9.111 - My Connection's Connection [Novgorod]

[Zeke]

Zeke sat co-pilot in the Albatross, breathing steadily and staying as still as possible to keep from aggravating his injuries. Carol and Cassandra were napping in the back, the better to keep themselves out of trouble. The streaks of hyperspace faded and there, in the deep black ink of space, hovered a lone frigate.

"Novgorod," Ben and Zeke said to each other unnecessarily. They shared a grin. "So, call 'em up," Zeke grunted, sitting up and wincing mightily. "Need their doctor first. Maybe their captain. If they've got a Jedi on board, I'll need that person, too. I'll go back in a second and get the girls up. I wanna hear this."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Oh my Goddess, free time!

Maybe it was just being two rooms down from Morgan and Mara, but Cirrsseeto was more than willing to chalk it up to the Captain not having half an hour to himself, and by virtue of being a hopeless engine nerd, putting his engineering team on stress tests. So at least partially self-inflicted masochism, but Lyanie (and Regan, of course!) had turned out a full spreadsheet of top marks. Even his obsessive compulsiveness couldn't bullshit a reason to over-cap the matter annihilator injectors to test their safeties. They'd already done that three times in the past month. Also, Regan was starting to get that I'm going to kill you in your sleep look on his face, which was kind of adorable but he couldn't abide a walk-out by his chief. Besides, how did you file mutiny papers anyway?

So with a lot of absolute nothing and open space in the midst of cruising, Cirr gave Glayde the conn (causing some kind of naval sacrilege) long enough to...well...

The door to his quarters opened, and she was already waiting for him.

"How djid you get jin herre?"

A smile bigger than Geonosian rings spread on his face. A gentleman never asks, a crafty engineer lady with cyphers and dirty tricks (probably) never tells.

Anyway, he didn't wait for her to answer, catching her around her middle and drawing her up on her toes so her mouth met his.

And that's when his comm went off.

"Mmm...mmm..."

Untangling tongues, he gruffed, looking at his wrist, and he eased her down long enough to tear the comm off and throw it across the room.

[Ben Merasska]

"Huh," Ben said. "So he's not answering? Give me the sequence."

Silence; Ben could almost feel the eyes of Zeke and his family on him.

"Yes, I'm serious. No. I just need to talk to Cirr - er, your captain. Yes, right now."

Silence.

"Please? I have Jedi who need to get to the Wheel."

Silence.

"Thank you."

Ben signed off, and input Cirr's sequence into the communications terminal, the Albatross for a moment entering into the internal comm network of the Novgorod. Ben frowned, listening for a moment at the odd sounds coming from the speakers.

"Ah, Cirr?" he said, a realization he never wanted or needed slowly dawning in his mind and his expression changing to match it. "Hey! How're ya?"

[Lyanie Quez]

He was right in his thinking. She wasn't going to give up how she got in to his quarters and there certainly wasn't any need for explanin' why. That was plainly obvious. They took the time where they could get it, or in her case, she took initiative and made time (well, more of it than there would have been otherwise) by already being there.

The way Cirr dealt with the interruption caused her the most briefest of pauses and she grinned slyly.

"Something tells me we're gonna have to make this quick."

And she started to pry away at his uniform, somewhat methodically, when the deck-muffled comm emitted a voice all too familiar. Lyanie's fingers curled into fists around the fabric she had been skillfully pulling apart and her turned-on face quickly flipped the switch to turn-on-interrupted and her eyes flicked to the cast-aside comm and narrowed.

"Ben."

And she noticeably rouged.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"We can do thjis qujiet qujiet qujiet...."

Sorry Ben, take a number! Lyanie had his duty jacket AND shirt off in each hand, and he reciprocated in getting her out of her top. Taking careful aim, he flung bra and work top in a graceful wadded arc, which landed expertly on the comm. Returning to a very welcome sight, he gave blessings to Sanjaara for Dantooine farm girls and...gave the dairy a good workout, so to speak.

He instantly blushed, because Goddess it was so juvenile, but he had been...and she had been...and dammit if you can't trust your girl to be perfectly okay with the occasional bit of bongoboat.

So much for quiet. He came up for air and tried not to laugh.

[Ben Merasska]

Ben knew that sound. He knew it well. One didn't date Kiera Sontebren and not give her jumblies a good bongoboating; at least, not when one dated her seriously for a while. And a while had been two weeks; things worked differently when one was part of a paramilitary organization and measured your life expectancy in days. Or hours, depending on the mission.

"Uhh, Cirr?" he asked, looking at Zeke, and then back at Cassie and Carol. He called for his friend again, more loudly. If this situation hadn't come after an exhausting day, Ben was sure he'd be unable to speak from how hard he'd be laughing. "I can hear you..."

[Zeke]

"Uh...what was that?" Cassie asked with open skepticism and mingling horror and disgust.

"Bongoboating," replied her parents dryly.

"...what?" asked the daughter.

"You'll find out soon enough," reassured the mother with a smirk.

"Except for the part where no, she won't," refuted the father, happy to have heard that phrase and folded it into his vocabulary.

"Except yes, I will!" insisted Cassandra, now defiant at being denied something.

"Honey, it's nothing really terrible," sighed Carol. "It's just where a man takes your breasts and..."

"WHOA whoa whoa whoa," cried Zeke, wincing as the outburst strained his ribs. Cassandra gasped and her arms flew up to shield her breasts from the half-description she'd been given. "Don't tell her about that! Damn. What're you trying to do?"

"Would rather she learned about it hands-on?" jeered Carol, happy to have any chance and method to harrass her husband after the sudden and dangerous events of the past few days. "Better she learns it from us," she added airily. Zeke didn't have a reply, and so the occupants of the good ship Albatross went silent. The sound of Cirr and Lyanie filled the cockpit, an awful substitute for the uncomfortable silence that should have lorded over the quartet.

"So...what's that?" asked Cassandra curiously, blushing beet red to her ears.

"Oh, that's even more fun than the bongoboating," Carol said with apparent glee and relish. "See, that's when he gets down with his face between your leg--"

"OKAY!" shouted Zeke and Ben together. Zeke leaned forward, hissing against the strain on his wounds, and mashed down the comm button. "Captain Cirr, this is Jedi Knight Zeke Saska. We've been injured in a recent fire-fight with Imperials, so if you wouldn't mind just telling us that we can dock our actual ships so you and your partner can dock your metaphorical ones, we'd all be really happy about that. Thank you so much."

Zeke let the comm go and leaned back in the chair, grunting an "ow" as his body hit the chair's back, then tipped his head up to observe his daughter. "Cassie, we did have this talk with you, right? About men and women and..."

"Yes, oh my God." Cassandra hid her face. "Yes, and it was way embarrassing then, so can we not do it again now?" Carol put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. Zeke turned to Ben with a serious expression and pointed finger of accusatory rebuke.

"Oh, and if you even think about demonstrating what bongoboating is to my daughter, yours will be a cruel and unusual punishment."

[Ben Merasska]

Ben frowned, and blinked, not quite comprehending Zeke's threat. Until, that is, he did comprehend it.

"Uh," he said. "Message received, sir. No bongoboating your daughter. Nor demonstrating what bongoboating is to your daughter."

His voice warbled with barely contained amusment.

"So, how about it, uh, Captain," Ben called through the commlink once more. This was getting embarrassing for more than just Cirr now. "We all kinda need some medical attention and directions to the convoy. Then you can go right back to checking if her carpet matches the drapes."

Lyanie might kill him for that. Ben would have to dig into the Please-Don't-Kill-Me Present reserve. Perhaps that Old Republic Judicial transport model? He didn't remember if she was all that interested in starship models, but it was either that or a recorded holo of Starship Stormtroopers.

Starship Stormtroopers. Definitely.

[Lyanie Quez]

As a matter of fact (secretive, not-exactly-leaving-the-Cap’n’s-quarters fact) Cirr was already well into ‘checking if the carpet matched the drapes’ – an inaccurate descriptor as Lyanie knew that he was already well familiar with whether they matched or not. And with all the hullabaloo coming from the ignored comm, she could speculate how Cirr might eventually react to the constant interruption to his happy-super-fun-time and once again took matters into her own hands. That is, if matters was synonymous with Cirr’s ears, which in this case, they most certainly were.

“Albatross…” Cirr put up a thumb as if to say ‘keep going, please!’ and Lyanie tried her darndest to split her attention which was already pretty well taken up by the here and the now in this room. “..you have permission to land and tend to your… your…”

Her eyes rolled back and she laughed a laugh that was mostly a moan.

“…your own. Have your own tended to. The Novgorod… welcomes you. The captainnn…”

Her grip tightened on the ears in her hands and she clenched her teeth.

“…will attend to you shortly. Ben, close the gods-damned channel now.”

After that, there was no way, no how, that there were any more words fit for public consumption coming from her.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Oh oh oh that hurt like Hell...but he kept to task, because damn it, this was happening!

He swallowed a hair, or ten, but even that wasn't going to dissuade him. She sounded...convincing, sort of? Fuck it, good enough. If anyone had to ask, they'd lie, right? Sajoi got loose. A lot of sajoi. Maybe a rooster.

Thighs tightened around his head like a vice.

"Oompth."

He paused, rough-textured tongue mid-duty. Too slow and they were dead in the water. Too fast and everyone on the ship and beyond knew.

[Zeke]

"We've got dibs on him after you!" replied Carol cheerily, leaning in to dial the comm this time. "Enjoy him, sweetie! Give him permission to dock soon, he sounds like he's fit to burst. Have great sex!"

Nobody else saw fit to comment as Ben expertly picked out the airlock closest to the medical bay. Novgorod's crew showed remarkable efficiency in attaching the docking umbilical and Zeke limped through on his family's shoulders. The crew and Ben led the Saska family through the corridors at a leisurely pace, the better not to aggravate Zeke's injuries, and at last they arrived at a door marked with the universal sign for medicine. As they bumbled in, a stern-looking being arched a fleshy lump over its eye that approximated an human's eyebrow.

"Medic!" Zeke joked with a quarter smile and an eye shut tight, breathing heavily from the strenuous walk. Medbays on military corvettes had been the birthplace of his drier wit and gallows humor. Even after these years, to know he still had that reflexive urge to crack wise that way...he didn't like it.

[Vek Vek]

Vek rose from his desk at the commotion, looking practically unamused at the cliché call for a battlefield medic. As if. His infirmary was the pinnacle of order.

"Please to lie down."

His ocular fleshpads drew together as he noticed the familiar man accompanying the patient.

"Ben Merraska. Was unaware you were now in medevac business. If I have free time for a quadruple amputee before lunch, will let you know."

He glanced over Zeke, giving an initial assessment as he set up examination equipment. First, the shirt had to go. A pen laser made that quick work, and he pulled the fabric free.

"Deep tissue trauma. One or more fractures at the thoracic cavity."

He applied a stethoscope to Zeke's chest, listening.

"No fluid detected, but swelling and compacted capacity predictable."

Vek Vek stood again, looking over the patient once more.

"Contusions, frequent and extensive. Physical altercation?"

[Ben Merasska]

Ben looked blankly at Doctor Vek.

"Uh, okay?" he said, unsure of what had just been said, before moving to step out of the medical bay. Unfortunately, he was stopped by Cassie and Carol being right behind him. "Um, I'll just head on back to the ship now, you know? Not much left for me to do here..."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"What happened to hjim?"

Cirr bolted into the infirmary, his duty jacket unbuttoned and the shirt beneath partially untucked. He had the slightest bit of a glisten on his skin, and his hair was partly a mess.

He spoke mainly to Ben, keeping a straight face because he definitely didn't want to deal with the alternative.

[Zeke]

Zeke shifted a little on the table and prepared to answer Vek Vek's question. Cassandra, ever the loudmouth, got there first. "You shoulda seen the other guy!" she smirked, voice full of pride. The room turned as one to give her a raised eyebrow. She shrank under the combined scrutiny. "...what?" she asked in a small voice.

"Too easy," Zeke remarked. He blinked. "Damn, I had something for this. Oh, well, yeah. Big fight. Member of the Inquisitoriate and like...50 Stormtroopers. Lots of lasers and lightsabers. Most of the hits that landed were physical blows. Fists, feet, so-on. We would've made a great holodrama."

As he spoke, Ben tried to make his escape and was blocked by his family, still a little sore over Ben's treatment of them, though it had been for the better. No sooner had they covered the exit than Cirr bounded in, scattering them and skidding to a halt with disheveled appearance and slight waft of sex. A Cizerack.

"Explains a lot," quipped Zeke and Carol together. The Jedi threw a lazy salute from the medical table. Carol took the time to needle Cirr a bit. "Glad to see you're still...energetic. This is my husband, Zeke, and he fought a Force-using member of the Empire's Inquisitoriate."

"Ben nearly shot us," added a sullen Cassandra, sitting in a nearby chair and crossing her legs and arms moodily.

[Ben Merasska]

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry!" Ben shot back, very nearly in tears from his guilt at his semi-backstab, and the danger they'd been in during the last fight. "It was crazy out there; and repeating blasters aren't the easiest things to aim accurately, you know."

Ben shoved his hands into his pockets, and made for the door.

"Whaddaya want from me? I'm just some pilot. I fly ships, and aren't much good at anything out of one. I ain't no damn hero, and I don't wanna be one, either. If you need a hero, talk to your father or Cirr. They're real heroes."

He shuddered and remembered how easily it had come to him to offer to rat Zeke and his family out for clemency at the spaceport. That would leave him feeling guilty for weeks.

[Vek Vek]

The superfluous dialogue in his med bay was annoying the Durwi, but if it kept his patient more or less in one place, he'd allow it.

"Incidental first degree burns, possible blaster grazes. Lucky to avoid deep tissue. Concussion of some concern. Will want to keep you in observation. Ramifications if neglected can be troubling."

He rose to his full height, took a deep breath and groused.

"Still have all limbs. Still have all organs. Alive. All told, medical emergency entirely treatable within infirmary. Two, perhaps three days for full treatment regimen."

[Zeke]

"Only three days! HA!" Zeke winced as he strained his ribs again, but still managed to trade a high-five with Carol.

"It's a new record for him," explained Carol. "He's never been out of action for less than five. I can regale you with his history, if you like." Zeke tipped his head towards the retreating Alderaanian pilot, making eye-contact with Cassandra. His intent was clear: she needed to apologize for how thick she'd been laying it on him.

Cassandra looked between her dad and the door, then chose to chase Ben. She caught up to him a little down the corridor, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. "Look," she started as he whirled to face her, "I...I can tell you're upset. So am I. This is a lot to deal with, y'know? And I didn't know you were just putting on a ruse, and I think by this point I'm overreacting, maybe? I just...I can't..." She stalled out as frustration overtook her, looking at Ben with a baleful glare and pitiful pout.

[Ben Merasska]

"Listen, kid," Ben said, before the rest of her statement filtered into his head. She was... Was this an apology? "Uh, yeah. A lot to deal with, sure. You're angry and just barely got out of a situation alive. I know the feeling. Go get some sleep, hug your mother and father, and eat something, and not necessarily in that order."

He shrugged. Some of his guilt was eased as he realized she still had her parents, or any family, she could go to for help and comfort.

"Do that, and have the doc take a look at you. I've got to get back to the ship and start seeing what needs to get fixed."

He turned and continued on down the hall. Nothing more needed to be said, and he needed to be alone for a few minutes to get a handle on what he'd barely managed to get away with.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr opened his mouth to say something to Ben, but the flighty pilot was already gone, no-doubt headed back to his ship. Even in the best of times he seemed like he was ready to chew an arm off to get away from the Alliance, and the felinoid captain let it slide for now. No doubt he'd have time to talk to Ben later.

Instead, he found himself in the midst of the Jedi and his family, all of whom were giving him funny looks.

"jInqujisjitorrjius, eh?"

Cirr nodded, remembering how savage the fighting on Coruscant had been when they fought the Inquisitorius to free Serena.

"Kosa. You made a good showjing of thjings, then. Be glad jit's just a shorrt jinfjirrmarry trrjip."

Vek Vek was eyeballing him, as if to ask if he'd mind delaying the chit-chat. The Captain's ears quirked as he attempted a more conciliatory approach.

"jI'd ljike to get morre jinforrmatjion on the attack when you'rre able."

[Zeke]

"You got it, Captain," Zeke groaned, lifting himself up off the bed slightly so Carol and Vek Vek could strip him out of his coat and shirt to administer his wounds better. "Trade you that information for anything you've got on other Jedi, while we're at it. I could--" He was shushed as his wife and his doctor mashed him back onto the table. He was grateful that it was Carol who bent to kiss his forehead and Vek Vek who moved to retrieve tools of medicine, not the other way around. Cassie slouched back in and poured herself into a chair with an aggravated sigh.

[Vek Vek]

"Other Jedi?"

The doctor paused, his insatiable curiosity finding a tantalizing breadcrumb trail.

"Ahem. Please forgive. Curiosity intrinsic driver towards knowledge acquisition. Jedi exhibit...unusual symbiotic synergy. Make interesting subjects for study. Unfortunately sample size...diminished."

Vek Vek half blinked, and coughed.

"Again, please excuse. Treatment first. Prioritize for concussion."

The Durwi produced a cranial scanner, which he eased towards Zeke's head.

"You are outwardly asymptomatic for high level cranial trauma, but I need more data. Please remain calm."

[Zeke]

"Who's excited? I'm not excited," Zeke answered with the hint of mischief at the corners of his lips and eyes.

"Baby, you had your chance to be witty fighting that Agent. Now is serious time. Let me see serious mode." Carol grinned, biting her lip partly out of her continuing worry and partly to keep from laughing.

"Dis mah serous fayze," Zeke answered, pulling a comically stern expression. Cassie made a noise from her chair that was part sigh, part laugh, and part groan of embarrassment. "Gaw," said father and daughter as one. Zeke looked up at the Durwi with a skewed grin, then calmed himself for real with his breathing.

Carol squeezed Zeke's hand absently as she turned to Cirrsseeto. "So, ah, Captain. I hear things are going well here on Novgorod." Cassie reddened from hairline to clavicle and made it a point not to look at Cirr's shoulders, or chest, or crotch, or legs. She settled on Vek Vek's boots as a safe place to look. "Do you know anything of Jedi, or at least of the Rebellion? I understand you're part of a rebellious operation, but Ben was understandably vague about whether or not you were part of the Rebel Alliance."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirrsseeto gave a friendly smile as he pointed to the phoenix crest on his duty jacket and gave it a tap with a claw.

"Ben's got...uh...jinterrestjing theorrjies about ourr orrganjizatjion, but he errs on the sjide of cautjion forr everryone's sake. But yes, jI'm a Captajin of the Alljiance, and thjis jis an Alljiance frrjigate, and we've got qujite a bjit of experrjience wjith helpjing Jedji."

He realized he hadn't made formal introductions yet, and his ears fluttered as he stood up straight and offered a hand to the woman.

"Captajin Cirrsseeto Raurrssatta, at yourr serrvjice."

[Zeke]

Carol shook it firmly and warmly. She gave a studious look to the Rebel Crest as Cirr pointed it out. She'd never seen it before, so she quickly filed it away in her mind as she gave her family's introduction. "Captain Raurrssatta!" she repeated, the better to aid Zeke's memory. "I'm Carol Saska, former first mate of the bulk freighter Curvy Lady. This is my husband Ezekiel, former Captain of the aforementioned Lady, and here is our daughter, Cassandra. You can call them Zeke and Cassie."

Zeke, still under medical orders to be still and calm, surreptitiously pointed a finger to his daughter. "We pretty much prefer it that way," she said on behalf of them both. Her eyes flickered back over Cirr before fixing on the base of Vek Vek's examination table. Carol went on. "The Lady was attacked and investigated by Imperial Agents after they discovered us smuggling Rebel weaponry by accident. It's a long story and I'd be happy to bring you up to speed on it, if you have the time. Our current situation is that we lost our freighter and our small shuttle, so we've no resources to carry on with. We'd appreciate any aid you could give to us."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Ajid, well, uh..."

Cirrsseeto wasn't the arbiter of mercy missions or anything, but he certainly could empathize with the family in their strange origins into Rebel and Jedi activity. Always starts small. That's why you never give a sajoi a cookie, well, nevermind all that.

He scratched at the back of his neck as he looked at them, and then back to Carol.

"That depends on what kjind of ajid you'rre lookjing forr. Medjical surre. Sanctuarry surre. A sparre shjip just lyjing arround? That one not so much."

[Zeke]

"We're entirely fine with medicine and sanctuary," Carol reassured him with a smile.

"Medicine especially," Zeke answered as Vek Vek finally took the machine off his head and went to consult the results. The Jedi propped up on his elbows. "We don't expect to just be given a new ship, nor do we expect anyone to go off and help us recover our old ones. But we do need a place to recover and organize ourselves. If you know where I could do that in the company of more Jedi refugees, I'd appreciate if you helped us out there."

Cassie soured, pulling her feet up on the edge of the chair and glaring a hole in the floor. Carol looked a little pained, but took up the request as well. "It's...suddenly become a big part of our lives. Zeke needs to catch up on what's happened to them since he last, ah...participated. Cassie and I need to know what the hell we're getting into."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

The Captain nodded. This was all something he'd heard before.

"Well, between Ben and myself, you've put yourrself jin the company of experrjienced Jedji prrotectorrs. Been at jit forr some tjime, even beforre jI was actually jin the Alljiance."

He watched Vek Vek tend to Zeke's wounds, and everything seemed fairly routine there.

"My frrjigate has clearrance to meet wjith a secrret convoy that safeguarrds Jedji rrefugees. jI can see about arrangjing somethjing."

There was always a risk here. A risk in bringing something back that he shouldn't. He trusted Ben, but even Ben might not know everything if there was a deception.

Cirrsseeto tapped a wrist comm.

"Morrgan, can you come to the jinfjirrmarry?"

[Morgan Evanar]

"On my way." Morgan didn't have the slightest idea what was happening except that there had been an arrival. He took the slow way. Morgan placed his hands over the rails present on the lift, and let his arms support a portion of his weight.

The most logical conclusion was that one of the guests was either injured or of interest to the doctor, but being of interest probably meant it was another Jedi, which being one meant that Morgan was the resident expert.

Morgan was a bad Jedi expert for a Jedi.

He entered the Medbay and took a quick look at the situation. Obviously, someone was injured.

"Captain?" He asked simply.

[Zeke]

"Yes, sir," Zeke replied automatically, just as he would have to any one of his former employees. He covered his embarrassment at the mistake by sitting up while Cirr acknowledged Morgan's entry with a nod. The action was accompanied by a long grunt of exertion. "My name's Zeke, and I'm a former ship Captain myself. Captain Raurssatta called you in on my behalf, so, um...I'll let him fill you in." He gestured with a hand for Cirr to take the lead. Cassie's forehead thumped her knees as her father's gaffe embarrassed her in turn. Carol squeezed her husband's hand again, and the family's eyes settled on Morgan.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr gestured at Zeke and shrugged a little.

"Well, same old drrjill. Lost and found Jedji lookjing forr sanctuarry and all that."

He glanced at his friend and then back at the refugee family.

"They seem fjine to me but jI don't want jit on my head that jI was the one to brrjing a nutterr onboarrd the convoy."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan looked at Cirrseeto and narrowed his eyes briefly. He was perhaps the least qualified Jedi to make that judgment.

"Hello. Looks like you got yourself into a bit of a mess." He said to Zeke, and then looked back to Cirr.

[Zeke]

"Ah, yes," Zeke began. He turned to face Morgan more fully, back hunching and straightening slightly as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit. "Had a bit of a run-in with Stormtroopers and an Imperial Agent who could use the Force. That was surprising, as I believed all the Force-sensitive people in the Empire were dead." With Vader and the Emperor gone, Zeke would never have believed the Empire was using Agents that could wield the Force until his fight with Veribek. "If you know anything about how that came to be, I'd like to know, but for now I want to know the state of our Order. I never believed for a second I was the sole survivor of Order 66, but I did believe our Order, as a group, was shattered and unsalvageable."

[Carol Saska]

Carol grabbed Cirr by his sleeve and started to tow him out. "C'mon, Captain Cizerack," she said with a friendly smile. "Let's talk about how the Rebellion goes about its smuggling operations." She let him go when she saw he was willing to cooperate. They stopped down the hall a few paces to stay in earshot if anyone in the med bay needed them. She stood straight with her hands posted on her hips, head tilted up to make eye contact with him. Cirrsseeto dwarfed her, but she felt every inch his equal. "I want to know if its routine to smuggle weaponry using non-Rebel ships and personnel. That one decision is what set us off on this whole mess in the first place, and if there's a neck to be wrung, I want to know exactly which one it is."

[Cassandra Saska]

Cassie sighed as though a great weight had been placed on her ribcage. She didn't care to hear either of the conversations her parents were having. The idea of meeting more Jedi intimidated her, especially if they had all the powers her Dad had displayed so far. She looked askance at Morgan, nervously wondering if he was picking her brain. Whatever her Mom had dragged Cirr out for, she doubted it was anything relating to getting a new, free ship off the rebels or a full ride to the school of her choosing. She looked up at Vek Vek, who'd moved to a discreet distance to fiddle with her Dad's brainsamples and...what? He looked really focused. Maybe he was eavesdropping. She went and sat on a stool beside him.

"Hi," she said, her tone a touch too chirpy to cover her awkwardness. She rested elbows on knees and chin on fists, letting her cheeks and lips compress into a bored little pout. "Is Dad brain-damaged like we've suspected all his life long?"

[Morgan Evanar]

"I don't have the same context as some of the more veteran Jedi." Morgan stated.

"I was one of the first, I think, about four years ago. It was just five of us. There's many more now. I'm not sure the conditions to maintain any kind of Order existed till then. The Rebellion was too small to provide resources for a fledgling Jedi Order."

"We're not the same Order."

[Zeke]

"Fantastic. The old Order was so rigid and inflexible in its ways that it couldn't even turn its head to see the danger standing right behind it," Zeke said bluntly, rubbing his eyes. "Twenty years to reflect on it, and now I get to say it out loud to someone. It's cathartic, so thanks for listening." Zeke sighed and clasped his hands. "So what about the new Order? I hear we're on a convoy now, zooming about to hide from the Empire. Which is also fantastic, by the way. Totally brilliant move."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Carol grabbed Cirr by his sleeve and started to tow him out. "C'mon, Captain Cizerack," she said with a friendly smile. "Let's talk about how the Rebellion goes about its smuggling operations." She let him go when she saw he was willing to cooperate. They stopped down the hall a few paces to stay in earshot if anyone in the med bay needed them. She stood straight with her hands posted on her hips, head tilted up to make eye contact with him. Cirrsseeto dwarfed her, but she felt every inch his equal. "I want to know if its routine to smuggle weaponry using non-Rebel ships and personnel. That one decision is what set us off on this whole mess in the first place, and if there's a neck to be wrung, I want to know exactly which one it is."

Cirr winced at the nickname as they left the infirmary. Did he call her Refugee Human? No he didn't.

"Please, just call me Cirr."

As they spoke, it was clear she had an axe to grind with their situation. Cirr listened, his ears twitching as he did. Lady, you've got the wrong person to ask this question.

He held up a hand.

"Hold on. So you'rre telljing me that an Alljiance agent snuck weapons jinto yourr carrgo bay orr somethjing?"

He'd never heard of that sort of thing. While he'd taken plenty of work for the Alliance while as a freelancer, it was on a strictly voluntary basis.

[Vek Vek]

Cassie sighed as though a great weight had been placed on her ribcage. She didn't care to hear either of the conversations her parents were having. The idea of meeting more Jedi intimidated her, especially if they had all the powers her Dad had displayed so far. She looked askance at Morgan, nervously wondering if he was picking her brain. Whatever her Mom had dragged Cirr out for, she doubted it was anything relating to getting a new, free ship off the rebels or a full ride to the school of her choosing. She looked up at Vek Vek, who'd moved to a discreet distance to fiddle with her Dad's brainsamples and...what? He looked really focused. Maybe he was eavesdropping. She went and sat on a stool beside him.

"Hi," she said, her tone a touch too chirpy to cover her awkwardness. She rested elbows on knees and chin on fists, letting her cheeks and lips compress into a bored little pout. "Is Dad brain-damaged like we've suspected all his life long?"

Not good at social interaction in the best of times, Vek Vek stiffened as he looked at his viewscreen.

"Mm? Yes? No. No. Well, aside from concussion. No cephalic degeneration or atrophy. Cognitive function nominal, ahem, at cursory examination."

[Morgan Evanar]

"Fantastic. The old Order was so rigid and inflexible in its ways that it couldn't even turn its head to see the danger standing right behind it," Zeke said bluntly, rubbing his eyes. "Twenty years to reflect on it, and now I get to say it out loud to someone. It's cathartic, so thanks for listening." Zeke sighed and clasped his hands. "So what about the new Order? I hear we're on a convoy now, zooming about to hide from the Empire. Which is also fantastic, by the way. Totally brilliant move."

"Thanks. We're still establishing our identity." Morgan stated.

"It's a very diverse group. I think that compared to the older order we're more philosophically eclectic. We're aware that we're not an institution. Personally, I feel like there are some previous rules that don't add up, and there are still some people who think some of the old rules are a good idea." He gave a shrug.

"The whole situation could be characterized as unconventional."

[Zeke]

"Thanks. We're still establishing our identity." Morgan stated.

"It's a very diverse group. I think that compared to the older order we're more philosophically eclectic. We're aware that we're not an institution. Personally, I feel like there are some previous rules that don't add up, and there are still some people who think some of the old rules are a good idea." He gave a shrug.

"The whole situation could be characterized as unconventional."

Philosophically eclectic. Zeke figured he'd have to live through some of it to get the full meaning of those two words. He'd seen tons of different kinds of beings, cultures, languages, and worlds since being forced to live among them in hiding. It was exciting to think of what kind of Order he'd find on that Convoy.

"So what parts of the old way are we keeping to so far? Going to guess that we have a leadership council and the old Master-Knight-Padawan ranking hierarchy."

[Carol Saska]

Cirr winced at the nickname as they left the infirmary. Did he call her Refugee Human? No he didn't.

"Please, just call me Cirr."

As they spoke, it was clear she had an axe to grind with their situation. Cirr listened, his ears twitching as he did. Lady, you've got the wrong person to ask this question.

He held up a hand.

"Hold on. So you'rre telljing me that an Alljiance agent snuck weapons jinto yourr carrgo bay orr somethjing?"

He'd never heard of that sort of thing. While he'd taken plenty of work for the Alliance while as a freelancer, it was on a strictly voluntary basis.

"They may or may not have snuck it onto Ben Merasska's ship. What it was, was a shipment of baby food jars. Several crates worth." She gestured with her hands to give Cirr an idea about it. Crates that came up to about her clavicle, with equivalent width and depth. "And about a quarter of the way down was a false panel hiding guns, ammunition, and grenades. We didn't know that they were there. We zapped the shipping labels, popped the lids, it all squared up. But the Imps knew that the smuggling operation was going on and were just checking every ship that jumped in-system, I guess. They unloaded all the crates and found us holding the contraband." She hugged herself a bit, face tightening up in an expression balancing sorrow and anger. "They killed a lot of our crew. Maybe all of them. Zeke had to out himself as a Jedi just for us to get away. We found Ben, clearly, but we had to abandon our shuttle, too. I just want to know who made this happen and why."

[Cassandra Saska]

Not good at social interaction in the best of times, Vek Vek stiffened as he looked at his viewscreen.

"Mm? Yes? No. No. Well, aside from concussion. No cephalic degeneration or atrophy. Cognitive function nominal, ahem, at cursory examination."

She grinned as he accidentally agreed with her and reversed himself. She rolled her eyes up and to the side to try and make eye contact as the set of her mouth went neutral. "Then we have to go deeper!" Cassie declared, hunching in a bit to try and see what Vek was looking at. His equipment was pristinely clean; the whole of it smelled like sanitizer. There didn't appear to be a lot of wear on the buttons and switches, no scratches on computer screens...either he didn't use it a lot, or babied the crap outta his stuff. She was seized with a sudden urge to drag her hands across all the buttons. Her hands a reached a bit before clasping together, but this sort of distraction had always helped her deal with her issues in the past...for a little while. Picking on people was fun, but it was supposed to be serious business right now.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"They may or may not have snuck it onto Ben Merasska's ship. What it was, was a shipment of baby food jars. Several crates worth." She gestured with her hands to give Cirr an idea about it. Crates that came up to about her clavicle, with equivalent width and depth. "And about a quarter of the way down was a false panel hiding guns, ammunition, and grenades. We didn't know that they were there. We zapped the shipping labels, popped the lids, it all squared up. But the Imps knew that the smuggling operation was going on and were just checking every ship that jumped in-system, I guess. They unloaded all the crates and found us holding the contraband." She hugged herself a bit, face tightening up in an expression balancing sorrow and anger. "They killed a lot of our crew. Maybe all of them. Zeke had to out himself as a Jedi just for us to get away. We found Ben, clearly, but we had to abandon our shuttle, too. I just want to know who made this happen and why."

"That's cerrtajinly not Ben's style. He's...dangerr-averrse."

The Captain frowned at her telling of events. On one hand, nobody should get dragged into this ugly business who didn't ask for it, and on the other hand, the Alliance was at war with a numerically superior enemy that held all the cards. Embracing the unconventional was often times necessary.

"Forr what jit's worrth, Carrol, jI'm sorrry you werre mjixed up jin thjis. jI can't guarrantee jI'll be able to fjind even a name forr you."

He paused, and gave a slow nod.

"But jI wjill look jinto that."

[Morgan Evanar]

Philosophically eclectic. Zeke figured he'd have to live through some of it to get the full meaning of those two words. He'd seen tons of different kinds of beings, cultures, languages, and worlds since being forced to live among them in hiding. It was exciting to think of what kind of Order he'd find on that Convoy.

"So what parts of the old way are we keeping to so far? Going to guess that we have a leadership council and the old Master-Knight-Padawan ranking hierarchy."

"I think that's about all we have set in stone at the moment. I think some of our basic training is the same, but the rules seem to be on a Master to Padawan basis. I'm honestly too young to know how things used to be done."

[Carol Saska]

"That's cerrtajinly not Ben's style. He's...dangerr-averrse."

The Captain frowned at her telling of events. On one hand, nobody should get dragged into this ugly business who didn't ask for it, and on the other hand, the Alliance was at war with a numerically superior enemy that held all the cards. Embracing the unconventional was often times necessary.

"Forr what jit's worrth, Carrol, jI'm sorrry you werre mjixed up jin thjis. jI can't guarrantee jI'll be able to fjind even a name forr you."

He paused, and gave a slow nod.

"But jI wjill look jinto that." "Thanks," she said gratefully. "I'm sure Ben didn't know either, he was very...animated when confronted about it. I just want to try and exert some control, y'know? I don't do well idling. I want to have a goal. Without shipping manifests and books to balance, I think this is probably the most worthwhile thing to spend my time on."

[Zeke]

"I think that's about all we have set in stone at the moment. I think some of our basic training is the same, but the rules seem to be on a Master to Padawan basis. I'm honestly too young to know how things used to be done." Zeke took a breath and accepted the statement as an offer for him to expound on the past. He took the opportunity. "We were a very reactionary group of peace-keepers. Something bad happened, we went out and stopped it. It was very structured and regimented. We didn't let people go out and actively seek and stop evil from happening. We didn't want anyone getting too bloodthirsty or becoming what we purported to stop. But we were also very complacent and secure in our power and ability. We were played like fools by Palpatine, who was right under our noses the whole time. He always had the counter because he always knew our plans. Just the slightest bit of subtlety and he had us all by the noses. We were completely blind. We never thought our greatest enemy could be so close, though we knew full well the sort of under-handedness the Sith were capable of, and what their methods typically entailed. I would've liked a little more flexibility in our tactics and plans, and the courage to question our allies even as they made more and more ludicrous and dangerous demands of us. Also, I think we should've placed our trust a little more carefully. Then maybe the galaxy would be a very different, very much better place."

[Vek Vek]

She grinned as he accidentally agreed with her and reversed himself. She rolled her eyes up and to the side to try and make eye contact as the set of her mouth went neutral. "Then we have to go deeper!" Cassie declared, hunching in a bit to try and see what Vek was looking at. His equipment was pristinely clean; the whole of it smelled like sanitizer. There didn't appear to be a lot of wear on the buttons and switches, no scratches on computer screens...either he didn't use it a lot, or babied the crap outta his stuff. She was seized with a sudden urge to drag her hands across all the buttons. Her hands a reached a bit before clasping together, but this sort of distraction had always helped her deal with her issues in the past...for a little while. Picking on people was fun, but it was supposed to be serious business right now.

"Curiosity healthy. Temper with prudence. Brain is complicated. Non-invasive, ahem, examination preferable."

Fortunately, the diagnostics Zeke requires were fairly routine, and the girl wasn't hurting anything yet, so Vek Vek took a rare indulgence and humored her.

"Interest in scientific methodology?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "I'm sure Ben didn't know either, he was very...animated when confronted about it. I just want to try and exert some control, y'know? I don't do well idling. I want to have a goal. Without shipping manifests and books to balance, I think this is probably the most worthwhile thing to spend my time on."

"Just trryjing to surrvjive jin the mjiddle of all thjis? jI've been therre. Actually, you sound ljike a good frrjiend of mjine."

Cirr walked along with Carol, feeling her out a bit as they talked. She was mad, and rightfully so, but she seemed like good people.

"jI know jit's prrobably not what you want to hearr rrjight now, but the Alljiance could rreally use a pjilot who knows thejirr way arround."

[Cassandra Saska]

"Curiosity healthy. Temper with prudence. Brain is complicated. Non-invasive, ahem, examination preferable."

Fortunately, the diagnostics Zeke requires were fairly routine, and the girl wasn't hurting anything yet, so Vek Vek took a rare indulgence and humored her.

"Interest in scientific methodology?"

Nope, not really. But then, she hadn't learned much at all from the med tech Zeke had hired to run the Curvy Lady's aging bacta tank and patch up on-the-job injuries. He'd been surly and laconic, so Cassie had eventually decided to stay out of his way. It couldn't hurt to humor Vek Vek. "Yeah, sure!" she answered, scooching her stool forward by grabbing it and hopping it lightly toward the work area. "I wanna see what Dad's head looks like inside." That much, at least, was true. She flexed her fingers and pressed her lips together and resisted that urge to mash the buttons again. "May I?"

[Carol Saska]

"Just trryjing to surrvjive jin the mjiddle of all thjis? jI've been therre. Actually, you sound ljike a good frrjiend of mjine."

Cirr walked along with Carol, feeling her out a bit as they talked. She was mad, and rightfully so, but she seemed like good people.

"jI know jit's prrobably not what you want to hearr rrjight now, but the Alljiance could rreally use a pjilot who knows thejirr way arround."

Carol's mouth slanted sideways and bunched up as she thought about it. "Well, I didn't get much opportunity to actually fly our old bulk freighter. I can do shuttles of a certain class. My real occupation, the one I got a degree in, is accounting, but I'm not certain those skills would be required here in the Alliance. I mean, if it came to it, I guess I could fly shuttles for the Rebellion, but I don't know that I'd do well in fighters." She clasped her hands behind her and looked to the floor, concentrating on stepping between the metal tiles as she tried to continue gathering her thoughts. "Do you guys even do anything in civilian capacity? I can't think of anything flight-related that wouldn't amount to an act of war. Not even smuggling. And, truth told, I don't want to be a smuggler." She looked back up with a rueful half-smile. "It hasn't gone so well for me yet."

[Morgan Evanar]

"I think that's about all we have set in stone at the moment. I think some of our basic training is the same, but the rules seem to be on a Master to Padawan basis. I'm honestly too young to know how things used to be done." Zeke took a breath and accepted the statement as an offer for him to expound on the past. He took the opportunity. "We were a very reactionary group of peace-keepers. Something bad happened, we went out and stopped it. It was very structured and regimented. We didn't let people go out and actively seek and stop evil from happening. We didn't want anyone getting too bloodthirsty or becoming what we purported to stop. But we were also very complacent and secure in our power and ability. We were played like fools by Palpatine, who was right under our noses the whole time. He always had the counter because he always knew our plans. Just the slightest bit of subtlety and he had us all by the noses. We were completely blind. We never thought our greatest enemy could be so close, though we knew full well the sort of under-handedness the Sith were capable of, and what their methods typically entailed. I would've liked a little more flexibility in our tactics and plans, and the courage to question our allies even as they made more and more ludicrous and dangerous demands of us. Also, I think we should've placed our trust a little more carefully. Then maybe the galaxy would be a very different, very much better place."

Morgan nodded. He'd studied some of the recent Jedi history factual and otherwise. The Imperial propaganda was usually easy to sort from the rest.

"I'm under the impression that being anything other than a reactionary peacekeeping force at that time might have been impossible. The Order lacked the numbers to move pre-emptively in a lot of cases." He gave a shrug.

"Being evil is much easier than being good. You don't have a rulebook when you're evil."

[Zeke]

Morgan nodded. He'd studied some of the recent Jedi history factual and otherwise. The Imperial propaganda was usually easy to sort from the rest.

"I'm under the impression that being anything other than a reactionary peacekeeping force at that time might have been impossible. The Order lacked the numbers to move pre-emptively in a lot of cases." He gave a shrug.

"Being evil is much easier than being good. You don't have a rulebook when you're evil."

Zeke sighed and frowned. "Yeeeeaah, well..." He didn't have an answer to that. Truth was hard to combat. "Well, if we didn't have the numbers then, I expect we won't now. But not being rooted in one spot oughtta help. I hope. So..." He took a breath. "Speaking of this new Order. I'd like to go there. Get some refuge for my ladies, throw my skills in to help out. If you're a new promotion, I expect we'll have more trainees to bring up to speed. Do we have the materials for lightsabers, or any kind of training equipment?" There was a beat. "Look, I don't mean to grill you over this, but this is the first truly lucky break we've had, and I always found it easier to cope with stress through action."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Carol's mouth slanted sideways and bunched up as she thought about it. "Well, I didn't get much opportunity to actually fly our old bulk freighter. I can do shuttles of a certain class. My real occupation, the one I got a degree in, is accounting, but I'm not certain those skills would be required here in the Alliance. I mean, if it came to it, I guess I could fly shuttles for the Rebellion, but I don't know that I'd do well in fighters." She clasped her hands behind her and looked to the floor, concentrating on stepping between the metal tiles as she tried to continue gathering her thoughts. "Do you guys even do anything in civilian capacity? I can't think of anything flight-related that wouldn't amount to an act of war. Not even smuggling. And, truth told, I don't want to be a smuggler." She looked back up with a rueful half-smile. "It hasn't gone so well for me yet."

"Therre arre only a few worrlds we hold outrrjight, wjithout havjing to worry about an jImperrjial fleet showjing up unannounced. jI'm surre you'd fjind plenty of worrk as a bean counterr orr whatnot, but prrobably the kjind who keeps a blasterr by herr sprreadsheets."

It was strangely parallel to his own introduction to the Alliance. Who walks into a thing like this and goes straight for the gun? You'd have to be insane. A whole lifetime of little decisions for better or worse.

[Vek Vek]

Nope, not really. But then, she hadn't learned much at all from the med tech Zeke had hired to run the Curvy Lady's aging bacta tank and patch up on-the-job injuries. He'd been surly and laconic, so Cassie had eventually decided to stay out of his way. It couldn't hurt to humor Vek Vek. "Yeah, sure!" she answered, scooching her stool forward by grabbing it and hopping it lightly toward the work area. "I wanna see what Dad's head looks like inside." That much, at least, was true. She flexed her fingers and pressed her lips together and resisted that urge to mash the buttons again. "May I?"

The Doctor weighed the harm in such layman tours through the most important organ in intersentient anatomy, and decided to play the optimist.

"Want to look. Yes. But more important to ask why. Why to look?"

Vek Vek brought up a kaliedoscope of brain cross-sections on his holo-viewer, thumbing through human, rodian, twi'lek, ishi tib, and more.

"Many brains. Many configurations. Conditions endemic to species. Conditions specific to genetic trait, infection, or injury. Variables. Elements change, and observe difference."

Again, Vek brought up Zeke's brain image.

"So then, ahem, young girl. Ask why."

The Durwi was probably expecting too much. A spontaneous thirst for the scientific method was less likely than a random amino acid blob forming a useful protein.

[Cassandra Saska]

Why? Her mouth scrunched, her eyebrows went quizzical, and her hands gestured thoughtfully with fingers half-curled.

"Beeeeeeeeee...cause my dad's a lunatic with superpowers and I wanna know if it's because he's crazy or just wired different?" she tested. She searched Vek Vek's eyes for his response. She got the idea it wasn't going well.

[Carol Saska]

Carol's mouth slanted sideways and bunched up as she thought about it. "Well, I didn't get much opportunity to actually fly our old bulk freighter. I can do shuttles of a certain class. My real occupation, the one I got a degree in, is accounting, but I'm not certain those skills would be required here in the Alliance. I mean, if it came to it, I guess I could fly shuttles for the Rebellion, but I don't know that I'd do well in fighters." She clasped her hands behind her and looked to the floor, concentrating on stepping between the metal tiles as she tried to continue gathering her thoughts. "Do you guys even do anything in civilian capacity? I can't think of anything flight-related that wouldn't amount to an act of war. Not even smuggling. And, truth told, I don't want to be a smuggler." She looked back up with a rueful half-smile. "It hasn't gone so well for me yet."

"Therre arre only a few worrlds we hold outrrjight, wjithout havjing to worry about an jImperrjial fleet showjing up unannounced. jI'm surre you'd fjind plenty of worrk as a bean counterr orr whatnot, but prrobably the kjind who keeps a blasterr by herr sprreadsheets."

It was strangely parallel to his own introduction to the Alliance. Who walks into a thing like this and goes straight for the gun? You'd have to be insane. A whole lifetime of little decisions for better or worse.

Carol stopped, eyebrows rising in thought. "I could do that, actually. You didn't work on the Curvy Lady without being able to shoot. Fat lot of good it did us at the end, but..." she tipped her head to one side and shrugged. "Sounds a little boring, but it might solve some of Cassie's problem. The interim will probably still be tough. If Zeke wants us to stay on the Wheel it might make trouble. Hrm."

She looked up at the big Cizerack with a smile. "You're a great help, Cirr. Thanks."

[Ben Merasska]

Ben frowned.

In front of him, on the galley table, laid a mess of wiring and a few broken cylindrical cases.

Inertial dampeners are at forty percent efficiency and holding, Ben. My internal visual receptors are in need of manual recalibration and possibly new components. Alluvial dampeners are non-functioning and must be repaired to facilitate any travel. Some parts of the hull are in need of repair or replacement. Shield emitters are at sixty-three percent of baseline potential -

"All right, all right," Ben cut the AI off. "I get it. Make a list of critical repairs and replacements needed and send it to a datapad. Establish contact with the Novgorod, Cirr's probably busy with... them... and I don't want to take up too much of his time."

Understood. Xerxes replied, and automated the call through to the Novgorod's bridge, with a query about establishing a trade/payments for needed parts.