The Mapmakers Lament

[Llewelyn Voss]

"There had to have been a moment, I realize now, when things could have changed. Before all of this, I mean, before the institution. When the administrator presented the consent form to my parents, perhaps. Or when I was nine and began complaining about the fatigue, the headaches. It may have even been a moment before me, before my conception, but there must have been one second where everything could have been halted and wasn't because of some cosmic misunderstanding.

Otherwise my life is a very sad joke.

I live in a box. It is not a bad box; there are two transparasteel walls so that I do not feel completely isolated, and a top-of-the-line air purification system which hums in what is supposed to be a psychologically soothing manner as it clears out all the dangerous microscopic barbs and malicious toxins that normal beings ought not notice (and which I do not either, in my opinion). But it is still a box. A twelve-by-twelve foot steralized prison, of which I am an inmate."

A man cleared his throat softly, and the woman in the chair tilted her head so that the light created a glow around the edges of the stubble on her scalp. "What's that, Administrator?" She said softly to the empty space around her. There was silence from the speaker that was cleverly built into the corner of the room. The woman nodded anyway. "Oh, yes, I apologize. Please allow me to rephrase; you will excuse the aforementioned exageration? Good, good. I am not an inmate, I am a patient. There is a difference. I am a patient."

There was silence again in the tiny room, but it seemed to have been satisfied. The woman cleared her throat. "Of course, living in an orthogonal enclosure has it's advantages. I have been able to devote most of my adult life to my studies, when my body has allowed it. I realize that there is not much need for archetypal cartographers in this modern galaxy, what with starcharts and holographs and navcomputers. That's alright, I don't really care. I've been enclosed for ten years and I believe, although I haven't really looked at the latest ammendments, that I am entitled to the Do Whatever I Want restitution.

Unless, of course, what I want is to leave. I have to die to do that. Which is why you've got me recording this, isn't it, administrator? Because I very well could die today." She stopped speaking then, and sat staring at the speaker until a door, quite hidden unless someone opened it, scraped open. Someone swathed from head-to-foot in a steralized suit, beckoned.

"We're ready, Ms. Voss. Time to go to Pre-Op."

Llewelyn smiled from her chair and ran a hand across her shorn head, back to front, felt the angry bristles and then the bareness at the back that would soon be split open. She stood and flashed a thumbs up. "Lovely. Do try and figure out what's wrong this time, alright?"

~*~*~*~*~*

Message From: A.A @ Erratum Medical Facilities
Sent To: Jahmed Voss
Subject: Patient 1109, Voss, Llewelyn

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Voss,

It is with deep regret that I write to inform you that your daughter, Llewlyn Voss, did not survive the exploratory procedure. After concluding that there were no abnormalities in her cerebral organ, our doctors closed the surgical site with the utmost care and precision. During her stay in the recovery wing, Ms. Voss's health continued to decline despite there being no indication of post-surgical damage or infection and in spite of our best efforts. I am sure you will agree that this is not surprising considering the very nature of her illness thus far. Be assured that we did everything universally possible. As agreed upon in the admittance form, our facility will dispose of her remains in a timely and respectful manner. Our sincere sympathies are extended to you and your family at this difficult time.

*~*~*~*~*

The last time there had been noise like this, she had been six and in the marketplace with her mother. Even then it had not been this deafening, languages and volumes mashed together helter-skelter, rising in some cultural crescendo that threatened to burst her sensitive ear-drums. Llewelyn immedietly loved the spaceport.

No one noticed her here. There were no checks every half hour, no nurses, no technicians. She was just a pale, bald woman with disconcertingly large eyes wandering among crews and captains with quiet determination. A long canvas bag hung from one bony shoulder, stuffed to bursting with thin silver tubes. They seemed important, and immediently lent her an air of credibility that even her unsubstantial form couldn't void. Yes, Llewlyn Voss looked like she knew what she was doing.

Of course, she didn't. But the young boy who'd been bribed with the (delivered) promise of a hot meal had told her where she'd find a ship to attatch to, and what kind of people to look for if she wasn't keen on running into Imperials. And so here she was, alone and breathing air full of harmful fuel emmisions, looking for a ride.

"Excuse me," Llewelyn called, approaching a promising figure. "Would it trouble you to tell me where you're headed?"

[Sen Oisel]

Life.

The twist and turns it gave could send a sane mind inane, and upside down. Turmoil wrestled the world into a troubled submission for most, and it became a daily routine to carry the negatives with every step. All throughout the galaxy settled a painful demographic that had succumb to pessimism. Forecast for rain trample their sunshine into a forgotten ray of hope, and the only threads that kept them sustained were the involuntary act of breathing.

A path had been set for me as well. Sen Oisel had failed in his attempt to become anything more than a face amidst the bunch. Travels abroad had halted in a catastrophic, climatic conclusion. One encounter with the Empire and everything spiraled to the ground, literally.

Friends scattered, some died, and I was a lone again. All alone about the whirlwind called life, without a connection to brighten my view. Darkness captured my vision as I walked through the lit spaceport. Faces of all types of races threw their beady or large eyes off in intrigue at one another. Conversations engaged my senses, but intent sent my legs into a stampede forward. On and on I kept, beating through crowds and audience that awaited the boarding tickets.

It felt as though a bantha had stamped it's feet into my soul. Every step, every motion sent a nostalgia and reminiscence of the past crippling my mind into a falter, despite the rather speedy exterior that kept me onward. Times on the Midget Brow were consumed with humor, fun, enjoyment and excitement that I could never return. The very element of the past was an unforgiving plane, for one could never grasp the essence of the moments again.

It hurt...

Bad...

A misstep had send me in disarray once before, and it did again. Some Ithorian had found it intelligent to walk across from the door while I my speedy amble was in play. Thrown into a spin, my feet could no longer muster the necessary locomotion to get back on track. Forced into a walk to regain some speed, I found more blockades to trouble me. A young lady...

"Headed off planet," I nearly snapped, but managed to subside my emotions to a null, void statement. Sarcasm would only make it worst, so I continued. Carrying on would possibly help the matters.

"I'm going off to Corellia. What about you?"

[Llewelyn Voss]

"Ah. Not Corellia. I was there once." Llewelyn vaguely remembered three or four nights of particular agony with a local healer who'd promised his blend of twigs and powders would cure her. The woman stood stiffly, looking almost unused, and briefly took in the man before her. He was irritated, she decided.

Smiling in a manner which gave the distinct impression that she did not smile often (it was awkward and looked false), Llewelyn spoke again. "You would not happen to be familiar with any pilots here, would you? I need a ride."

[Sen Oisel]

Pilot?

The word struck my mind in a jolt, nearly sending me into a shiver. Such a title was dear to my heart, much like any other spacer. All the dealings of the stars had sent my gaze off into the distance as I awaited my own return. Memories flushed through my vision, shifting my senses off into a forgotten time. Even still, I could feel my hand motion perniciously toward my face.

A rub of the thumb and index, and my eyes were once more fixed on the moment. Clearly, I was in a bind, but my pockets merit some friendship. A ride to wherever on a decent cost would definately be worth my time.

"Well, where do you want to go?" I asked. Despite the readiness, I was secure in my route to Corellia. Any detours would simply have to be compensated.

[Llewelyn Voss]

She pursed her dry lips, considered for a moment. Facts and statistics ran lazily through her mind, population counts and snippets of agricultural reports. "I might consider Drall." Llewelyn replied, finally. It was not the most desirable direction, Coreward, but eventually she could find passage elsewhere.

However she was running on the assumption that this man had a pilot heading to Corellia secured. He hadn't actually said he had a way to get to Corellia, only that he was going there. Llewelyn raised one eyebrow elegantly. "Which would mean a detour anyone headed to Corellia, of course, although a very slight one and hardly an inconvenience." She paused pointedly, before continuing with, "Have you a lift already?"

[Sen Oisel]

I watched, and intent carrying my eyes into a faint phase. The gal spoke with interest, understanding and clarity, leaving my ears open and waiting. Even as she finally ended with a query I could not help but pause in wait for another word.

She seemed to go on and on.

"Well...", I began, hands digging into the depths of my pockets. Lint packed up around my fingernails in a soft massage.

It didn't feel good.

"I'm flying. So it's no big deal."

"Ya got credits?"

[Llewelyn Voss]

Llewelyn nodded an affirmation. "Yes."

"Do you have other passengers?"

[Sen Oisel]

"Nope"

Before I could go further I was throwing my eyes about the place. A shift there, a shift here, and everything seemed clear. Hopefully there wasn't some Imperial still on my tail, but if there was I'd be ready. It was always best to keep an eye out for those bucketheads, especially after running into one to many scrimmages with them.

"So you ready to go now?"

[Llewelyn Voss]

Though it was usual, she was finding, for people to be wary in spaceports, this man seemed all too suddenly cautious; it did not put Llewelyn at ease. She shifted in a slightly uncomfortable manner, the cases in her pack clunking against one another. There was no one after her, not yet and perhaps not ever if she were lucky, and the woman wasn't looking to change that.

"I'm sorry, are you looking for anyone in particular or is it just a general precaution?"

[Ecks]

It wasn't easy to hide Ecks, but being in a crowded spaceport made it infinitely easier. The bounty hunter had stalked his target until the brown skinned male had made contact with the scrawniest human female he'd ever seen. Her bald head was her only saving grace, other than that she was completely ugly. From this distance, anyway.

"You gonna order?" The barista at the caf vendor's cart he suddenly realized he was standing in front of was polite, but firm. His eyes weren't frightened, but seemed to be studying Ecks as though he was merely a peculiarity to be studied.

Get your fill of the big ugly Falleen, he thought. "No." He moved slightly to the right, and looked around the kiosk to where his mark was still conversing with the baldy. Ecks eased his blaster out of its holster, making sure it was set to stun. The bounty on Sen Oisel was dead or alive, but in a crowded spaceport it was prudent to use stun settings unless one wanted to appear on a bounty list too.

[Sen Oisel]

"Percaution..."

The words dragged on, and so did my eyes. I couldn't help but feel uneasy. A series of bounties had been thrown my way since my first voyage from Anaxes. Even the venture off of Anaxes was problematic tirade of bucket heads and big blasters. At that point I had a whole gang at my heels to protect me, but they had faded. It was true that one never knew what they had before it was gone, because I never felt more alone in a spaceport.

Especially with that darn feeling itching at my neck.

Scratch, scratch...

I rubbed at the back of my neck as I took focus back on the gal before me. It was clear that the uneasiness wasn't going. Certainly it was all the faces amidst the spaceport. There were too many for me to feel completely comfortable, especially since this wasn't my home planet. Familiarity was a definite predecessor to a sense of confidence and I couldn't be more uncertain about the place.

"Well, ya wanna leave now?"

[Finor Ztnnova]

Finor Ztnnova had been seaching for Sen Oisel for months now. Ever lead came up empty, every story about him came up short. I was begining to lose hope. Until now.

I could sense his presence on this planet, in this spaceport. I was able to use his force abilities to find almost anyone. This was the reason why I was hired by Sen Oisel scattered friends. Finor Ztnnova would not let them down. This case would be no diffrent, there was my target. I had found the illusive Sen Oisel. Someone else had found him as well, a women. I could sense she possed no threat to my mission.

But I knew he wasn't the only one searching for Sen Oisel. I had heard the stories about the large bounty on his head. I simply hope i was able to find him before one of those slimy bounty hunters did. But, i could sense the growing danger of this sapceport.

I wanted to pick my spot to approach Sen and tell him of my mission. But time was now of the essence. I could tell Sen and his guest were had an uneasy feeling. Sen knew he was being watched. This made my job more difficult. If I approached too aggresivly Sen would flee and my mission would be a failure. If I waited too long, I ran the risk of his capture. Well, no time like the present.

I quickly found my way over to my target. His focus was now squarely on his female companion. I simply bumped into Sen and said, "You are in danger, ask no questions. Follow me."

[Llewelyn Voss]

Her head was starting to ache slightly, but years of experience afforded Llewelyn the judgement to tell it wasn't going to worsen for some time. She had just opened her mouth to reply that, yes, she was in fact ready to leave, when they were interupted by a stranger. Llewelyn watched as he collided with Sen, muttered a few words, and continued forward.

"I am, but it appears that you," She raised a questioning eyebrow at Sen, "are not."

[Sen Oisel]

A bump, a girl, and a wanted man. The equation didn't set for a settled surroundings. In me arose the fury of a volcano, adorned with the identification for a ride away. Options fell to a slim, and before I knew it my mouth reloaded and exploded. Sen Oisel wasn't happy...

"Shuttup!"

The slur of my words concoct a tumultuous roar. I felt my stomach rumble in vigor, bodied in the troubles. Suddenly I had become attire by adrenaline, and my veins pumped with extremities that I only knew in flight. Before I could think another thought, my hands swung about grabbing onto the two acquaintance's wrist. Yank and pull sent them dangling back behind my lead as I rushed through the barrage of lines. A tirade set before me, and the tide of my fiery compelled me forth.

Step after step...more like trot after trot--I didn't know, my ears were shut down by a rush of anger. Discord controlled my mind, and I could only see and sense. Every hair in my nostril tingled with the stench of stinky off-worlders and dung-heads. The starport never smelled better...

It felt like a year passed in a second, but I made it. The doors to my port opened with a sudden push, and I was off toward the doors.

"We are leaving! Open up!"

[Ecks]

The mark was on the move, dragging the bald female and another, unidentifed male along with him. They seemed to be unwilling participants in whatever game Oisel was playing, the girl in paticular.

Ecks eased around the caf kiosk, and caught up to them just as the doors to Oisel's docking port closed after the trio. The bounty hunter opened the doors, slipped inside, and locked them behind him. The mark was almost running towards his ship, and Ecks sighted down his blaster and pulled the trigger.

[Finor Ztnnova]

Using his force abilities, Finor Ztnnova felt the blaster fire upon them. Sensing the path of the fire Finor yelled, “MOVE, NOW,” and quickly pulled his fellow runners behind the cargo collected in the spaceport. Blaster fire now filled the hanger.

"This is not what I had intended," Finor Ztnnova said as he reached for his lightsaber. “Sen, we have to get to your ship. Are you armed?” Silence was not the answer Ztnnova was searching for. Finor reached for his DL-22 blaster pistol and handed it to Sen. “Take it. Now we need a plan and I am taking suggestions."

The large green alien continued to fire upon the winded party.

[Sen Oisel]

Time flashed past at lightspeed, and my eyes could barley catch the action. Behind the console of a ship I could handle hyperdrive, but on my feet away from the stars I was a Sullustian out of water. Not a word could be concocted as I observed the disarray continue about. Amidst the profusion I infused the possibilities, my eyes still scanning the scene.

In my hand lay a blaster, but it was foreign. Many times before I had unleashed the brute of a blaster bolt, yet I wasn't ready this time. Something seemed uneasy about such an obvious act. A whisper wheezed through the breeze at my hear, and I was too busy to regard it. Second after second I could feel the bolts of my sweat beat at my face, trickling down as I hid behind a box.

I struggled to think. Action was great, however this wasn't a pleasant surprise. Over and over again the bounty hunters came and I was no better at planning the best way out. I managed to live, but managing and thriving were very different categories. Before I could process another impulse, I was up and about in a spin. Twirling through the fire, I unloaded a blaster bolt at the adversaries handle.

I missed...badly, but it gave me time to keep moving and that was good. Grabbing up the baldy-girl's hand, I was dashing off toward my ship's cockpit to jump-start the engine. The plank was still up, so maybe a jerk or two could rid us of the turmoil brewing at the entrance.

[Llewelyn Voss]

This was quite more than enough. Llewelyn had anticipated a certain amount of excitement but being shot at had somehow never worked itself into her imaginings. Her headache was now searing and along with slicing her vision into a neat, narrow tunnel, it had offed any patience the woman possessed.

"How's this for a plan," she rasped, with surprising steel behind the words, "Forget about my passage because I do fancy continuing to live for a while longer, and we'll part ways here. I don't--"

And then Sen was yanking her along behind him, the heat of blaster fire at their heels. The pounding behind her eyes had become sharp and Llewelyn was rendered almost totally blind through the haze it created. With the pilot guiding her helter-skelter through the hangar and her case banging against her back the woman was at a loss for words.

[Ecks]

Ecks lifted another weapon up, a huge thing that looked like a grenade launcher and had been slung across his back, and sighted along it. The bald girl looked like she was being kidnapped now, and although he was not usually the best galactic citizen, the bounty hunter figured that it was his duty to rescue her from the criminal who was dragging her along.

He aimed high, and fired. The projectile launched from the barrel of the weapon, and a net unfurled above the running trio just before they reached the ramp of the freighter Sen was aiming for. Oisel escaped up into the ship, and Ecks was on the move, running and dodging forward with his blaster at the ready.

[Sen Oisel]

The hunter was at it again, and there was only a few options left. Dodges was crumpled together with a few unnecessary shots backward. It was evident that the bolts weren't going to hit anything, but hopefully it could slow the man down as I neared the head of the blank. However, as should be expected, I caught something by the foot.

Strangled at the leg, I felt my body go down into the oppression of gravity. A man without balance is only a fool, and I was definately a fool at this point. Banking against the surface, I left all accounts in the past as I propelled my mind to the future. Adrenaline still consumed my heart, pushing my mind at top speeds that couldn't be comprehended in the blur.

All I knew was I needed to get back up...and fast.

One step after another and I managed a straggling stance before shooting one more blast back wards. Hopefully one of the bolts would get the green giant. Even if it didn't, I would take the time to get to the cockpit, and from the a glance it wasn't to terribly far away. In the body of my old, raggedy ship I was at home. Whoever the hunter was, he would be at a disadvantage on my home court.

[Finor Ztnnova]

Again, this was not what i had signed up for. All hell had broken out in this spaceport. I can tell that panic had overwhelmed my two friends. I needed to keep a cool head. We were so close to the ship but it was a ground i felt we would never make in together. Sen, was a brave warrior, he fought with heart. He had taken off for the ship, but we was hit and had fallen. But with a hero's resolve he quickly gathered himself and worked his way toward the ship.

Sen courage was inspiring. It was time to take a stand against our large green oppressor. I shouted over to the bald women who was in the fire fight, but seemed distance, " Here, take this." I threw a comm link over at her, "I will take care of that thing, you and Sen make your way to the ship and get out of here. Take off on my mark." She looked confused but I knew she would attempt to follow my instructions.

I gathered myself, let out a slow, relaxed breath and made a move for my lightsaber. I knew I was putting myself in grave danger, but i have the force to protect me. "Here goes," I whispered to myself. I fired my lightsaber and make my rush toward the giant green mound.

[Llewelyn Voss]

If he thought for one second that she was going to follow his instructions, instructions that could very well get her killed, Finor had another thing coming to him. Llewelyn left whatever it was he had thrown at her--she could only seen in narrow, pulsing shafts--on the ground and crawled trembling to a large crate awaiting shipment.

Her whole body was tense, the veins in her spindly arms rigid and visible from her straining muscles. It was no surprise that she should get an attack now, stress had always triggered them. Llewelyn curled up on the cool surface of the 'port floor, angled in just such a way that she was offered protection and a view of the firefight.

Firefight. How in all twelve hells had she wound up here?

There was no time to dwell on the events leading up to her being shot at, however, for at that moment Finor charged the Falleen. Charged. Llewelyn could just make out the blurred figure, appearing to her to be running in fits and starts, as her eyesight flickered. "Mon Dieu," she breathed, "He's suicidal."

[Ecks]

Lightsaber. Lightsaber?! No time to think. The bounty on a Jedi was astronomical, and made Sen a distant memory as the latter escaped deep into his ship. Ecks pulled his second blaster, pelting the Jedi with stun bolts, knowing that the dissapating rings of a stun blast were almost impossible to block with a lightsaber.

Baldy had disappeared. Once he had the Jedi in the bag, he'd make sure she was okay. If he had time.

[Sen Oisel]

Conflict's involved a hastiness, and even the most witty could get jumbled in the craziness. There was no need to play sober, I had been juggled in the turmoil far too long to even realize the follower hadn't followed. Both the bald girl and green monster had vanished. Once more I stood isolated, eyes behind me, deep in the sollitude of the ship. There wasn't much to analyze beyond the fact that there was room for trouble beyond the ship's hull.

I certainly didn't want my ship getting messed up.

Plus, what happened to that girl?

I could only be curious for a moment or two, before it overcame my rationality. A jump start of the engine and I dashed off to one of the rooms. I was no blaster collector, but shipments required one to have a knack for shooting something. There was no way I'd reserve my skills on some archiac slingshot Sprocket gave me, so I muster up enough speed to the entrance.

Outside rumbled the grounds of battle. Two men dashed charging at one another. All of it seemed quite awkward from an observers eye, but no subject of the time could consume me more than the destruction of the hunter. The girl had disappeared, and without a decent eye to capture her, I could only assume the villian had taken the princess.

In no form or fashion am I heroric, but I got a heart. Somewhere in there...

So, without heed I unloaded a blast off toward the battle. Nowhere before I could I claim to have a good shot, but I couldn't help but try. Times seemed to never change, for after only a split second I watched as the blast headed swiftly over to the new guy.

I still hadn't caught the guys name...but he had some weird laser-sword in his hand. He probably was one of those high-class fighters or something...I had heard about the lightfoils becoming a fad a few years back around the Rims. Anyhow, he was in trouble, and with a thoughtless blast sent his way I couldn't help but flinch at the expected contact.

[Finor Ztnnova]

The first stun blast rocked my body to the core. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle much more of this onslaught. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps a full frontal assault was a bad idea, but it was too late now, I needed a solution and I needed one fast.

My father once told me, “The great part about force powers is using them.” That was a lesson I would never forget. Although I was weakened by the stun bolts, I'm...... able… use telekinesis….. several ship…… crates….. large…… creature……hopefully…..

[Ecks]

The Jedi went down as Oisel emerged from his ship, apparently equipped with more guts than brains. He sent a wild blaster bolt in their direction, and it was lucky for the Jedi that he fell when he did as the bolt passed by harmlessly overhead.

Ecks turned to fire at Oisel, but a heavy crate flew across the hangar and slammed into his shoulder, sending him stumbling to the ground. Emperors black bones! He ducked for cover, and found the female. She was seizing up, muscles stretched like cords, and the bounty hunter hunched over her without thinking, protecting her as another crate came in his direction.

[Sen Oisel]

A blink linked me with a word I would become familiar with. Darkness for a split second overcame my mind before I reached out into existence once. Reality blurred in a forecast of crates and loose objects. Safety became a word synanymous with duck and cover.

Bad thing I didn't know what safe was about.

Before I could blink again my head went bonking against the surface. Word spread through my body that a crate hit me, but I didn't know. Seem like darkness was the only friend I could call upon at that point. It was a bit cold, but it seem we would be pals.

[Llewelyn Voss]

There was an absense of fear that made the whole thing seem absurd. Flying crates and firing ships, a pain in the temples that stretched behind the eyes, the disturbed cries of port authorities demanding a ceasefire; Llewelyn was only vaguely aware of the great hulking form that loomed over her, too much stimuli about them to concentrate on any one thing. She turned slightly, rolled onto her side, and splayed a bony hand against the duracrete like a dead spider.

There came a final throb, so fierce she felt her scalp wave, the bristles of hair sharpen. Llewelyn relaxed, her dry lips turning up at the corners, as she too passed out.

[Ecks]

Sirens were wailing, and port security were converging on the docking bay. Ecks scooped up the female, her head and arms flopping awkwardly. After a moments hesitation he held her closer, and her head came to rest against his chestplate. The Jedi and Oisel were a secondary concern now, as he took long strides away from the freighter that was still idling on the duracrete.

"Stop!" A human security agent in shock armor stepped in front of him, and Ecks turned slightly, presenting his shoulder instead of his chest.

He interrupted the man before he could get another word out. "Bounty hunter. My mark is back there..." Ecks nodded over his shoulder, and frowned as the freighter fired up and started flying away. The Jedi? Perhaps one had abandoned the other, or maybe they were both making their escape together. "He was kidnapping this female."

The human sneered, at the hunter and his scrawny burden. "So you captured the girl and let a criminal go free?"

Ecks fixed his eye on the man, a steely glare that was punctuated by the eye patch he wore. "If your security forces knew what they were doing, then you would have had him in custody already, saving me the trouble of this." He hefted the female, who was still unconscious. "Don't worry, I already got the hunting permit on him, and I'll be collecting soon. Someone's got to take care of the bad guys."

The Falleen shouldered past the blustering and angry human, and made his way out of the hangar, heading not for the med bay but for his own ship docked at a neighboring hangar.

[Finor Ztnnova]

Finor Ztnnova felt the butt of the security guard’s blaster against his chest. He was awake, but still trying to shake out the cobwebs. It had been a rough and poorly thought out couple of minutes. And it was getting worse due to the constant jabbing of the security guard’s blaster. Finor looked around but couldn’t see Sen or his sickly companion anywhere.

“You, get to your feet!” the guard exclaimed from under his helmet.
Surprisingly, Finor was able to stand. “What seems to be the problem officer?” Finor said smoothly.
“You are under arrest”
“You have the wrong man.” Finor said calmly.
“I have the wrong man.” The guard said blankly.
“Please let me go about my business.” Finor stated.
“Please go about your business.” The guard repeated.
“Have a nice day.”
“Have a nice day.”

“God bless the mind trick.” He said to himself as he made his way out of the hanger.

Finor needed a plan, a better plan that had lost him Sen and got him stunned by a large green alien. Finor was acting recklessly, and that recklessness could lead him to the dark side or get him killed. He made his way back to the busy heart of the spaceport hoping to blend back into the surroundings. He quietly moved his way into a local cantina and pulled up a seat at the bar. He need time to ponder his next move, whatever it might be. “When the time is right,” he thought to himself.

“Bartender….”

[Llewelyn Voss]

At first when she woke she thought herself back at the institute; her eyes were still closed and she could hear a low hum. It took a few seconds before the subtle difference in pitch revealed itself, indicating this was a strange new place. With considerable effort Llewelyn fluttered her eyes open and found, to her surprise and relief, that the lighting was not harsh but dim and welcoming.

The woman did not try to rouse herself, knowing that if she moved to quickly she would become dizzy. Instead she went over a mental checklist, wiggling her toes and fingers, very gently moving her kneck from side to side; she was intact.

Her bag, however, was nowhere in sight. Llewelyn carefully rolled over onto her side to view the room she was in, casting her eyes back and forth in search of a glimpse of the canvas sack, the metal tubing. There was nothing. A sort of panic washed over the skeletal woman and she let out a whispered cry of confusion. "Oh no, please no, they can't have gone..."

[Ecks]

His passenger was whimpering back in the sparse cabin he'd left her in, but Ecks had other things on his mind. Like, how the tracking device he'd placed on Sen Oisel's ship was not transmitting. He'd gotten a blip that showed which direction the ship was headed, and then the signal had faltered and failed.

Angry, the bounty hunter slammed his fist into the console, and then started searching for possible destinations along the trajectory he'd been given. The navicomp began computing, grinding numbers slowly. Much too slowly. Ecks got to his feet and walked out of the cockpit and through the passage to the single cabin. Underneath his boots lay the hold, with an energy cage and his speeder, and all sorts of unpleasant things that were strapped to the walls.

His ship had no name but it was small and fast, and that was all he needed. Pausing just outside the door, Ecks wondered if he should knock. Deciding not to, he pressed the button to slide the door open, and looked inside cautiously. Baldy looked up at him from his bed, wide eyed and panicked. Sub-consciously the Falleen released some pheremones into the air, not because he was aroused, but to relax the female just enough to talk to her.

"Are you..." His voice was as rough and dry as the sands of Tatooine, and he was sorry for that. "Are you well?"

[Finor Ztnnova]

“How long have I been here,” Finor asked no one in particular. Not expecting an answer he recalled the days events. He had lost Sen and his companion. Then he had been attacked by a giant green thing and almost detained by port security. And the best part,
Finor had searched the spaceport for hours and was unable to locate anything. It’s like Sen had disappeared into thin air. The trail was ice cold and Finor was out of options. Nothing left to do now but head back to the ship….

“Wait,” Finor said to no one as he stopped dead in his tracks. He sensed something, something familiar. He couldn’t but his finger on what it was, but it was a lead. Reaching out using the force, Finor was able to pinpoint its location. The sensation was coming from a ship in the hanger to his left. Cautiously, Finor made his way over to the unfamiliar vessel in an attempt to identify his peculiar awareness. In his state of heightened concentration, Finor unknowingly ventured too close too the ship perimeter.

“Oh, No.”

The screeching of motion alarms filled the hanger.

[Llewelyn Voss]

"No." Funny how her heart wasn't in her throat, having been startled like that. And wasn't it strange that her anxiety seemed to lessen? Llewelyn stared expressionless at the Falleen. The one from the spaceport, who'd dragged her out of harms way. Why was he here?

The woman cleared her throat and shook her head, slowly. "No, I am not. Where are my things, please?"

[Ecks]

He walked across the cabin and opened up a cubby that was built into the bulkhead. The entire room was covered with pressure sensitive 'handles' that opened up into storage spaces. Most of them were locked into his fingerprints. "Here."

The bounty hunter reached in and retrieved the bag, a little worse for wear from its adventures. He placed it on the bed next to Baldy and stepped back. "I took the liberty of taking you out of the spaceport. My mark was kidnapping you.

"Unfortunately time does not permit me to take you back to the planet yet." There was a noise up the passage, and Ecks ducked out of his cabin and trekked back up to the cockpit. From the viewscreen he could see the planet below, drifting beneath his ship. In this high of an orbit it would only take a few moments to get the ship out of the planet's gravity well and into hyperspace.

The bounty hunter studied the possible destinations, and selected one that seemed most likely. Bespin. His thick green fingers played over the console, and the navicomp chirped as it accepted its destination. Razor's Edge, his sliver shaped spaceship, pulled effortlessly out of orbit and accelerated towards the jump point.

Belatedly Ecks realized that he'd left his 'guest' rather abruptly. But there was no time for apologies - Sen Oisel was getting away. And if he wasn't at Bespin when they arrived, then Ecks was back at square one.

[Llewelyn Voss]

After a cursory check to make sure all of her belongings were still accounted for (all were), Llewelyn withdrew a small metal box, wrapped in a single layer of rough cloth, from the bottom of the worn leather sack. So intent was she on the item that she hardly noticed Ecks' sudden exit. With care that bordered on reverence, Llewelyn set aside the cloth and unclipped the latch on the little case. Inside, fit snugly against the contoured black velvet lining, was a small glass vial. It was of little aesthetic value; there were billions upon billions of such containers in the galaxy.

But Llewelyn withdrew it with such tenderness that it would have been evident to any who witnessed that the clear contents of the miniscule treasure--filling only half of it's sparse volume--were very dear indeed. With a practiced hand the skeletal woman removed the stoppered top and bent over the open container, inhaling deeply through her nose. Immediately her weary eyes filled with tears of irritation, and she quickly jammed the top back on the bottle. Llewelyn blinked, once, twice, and then scrunched her eyes shut as an onslought of tears stung her cornea.

As she lay back down, replaced the vial in it's home, Llewelyn could feel the sudden release as her chest opened up, muscles relaxing at long last. She didn't know how long she lay there, but when the strange female finally did sit up again her headache had subsided and the nausea that she had felt was gone.

Cautiously Llewelyn slid from the bed, placing her sack at the foot of it. The woman half-stumbled to the doorway and, bracing her arms against the ships panelling for support, headed in what she hoped was the direction of the cockpit. A few seconds walk and she was relieved to find that, yes, it was indeed.

"Pardon me," Llewelyn said, softly but without any undertone of doubt. The hulking back of the falleen was directly in front of her, the outline of space around it in her periphereal vision. There was something wild about the sight, and the sharp hairs on her head prickled. "Where are we going?"

[Ecks]

"Bespin." Ecks didn't have to look over his shoulder to see her - there was a reflective square on the console that afforded him a nice view down the only passageway in the ship. Hyperspace swirled softly around the transparisteel of the viewport, and after a moment he shifted in his seat to face her. "Cloud City holds a spaceport that will be able to take you wherever you want."

In the green light from the consoles, her features were uplit, and Ecks let his eye study her. She was overly thin, possibly from some sort of sickness, but there was a good foundation in place. Delicate cheekbones supported an intelligent forehead and small nose. The light and her bald head made her look almost like a Falleen female - a young and skinny one. "It is a short trip - only half an hour in hyperspace."

[Llewelyn Voss]

Llewelyn nodded curtly, sinking into the copilots chair and curing her entire body into the seat, arms wrapped about knees like safety webbing. She had left her pullover in the quarters she'd awoken in and now, as Llewelyn kept her gaze fixed on the stars ahead but her attention on the Falleen, goosebumps rose on the pale skin of her arms like a rash.

"I've been there before." Llewelyn's soft voice pierced the silence. Her eyes closed as she strained to remember something of that distant trip. However, no matter how hard she pulled at the snippets of memory, only statistics were offered up to her; 118,ooo kilometers in diameter, twelve hour rotation period, fourteen year orbital period, population: six million, give or take. Llewelyn shook her head and opened her eyes again. "Very long ago. It must be quite changed by now."

She glanced at Ecks, intent on his piloting. "What happened? How is it that I'm here on your ship? We don't know one another." Llewelyn frowned. "I don't think."

[Ecks]

He cast her a sideways glance, wondering if she was going to be trouble. All he needed was a kidnapping charge and his bounty hunter's license would be revoked. Unless she had a bounty on her, of course. Which, she most likely didn't. But if she did...

"We do not know each other. I am called Ecks, of the Falleen." He affected a small bow from his seated position. "You were being kidnapped by my bounty, he abandoned you in the firefight and you were in distress. In order to help you, and continue the chase, I brought you on board."

[Llewelyn Voss]

"You're a bounty hunter." One sparse eyebrow arched in an expression of careful scrutiny. It came as no surprise, this news, considering his appearance. Llewelyn 'hmmed' and tilted her head to one side. "A bounty hunter who saves endangered women? That's rare, I'd wager."

She smiled mildy, her eyes involuntarily squinting as a sharp poke at the base of her scull rippled over her mind. "I'm Llewelyn," the woman pressed out, voice shaking for only a moment, "Most recently of the Erratum Institution."

[Ecks]

Ecks grunted, not wishing to tell her that since his bounty had been interested in her initially, he was hoping that he would be again. Sen Oisel seemed to have a thing for females in distress. "Erratum? Is that on Corellia?"

He checked their course for the fifth time, then leaned back in the big pilot's seat, idly pulling on his long black topknot until it came free of its ties.

[Llewelyn Voss]

"No. Emmerido. It's very much like Coruscant." She had enjoyed the half day of exploration she'd allowed herself after escaping the Institute. Lingering amongst the throngs of beings, perusing the marketplaces... it had made her feel normal again.

Llewelyn pulled her feet from under her, where they had been starting to tingle uncomfortably. "What's on Bespin? Is that where he's heading next, that man?"

[Ecks]

He shrugged. "My best guess. Call it a hunch." Ecks and Llewelyn sat in silence for a few long minutes, and then he cleared his throat. "Hungry?"

The bounty hunter got to his feet, and moved to the short passageway. "I don't know if I have anything you'd enjoy eating, but you're welcome to what you can find."

[Llewelyn Voss]

Rising from her seat to follow Ecks, Llewelyn rubbed at a shoulder. "I would die for a cup of tea. I've some single bags, if you don't have any."

[Ecks]

Die for a cup of tea? Humans had strange sayings. "I do not. Hot water is not a problem, however."

Razor's Edge was not created to hold more than one person, but Voss did not take up much room. The living area held a booth and table, a cold box, and a microwave and sink. He ran the faucet to hot water, put it into a glass because he had no mugs, and placed it inside the microwave to get it extra steamy. Opening up the fridge, Ecks pulled out a bowl of greens, preparing a nutritious salad for himself. He was a vegetarian, which many found incongruous with his personality, but then not many people ever saw him eat.

Baldy entered the small room with a tea bag dangling from her thin hand. Ecks grunted, standing to the side with his salad and a fork, shoveling it into his mouth.

[Llewelyn Voss]

She took his movement to mean that her water was in the microwave. Setting her teabag on the countertop, Llewelyn gingerly pulled the unit door open and grasped the glass. Almost immedietely her fingertips protested and the woman quickly put the steaming glass down, shaking her hands at the lingering burn. Llewelyn dropped the teabag in and leaned against the counter while it steeped, inhaling the comforting, floral smell that wafted up.

"Thank you for the water." She remarked to Ecks, who was demolishing his salad with remarkable efficiency. She got the impression that the Falleen did everything with the same spirit of straitforward accomplishment. "Would you like a cup? It's lotus blossom, it would complement the greens." Llewelyn bobbed her stubbled head at the fast-dissapearing meal.

[Ecks]

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, chewing quickly and swallowing. There was a moment's hesitation, and then he nodded. "It has been a while since I had tea."

Another hesitation, and then he gestured to where the cups could be found before returning to his meal.

[Llewelyn Voss]

"A treat, then." The woman offered a warm smile which stretched her papery skin taut over sharp cheekbones. Rummaging in the cupboard Llewelyn discovered the glasses and filled it with hot water. Once it was full she put it into the microwave. "I'll leave you to that." She remarked to Ecks as she exited the kitchen and went back to the quarters to retrieve another teabag.

When she returned the glass was steaming on the countertop beside her own. Llewelyn plopped the teabag in, then licked her thumb and pressed the paper tag at the end of the string against the glass, anchoring the floating pouch. Her own tea had steeped long enough, and she picked it up and blew across the steamy surface. A sip, and her eyes closed happily. "Mmm."

"Now," Llewelyn took another sip and pushed Eck's tea closer to him. "I would like to know why you saved me."

[Ecks]

He grunted, finishing off his salad and putting the dish into the washing receptacle and dropping the fork into the recycler. "I told you. You were injured and I needed to continue the chase. It wasn't safe to leave you behind."

Ecks wrapped a big green hand around the hot glass, and jiggled the teabag inside. "The authorities at the spaceport... I don't trust them, and neither should you. A male sees a female in distress, it is far more likely these days that he will abuse her, rather than make sure she gets appropriate help. And even more likely when we are talking about second rate security guards who failed out of the military or planetary security forces." The tea smelled good.

[Llewelyn Voss]

"And yet that logic doesn't apply to bounty hunters?" Llewelyn countered mildly, taking another short sip. The woman smiled a thin smile and shook her head. "Despite my frailty and illness, I am a rather intelligent woman Mr. Ecks of the Falleen. I find it hard to believe that you helped me out of fear for my safety, despite how sweet the notion is."

Llewelyn's smile had not wavered, but her eyes sharpened then as she studied the great giant beside her. The wheels and knobs could not be seen turning in her head, because by then they'd finished, but there was a sort of flare which showed the woman had not yet satisfied her hunch.

"Perhaps you mean to use me to bait him?" Llewelyn let that hang before she picked up her cup and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Of course, a reasonable being would catch site of me on Bespin and assume that I was a lure. Coincidence is not the first explanation that comes to mind when one is on the run." She knew this from experience; every tiny thing became indicative of entrapment.

With a shaking of her head and slight click of the tongue, Llewelyn wheedled the Falleen. "There must be more to your plan than just hoping that our friend is an illogical man."

[Ecks]

Ecks drained the glass of hot tea, setting it back on the counter carefully. This human was intelligent, but that was not a bad thing. He hadn't expected her to be a blubbering idiot, though he'd never really sat down and spoken with a human female before.

"Of course there is." he began slowly, watching her expressive face carefully. "Though if you are willing, it may be lucrative to you as well."

She sat quietly, but her face said go on. He did.

"If Sen Oisel, my mark, is in the Bespin system, he is most likely at Cloud City on Bespin proper. He may be a fool in other ways but you are correct he will recognize you and recognize a trap. But - if you were to be seen to be in peril... captured by a hideous bounty hunter in fact," he grinned, which made his face seem craggier than normal.

"Well in spite of the obvious danger to himself he would still try to rescue you. He's a Force adept you see. One who styles himself a Jedi. The bounty is enough to finance my travels for months. And part of it would be yours... for assisting in the capture of a dangerous criminal."

[Llewelyn Voss]

Something pinched in Llewelyn's gaze. "A dangerous criminal? No doubt labelled so by the Empire for being born." The woman nearly sneered and seemed to have difficulty swallowing her next sip of tea.

Just as quickly as it had come, the moment passed. Llewelyn's face smoothed over once again and she nodded sharply, once. "Yes, alright."

[Ecks]

Well, she had no love for the Empire, that was certain. And then she agreed, almost abruptly. Ecks straightened, a slow smile creasing his green face. "Good."

After a moment he added, "And I am a disfigured and no doubt sub-intelligent humanoid alien, labeled so by the Empire simply for being born." The bounty hunter closed his eye in what approximated for a wink.