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Harlequin
Nov 27th, 2010, 04:59:53 PM
The Wheel

Inside the large room which served for mission briefings and quite often doubled as a sparsley furnished common room where off-duty pilots and service crew alike could play cards, read or even catch up on some report writing if they so chose. It was an open space dotted with some tables, chairs and a handful of computer consols. To Alex, it was as cobbled together as the Wheel itself and lent generously to the feeling overall of transience and temporality. It was a feeling she was used to, having been so long on her own and searching for a place to settle and grow. Everyone knew the Wheel was not 'forever.' It would be a pretty damn sorry state of affairs if they didn't. The Rebels intended to overcome the Empire, eventually, and then they - the Jedi and the Alliance would build a lasting and enduring legacy.

Alex drew her finger along the monitor's screen, expanding the search she had initiated. Henning would be here soon, and she didn't want to be completely ignorant of their intended destination on their 'mission of mercy.'

Coal hurruffed at the thought - at what she considered the folly of Command central and their latest missive. Damn bleeding hearts and their need to save everybody. So a few villagers die of fever, it happens. No need to go tearing off into the Unknown regions and innoculate the poor shmucks - risking detection by the Empire or exposure of the Rebel presence. What does that get us? A few allies with pop-guns and good intentions? Just terrific. We will probably be too late anyway.

The only up-side Alex could tell from the whole enterprise was that she was to be partnered up with Barton Henning to get the job done. Hell, she'd risk fever, the Empire and all manner of plagues for that little pleasure.

As the screen map enlarged to the Tobaskin Sector, an area with a history of old loyalty to the Rebellion, Harlequin picked up on the immistakeable energy of Henning as he entered into the room behind her.

Barton Henning
Nov 27th, 2010, 06:05:47 PM
His first glimpse of her was in silhouette, her head and shoulders outlined in the glow of the map screen. Her head was cocked to one side, her shoulders a casual slope as she tapped at the screen's controls with no apparent immediacy or interest. Barton smiled a small smile as their eyes met in the reflective surface of the map screen.

“Hello, Alex.”

Henning gave the briefing room a glance. It looked about the same as most rooms aboard the Wheel, in that appeared to have no purpose other than to store the left over and mismatching parts of another room, one that simply did not exist on the Wheel. The computer terminal looked as if it hadn't been repaired, let alone upgraded, since the days of the Clone Wars. Barton lifted his chin at the image on display; a star-chart, with statistical data flowing alongside it.

“Doing some background reading?”

Harlequin
Nov 27th, 2010, 06:22:53 PM
"A little" Alex replied, swivelling around in her seat to look at Barton. It never mattered how often she saw him - which wasn't very, considering the close dimensions of the Wheel. The fact that the good Doc was often away on some supply run or other made them more strangers than anything - the fact remained that he still made her catch her breath. Henning seemed to get better looking the older he got and even though there were some new fine lines around his eyes, (due more to fatigue than the work of time, Alex would bet) these only added to his appeal.

"Why dont you save me the time and effort and tell me what I need to know instead" she said, smiling. "You know how I hate to do things the long way round"

Barton Henning
Nov 28th, 2010, 05:29:34 AM
Henning shared the smile, feeling a sense of relief that his arrival hadn't been met with a scowl.

“Alright,” he folded his arms over his chest. “Well, you're familiar with Haruun Kal?”

Alex nodded. There weren't any Jedi of their generation who hadn't heard of Haruun Kal, birth place of the legendary Mace Windu. During the Clone Wars, the planets divided population became a microcosm of the conflict between the Republic and the Separatists, fanning the flames of what was already a fierce conflict between the native Korunnai and Balawai tribes. The downfall of the Separatists had brought an end to the so-called Summertime War and under Master Windu's guidance, a sense of stability had been restored – but not for long.

“The word from up on high is that Command wants to talk Haruun Kal into joining the Alliance. They sent along a diplomat to hash out some terms with the local leaders and everything was going pretty well, until one of the tribal leaders -”

Barton cast about in his mind for the right word, “Lor pelek?” He frowned at the pronunciation, but carried on regardless. “One of the tribal leaders has come down with a fever. The same fever that our diplomat started showing symptoms of a day or two after arriving back from Haruun Kal. The theory they're touting is that we've introduced a... foreign disease into the ecosystem, but the Korunnai themselves think that the fever is a symptom that their leader has been poisoned by another of their people, who wants to take the role for himself.”

As he perched on the edge of the desk Alex was sitting in front of, Henning's shoulders rose then fell with a sigh. “We've got a cure from the lab techs, but my gut tells me this is going to take more than a few needles to solve.”

Harlequin
Nov 28th, 2010, 12:40:07 PM
So, this was going well. Two minutes into a conversation and neither of them had volleyed a cheap shot at the other. Had to be a record.

Coal and Henning had a history behind them - sporadic and interuptive at best - but their pattern had been to become reaquainted, try to work together, develop an ensuing conflict of opinions and then part badly. It probably wasn't all supply runs and work schedules that had kept the pair from seeing more of each other on the Wheel - it was more likely Bartons wish to avoid her, and her own fear of driving a wedge too far and too deep between then to ever bridge back.

With his usual patient manner, Barton outlined the series of events leading up to the situation on Haruun Kal and what their task was to be. Even when delivering bad news, Henning had a way of injecting a calm into what he was saying so things, as gloomy as may be, still held some semblence of hope. It must be a doctor thing, Alex decided.

"Did we?" she asked with her characteristic directness. "Introduce a foreign disease into the ecosystem? I mean, I can see the wisdom in that - drive one side against the other and staight into the Alliance's saving hands. Clever really.."

Barton Henning
Nov 28th, 2010, 01:05:06 PM
“I.. don't.. think so. At least, that's not what I've been told.”

Henning's brow creased into a half-frown as he contemplated the possibility that Alex was right, but he waved the thought away with one hand.

“Regardless, Command doesn't want the population wiped out because one of our diplomat's couldn't grasp the concept of sneezing into a handkerchief. So, we make our delivery, we apologise for the inconvenience and hope that that's the end of it. The vaccine is being loaded onto my ship now and, Force willing, it will take us about four hours to get to Haruun Kal if our star-charts are up to date.”

Harlequin
Nov 28th, 2010, 01:22:20 PM
Alex thought about it - she doubted, too, that it was some deliberate scheme cooked up by the Rebels, but it would have been nice to think that someone out there in the top ranks had a little cold blood running through their veins to attempt such a thing. She was of the mind set that the Alliance played too much by the rules - a rebellious and agressive streak that her Jedi Master Hob had yet to train out of her, or at least, curb in her.

"Four hours isn't too long" Alex smiled slyly, "How will we pass the time?"

Barton Henning
Nov 28th, 2010, 01:50:22 PM
“Your guess is as good as mine.”

There was a touch of colour in Barton's cheeks as he looked away, absent-mindedly rubbing one palm against the back of his neck.

“Unless there's anything you need to pick up for the trip, we can head down to the Knightfall right now.”

Harlequin
Nov 28th, 2010, 03:14:38 PM
Alex switched off the monitor with a flick and launched herself out of her chair. "Just going to grab my kit-bag from my dorm and I'll meet you aboard"

She tossed back over her shoulder to Henning as she walked away, her dark hair framing her face in disarming effect as she spoke, "Dont leave without me"


Harlequin had been given strict orders from Hob before even meeting with Barton for the briefing, to behave herself this trip, whatever it was. Her Master wants to know she can be disciplined and work as part of a team. He calls it "trust" - the little goblin Jedi is big on that.

From her locker, Alex removed a rucksack already heavy with contents and added in a change of clothes, some socks and a book - a biography on Ki-Adi-Mundi. No matter her bravado with Henning, she knew she'd be spending a long, uneventful 4 hours aboard the Knightfall, and she wanted to keep occupied. Before zipping closed the rucksack, Alex felt inside with her hand and confirmed the precious contents of the pack - when reading failed her, which it inevitably would after forty minutes or so, Coal planned to continue studying the construction of her lightsaber and the manner in which it was crafted. She was yet to construct her own, having the use instead of one Hob had given her for training purposes. Her fingers folded around a small box and Coal could tell from the energy emanating from it that the crystal was safe inside. She would not leave the Wheel without either it or the lightsaber.

Slinging the pack over her shoulder, Alex exited the dorm and headed to the departure bay to meet up as planned.

Barton Henning
Nov 29th, 2010, 02:38:27 PM
The Knightfall stood amongst a crowd over other light freighters, looking about as proud as an old rust bucket could. Barton ducked out from beneath the hull, lending another pair of hands to the task of disengaging the refuelling pipe. With the tank and cargo bay full, all that remained was for the crew themselves to board. Henning waved Alex down with a grubby hand.

“We've got a launch window in ten minutes,” he said, leading the way under the freighter's pock-marked underbelly to the boarding ramp and began the short climb into the ship. “Just enough time for the grand tour.”

As they strode up into the Dynamic-class freighter's dimly little corridors, Barton gestured left. “Passenger dorm's that way,” but turned right, passing the open entry way to the ship's garage and moving through into the main hold, which doubled as security, a briefing room and the venue for the crews sporadic games of sabacc. Henning jerked his thumb to the left, down a darkened hallway - “Engine room, med bay...” - and again turned right, weaving through the main hold's table and chairs towards the forward section of the freighter, where communications and the cockpit could be found.

In the threshold of the cockpit, he came to a sudden halt and turned to face Alex. “This is where I'll be. The crew is sitting this one out, on account that they're needed elsewhere. You're welcome to ride up front,” he added as he slid down into the pilot's chair, beginning the pre-flight prep, flicking switches and punching bunches on the ship's command console. “Or bunk down in the passenger dorm.”

Harlequin
Nov 29th, 2010, 08:36:34 PM
"I'll ride up front with you" she said, stowing her rucksak in a low compartment and plonking herself down in the seat beside him.

Henning continued to flip switches and check guages with practiced skill. Like all good captains, Barton would know every plate and screw that made up the Knightfall - would know how far and hard he could push her to perform beyond its standard design capabilities and coax out everything she could possibly give him. Alex admired him quietly, content to observe him work.


After a moment, she made a cautious observation, "Resources must be spread pretty thin if they dont let you even take your crew along, eh Chief? I take it the Brass dont really expect any trouble, even with the factions being suspicious of each other like they are"

Barton Henning
Nov 30th, 2010, 05:13:34 AM
“Lyanie's always in high demand, she's one of the best mechanics aboard the Wheel. Ben.. I think he just likes to get his hands on the steering yoke of something new. As for our medic, so far you've spent more time aboard than she has.”

Barton turned a smile towards Alex for an instant. Though it was reassuring to have Lyanie on hand with a hydrospanner and Ben at the helm, if the Alliance had some need of their talents he wasn't going to object. He tapped too fingers on the dash then drew back a lever which began a low rumble inside the belly of the ship. The engines were online and the command console blinked with a steady, reassuring pulse of light that told Barton to expect a smooth take-off.

“Consider yourself promoted to co-pilot and mechanic for the duration of the trip,” he added, slipping his arms into the tangle of orange safety webbing attached to the pilot's chair.

Harlequin
Dec 4th, 2010, 11:05:32 PM
"You may live to regret that" she joked, though if called upon to perform any repairs, it would be less funny.

Barton nosed the ship forward and out of the confines of the Wheel structure into the infinite black.

"So, correct me if Im wrong, Henning, but these warring tribes being sick of fever is the least of their problems, right? I mean, I dont claim to be an authority on the place, but anything I've ever read on the Haruun Kal inhabitants always refers to their hatred of each other. Civil war between the Korunnai and the Balawai goes back to the very foundations of the place and there is no love lost of the Balawai for force users." She looked at him pointedly, "With good reason."

Barton Henning
Dec 12th, 2010, 03:11:35 PM
The task of guiding his ship out of the Wheel seized Barton's attention for a short time, his eyes intent on the freighter's various read-outs and his hands steady on the steering yoke. The convoy had grown in number and looked all the more impressive as the Knightfall moved through and beyond it.

“Right,” Henning agreed, sitting back from the command console with a sigh. “It's a fragile peace there at best. Mostly the two groups keep to themselves and the brass doesn't seem to have a problem with that – but this fever is opening up old wounds, so to speak. It's just the excuse that either group would need to spark a new conflict.”

Barton watched the stars as they moved towards their first hyperspace jump point, wrinkles forming at the edges of his eyes. “Every one of the Korunnai can use the Force. I can see why the possibility of having them on our side would be appealing to command.”

Harlequin
Dec 13th, 2010, 08:43:06 PM
"Hm, if we could control them.."

Coal sank into the chair as the starscape altered in view before her, marking their passage.

Barton's observation made her think more throughly of the situation they were launching into. "It would be a two-edged sword if that was the plan" she said after a while. "We may only gain an uncertain ally. Not only might such an alliance alienate the Balawai even further from a peaceful unity, making them an open enemy, but who's to say the Korunnai would be worth having on our side? Could we trust them? Their past shows the awful record of how they abused the Force. There are stories of even good Jedi falling and chosing the darkside during the worst of their civil war.

Barton Henning
Dec 14th, 2010, 02:49:07 PM
“Whether the Korunnai are trustworthy allies is for Alliance Command and the Jedi Council to decide,” Barton answered, as he tapped at the Knightfall's controls, making subtle adjustments to the pitch and yaw of the craft. “If they've already posted diplomats to Haruun Kal, I guess they think the potential risks are outweighed by the benefits. If only one of the Korunnai showed the kind of potential that made Mace Windu so legendary, it might be a gamble worth taking.”

The Knightfall slowed and Henning sat forward, entering the navigational data for their first hyperspace jump. Haruun Kal was located on the Gevarno Loop, a hyperspace route that carved a circle through the Mid Rim. Their first jump would take the Knightfall to the Jutrand system, at the edge of the border between the Mid and Outer Rim Territories. Although there were more direct routes, their chosen course presented the least chance of encountering an Imperial patrol.

“Hold on,” Barton cautioned, as he eased forward the lever that would throw the freighter into hyperspace. Beyond the viewport, the stars extended into lances of light which combined in a flash as the ship lurched forward, into the kaleidoscopic lights of faster-than-light travel.

Harlequin
Dec 18th, 2010, 04:45:01 PM
Doing as Henning suggested, Alex gripped the armrests of her chair a little tighter as they made the jump. She did not particularly like space travel, and over the course of time had learned to endure it with the good grace of one submitting to the inevitable. It was a necessary fact of life and complaining about it helped nothing.

"Well, we can just deliver the innoculation supplies and leave the bigger questions of politics to those who get paid to answer them. Which leads me to another thought....we're not in danger of getting a dose of this clap thing by being there are we?" Her brow knitted downward as she warned him, "Dont think I'll be the nursey-type if you get sick, Henning"

Barton Henning
Jan 14th, 2011, 03:31:59 PM
“Luckily for both of us we have two doses of our own,” Henning answered with a smirk, producing two auto-injector pens from a small kit bag that was sitting on the dashboard. He handed one to Alex. “Keep it on you at all times. If you feel like you're getting a fever, just stick it in your thigh and hit the release.”

As Alex studied the pen, Barton made another check of the Knightfall's systems. Ben had an instinctual understanding of the ships inner-workings but Henning had a periodic compulsion to check that everything was ticking along as it should be. When he was confident that everything was quite literally ship-shape, he sat back and slid his palms down the lengths of his chairs armrests.

“Well, that's us for the next four hours,” he said. “I suppose now's as good a time as any to ask how you've been.”

Harlequin
Jan 15th, 2011, 05:59:02 PM
The pen twirled between Alex's slim fingers, cartwheeling between digits over and under as if it were a living thing, climbing one finger then another. A trick of the Force, but it distracted momentarily while Coal thought. Did Henning really want to know how she'd been? She should tell him, just for spite.

She'd been lonely. Really lonely. And the fact that Henning never appeared to care bothered her much more than she dared to say.

And she was bored. Dead bored. Being a noble Jedi really sucked at times. She longed to cut loose, go a little wild now and then, but discipline stood against it. And it wasnt just fear from the fallout from her Master that restrained her, although that was a factor she couldn't ever dismiss. Alex had travelled a long time to find her way back to the Jedi and a foolish choice of beligerent behaviour would set her back much farther than she cared to go. She would be the last to openly admit it, but Alex Coal really wanted to become a great Jedi, one that could accomplish some real good through her ability.

She decided on a lighter response - no use stirring everything all up when the two of them were finally getting along again. There would be time for that later, no doubt - and friction between them would come. It always did.

"Ive been working on my Jedi skills" she said, levitating the injection pen in the air.

"My personality skills are still lacking, but Im working on those too. That's always been the tougher challenge for me, as you know Henning.

How about you? I know you've been away alot" This last observation silpped out and Alex looked away a little too quickly. She hadn't wanted him to know that she tried to keep tabs on what he did.

Barton Henning
Mar 13th, 2011, 07:54:18 AM
“I have. Even when we're all working on reduced rations, the convoy gets through a lot of supplies. We spend most of our time to-ing and fro-ing between suppliers, making pick-ups and drop offs.”

It wasn't the life he had imagined for himself, by any means, but it felt good to be a part of something. It wasn't a glamorous role but it was essential, nonetheless. Without the efforts of the Support Services, the Wheel would have quickly ground to a halt.

“I always thought we'd get to see a lot of the galaxy, back when we were kids... but I see more now than I ever did then. Admittedly, most of it is space ports and ordnance stations. Not exactly the twenty Wonders of the Galaxy.”

Harlequin
Mar 26th, 2011, 12:57:59 PM
Alex nodded, agreeing silently that life had not unfolded how she had imagined it would, either. She wondered if everyone felt that way, as if it was some great cosmic joke that life's expectations always, inevitably, fell far short of the reality.

She couldn't tell if Henning was disappointed with his lot or not, despite his last remark. She supposed he found purpose in just being on the right side of the battle. Coal wished she could be satisfied with that alone. It might make it easier for her to settle down, make some real friends. But somehow she doubted it, she had always been abrasive and prickly in her personality and it was time she stopped blaming everything else but herself for such traits.

"Well, when we win this stupid war, maybe you'll get to see those twenty wonders" she said. "Until then, a little Empire smashing would go along way to making me a happier person."

She paused for a moment, curious suddenly about Henning's political views - if they were the same as hers, or if he was content with a more moderate stance, like the majority of the Jedi and their allies she encountered. "Do you think we are doing enough, Henning?"

Barton Henning
Mar 26th, 2011, 02:58:45 PM
“Enough?”

His eyebrows lifted as he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. The Rebellion was faced with a monumental task, of trying to wrest back control of the galaxy from a tyranny that had become utterly ubiquitous. Their way was as ideological as it was physical. There would be no single divisive battle, not for many years to come at least. With their comparative lack of military clout, the Alliance could only dig themselves in and prepare for the long war of attrition.

“Honestly, I don't know. We've got a long way to go still. Sometimes I think we'll all be dead and gone before any of it comes to fruition.”

Henning's eyes had dipped as he spoke, but they lifted once again to Alex as he went on.

“What else can we do?”

Harlequin
Mar 26th, 2011, 04:37:11 PM
His words chilled her. Alex had not considered the possibility that there would be no end to things in her own lifespan. To fight and never really know victory over their oppressors? Good god, what an awful thought. Coal didn't have the capacity to see beyond life as it effected her. Where did Henning get such foresight?

"You cant mean that, surely?" Harlequin asked, alarmed. "I mean, there must be an end in sight. I'm not satisfied to simply fight for the future generations." She was no where near that selfless. "We have to do more."

Her voice was rising in emotion and the pen had stilled completely in her now clenched hand as she searched Barton's face for an answer. "We have to do more and do it faster than we've been doing" A light ignited deep within her eyes. "We should be less passive, take the fight to the Citadel if we have to" Henning could see Alex pounce on that train of thought. "...Perhaps the waring tribes of Haruun Kal are onto something.."
and she allowed the unspoken suggestion hang in the air between them.

Barton Henning
Apr 3rd, 2011, 01:00:01 PM
Dipping his head, Barton ran a hand back over his closely cropped hair. When he looked up at Alex, there was reluctance in the tightness of his expression.

“Take the fight to the Citadel? You and what army, Alex? You heard about the rescue operation to bring back Master Laran. It took all of the assembled Jedi Knights and Masters just to provide a distraction for that to happen.”

Harlequin
Apr 5th, 2011, 08:48:59 PM
Coal looked away, fixing her gaze on some point far distant in the black expanse ahead of them. She could feel Barton's tension in the air between them, hear it in his voice and see it in his posture - yet it wasn't enough to caution her to keep her thoughts unspoken.

"People are easily seen," she said quietly, "Germs are not"

Barton Henning
Apr 20th, 2011, 03:36:50 PM
“They're also indiscriminate. Can you imagine how quickly something like that would spread on Coruscant?”

It didn't matter that neither he nor Alex would ever have the final say on decisions of that gravity. Barton shook his head, flat out unwilling to even entertain the idea.

“We take that route and we're stooping to their level.”

Harlequin
Apr 25th, 2011, 02:39:46 PM
Her expression was unreadable when she looked back at Henning. Behind hazel eyes, her mind whirred with the ramifications a biological attack might bring. Horrible? Yes. Too costly? Coal wasn't sure.

Certainly innocents could die, but really, were there such ones to be found in the Imperial Citadel? Alex doubted it. Her conscious, characteristically, did not bother her on that account. She realised she was a poor Jedi and that thought made her more uncomfortable than the admonishing look Barton was giving her.

"We are in a struggle of survival, Henning" her voice underscored by a grim conviction. "Is it really stooping when the other options left to us is a prolonged conflict with a doubtful outcome? What wouldn't you do to save freedom?"

Barton Henning
Aug 6th, 2011, 02:59:11 PM
Henning kept his eyes focused front and centre for a long moment. He was thinking of Coruscant, of Operation Knightfall. Had the Chancellor told his Clone army that what they were about to do was all in the name of saving freedom, that the Jedi were a necessary sacrifice to ensure the safety and security of the Republic? Barton had only been a boy then, in robes too big for his skinny frame and with a padawan braid that looked more like a rats tail than a badge of honour. Alex had been there, and Mu with them – but they were younger than he was, perhaps young enough for their minds to blank out what they'd seen.

“I don't know,” Barton said at last. He pictured the steps to the Jedi temple, littered with bodies.

“It just feels like.. a slippery slope to nowhere good.”

Harlequin
Aug 7th, 2011, 02:01:59 PM
"Well, lucky for us we dont have to make such a decision today" Coal said, attempting to unsullie the mood from such dark thoughts. "All we need concern ourselves with right now is our mission of mercy" she said getting up, "and perhaps locating a decently strong cup of caff to get us through the hours ahead. Do you drink the stuff, Henning, I cant remember..?"

Barton Henning
Aug 13th, 2011, 02:19:24 PM
Barton just nodded at Alex's comment on their mission. Though they could debate the moral quandaries of the larger conflict they were embroiled in, ultimately their current goal was clear cut. That was something Henning appreciated, knowing what he needed to do and how he could do it.

“Coffee? I might as well of had the stuff fed through an IV back on Cloud City.”

He smiled a little. You couldn't get a decent cup anywhere on the Wheel, not with the supplies the Alliance quartermaster's had, but there was always someone who'd managed to find something decent somewhere. Doctor de Coventina had shared her secret 'stash' of some notoriously hard to find vine-coffeine with Barton and even given him a pinch or two to take back to the Knightfall. Just one cup of that and they'd both be sitting wide-eyed and alert for the rest of the journey.

Barton rose from the captain's chair. “How do you take yours? Dark and sweet?” he guessed.

Harlequin
Aug 13th, 2011, 05:19:14 PM
"Straight up, no nonsense" she said, watching the way Henning moved with an appreciative eye. Did he have any inkling how distracting he was?

"You were on Cloud City for some time before I connected with you there, kinda had a niche for yourself. How'd you come to be there in the first place?"