Novgorod

[General Dan]

"Dan?"

An elderly woman stood from a nearby table, squinting to make sure. When she was sure, she put both hands to her face in surprise.

"Dan! Oh goodness it's you!"

Other lookers-on turned to see Dan and s'Il approach, and soon the whole village was drawing them to the town's center.

"Where did you come from?"

"Are you back for good now?"

"We heard about your wife, I'm sorry."

"Stay a while."

The bustle was enthusiastic, and nothing seemed to indicate it was dimmed due to imperial entanglements.

[s'Il]

She felt as though she'd been caught up in a tidal wave of bodies, pulled and pushed along towards the center of town. Out of reflex she grabbed Dan's sleeve to keep from being separated. Her grip was like a steel trap, unwilling to be pried off.

Looking at the faces around them, s'Il's eyes went from one to the other, and she was acutely aware of the stares her scar elicited.

There were the normal questions, with many offering their condolences on the loss of his wife. It made her feel a bit out of place, and her hand fell away from his arm. She let him move away - or rather he was pulled away really - leaving her to stand and watch as the people he'd grown up with showered him with hugs and smiles, claps on the shoulders and handshakes.

She gave a light smile to the sight, and breathing deeply, the Lupine found that she quite liked this small, unassuming world.

[General Dan]

"Everyone, I'm glad to be back. I really am."

Dan smiled, understanding the rush of enthusiasm. Still, he had work to be done.

"I need a moment of your time though. I'm here, working with people, people who are against the Emperor and his oppression."

The crowd quieted a little. They understood that much.

"I need to know what's happened here."

[s'Il]

Still standing a short bit away, the Lupine looked on as those surrounding Dan quieted at his words. She could feel tinges of confusion begin to swirl around her, followed soon by sharp puzzlement at what Dan had said. Whispered murmurs filled the air around them like a low hum.

One feeling stood out among all the rest, though what made it so distinctive was the spike of fierce resentment. Her broken gaze shifted to look at the man she'd sensed over all the rest as he casually moved to stand in front of Dan. He seemed a few years older than her comrade, and one look at him caused a rush of agitation to flood her thoughts.

He seemed to size up the Rebel General, crossing his arms as he did so, and after a short time his gaze went past Dan to s'Il. He scowled.

"Last time you were at festival you started a fight-"

"Stavriss dont- " a woman tried to interject, but the man waved her into silence.

"You come back to do the same now?"

[General Dan]

"I'm not fighting anyone, Savriss."

Dan wasn't backing down this time, but his hands were at his side. They had to work together.

"I'm trying to do what I can to save my home from the Empire. You might not like me or my past, but that's the truth laid bare for you right now."

[s'Il]

Stavriss gave a grunt to go along with his scowl, and digging his hands into the pockets of his dusty trousers.

"You say your tryin' t'save your home; your home don't need savin'."

His eye went back to s'Il, and he nodded in the direction the two had approached from.

"Take your new girl and leave. We don't -"

The woman that'd tried to stop him before had finally had enough, and she stepped between both Stavriss and Dan, a stern matronly gaze being cast to the former. She was tall, nearly as tall as Dan even, with long silver hair and dark olive-colored eyes. She had a kind face, and despite the hard lines of age that creased it s'Il saw a beauty in the woman's features that could not be marred by the passing years.

"That's enough, Stavriss Bhurke. Off with you before I call Mr. Konty to send you home."

Another deepset scowl, and Stavriss turned on his heel. He gave a lingering, acid look over his shoulder to Dan before stalking his way roughly through the crowd and off down the small main drag.

Her curiosity now enough to afford her mobility - as well as the fact that the object of her nervousness was now angrily storming off - s'Il moved to stand beside Dan, her entire demeanor quite demure as she bit her lip. The woman gave her the sweetest of smiles.

"Don't mind Stavriss," she started. Her voice was now soft, all traces of the clipped tone she'd taken before having vanished as she addressed the young Jedi.

"Always been like that and, well... "

A knowing look was sent to Dan along with a gentle pat to the Rebel commander's cheek. She stared at the two then, those eyes of hers taking in every inch of the both of them before she clasped her hands together.

"But enough about the old days... " She beamed wide, gesturing for the two to follow and leading them through the slowly dispersing crowd.

"We can talk about the Empire elsewhere. But until then," There was that smile again, turned s'Il's way. "Who have you brought to us?"

[General Dan]

"This is Lok. She's a..."

He looked at her and hesitated. Even among his own, he couldn't risk it.

"...good friend of mine."

He looked at Selva, his late brother's widow, with a knowing and wistful expression.

"We've looked after each other in the days after..."

He faltered, and shook his head. They all knew what that meant. They'd all lost family on that ship.

[s'Il]

Her head dipping at the implied, Selva took Dan's hand as they walked, holding it with two hands. She still wore her wedding ring.

"Look to happier times in the future," she whispered in consolation before releasing him. Selva reached an arm around s'Il's shoulders as the trio wove through the sea of bodies gathered for festival. It was a gesture that the Lupine had not expected, and she gave a start. She didn't even know her name! A sideways glance was sent to the woman, who likewise returned a warm smile.

"It's good to know he had someone to help him after it all, Lok."

s'Il swallowed, unsure of how to respond, and her near-helpless look at how to possibly conduct herself was met with kind and understanding eyes.

"Call me Selva," she introduced herself, that soft voice seeming to steer anyone listening to thoughts of comfort. It was soothing. "Dan is my brother-in-law."

s'Il managed a single nod. She felt out of place, and it showed. She had to remind herself that she was nearly always 'out of place'. She offered a tentative smile to Selva.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Selva tsk'ed. "No need for that; being called ma'am makes me feel old. Just call me Selva."

"Yes Ma- " she had to catch herself. "Yes Selva."

"Good girl," Selva grinned, leading them slowly out of the crowd. For as much as Dan wished to know what exactly had happened on Duravant - what was still happening, she knew that privacy was necessary. She tracked her eyes to Dan then.

"She's got manners enough for the both of you. Which is good," her arm still around the Lupine, she gave a little squeeze while still smiling to Dan, "... you always needed some."

[General Dan]

Dan gave a pained smile.

"The curse of saying what's on my mind without stopping to filter it, I guess."

He was glad to see her face. One of many memories he'd left behind on the planet, and it was a reassuring sign that there was still normal life, somewhere out there.

They were leaving some of the festival behind, and the music could be heard, but now at a muted volume. Dan paused, turning to face Selva and s'Il.

"Where's the Empire, Selva?"

[s'Il]

Selva let go of her, and the Lupine's muscles relaxed a small bit. She remained where she was though, as Selva looked at Dan.

"I suppose it would be useless of me to ask if you're with the Rebels."

She nodded to herself at the expression he wore.

"I thought as much."

Selva sighed, a hurt sigh. s'Il caught her breath at the flood of grief that suddenly poured from Selva's mind. The Jedi brought her hand to her mouth, knowing that the pain she now felt from the older woman, while nebulous and unknown, was absolutely unmistakable.

"They're at Pale Valley."

It was a name Dan would know all too well.

It was the name of the valley he'd grown up in; the settlement in which his family had all made their home.

[General Dan]

The color seemed to leave Dan's face. He spoke low, but with the unmistakable sharp tinge of urgency in his voice.

"What are they doing in Pale Valley?"

Old feelings from years ago began to resurface. Old and ugly feelings of that terrible day.

[s'Il]

Selva was slow to answer, and when she did, her voice was strained.

"They've found something. No one knows what it is, and they won't let anyone near their dig sight."

Her olive green eyes stayed on Dan, and her gaze conveyed a degree of worry for the man that s'Il found herself sharing in. A moment later, Selva was urging them onward, toward the edge of the settlement to where a row of tethered gulas - Duravant's indigenous equine species - stood.

"You need to go home, Dan."

[General Dan]

Dan, without any further impetus, mounted one of the gulas, as he was used to doing for half his life. The animal hardly moved, so natural was his touch. He walked his beast adjacent to the other, extending s'Il his hand so he could help ease her onto hers.

Another look back at Selva.

"Wait for us."

It was less a command, than a promise. A promise that they would be back, and that she wouldn't have to endure the news that yet another had died in this war.

He pulled tight the reigns, steering his gula around 180 degrees.

"We don't have the time to waste. CHAH!"

[s'Il]

This!

This was a sensation so far removed from sitting in cockpits and huddled in bunkers. It was natural, fluid, and organic. She could feel the muscles beneath the saddle, taught and powerful, the hooves churning up sand and dirt in their wake. Unlike Dan, the Lupine had never been astride such a beast, but she fell into the rhythm and cadence without any effort. She marveled at the feeling of absolute and utterly perfect motion beneath her. This was above any other. No speeder or cruiser or swoop could ever hope to rival this.

Leaning forward in the saddle, s'Il used the animal's neck as a windbreaker as she urged her mount just behind and to the side of Dan.

Even from her peripheral vision she could see that he was nearly at home in the saddle; when one grows up around such magnificent creatures it would stand to reason.

From what she could recall, Dan had said they were north of his home town by an hour. She couldn't guess at what speed they now traveled, but her best estimation of their arrival would be, at their current pace, half an hour. Maybe more. Until then, she remained silent. All of her concentration was placed on the gula she rode.

[General Dan]

Dan rode hard, harder than he normally would. The gulas were resisting and getting tired, but he bore down further. There would be time to leave them idle and take them to water later. They had no time right now.

He looked over to see s'Il, taking to her mount with a natural grace and skill.

"I didn't know you rode!" He yelled over the whistling of air and the pounding of hooves.

[s'Il]

Angling her head, the Lupine cast a quick look to him. She flashed a smile, urging her gula faster so that the two were neck and neck.

Nearly breathless with both excitement and exertion, she yelled back in answer.

"Neither did I!"

[General Dan]

Savoring this rare moment of wonder in the sea of their desperate situation, Dan dwelled on it, sending a smile toward the Jedi.

"Always continuing to amaze!"

Dan kicked down at the sides of his gula, the beast heaving forward with just a bit more force in its gait. They were nearly there.

[s'Il]

They were riding uphill now, and s'Il leaned more forward in her saddle to compensate. It was a small rise, and the Lupine could see the jagged peaks of mountains in the distance beyond. Against the clear blue sky they were a stunning sight, and one that she would not forget for the rest of her life. Such rugged beauty.

Cresting the foothill, s'Il watched Dan carefully from the corner of her eye, pulling up on the reigns as he did to his own. The gulas skidded to a halt, throwing up dust before them. They pawed restlessly at the ground, their muscles quivering with spent energy.

s'Il rose to stand in her stirrups, her gaze sweeping across the valley below. It was not a large valley, and well insulated by the mountain ranges encompassing it. And there, nestled in the lowland hills to the west, was a settlement.

Breathing deeply a few times, she looked to Dan.

"Pale Valley... ?"

She already knew it was.

[General Dan]

"Mm." He nodded.

Dan pulled a set of macrobinoculars from his kit, allowing his steed to take a few much-needed moments to rest before they made the last push into the valley. He held the binocs up, and adjusted by distance.

He saw the village, and just a scant mile away, what looked like a massing of heavy equipment, with large rubble piles heaped behind. The Empire was digging here, alright. But for what?

[s'Il]

Watching him, s'Il followed his line of sight - without the macros the Imperial dig site was minuscule. She looked skyward momentarily, taking note that the sun was nearing the tops of the mountains. Sundown was fast approaching, and she dipped her head lower to squint at what she could make out of the dig area. It wasn't much to be sure.

"We should find somewhere to stay the night," it was said cautiously, as she was unsure of how he'd take to the notion, "... find out what we can tonight and tomorrow at dawn we can sneak into the site."

[General Dan]

Dan passed the macros to s'Il, and nodded reluctantly. He wanted to go now, but during open daylight was not a good idea.

"What can you make out down there?"

He needed her to be the edge at this point. There was only so much he could do.

[s'Il]

Accepting the macros, the Lupine lifted them to her eyes. She pursed her lips in studious thought. There didn't look to be much activity, as only a few clonetroopers could be seen out in the open sun. It wasn't necessarily hot, but still - standing out in the sun with that armor had to be uncomfortable.

She gave a sigh, pulling the macros away and holding them out for Dan to take once more.

"There's not much out there right now, and I can't - "

It was a sudden feeling, crashing into her like a tidal wave thrown by a galeforce wind. She rocked back in the saddle, and her gula shifted in its' stance to compensate for her movements. The Jedi sucked in a long breath, her head tilting skyward. The macros fell to the dirt.

And she smiled. By the Bloodline!

She angled her head as she soaked up the sensations coming from down below - from the Empire's dig site.

"A'neh'o maka'ss'ada," she spoke softly, eyes still closed. In the sudden rush of pure wonderment, the Lupine lapsed into her native tongue, oblivious to Dan's inability to understand.

"O'ka'ona i'ma seh'tan'tes... khu ss'emaku ni u'ek...

"Sa'ma teh'tan'tes'ek... "

[General Dan]

Dan knew the inflections of Bast'yr, but had no inkling to the meaning.

"You've got something?" He asked, expectantly and hopeful.

[s'Il]

"It's wonderful," she whispered in answer, breathing in deeply as though her nose had picked up the most beautiful of scents.

And in a way it had.

She watched with her mind's eye, as the colorful eddies of the Force danced and merged into one before separating once more. It was serene and enthralling, breathtaking and elegant.

And then it was gone.

Allowed a taste and then abruptly denied her full portion, s'Il gave a muted cry as her eyes shot open, one hand letting go of the reigns to grasp into the air after an invisible possession.

"Don't leave... "

Her voice held a longing tone, begging and pleading for that feeling to return.

Sliding from the saddle, the Lupine hit the ground rather jarringly, stumbling to gain her footing while at the same time scrabbling forward - after the fleeting perception she'd partaken in - down the hill.

[General Dan]

"Lok!"

Dan dismounted quickly, climbing down the hillside after her.

"What is it? What the hell did you see?"

[s'Il]

Stumbling, the Lupine fell to her knees, wonderment and longing in her eye. Desire filled her heart and called to her.

As if from far away she heard Dan's question, and for a long moment she was motionless, kneeling on the hillside and staring at the dig site. Her single blue eye tried to find that which could not be found.

Finally, she answered him, her voice a whisper as she took herself back to that euphoric feeling.

"I see life."

[General Dan]

"The villagers are okay then?"

Dan wasn't sure what to make of this. s'Il wasn't one to succumb to awe, but here she was. What was happening to cause this?

[s'Il]

For long minutes she didn't answer, simply staring out at the distant Imperial encampment. Her eyes closed, and she tilted her head up to revel in the memory. The memory of it. Whatever it was.

She rocked forward then, up off her knees only to let herself fall back to sit heavily, her arms coming to rest on her knees. She looked up at Dan then. When she smiled it was as glorious as the sun, as free as the birds in the sky above, and as unfettered as the purity of the land around them. In her eye was all that was good in her life. All that was alive.

"They're well."

[General Dan]

Dan's brow furrowed. He was hopeful at her words, but something in the way she spoke went beyond the scope of the village.

He decided not to push it, taking her words on their value.

"There's a wind-blown cave half a click from here. We can put up there until dark."

[s'Il]

She stared at him, digesting his words. Still that smile. She was lost in the memory of that feeling, the Imperial presence in the valley forgotten momentarily.

"You don't wish to see your family?"

[General Dan]

"What's gotten into you? You aren't talking sense!"

Dan approached her, anger on his face.

"What's going on, Lok? What did you see?"

[s'Il]

It was the harsh set of each line at the edges of his eyes, the angered expression he wore that fought through the haze of her euphoria. Never before had she seen his ire directed toward her, and it cut through her like a hot knife through butter.

Her eye lingered on him as he grew close, but the smile itself slowly faded away into neutrality. Slowly her head swiveled back to look down to the settlement and the dig sight, and breathing deeply, the Lupine let her focus blur.

With fingers intertwining, s'Il tried to answer as best as possible, her voice quiet and deliberate.

"It was... more a feeling than anything else."

A ghost of her previous smile returned as she still stared ahead.

"Joy, wonder, beauty, all of the good that we desire for ourselves and others. Laughter, contentment, kindness, nurturing, caring, love - it was as if all of that were contained together.

"It was life," she made a motion with two fingers, indicating the dig site, "... and it's down there."

[General Dan]

Dan could only barely contemplate she meant that it was whatever the Imperials were after.

"Some sort of Jedi artifact?"

He looked back to the village, then back to her.

[s'Il]

"It's a possibility."

For a short while longer she stared at the distant encampment, the machinery brought in by the Empire like dots spread out in a small smattering on the base of one of the mountains behind.

Her brief exposure to, well, whatever it was had invigorated her senses. She felt new and fresh, looking at the world with a clarity that she'd not possessed before. Everything was so much clearer in her mind's eye.

Her arm went up to reach for Dan then, as she looked up at him from where she sat.

"Help me up. We'll go to your cave for the night."

[General Dan]

Dan extended a hand to her, easing her to her feet, and the two led their gulas to the mouth of the cave, easing them down to lay on the ground so they were not easily seen. The two rebels then entered the cave, finding a spot to lay low and possibly rest for a few hours.

[s'Il]

Trailing a hand along the jagged walls of the cave, s'Il looked about in curiosity. Rays of the still setting sun illuminated little, and she fished a small emergency glowrod from the kit Dan kept with him. Moving deeper inside, she stepped beneath a low overhang and into a larger opening. It wasn't overly large, but it was enough to accommodate more than a few people.

Her eyes fell on a small, unused firepit towards the far wall. Apparently this cave had been used before. From the looks of it however, it hadn't been occupied in some time; maybe years even.

She turned partially on her heel, looking at Dan, an eyebrow arched.

"Old camping getaway?"

[General Dan]

"Of a sort."

Dan laughed.

"Used to be our childhood fort and refuge from parents. Never thought I'd be using it as an adult."

[s'Il]

"Strange how that works out."

Her eyes stayed on him for a fraction of a second longer than they really needed to, and the Lupine turned back to assess their sparse surroundings. Approaching the firepit, she nudged at the blackened remains of what had once been kindling. She knelt down to afford herself a better look, sniffing a little to test the air.

"If we stay the night then a fire would be nice."

She ran a finger through the charred pieces, and they crumbled to charred dust. At that moment her whole body seemed to relax, realization of what she'd felt flooding her. She'd only felt tinges of it before, so many years ago on Coruscant. Now, to feel the entirety of it all, she'd been too overwhelmed to remember.

Turned away from Dan, she looked down in wonder at the black dirt in her hand.

"That's what it is," she whispered to herself.

[General Dan]

"What it is?"

Dan paused in the midst of inspecting a bundle of kindling - it appeared he wasn't the last one to use this cave - and wondered what she meant by her cryptic introspection.

[s'Il]

Shifting, s'Il half-sat on one folded leg, settling herself to the hard-packed ground. Her gaze went to Dan, and she was quiet for a few minutes, savoring the moment. She felt illuminated and rejuvenated, far removed from who she had been not an hour prior.

"The Healing Crystals of Fire," she answered softly.

[General Dan]

"I'm assuming this is the part where you explain what those are and why they're important?"

Dan trusted his Jedi companion implicitly, and as he brought a stack of kindling to the fire pit, he arranged it in a crossed pattern.

[s'Il]

Watching in silence as he worked, s'Il remained unmoving. In some strange way it felt routine, with him preparing the small fire and her observing. They had done it many other times on many other worlds, though this was the first time that they were alone, with no commandos or any others of their normal group.

She looked at his profile as he arranged the kindling.

How many years had they now been together? Fighting this war with no end in sight? Briefly, the Lupine wondered how long either of them would live; which mission would claim one or both of their lives. One soul had already been lost, and it had taken her long enough to move past the heartache. Her rejection of Dan's affection had been out of fear. Fear that, if she lost him too, she would be alone. She would relive the heartbreak all over again - this time with none to console her.

But now. Now everything was different. That perfect collection of feeling and emotion that she'd been allowed to touch had opened her eyes. Before she had kept herself locked away, unwilling to let anyone so close as she'd let Zem. Now she felt reborn, and her renewal was evident in her eye.

"They were one of the greatest treasures of the Jedi, and were used to help heal the most serious of wounds. I've never seen them, but someone once told me that there is a flame in them that burns eternal."

A pause, as she finally looked to Dan's handiwork in the firepit.

"Someone must have smuggled them from the Temple when the Purge began."

[General Dan]

"And it would seem that the Emperor has an interest in finding them."

The fire lit, and Dan scowled into its flickering glow that gradually grew to cast ambiance around their refuge.

"It still doesn't explain the absence of the Imperial fleet. We would expect at least to find the cruisers that tried to intercept us before, wouldn't we?"

[s'Il]

"I could not tell you."

And truly she could not. It was a perplexing issue as much to her as it was to him, but she knew it wise to be patient.

The Lupine rocked back a little to settle herself more comfortably. Her knee was sore from its' previous position, and her hands gently kneaded the aching joint. Looking up, she could see the flickering light of their fire play across Dan's scowl.

"Patience. We'll have our answers soon enough."

[General Dan]

"There's the Jedi I know, always advocating patience."

Dan smiled knowingly, warming himself by the fire.

"The passing hours are going to take forever. "

[s'Il]

For long minutes they sat, him looking into the fire and her looking at him. The warmth was a welcome thing, as the cold seemed to increase once the sun had dipped below the horizon.

"I was wrong before," she started gently. At his questioning look s'Il dipped her head to stare into the flames, listening as the kindling crackled.

"Neither of us is the one that each has lost, and that is how it should be."

[General Dan]

"I won't pretend to be Zem. I can't. I owe it to you to be honest, and I give you what I am, fully."

Dan took her hands in his.

"I want us to be more. It feels right. We both deserve it."

[s'Il]

Barely had the words left his mouth when she leaned forward, her lips brushing his in a tentative kiss. It had been on impulse, but the Lupine found that she harbored no regret over her action.

Pulling back a hair's breadth, she gave a small smile.

"You're nearly twice my years," came her teasing whisper, repeating his own words from so long ago.

[General Dan]

"I'm young at heart. It'll balance itself out."

Dan reciprocated her kiss, embracing her as the fire began to pick up its strength and cast warmth around them.

[s'Il]

In so many ways he was right - it did feel right, and the Lupine let herself descend into the moment they shared, insulating her mind with its' comfort. His arms around her felt right, and her hands moved up to run fingers through his hair as she finally broke their kiss, eye alight and smiling.

How long had it been since she felt in this way? For a few moments she could think of nothing to say. Instead, she simply took in his face.

"I'suneh ces't'es... " she caught herself once again lapsing into Bast'yr, and gave an apologetic shake of her head. Perhaps she should begin teaching him, as she had done for Zem? A light kiss to his cheek.

"All those times you went with me to Schwartzweld - why did you not insist we come here... ?"

[General Dan]

"It's different for me."

Dan shook his head.

"I have family here, but we're just simple people. It's nothing like your heritage."

[s'Il]

The Lupine shook her head in disagreement, still allowing her fingers to brush through his hair. It felt like individual strands of silk, and she smiled at the feeling.

"Simplicity is its' own beauty. What am I but the end result of a failed dynasty, a failed people too wrapped up in tradition and complication?"

She pulled him close once more.

"Duravant is wonderful, and so are her people."

[General Dan]

"We're facing the same uphill dilemma as the Lupines. I'm worried our days are numbered. The old war wasn't kind to us. This one? It might finish what was started."

Dan shook his head, his nervousness betraying him.

"I want the Empire gone from here. More than anything. I want the killing and the troubles to end."

[s'Il]

There was compassion in her touch, and the Lupine drew close.

"I'll make it right," she whispered, her tone without doubt as she once again kissed him.

"I promise."

[General Dan]

Dan kissed her, giving himself fully to the belief that, yes, she would make it right. It eased his restlessness and gave him a sense of calm that allowed him to endure the wait.

They lay together, watching the fire die down, talking of their own worlds and where they came from, each discovering new things of the other.

Before they knew it, the night shroud had fully descended outside. Dan checked his chrono.

"Nearly ten minutes till. Better time as any to get a move out."

[s'Il]

Slow in rising, the Lupine lifted herself into a crouch. What he spoke was true; they would need to be leaving soon, though knowing the Empire she was sure that their night watch was as heavy as their normal day postings.

With the fire to her back, s'Il soaked up the warmth it offered as it wouldn't be much longer before they were out in the cold.

"I feel I must apologize," she started while finally rising to stand.

"My behavior in the most recent past has been... " a pause as she searched for the right word, "... unbecoming."

[General Dan]

"That's not true."

They exited the cave, the cool night air upon them.

"You were doing what you knew was right. Takes a long time for folks to come around to a different idea, a different way of living, and things like that. I gotta admit I had my own bit of that to go through."

They began their low and slow descent into the valley at that. Going the way in they took, it would take about an hour and a half if they wanted to creep in without being seen.

[s'Il]

Her eyes and ears were alert, her senses at their peak as the two carefully made their way downward. She'd been mindful to stay as upwind as possible to their destination.

As they descended, the Lupine stopped a few times to test the air. Nothing smelled too out of the ordinary, and so she pressed on.

Skirting her way around a large boulder, s'Il took a moment to rest, leaning against it while scanning the scene before them. The small settlement and the Imperial encampment were much closer, and the sounds of the night prevalent.

"I was always told that the Healing Crystals were used to heal the wounds of the body," she started quietly, her eyes still forward.

"I never thought that they could heal the heart as well."

[General Dan]

"If what you say about them is true, it's no secret why the Empire would be here, I suppose."

Dan trailed s'Il, letting the Lupine Jedi be the vanguard as they stalked closer to the town. Ahead, he could see a prefabricated guard tower rising above the hovels, spotlamps illuminating the surrounding 100 meters or so.

Carefully, Dan unslung the collapsible blaster he carried on his back.

"Best way in?"

[s'Il]

From her spot in front of the boulder, s'Il made an almost puzzled face. They were still well enough away from the encampment that the tower's spotlight had no hope of reaching their perch, and giving a thoughtful hrmph, the Lupine knelt down, crouching as she watched intently the deceptively peaceful scene before them.

A whisper, as if carried on the wind, tickled at her ears. She froze, her brow furrowing. It was faint, like a rustling leaf. Had she truly heard something? Or was it the sound of Dan pulling his weapon from his back?

[General Dan]

Dan froze, his eyes still on the tower, and spoke carefully and low.

"What is it?"

He knew enough to keep an eye on her body language, and she seemed like she'd picked up on something.

He carefully shouldered his weapon, letting his eyes relax as the holographic sight came up, illuminating a reticle that was superimposed onto a macro scope. Compensating for glare, he cut through it all and the image of a pair of stormtroopers on guard at the top railing was plain to see.

He held his fire, wanting affirmation from his more keen partner.

[s'Il]

His sights were trained ahead, but her senses were telling her that what she'd heard was coming from behind. Slowly, her hand came up to rest on the barrel of his rifle, gently lowering it as her torso twisted around and upward, her gaze traveling up the length of the boulder she'd used to lean upon.

Carefully, the Lupine stood up from her crouched position, and with a nimble leap coupled with a boost from the Force, s'Il found herself kneeling on the top of the outcropping...

[Teagan Creig]

... and staring down the business end of an older model carbine.

The owner, who's finger rested firmly on the trigger, didn't even flinch at the sudden appearance of the woman. Her grip on the weapon tightened and she glared daggers at her target while hissing out an order.

"Don't move a muscle."

[General Dan]

Dan turned, not in a sudden fashion, toward the direction that s'Il had leapt. He had no view of either her nor the other voice. He could only press himself flush against the boulder and look for a more approachable ascent.

[s'Il]

s'Il, as ordered, didn't move one inch. She remained utterly still, her breathing low and shallow. If she was shocked to see a young girl at the other end of the carbine, she didn't let it show. Rather, the Lupine stared, taking her 'captor' in, noting her clothing and black-painted face.

She looked almost underfed, but there was a toughness that was undeniable - disconcerting in one who looked so young. She wore dark clothes to match her facepaint, and a ragged brown robe of sorts clasped around her shoulders. Strangely enough, she had the look of many of the commandos that s'Il had served with in the past; rough, no-nonsense, and sombre.

It was disconcerting to see in such young features, and s'Il was only able to stare.

[Teagan Creig]

The girl focused on this strange woman for only a fraction of a second; long enough to note her clothing and rather obvious deformity that marred her features. It was an impressive scar to say the least, cutting her eye in two. But she didn't dwell on it for longer than she had to.

She raised her voice, so that it would reach down to the other, the man who'd been with the woman she now had in her sights.

"Come up the slope, and drop the blaster or your friend gets a slug in her chest."

[General Dan]

Dan hated being caught at a disadvantage, but he trusted s'Il in matters such as these. Carefully, he eased his weapon to the ground, and after a moment of tracing the contours, found an ascent to the top of the rock formation, climbing slowly and carefully.

He said nothing. If there was anything to say, the girl with the gun would be the one to ask the questions.

[Teagan Creig]

It was when his face came into view that the girl's eyes went wide. She knew him; could pick him out of a crowd any day! Her breathing sped up, and she rocked back, from her spot on her belly up to her knees. The carbine was brought up to point harmlessly at the sky.

"Mr. Dan?!"

It was spoken in nearly breathless shock. What was he doing here?? Was he back because of the Empire? And the strange woman... now that she looked more closely, those features seemed almost familiar, but memory was having a hard time of it.

Wide eyes went from the woman, back to Mr. Dan.

[General Dan]

Dan's expression changed instantly at the voice.

"Teagan?!"

It couldn't be. But it was. Behind that facepaint, behind the fatigues, behind the severe expression and the gun, was the sand-haired girl of years past, who had been rescued along with him from certain death by s'Il and Zem.

Dan stepped forward, happy to see the young girl, but bewildered at the stark transformation she'd undergone

[s'Il]

s'Il blinked, and stared. Teagan?! The girl, Teagan?? But the child had been so young, so innocent... had the years truly been that many? To turn such a young child into the young girl that now knelt before them, carbine in hand and a harsh glint in her eyes?!

Slowly, s'Il rose to stand. She couldn't take her eyes away from the girl's face - yes, it was Teagan. There was still innocence in her eyes, behind the hardness.

But, Dan had told her that all the younglings from the freighter had been taken to the Core, far away from any associations with the Rebels and their benefactors. How then, did Teagan end up here?

[Teagan Creig]

Her weapon was very nearly dropped, and she scrambled forward in sudden joy, arms outstretched. Aside from the few children who'd run away from the school back in the Core to return home to Duravant, she'd not seen anyone else from the doomed freighter they'd all been rescued from.

[General Dan]

"How did you get back to Duravant?"

Dan fully embraced her, glad to see her, but dismayed at the situation she was now currently in.

[Teagan Creig]

"Me an' Ishak an' a couple of others ran away," she started rather sheepishly, still holding tight to him.

"We stowed 'way on some freighters headin' home."

Pulling away then, she returned to where her weapon lay, picking it up and slinging it over her shoulder like any seasoned veteran of the Rebellion.

"We didn'a wanna stay in th' Core. We wan'ed to come home."

A shrug, but her smile was still there, white teeth showing out of a mask of black.

"So we did."

[General Dan]

"Teagan, I understand why. I do. But it isn't safe here."

Dan shook his head.

"That was why we brought you to the Core. It's too dangerous out here, for now."

[Teagan Creig]

"We can handle it." it was all she would say, and turning partially, the girl brought two fingers to her lips, letting out a strange whistling chirp that sounded eerily like the nocturnal birds s'Il had heard earlier.

And further up the slope, seven more heads popped out of the brush, each one painted identically black.

"Ain't the only ones out here y'know. There's a whole slew of us."

[s'Il]

Her gaze went from Dan to Teagan, then up the hill to the seven pairs of eyes that now stared at them. s'Il could see that they too were armed, and her mind tried to catch up with these most recent events. She was overjoyed at the sight of Teagan - she and the girl had formed a bond during their short time together - but she also felt dismay at the sight of her.

A questioning look was finally sent to Dan.

[General Dan]

Dan cast a look of slight disapproval. He did not want to be seeing this.

"I suppose there isn't anything I can do about that in the here and now, then."

He looked back to Teagan.

"What are you doing at this camp?"

[Teagan Creig]

"Been followin' you from Lookout Cave. We thought you were Imperials, and were gonna off ya."

Another shrug, and Teagan half turned to begin sliding her way carefully down the boulder.

"Come on," she finally grunted, halfway down.

"Due back at our camp soon. Gotta check in an' you should prolly talk to Chiltan."

[s'Il]

For a moment she stared after the girl, at a complete loss at this turn of events. Her body moved though, and she began to follow Teagan down the side of the boulder, her footing sure, yet careful.

She wondered how the child and her cohorts had been able to ambush her before realizing that they'd been downwind. For as intent on making sure that she and Dan keep the camp upwind of them, she'd unwittingly placed themselves in the very same position. They were lucky that it was a band of youngsters, and not Imperials that'd gotten the drop on them.

Of course, by the look on Dan's face s'Il wondered if it was any better.

[General Dan]

With a look of concern on his face, Dan climbed back down to retrieve his weapon, and followed the child soldier as she led both him and Lok back to their camp.

[Teagan Creig]

The trio gathered with the rest of the seven youthful 'grunts', and Teagan hurriedly gestured to Dan. A few of the children recognized him, and flashed bright smiles. Two of them remembered him from the freighter, and three knew him from times past when he'd visited, here on Duravant.

He too would recognize them; Jesh Kossmin, Lowell Pyne, Roan Wyenne, even little Nemi Teeg who had been no older than 3 the last time he'd been back. All crowded about the two newcomers, and Teagan smiled proudly at this good fortune they'd happened upon.

Chiltan, Brody Chiltan to be exact, would welcome Dan's presence, especially now.

The group began making their way back up the hillside, away from the Imperial encampment, each child vying for attention from Dan while casting curious eyes to the one-eyed woman at his side.

"You a Rebel now, Mr. Dan?"

"What's it like out there?"

"Mr. Dan, you thinkin' the Empire s'gonna leave?"

"Are there any other kids fightin' with you?"

"Are any Jedi Knights fighting with the Rebels? We here rumors all the time that they're all gone now."

"I'll trade you my carbine and one of my blades for that folding blaster you got, Mr. Dan."

"Who'd you bring back with you?"

[General Dan]

So many questions. Dan was inundated with them as they walked back to camp.

"This is my friend Lok, and we're both with the Rebellion. We've been fighting the Empire for going on four years."

He deftly avoided some of the more troubling questions, and answered others.

"We're here to make sure the Empire leaves Duravant."

[Teagan Creig]

Teagan turned to stare in disbelief at Lok - how had she not recognized the woman?! What had happened to her eye?! She could remember the kind, soft-spoken lady who'd rescued them; how could she ever forget? She remembered Lok had let her have slices of melon on the ship that had come to the freighter's rescue, and had let herself and the other half-starved children romp about the ruins of whatever planet they'd been taken to. She still even had the pendant that Lok had let her keep as a reminder of her.

It all came back in mere seconds, and slowly a warm smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Rather than immediately hug the woman though, she maneuvered herself so that she walked close beside.

They were approaching the cave that s'Il and Dan had used to rest, and Teagan spotted the gulas that they'd used to get here. The children had their own mounts, tethered not far off, and she motioned to the two animals with a waving gesture.

"Better saddle up. Camp's up on Slate's Summit, so we got a bit of ridin' to do."

She turned to her small party.

"Lowell, you an' Rion an' Jesh an' Roan go get our gulas."

The four nodded, and in an instant they were dashing off, following a path that only they seemed to know and disappearing around a clump of rocks.

Teagan looked back to Dan and Lok.

"There any more Rebels come with you?"

[s'Il]

s'Il swept a hand over her face as she bit her lower lip, looking up to the sky before tracking her eye back to Dan. This was... how to describe these new circumstances they'd found themselves in? She let out a long breath, letting a hand fall on Teagan's shoulder. By the Bloodline the girl had grown, though not in the way that the Lupine had expected. In fact, she'd never thought she'd see the doe-eyed youngster ever again.

"We're the only ones," she spoke finally, her voice soft yet brimming with conviction as she released Teagan to move toward the saddle that rested on the ground beside her gula.

A look over her shoulder showed her the sudden downcast features following her words, and s'Il smiled as she hefted the saddle up.

"We're the only ones because that's all they need to send."

[General Dan]

"We came from a ship."

Dan added, pointing to the sky for emphasis as he mounted his gula.

"The Empire had a station in orbit. You could probably see it from here. We attacked it."

[Teagan Creig]

Lowell, Rion, Jesh, and Roan returned with the rest of the gulas, each child moving toward them to claim their mounts. Teagan was the last to pull herself up into the saddle, her eyes on Lok, and when the woman swung herself up, so did Teagan.

A scrawny, black-haired boy spoke up at Dan's words, his eyes covetously fixated on the folding blaster slung across the man's back.

"We seen that. Weren't sure what was goin' on up there. Chiltan said they was bein' attacked. Guess he was right."

Teagan kicked her gula, the mare giving a shake of her head but starting forward at a brisk walk, the rest following suit. She still made sure that she rode close to Lok though.

"They been drillin' in Pale Valley for months. We don't know what for though. All they do is bring up rocks an' dirt an' sand. Coupla days ago they had some big group of shuttles land, and offload more stormtroopers an' a big crate."

Little Nemi piped in then.

"That was right after you 'ttacked the station."

[General Dan]

"Guess they've settled on digging by hand, then."

Dan looked back to s'Il at that. It was a confirmation of what they expected.

He looked to the boy who'd been eyeing his blaster.

"What do you know about the camp?"

[Teagan Creig]

The black haired boy, Brant, answered with a nonchalant tone to his voice.

"Not much to it, but they gots enough guns 'round that it's almost impossible to get in."

Roan and another girl, Tish, led the way up the winding trail that skirted the valley below like a snake. They didn't say much, mostly talking to themselves, but every once in a while they'd throw a question or two back to Teagan, who'd answer.

She soon enough took up where Brant had left off.

"We think they're lookin' to bury somethin'. They told everyone in Pale Valley that they'd have to be gone by the time they was done. Said to just pick up and move on out. Chiltan thinks it's some sorta weapon storage facility they're buildin', and they don't want us near it. He says they're plannin' t'turn Duravant into a depot and bury all their weapons and vehicles and stuff here so's they can come get more whenever they need it."

Her eyes went up to Dan as they rode on, ascending the gradual incline and trekking higher into the mountains.

"You think he's right?"

[s'Il]

She listened, curious at this theory put forth. Her eye narrowed as she cast a look downward towards the encampment, now nothing but a smattering of dots below.

It was an interesting thought, that the Imperials could be burying something down there. It was a fanciful notion that they'd try to turn Duravant into a planet-sized depot, but nothing more.

The Empire was here for something else, and keeping silent, the Lupine turned her gaze from down below and up and over to Dan, curious about what half-truth he'd spin for the youngsters they now traveled with.

[General Dan]

"Why bury something out this far from galactic center? There are thousands of purse worlds they could safeguard something if they wanted to."

Dan frowned.

"They're here for a reason though. We'd better find out what that might be."

The only thing that afforded the theory weight was that Duravant was quite isolated.

"Is there any way into the camp so we could get closer?"

[Teagan Creig]

Teagan shrugged, looking away up to the head of the group for a few moments.

"Chiltan could tell you. He doesn't let the younger ones go out on the raids. Only him and the older kids.

"We mostly just keep watch and scout about for him."

[s'Il]

Chiltan. She kept saying the name, and it was becoming obvious that this 'Chiltan' was leading the ragtag resistance group of children.

"Who is Chiltan," she finally asked, breaking her silence after so long.

[Teagan Creig]

"Brody Chiltan," Teagan answered.

Jesh gave a snort. "Mr. Dan knows who he is."

[General Dan]

Dan nodded.

"One of the young hometown boys from about the time of our initial exodus from the planet."

From what he remembered of the boy, he wasn't surprised he would be leading the outfit. He had that natural sort of charisma, even then.

[s'Il]

"Oh."

She felt the outsider in all of this; many of these children knew Dan, and he too knew them. All knew the layout of this land except for her; were familiar with each other and their surroundings.

She let her gula sidle up next to Dan's.

"Is he the sort who would help us, you think?"

[General Dan]

"Not a soul here's gonna lose any sleep to see the Empire gone. I can't imagine he wouldn't."

The continued to ride on toward the camp.

"Still, I'm uncomfortable with the children in this position at all. Deeply so."

[s'Il]

"War is hell," she mumbled, repeating words that he'd once said to her.

The incline grew steeper, but it wasn't long before the path widened out, leading them toward a large plateau that overlooked Pale Valley and so many leagues beyond; the mountain ranges on all sides, and the low flatlands that extended into the horizon.

In the dark of night it was impossible to gauge how truly high they were, but the lights down in the valley floor below were a fairly good indicator that they'd gained a significant amount of altitude.

For a few moments she stopped to stare out at the night vista, awed by the vastness before her, before turning her gula and following after Teagan and the rest of her group toward a small sliver of light that was growing brighter the closer they drew.

Even from this distance she could tell that it was a campfire... no, two campfires, and the scent of cooking meat reaching her nostrils. It made her stomach growl in turn.

She heard Teagan whistle again, that same chirped sound as before, and a few seconds later they were answered by the same sound in return, coming from the direction of the two fires. The children urged their gulas onward, some breaking into a gentle lope. Teagan turned in her saddle, flashed a smile, and followed after her comrades, leaving the two Rebels behind.

s'Il kept her own mount beside Dan's, and reaching over she laid her hand on his, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Sometimes the Force works in ways that we can't fathom." Her voice had dropped to a near-whisper. "We may not be comfortable with the thought of children fighting like this; may not understand why, but we have to have faith."

[General Dan]

"Faith in what? That we'll get a good value off whatever their blood purchases? I know what you're saying and I know it's true, but I won't find any comfort there."

They waited together, presumably for the all clear to draw nearer to the camp.

[s'Il]

She nudged her gula forward then, slowly following after the rest.

"We don't know that anyone will be required to pay in blood by the end of this."

A small distance ahead, Teagan had pulled up, letting the others go on ahead as she turned back to face the two adults, making their way toward the camp at a much slower pace. s'Il looked at her for a few moments, still somewhat taken aback at the change in the girl.

"This is as much of a shock to me as it is to you. The last time I saw some of these children, they were so young."

The muscles of her jaw clenched.

"I have faith, but it still hurts to see her like this."

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody scowled. It was his default expression. Years of resisting the empire had left him with a notion to expect the worst at all times. He tried to find something to hang his hat on with the arrival of Dan and Lok s'Ilancy, but frankly, it was all good news. Almost too good.

"Keep the guards posted."

He nodded to one of his capos, who made sure that the excitement of guests wouldn't compromise their own security. Rising from a squat near one of the fires, he sheathed a knife as he approached the gulas.

"Dan."

It was all he could say to the auspicious meeting. He nodded his head in respect to his elder.

[s'Il]

The sight of so many children, each one with some manner of firearm - some more than one - was enough to make the Lupine give a pained expression. She hid it well though, and pulled her Gula to a stop alongside Dan, dismounting as he did as well. She gave her mount a light pat to the neck, moving around to stand beside Dan as the elder teen, Chiltan apparently, approached them and gave a one word greeting to the Rebel General.

Her eye lingered on the youth for a few more moments before looking out to the scattered children. She could feel their eyes on her and Dan, and she stared back in kind. Many crouched around the two campfires, and others milled about tents. Teagan and her cohorts had all dismounted, taking their gulas to what looked like a hastily constructed corral in the distance. s'Il could see more of the animal contained within, and a few of them nickered their approval at the return of their friends.

Clutching at the reigns a bit tighter, the Lupine gave her attention once more to Chiltan.

[General Dan]

"Young Brody, looks like you got yourself something like an army up here in the badlands."

Dan glanced casually past him, at the other assembled youngsters.

"We aimed to give you kids a better life, away from war. I hate to see it's wound up this way."

[s'Il]

s'Il could hear the disapproval in Dan's voice, and she too found herself frowning. She did not have any history with any of these children, except for maybe Teagan, but it certainly didn't stop her from echoing Dan's sentiments.

"How many of you are there?"

[Brody Chiltan]

"Enough to matter."

Brody bristled at Dan's disappointment, his jawline tightening.

"We ain't got no moms or dads or family anymore. Only family's us. That's all that matters. We all made this choice on our own. What about you, teacher? I know what happened up there. Teagan said. You think just because you're older that gives you the right to fight and we can't?"

He turned again to look at Lok.

"You're a Jedi? I know about you people. You can fight, right?"

[s'Il]

The ripple of murmuring that spread through the group of surrounding youngsters spread outward, and s'Il hissed out a concerned breath, shaking her head and lifting a hand to wave off Chiltan's implications.

"This isn't constructive... "

She could hear the word repeated over and over, on the lips of seemingly every child.

Jedi.

The Lupine licked her lips, unsure of how to quell the excitement she could see beginning to form at Chiltan's words. More and more children began to gather, and a few of the younger ones even tried to crowd themselves closer.

"I... wait... "

She gave a quick sideways look to Dan for help.

[General Dan]

There was nothing Dan could say to that. Not to Brody. He knew his unease at this was untenable.

"I think it's all pretty clear that none of us want the Empire on Duravant anymore. Now, Lok and I, we're intending on getting into that Imperial camp. You've seen what we could do to that station. Can you get us in there?"

[Teagan Creig]

Teagan, her gula unsaddled and let to graze in the corral with the rest of the animals, sauntered her way over as nonchalantly as she could manage. She had so many questions for Lok, and a few for Dan, but she knew that now was Brody's time to explain the way of things here on Duravant now - how they'd changed since Mr. Dan had last been here.

With her rifle still slung over one shoulder, she managed to wipe most of the black paint from her face.

"You had a whole ship against the station up top," she started up in a half-grumble, "... down here we ain't got nothin' like that."

[General Dan]

"Sure we do."

Dan's features softened into a smile.

"This is our land. We were born and raised here. We know every fold of rock. Every crag. The Imperials, it's just another planet to them. They've got to read a map to get to Holdout's Canyon. They don't know this place, don't respect it, like we do."

[Teagan Creig]

Still looking a little unconvinced, Teagan set to rubbing at the last bits of paint still on the edges of her face. She looked at Lok from the corners of her eyes before letting out a sigh, scrunching up her face, and looking upwards to Chiltan. Would he help Mr. Dan and Lok?

[s'Il]

She felt, once more, like an outsider. Amidst all of these people who called Duravant home, s'Il accepted that she was not 'one of them', so to speak. But, she stood fast at Dan's side, angling her head to look at the gathered children - some in their late teens, and others as young as eight.

Her eye returned to Brody, her voice smooth.

"Let us help you."

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody considered Dan's and s'Il's words as he squatted down at the ground, tracing the edge of his knife along the dirt in aimless loops, lost in his thoughts.

"They used to mine nova crystals down along that ridge. Runs up against the side of that camp. Imperials got the low-down that they filled in the spent mine, but it didn't take. Main service tunnel washed out of filler."

He looked to s'Il. She was the only one it needed explaining to.

"Ain't stable. Ain't safe. So much as sneeze in there and you're just as liable to bring the ridge down on your head."

He bit on his lip a bit.

"But, I've done the recon myself. Me and Teagan both did it. She's the lightest on her feet. We had to know, just in case we had to use it."

Spitting on the ground, he continued.

"They brought down some Imperial shuttles. Couldn't really tell you how many they got in the camp. Best guess from what we can see on the lookouts is about fifty help, two dozen guard. They know we're here, but they don't care to patrol beyond a click of the camp. We made examples out of the ones that do."

[s'Il]

She listened patiently as Brody explained the particulars, knowing that she was so far less acquainted with the terrain than anyone else here. If this truly was the only way to gain entrance to the camp, its' dangers would have to be braved. She could suspect the risk involved to be high, as was being so blatantly said, but other options weren't available.

The Lupine nodded as she pondered this.

"It can be done," she spoke mostly to herself than to anyone else.

The amount of security Brody was speaking of seemed somewhat small, if what they were here for were the Healing Crystals. She suspected that there were more; just unseen. But this she said nothing of.

Finally, she looked to Dan.

"We'll have to be unseen."

Which meant in as many words that they would be better served to simply watch. Attacking the camp now would only serve to bring more Imperials to Duravant, and she knew well enough that if Dan wished the Empire gone, they had to glean as much knowledge as they could from this endeavor before putting their swords to the grindstone.

[General Dan]

"I know the shaft you're talking about. I figure there, we probably could only afford four, maybe five people in."

He looked to s'Il.

"I trust your stealth about as much as anything. If we get you inside, think you could mark out whatever the Empire's on the planet for?"

[s'Il]

s'Il gave a nod, folding her hands together. It would not be too difficult to do as Dan had asked, and she knew that her own talents would be sufficient for the task.

Though, they already knew what the Empire was here for; now it was simply a matter of finding their prize and taking it. For now, these young soldiers and fighters needn't concern themselves with the particulars; the truth would become known in the future, and despite the fact that Brody had already outed her as a Jedi, s'Il wished to keep as much information as she could quiet. For now at least.

"It would be no hardship," she voiced.

[Brody Chiltan]

"No hardship, huh?"

Brody gave her a strange expression, and looked to Teagan.

"Best we leave within the hour. We should take advantage of the night cover to get us close. If you need it, we got water and food, but hustle up about it.

Teagan, you come along too."

[Teagan Creig]

The girl gave a broad smile at being included in this outing, and puffing her chest up just a little more, she stepped forward, reaching out to take Lok by the hand.

"Come on," she started, pulling Lok along with her.

"Let's get some food before we gotta leave. We'll need it."

[s'Il]

She gave a slight pained expression at Brody's words; that Teagan would be accompanying them. She would've rather the girl stay here, in relative safety. But, Teagan's hold and insistance on eating gave her enough pause to be pulled away, her eye going up from the youngster to Dan.

A befuddled look crossed her features, and she gave a resigned shrug.

"You heard the girl."

[General Dan]

"Can't argue that. Beats starship rations at least."

They moved back to the fire, and the pit dug alongside it. Buried in the ground, and just uncovered amid a bed of glowing coals was half a barrel, cut lengthwise, with a damp heavy cloth covering. It was an old traditional cooking style, used by the deep-wilderness trackers to slow-cook their meals when they couldn't be bothered to stoke a fire in one place. The pit contained a whole boar, and assorted vegetables they'd managed to scrounge or steal.

"Reminds me of old times."

Brody stood alongside Dan, handing him the knife. It was an expectation for him, as the elder, to carve the beast. Dan obliged him. These youngsters needed something of home to hold onto.

Dan stooped down, making a series of precise cuts, allowing fork-tender meat and vegetables to be scooped into waiting steel pots, or whatever the fighters had near them to hold food.

[s'Il]

s'Il watched with a sort of rapt fascination. She watched each swift stroke that Dan made, cutting with precision. He seemed so at home, and the Lupine marveled at this new side of him she was being allowed to see. So used to the sombre, serious sid eof him had she become that this... this was like watching a stranger before her. She found herself smiling.

As each youngster presented their scrounged plates and bowls for him, s'Il lowered herself to a crouch, her hand still in Teagan's. She gave a squeeze.

"You've grown up," she whispered, her eyes - the fire reflecting in them - still on Dan.

[Teagan Creig]

Teagan smiled at that, and squeezed Lok's hand back while moving a little closer to lean against the older woman.

"I think 'bout you all th' time."

A hand reached up to pull a metal pendant from beneath her shirt.

"Still have th' necklace you gave me, too."

[Brody Chiltan]

"Well it ain't. Not exactly."

Brody looked at Dan as the other fighters huddled around to get their share.

"Won't be put right for a long time. Even well after the Empire's gone from here. They stole something about this place from us."

[s'Il]

Smiling, the Lupine carefully reached out to run a finger over the metal pendant slung around Teagan's neck. Her eye seemed to smile as well, and she gave the girl a light pat to the cheek before turning to look up at Brody. She'd caught his last words, and they made her features fall somewhat.

For someone still so young, to hear the anger and bitterness in his voice almost painful to listen to.

Then again, the realization that she, too, had until so very recently been much the same, hit rather hard. s'Il blinked.

[General Dan]

Dan nodded in reluctant agreement.

"That's true. I hope whatever we do to settle that, we do right by all our friends and family."

He looked to Brody, carving some meat for the young guerrilla fighter.

"Passed by a lot of familiar old faces to get to you. Lot of scared folks. Scared for themselves, sure, but scared for the bigger picture. We're not gonna get a second shot at doing this right."

[Teagan Creig]

With a handful of meat, Teagan crouched low, nibbling here and there while listening. Swallowing, she reached unclasped the leather strap holding her knife in its' sheath at her side, pulling it out to spear half a potato.

"Festival was today," she mumbled while holding up the steaming vegetable, staring at it with a disinterested gaze.

"... don't get to go to it anymore though."

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody nodded, and looked away into the distance.

"The Rebellion, are they coming here to fight?"

He looked at Dan, wanting to hear something, but not sure exactly what.

"I mean, you're here, but I know why you're here. What I mean is, I want to make sure somebody's got a dog in this fight beyond just us. Wanna make sure somebody has our back. It's the loneliest feeling out here, felt like forever that we were the only ones doing a damn thing."

[s'Il]

Still crouched down, s'Il rested her elbows on her knees, hands lacing together as she angled her head to look at Brody. She could understand the boy's feelings despite never once entertaining them herself.

"The Empire will not be returning to Duravant once we're done here."

It was said with such finality that there was little if any room for doubt.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody could read between the lines. The Rebellion, it seemed, was every bit in an uphill run as they were down here.

"Well, then I guess we'd better make it count."

Another fighter came by with a jug, which everybody held out their canteens for.

"Get water with your chow. We're out of here in fifteen."

[General Dan]

Dan accepted the water, careful to top off without spillage. This wasn't the must lush sort of countryside, and water took effort to come by. He tilted his canteen to his lips, drinking even though he wasn't thirsty. You always had to.

Not wasting any more vital chow time with re-stating the obvious, Dan tucked into his food. It was like so many trips he'd used to take into the deep steppe, but this was different.

[s'Il]

Teagan hefted her plate up, offering to share, and s'Il gave a smile, reaching over to pull a strip of meat off a larger piece. A brief inspection, and the Lupine gave a tentative sniff, then taste.

There was a flavor to it that was so wholly different than the rations she'd grudgingly become used to. It was wonderful; tasted like food was supposed to taste. For too long now she'd been unable to change... well, change and stretch her legs.

In whatever privacy she could manage on the worlds they'd spent time on, she'd spent a few hours here and there in her second form, but it was never enough to sate the hunger... the desire... to simply run and run. To hunt, to consume, to be free.

It was a sacrifice that she made to be with the Rebellion. On the far too few trip to Schwartzweld she had been able to stretch her legs, but it was not anything that happened with any sort of regularity.

And so, her shared meal was delightful, and as Teagan whispered something into her ear, s'Il gave a chuckle, looking sidelong at Dan, her eye dancing.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody ate silently, watching far off in the distance. Not looking at anything in particular, but as if he could see into the future, and the battle he knew waited for them.

"I want to come with you, when this is over."

[s'Il]

Wiping her hands on her worn fatigues, s'Il swallowed the last bit of her hurried dinner, her gaze going to Brody. His declaration wasn't surprising, but it was somewhat unexpected.

"If that's what you want."

She wasn't about to argue with the boy.

[General Dan]

Dan was a harder sell.

"Think about it before you're quick to jump in. You're a leader sure as I've ever seen, but you need to go where you're needed most."

Taking another bite, he swallowed.

"We aren't turning fighters away, if that's what you're asking. All I ask is that you don't jump into that choice."

[s'Il]

She knew that Dan was correct, and that coming from him the answer that Brody would be getting would be easier to take. She was the outsider after all, the stranger. She had a distinct feeling that despite the fact that she was a Jedi, she was still to be regarded with caution and a small bit of apprehension.

Teagan meanwhile had also finished her meal, and was thirstily gulping down her water, wiping at her mouth with a swipe of her forearm.

What lay ahead of them only the Force knew, but the Lupine found herself ready to meet their obstacles head-on. She had new life within her, and for the first time in a long while she felt truly replenished.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody remained silent on that, content to finish his food in contemplation. There wasn't much to say to that until his mind was made up.

Finishing quickly as he'd learned to do, Brody quaffed deeply from his canteen, screwing the cap back on as he rose to his feet. He was ready.

[s'Il]

s'Il too had risen to her feet, and as Teagan scrambled off to Force knew where for something or other, the Lupine moved to stand beside Dan. She could feel eyes on her, young eyes with renewed hope. It was a daunting feeling to say the least, and she bit her lip.

"Can I talk to you," she spoke quietly, adding "... in private."

[General Dan]

Dan looked to her and spoke discretely.

"Just for a moment. We're pulling up stakes soon, looks like."

He took a few steps along with her, speaking out of earshot of the others.

"What's on your mind?"

[s'Il]

Her worry was one that had risen with Brody's request, and gritting her teeth, the Jedi looked into the distance momentarily.

"What will we do if the rest wish to follow us? Or even some of them?"

Now s'Il turned her gaze upwards to lock eyes with him.

"They're still children."

[General Dan]

"Brody's old enough at this point to make his own choices. I've seen plenty of young men his age face that question, and I'd be a hypocrite to deny him that on the basis that it hits close to home."

He paused, a frown crossing his face.

"I honestly don't know about the others. Some are old enough to face that choice like Brody. Others, like Teagan...I can only hope there's something of the thought of peace that keeps them here."

[s'Il]

A nod, and she reached up to give a single absent tug on his sleeve out of sheer nervousness.

"I hope you are right."

Another few moments of silence, and the Lupine pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself for the task to come. She put on a brave face, and a careful - if not tired - smile.

"We should go."

[Brody Chiltan]

"Saddle up!"

Brody looked to the small scout group, and nodded.

"I'm on point. Teagan, follow up the rear and cover the flank. The Empire ain't likely to see us coming in, but I don't want to take chances. We got one shot at this."

With that, the group set out for the garrison, taking a slow and carefull approach.

[s'Il]

The night ride was an uneventful one, and s'Il rode in silence, watching the small group around her. Brody said hardly a word, and when he did it was usually a quiet, clipped remark to one of his underlings. Teagan likewise was silent, the girl obviously familiar with her task as she kept a constant sweep of the land around them.

The closer to the garrison they drew, the more the Lupine found herself tilting her head upward, testing the air. It had been faint at first, and she'd not allowed herself to become overly anxious, but with each step their gulas took, it was undeniable.

Again, those feelings of wonder; of goodwill and peace trickled over her. Slow at first, but soon gaining strength. Her heart quickened, and she closed her eyes.

She gave a whisper to Dan, who rode beside her.

"I feel it... "

[General Dan]

Dan nodded.

"At least we won't have any trouble finding it when we get in there."

They rode onwards, skirting the garrison's outskirts to head to the roundabout location of the ridge they intended to approach from. In the far distance, a shuttle took off, heading to escape velocity in the direction away from them.

"Wonder where they're headed off to?"

It was a rhetorical question mainly.

[s'Il]

Blinking slowly, s'Il watched as the shuttle ascended higher, disappearing in a matter of seconds. Dan's question made her wonder certainly, and brow knitting in thought, she looked back forward, her eye trying to pick along the path that Brody led them along.

Once more her mind soaked up the aura emanating from the encampment, and s'Il drank in every bit of it that she could. Her nostrils flared, her chest swelling with each deep breath she took, and her hands involuntarily clenched the reigns tighter.

The closer they got, the stronger it became, and if she was not careful, the Jedi would find herself so utterly distracted that she'd be useless.

A furtive glance to Dan, as she suddenly wished that he too could feel what she did; share in its' beauty, and perhaps even help to keep her grounded amidst her own thoughts.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody cast the Jedi a strange expression.

"Master Jedi, if you've got wind of something I ain't, I'd appreciate knowing about it before we're on top of it."

They continued forward, at last arriving to the covered-over entrance to the mine.

[s'Il]

s'Il gave Brody an odd look, but merely shook her head at his question.

"Nothing that is of any concern yet."

As they approached the mine's entrance, she went on.

"But please, I am no 'Master Jedi'."

[General Dan]

Dan gave a smile smile at that. It was just well-ingrained rural respect, nothing more.

"Alright, we're here."

He approached slowly, easing the barricade away from the entrance. From their vantage, they were hidden from the base itself, but if the Empire had patrols...

"Let's get this clear, and see what we can do inside."

[s'Il]

Dismounting, s'Il gave a light pat to the gula's neck, watching as Dan and Brody set to work. This was their playing field, and while she was willing to play the listener for Dan, she was hesitant to impose herself too much.

Teagan, too, had dismounted, and s'Il held the reigns of the girl's gula so the youngster could dart forward, eager to lend a hand.

For the young Jedi's part, her task would begin once they were inside.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody gave a good heave, tearing the covering to the passage free with a groan of weathered boards. He paused momentarily, looking about to see if anything was within sight. When he spoke, it was hushed.

"We gotta go single file in here, good and slow. It closes up real tight so I hope you ain't claustrophobic."

Activating a portable spotlamp so that the beam illumitated the interior, Brody took a few tentative steps inside.

"As long as it hasn't had a wash out in here, we should still have a clear shot to the camp"

[s'Il]

Stepping forward, s'Il moved past Dan to follow Brody into the opening. She stepped carefully, mindful to disturb nothing around her for the worry that it would cause something more substantial; like a cave-in as Brody had mentioned previously. A cautious hand reached out to fell the earthen, hard-packed walls, broken by solid rock here and there.

Her eyes adjusted well to the darkness in the narrow passageway, though the spotlamp made her wince every once in a while as Brody swept it in a slow pattern ahead of them.

[Teagan Creig]

Their gulas hidden and tethered, Teagan hopped nimbly over rock and brush, coming to the mouth of the narrow cave just as Dan ducked inside.

Hitching her belt up, the girl shouldered her rifle before pulling out a weather-beaten handblaster. She gave a last sweep behind them, then darted inside after Dan, her weapon at the ready as she kept a constant watch over their rear flank.

It was more than obvious that she was well accustomed to this ritual.

[General Dan]

"Should be maybe half a kilometer to the other side, give or take."

Dan spoke low, keeping his eyes trained forward as Brody sparked illumination for them to walk by. The confines of the tunnel were claustrophobia-inducing, and Dan made sure to breathe evenly as they progressed. Fortunately the air was cool, and moved with a gentle breeze.

[s'Il]

Following carefully, s'Il was mindful of any amount of sound she made, as well as that of her companions. The deeper into the tunnel they went the quieter everything seemed to get, and soon enough the only sounds were their own soft breathing. It was enough to make one feel well and truly alone, and the farther they traveled the more solitary it felt.

Though she could still feel the steady call of the Healing Crystals, the Lupine could not help but also feel the crushing loneliness that was brought about by her surroundings.

Blindly, in the dark, she reached behind her to grasp at Dan's hand and gripped it strongly, mostly in reassurance to herself that she was not alone.

[Brody Chiltan]

Frequently the group had to pause, stoop to hands and knees, and at one point, to their bellies to pass through the meandering clearance. Brody paused at a few sections, making note of some thick sections of wood that had been jimmied into the substrate in an ad hoc fashion to keep the passage from falling in on itself. He seemed about as assured as anyone could be of their integrity, which was to say that he acknowledged that he wasn't dead yet.

The clearance widened a bit, but the spotlamp could see another narrow necking-down point about 50 meters ahead. Brody held up a hand in a command to pause, and slowly hid his lamp under part of his jacket. A sliver of illumination which couldn't be seen before, was framing the crevace in pale blue light.

"We're near the mouth."

Brody whispered, almost impossible to hear. He set the spotlamp down where he stood. He could see the crevace from here, and beyond this point, the light would be a hinderance.

[Teagan Creig]

From her spot in the rear, Teagan took a quick moment to peer past Mr. Dan and Lok, her sharp eyes taking in what lay before them. It was a familiar enough sight, as she and Brody had been down here before, mapping out all possible ways in and out of the Imperial's base camp. At the time she'd thought it'd been a little overkill, but now it seemed their hard work was paying off.

Of course, her glance was quick, and in almost no time at all her focus was turned back to the way they'd crept in, her blaster unwavering from where she swept it behind their position.

[General Dan]

Dan put his hand at s'Il's shoulder.

"Let's get close enough for a look."

He looked to Brody, who gave a stern-jawed nod in the dim light, deferring to the two offworlders.

"We can cover you if things go south, but I want to be sure you can get in there."

[s'Il]

She needed no other bidding, and the moment Brody had finished speaking s'Il slid past him fluidly. Her senses were focused on what lay ahead of them, and she moved with careful grace, slow enough so that Dan could keep behind her with ease. The air smelled... close... not something that was unbearable, but the Lupine certainly did not find it pleasant either. She made no sound, and out of instinct one hand went to her belt, gripping the lightsabre hilt clipped on it.

With her free hand, she held it to the rock wall, using the earth as a channel to help her divine the location of their target. Every so often she would stop, her eyes closing as she felt outward with the Force, expanding her consciousness in search of where the Healing Crystals might be. Each hesitation lasted only moments before she was once again putting one foot in front of the other, making her way onward.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody tightened the grip on his rifle as he edged forward to press against rock that would shield him from the passageway's aperture. From here, he'd be able to get a line of sight on at least the initial way out. Beyond that, it was the Jedi and the force.

[s'Il]

There was puzzlement etching lines into her brow, and the Lupine turned to give a confused look to Dan.

"It's moving - being moved... "

Her mouth opened and closed as she found herself unsure of how to explain, and her hand shifted on the rough-hewn wall.

"It's going deeper; being taken further down. Into the earth."

s'Il gave a scowl.

"I don't understand," she finally hissed out through clenched teeth.

[General Dan]

Dan looked to the ground, thinking about what she said.

"That doesn't make any sense, unless..."

Slowly, he looked back up.

"Unless this isn't an excavation site at all."

[s'Il]

She blinked in the near darkness, locking her eyes with his.

"You don't think... "

It didn't need to be said what the both of them were thinking, and she left it as such. Instead, her next words were spoken low so that only Dan could hear.

"Why would they hide them... ?"

[General Dan]

"Artifacts like that would be valuable, yes?"

Dan's mind ran with the premise.

"It makes sense that the Emperor would warehouse items like that. Purse world aren't an uncommon thing. The Neimoidians have kept far larger caches for generations."

He looked to her.

"It's difficult to steal a thing if you don't know where to look to begin with. Nobody would ever think to come for lost Jedi artifacts in a place like this."

[s'Il]

The farther they moved away from Brody and Teagan, the more visibly agitated she became. Not for the separation, but rather her mind working over Dan's summation. It made sense, but it still worried her.

"We should allow them to finish."

She saw the look on his face, and went on before he could get a word in edgewise.

"They do not know we are here; we can use that to our advantage."

[Brody Chiltan]

"If they finish and slag that hole up or harden their safehouse, we may not get a second chance."

Out of sight, Brody scowled as he leaned against the rough hewn stone wall.

"We're a poor substitute for an army, Master Jedi. We can't do much heavy lifting if you need that."

[s'Il]

Again with the 'Master Jedi'. It made her bite her lip while rubbing a hand over her eyes. Fingertips traveled down the scar that seemed to cut her right eye in two.

"We will wait until their task is nearly complete, then make our move."

She hesitated to elaborate further with Chiltan. What she had planned would be shared with Dan, and Dan only.

[Teagan Creig]

"Me an' Jesh overheard some of the guards last night say they was gonna be done in three days."

From her spot bringing up the rear, Teagan chimed in quietly, mindful to keep her attention mostly on their exit route.

"That long 'nough t'make your plans?"

[General Dan]

"I'm inclined to agree with young Brody, unless you've got a better idea."

Dan grimaced as he caught what little view of the outside that he could.

"We could leave and bring back Novgorod, but that would risk having us found out again if we don't know who leaked our last mission."

[s'Il]

"No," she shook her head.

"There's no need to leave Duravant."

Her eye followed Dan's line of sight, and she lost herself for a scant few moments, fingernails scraping lightly on the rock as she felt the call of the crystals.

"But it would be a good idea to send a message to General Brecklin."

As if snapping out of her daze, the Lupine looked back to Dan.

"You can do that, right? Somehow use their own signals as a mask without them knowing?"

[General Dan]

Slowly, he nodded.

"Something like that, give or take. HoloNet's airtight as long as you know sigints and sigouts. I made sure to pre-arrange a comm with the General before we left."

He arched an eyebrow.

"We still would have to get to a terminal."

[s'Il]

She seemed to think on his words, and after a few short moments nodded. Her gaze went to Chiltan and Teagan.

"You two go back - get the gulas ready in case we need to make a less than silent exit."

She didn't even wait for a reply before turning back to peer ahead.

"You," an offhand nudge to Dan's arm with the knife edge of her hand.

"Come with me."

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody parted his jacket to reveal a metal sphere clipped to the inside.

"If they aim on comin' after us, it's gonna be a bit hard if they come this way."

He reluctantly nodded.

"Teagan, let's get on then."

[s'Il]

She could both hear and feel the two make their way back to the entrance that they'd all used, but her mind - her focused thoughts - were sent ahead of her. She could feel the crystals; they called to her, begged to be released from the prison in which they were to be locked away.

She frowned, starting forward at a careful pace.

"We will find a terminal," she finally half-gruffed to Dan.

[General Dan]

"Easy."

Dan frowned, urging her to stay put before going out into the open.

"We need to think this through. I trust us in here more than anyone, but that doesn't mean we can just beeline it like we own this place."

Dan quickly assessed the situation, looking for patrol routes, any detection grids, or things that could compromise their position and make surviving difficult.

"There's a refuse bin to the north, about 15 meters. It's our closest cover. Wait for the guard tower's light to pass."

[Meiers Brecklin]

* * *

"Kes!"

The barked command told the red-head enough. The General was getting impatient, but you simply couldn't rush a recently repaired hyperdrive. Kes swiveled in his seat to look back at General Brecklin.

"Still got at the very least forty-five minutes, Sir."

Brecklin glowered, but said nothing. He sat in the command chair of the Novgorod, looking over the newly repaired bridge with a small amount of grudging approval. His men had worked as fast as they were able, and the moment the ship had been cleared for flight he'd taken the crew and a small portion of his own staff, heading for Duravant at best speed.

He knew that Dan would need help, even if the other man didn't know - or even admit it.

Dour-faced, Brecklin stared at the starlines in the viewport.

"Push her harder," he growled.

Kes pursed his lips, frowned, then turned back to his station.

"Aye, Sir."

[s'Il]

* * *


They'd made their way cautiously, mindful of the spotlights sweeping over the grounds and clonetrooper patrols marching along and throughout. s'Il, with the exception of her first near folly of simply rushing from cover, remained mindful of Dan's words and orders. She obeyed, watched, listened, and tested the air at his ever request. Her understanding of this encampment seemed to grow with each passing minute, the true nature of what the Emperor wished to do here becoming apparent.

Crouched in the doorway of an empty transfers station, the Lupine kept her body tense. She held in her hand a blaster, knowing that it would be dangerous to use her sabre - it would only work to out her as a Jedi should she have to use it.

Dan was beside her, ever-observant, and with a healthy amount of caution she rose up to stand, her shoulders hunched as she placed her hand over the entrance keypad.

Her eyes closed as she searched... searched for the code that would allow them entrance.

[General Dan]

Dan crouched behind her, back facing the Lupine as he scoured the camp around them. His blaster was in hand, ready for anything that would potentially out their position inside the enemy camp.

"How much longer? We can't stay here."

He eyed the light from the guard tower, still off in the distance, but it could close on them at any moment.

[s'Il]

The pins seemed to tumble in place, and as if in a daze, the Lupine let her fingers traverse the keypad with smooth, almost practised ease as if she'd keyed in the entry code so many times before.

The small red indicator light over the pad blinked green, and the door slid open to allow her a view of the darkened interior.

She gave an easy smile.

"In."

There was no one inside - she could sense that much at least - and stepping forward into the darkened interior, the Lupine tapped his shoulder with her free hand, her finger curling inward to take a hold of the fabric of his shirt and pulling him up from his crouch and inward, With her.

[General Dan]

With a curt demand like that, what room for debate was there? Dan went along, partly to keep her from pulling the shirt off his back.

"Where are we?"

His eyes still not adjusted to the dark, he stayed put for a moment, curious what was inside this building.

[s'Il]

"A relay building, best I could tell."

The door had closed behind them, but her eye had already adjusted for the darkness, her pupil having expanded wide enough to give the appearance of circles of coal floating in the whites of her eye. She blinked, looking at Dan with a small bit of confusion before remembering that his own sight wasn't quite so versatile as her own.

"We're alone, but I don't know for how long."

Her head turned to look further inward.

"There should be a set of comm terminals in the back. You can use those."

[General Dan]

The faintest outlines of darkened surroundings began to appear, and Dan nodded.

"Right."

They moved forward tentatively, and it became a bit easier to see as they moved ahead. Finally, Dan got his bearings, heading straight down a row of computer terminals, recognizing the one he'd need to use.

"Alright, here we go."

Carefully, Dan switched the terminal on, and began to punch through the protocols that he could use to slip a hidden message through HoloNet. There was a 50-50 chance the comm he was using wouldn't already be on the Imperial commset. No way to know but to try. With a line that might be compromised, Dan took care, sending a code word only General Brecklin would know.

In effect, it meant to send the cavalry.

[s'Il]

In silence she watched him, her gaze flitting from his turned back to the closed door they'd come through. From her vantage, she could see the length of the narrow corridor that ran from the entrance to the back room they were in.

She absently lifted a hand to swipe an errant strand of hair from her eyes, pulling an odd face. She could still hear the call of the crystals, faint as they were. They sang to her, lulling her mind into a state of tranquility and peace that she'd not known for a very long time.

"I wish you could hear what I hear," she finally whispered, moving to stand at the threshold, her gaze still on the entryway at the front of the building.

[General Dan]

"I wish I could too."

Dan watched her, meaning the words he said. Anything he could hold onto to alleviate feelings of unease he had, being this deep in the Imperials' defenses without a real endgame. His trust was fully invested in s'Ilancy.

"Assuming the General gets the message without interception, he should be on our position in ten minutes. That is, assuming the hyperdrive is up to snuff.

What now?"

[s'Il]

For the barest of moments, her eyes widened before narrowing to slits. Her nostrils flared and her entire body pulled itself into a knot of tension before scrambling into action.

With one hand she reached out, grabbing Dan by the sleeve of his shirt - her fingers closed around his arm in a hold that left no room for argument.

"Back - "

She pulled him with her, out of the doorway they stood in and to the side, into the dark.

She said nothing, her silence order enough as the front doorway, down the length of the corridor, hissed open.

[General Dan]

Dan moved as she commanded, pressing against the wall as an Imperial officer entered the comm station. He activated the lights once inside, walking listlessly down the row of terminals, looking for one particular one to sit down at. Keying up his access code, he began working, stifling a yawn as he set about whatever task was at hand.

Dan, shrouded in the alcove they both stood in, looked to s'Il with a grim face, clutching his blaster in his hand. They couldn't stay here forever.

[s'Il]

Her features wore the picture opposite of his. For as hardset as the lines in his face were, s'Il could feel as her body released itself from its' sudden tense state. He face softened, though her body remained ready.

The officer yawned again, propping his head up with a hand.

In the darkness of their hidden corner, the Lupine stretched an arm out, her fingers fanning out and to the side as reached out through the ether to the man whose back was to them. He slumped a little more, his shoulders sagging as an unnatural exhaustion swept through his body.

Minutes later, and the only sound to be heard was the soft, rhythmic breathing of sleep.

Unseen, s'Il gave a smile before turning briefly to look at Dan from over her shoulder. A gesture to the door, and she pushed away from the wall, moving silently past the slumbering Imperial.

[General Dan]

"You're something else."

He gave a begrudging smile at the Jedi's unorthodox technique, as they both headed for the exit.

"Now, I suppose we make a break for the tunnel again. Mind telling me what you've got up your sleeve?"

[s'Il]

Still within the confines of the building, s'Il let her eye wander, half-listening to Dan while... looking. The shelves lining the inner walls were full of a clutter of electrical gadgets and other devices that were beyond her knowledge, but the Lupine seemed to be looking - searching - for something in particular.

It was a feeling really; nothing so guided as actual knowledge, but more instinct that she followed. One hand came up to carefully push aside a few bits of loose wire and various other small pieces of machinery, and furrowing her brow her fingers closed around to small units that had been clipped together.

Pulling them down, she stared at them before pulling them apart - they were identical in every way. She turned a questioning look to Dan, all but ignoring his question for the time being, and holding one of the devices up for his inspection.

Her question was whispered.

"What is this."

Whatever it was, she had been drawn to it by the Force, and though she might've been at a loos as to what it was, she knew that Dan would know.

[General Dan]

"Life force readers."

Dan inspected them, not sure exactly why, of all things, she sought these out.

"Hikers and explorers use them mostly. Two people split a pair, each wearing one. The beacons detect vitals of the other wearer."

He shrugged.

"Probably something they use for scout missions."

[s'Il]

"Oh."

She looked at the two devices, and biting her lip, the Lupine held one out to him.

"Seems like it may be useful."

He looked as if to hesitate, and s'Il pushed it into his free hand.

"You never know," she soothed before he could object. A free hand came up to run along the side of his face, and she looked up at him, locking her eyes with his for the briefest of moments before turning about to depress the button that would open the door.

[General Dan]

"Aren't you Jedi supposed to know this without one of these sorts of things?"

He quipped, reluctantly sliding it on. The sensor lit up, signaling that, yes in fact, s'Il was alive and standing right next to him.

He smiled at her, knowing that they still weren't out of this yet.

"Chivalry defers to the Jedi. Ladies first. I'll cover you."

[s'Il]

Half-ignoring his last words, s'Il carefully leaned forward, barely out of the doorway while lifting her head up to test the air. She took in the scents from the outside, picking apart each one and ordering by importance. She could smell some sort of animal being cooked far off, much like their previous meal had been, and it elicited a slight heph from her lips. The smells of oil, grease, rust, and general grime could be detected as well - these she did her best to disregard.

Her gaze tracked to the light from one of the many guard towers, sweeping about the premises smoothly; it was moving away from their position.

"We are safe to leave," she whispered quickly while slipping back outside, careful to keep her body close to the structure's wall.

[General Dan]

"I'm right behind you then."

They chased the ground, low and careful, retracing their steps back the way we came, more or less. A few pauses in key places let the searchlight pass where it needed to, and they at last reached the fissure in the ridge which would lead them back to the filled-in tunnel.

"Heh, that was easier than I thought."

Dan looked at s'Il, his eyes again straining to adapt to the change in light. This time, he activated a lamp, and in the obscurity of the tunnel they could use it to reach the other side.

"Remember, careful and slow."

[s'Il]

"Careful and - " her quiet voice, repeating his words, cut off as s'Il ground to a halt, freezing where she stood. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as if electrified, and the Lupine ticked her ears back ever so slightly, her head angling to the side as if she'd heard something.

Dan too had stopped, and she felt his eyes on her, questioning, expectant, unsure.

And slowly, with cautious, calculated movement, s'Il turned on her heel. Her eye scanned the interior landscape of the encampment, going over scrub bush, building, neatly stacked crates, another building, the towers in the distance with their sweeping lights, excavation equipment of all types, and finally, as her gaze came to rest directly behind them the Lupine felt her heart stop.

Fifty yards away, in the midst of pulling on a lit stim, stood an Imperial officer.

And he was staring at them.

[General Dan]

Dan quickly snapped his blaster up, sending a shot into the night that clipped the officer in the shoulder, spinning him to the ground in a puff of smoke and sparks.

"Go!"

The distance to the tunnel, what once seemed just a careful stroll away, now seemed oppressively far. But they had no choice. As the light from the tower tracked to the Imperial officer, Dan pulled s'Il along by the arm, dashing straight ahead.

[s'Il]

Dragged with him, s'Il took only a few moments before regaining her sense and her speed. She could hear the beginnings of the general alarm being sounded, and in a surge of adrenaline the Lupine burst ahead. Dan's grip on her arm slipped, and with quickness she closed her fingers around his.

Now she was the one pulling him, her muscles straining to propel the both of them onward.

The sound of booted feet giving chase reached her ears, and the Jedi ground her teeth as small pockets of dirt and sand erupted around them. A quick glance back only showed her what she already knew - dozens of clonetroopers were pouring out of almost every building, their blaster rifles letting loose a wild barrage of fire at the two Rebels.

The spotlight was moving quickly, tracking its' way to them, and as its' illuminating beam washed over them, s'Il gave a cry. She stumbled, letting go of Dan to bring both hands up, trying to protect her eyes from the sudden brightness that had momentarily blinded her.

[General Dan]

Dan squinted his eyes at the light, and peppered its general direction with a half dozen blaster shots as he continued forward. Fortunately, one of them hit the actual spotlamp, causing it to explode into a shower of sparks. Momentarily disoriented by the changing light, Dan blinked, turning again to the general direction they had to go, and pulled s'Il along.

"We've got to hurry!"

[s'Il]

Once more plunged into the dark, her eyes ended their stinging protest. And again she was pulled by Dan. A blaster shot pinged the dirt close enough to make her swerve, crushing against Dan as they fled.

By now the alarm was all that she could hear, its' wailing calling to arms any and all in the camp. Clonetroopers, officers, and technicians alike flooded out into the open. Orders were yelled, angry commands to kill the intruders that all blended into a cacophony of human voices - like some frantic symphony, everything assaulted the Lupine with particular force. And then, the call of the Crystals overshadowed even the outside sounds that her ears were subject to.

The tunnel's opening was getting closer, but the Crystals were becoming louder; calling, begging, crying out to her.

And in that split second she acted.

"Get out of here!"

Tearing away from Dan, s'Il used her forceful extraction to further push him along, the Force aiding in her action and nearly throwing him to the opening. She veered off to the side, her new path taking her in the direction of a side building that rested over a secondary entrance that would lead her down. Down into the ground. Down into the dig site. The closer she got, the louder the Crystals called.

[General Dan]

"Lok, what in seven hells are you doing???"

She pushed Dan into the fissure, and he attempted to dash out and go after her. He knew in an instant that it was too late, and with anguish on his face, he pushed on ahead.

Why did she go alone? As Dan made his way back through the passage, he linked up with Brody and Teagan. It was written on his face that s'Il wasn't coming.

"Give me the det, Brody."

Dan held out his hand for the thermal detonator, which the younger militant reluctantly obliged.

"You two ride on out of here. I'll wait. If I have to blow the tunnel, I'll do it."

[Teagan Creig]

There was disbelief in Teagan's expression, and she remained rooted to where she stood. Brody could leave if he wanted, but she was staying right here. She gave a sniff, and her blasters were in hand out of sheer reaction. Loklorien had to come back, there was no arguing. A small, obstinate, and very angry girl glared up at Dan.

"I'm staying with you."

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody looked to Teagan and gave a stern nod, tapping the buttstock of his rifle.

"That makes two of us, sir."

[s'Il]

* * *

She had crashed through the door of the small building, and momentarily shielded from the blasts fired in her direction, s'Il shook her head to regain her bearings as she hurriedly moved forward to the underground entrance.

She could still hear the pounding of feet fast approaching, but s'Il did her best to ignore them as she focused on the Crystals. They very nearly wailed at her - like they knew that she was coming.

One last look to the doorway, and the Jedi darted down into the hole, her nimble hop taking her downwards into inky blackness.

[General Dan]

Dan clutched his blaster in one hand, the thermal in the other one.

"You two, keep back then. I don't intend on letting anything through here that isn't Lok."

He kept his weapon trained on the aperture, hoping that if anything did come his way, it would be an isolated trooper or two. Closing this route seemed to be a death sentence for his friend.

[Teagan Creig]

Teagan was quick to raise her own weapon, the aged and oft-used rifle that had become a constant thing hefted over one shoulder was leveled at the opening. Her feet shifted in the dirt, stance widening as she prepared herself. She'd grown up since the last time she'd seen Mr. Dan.

For the first minute they heard nothing, then the faintest of footfalls grew louder until it was more than obvious Mr. Dan had been followed.

"Let's pop us some cans," she whispered.

As the first clonetrooper came into view, the girl tightened her finger on the trigger, sending two rapid shots into the Imperial's chest.

[Brody Chiltan]

Brody held his fire, knowing that if he cut loose at this bottleneck it would be pointless. No, if they were coming this way, they'd have to come single file, and if Teagan didn't tag one, he would.

So far, it was just the one. The smoldering stormtrooper lay half within the tunnel and half outside.

[s'Il]

* * *


Using the amethyst glow of her sabre as a light, s'Il drove onward. The hard-packed dirt ground sloped downward at a gentle enough grade, and she let her stride transition into a lope. She could hear the sounds of pursuit, growing behind her like some beast barreling its' way through the descending tunnel-way, following like a leather-winged demonhound from Weit-Fällt.

Determination set her features into an immobile expression, washed in the light given by her lightsabre. A hand moved moved up, eye going to glance quickly at the device that Dan had said was a life force reader. The small red light that detected the reader worn by Dan was still lit, and she gave an inward sigh of relief.

The Crystals were calling, begging, guiding. She could feel them grow louder and more distinct the further down she went, and it wasn't long before her entire body was beginning to feel a gentle thrum reverberating throughout the system of tunnels carved into the planet.

I'm coming...

[General Dan]

More stormtroopers approached, as Dan and Teagan traded pot-shots from the mouth of the passage. His blaster cartridge spent, Dan discarded the weapon in favor of the dead trooper's blas-tec gun, prying it free in time to stitch a pair of shots up the middle of another trooper.

"This isn't gonna work. We've got to leave."

He hated the words coming out of his mouth, shaking his head as he fell back for cover.

"Get to your mounts! If we don't get out of here, they'll take to the sky and come at us in force. We can't stay!"

[Teagan Creig]

Letting loose another round of shots at the next emerging Imperial, Teagan looked at Dan as though he'd just gut-checked her with the butt of his carbine.

"But... "

Her rifle went off again, and she took a few quick hops back.

"But what about Lok?!"

[Brody Chiltan]

"Dan's right, Teag."

Back flush against the wall, Brody waited for another moment to pop around and take a shot.

"She ain't gonna want us stayin' around and gettin' killed either. I'd trust a Jedi's chances in there a helluva lot more than our chances out here, 'specially since they know we're about."

Still, the very idea of leaving her behind ate at Brody. In the end, he didn't waver from his choice.

"Get to your gula, Teag. Go!"

[s'Il]

* * *


Deep underground, s'Il pushed onwards, her pace quick and steady as she took the inclined tunnels further down. She could still hear the sounds of pursuit not far behind.

Awash in amethyst light, the young Lupine skidded to a halt as the tunnel forked in two. Her chest heaved, and looking from one option to the other, her decision was made for her as the stuttered and sweeping headlamps of reinforcements began to shine from around the bend of the left tunnel.

Darting to the right, s'Il tore headlong forward, boots pounding the rough-hewn dirt floor in a rapid beat. She could feel the air growing thinner the deeper she went, and with a sudden gasp she slid to a shaky halt at the mouth of a cavern that the tunnel opened up into.

Unfortunately, it had also opened up into a ravine, and the Jedi stood panting at the edge, sweat-streaked hair falling in damp strands around her face as she leaned forward to venture a look over the side.

It was deep, and pocked here and there on jutted outcroppings were the mangled remains of mining equipment. No doubt their excavating had torn open the weak fissure that she now stood before, and with a sinking feeling in her gut she realized that this would be nothing but a dead end - the graveyard of countless Imperial miners and the earth-moving beasts they operated.

But, it was the scream of something familiar - something that she had heard so many times before on so many worlds previous - that made her whirl around. It was the sound of death, and wide-eyed for only a moment, the Lupine switched off her sabre and whirled back to surge ahead, toward the ravine's edge.

Pulling the Force into her, s'Il leapt from the precipice as the rocket slammed into the spot she'd only just been standing, exploding on impact and sending a roiling fireball in all directions.

Caught by the outer edge of the blast, the Lupine was thrown past her intended target, overshooting the outcropping that held a sand-slagger to another jagged bit of flat top, this one further down. Rolling across the surface, the Jedi skidded to a halt on her side, eyes closed and lungs pulling deeply from the tepid air around her. Each breath was labored, as a sharp pain stabbed every inhalation without mercy, and with a groan, she knew that at least one, maybe two ribs had been broken. She gripped her sabre reflexively, hoping the action would dispel any amount of the pain she now felt.

The reader she wore chimed softly, and cracking her good eye open, s'Il watched as the second light, for her own vitals, slowly changed to yellow. She hissed a labored breath between her lips, knowing that what she was now seeing, Dan would see as well.

[General Dan]

Dan set the timer on the thermal detonator for ten seconds, hitting the initiation button with a heavy sigh. As he rolled it into the mouth of the passage, he retreated under a heavy fusilade of fire, disappearing into the thin patina of smoke as the detonator went off. In a thunderclap of explosive force and a brief pocket of flame, the passage collapsed in on itself, kicking up a massive amount of shrouding dust.

Only then, with the din of battle out of his ears and sight, did he look down at his beacon. His fight tightened around the grip of the stolen blaster, and he closed his eyes.

What could be done now?

"Teagan, Brody, split up! Keep away from camp. You can't risk the Empire tracking you back there."

He left unsaid what he would do. He still didn't know.

[s'Il]

* * *

Her body felt hot, her skin warming until she fairly radiated heat. Biting her lower lip to keep from crying out, the Lupine kicked out, pushing herself back into the cover of a mangled crane. She rolled over, breathing in agonizing breath after agonizing breath as her body began its' work to heal.

Getting to her knees, s'Il crouched low as spotlamps were shone down into the inky blackness; small rock showers could still be heard intermingled with the sounds of voices, trying to confirm their kill. It was all muted, her ears ringing from the aftershock of the explosion.

s'Il blinked, then turned to the side to spit a small stream of blood onto the rocky outcropping that had saved her life. She only hoped that Dan would keep with Brody and Teagan; until her beacon light blinked out, she was still alive.

And the Crystals were still calling...

The Crystals...

The beam of the spotlamp passed harmlessly over, and s'Il waited until it'd moved on before moving once more to sit, her back against the crane's twisted plating, her eyes closing. Her labored breathing slowed. Her mind reached out. It was a cry for help through the immaterial. The Lupine could see each color of the Force, weaving in and out, trailing all throughout this earth as if to bind it together. Ever so gently she stretched her mind outward to take hold of just one of those threads.

It was like the sweetest taste on her tongue, the warmest ray of sunshine on her skin, the most beautiful music to her ears. The Lupine opened herself to the sensations of that one, single thread, and presently her breathing grew slow, smooth, and deep.

She could feel bone mending, punctured muscle coming together, bruised flesh easing.

Her eyes opened slowly as she let go of the thread, and with another chime, the yellow of her indicator slowly bled into normalized red.

[General Dan]

Slipping away from the vicinity, Dan kept low and found a vantage he could use to keep an eye on the situation without being seen. Already, the Empire was at work looking for the guerrillas. He heard the throaty repulsors of a LAAT/i growl across the night sky as it cleared the ridge, a spotlamp on it's skids illuminating a broad swath of ground as another gunship dropped to the ground to disgorge a fire team. Dan retreated back even from his tenuous vantage, knowing that he didn't have a chance at making an entry this way again.

The beacon blinked back to red.

"Lok..."

He looked out in the distance. What was happening in there?

[s'Il]

With a new determination in her eye, s'Il stared up at the yawning mouth of the ravine high above her. Search crews dotted the edge as they continued to sweep searchlights down into the darkness below them, but her cover remained safe, and the Lupine took stock of her surroundings while keeping aware of the Crystals' call. They were the most wondrous sound her mind could fathom.

One of the beams passed by overhead, and s'Il watched as it continued on, her muscles tensing as she pulled on the Force, using it to aide in the sudden leap she made. Like a silent wraith, the Jedi moved from one outcropping to another on a careful path upward.

The ringing in her ears had stopped, and the closer she got to the top the clearer the voices of those above became. They spoke of how no one could survive the blast, let alone the fall. Some even joked that the ghosts of their own unfortunate comrades may have helped her soul along to the Maker.

The Maker.

What a strange concept.

Pausing on the last ledge, she waited for only a moment before springing upward into the air. One of the lamps caught her as she sailed over the edge, her lightsabre bursting to life and cutting a precise path in front of her. Men scattered, some even stumbling over into the abyss with screams that echoed along the walls as they fell. The brilliant blade swung in tight arcs, deflecting the wild blasterfire that was mostly directed her way.

Their counterattack was ineffectual however, as s'Il cut her way back through their ranks to break away, her stride lengthening into a dead run.

It wasn't long before she came to the fork, and without hesitation she veered into the leftside tunnel. This one was cut wider, the walls and ceiling bigger, offering more room.

The call of the Crystals was becoming almost deafening now, and throwing herself forward, s'Il ran headlong into the unknown.

[s'Il]

Scattered shouts trailed behind her as she barreled onward. Up ahead, she could feel them. They were close, and her gait quickened. Her eyes closed as she felt before her, seeing through the Force the thick metal door that was fast approaching. Her blade came up in a two hand grip, angled so that the tip was pointed forward. The Jedi steeled herself, and with a nimble hop, her right shoulder hitched back only slightly before she thrust forward as her own momentum was stopped by the door.

The blade burned through instantly, and with her eyes still shut tight, s'Il pressed the hilt in until it was flush with the riveted metal plating. She waited only a moment, twisting the handle before thrusting to the side in a motion that cut a molten line, tracing about in a circle. Her muscles strained as she pressed in, and as she completed the cut, she pulled her blade free.

A half step back, and her hand lashed out to send a push through the Force that sent her opening crashing inward.

The instant it clanged to the ground, all song from the Crystals stopped. They knew she would come for them, and as she stepped into their cell, they no longer needed to call her.

s'Il opened her eyes, her gaze tracking down to a small wooden crate - it had been nailed shut. A flick of her fingers ejected each nail with ease, and deactivating her sabre, the Jedi took a knee while reaching out to lift the lid.

Nestled safely inside was a small, single-strap leather bag. There was no need to guess what was inside. There was also no time to treat the contents with as much reverence as they'd been given back at the Temple, and without ceremony the Lupine slung the compact pack over one shoulder, tightening it down so that it was snug on her back.

A glance upward revealed an air vent in the ceiling, and as the sounds of approaching footsteps grew to a crescendo, she sprang up. Her arms went out, fingers hooked to catch the grooves in the inner linings, and she pulled herself up.

It was a winding shaft, but far more direct a route than the one she had taken to get in.


Outside, all throughout the encampment, there was a frenzied call rising above all others, and as more Imperials seemed to pour down into every opening that would take them underground, a whole new host of spotlamps lit up. It was as if night had become day as their blinding beams showered the once moonlit base in brilliant light.

[General Dan]

Something's happening.

It was the only thought in Dan's mind as the entire momentum of the Imperials seemed to shift. Their search outside was suddenly aborted. The LAAT/i gunship recalled its fire team, and the ships returned to the perimeter of the base to aggressively scour the interior for what had to be Lok.

The corners of his mouth ticked up into a smile. Whatever she was doing, it was getting under their skin. He only hoped that she'd be able to live long enough to tell him about it.

With the troopers withdrawn, Dan pushed a bit closer to the base, hazarding closing distance. With their attention most-certainly inward, he wondered how well he could do with taking a more direct peek inside.

He started to scale the ridge itself. Hopefully, Lok raised enough hell to make this less than a suicidal act.

[s'Il]

In no time at all she shot up, out into the night sky. Her exit had been thankfully placed away from where most of the activity was happening, but s'Il knew that it wouldn't stay that way for long. Clipping her sabre to her belt, the Lupine darted into the shadows as a squad of clonetroopers ran by, their weapons in hand and orders from their superiors acknowledged with filtered grunts.

The wall was close enough that she could get a decent run before scaling it. Once more her eyes closed, her nostrils breathing in the night air, waiting for the Force to guide her.

There.

Heels dug into the ground, leg muscles bunched, and like a blasterbolt she was careening forward, weaving between each spotlamp that moved its' way across the ground. A sidestep turned into a jump that turned into another leap to the side. One hand went out to help guide her movements, and in less than a second she had scaled the perimeter wall.

But...

Eyes still closed, her senses attuned to the Force all around, s'Il felt a familiar presence; smelled a familiar smell. As she cleared the upper rampart and began her descent, her arm lanced out, hand closing around Dan's arm and pulling him with her as she began her aerial descent back to terra firma.

[General Dan]

"Aah!"

Completely caught off guard, Dan tumbled back down to earth, carried down by somebody he only recognized halfway down.

"Lok! You made it!"

Relief would have to wait. She'd only made it in the sense that they were in acute danger, instead of near-certain death.

[s'Il]

Her grip on his arm tightened, and as both landed in a crouch, s'Il gave him a stern look with a finger to her lips.

"Later," she hissed.

A quick look over her shoulder, and the Lupine was up and running once more, her hold on Dan as strong as a rancor's bite as she dragged him with her.

Even with her escape unnoticed and all Imperial activity shifting inward, s'Il wasted no time in scaling the lowland hills that surrounded the encampment. They reached the upper ridge, and without even a single look back she pulled him with her. They crested the top, disappearing into the night.




* * *


Once more they stood at the mouth of the cave that they'd spent the previous afternoon within.

s'Il, her breathing deep and long to catch her breath, looked first to the direction that they'd fled from, then to the sky that was just beginning to show the first hints of a rising sun. It was still faint, and the darkness still shrouding them, but the bare haze of dawn could still be seen.

With one hand lifted to grasp idly at the strap, she gave one last long exhale, turning to tiredly make her way into the cave.

[General Dan]

The amphetamine-like effects of adrenaline running thin once more Dan felt every step like it weighed a hundred pounds. He was completely exhausted, but still distantly guarded. What prevented the Empire from tracking them down, even in their supposed victory.

"I saw your monitor."

He spoke at last, leaning against the wall of the cave as he sat, legs splaying out across the sandy cave floor in front of him.

"For a while, I..."

He looked to her to open his mouth and talk again, but words didn't come. Frustrated, he looked away.

"Don't ever do that to me again."

[s'Il]

Slowly, her steps heavy and weighted by exhaustion, s'Il moved to stand in front of him. She crouched low, features unreadable as she reached out, a hand going to place two fingers beneath his chin and turn his head back to face her.

Her impartial mask became soft then, brow knit in concern. She let here eye travel over his features for a few silent moments before she spoke. Her voice too was soft, words quiet and whispered.

"I am sorry."

[General Dan]

He softened under her apology, nodding and waving his hand weakly to dismiss his concern.

"Was it worth it, in the end?"

He noticed the pack she was carrying, and hoped she found what she was looking for.

"What exactly do you plan to do with your prize?"

[s'Il]

"Something that does not involve the Empire," was her resolute answer.

She shifted her position, lowering her body into an odd half-kneel half-sit, groaning lightly as she did so.

Shoulders slumping, the Lupine let her fatigue overtake her as she thought more on his question.

"I will hide them - " she slowly lifted the strap over her head, pulling the pack down to rest in her lap. One hand rested protectively over the cover flap that was still tightly buckled closed.

"Once I have finished using them."

She was quiet then, half-lidded eyes falling to look at the pack she held. Reaching out with her free hand, she took hold of his own, weaving her fingers with his.

"I used them - before - to heal myself. Now, I must use them to heal your home."

[General Dan]

Dan searched her face for any sign as to what she meant. Heal his home? Would she use them to somehow drive the Imperials out?

"How?"

The issue on Duravant was still so very much in doubt. The Empire wasn't leaving.

[s'Il]

s'Il gave his hand a squeeze, lifting her gaze and leaning forward to place a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"You'll see."

[General Dan]

Dan's brow knit. Sometimes, he figured the cryptic responses he got from his Jedi companion would be the death of him.

"Well, until then, I don't suppose you have an idea about the gundark's nest we kicked in back there? I imagine the Imperials will be out in force, looking for what you stole."

He glanced to the mouth of the cave.

"It could get a whole lot worse before it gets better, Lok."

[s'Il]

He was right, in that they could not stay for much longer. What she'd taken would without doubt bring the wrath of the Emperor down upon them all, and s'Il knew that it would start with a thorough search of all surrounding areas.

"Let me worry about that," she sighed, rocking back to bring herself to her knees - then up to her feet. The pack she slung once more over her shoulder.

She extended her hand down for him to take.

[General Dan]

"We're moving again, then?"

They couldn't stay, he knew that. His body protested, as he was exhausted.

"What about everybody else? The last thing I want to do is bring the Empire down on this place harder than when we first found them. Can we prevent that?"

[s'Il]

"Let me worry about that," she repeated once more, the emphasis in her voice calming yet firm all at once.

As she helped him to his feet, the Lupine cast her eye to the mouth of the cave. They didn't have much longer before the Imperials began to move outward, to the land around them.

She licked parched lips, realizing for the first time that it had been a long time since she'd last had a drink; or even anything substantial to eat. Placing one foot in front of the other, she started forward.

"None who live here will need pay the price of their freedom with their blood."

[General Dan]

"I wish I had your idealism on this, Lok. I really do."

He followed her, leaving their cave to head in a roundabout fashion back to Brody's camp. If the two youngsters had followed his orders, they'd be waiting for them already.

A couple of times on the trip, they had to seek cover to avoid LAAT/i gunships. The Empire, now aware of it's missing prize, sent gunships far and wide to track down the culprits.

[s'Il]

Their time was short, but the serene and calm feelings she felt coursing through her allayed any misgivings. She knew what she had to do now. And she would not shy away from the path that lay before her.

In the shelter of a small rock overhang, she watched as another gunship receded from view, its' scouting vector taking it in another sweep away from them.

Her eyes still turned skyward, she watched as the sun peeked over the mountains in the distance, and her voice remained quiet as she spoke.

"Trust me."




... continued here (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21252).