforrmance."

Cirr caught the other end of James' pants and pulled her closer to him.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Loklorien s'Ilancy
"No."

"What mynock crawled up your thruster and died?"

I frowned, leaning against the bulkhead leading into the shuttle.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A blank look replaced her previous annoyed features, and s'Il inclined her head to stare at Sanis. Whether it was a product of her isolation or her age, there were still a few times when the things he said simply didn't carry as much weight as he would have probably liked.

Turning her attention from Prent, the Lupine reached up to scratch at her ear. With a nudge of her boot to Tak, she picked out on of the little girls picture books from the trunk, and spoke a few word in Cathar. Without hesitation, Tak was off, darting past Sanis on little legs. With her strange accent, she called Daani's name, intent on sharing her book with the other girl and showing her all of its' illustrations.

s'Il's eyes went to Sanis once more, and she expelled a breath. It was apparent that he wasn't going to be vacating the doorway anytime soon. "Fine. Come in."

[Sanis Prent]

"Nah, forget it."

I pushed off from the bulkhead casually, backpedaling slowly away from the doorway.

"Its your boat now. No need for me tromping my boots inside. Just hang a sock on the vox panel if you're inviting any geriatrics up for tea."

[James Prent]

I squeaked when Cirr pulled on the pantleg, and tripped over a box and crashed right into him. "Cirr!" I struggled to regain my feet, which was difficult because the big Cizerack wasn't trying to help.

Pushing off of his chest, I straightened the borrowed dress and huffed, "There'll be no encore for you, you big lunk."

[Sanis Prent]

Before Cirr could parley his next volley of flirting, I cut in.

"I hope you can swing a wrench better than you can chase tail. I've got a binding thruster bearing and if it scrapes again, I'm going to blow my stack. It sounds like a pack of screaming mynocks every ninety degrees."

I glanced over to James.

"Hey, where'd you put the stem bolts? I can't find them on the pallet in the hold."

[James Prent]

"Stem bolts?" I tried to remember. "Are those the big screwy things, or the little ones?"

Cirr's tail was flicking at the hem of my dress and I shrieked and slapped it away.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"The bjig ones."

Cirr replied unconciously, being a living encyclopedia on all such mechanical things. He could do this and rub his tail on James' leg and probably not notice he was doing either one.

"Bout thjis long, ljittle cjirrcle thjing on the end holds the comprressed ajirr forr drrjivjing the bolt shaft."

[James Prent]

"Oh. Daani brought those in. I don't know where she put them." I had to hold back a snicker as Cirr's tail tickled my bare leg again. As long as he didn't go for the back of the knee - I was fiendishly ticklish there.

I squeaked, and tried to get out of reach.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sock on the vox panel?? Now that one did manage to throw her, and s'Il blinked a few times before rising to her feet. Her eyes went from James and Cirr to Sanis before she spoke once more while sitting on the much more comfortable bed.

"Seems you're going to have to ask Daani. As it stands, James is helping me."

[Sanis Prent]

"Guess so. She's apparently not helping me. I mean, whats four credits times a gross anyway? For all I know, Daani's gone and discharged every single one of them into a bulkhead. Or maybe they're in one of these boxes up here, who knows?

This whole ship's going to pot before my very eyes and I'm the only one who cares."

[James Prent]

I slapped Cirr's tail away from me again, and retorted sarcastically, "Yeah, you're right, no one cares. Frell, Sanis, I can only carry so much at a time. You make me run most of th' errands for supplies and parts, and instead of sending Cirr with me, you send Daani! So yeah, she brought them in, and no, I don't know exactly where she put them."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Before Sanis found some roundabout way to make this his fault, Cirr decided to make himself scarce.

"Whateverr, jI've got worrk to do jin the engjine rroom."

He nodded to s'Il and James as he headed out the door.

"See you jin a few."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il watched Cirr leave before her eye went to Sanis.

"Cool down, Sanis. If Daani was the one who brought in your bolts, then odds are she's the one who knows where they are."

Her voice held no trace of its' previous annoyed tone. "There's no need to get angry at James."

[Sanis Prent]

"I make you?"

I'd ignored s'Il's attempt to defuse the situation, no matter how smart that might have been.

Stepping back into the shuttle, I looked at James.

"I guess I didn't realize I was such a frelling slave driver. Especially since the door off my boat hasn't changed from where it's always been."

She'd touched a nerve with me, and my jawline tensed up.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm the one who should go shore up the supply list. That and captain the ship, get work lined up so that we can get paid, eat, and all of that stuff. I mean, I'm not loaded to the gills at all and I've got so much free time to crack the whip over you. What would you like to do instead?"

[James Prent]

My face paled as I snapped, "Well if y' hadn't tried to stiff me outta that steak in the first place none of this woulda happened! You're always tryin' to get something for nothin' Sanis!" I threw my wadded up pants at him, but he didn't even flinch. "Just because you've got some superiority complex doesn't mean that I hafta bow and scrape t' your every demand, Captain Prent."

I was so mad I couldn't even see straight. It sounds silly, but it's true. I was trembling, and as I spat out the last sentence all the blood came rushing back to my face. I felt tingly all over, and a little lightheaded. "I just want you to leave me alone!" And with that, all Hades broke loose.

A box to the left of me blew apart, scattering its contents into the air. Another container behind me did the same, the force of it shoving me forwards so hard I stumbled. Terrified, I ran past Sanis into the Layla, and then out into the late afternoon sun. I didn't know where I was going. I just needed to get out.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She had risen to her feet as the first box shattered, shooting a hand out to halt the contents in the air. It was all she could do, and the Lupine doubled her efforts as the second box followed the first. She watched in silence as James fled past Sanis, and slowly letting the contents of each box settle gently upon the deck, s'Il soon turned her eye to Prent.

She was quiet, only locking eyes with him as the silence between them became thick enough to cut.

Finally, she spoke.

"That was uncalled for."

[Sanis Prent]

In the aftermath of the grenades going off around me or whatever the hell that was, I lay motionless on the ground. As the debris settled over me, I twitched a bit.

"You're damned right it was! What the hell was that?!?! Holy hell, I need a drink!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A quick step and she was standing over him, reaching down to roughly haul him up by his collar.

"No, you need a lesson in tact, not a drink."

s'Il didn't let go of him - simply glaring up at him while keeping a hold of his neckline.

"What in the hell were you thinking? Are you some sort of common sense black hole? Or does reason and logic just not fit inside that head of yours... ?"

[Sanis Prent]

My face wrinkled up in an incredulous grimace.

"You're saying...this is somehow my fault?"

I looked around at all the crap that had been tossed about the shuttle.

"I've got to hear this one!"

[James Prent]

The Layla was parked outside of a large town - a dirty, thriving community of humans and aliens. I knew we weren't supposed to be spending time on the planet away from the ship, but I just couldn't go back once I'd left.

I couldn't remember the name of the town, but it was like so many others we'd stopped at. The folks were mostly poor - farmers or ranchers - and the living was hard. I didn't stop running until I was completely lost, and then the reality of what had just happened started to sink in.

I sat on a bench outside of an all-purpose store, in s'Ilancy's borrowed dress, wearing only socks on my feet. Very dirty socks, for that matter. I absently dug my finger into the cuff of my left sock, and felt for the holo I kept there.

It wasn't there anymore. I drew in a shuddering breath, and let it out slowly, covering my face with my hands.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a none-too-gentle release, s'Il stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes bored into Sanis as he stood before her.

"Sanis, there are times when your bullheaded tactics are helpful, but there are also times when you just need to keep your trap shut.

"Tell me, who did James say brought the stem bolts in and loaded them up?"

[Sanis Prent]

I tried to divine what she was saying.

"Guess I should talk to Daani about it."

I backed toward the doorway, my mind a blur of frustration. Maybe I did pop off at the mouth when I shouldn't have. I'd like to tell her that, but it just wasn't me to say it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Yes, I suspect you should talk to Daani about it."

The Lupine cast a glance behind her at the barely controlled mess littering the Cat, then took a step forward and grabbed hold of Sanis' arm as she began heading in the direction James had run..

"However, you can do that later. Right now, you and I need to find James."

[Sanis Prent]

"What do you mean? She just ran downstairs to sulk it off."

As I followed s'Il down from the shuttle, it became apparent that I was wrong.

"Uh, or not?"

I stepped near the ladder well leading to the engines, and stomped the deck plating loudly.

"Cirr, get up here!"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"jI can't. jI'm....naked."

The last part came out almost imperceptibly, as Cirr poked his head just over the ladder port.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

If she wasn't so concerned about James and what had just transpired, s'Il would have found Cirr's predicament amusing. As it was, she continued past the Cizerack while still pulling Sanis with her.

"Ignore Sanis," she said without looking down at Cirr.

[Sanis Prent]

"Ignore me? Ignore me!"

I stiffened up like a mule, digging my heels into the deck grating.

"Wait just one damned minute here!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Taken aback by Sanis' sudden resistance s'Il responded in kind, yanking his arm roughly to keep him in motion even if it was a bit slower going than seconds before.

"Yes, ignore you. This is something you did, and you're not dragging anyone else into cleaning up the mess you made."

[James Prent]

I was feeling more and more desperate as time went on. I don't know what had happened in the shuttle, and I didn't want to know. I was freaked out, barefoot, and wearing borrowed clothes in the middle of a technologically un-advanced civilization.

It was a bad day.

I managed to find a place that sold footwear, and pushed the door open, jingling a small bell that was hanging on the inside. It was cool and well lit, and I quickly escaped into one of the aisles lest someone notice my already filthy feet. I was looking at a pair of sandals when I realized I didn't have any credits either.

Time to improvise.

[Sanis Prent]

"If you'd stop pulling my frelling arm out of my socket..."

I continued to struggle with s'Il as she stubbornly lead me ahead.

"...she's got herself a head start on us and we need a way to track her without looking over half this rock again."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Without warning, s'Il let go of Sanis entirely as he was in mid-struggle.

"Then I think we'd best get to walkin', don't you?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Wjill somebody tell me what the hell's gojing on?"

Cirr yelled at nobody in particular from his precarious position, ears folding flush against his head in annoyance.

[Sanis Prent]

Free from her grasp, I made a half tantrum, kicking at the deck plate between us.

"Then maybe we oughta ask the one of us who can smell her out, first?"

I jerked a thumb at my dumbfounded compadre.

"He may have a bag of rocks between his ears but he could probably guess James' shampoo of choice from here."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not a hard thing to do," s'Il retorted, "given that she's one of the cleanest ones on this boat."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Well actually, bejing clean doesn't rreally have much to do wjith..."

[Sanis Prent]

I whirled about and jabbed a finger at the mechanic.

"Shut up you goofy naked bastard and find some clothes already!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Turning from Sanis and Cirr in frustration, s'Il let her eyes wander through the corridor.

"Sanis, we don't have time for this."

Idly almost, the Lupine took a knee, plucking a photo from the deckplates. Without bothering to look at it, she tucked it into the back pocket of her trousers before going on.

"Cirr stays here. I can track James just as well as he can, plus we'll need him to pick us up.

"Or have you forgotten how you seem leave planets with angry mobs in your wake?"

[James Prent]

Okay, so improvising wasn't my strong point. I got caught trying to get out of the shop with shoes on my feet I hadn't paid for. The wiry shopkeeper grabbed my arm with a pincer grip as I tried to struggle away from him.

"Now look here, miss, you can't come in 'ere and just take what you like!" He wrangled me back inside the store. As he was nearly two feet taller than me, it wasn't hard for him to manhandle me.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted, feeling my emotional balance teetering. "Let me go and I won't bother you anymore. I promise. Please..." Tears rolled down my face as he pressed me into a chair.

"Now, I can't do that miss, I've already contacted the authorities and they'll want you to be here when they arrive." He seemed to be goodnatured enough, but my panic level was rapidly rising. I couldn't get caught by the town's security. I didn't want to be locked up!

"Please no, it was a mistake. I left my credits at home, I just forgot I had the sandals still on." I stood up and smoothed s'Ilancy's dress, mortified that there was a dirt smudge on it already. "Just a misunderstanding, sir." As I spoke I was walking towards the door, but he grabbed my arm again.

"Not so fast, miss." He took my other arm and held me still. Through the large plate windows I saw two large animals with riders stopped outside and the two officers dismounted.

"No, I can't stay here! I have to go!" I jerked my arms away from the shopkeeper and dashed for the door. The officers quickly stepped in my way and somehow I ended up on the ground with my arm behind my back. "No, no, no! Let me go! I didn't do anything!" I couldn't see what was happening but there was a loud noise and then glass rained down around us.

"Let me go! Nooo!" I was yanked upwards by my now tied hands, but I kicked my feet and screamed. Honestly, I totally lost it.

"Oh my gods..." The security officer holding me nearly dropped me, and when I opened my eyes I nearly shut them tight again. All of the windows in the shop had burst out and the glass was floating in the air. "Culthan, what -"

Culthan, the second officer, solved things the quick and easy way. He hit me in the head, and I blacked out.

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Loklorien s'Ilancy
"Or have you forgotten how you seem leave planets with angry mobs in your wake?"

"Well we won't have to worry about running from them now. I've got enough of one aboard as it is."

I looked at Cirr, and back to s'Il, a sour expression on my face.

"Let's go."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Not giving Sanis a chance to reconsider, s'Il started off once more. Thankfully, without having to tow Prent. Even if he was going with her in less than high spirits, at least she wouldn't have to drag him.

The Lupine started down the opened gangplank, her eyes taking in the bright sunlight. Following James would be easy, as the Force signature she left was an ample enough trail to track. s'Il smiled inwardly, her eye trained on something only she could see.

So pure, untouched by evil...

[Sanis Prent]

I followed close behind, unhinging the breech of my shellgun to slide two new shells inside. Snapping the weapon shut, I slid the hem of my jacket over the low-slung holster.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Unlike Cathar, this planet had nothing whatsoever to redeem it. The surface was pocked with dry scrub and rock slabs. It was arid - moreso than even she was used to. No spicy aroma filled the air, no definable... anything.

Keeping a clipped pace, s'Il easily followed the force aura James left behind.

Out of mild curiosity, the Lupine pulled the old flimsi from her back pocket, casting an eye over it.

[James Prent]

When I came around I was lying with my face in the dirt. Coughing, I lifted my head only to wince with pain that shot up into my head from my neck.

I groaned, rolling onto my side and lifting my hands to my head. Startled, I felt only stubble on the right side of my head. "What the frell?" My heart thumped with fear as I saw I was in a small room with one door and no windows.

"The witch is awake!" Voices on the other side of door faded as though the speakers were moving away from it. I scrambled to a sitting position and pushed myself into a corner, as far from the door as I could muster.

[Sanis Prent]

I caught a glance at the flimsy s'Il was fooling with.

"What's that?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She shrugged, giving the flimsi one last glance before passing it to Sanis.

"Belongs to James - she must've dropped it."

[Sanis Prent]

"Oh?"

I was prepared to give the flimsy a casual glance, but my eyes froze on it.

"What the hell?"

I'd stopped walking.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With an exasperated sigh, s'Il halted her forward movement to turn and look at Sanis. She narrowed her eyes though, as she saw the expression on his face.

"What now?"

[Sanis Prent]

At first, I was too busy asking myself how James would have this picture, or why? I knew who it was, and there shouldn't be any way that she would. But this picture wasn't mine. I had no idea where this was taken.

"Dad."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It took her only a moment to connect his word with the subject of the picture, and in that moment she couldn't help the barbed jab that she said next.

"Dad? You mean to tell me you had a father?

"And here I thought you were spawned from used beer cans and fastfood wrappers."

[Sanis Prent]

I smiled out the corner of my mouth.

"Well, your first hunch is probably closer to the mark. He left when I was little. Played rolling stone through half the outer rim, if my mother had anything to say about him."

Brow furrowing, I continued.

"Still doesn't explain why James has a picture of him."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I'm sure you can ask her when we've found her."

Turning on her heels, s'Il once again started off.

[Sanis Prent]

I sighed.

"Yeah."

Once again, I followed, pocketing the picture as I did so.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine allowed her mind to wander a bit as she led Sanis after James. If James was Force sensitive, as it seemed that she most certainly was, then s'Il knew that such fledgling power would have to be guided. While she knew her own skills were much more combat related, she hoped that the other woman would be willing to accept what basic knowledge s'Il had of the other aspects of the Force. While it would not be much, she wanted to at least make sure James knew the difference between the Light and Dark sides.

Her mind reeled with the possibilities, but then stopped short. Was she ready to take a learner? Was she capable? Doubts filled her then, as the Lupine reminded herself that she was more than likely getting ahead of herself.

Finding James was the first order of business, and s'Il pushed all her other thoughts to the back of her mind as she continued along in the wake of James' Force signature.

[Sanis Prent]

"Let's go this way."

I abruptly yanked on s'Il's collar and pulled her around the nearby corner, just as a pair of Stormtroopers exited an earthen bazaar. We stopped at an open air kiosk selling some kind of exotic fruit, which I took a sudden, feigned interest in shopping over.

"Did you hear anything over the 'Net about a garrison in this system?" I asked her quietly through the side of my mouth.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A bit ruffled at his actions, s'Il grumpily pulled Sanis' hand away and straightened her neckline.

"No," she hissed acidly,"I don't pay attention to the 'net; I've no business using it."

[Sanis Prent]

"Sue me for asking." I muttered, exchanging a chit for some fruit at the kiosk.

I tapped my wrist comm.

"Cirr, keep your ears on the swivel. We spotted a few bucketheads in town. There might be a small garrison in the system."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Satisfied that she had smoothed the wrinkles caused by Sanis' hand, the Lupine rubbed at the back of her neck with a palm. She watched Sanis take a bite of the fruit with a sidelong glance.

"Hmph"

Turning her eye from Prent, s'Il cast an easy gaze around their surroundings. It was far more rustic than home; Cathar. No spice in the air, no heady aroma's from grilled ustu vendors, no random snippets of music from street musicians, nothing. It saddened her to a degree, and she looked back at Sanis.

"I don't see what could possibly be of interest here for the Empire. There isn't anything worth two licks of salt on this entire planet."

[Sanis Prent]

"Maybe they're just in the neighborhood."

I peered around the corner, but didn't see any more troopers nearby.

"Not that it matters. I may have a few warrants on me, but they're class one infractions and its a different sector anyway."

I tossed a smile back at s'Il.

"Don't go doing anything too Jedi-like though."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sweet, albeit forced smile creased her features, and s'Il plucked the fruit he'd been holding from his hand.

"S'long as you don't have a mind to try your hand at lifting a stylus and inkwell from some poor woman around here. Again."

[Sanis Prent]

"I'm buying my own food, aren't I?"

I snatched the fruit back, and took another bite.

"Lets go, bloodhound lady. Follow that nose."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il rolled her eyes, tweaking Sanis' ear non-too-gently as she passed by him to once again set off along James' Force-wake.

As they made their way through the milling crowds, the Lupine couldn't help but pick up snippets of whispered conversations from a few pockets of the populace. She frowned slightly, as the bits and pieces she picked up fed a growing suspicion.

"... tried to steal... "

"... cast a spell... "

"... locked up tight an' given the mark... "

"... witch."

The frown soon became a deep scowl, and s'Il doubled her pace.

[Sanis Prent]

I picked up the pace to keep up with her.

"What's wrong?"

[James Prent]

I'd managed to doze off in the corner of the cell, but not for long. I'm not sure how much time had passed - maybe only a few minutes - but the cell door was unlocked and pulled open and that's what woke me.

Three guards came inside, crowding the room as two of them grabbed me and the other held the door. They were nervous. I was nervous too, but I didn't resist as they walked me out of the cell. The passageway outside was long and wide, with about ten doors on either side. From the silence, they appeared to be empty.

I stumbled up some stairs at the end of the hall, the guards holding me up by my arms. I was too afraid to say anything, although I was pretty mad about what they'd done to my hair. Still, I had broken the law and was nursing a fairly large bump on my head, and didn't feel like talking much.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Something is wrong."

The more snippets of conversation she heard, the more her fears were confirmed and s'Il nearly skidded to a halt in front of a storefront.

Roped off to deny access to the general public, it was apparent that something had happened. The windows had been blown out, shards of glass still littering the dusty ground and a few other odds and ends were scattered about.

The Lupine's shoulders sagged then, as she stared at the leftovers of what could've only been another outburst of James' Force ability.

[Sanis Prent]

"Doesn't look like a firefight."

I crouched down, picking through the glass on the ground. There weren't any pits of congealed glass in the dirt, or any pock marks on the masonry.

"Not big enough for a concussion grenade either."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il's features grew dark as she continued to survey the scene before her.

"No, no firefight."

She could see, clear as day, the aura of James' fledgling Force signature.

"This was done with the Force."

[Sanis Prent]

"The force?"

My face went blank.

"What, from that black cloaked guy?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She snorted.

"Not likely. I'd know if that was the case.

"James did this."

[Sanis Prent]

My eyebrows knit together as I looked to my Jedi sidekick.

"Huh? Come again?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sigh.

"What this is, and what happened back on Layla, is what's known as a manifestation of the Force. Sometimes they can be subtle, and other times they can be a bit more noticeable. James is Force-sensitive; only it hasn't shown itself until now for some reason."

Her brows furrowed in mild frustration.

"It's perplexing, if nothing else."

[Sanis Prent]

"So that whole thing was like some big Jedi puberty spurt or something?"

I scratched at the back of my head.

"Two Jedi. First you, now her. Well I guess there are slower ways to rack up a rap sheet in this man's Empire."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Without thinking, the Lupine leaned over to plant a delicate kiss to his cheek. Her voice took on a disturbingly sweet tone.

"Your benevolence knows no bounds, and for that I am grateful. Every day that goes by I thank A'Ra for you."

And then she was off again, her eye tracking to a crowd that seemed to be growing around...

Her pace began to quicken...

... it was a pyre.

[Sanis Prent]

She threw me a curveball with that one. I let her distance herself, putting a hand up to my cheek. Sometimes I couldn't tell whether she was going to be sweet or slap me.

The crowds murmurs caught my ears and drew my attention to a post, with workers piling kindling nearby. I didn't know what they were doing, but the temperament of the crowd was pretty sour, so I thumbed the break open on my shoulder holster as insurance as we approached.

[James Prent]

The 'trial' was short and sweet. I was convicted of witchcraft, apparently my new haircut was an indication that they'd already decided I was guilty. In under twenty minutes I was back in my cell, shoved none to gently inside by the guards and left with my thoughts.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il reached the edge of the crowd and nudged at a woman.

"Oi, what's going on here," she said gruffly.

Seemingly annoyed at being disturbed - of what the Lupine could only guess; the woman was watching a pyre being built for crying out loud - she let out a long breath.

"Witch tried t' steal from th' shop back 'ere."

"A.. witch." It was clear that s'Il was quickly growing very unimpressed. Such ignorance.

Tha's right. Ha witch.

"Gon'ta burn 'er dead."

"Of all the uncivilized - " She turned away lest her words change to physical actions. This was lunacy, and the Lupine kicked at a tiny scraggle-bush.

Agitated, the Lupine absently mumbled to herself. "Oughta eat every one of those damn inbred yokels right now."

[Sanis Prent]

"What'd you say?"

This mob was out for blood. I was starting to realize what the post and the kindling were intended for. I took a few steps around the periphery, trying to get a look for James' familiar face.

I tapped on my wrist comm, and spoke into it discretely.

"Cirr, we may need you. Get the Cat warmed up."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il caught him by the arm.

"I'd recommend getting Layla ready, not the Cat.."

[Sanis Prent]

I spoke out the side of my mouth.

"Bring down the whole boat? That's some tight flying over here."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She gave the crowd the most scornful of stares, indifference easily seen in her eye.

"Size is gonna matter with a group like this."

An unimpressed, sidelong gaze was sent to Sanis.

"We're talking about people who think a night out at the bowling alley is the same as setting a person on fire."

[Sanis Prent]

I sternly nodded my head, raising the comm to my lips again.

"Cancel that Cirr. Get Layla airborne, and put her in a pattern. I'll call you in on our position if things end crap-side-up."

[James Prent]

The night sky was lit with torches. It was almost midnight, which was apparently the appropriate time for purification, and the crowd sounded angry. I was being pushed through the crowd, my skirt torn and my frellin' head covered up with a burlap bag. Two men were on either side of me, shoving me up a pair of makeshift steps and standing me barefooted on a wooden dais with a thick pole at my back,

From running through the woods after leaving the Layla, and spending a hot afternoon in a poorly ventilated and dirty cell, I was covered with filth. One of the men cut free my hands, only to yank my arms behind my back where they were bound securely around the stake. The other man shouted in their strange language, but I couldn't see what was going on. After I was tied securely upright, the bag was yanked off, leaving me blinking in the torchlight. My face was streaked with dirt and tears and my short, dark hair had been shaven to the scalp on the right side of my head showing all in attendance that I had been found guilty of witchcraft. I tried not to sniffle.

The two men, leaders of the community I assumed, spat in my face and then turned and climbed down from the pyre. Under the dais, it looked like straw and wood were bundled, ready for the fire. More wood was piled on around my feet, and then one of the men took a torch and thrust it into the straw. It caught, burning brightly, and others surrounded the stake, lighting the pile at even intervals. Then the people withdrew, watching in silence as the I, the witch, sagged against her bonds in the growing smoke.

I was tired of fighting. Smoke swirled up around me, but all I could do was stare down at the flames, my eyes dull and bloodshot from the heat and growing smoke. The villagers were silent, watching with anticipation as the fire grew around me. They didn’t speak Basic, but a halting, rough language that I couldn’t understand. I was far away from where anyone would be looking for me – if anyone was. And to think, less than twenty-four hours ago I had thought that things were finally making a change for the better. A tear slipped from my eye, only to evaporate almost immediately.

Flames licked at my feet as I lifted my head to where I could just make out the midnight sky, and I screamed.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a shadow at the very edge of the torchlight. A shadow that didn't stop moving, it seemed to travel straight through the crowd - as such things are wont to do of course. After all, they were the intangible leftovers of the body. It didn't matter whether they were caused by the sun, the moon, or by other means of illumination; they were there. And this particular shadow was very much in the here and now.

And then a brilliant light. An orange light. It flared to life, bathing its' surroundings in a soft glow that gave off false airs to the true nature of its' origin. It came into being, a whirlwind of motion that cut those around it down. They fell to the dusty ground; writhing and crying in pain as limbs were severed, bodies cleaved in two, and all other manner of ghastly happenings were committed. All by a pair of orange blades that glowed in the night.

They were attached to a body though, that moved as if possessed. It turned and whipped around, driven by a madness that was unseen in the single eye that glinted only briefly in the torchlight. It rolled up into its' socket even. That was when conscious thought gave way to maddened instinct and righteous anger.

A whirlwind of judgement had descended upon the simple, wayward - and vastly ignorant - people of this township, and they would not easily escape their fates this night.

[Sanis Prent]

"Come down on my position now, Cirr!"

I slapped down the comm in time to blast a farmer in the chest coming at me with a pitchfork. Another two charged from my right, and I caught the first in the neck, who fell into the other.

Kicking another onrusher in the gut, I fumbled on my belt for a cartridge to my shell gun. Finding it after shooting another down, I yelled to s'Il.

"We don't have time for this. Give me cover!"

I shrunk back from the onrush, unhinging the breech of my shell gun to slide the cartridge in.

[James Prent]

The smoke was crushing me - filling my lungs as the heat scorched my skin. I couldn't scream anymore.

My head fell forward in the rising smoke as the fire continued to grow towards me.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

the Lupine Jedi brought her blades around in a wide arc before crouching low, her muscles bunching. With a massive leap that brought her over the heads of the rioting crowd, s'Il disengaged her sabre gauntlet. In the light of the fire her eyes flashed a tawny yellow, and she landed solidly in front of James.

Two of the guards nearest James rushed forward. A glint of steel flashed briefly before washing itself in the blood of both however, and pulling her curved Cathar blade free the Lupine drove headlong into the flames. An animal snarl on her lips, s'Il flung lit bundles of kindling to either side of her.

The blade came out again, and its' keen edge passed through the ropes with ease while in the same motion turning on her heel. Her arm wrapped around James, pulling the other woman with her away from the fire.

[James Prent]

The ropes around me fell away, and I tumbled forward. I briefly focused on a pair of angry eyes - one blue, one white - before passing out.

[Sanis Prent]

As s'Il jumped from the post with James in tow, I fired. The Mandalorian shell, designed with a miniature repulsorfield generator inside, careened into the pair, harmlessly throwing them both free from the fire, to the opposite side of the throng.

That was great, but now I was on my own. And the villagers were pretty restless.

"Damn. What now?"

They formed a circle around me, wielding all manner of farm equipment which could ad-lib for some unfortunate melee weaponry.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The knife now held firmly in her teeth, s'Il landed easily on the other side of the crowd. She held James close with both arms and doing her best not to jostle the other woman too much.

A look over her shoulder showed that Sanis had successfully managed to make himself the centerpiece of a very large and angry mob. He seemed awfully good at that.

Her eye turned skyward then. Where was Cirr??

[Sanis Prent]

"s'Il..."

I paced around in a slow circle, making sure to keep the mob at bay under my shell gun.

"...I hope you've got another plan."

Through the haze of the smoke, I could hear a welcome sound. Two pairs of running lights snapped alive, casting down colums of smoky light.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr brought the Corellian freighter overhead, sending the pillars of smoke scurrying away from the heavy draft of displaced air. Big hands grasping the controls tight, he dipped the nose toward the ground slightly, as a gesture to the ugly crowd to back away.

Daani sat beside him, looking intently at the situation from the copilot's seat.

"Djirrty peons, haven't you seen an outlaw shjip beforre? Clearr out, orr jI'll cut loose wjith thrree guns forr everry one of you!"

His voice growled over the intercom, broadcast to those assembled below. It was a pretty impressive boast for a ship that was pretty lightly armed.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The whine of Layla's engines was a welcome sound indeed, and the Lupine kept her hold on James as Cirr's voice boomed out over the crowd. She smiled at the bluff, taking a small step closer towards the direction of the freighter.

Dust whipped up in swirls all around her as she looked on. It didn't take long for the mob to start edging back, and a few moments after that they turned tail and ran.

All in all, it took less than a minute before the only ones left were Sanis, herself, and James. She hefted the other woman up a little and began the short walk to Layla.

[Sanis Prent]

I helped s'Il and James up onto the gangplank as Cirr touched down. For all of my mechanic's acting, I didn't want to stick around if anybody decided to call his bluff. Already in the distance, I could see lights on the horizon, heading our way.

"Speeders coming up. We should beat it. If it's that garrison, I could stand without an ID on us."

[James Prent]

In the darkness of my unconscious mind I could barely hear Sanis' voice. I couldn't get enough oxygen into my smoke filled lungs... my body was starting to shut down.

The borrowed dress was tattered and stained with smoke, and my feet were burnt.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Get us off this rock," she growled at Sanis.

In the back of her mind, the Lupine cursed a thousand curses upon the townspeople; such ignorance and hatred for things that they did not understand. She should have changed, tore into them like lambs to the slaughter. They deserved nothing less.

James was lifted easily over her shoulder, and s'Il was careful not to jostle the other woman too much as she headed for the Cat. It was no hard task to sense the life quickly fading from James' body as she moved swiftly through the hatchway that seperated hers and Sanis' respective abodes.

Gently, she shifted James down onto the bed.

The dress was tattered yes, but it was nothing compared to the injuries that'd been sustained, and s'Il set about throwing open chests and trunks, hoping to find any amount of medical supplies that she had thought to bring with her. It was almost a wasted search, but she managed to produce a few bandages and specially mixed salves and lotions from, of course, the last trunk she rifled through.

The lotions she dumped into Sanis' hands, as he'd followed her into the Cat, and bandages were tossed on the bed beside James.

The Lupine cupped James' face, forcing her eyes open with her thumbs.

"James? James, Can you hear me?"

[James Prent]

James' eyes were rolled back in her head, her breathing shallow and slow. Much too slow.

Lok felt for a pulse, and couldn't find it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

O'bara nis'kha, she cursed to herself.

With movements born of desperation, s'Il straddled James, ripping the dress completely. Her hands pressed upon cold flesh, pushing down fiercely in an attempt to jumpstart the silent heart within.

A pause, and she held open the other woman's mouth, forcing air down through her windpipe. And back up again to pump her chest.

And slowly, the Lupine let her senses creep outward. She was not trained in any sort of direct telepathy, but what she did know she hoped would be enough to supplement her physical actions.

She let her memories pass through her into James; the freedom of the open desert, the spicy aroma that filled the air and tantalized the nose. Of running unchecked through the deep woods of a far-away homeworld, hearing everything and bringing in the scent of every living thing around. Rolling around upon the grasslands, chasing down small animals, and simply being free. There was a wildness to the memories, yet it was held in a sort of control that focused it, allowing for a most unique experience. It was all-encompassing, and the Lupine let her pride pass into James.

It was really the only thing the Lupine could think of to do; she couldn't change James, but if she could let the other woman taste it, then there was the small chance that she would come back just enough for science to do the rest.

[Sanis Prent]

"Cirr...leave atmo. James is hurt bad."

I could only stand uselessly, holding the sundries that s'Il needed to help James.

A second later, I felt the slight shudder of the deck plating that let me know we were skyward.