The End of the Beginning

[Zem-El Vymes]

<center>
Gary Jules - Mad World

All around me are familiar faces,
Worn out places,
Worn out faces,
Bright and early for the daily races,
Going nowhere,
Going nowhere,
Their tears are filling up their glasses,
No expression,
No expression,
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow,
No tomorrow,
No tomorrow,
And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had,
I find it hard to tell you,
I find it hard to take,
When people run in circles,
It's a very very,
Mad world,
Mad world,
Children waiting for the day they feel good,
Happy birthday,
Happy birthday,
And I feel the way that every child should,
Sit and listen,
Sit and listen,
Went to school and I was very nervous,
No one knew me,
No one knew me,
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson,
Look right through me,
Look right through me,
And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had,
I find it hard to tell you,
I find it hard to take,
When people run in circles,
It's a very very,
Mad world,
Mad world,
Enlarging your world,
Mad world...</center>

Twenty one years ago

I could feel her heat.

The heat of her body. The heat of her saber.

Everything else in my world was cold, cruel, and dark. The life that still lived around me was twisted into something unnatural. The rain fell all around, and we drew in closer. The dual thrumming of lightsabers and the din of the thunderstorm were the only sounds. Even our enemies were quiet as death. Their blasters, laser cannons, and scores of death-dealing tools afraid to break the temporary truce at hand.

Lok and I were ringed in a halo of fallen foes. A score of white-armored bodies lay where they were slain. Their still-living comrades stood at a respectful distance, wary of the Jedi in their gunsights.

Now we are hunted. Once guardians of the galaxy, we are now it's most dangerous game; endangered mystics difficult to track, harder to kill. Yet, the stories of our sect falling to Imperial guns grew by the month. Loklorien aside, I hadn't seen another Jedi in two months.

A sound. Rock giving way under a boot.

The stormtroopers drew their weapons a little tighter against their shoulders, as we stood back-to-back. I drew my saber over her right shoulder, and she drew hers over mine, as the rain doubled it's intensity. The frequencies of the raindrops hitting saber blades with a Hiss-pop grew.Slowly, I closed my eyes.

[s'Il]

Rain. So much rain. She was soaked clean through to her very bones. The sound of Zem's sabre hummed in her right ear, and her own blade hummed in her left. Instinctively she pressed herself tighter against her companion's back while cutting as menacing a figure as she could in the torrential dowpour.

Those bone-white masks remained unwavering, unshaken, and the Lupine closed her blue eyes tightly.

In the months after fleeing Coruscant, s'Il - like Zem - had seen neither hide nor hair of any other Jedi save the man she now fought beside. She was inseperable from him; protective almost, even. After all, she needed him to survive and he needed her. If they were to somehow find their way out of this new dystopia, the Lupine knew that it would not be possible alone.

But now, drenched, miserable, and surrounded by Clonetroopers, s'Il had to wonder if there was any real escape from the madness that had fallen around them and the rest of the galaxy. And it was this thought that caused a small growl to form in her throat.

If Zem was trying to calm himself, s'Il was doing just the opposite. Her entire body coiled like a spring, ready to explode in a flurry of energy.

Her eyes snapped open then, piercing the Clonetrooper ranks with a fierce, tawny yellow glare.

Her grip tightened on her sabre hilt.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I saw it happen before it did. So many people in a tense situation, the breaking point was inevitable. One tense trigger finger slipped. By the time it did, my blade was ready to meet it's kill bolt.

BZAT-CRACK!

The guilty trooper was cut down by his own fire, falling to the mud in a shower of sparks.

"Hold your fire" came an inflected voice indistinguishable from the thousands of others. I spotted the commander among the throng. His pauldron, cape, and rangefinder betrayed his higher standing.

"If we stay here, we die." I whispered to her. We held a slim fighting chance against this many troopers, but the longer we stayed, the more they could bring against us. Perhaps even air support, which we couldn't defend against.

[s'Il]

"The thought had crossed my mind," she whispered back.

He was right. The longer this Twi-lekki stand-off went on, the more distant their chance of escape was. Her yellow eyes blazed in stark contrast to both her amethyst blade and Zem's own blue. Strange, how so much color could invade such a horrid setting.

The Lupine crouched further down, bringing her sabre from over her shoulder in a slow motion until its' tip crackled against the chestplate of a fallen trooper on her left. A booted toe dug into the ground ever so slightly.

And then she surged forward, dragging the tip of her blade along the ground before bringing it up and over in a graceful arc...

[Zem-El Vymes]

In unison, I leapt skyward, twisting in the air as the din of blaster fire drowned out the storm around us. My blade, seemingly flailed about by happenstance, met every incoming shot, sending it careening away. I looked down, and where I would land was covered in clonetroopers. Extending a hand, I rocked a wide swath beneath me with a bruising force push, sending a dozen troopers to the ground in all manner of painful contortions.

I landed feet-first on one trooper's helmet, shattering it as I drove my blade into another's chest, killing him where he lay. Just as the blaster fire became thick, I leapt again, causing another dozen to kill themselves in the crossfire.

[s'Il]

Throwing herself headlong into the group before her, s'Il left a trail of dead and dying in her wake. One hand shot out, grabbing a trooper's carbine by its' barrel as he franticly did his best to shoot her. He only succeeded in cutting down his comrades however, as she forcefully directed his line of fire. The blade in her other hand came around, flashing beautifully before severing the man's head from the rest of his body.

In the same motion, the Lupine swung her sabre forward, flinging it with calculated precision at a group of oncoming clones. She followed the blade as it thudded into a chest, her feet hitting shoulders and knocking the body back. Her back was hunched, and in a feral move, she brought the blade forward, slicing through neck and head, and up along the front of another trooper.

[Zem-El Vymes]

The wave advanced on me, and I pressed my attack close, getting into the clonetrooper ranks where they couldn't focus their fire. Deflecting shot after shot, I shoulder-charged into one trooper, who in turn knocked down four. My blue blade zipped around me in an arc, slaughtering another six as the guns behind me came to life. I deflected their shots, turned back, and threw another half dozen fifty feet in the air. They came down impossibly hard, bouncing off the armor of an advancing AT-PT.

"Walker!" I shouted to s'Il, barely having a chance to steel myself before a heavy blaster bolt met my saber, blowing me to the ground ten meters away.

[s'Il]

She only had enough time to look up as Zem was sent skidding across the muddy terrain.

Another growl, and the Lupine sprang out, literally jumping from trooper to trooper, leaving body parts as she continued on. The walker was ignored for the moment, as she focused on getting to Zem. Any who found themselves in her path were cut down mercilessly. Any who tried to run were cut down mercilessly.

In a strange, grotesque display, the young woman seemed to change as she ran - and yet she never broke stride, bearing down upon Zem.

There was no more fighting - they had to simply run.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I got up a little slowly, hearing nothing but the ringing in my ears. More troopers advanced on me, hoping to put the coup de grace on me in my rattled state, but I dealt them only death. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see s'Il advancing toward me. She'd seen me go down.

"No!" I shouted as if to rise above my own ringing ears. I couldn't hear myself speak.

"Walker!" I pointed to the AT-PT with my blade momentarily, slicing down another trooper.

If we grouped together, heavy weapons would be more effective against us. We had to get out of here, but not with that walker still standing.

[s'Il]

She could barely hear his yell over the combined racket; blaster fire, rain, sabres, and the clanking steps of the walker. She wanted to run; run far away and leave this battlefied and its' stench of death.

The Lupine slid to a halt in the mud and grime, turning around to look at the AT-PT as it came closer.

Eyes widened for a split second then, and s'Il dropped down into the mud, flat on her chest just as the thing opened fire. The bolt sailed over her prone form, punching a crater through suddenly exposed clonetroopers and into the ground and sending muck and mire sailing into the air. She covered her head as not only mud rained down upon her, but body parts as well.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I was up and running. Sound still failed me. Everything sounded as if I were underwater. I ran through a rank of troopers, shoulder-charging some and cutting down others. A blaster bolt nicked me on the arm, and I kept going. Another grazed me across the back. Ahead was my impossible target, the AT-PT, lumbering toward our general direction. A quick roll through the mud, and I narrowly avoided another cannon blast, which killed ten troopers where I last stood. Inch by inch, I fought my way toward the AT-PT, which was now trying to maneuver away from me to get a better shot.

I skewered a clone through the chest, running with him as a human shield as I made a desperate charge.

[s'Il]

Gods... so dirty...

Now thoroughly disgusted, s'Il pulled herself from the mud. Her eyes still yellow, the Lupine caught sight of Zem as he battled his way closer to the walker. She ground her teeth. Extinguishing her blade, she grabbed a fallen carbine and blaster fire erupted from its' muzzle, cutting down two clones and catching another in the knees.

A bolt caught her in the thigh, and with a yelp she fell to one knee, still firing madly. Like a crazed beast the Lupine stumbled back up to her feet, now using the firearm as a club.

Another moment later and s'Il was slogging her way forward through the seemingly endless sea of clonetroopers, sabre once again flaring to life.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Aaagh!"

I gave myself to the force, becoming a creature beyond myself. My mind, my body, danced on leylines beyond my sight's comprehension as I charged forward. A surge of strength barreled over a squad of troops, seeking to deny me. I slung my slain clone shield over my shoulder, and his body caught the terrible brunt of retribution as I dove through the mud. I raked my saber through the morass, and it screamed and sizzled in anger, reaching a crescendo when I slid past the AT-PT, and severed it at a leg.

[s'Il]

She pressed on, unrelenting as her blade swung through the air and anything else that was in its' way. A forward stab that turned into a slashing back-strike, A duck, and she swept low with the blade, severing multiple legs at mid-calf.

If not for the mud and neverending rain, she might've partially enjoyed this.

The Lupine chanced a quick glance toward Zem. He'd made it to the walker, and she watched as it began to fall. Perhaps now - now they could simply run.

With renewed energy, s'Il pushed her way doggedly through a clump of clones, heading for Zem.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I rolled out of the way in time for the entire war machine to come down with a crash and a ear-splitting screech of protesting durasteel. The pilot inside stirred, attempting to exit the cockpit, but I cut him down through the canopy. Another three troopers advanced, and were cut down in line as I stood atop the felled wreck, like the king of the mountain.

The herd was thinning, and there were now no more than two squads left. I dispatched a few more foes, making my way back to s'Il, and weighed our options.

"No quarter! No survivors!"

It wasn't out of hate or spite. It was pragmatism. Nobody here could live to betray our location. The clones were ironclad loyal, and there was nothing we could say to convince them otherwise. They had to die. Every last one of them.

[s'Il]

In silent responce, the Lupine cut down a clone before deflecting blaster fire back at the trooper that'd fired upon her.

She charged another group, diving in without regard and twisting her body around in a tight circle. Her blade slew all in its' path and its' hum seeming to take on a life of its' own as she finished her arc, the last trooper falling to the ground in two different spots.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Within minutes, it was over. Once again we were surrounded by the sound of rain. Only our heavy breathing cut through the din.

We were alone.

Drawing close to each other, we looked around at the carnage of the fight. There must be a hundred clones, strewn about for half a square kilometer. The fight had been so simple and so completely barbaric.

I fell to my knees, extinguishing my lightsaber. My breaths were labored, but slowing.

[s'Il]

The amethyst of her own blade died away, and s'Il stood, her shoulders slumped as her body wound down from the battle. Exhaustion seemed to grab hold of her with an iron grip, yet she remained standing.

They had bought themselves more time, but for how long was the nagging question.

A grunt, and the Lupine sank into a crouch beside Zem, leaning against him as she lowered her head to rest upon his shoulder and closing her eyes.

For now, however brief a respite they had gained, the fight was over.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I rested for a moment, but I knew it had to be brief. We could not stay here. Not only were we among an entire company of stormtroopers, we were also very tired, very cold, and very sopping wet. We needed shelter.

"Come on, up."

I told myself as much as I was telling s'Il, and I looped an arm over her neck as we both rose to our feet with much protest. The lactic acid in our muscles and the toll from battle wounds made slogging through the mud an arduous chore.

"What about the town on the hill?"

We had to find safe harbour. This planet wasn't firmly Imperial, but we didn't know where safe harbour would be. It was all very uncertain.

[s'Il]

"Maybe," was the tired answer.

Miserably, she kept pace with Zem. She used his arm around her as shelter of sorts, or maybe it was more of an issue of emotional comfort, as it did little to help her from the rain and mud. Her sabre had been once more replaced in its' makeshift dogleg holster. She wound an arm around his back, and the two mutually supported each other.

Hopefully they could find peace - even if it was for one night - in the town on the hill.

As they slowly drew closer to signs of civilization, s'Il caught sight of a building. It took a few minutes before she was able to make it out through the rain, but her spirits lifted slightly at a thought.

"What about that barn... ? We could avoid people if we stayed there."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Could work."

I squinted into the driving rain to keep it out of my eyes.

"We'll need food though. And bacta."

Possibly even fresh clothes and water, though that wasn't vital. We could always collect rainwater, and our clothes could be cleaned and dried somehow.

[s'Il]

Trudging onwards,s'Il was able to make out another structure, not too far from the barn she'd spotted, and she struggled to get a better view through the driving rain.

The closer they got, the more discernable it became. Her eyes - once more their usual deep blue - were able to pick out a weatherbeaten deck, a door, and windows. The rest was still obscured by the rain, but she doggedly stared at this new building with growing excitement.

"A house," she breathed.

And it was. The closer she and Zem drew, the more she was able to see. And from all outward appearences, this dwelling looked to be deserted. Her hold on Zem tightened, and she pushed ahead with a small bit of renewed energy. There was a chance that whoever had once lived there had left something behind.

"It's a house," this time she was certain no one had been there in a long while. In her excitement, she stumbled, nearly bringing Zem down with her, "... an abandoned house... "

[Zem-El Vymes]

The home looked to be in disrepair, but it had four walls and a roof, and I wasn't going to argue. It was a bit more posh than the barn, at least.

"Alright."

I moved downm away from the street, and tried a back door. It was locked, so I pressed my saber against the door handle, extending my blade only a few inches as I severed the door's bolt to get inside.

[s'Il]

Pressed against him for warmth, s'Il let Zem take care of their entrance issue. The cold was beginning to seep into the marrow of her bones, and the Lupine shivered for the first time that night. The adreneline from the previous battle had left her in an instant it seemed, and s'Il was left with a cold emptiness, filled only with misery and the desire to rest.

Reaching a hand out, she pushed at the door after he'd cut the bolt.

It creaked open, the hinges' protests lost in the sound of the rain.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Can you see anything?"

I deferred to s'Il and her species better night sight.

"I sense nothing."

I pulled her in as far as the next room.

[s'Il]

For a few moments she said nothing; simply staring out into the darkness and letting her gaze traverse from left to right.

Nothing. No-one. Not a soul. It was as if the owners had simply left. Furniture had been hastily covered with white sheets and there was certainly a layer of dust covering everything, but all in all, the house from what she could see was not only deserted, but left mostly intact.

"There's no one here - not a soul."

She took her eyes from the interior of the house and cast them up to his face. His features were so unreadable right now, and she dug her fingernail into him in order to instigate any sort of reaction she could get from him.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I snapped out of my thousand yard stare to look back at her. She was shivering. I didn't realize it, but I was too.

"Come on, we've got to get these wet clothes off."

I fumbled to the nearest bit of furniture, snatched off a white sheet, and beat it in the air until the dust was knocked off.

"Kick it off. Everything."

[s'Il]

Some would have balked at the order - 'take off your clothes; all of them'. But, as Zem had become accustomed to, s'Il was not exactly one to fit into the normal spectrum of human dignity.

Without a second bidding the Lupine began to strip. Her sabre holster and shirt came off at the same time. Almost torn off, in fact. She let them drop to the floor without a second thought as she knelt down to undo the clasps of her boots. It was a bit of a struggle, but both footwear and soaked socks joined her shirt. Next were her trousers. Those soon followed the rest, and she peeled them from her legs with the slightest of grunts.

Her teeth chattered almost wildly now. Naked, cold, and shivering, s'Il wrapped her arms around herself for warmth as she leaned into Zem and the sheet he held open for her.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I stripped nude as soon as I'd wrapped her in a coccoon of linen. Now the shakes were coming on harder. It wasn't getting any better for her.

"Hands over your chest, and knead. You've got to raise your core temperature."

I snapped another linen off of a recliner, shaking the dust free from it as I draped it over and around me. Huddled down by her, I did the same.

[s'Il]

s'll stared at him, but did as he instructed as the two settled on the floorboards. Her eyes traveled to other parts of the room, and she lifted her head, smelling the musty air. Despite her desire to sit and generate as much warmth as her body could generate, she shakily stumbled to her feet while pulling at him.

"A bed - we have to find a bed... "

Her grip, through the thin fabric of the sheet, slipped from Zem as she began making her way across the room and into a hallway. Her pupils dilated without the need for adjustment, and her surroundings brightened. She headed for the back end of the house where isntinct told her that a bedroom would be.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Why a bed?"

I asked as I shuffled along behind her, my breath stuttering on a shivering tongue.

[s'Il]

So intent on her destination that the Lupine took a few seconds to answer.

"Heat."

She ducked through a doorway, and was rewarded with the sight of a fully made bed - even if the sheets and the thick comforter were a bit disheveled.

A grim smile of triumph flitted across her lips, and without a word she made a beeline for the warmth that those covers would provide. Alook to Zem from over her shoulder showed that he was a bit hesitant, and she patted a pillow while in the same motion beginning to bury herself in the blankets.

"Come on."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I followed her lead, climbing into the bed, and throwing the covers over both of us.

"Well I suppose I've been in stranger situations."

[s'Il]

With a 'hrmph', the Lupine buried herself into the crook of his arm, hoping to draw from any heat that could be had between the two.

Her shivering slowly began to subside, but the constant chattering of her teeth remained constant.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Is this your idea of a lovely evening?" I said through chattering teeth.

I willed my body to cease its tremors, while keeping my arms tightly around my chest. Feeling was returning to my extremeties, leaving just a dull ache.

[s'Il]

The Lupine repositioned herself just a bit, unabashedly nudging her head between his arms and onto his chest while curling her body into a ball flush against him.

"Well," she yawned, "as lovely as an evening spent cold, shivering, and naked in an abandoned house can be."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I suppose it'll do."

I repositioned my head against the pillow, and looked at her.

"My, you're a mess. I don't know if we should thaw first, or bathe."

[s'Il]

She was already half asleep, the events of just a short while ago taking their toll, but she managed to mumble out a barely articulate answer.

"Bath'nth'm'rning."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I took that as my cue to get shut-eye as well. I didn't need much persuasion. My body screamed for sleep, so within 30 seconds, I was gone.

I didn't sleep well. Bad dreams filled my slumber, and I tossed and turned. Despite the chill, I found myself waking up in the middle of the night with a light sheen of sweat across my chest.

[s'Il]

For the first time in a very long while, s'Il slept in peace. She had no dreams, no nightmares, nothing; only the blanket of her subconscious. It was such a glorious change from how nights used to be; huddled somewhere with Zem, fretful rest at best, and sleeping in shifts had taken their toll. But now they could be still for a short while.

She slept on, oblivious to Zem's movements and eventual waking. In fact, the Lupine hadn't moved at all, except to be pushed or nudged whenever her companion tossed or turned.

She was warm, momentarily safe, and in the presence of someone she'd grown to confide in and trust explicitly.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I eventually returned to sleep, wary of any other disturbing dreams. Fortunately, they didn't come to pass again, and I slept straight on till morning.

Quite past morning actually.

<center>* * *</center>

My eyes snapped open, and I went to leave the bed. My body, stiff from screaming muscles and battle wounds, didn't obey me, and I tumbled to the floor.

"Ow."

[s'Il]

With the first rays of the sun, s'Il had gently slid from the bed. She felt refreshed - if not quite sore, but refreshed none-the-less.

The blaster bolt she'd caught in the leg had healed nicely, and her body's metabolism had done a favorable job of mending any other minor wounds that'd been inflicted upon her. She still found herself walking stiffly, but she knew that that too would soon pass.

She'd left Zem to rouse himself whenever his own body would allow, and proceeded to carefully explore their new temporary hideaway.

It was certainly not an extravegant home, but it had a rustic, simplistic charm to it that was appealing in its' own way. As she had guessed last night, whoever the owners were had simply left. They took virtually nothing with them; only staying long enough to cover up any furniture and put out rodent traps. A thought occured to her then, as the Lupine ended her wanderings in what looked to be the master bathroom, that this farmhouse served as a seasonal lodging.

She'd noted that the kitchen held only non-perishable foods, and that the entire home seemed to be in a sort of storage-state.

Testing her theory, the Lupine reached a hand out to the bathtub faucet. It was an old-style shower, that used real water in favor of the usual sonic 'freshers. She turned it, and was rewarded with a stream of clear water.

Abandoning any other thought save for the desire to be clean, s'Il was soon standing beneath a hot shower, dirt, mud, and grime washing from her body to swirl away into the drain.

[Zem-El Vymes]

It took a good ten minutes to get off the floor and on my two feet, and I walked about as stiff as a battle droid. I could hear running water in the distance. s'Il was likely taking a long and well-deserved shower.

I stood in front of a mirror as I waited my turn. My skin was caked with mud, splotched with bruises, and occasionally criss-crossed by tender burn marks from grazing blaster bolts. Every part of me ached, especially at the joints. I felt somehow older, not quite who I used to be.

[s'Il]

She left the water running, instead stepping from the shower to stand refreshed, clean, and most importantly, alive. The Lupine stretched, her muscles working out the last of their kinks, and ignoring the towels that hung along a wallrail, she poked her head out the door.

Zem was staring at himself in a mirror, and s'Il let a gentle smile crease her features while stepping from the bathroom. He just looked so miserable, and it made her wonder what he would say if she offered him the chance to become what she was. Of course, that was even considering the fact that she could pass on her gifts as her ancestors once were able to do. It was a fleeting thought though, and the Lupine approached him with concern.

She took his hand in hers, tugging on it ever so lightly.

"Come on," she spoke softly, "we need to get you cleaned up."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Yeah, I guess I'm not quite the man for the mud daubbed look."

I gave her a smile. She had a nurturing quality to her that I'd never verbally acknowledge, but appreciated nonetheless. I limped along, mentally keeping my verbal protests in check. It hurt like hell though.

Got into the washroom, and gingerly lifted my legs over the tub's threshold, and stood sort of leaning against the side of the thing, letting the water do most of the work for now.

[s'Il]

s'Il watched him at first, a quizzical expression on her face as he just stood there, letting the water run over his body. Every so often she would turn the heat up, wait a few minutes, then turn it up a little more.

She let this go on for almost ten minutes, sitting on the edge of the tub and periodically raising the water's temperature.

Soon enough though, the Lupine held up a bar of soap - it smelled of fresh linen.

"Here."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I took the soap gratefully, and began scrubbing away what the water didn't get. I made a suit of lathery bubbles, scrubbing until a froth of lather coated me. The heat was barely tolerable, but it felt good. I leaned into my tender graze wounds, letting them sting now so I wouldn't have to feel them later. I leaned over, doling a handful of shampoo into my hair until it too frothed up white.

[s'Il]

Next came a washcloth, and standing from her perch, s'Il began looking through drawers for any sort of lotions that she could find. Or even better, bacta.

It was the third drawer she'd opened that held a treasure trove of healing salves, including bacta patches. Setting a few on the countertop, the Lupine waited patiently for Zem to finish rinsing himself.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I rinsed away the lather, and used the washcloth to scrub away the stubborn remainder. Now, I was as clean as I was going to get. Only the bruises and graze-burns remained. Satisfied, I shut the water off, reaching for a nearby towel to gingerly dry off.

[s'Il]

With little ceremony, the Lupine handed Zem a towel as she sorted what she'd pulled from the drawer.

Twisting off the cap of a tube of antiseptic cream, she carefully squezzed some into her palm. The tube was replaced back onto the counter then, and she rubbed her hands together, coating them as she waited for Zem to finish drying himself.

[Zem-El Vymes]

She was acting so attentive and servile, I had to quirk an eyebrow in response.

"I haven't been this babied since, well, I was a baby."

I set the towel aside, and looked at the Padawan with a weary smile.

"You'd think I'd come undone into a dozen pieces."

[s'Il]

s'Il let an easy smile grace her features, though it was to partially hide a small bit of embaressment. Not at her current state, but more at his mention of her attentions.

She further hid the feeling by placing a hand on his shoulder to turn his back to her. Before he could protest, the Lupine began at the sides of his neck and ran her hands down over his shoulder blades and the rest of his back.

"Yes well," she answered with guarded playfulness, "... wouldn't you?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I'm sure I look the mess." I conceded, wincing as she first began to apply the salve.

I wasn't gifted with s'Il's unique metabolism. My injuries lingered considerably longer than her own. Were I not mindful of my Jedi nature, I'd be very envious of her.

"Haven't been trounced like this since dropping in on those super battle droids on Farsalis."

[s'Il]

She was careful to be a bite more gentle around the bruises and cuts littering his body, which meant - in short - most if not all parts of him.

Choosing to remain silent, s'Il only continued to work, moving from his back to his left arm. Once that was done, she started on his right arm.

The amount of injuries he'd collected was impressive.

"I think 'trounced' isn't quite accurate," she mumbled, pausing to inspect a shallow gash that wound its' way from his elbow to his wrist.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"A modern art masterpiece, then?"

I gave a soft laugh at that, then another wince as she touched a nerve along the tender graze on my arm.

"It's not as bad as it looks. I'm just a little stiff, mostly."

[s'Il]

The Lupine looked up at him from the tops of her eyes. "The galaxy's greatest artists would be jealous of those clones."

Reaching over to the counter, she grabbed the bacta patches she'd found and handed them to him.

Another careful pat on his shoulder, and she headed for the door.

"I'm going to see about maybe getting us some fresh clothes."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Yeah, hopefully the owners have something in our sizes. At least we can blend in with the local dress."

I sat up, and began to apply the patches as I looked at her.

"Just enough to get our bearings at least. We need to get moving again, soon. I imagine the Empire will start asking some hard questions when their scout company doesn't report back to the garrison."

[s'Il]

Like the rest of the house, the master bedroom was simple and rustic. Opening the first drawer of a mid-size chest, s'Il began to inspect its' contents.

"I only hope whoever was in that walker didn't get a comm out before you destroyed it."

A few socks - she pulled out two pairs, tossed them onto the bed, and went on to the next drawer. This one held shirts. After a few moments of looking, two of those soon followed the socks.

Finding pants that would fit either of them was the trickiest part, and she went on to another drawer. More shirts. With a frown, the Lupine moved from the chest to a taller dresser. It had two doors, and she opened one side.

"Do you know how we're going to even be able to get off... " she paused, suddenly at a loss for words as memory failed her. Had they really been skipping worlds that much... "... what planet are we on, anyway?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I don't even remember."

It was a good question. We'd jumped a half dozen systems in a week, and spent more time looking over our shoulder than looking to see where we were going.

"Either way, there's bound to be outbound flights here. If worse comes to worst, we can always hijack an Imperial ship."

[s'Il]

Seemingly half submerged in the dresser, s'Il emerged triumphant. Holding up two pairs of trousers, she tossed one to Zem. They were a light khakhi, and the closest approximate size she'd found that would possibly fit him. The other pair was drab green and she wasted no time stepping into them before pulling them up. They were just a tad large, but overall fit comfortably.

"Not too shabby."

Turning to look down her backside though, she scowled.

"They make my rear look like the back of a shaak, though."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I wasn't foolish enough to comment on her reaction, so I busied myself with putting the pants on that she gave me.

"Hmm."

They were cut about an inch too high, and were a bit tighter than I'd prefer.

[s'Il]

Stifling a laugh, the Lupine gave him a lofted brow as her hand came to rest on the handle to the other door that made up the second half of the dresser. Opening it, she turned to see if maybe there were any other larger pants hidden in its' depths.

The sight before her cause the rest of her laughter to die in her throat, and the grin to melt from her face.

Neatly pressed and hung, s'Il found herself staring at a uniform.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"What is it?"

I noticed her demeanor change instantly.

[s'Il]

Opening the door fully so that he could see, s'Il took a step back. She'd seen uniforms like that before, worn by officers of Palpatine's new Empire.

Where moments ago she had felt clean, awake, and even safe, now the Lupine felt the old uneasiness edge itself into the peripherals of her senses - and out of newborn instinct, she snapped her head to the side, looking at first the window and then Zem.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Guess we didn't get as far away as we figured."

I sucked on my lower lip, my mind deep in thought.

"Get a satchel. Lets take a pair with us. We may have to use them."

[s'Il]

Finding a carry-pack was easy enough, and as she tossed it to the floor at the foot of the dresser, the Lupine grabbed one of the shirts she'd thrown on the bed. She pulled it over her head; it fell to almost her knees. The socks came next, and wordlessly she trotted from the room to retrieve her boots and sabre.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I pulled on a shirt, and it too fit just a little tight. I shrugged it off, and finished getting dressed. Last was my lightsaber, which went in the satchel. After that, I was on the move, heading down the hallway with purpose.

"Hope our Imperial hosts are fans of food, because I am right now."

[s'Il]

Already in the kitchen and opening cabinets, s'Il murmured an acknowledgement. Her boots had dried during the night, and she'd easily pulled them on. The leather of her stolen dogleg holster too, had dried, and it now rested across her shoulders beneath a leather jacket she'd pilfered.

Nervous and agitated, the Lupine let her frustrations out on a cabinet door, slamming it forcefully.

"I can't find anything that's not in cans."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I looked at my companion with a blank stare.

"We have lightsabers, you know."

[s'Il]

It took her a few moments, and she blinked. Staring at him, s'Il shook her head, pulling a face.

"I mean when we leave."

They didn't have too many credits between them, and s'Il wasn't sure when they'd be eating next after the morning ended. She had hoped that there would be something they could take with them, but after finding nothing but cans, she wasn't so sure it would be doable now.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"So take some cans, I don't care."

I grabbed two cans, and with some creative use of my lightsaber, I carved the top off each of them.

"Okay, I don't know what any of this is, but it smells great and I'm just gonna mix it together."

I grabbed a nearby bowl, and just poured the two cans into it.

[s'Il]

Grousing, s'Il watched Zem with a sidelong look.

Soon enough though, her interest had overcome her previous frustration and she found herself sidling up beside him, suddenly very interested in what was going into the bowl.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Okay, it's greenish-red."

I shrugged, and dipped out of the bowl with my fingers, sampling the cuisine.

"Uh...well it probably won't win any awards, but I'll eat it."

I got another handful, eating as I made a bit of a mess.

[s'Il]

A quick search turned up utensils, and s'Il held one out to Zem while she dipped her own into the bowl.

Lifting the concoction to her mouth, she bravely put it into her mouth. It took a few moments before she swallowed.

"It's different," she finally ventured.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I'm not complaining."

I continued to eschew the utensils, digging it out with my hands. I became a machine, only responding with grunts and head-nods as I shoveled the contents from the bowl with my fingers. I could probably eat ten of these.

As I worked, my hands and face became a general disaster area.

[s'Il]

It was strangely hypnotic to watch him. s'Il found herself able to only look on in morbid fascination.

Once or twice she managed to dip her fork into the bowl, but mostly she opted to simply observe the spectacle going on before her eyes.

And then she could take no more. The fork was set on the counter. Grabbing a dishtowel, the Lupine wedged herself in between Zem and the bowl. Now in the 'line of fire', she reached up with both hands, intent on fixing her partner's cleanliness problem.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Wait what?"

I looked taken aback.

"You spend half your time eating on all fours. You want to lecture me?"

[s'Il]

"I'm not lecturing you," she answered, "I'm cleaning you."

One hand tipping his face to the side, s'Il fastidiously wiped his cheek. She was in a hurry, but at the same time her hands were gentle as she remained mindful of his still-mending body.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I looked at her slightly slack-jawed as she wiped at my face.

"I've seen Gallandrian star-dances and I've killed a Rancor. This is the strangest thing I've ever seen."

[s'Il]

She turned his face to the other side and began cleaning again.

"Oh?"

Her mildly terse tone of voice mellowed into one of genuine curiosity.

"How so?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I've never had a woman clean up after me."

I followed up with another mouthful, undoing some of her efforts.

[s'Il]

Her brows furrowed then, and the Lupine pulled a 'pained' face as he spread more of their mystery meal over where she'd just finished cleaning.

"I can see why. You eat like a wampa."

Not entirely true, but it suited her argument for the moment. In the past, before the Purge, s'Il had been out with Zem many times before and she knew that the man could in fact use a fork and a napkin, but at this moment she allowed her nervousness to manifest itself in such an attentive and fastidious fashion.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Does it annoy you more that I know how to be cleaner and refuse to do so?"

I smiled cheekily between bites, pausing mid-shovel to smear a handful near her mouth.

"And if I were changed you wouldn't make an effort."

[s'Il]

"If you were like me I wouldn't be showing the restraint I am now."

It was a slip of the tongue, and s'Il covered it quickly.

"Lupines like to be clean, and I'd be within my rights to slap you for being so sloppy."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I arched an eyebrow, as I flicked a few fingers full of slop at her face.

[s'Il]

A feigned grimace, and s'Il wiped at the flecks of food he'd so graciously flicked on her.

In retaliation, the Lupine grabbed the bowl from the countertop and marched from the kitchen.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Hey! I wasn't done!"

I followed after her.

[s'Il]

He couldn't see, but the barest of smiles touched her face.

"Oh really."

The Lupine entered into the living room, and set the bowl on the table before turning to face him. She crossed her arms.

"How much do you want it."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"What, you want me to fight you over it?"

I arched an eyebrow.

"Name your terms."

[s'Il]

"That you eat like a civilized human being."

It might have seemed completely out of place - especially with their current situation - but the Lupine wanted any chance that she could have to remind her of how things used to be. They could afford the time to expend right now, and if she could have just a moment of what life used to be like, than she would have it. It might've seemed outlandish to Zem, but right now s'Il wanted nothing more than to pass what little time they had left here in some form of normality.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"It matter's that much to you?"

I understood what she was talking about, and I conceded with a head nod.

"Alright. Etiquette's rules then."

I left and marched into the kitchen, and returned with a full compliment of utensils.

"Have it your way."

I smiled, and dipped a fork into the assorted food slop.

[s'Il]

They ate in relative silence, and soon enough their forks were scraping the bottom of the bowl. s'Il set her utensil down and leaned back, letting Zem finish off the rest of what was left. Her eyes remained watchful though, as if she expected clones to burst in through the doors and windows any moment.

With a sidelong look, the Lupine watched as Zem polished off the last of his mystery meal.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I thought about licking the bowl, but I think that would've just pushed her over the edge. I finished up, wiped my face down, and left the bowl where it lay.

"Well, I guess now we get to explore the countryside."

[s'Il]

Sitting up, s'Il used her momentum to push up to her feet.

"I found a few hundred credts stashed away; should help with booking passage off-planet."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Maybe. We ought to keep a low profile though. May be better to stow away in something or steal a ship."

I looked out the window, glancing around. It was a sleepy little road, and there didn't seem to be much activity.

"We can hazard a stroll into town, and look at our options."

[s'Il]

Leaving the bowl and forks where they'd set them, s'Il buttoned up the leather jacket she'd pilfered. Her old clothes from the night before were also left where they'd been thrown.

It was time to vacate, and the Lupine was all too happy to leave. Even though the house had provided a safe shelter from the storm last night, it was still a dangerous place to stay. She hefted the carry-pack that held the stolen uniform and credits.

"Shall we, then?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Let's bail."

I casually opened the front door, stepping out into the countryside. We walked together down a path, leading to a covered dugout.

"Hey...alright."

I headed for the dugout, spotting an object partially concealed by a tarp.

"Looks like our hosts were sensible enough to keep a bit of transport around."

[s'Il]

She let her eyes wander to the dugout. Keeping in step with Zem, s'Il stuffed her hands into the pockets of her new coat. There was a slight breeze picking up, but the thunderclouds from the day before had vanished. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky now.

"I hope."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I reached the tarp, peeling it back. It was a speeder bike. A mid-size luxury model, with saddlebags, cushy seats, room for two, and an atmospheric canopy generator.

I whistled.

"Left the keys in it too. Real trusting kinds of folks aren't they?"

[s'Il]

She only nodded, eyeing the speeder bike. Truth be told, their situation could have been a lot worse, and the Lupine found herself silently thanking the Bloodlines that their fortune had held for as long as it had.

Stepping closer to stand beside the bike - and consequently a bit closer to Zem - she began buttoning up her jacket.

"As long as you don't land us in a ditch, I'll be happy with most anything."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Believe it or not, I used to have one of these, albeit not the luxury model."

I straddled the machine, checking the power cell levels and repulsor coil.

"Had it snuck in the temple piece by piece, right under Master Yoda's nose. Took about a year to build it all."

[s'Il]

With a nimble hop, the Lupine was settling herself comfortably behind Zem. It wasn't all that bad, truth be told.

"One piece at a time, eh?"

She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"How much did it cost you?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Maybe three thousand, all told. Hard to say. If they taught anything about accounting at the Academy, I must've missed it."

I hopped up and kicked down, firing up the propulsion drive and repulsor coil. The bike rose gently off the ground. I paused for a few seconds, admiring the sound and the feel of it.

"Sad to say mine still wasn't this nice."

[s'Il]

A ruefall smile, despite the fact that he couldn't see her face.

"Well, it seems good fortune has smiled upon you today, and given you a new one.

"Now let's go. I don't want to be here longer than we have to."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Sounds like a plan to me."

I eased out from under the covered shed until I was on a semblance of a roadway. Then, I bottomed out the throttle, and opened it up as fast as I could. The sudden jolt of acceleration was completely exhilerating, and I had a big goofy grin on my face, as I weaved around other speeders like a bat out of hell.

[s'Il]

His sudden acceleration wasn't entirely unexpected, but she still found herself clutching him a bit tighter.

The countryside passed by in a blur; serene and peaceful. Such a difference from the bloodbath that the two of them had partaken in the night before. It was moments like these that the Lupine wished would never end, and she couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the day held for them.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I lost myself in the speed, acceleration, and maneuvering. I buried the needle, going as fast as physics would let me dare. My eyes half-lidded, I opened myself to the force and let it flow through me. I skirted distances closer than was necessary. I lived on the razor's edge of danger. It made me feel alive, and I suddenly felt like I was back on Coruscant again.

[s'Il]

The speed was a wonderful thing, and the wind whipping her hair back was a nice change of pace from how things had been since the destruction of the Temple. s'Il leaned her head back, eyes closed, and let it all wash around her.

After a few minutes though she went back to resting her head on his shoulderblade, content to let him reclaim at least a taste of what life had been like before the Purge.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I knifed our way through narrow traffic lanes, moving between speeders at breakneck speeds. Protests both verbal and through honked horn disappeared in a miasma of background noise as I kept going. In fact, I didn't have any idea where we were headed.

"I suppose we should check the starport first!" I shouted over the din of a fully throttled engine. The wind whipped over my words as we flew along.

[s'Il]

A nod of her head was the only answer given, and s'Il shifted just a bit in her seat.

A thought occurred to her then, and she lifted her head, angling it so that her lips were almost brushing against his ear, "Do you even know where the starport is?!"

[Zem-El Vymes]

I remained silent for a bit, eventually pointing in the direction of a ship taking off along the horizon.

[s'Il]

s'Il rolled her eyes, and spoke again into his ear.

"If your face wasn't so cute, I'd think about slapping it."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I didn't have a cheeky reply to that. It was a strange thing for her to say to me. Instead, I focused on driving, cutting my way toward the spaceport. After about five minutes, I could see the gates up ahead, and the wide-open spaces where the tarmacs and launchpads were situated.

I could also see something else. Guards wearing a familiar shade of white.

"Clones at the gate."

[s'Il]

At his words, s'Il found her hands holding just a bit tighter to Zem's shirt. The thought of clones was sobering, and did well to bring her from her own daydreams.

Did they have an ID on her and Zem? Had there been a bulliten posted about them? Had the group they'd run into the night before had time to send off a message about their whereabouts?

All manner of thoughts raced through her head as s'Il did her best to bury herself into Zem's back, seeking comfort in the only place she could find.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"We can still pull over, or we can storm the gate."

I slowed ourselves up a bit, but kept advancing toward the starport.

"What do you think?"

[s'Il]

"Keep going," was the answer.

"Just look like you know what you're doing and where you're going."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"It's worked at least once before."

I slowed down to take our place at the end of the queue to get into the port. The clones were flagging vehicles down to check identification. I did my best to settle my tussled hair and look like I somewhat belonged in uniform.

After a couple of minutes, we were at the front of the queue. One clone approached us, while the other kept a weapon fixed in our general direction.

"Identification forms please."

[s'Il]

Ok so maybe not the best idea she'd ever had.

Inwardly the Lupine began to panic. She hadn't thought to look through the house for any sort of ID cards or papers. How was she to know that they'd have to try and bluff their way through a security checkpoint?

Doing her best to remain calm, s'Il rested her chin atop Zem's shoulder in an effort to look comfortably bored while her partner made a show of looking for ident forms.

"What's with the security," she chanced at the clone who'd spoken, "I don't remember it being this tight last time I came through."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"We had an incident outside of the garrison." Came a flat reply from the nearest trooper.

I made a flustered face, and turned to face him.

"We're late enough as it is, and I have an important meeting with Moff Juri."

A pause. The lead guard looked to his comrade.

"I'm sorry sir, no exceptions."

"I'm sure you can make an exception for us."

"I'm sure we can make an exception for them." came the gunner's helpful comment to his superior.

[s'Il]

s'Il stayed silent, not wanting to interfere with what Zem was doing.

Instead, she gave a feigned sigh of exasperation while putting on airs of the beginnings of annoyance.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Open the gate."

The lead guard was under my thrall.

"Open the gate." he echoed to his subordinate, who did as he was told. We followed a path that led down toward the observation towers, then deviated when beyond the line of sight.

"Well that was easy."

[s'Il]

Her body relaxed, and she cast a stare to both sides of her. More curious than worried, s'Il found herself looking for suitable ships.

"Your methods of persuasion help," she finally answered with a hint of sarcasm.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Never a doubt in the world." I replied with a half smile.

We were looking for something easy to steal, or to stow away at the very least. If small enough to steal, it needed to be fast enough to elude capture.

"Well...the big stuff is moored on open-air berths. Smaller charters should be in the enclosures to the south. "

[s'Il]

"Let's try for something we can hijack first."

She blinked, letting her eyes sweep over the expanse of the spaceport before setting her sights southward, "And if there is nothing, then we can look for a ship to stow away on."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Sounds good."

I followed the lane down to the closest hangar complex, and eased the gravity brakes until we pulled to a gentle stop. Powering down, I nodded over to the open berth.

"Got a couple of Verpene ships, and something I've never seen."

[s'Il]

Her knowledge of ships was far less extensive than Zem's, and s'Il deferred to him.

"You decide. I'll just be happy once we're in space and away from here."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I've never flown a Verpene ship. Not sure it's possible with human anatomy. Let's keep looking."

Further beyond were some small Corellian craft, a few light shuttles, and even some small Imperial craft.

"Strange seeing the Empire cohabitate with the locals."

I didn't want to steal an Imperial craft. Anything with the Empire's transponder codes in it was a liability.

"That leaves us with a Hutt yacht, a Cizerack consular ship, and that one looks like a Hapan fighter - too small."

[s'Il]

s'Il made a face at the thought of traveling in a Hutt ship; such disgusting creatures, they were. Her demeaner perked up at the thought of the Cizerack though, and it was ultimately her stomach that made the decision for her. They ate live food, and odds were that the larders on that ship were filled with any number of small creatures. It'd been too long since she'd last eaten a meal that wasn't some form of slop. This morning's meal had only stemmed her craving for something with more substance.

"Let's try the Cizerack ship."

[Zem-El Vymes]

Neither option was anything I looked forward two. Both Cizerack and Hutts were the kind of creatures with long memories and vindictive streaks. The Hutts probably with the longer memory and the Cizerack with the harsher vindictive nature.

I scouted ahead, taking pains to be casual and nonchalant as I cased the area. It was a small ship, probably accomodating a crew of two and maybe as many passengers. These sorts of ships were usually unarmed and hyperdrive equipped, which was more than we needed.

Under a sloped wing, a tawny-haired woman in an orange jumpsuit worked at something with a diagnostic tool. I didn't make eye contact, and paced around two more ships before I made it back to s'Il.

"Well, there's at least one Cizerack at station. Do we do this the subtle way, or the easy way?"

[s'Il]

Her decision took little thought. "Easy way. If it can be done quickly, then all the better."

The Lupine fell into an easy gait that would bring her to Cizerack tech, letting a disarmingly confused expression fall onto her features.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Well I was hoping to talk about it a little."

I spoke almost inaudibly as I followed her lead. While she handled the Cizerack, I kept my eyes on the swivel, trying to spot any trouble from elsewhere.

The felinoid had noticed us, and stopped whatever maintenance work she was busy with. Stepping out from under the wing, she stood up straight, a good hand taller than Lok, her blonde hair drawn behind her duty cap in a few dozen small braids.

"What?"

She addressed s'Il bluntly, ignoring me completely. Probably figured me for a bellhop or something equally menial.

[s'Il]

Lofting a brow, s'Il brushed off the Cizerack's rough manner while still making a beeline for the felinoid.

"My man has gotten me lost. Where are the inbound delivery check-ins?"

Her pace remained constant.

[Zem-El Vymes]

She seemed irritated, wiping her hands on a rag as she talked to Lok.

"jI don't know that. jI checked jin wjith the harrborr massterr."

She gestured vaguely upwards, noting the ship that regularly cruised over the starport to guide traffic inbound.

[s'Il]

The first indication that the Lupine had no real interest in 'inbound delivery checkins' was her lack of acknowledgement of the harbor master's ship. The second came in the form of a sudden burst of speed that brought s'Il to within only a few feet of the Cizerack. In the same motion, she reached out in a vicious strike, her sabre suddenly appearing in her hand. The hilt connected solidly with the other woman's lower jaw, then one last time in her temple.

It was over before anyone could have been the wiser.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Oh."

I watched the master chief hit the deck, limp as dresha noodles. I sighed and looked at my accomplice.

"You and subtlety, you're not exactly acquainted are you?"

[s'Il]

She gave him a sidelong look while replacing her sabre in its' shoulder holster.

"Oh we are," the tone of her voice was light, given their current situation, "I just choose to ignore it most of the time."

Indicating for Zem to lead the way up the boarding ramp, the Lupine flashed a smile. "Besides; my lack of subtlety got us a nice ship, didn't it?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Let's just hope she doesn't have any friends in orbit."

I followed her up the gangplank and winced.

"Well that's a lot of incense. Whew."

It wasn't hard to find my way. The cockpit being generally in front, it makes for a certain universality. I hopped into the pilot's seat and took a few seconds to look at things before looking back to s'Il with a deadpan expression.

"We have a problem."

[s'Il]

Unlike Zem, s'Il thoroughly enjoyed the strong smell of the incense. It reminded her of her own back at her father's house on Coruscant. While certainly not the same odor as hers, it still held an enticing quality. For her at least.

One look at her partner showed that his thoughts on the smell were a bit different than hers.

She ignored the look on his face, but gave a slight hurff at his words.

"What."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I can't read Cizeri."

I gestured down to the control console, dotted with the angular glyphs that the felinoid race used.

[s'Il]

A flustered look came over the Lupine's face then aas she sat in the copilot's seat.

"So? Can't you just wing it?"

Her gaze swept across the control panel before them. "I mean, it can't be that hard, can it?"

Reaching a hand out, s'Il ran her fingers across the console before stopping at one of a series of switches. She turned her head to look at Zem, and as if in slow motion, toggled the switch.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I, uh, well...maybe."

Somewhere, something in my brain clued me in to how stupid that sounded, and I winced.

"Okay. There are certain controls and configurations, being designed for humanoid pilots, that are generally universal. The aileron controls, the thrust vector, you know, the bare basics of flight control. So, assuming we get positive lift and into open space, yeah, I can probably fly this without knowing the finer points."

[s'Il]

"Well that's good," s'Il patted his cheek, "It's a start at least."

Leaning back in her chair she settled herself comfortably, her eyes going to watch Zem - almost craftily even - as he went about figuring out the controls of the ship.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Sighing, I nodded my head and looked back at her.

"Based off the few pictograms on the console, this looks like the repulsor control here. Problem is, clamps are engaged. We have to disengage clamps before we can engage the repulsors. Now, we just have to find the clamp controls first."

I shifted in my seat uneasily. We had to figure this out, but we couldn't take our sweet time.

"Assuming whoever designed this console isn't a moron, it should be close to the repulsor control."

[s'Il]

Craning her neck for a view of the tarmac below, s'Il let her gaze drift from left to right. It was all rather boring looking for a starport, to be honest, and she resituated herself once more into the confines of her seat.

And as an afterthought, the Lupine opted to fasten her crashstraps. A smirk and a rather unapologetic shrug were sent his way.

"Just in case, you know."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"We can't exactly crash if we're stuck on the deck. Don't put the bantha in front of the cart."

I eyed two adjacent controls, twiddling my fingers on the console rapidly as I thought about it.

"Probably not running lamps. Could be clamps. Could be gangplank."

I hit the switch and heard a hiss of hydraulics behind me.

"Gangplank. Hang on."

I retracted the plank, and hit the other switch. A heavy metal clunk echoed below.

"Hah. Clamps!"

[s'Il]

"I'm not putting any banthas before my carts. I'm simply thinking ahead; a little prudence never hurt anyone."

Her stomach growled, and s'Il made a face. Their breakfast from earlier hadn't exactly filled her up so to speak, and her body was letting it be known that it was hungry yet again.

She sure hoped Zem would figure out the controls to this thing soon. She wanted nothing more than to plant herself in the galley.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Engaging the repulsors."

The weight shifted beneath us slightly as the repulsors kicked in, easing the carrying load on the landing struts.

"Which would make this the gear retractor."

The weight shifted further as the gear pulled up into the ship.

"Ok that was easy. Now the hard part. There should be a thruster control, and we need to set for idle intensity. We've got some Z-axis control for the repulsor, but I'm not seeing anything for port navigation thrust. Nice and slow so we can gently guide ourselves out. Direction control should be a snap, I've only got one yoke. Look for a lever, a knob, even a slider. It could even be a touchscreen."

[s'Il]

s'Il let her eyes wander over the console again. For some reason she'd always relied on Zem to take care of most of their technical and piloting needs; she'd simply not seen a reason to become mechanically savvy. Whether the disinterest stemmed from her upbringing or simply from her desire to persue different avenues, the Lupine just never thought of it as important.

Even now, looking over the dash as if she was a wampa trying to read, s'Il found the whole display before her tiresome.

She sighed, reached out a hand, and made a guess that the touchscreen in the center would be what Zem was talking about. Pausing only slightly, she then tapped the screen twice.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I braced for something horrible, but I could feel the familiar thrum through the seat of my pants, and knew the thrust drive was standing at idle.

"That's it!"

I looked at her screen again. I had no idea what measures were shown on the throttle. Did the Cizerack use a KPH standard? Was there a different speed rating in Cizeri?

"Okay..."

I looked cautiously to s'Il

"Slide the throttle to the first notch only. Slow and steady."

I took the yoke, eyes forward at the end of the hangar bay.

[s'Il]

She blinked once, then without warning ran a finger smoothly up the length of the screen. Not fast, but certainly not slow either.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"NO!"

The throttle dumped, and we took off like a rocket, kicking up all kinds of hell in our thruster wash.

"Throttle down! Throttle down!"

We went from zero to out of the hangar in a second. I would've slapped her hand away and done it myself, but I needed every bit of my attention at the yoke. I barely had enough time to drive the repulsors up so we wouldn't smash into the observation tower.

"Cut our speed by half, we're way too fast!"

[s'Il]

With the barest of smirks, s'Il complied. Her finger ran back down the length of the screen, only this time at a slower rate, and the ship eased back to a bit more of a gentle pace.

Thoroughly proud of herself, the Lupine licked her lips. The sooner they were in space the sooner she could raid the galley!

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Could we try to look less conspicuous here?"

I snapped at her, my irate tone showing as I peeled away from the observation tower. No, I didn't have a clearance, and no, I wasn't on a lane. If we weren't red-flagged yet, it would be only a few seconds away, and there's no telling what would get scrambled to jump us.

"Look, sublights and hyperdrive are big, conspicuous controls here and here. I got those. You look for shields. Should be to your right. I don't think we have any weapons, so we'll make do."

I toggled the thruster control over to the subs, and dumped a full wake, creating a rooster tail of flaming ionized air behind us. Unorthodox, but I wasn't about to follow port protocol when I was sure we already had trouble inbound. The ship shook like hell, and the few G's the dampeners didn't compensate for pushed us into our seats a bit. It may have seemed a bit contrary after I'd just snapped at her for speeding on thrusters, but we didn't exactly have options now.

[s'Il]

His terse reply went unnoticed, and s'Il sat quietly, almost transfixed by the view from the forward cockpit window. For the moment the thought of being captured had been pushed aside. Other thoughts ran through her head; food, the rapidly darkening sky, and the feeling of having been pushed back in her seat all taking over
.

At Zem's request for shield however, the Lupine took her eyes back down to the dash and easily found what she figured was the toggle for the shields. Like the thruster control, it was a touchscreen with a silhouette of the yacht. Finger tapping the shade, she was rewarded with a blue indicator.

"There... I think."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Ok, that's good."

So far, we weren't being tailed. No blustery demands over the comm either. I didn't relax totally, but I at least took a little time to try and figure out the graphic user interface and how it tied into the hyperdrive, which would be a tricky bit. Fortunately the computer did most of the legwork in these types of ships, but you still needed to know where you were going. I eyeballed the star chart for what seemed like forever, trying to pick up visual cues on star alignments and see if I could find a familiar spot or a reference.

"I think we're okay for now."

[s'Il]

The Lupine scratched at an invisible itch behind her left ear. She watched him as he looked over the star chart, content to let him figure it out himself. She wouldn't have been much help as it was.

"So... do you know where we're going then?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"No, not really."

I spoke after a few seconds, rubbing a hand up my face, against the grain of stubble that had grown up.

"This is Kuat, so that's out. I recognize about half of the nearest systems, and most of those are actively garrisoned by the Empire. Then, there's the Carshoulis Cluster nearly three parsecs from here. I'm pretty sure that's out. So that leaves a few other systems that I don't know anything about."

[s'Il]

She made a face, looking down to her hands. Was there any world that wasn't controlled by the Empire? The Lupine craned her neck up to stare at the star chart; a futile effort for the most part. After a few moments of frustrated staring, she grunted.

"I don't recognize any of that. "

Her stomach grumbled, and she sat back. "What about the Unknown Regions?There's got to be a planet that isn't occupied there."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"It's all a gamble. May not be any Empire, but may not be any friends at all. It's a long way out, even on hyperdrive."

[s'Il]

The sky outside was nearing black, and s'Il glared out at the brightening stars. Pursing her lips, she cast another glance to the chart as an idea formed.

"Find a planet called Schwartzweld."

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Last I recall, I still can't read Cizeri. So even if we could find any planet listings for the Unknown Regions, it would still be unrecognizable to me."

I sighed, and closed my eyes.

"I'm tired of looking at this damn chart."

[s'Il]

Exasperated, s'Il sighed audibly.

"Ok then, pick the furthest planet from here and just plot a course. For now it should give us enough time to work out where we want to go."

The thought of being able to return to her homeworld was steadily growing, but s'Il kept her desire to herself for now. Instead, she wiped both hands up and down her face to relieve her own frustrations before fumbling with her safety harness.

She was hungry, and it was about time to see the fine cuisine that Cizerack stocked.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"It'll be a week's journey. Let's hope that nobody paid attention to our little stunt just now."

I brought up the coordinates of the farthest system on the chart relative to the unknown regions and let the computer begin calculations.

"Should I ask what this Schwartzweld is that you're looking for?"

[s'Il]

Standing up from her seat, s'Il used the moment to stretch. All of this piloting and technical... stuff... was tiring.

Not answering Zem straight-away, the Lupine waited until just before she stepped from the cockpit before speaking.

"It's my home."

[Zem-El Vymes]

s'Il's past was something that she rarely took the liberty to mention, and I never entreated to question. I did gather that her current profession was an oddity among her people to say the least.

"You think we'll be welcome there?"

[s'Il]

This caused her to hesitate slightly, as she thought on his question. The Lupine surprisingly found herself chuckling. To be unwelcome on an abandoned world...

She turned to look back at him then, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her coat.

"Not exactly," she bit the inside of her cheek.

"There's no one there. I'm the last."

[Zem-El Vymes]

What do you say to something like that?

"Oh."

I paused, hanging onto the awkward reply like an idiot who'd tripped off the side of a cliff and was hanging onto grass roots. I looked at the console, desperate to busy myself with anything to get me out of putting a foot in my mouth.

[s'Il]

One corner of her mouth ticked upward into the beginnings of a smile, despite the topic of conversation. She watched him like a hawkbat, her eyes trying to discern the look on his face. She hadn't meant to make him feel awkward; he had asked, and she had answered. Simple as that.

Finally she broke the silence.

"It's ok you know," the Lupine anchored herself on the hatchway and leaned inwards a small amount while craning her neck to try and look him in the face.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"I don't know why it suprises me. Aren't we all orphans of some sort anyways?"

I shrugged a little as I continued looking at the star charts.

"Now, more than ever."

[s'Il]

His sullen answer was enough to make her frown, thoughts of her possibly impending meal stifled. He sounded tired despite their full night's sleep, wound down on a level that she knew all too well. It hurt to hear him sound such a way.

As it was, how was she to respond to him? Was she scared? of course. Ever since the first attack on the Temple she had come to know fear in some form or another, and it visited her every day. She certainly didn't want to die, as she hoped that Zem felt the same way; she was already alone on one front, as the Lupines would inevitably end with her. To lose him would be the final nail in her coffin though.

She would be truly by herself then. Alone and left to fend for herself.

She found no words of comfort or solace to rebut her companion's last words, and the Lupine's shoulders sagged.

Unable to think of anything else to say, s'Il murmured the first thought to enter her mind.

"You're upsetting me."

[Zem-El Vymes]

I suddenly became aware of what I was saying, and shook my head.

"I'm just talking. Forget it."

I began to feed coordinates into the computer, occupying the silence with busy work. Pausing, I looked back to her.

"We've got each other. That's more than most can say."

[s'Il]

For now, it seemed enough to satisfy her, and s'Il nodded wordlessly. He was right about that at least - they had one another. She thought of the possible others who'd escaped by themselves, with no one to help them. Making a face at the thought, the Lupine rocked back on her heels and let go of the hatchway.

"We do," she agreed.

Turning, s'Il began heading back down the corridor leading away from the cockpit and hopefully in the direction of the galley.

[Zem-El Vymes]

As I waited for the computer to calculate the jump and engage, I lowered my head in my hands, and averted my eyes. I had to do right by s'Il, but I was full of doubts that I couldn't even assuage on my own. My dreams were all dark, and I couldn't feel a shred of light around us. It was as if the universe had turned on a dime in the span of days. Now, everyone was an enemy, and we were an army of two. If this was the will of the force, I needed some kind of answer to what my destiny was, whether to go down dying or worse. Much worse than that - the dark side.

The stars began to streak into white lines, and I washed away my pangs of doubt as my hands slid down from my face.

[s'Il]

Finding the galley was surprisingly easy, as her nose was able to pick out animal scents within the normally sterile and recycled air. Following them was a simple matter, and soon enough the Lupine was standing in the galley, surrounded by animals. Live animals. She licked her lips at the sight of them all. Yet, she still lingered on the look in Zem's eyes when he'd looked at her. Concern began to seep into her, and she cast a look to the ground.Her concern briefly solidified into fear; that he would give up.

The thought soon faded as a chorus of squeaks reached her ears, and she approached a small holding pen full of rodents.

"Sajoi... "

s'Il was familiar enough with Cizerack cuisine, and had found sajoi to be rather tasty. Imperceptibly almost, the fingers of her hands thickened for a fraction of a second as a tawny glint flashed in her eyes.

Zem could have his mystery can concoction, but she would happily settle for something a bit more identifiable... and much less inert.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I reclined in my seat, put my feet across in the other seat, and closed my eyes.

[s'Il]

Ten minutes later, the galley was deserted. A pile of neatly folded clothes sat on a countertop, evidence that somebody had been through recently, but aside from that it seemed that nothing had been disturbed.

Elsewhere however, a whiplike tail thumped happily against a corridor bulkhead, its' owner sprawled out quite content. A short ways off, on the decking, a smatter of blood was drying. What had happened a few minutes before was easily discernable, and the vornskr lounged in the afterglow of her snack.

Tawny eyes closing, the beast dozed off into a satisfied slumber.