A Matter of Intelligence

[ReaperFett]

:: Finishing the drink in his hand, Ash Longbaugh turned to the barmaid behind the counter, and handed her his glass.

"Same again please" He said, a small smile on his face. She poured him another, before handing him the glass back. He nodded a thankyou, before turning to face the bar.

It was a busy night. in the corner, a Jizz Whailer sang a local favourite about a man and a Mynock, while a group of Bith played the instruments. They seemed a popular group, judging my how full their tips pot was.

To the side, a fight broke out. A Bothan had spilt the drink of a Twi'Lek. He had jumped to his feet, and immediatelt sent a punch at him. The Botha ducked it, and jabbed him in the ribs. More would have happened, had not the Wookiee bouncer smacked their heads together, before throwing them on the street. These bouncers sure are subtle Ash thought, smiling to himself.

He heard a thump beside him, and saw a Rodian, passed out on the counter. He had been drinking before Fett had got there, and had been heavy all that time. Slowly, the man began to snore.

Just a normal day in a bar really ::

[Gil Hamner]

His eyes leveled with the glass as he stared through it and tried to shape out the Rodian passed out on the bar counter. He shifted his eyes, and inconspicuously moved his glass aside. The glass effortlessly slided past his eyesight, giving him a clear view of the man he was watching.

The man used the back of his hand to push his jacket collar up and spoke into a small microphone. His words wouldn't make sense to anyone who could read lips. He was speaking in code, as he oftenly did. He took his gaze off of the man sitting at the bar counter, to take a swig of his own drink. A blue substance, that didn't look too attractive. He forced himself to swallow it anyway.

"The Rancor is in the pen. Proceeding to confront." He whispered into his microphone.

The man, better known as Gil, took one last swig of his exotic drink and set it down. He used the edge of his jacket sleeve to wipe his mouth.

"Ahem," Gil coughed as he cleared his throat. It attracted minimal attention, but caused a few to turn their heads. Tuning the chit chatter and jizz music out of his head, Gil concentrated on the mission at hand.

He began to walk forward, heading to the man sitting at the bar. This man could probably sense Gil coming, if he was what the criteria had labelled him as.

Gil sat on the empty stool beside the man. He motioned for the barmaid to come forward.

"I'll have a can of Fondor's best." He said in a particularly low voice.

Finally he regarded the man beside him. His name was Ash? Gil started to forget the mission criteria he was supposed to memorize beforehand. Throwing caution to the wind and putting his doubts behind him, he greeted the man with a few words.

"Afternoon stranger. Come here often?" Gil asked.

[ReaperFett]

:: Hearing the voice beside him, Ash turned to face the man. A thin man with short brown hair, he looked a slight amount younger than him. Although he sounded quite confident, his eyes read of insecurity. About what? he thought, before replying.

"No, not from round these parts" He replied to the man, before taking a sip of his drink. "Yourself?" ::

[Gil Hamner]

"I--I'm uh, I'm from Corellia." Gil replied. "Don't come here much often. Or there for that matter. Heard a bunch of Jedi had it under their control."

Gil opened the can and took a short and slow sip. He savoured the sweet taste of the alcohol. Rarely did he ever get to drink, even on special occasions. Gil had always been studying or writing reports. He attended University on Chandrila and barely graduated with a passing grade.

"So uh..what's your name?" Gil asked.

Quickly he shook his head and held out his own hand. "My name's Gil, Gil Hamner."

[ReaperFett]

:: Smiling at the man's uncertainty, Ash shook his hand.

"Longbaugh. Ash Longbaugh" He cooly said, before finishing his drink. He handed it back to the barmaid, who refilled it.

"So, what you doing in a place like this Gil?" ::

[Gil Hamner]

"I'm uhhh. Well you see I dropped by this planet to pick up a special package for my father. Thought I'd stop by here and get a drink, ya know..."

Gil shrugged a bit and finished the can of Fondor's best. He crushed it in his left hand and aimed at the wastebasket behind the counter. Gil threw it, but missed. The can hit the floor and scuttled off.

Rolling her eyes, the barmaid walked over to pick it up and dispose of it. She stared at Gil and raised an eyebrow, shaking her head.

"Sorry," he said with a slight smile. He turned to face Ash again. "Ash huh? Never met an Ash before."

Gil took out his wallet and fumbled with it for a second. He produced a white datacard, with a holo image. It read:

Name: Gil Hamner
Age: 19
Homeworld: Chandrila
Citizen of the New Republic.

"Let your spirit shine."

The quote was one of the many the New Republic had adopted to represent themselves. Gil handed it over to Ash and slightly nodded.

"Ash, do you know much about the New Republic?" He asked silently.

[ReaperFett]

:: "The New Republic? The controlling power in the galaxy, formed after the Empire was overthrown from Coruscant, using many of the ideals of the Old Republic and the Rebellion. Not a lot, why?"

He replied, smiling. He looked down at the ID. It was real, no doubts about it. He suddenly got the feeling this man wanted something ::

[Gil Hamner]

This guy must know what I want...He can probably read my thoughts. Hamner thought.

He took his datacard back and put it into the wallet. Gil stood up for a moment to pocket the wallet and sat back down on the stool.

"Well the New Republic doesn't occupy Coruscant anymore. As you may have heard, the Empire reclaimed it. I've heard that Diktat Viscera has fallen ill as of late. Haven't seen much Imperial activity in the past month."

He diverted his attention to a distorted Twi'lek chanting incoherant words and phrases. Gil looked back at Ash.

"Anyway, I thought what, with you being a renowned Jedi Master and all..." Gil grinned, showing his white teeth. "You'd know quite a lot about the New Republic. I'm sure you've worked for the Alliance before, in your early days as a hitman."

Without taking his eyes off the Jedi, he let out a series of three coughs. Two men sitting at a table chatting with eachother turned around to face him. They weren't far off from the bar. Both nodded, got up and shuffled out of the bar.

"We've been watching you for quite a while now, Ash. Or should I call you, Master Fett?" Gil's face suddenly became quite serious. He no longer showed the clumsy disposition he once bore. His eyes seemed to stare right through Fett.

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash stared straght back at the man, not flinching. How'd he know I was a hitman?

"No, you can call me Mr Longbaugh"

His first instinct was to pull a eapon off his belt, but the belt was empty. He had decided against bringing any. All he had wanted was a quiet drink. However, he did have a small pistol spring loaded to his arm, so he wasn't completely weaponless.

"Enough lighthearted chit-chat. What do you want?" ::

[Gil Hamner]

"Okay Mr. Longbaugh." Gil repeated in a militant-mockery voice.

He took a drink from a service droid that passed nearby and put a credit down on the tray.

"I was ordered by my superiors to track you down..."

Gil took a long sip of the drink. He was trying to decide whether or not he liked the taste. He decided it was good, but a little strong.

"...and bring you to meet them."

He finished the drink in another two gulps and set it down.

"You're a Jedi, read my mind. Surely you won't find my intentions to be untrustworthy or evil. I believe it would be mutually beneficial for both you and my boss if you payed him a visit." Gil cleared his throat.

"Although I can't make you. You have to come on your own volition. Bring a weapon if it makes you feel safer."

[ReaperFett]

:: Looking into the mans eyes, Ash reached out with the force to feel his emotions. Although he wasn't strong in this area of the force, like so many other, he could feel no strong emotions from the man. Furthermore, he trusted him. His eyes didn't read that he could be as cold as to lie so convincingly.

"Alright, I'll go. No weapons needed" He said, a slight lie from the truth ::

[Gil Hamner]

That was pretty easy. I always knew I was a convincing person. Gil silently glorified his abilities, forgetting the Jedi could probably sense that he was trustworthy.

The young man tapped Fett on the shoulder and jerked a thumb to the door. He reached into his khaki shorts pocket and took out a credit chip. Gil tossed it to the barmaid and turned around.

Surprisingly enough, the Rodian passed out beside Ash raised his head and looked around. He noticed Gil, that gave the Rodian a confident nod. The green skinned alien reached for his blaster and checked it. It seemed to be fully charged and ready for anything. The Rodian put it back in his holster, got up and walked out.

As Gil and Fett walked out of the bar, the agent began to speak again.

"A lot of people are in on this operation. Our superiors really want to meet with you, and would do anything to speak with you." Gil told him.

Both of them walked out of the vicinity of the bar and passed a few old buildings. This particular bar was in the slums of the city. Many different looking and colored aliens hung out on building-sides and in alleyways. They all seemed to be armed and dangerous. Gil wasn't really worried, he was armed under his casual clothes. Despite his clumsy disposition, the human could use a blaster quite well.

"Believe it or not, this is my second mission. I'm experienced and all, but...well you know." Gil shrugged. He led Fett through a series of streets and shortcuts, cutting through broken fences.

They were being followed by others in association with Gil. Most of them were dressed like seasoned ruffians and tough customers.

"Any questions so far?"

[ReaperFett]

:: "Yes. Why did they send someone out for me who is still wet behind the ears. Especially being as I could snap your neck before you could take out the blaster you no doubt have under your jacket.If they want me so, wouldn't they send someone who might be able to handle the pressure?" He asked, smiling on the inside. Time to test this mans nerve ::

[Gil Hamner]

"I may be young sir," Gil remarked with an edge of defense in his voice, "but I assure you I'm not some new kid off the block."

He inhaled the smoggy air and quickly exhaled, cringing at the odours that some of these buildings and aliens produced. It smelled like a Hutt's bathroom in this district of town. Instantly he began to quicken his pace.

"If you must know, this is my second mission with my new division. I've seen friends die before me, powerless to stop them. As I'm sure someone as vintage as yourself has seen. I've seen the enemy die before me, and even brought that death upon myself. Believe it or not, I was forced into my current occupation."

Gil slightly laughed as he told the man all of his personal information.

"I was quite the hellraiser in my early teenage years. It does help to know how to hotwire a speeder bike or slice into a military console." He chuckled.

Then he stopped and held his hand out to stop Fett. "Do I really look that new? Honestly, I musn't be that bad!"

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash smiles at the mans question.

"Let's just say, most new recruits for the military look older" He said to him, before carrying on walking.

"Anyway, what do you mean forced? Something happen to you?" He carried on. There was no agreassion in his voice, a more concerned tone could be heard ::

[Gil Hamner]

"Yeah, something happened." Gil had a distant gaze in his eyes, but he still unconsciously led Fett through the maze of the slums.

The young man thought back to when he was a teenager. Tough times those were, they pre-determined the rest of life. Images of the past flashed back into his head as he recollected his thoughts. This Ash looked interested enough...

"I was about 15 at the time when my "tragedy" happened. It was 2:30 AM in the less respectable part of Coronet. I remember I wasn't alone. My two friends, both a few years older then me were accompanied me." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "We broke into a building in hopes of stealing important documents for our employer. This was our big chance to make a lot of credits and live like fat rats."

Gil rounded an alleyway and relieved a glowstick from his sidepouch. He turned it on, providing them light through the dark alleyway.

"CorSec was there, waiting for us. We'd been set up. I was given two choices: Attend the NR Correctional Facility on Kessel or join the New Republic Military for the rest of my life. Naturally I chose the second choice...and here I am." He forced a weak smile.

"We're almost there," He coughed out.

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash gave the man a slight smile, before following him. Looking up in the alley, he saw for the first time they were down some backstreets. This made him a little more confident.

If he was going to kill me, he'd have done it by now he thought, as they reached the end of the alley ::

[Gil Hamner]

Both humans stopped in front of a pile of boxes and rags that were placed up against the wall. They had followed a twisting narrow path that had led them through the backstreets and to a dead end. Gil guessed that Fett was probably wondering if they had taken a wrong turn somewhere down the line.

"Look behind me, make sure we aren't being followed." Gil whispered.

He tapped on the largest box twice and uttered a word in a foreign language. A small creaking sound filled the air as the box was slowly pushed out of the way, revealing a hole in the ground as well as a murky stairwell. Gil took a step back.

"Just go down there and follow the hallway until you reach a door at the end of the hall. Knock four times, and you will be admitted in."

The young man leant against the alleyway wall. "Before you go, any tips you can give me?"

[ReaperFett]

:: "Think fast, stay alive, die hard" Ash tells him, before slowly heading down the steps.

The Corridor was badly lit, shadows dancing all round him. He stops as he reaches the door. Although looking cheap, he could tell it was heavily reinforced. Slowly, he knocks on the door four times ::

[Evan Derra]

Ahh he is finally here, I hope Gil did not prove to be a nuisance. The man inside of the room thought to himself with a small chuckle.

He had brown hair, with hints of grey around the edges, brown eyes and a bushy mustache. He allowed it to grow in, as some Military leaders did. They believed it defined them and seperated them from the cleanly shaven Ensigns and Cadets.

Keying a red button at his desk, the door swung open. It revealed the man, sitting back in his chair. It looked as if he hadn't the slightest care in the world.

"Ash Longbaugh I presume? I am Evan Derra, New Republic Intelligence."

Quickly he rose out of his chair and rounded the table. Evan extended a hand to the man and beckoned him in.

"Is there anything I can get you to drink?" He asked.

[ReaperFett]

:: "No, I'm fine" Ash replied. He walked forward, as the man known as Evan indicated to a seat infront of him. Sitting down, he saw something move in the shadows. Grey skinned, its shadow casting a menacing figure. A Noghri? I haven't seen one of them since I was with Jana on Rodia. Jana.... He thought, as the memories came back...

Lying on the bed, Ash looked round the room. Naboobian wood dominated the room. A white Wampa fur carpet covering the floor. In the corner, a small fire was buring, sending a warm glow round the room. This was the sort of room he wanted for himself. A shame they were only lying low for a short time before leaving.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Feeling something on his arm, he look to his side to see Jana Sil moving up to him. He slowly put an arm round her, and kissed her on her lips.

"Morning" He whispered to her.

"Morning. Are we going today?" She asked.

"I think so. I'll give Kyt a call when I get up. He should only be a few hours"

"When are you getting up?" She asked. A sly smile forming on his lips, Ash used his hand to bring her head close to him, before slowly kissing her. He wanted to stay here forever, but he suddenly stopped.

"You hear something?" He asked rhettorically, before the door was kicked in.

Rolling over Jana, Ash fell off the bed, coming up with his 1911s in hand. Seeing a Rodian at the door point a blaster at him, he opened fire, sending the attacker flying into the wall behind. Another, a Twi'Lek, came round the corner, but was greeted with slugs before he could draw a bead.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Hearing the ceiling creak, Ash looked up in time to see a section to break, and a Noghri drop in, and land in front of him. He raised his guns, but was sent flying back with a punch to the chest before he could fully react, knocking him down.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Seeing something smash into the grey skinned opponent, Ash turned to see Jana, hitting him with a chair. The assassin casually turned round, and swung his knife at her, barely missing her, but sending her off balance. He went in for the kill, but never got there. The bullets from Ash's pistols were faster than he was.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Watching the body drop to the floor, Ash swiftly headed for the door, pistols ready.

"Come on, we have to move. Now" He said to Jana, who was slowly getting up.

"Erm, Ash?"

"What?"

"Shouldn't you get changed first?" She asked. He looked down, and remembered he was only wearing his boxer shorts. Flashing a slight smile at her, he turned back into the room. ::

[Evan Derra]

"Ahh, Ash meet Karabakh." Evan motioned to the Noghri still choosing to dwell in the shadows. A soft hissing sound escaped it's mouth as it leered at Fett.

Evan moved back to his own seat and motioned that Fett sit down in the other in front of his desk. Evan's office looked rather makeshift and hinted that he probably wasn't going to be there for long. Everything looked moveable and replaceable.

The Agent reached into his bottom drawer and took out a glass and a bottle of Corellian Brandy. He poured himself a glass and took a small sip of the strong drink. Forcing back a cough, the agent began to speak.

"Very well then. Ash, the New Republic has been keeping it's eye on you for quite some time. We've noted your progress in the Jedi Order, and even spoken with a Master Yoghurt on your behalf." He explained.

Taking another small sip of the drink, Evan put it down and wiped his mouth. He cleared his throat.

"Have you ever worked on Intelligence Missions in the past?"

[ReaperFett]

:: "Not directly. But when you are in the work I was..."

"As a Hitman?" Derra interrupted.

"Yes" Ash replied, now wondering how many knew about his past.

"Anyway, when I was a hitman, you had to do things that involved similar things. Staking a place out, disguises, sneaking round" He continued, resting his arms on the chair.

"Anyway, why does all this matter?" ::

[Evan Derra]

"Well.." Evan seemed a bit hesitant at first, although another sip of his drink calmed him considerably. He wiped his moustache and stared at Fett, giving him a most serious look, almost eerie.

"We'd like you to join the New Republic Intelligence. You'd be given benefits, pay and most importantly your ship would be upgraded for free." Evan listed all the things that would attract Fett to join the New Republic and it's cause.

The agent snapped his finger and his Noghri assistant came forward and produced a folder. Evan took it and looked through it for a second.

He returned his attention to Fett a moment later. "So what do you say? We could use you. You have experience, we need people like you if we ever want to grant the wishes of peace and justice that every good sentient wants."

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash leant back in his chair, and rubbed his chin in thought. He's right. The galaxy does need New Republic Intel. And from how he speaks, Intel needs me...

"I'll do it" He said, still looking deep in thought. ::

[Evan Derra]

"Now wait a second, don't be so hasty to say n--" Evan stopped in mid-speech. "Oh...you said you'll do it." He straightened his uniform and gave Fett a smile.

Evan leant against the table, "Welcome aboard Agent Longbaugh." He extended his hand.

[ReaperFett]

:: Accepting his hand, Ash smiled slightly at Derra

"Thanks" He said, before sitting back down ::

[Evan Derra]

"Then we can get straight to work." Evan grinned, showing his white teeth.

Once again he skimmed through the portfolio his Noghri assistant had handed him. It was the outline of Ash's first mission, and it wasn't an easy one. Of course Evan had complete faith in Ash. After all, he was a one time Hitman and a Jedi Master. Two valuable traits that came in handy when in this line of work.

The Agent passed the portfolio across the table and to Fett. As he did this, he began to speak again, "Have you ever heard of Veraticus? It's a major slave ring operating in the heart of the Smuggler's Moon, Nar Shaddaa." Fett didn't look surprised.

"Ah by that look on your face I daresay you've encountered that moon in the past?" Evan asked.

"Back to the mission. Veraticus has 23 Republic agents along with one Republic General, General Winstar. We need you to locate them, and obtain every...single...bit...of information that you can. These people are very smart, and also have many inside agents. Beware of who you talk to or trust." Evan finished with a sigh.

The older man watched as ReaperFett reviewed the portfolio. It was filled with pictures, reports and all the information they had been able to scrounge together so far. New Republic Intelligence was lacking these days, so the information was not much. Many had put their faith in Evan and his attempt to recruit Ash Longbaugh. Evan didn't want to let any of the others down, especially General Winstar's wife.

"After you bring us back the information, the New Republic Special Forces will move in and send the criminals to where they belong, Kessel." Evan had a grim look on his face. He hated slavers and criminals for that matter. It was one of the main reasons he joined the New Republic.

"Oh and Longbaugh, you won't be alone. Gil Hamner will be accompanying you. He has most of the mission details and will explain all of them to you. Meet him by your ship in two hours. And....May the Force be with you."

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash gave a slight smile to the man, got up, and left the room. As he reached the alleyway, he saw that Gil had gone. Must have gone to get ready He thought to himself, as he headed off down the back alleys to the main street, before heading off to the hanger that contained The Chainsaw ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil hurried past the hangars looking for the specific one that Ash's ship, the Chainsaw was docked in. He held a brown bag slung across his left shoulder. It hung securely on his back, and slightly swayed everytime he took a step. Inside of the bag were clothes neatly folded, and tucked inside of those clothes were assorted vibroblades and blasters. Gil had brought everything he'd need for the mission and for the trip.

Ash's gonna be pissed off if I'm late. Gil thought, subconsciously quickening his pace as he did so.

As soon as Gil was suspecting he'd missed it, he caught glimpse of a YT-2000 freighter. It looked modified and fit the profile. Just to make sure, Gil looked at the address of the hangar he had wrote on a piece of flimsy hours before.

"Here we go..." Gil said, running up to the YT-2000. It looked impressive, but Gil wasn't much of a ship interpreter. His passion was knives and blasters. He'd stolen many of them as a kid.

"Ash, I'm here!" The young man shouted into the open ramp. He examined the belly of the ship, noting it had impressive looking guns. Gil had to wonder if Fett ever used his guns in space battle. He had practiced in a few sims and wasn't a bad shot himself. He leaned against the ramp, waiting for Ash to appear from inside the ship.

[ReaperFett]

:: "You're late" Gil turned round to see the voice had come from Ash, who was busy near a landing gear.

"Problem?" The Agent asked.

"Nah, just needed to tighten something. Done now" He replied, walking over. He wiped his hands with a cloth, before throwing it in a small recycling point near by. He then pulled some gloves out of his Jacket pocket, and put them off.

"You ready?" He asked Gil

"Yeah, got everything"

"Good, let's get moving" The Jedi replied, heading straght up the ramp. ::

[Gil Hamner]

"Nice ship..." Gil commented as he entered the ship, following Ash. He made a slight whistling sound with his mouth. People usually did that when they were impressed by something. Truth be told, Gil was impressed, Ash's ship was none like he'd ever seen before. Gil had been on Tramp Freighters and Bulk Transports, but never anything this compact. The Chainsaw looked strong.

The young man pulled a datapad out of his pocket and began to read the text documents that Evan had sent him hours before. It even gave them the coordinates for Nar Shaddaa, along with the mission criteria and what was required and expected out of both of them.

Gil handed it over to Fett, "Might wanna look at that."

He walked over to the cockpit of the ship and began to stare at the controls. He dropped his bag down on the co-pilot's suit and examined the NavComputer. He'd learned a bit about plotting courses, but not much. Gil was good in math, but he barely ever had the time to learn.

"So when do we leave for Nar Shaddaa?"

[ReaperFett]

:: "After we make a quick stop" Ash replied. Gil went to say anything, but the Jedi cut in.

"Don't worry, it's only to Corellia. It is en route, wont slow us down by any more than a few hours" ::

[Gil Hamner]

A frown formed on Gil's face as memories of his homeworld came into view. Now looking at them from a lawful prospective, he deemed them to be immature and a big mistake. Then...other memories of his family came into view. Gil balled his fists as he thought of his family, he hated them more then the Empire. His father was an abusive drunk that hung out at the local pub. His mother subjected to his beatings and blamed everything on herself. And his brother...had inlisted in the Imperial Navy. He was a TIE Fighter pilot, and still alive according to Gil's sources.

The man noticed his sudden change of attitude was ever so evident. Quietly he unclenched his sweaty fists and tried to form a weak smile. Gil shuffled off to the back of the ship to unpack his things. Before he exited the cockpit, he turned around to face Fett. The young man voiced his question, "Why Corellia? What's there?"

I hate that sh** pit. He cursed in silence.

Gil knew that it was Fett's ship, and Fett's rules. He would have to go to Corellia, whether he liked it or not. He just hoped he wouldn't run into anyone he knew. Everyone believed him to be locked away in some prison. Discovering he was free of government captivity could jeopardize his position as an NRI agent. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that...

[ReaperFett]

:: "You don't need to know why. All you need to know, is we are going" Ash replied, not turning to look at him. The remainder of the journey was near silence.

When they landed on Corellia, Gil decided to tag along with him. There were no words of opposition from Ash. The two immediately left the docking bay, and hired a speeder. Taking the controls, the Jedi led them out of the city, before stopping in a small car park

The Corellian Star graveyard. The most expensive place on the planet for the dead to rest. Inside, each grave had a large plot, with a gravestone made of the finest materials money could buy.

Leaving Gil at the gates, Ash slowly walked down the main path, eyes looking forwards, not looking at any of the graves. He stopped, before turning off down a smaller path, before coming to a halt once more. He slowly looked at the stone in front of him, memories pouring back as he saw the name.

Jana Sil.

The girl who had helped him adapt to the Corellian lifestyle. The girl who he had fallen in love with. The girl he had gotten killed. The pain was still as strong as on the day, all these years on.

Putting a hand into his pocket, he slowly brought out a datacard, and crouched down. On the card were pictures of things he knew Jana would want to see. Kyt, his ship, Nikit, Nacho and him. Pressing a small button on the side of the stone, a small panel slid back, revealing a compartment at the foot of the stone. Gently placing the card inside, he pressed the button again, closing it. The card would slowly be sent under the ground, until it is next to the body, where it would remain, close to the person it was intended for.

Slowly, Ash sat down on the floor next to the grave, looking out at the view. A beautiful clear lake filled the landscape, with perfect scenery as far as the eye could see. It was across there where Jana and him used to lie on the grass, watching the sun set. "There's only one thing more beautiful than this sunset, and it is you". Lame as it sounded, it was true. She had been everything to him. And it was because of him she was no more.

"Hi Jana, it's me, Ash." He said, looking out at the view.

"I remember when we were younger, how we used to say this place was where we'd want to be laid to rest, with the views, and the memories..." He trailed off, thinking about the good times.

"Everyone else is okay. Kyt has his own ship now, still helps me when needed. The ships still there too, mainly due to Nach. Without him, I think I'd be lost.

"I'm still a Jedi, I still go round the galaxy, fighting evil. I wish you were here to see it. I hope I'd make you proud." As he spoke, he rested his hand on his leg, and remembered the bloodstripes. He had worn them just for Jana.

"Course, you wouldn't have seen these. I earned Bloodstripes, gold level. A Long time ago now. Rescued a Dignitary from Pirates. Only just started wearing them though. I couldn't bring myself to before" He said, remembering how he hadn't felt he deserved them. It was then he realised he had started crying, as he dropped his head into his hands.

"I miss you Jana" He whispered ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil immediately knew this trip was important to Ash the second they stepped in the graveyard. The Jedi totally forgot Gil was alive and walked off deeper into the graveyard. The young man thought it would be best to just let Fett go. The man wasn't open about his emotions, and wouldn't want Gil to interfere.

For the first few minutes, Gil Hamner waited near the entrance of the graveyard. One of the security guards came by and asked him to state his business. Gil informed the guard, he was waiting for an acquaintance who wanted to visit an old friend. The old guard was confused, but decidedly shrugged it off and walked away.

With virtually nothing to do, Gil began to pass the graves and read the names. He hadn't known any of these people, but he could begin to fathom the pain their families must have endured. As he thought about all these people, dead, his head began to spin. He dropped down on one knee and bowed his head, trying his hardest not to vomit. The waves of nausea just kept on pounding him...

Then Gil opened his eyes for a split moment and read the gravestone he was standing in front of.

Dante Hamner

He stared in disbelief as the nausea increased more so. His brother's name was Dante Hamner. Could this possibly be his brother? Was he hallucinating? Gil didn't think so. He suspected his brother had suffered the wrath of the Empire firsthand. This gravestone was grounded, and not as flashy as the others. Gil had to crawl back and turn his head away to keep from getting sick.

I have to get outta here... Slowly he climbed to his feet and looked for Ash. He spotted the Jedi just fifty yards away. It took Gil quite a while to walk over to Fett. He was tired and limping, and his stomach just couldn't handle the events placed before him..

Coming up behind Ash he was about to speak, but noticed the man was deep in thought, and looked saddened. He read the gravestone belonging to a Jana Sil. Deciding not to speak, Gil took a few steps back and waited for Ash.

[ReaperFett]

:: Deep in his thoughts, Ash spun round to see Gil, standing behind, trying not to interrupt. Slowly getting up, he said his goodbyes, and walked past the agent, heading for the exit, slowly wiping some tears from his eyes.

"Come on Gil, let's go" ::

[Gil Hamner]

I wonder who that Jana woman is... Gil thought to himself, slowly moving to follow Ash. Guess it would be best if I didn't ask.

He watched as Ash began to head back toward the Chainsaw. Gil wondered if he had interrupted Fett, or abruptedly brought him back to cruel reality. Losing a loved one was never easy. Gil hadn't been too shocked by his brother's death, but he still silently mourned for him. The Empire had taken too many lives, and would continue to do so. But he wasn't fighting the Empire at present...

...His war was against slavers, which probably worked with the Empire. There was nothing more disgusting then xenophobia or racism. As Gil had read in the profile, most of those enslaved by the slave ring were indeed non-humans or humanoids. The very thought of all this evil angered him, but angry thoughts wouldn't make things better. Only worse...

Silently, without saying one word he followed Fett out of the graveyard, and back to the landspeeder. Both had a lot of things on their mind, that needed to be dealt with upfront.

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash slowly got into the speeder, and sat motionless. Sensing Gil looking at him, he starting the vehicle up, and started down the road. When they eventually reached the hanger, he stayed sat in the speeder, in thought, only the sound of Gil's door closing reminding him of where he was ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil stared at Ash still sitting in the speeder. He was tempted to clap or shake the Jedi awake, but deemed it to be a bad idea. Fett seemed to be off in some other world, perhaps he was meditating? Gil heard that many Jedi meditated to keep their calm and balance. Of course he hadn't heard THAT much about the Jedi, only a bit. He didn't have special ability in the Force, but he did believe in it.

He rounded the speeder and stood in front of Ash's door, expecting the man to come back to reality. He didn't. Gil slightly tapped the side of the car.

"Hey Ash..." he began, half anticipating no response. "Who was Jana Sil?"

Gil grimaced. Was it a good time to ask such a question? Had he screwed up? Pushing all these questions to the back of his mind, the young man wondered if Ash would answer or tell him to go to hell.

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash sat silent for what seemed like an age before slowly replying.

"She was my life. When I arrived on Corellia, she was there. When I needed a friend, she was there. And she is now dead, because of me" He slowly answered, feeling the emotions flowing through him ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil frowned and clasped the side of the door handle. Jana sounded like a decent person, and a good friend. He wondered if she was romantically involved with Ash, but knew it wasn't a relevant question.

He thought of a better one, that had been tugging at his curiousity since Ash answered him.

"What do you mean, she is dead because of you?" He was almost too afraid to ask, but he did anyway.

[ReaperFett]

:: Almost ignoring the question, Ash got out of the speeder, and strided to the hangar. Heading straght for The Chainsaw, he took off the moment Gil got inside. Setting the Hyperspace for Nar Shaada, he left the cockpit, and sat in the main area, before sinking his head in his hands. Without looking up, he began to talk.

"Mortyr Rann" He said to Gil, wo he could sense watching.

"He was a Bounty Hunter, reasonably good. One of my last jobs was his brother, who ran a large crime syndicate on Corellia. I did the job, got paid, thought it was the end of it. Mortyr didn't. He made a vow to hunt down and kill me. about a month later, he found me" He continued, before slowly looking up at Gil.

"He shot at me, but hit Jana. She died in my arms, no reason for it. He wanted me, not her. It was me who killed her" He said, his voice trailing off. ::

[Gil Hamner]

"I-I'm sorry Ash.." Gil choked out.

He put his head down, a little angry at himself for asking the question. At first he didn't believe Ash would even answer him, but he did. Gil hadn't heard of the Bounty Hunter Ash referred to. It was no surprise to himself either. He tried to block Corellia and everything with it and on it out of his mind. Memories could hurt physically as well as mentally.

Slowly, the young man walked off to where he was staying. He decided he would catch up on some sleep before they arrived at Nar Shaddaa. There was no guarantee their mission would be just "in and out". Gil would bet a YT-2400 they were going to run into trouble, and he needed all the energy he could muster.

The door to the cockpit slid shut as Gil exited. Silence filled the ship...

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash raised his head to speak to Gil, but saw he had left the room.

The silence was deafening. Lying back on his seat, he looked up at the roof, remembering the past ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil could not sleep at all. Memories of the tombstone with his brother's name on it kept on preventing him from shutting his eyes. He imagined his brother's rotten corpse, reaching out for Gil and grabbing him along with him, under the ground and into the darkness. Palpatine was a malevolant man with Intergalactic Dominance as his main goal. Those of the Empire had been poisoned by him, even after his death.

The young man didn't suspect himself to mourn for Dante, but he wondered what had brought him to his death, and if there was even a corpse beneath the ground. The intelligence agent only gave the mission his full attention, choosing not to indulge in the memories past. Gil had practically forgotten about his past, and now it came back to bite him.

He rolled off of the cot and walked over to the refresher. Turning on the faucet, Gil splashed water on his face. The ship was probably still in Hyperspace, Gil couldn't tell. He just wanted to rest his head peacefully and fall asleep.

Come on Gil, just think about something else. It was easier said then done. Just as soon as he laid his head back down on the pillow, the young man saw the looming figure of his brother standing over him.

"Gil... Fulfill my legacy and crush the Rebels."

He grabbed his own pillow and put it over his face. Gil jammed his eyes shut and left them like that for a few minutes. Soon enough, he was asleep. Although his dreams were not all that peaceful....

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash woke up with a start, finding himself bolt upright, covered in sweat. Wiping his brow, he got up, and picked up a small holochip. Activating it, a small picture appeared on the screen. It was of two people, one male and one female. The pair were smiling out of the picture, arms round each other. He smiled, remembering the day.

Coruscant, one of the flying beaches. An entire week, just me and Jana He remembered. The best days of my life. It had been easy back then. him, Jana, Kyt, Nacho, The Chainsaw. Everything was perfect. Perfect nevers lasts.

Turning off the chip, he put it back on the table, before heading for the 'fresher. Before he got there, he heard someone in there, and backed round the corner as Gil left to return to his room. Although Ash was poor at reading emotions, he could feel that no matter what it was, it was strong. I'll ask him tommorow He thought, turning back round, heading for his room ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil walked into the cockpit the next morning to find it was deserted. He walked over and checked the navicomputer. Their ETA was in exactly three hours. Gil decided it wasn't that long, but being cramped up in a ship for so long was beginning to bother him. He'd endured longer trips before, but that was rare.

Now that he thought of it, Gil realized that this was his most dangerous and daunting assignment yet. The New Republic had sent him off to Ord Mantell about a month back to survey what kind of defenses the Sith Empire had on that planet. He was almost caught and killed in action, but managed to escape, barely. Others on that mission weren't so fortunate. They were forced to commit suicide, rather face interrogation by the Dark Side warriors and their menagerie.

Collecting information on a Galaxy-wide operation that probably dealt with both Sith organizations, the Empire and crime organizations didn't sound too apealling. Nevertheless, Gil accepted it, rather stay at the Headquarters and do nothing. He just hoped everything would go successful...

If all goes well, I'll be able to be promoted into a full agent. Would've been before if it hadn't been for the ambush at Ord Mantell... Delaying his frown for just a moment, Gil spun around on the co-pilot's seat and refrained from making sounds. He heard something in the back. Ash must be up now. He'll be glad to hear we're almost at Nar Shaddaa...

[ReaperFett]

:: Slowly walking into the cockpit of The Chainsaw, Ash saw Gil, sitting in the co-pilot seat. He nodded to him, before taking the pilot seat. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small ration bar he kept stored there, and slowly opened it. He took another out, and threw it for the other agent.

"ETA is three hours" He said, catching the bar.

"Okay. We need to do some checks before landing, we'll to them an hour before. Okay?"

Gil nodded a reply, slowly opening his ration. There was an uneasy silence before Ash spoke again.

"Last night, were you okay?" He asked, sounding slightly concerned ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil stopped opening the ration bar package and turned to meet Fett's stare. He slowly spoke, feeling out the right words, "I was just having trouble sleeping. Ghosts of the past came back to haunt me..."

The young man noticed Fett was staring at him oddly. He contemplated telling Ash about what he saw in the graveyard, his brother's tombstone. He decided it would be better to just say it out loud, and get it out in the open.

"I found out my brother died yesterday. The Empire made him die." Gil clenched his fists. "I wish I could go back in time and shoot Palpatine at birth. No one like that deserves to be brought into this galaxy. That man created an evil empire through years and years of manipulations and politics. If my brother died in service to the Rebels, at least he would be supporting a noble cause."

Gil's lips curled back into a snarl. He wished he had a life sized punching bag of Palpatine, or Vader, or anyone else that had helped create the evil Empire.

"Sometimes I wonder what the Galaxy would be like today with thousands of Jedi Knights, as opposed to a little under a hundred. I wonder about that stuff a lot."

He paused.

"Last night, I saw my brother again. That son of a bit** was right in front of my eyes. His death was brought upon himself and his desicion to join the forces of evil. Still, I believe he was influenced into it...And I will stop at nothing, and I mean NOTHING to serve the NRI to the best of my ability." Gil finished with a sigh.

[ReaperFett]

:: "Oh. I'm sorry" Ash said, unsure what to say. Getting up, he left the cockpit, returning with two mugs of Caff. Handing Gil one, he sat back down.

"Anger wont help you or the NRI, you know" ::

[Gil Hamner]

"That's coming from a Jedi..." Gil commented, "I know how you guys refuse to feel anger or hatred. I find it a good motivational tool. Also, since I can't use the Force like you can, neither of us will be harmed."

Gil knew he sounded like an idiot. Anger and personal vendettas usually did get in the way of one's goals and missions. But Gil had his anger under control...At least he thought he did. The Empire was terrible, allowing slavers to operate. The slavers were even worse. Gil didn't know if he could actually condemn one and pull a trigger on them, but he could sure as hell do it to Palpatine if he were alive.

*Beep beep beep*

"Look, twenty minutes until conversion into real space..." Gil hadn't even realized that all that talking had passed the time so quickly. He rose up off his chair and began to head for his cabin. "Be back in a few." The young man had to make sure his "gear" was ready. Nar Shaddaa wasn't exactly a safe place for those under twenty. They were considered children, street vermin and excrement. Gil would make himself look older and tougher.

Picking up his blaster, he checked the power pack. His eyes scanned over the bag sprawled across his cot. He wondered what Ash had brought on the mission to defend himself with...

[ReaperFett]

:: Ash spun his chair so he could see out, and put a leg up on the side. He really needs to curb that anger he though, taking a sip of his drink. Didn't help me, wont help him ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil felt the conversion into real space, almost being thrown off his bed. He wondered why Ash hadn't warned him from the cockpit. Then the agent realized his door was closed. He gathered his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Gil took a minute to make sure all of his blasters were in place, both in his bag and concealed beneath his suit.

When he was done, Gil walked over to the door and opened it by pressing the side button. The door slid open, and just as soon Gil was pacing toward the cockpit.

As he entered, the young agent noticed Ash had once again taken control of the ship and navigated it toward the moon. At a distance, it looked impressive and big. Gil knew that up close it was dirty and dangerous, a smuggler's paradise resort. Gil was used to these kind of places though. He had grown up in the slums of Corellia's less respectable areas.

"When we dock, we'll be heading for the Corellian Resort. It's a nice hotel, and it's also our safe house on Nar Shaddaa. The New Republic has provided me with enough credits to stay there for a week, 3 course meals a day and room service. It ain't a bad place I hear."

Gil cleared his throat and continued.

"After we unpack our things and make sure the room isn't bugged, we'll split up and ask around a bit. My cover story is that I'm looking to join them. You can use it too if you like, but some might get suspicious. At night we'll report back to the hotel. Right now it's midday, though you can barely tell on this moon."

Finally he finished off with, "Any questions?"

[ReaperFett]

:: "Yeah, about this room service. Is it all paid for?" Ash asked, his face breaking into a smile. Looking down at the console, the Jedi pressed a button, putting the ship into autopilot. Slowly getting up, he left the cockpit, only pausing to turn to Gil.

"Be right back, just going to pack" He said, leaving for his room. Heading straght to his bed, he opened up the carryall he had left there, and put a few items of clothing in. Turning to a small table next to him, Ash picked up his two DL-44 Blastechs, and spun them in his hands, before holstering them on his belt. Reaching down again, he picked up a Vibroblade. Due to the nature of the mission, he had deemed his lightsabre to be a bad thing to bring. Still wanting something just incase things got close up, he had chosen the blade. Easy to conceal, and common on a planet such as Nar Shaddaa.

Ash then went round the room, picking up things all round the room and bagging them, before he looked at what was hanging near the bed. It was a holster, made to wear over the shoulders. He had found it useful many a time. Unhooking it, he threw it on the bed, before sitting on the end. Reaching under, he slowly brought out two pistols, slugthrowers. His 1911s. They had been with him since back when he started working as a hitman. Slowly, memories began to come back to him...


Walking into the room, Ash slowly walked to the man sitting down. Aside from a small lamp next to him, the room was pitch black. The man looked up to him, and indicated to him to sit in a chair in front. Doing so, the new hitman reached into his pocket, and pulled out a datacard. Handing it accross, he slowly leant forward, looking up at the man. He appeared to be about ten years older than Ash, with small tufts of hair sprouting from his chin. A flat cap on his head cast a shadow over the rest of his face.

"Stanik sent me" Ash said. The man brought a machine up from under the table, and slotted the card into a hole on top. a small light flashed on the machine. The man returned the datacard, and picked up a carryall, tossing it across the table to him.

"Knock yourself out" he said, as he leant behind and flicked a switch. Seeing the room lit up, Ash turned round to face the newly turned on light. Behind his was a doorway into another room. A variety of stands and shelves adorned the walls, full of guns. Entering the room, he realised that his jaw had dropped. He'd never seen so many guns. And he had free choice for himself! Slowly going round the room, Ash looked at the guns, trying to find what he needed. As he went, he took holsters, backups, a Vibroblade, some rope and much more. All he needed now, was what he would be using for most of the killing. Eventually, his eyes set upona pair of pistols. Picking one up, he slowly ran his hand over the metal surface of the firearm. Holding it in a firing stance, he felt how "right" it was in his hand. The black and silver two tone shone in the light. They are perfect He thought. They were made for me. Picking them up, he put them in his bag, as well as the relevent accessories, before leaving the room, a lot more confident in his job.

Coming out of his thoughts, he heard Gil shouting. Realising they were there, Ash put the holster and pistols in the bag, before picking it up, and heading to the cockpit for the landing procedure ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil had taken controls of the Chainsaw as soon as Ash left to pack his things. The young man was a formidable pilot and had managed to keep the ship heading toward Nar Shaddaa at a slow pace. Slowly, but surely the moon filled the viewscreen and Gil got his first good look at the planet. It was quite breathtaking at first sight. It reminded him of Coruscant, which he had been to, only to drop off supplies.

Gil remembered that memory fondly...

"Look at this dump..." The youth protested, as he watched Captain Shira navigate the small cargo freighter deeper into the maw of Coruscant's lower levels. The Empire had just taken the planet and the New Republic had tried to form an underground resistance group. Gil had followed Shira, eager to get his first glimpse of "Imperial Center" as it was now called again.

The two had gotten past clearance with two fake identification cards and a false transponder. As far as Imperial traffic control was concerned they were, Avak Shiro and his younger brother Lek Shiro. Their cargo were exotic plants for "Kamara's Exotic Plant Shoppe" in the lower levels near the Imperial Palace sector. Believing everything to be in order, the Imperial customs officer allowed them to pass.

And now here they were.

Gil was unimpressed by the endless abyss of buildings and Imperial Stormtroopers. One thing did impress him though, Imperial Palace. It was quite a large and amazing structure, fit for an Emperor. And Gil knew Palpatine was probably in there...That sunovabith... Gil thought quietly, with a grim expression.

"Just stay in yer seat and shaddap Gil!" Shira commanded, with an agititated voice. At this point, Gil had only been with the New Republic for a week. He hadn't been assigned any missions, so decided to ask Shira to go along with him. The NR provisional council officials seemed to have no problem with it. They thought it would give Gil good practice if he ever had to go to the planet again for some sort of espionage mission.

After they had docked, Hamner got his first glimpse of a Bothan. Jyn Kri'Lii was a male Bothan with a friendly disposition, but a dangerous look. Gil sure wouldn't have wanted to meet that guy in an alleyway, late at night. And then the youth remembered he had been meeting him in an alleyway, late at night. Soon after Shira docked the ship, nightfall on the planet began. Gil just hung to the side and listened to Shira haggle for a good price for his cargo.

"Don't move." Gil heard the slight click as someone leveled a blaster at his head. In the corner of his eye, he noticed it was a stormtrooper. The young man's blood began to run cold, and he almost stopped breathing.

Gil jammed his eyes shut, expecting to be shot in the head any moment now. He opened one eye, and noticed Jyn and Shira staring at him with grins on their face.

"I see you've met Tsrlyr." Jyn laughed.

The Stormtrooper that had just held a blaster up to his head, walked around Gil and pulled off his stormtrooper helmet to reveal a Bothan's face.

"He's my son, and quite the prankster I might add." Jyn chuckled.

"Boy you shoulda seen your face!" Tsrlyr grinned, bearing his fangs. "I'm Tsrlyr Kri'Lii, pleased to meet you." Maintaining his grin he extended one of his gloved hands.

Gil's face reddened. "Yes, very pleased to meet you." He choked out, clenching his teeth.

Shira had never let him live down that one. He always confronted Gil with, "You were whiter then the stormtrooper armor boy!" or "That expression! I wish I could've caught it on a holocam."

A smile crept upon Gil's face as he remembered. Those events only transpired 8 months ago, although it felt like years and years.

He turned to greet Ash, as the man entered the cockpit, "She's all yours Captain Longbaugh." Gil moved out of the way to allow Ash to land the ship. Nar Shaddaa, here we come... he thought.

[ReaperFett]

:: Leaving his bag at the door, Ash slides into the pilots seat, and takes the controls. Slowly bringing the ship on course, a light began to flash on the console. ressing a button next to it, the Holoscreen came to life, revealing a man. He was cleanly shaven, and wore a neatly pressed uniform.

"Unidentified craft, identify yourself" He said, no tone of emotion in his voice.

"This is The Rancor's Tooth, requesting clearence to land" Ash replied. Luckily, he had installed a beacon selector into his ship. With one flick of a switch, The Chainsaw could be any of a variety of ships. And because there were no obvious external modifications on the ship, it was easy to mistake for any YT-2000 off the production line.

"Rancor's Tooth, proceed on your designated route, thank you" The man said, before the screen went black.

"When we land, you leave straght away for the safe house. I'll come twenty minutes later. We don't want to make it too obvious we arrived at the same time" The Jedi said to Gil, who responded with a nod. Looking out, Ash saw that there were many ships in the Nar Shaddaa skyline. Slowly, he leant back in his chair. We could be here for some time he thought.

"So Gil, where do you want to be in ten years?" He asked, trying to make conversation. ::

[Gil Hamner]

"I've thought about that, and I still haven't come up with a good answer. Sure, I want a family and all, but in this line of work it's hard to maintain relationships with women. I probably would have to say I want to be on Coruscant. A Coruscant under the control of the New Republic, and not the Empire." Gil said with a slight smile.

He noticed a couple of freighters in front of them that Gil could identify. Although he wasn't surprised with the traffic trying to get on and off the moon. Nar Shaddaa was a run-down smaller version of Coruscant. Gil had seen pictures in the mission reports. The buildings were filled with graffitti and the bars were filled with scum.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years, Ash?" Gil asked.

[ReaperFett]

:: "I don't" Ash replied, with a smile, before continuing.

"Few years back, I used to think that I'd be with Jana, growing old together. Settle down on Corellia, maybe have kids. But now? I don't know. Probably still the same, wandering the galaxy, few people caring what happens to me"

Seeing a gap, Ash brought the ship down to a Hangar, gently easing it down.

"See you there then" He said to Gil, finishing the landing procedure ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil nodded to Fett, grabbed his bag and walked down the ramp. Instantly the putrid smell of filth wafted past his sensitive nostrils. Gil caught notice of a large message sprawled across the wall, it seemed to be spray painted on there with a red substance. The message read "Palpatine is SITHSPIT!". Despite the stench that made him cringe, Gil forced a smile. He was glad to know that most of the smugglers on this planet hated the Empire. It reminded him of Han Solo, the famous smuggler and NR hero.

As fast a Tauntaun on glitterstim, Gil paced out of the hangar bay and immediately headed down the spaceport path. He passed many other ships and a LOT of other aliens as he did so. Gil must've identified over 15 different species, and some others that he couldn't identify. Gil had never seen such a variety of beings before, even on Corellia.

One tipsy Rodian stumbled over to him, holding a bottle of Corellian Whisky, strong stuff in its own respect. He toted a blaster in his other hand and pointed it at the youth. Gil could obviously tell that this creature was drunk out of his mind. He bumped into Gil and took a few steps back, leveling his blaster with the young man.

"I think I've seen you before. You're that wanted punk in the Corellian Sector, Jenko Sylla!" The Rodian accused in accented basic.

"I'm new to this planet..." Gil replied, not amused at all.

"Then you must know not to mess with Korini Cha!" The Rodian growled and pointed the blaster at himself. "Or you'll find yourself...Dead!"

Before the Rodian even pulled the trigger, Gil was dodging to the side. His drunkiness seemed to affect his aim and vision, because the shot was well off target. Angry with rage the green skinned alien chucked his bottle of boose at Gil, that shattered on the man's back. Gil stumbled forward and drew his vibroblade out as he did. The Corellian spun around and struck the Rodian in the blaster arm, as the assailant was getting ready to retaliate. He jabbed forward again, and left a clean cut on the Rodian's shoulder, that made him go down in pain.

As if warned by a sixth sense, Gil turned around just in time to dodge a meaty fist directed at his face. A Gran had decided to join the fight, and didn't look too pleased at the young man.

Nice one Gil, you drew attention to yourself! Gil thought to himself in anger. He dove at the Gran and slashed at his mid-section. The muscled creature was too slow to move in time, and experienced the pain of the vibro-blade stabbing into his chest. Gil let go of the handle and jumped back.

"Keep it!" He shouted and turned to make a run for it. Before he got far, Gil made friends with the pavement. He turned around to see what had tripped him. It turned out to be a grinning Barabel, a hungry barabel. Just as soon as the creature was preparing it's tail for a second assault, Gil drew the blaster concealed in his tunic and shot. The blaster bolt knocked the huge creature back.

Panting loudly, the Corellian realized the crowd he had drawn. Many watched as the Barabel went down, a charred bolt sizzling in it's chest. Gil could hear the close cries of the Gran getting louder. Drawing his hood over his face, the young man darted into an alleyway between two docking bay tap cafes and ran as fast as his legs permitted him...This wasn't turning out to be a fun day at all...

<center>***</center>

[ReaperFett]

:: Leaning back in his chair, Ash watched the chronometer time down to when he had decided to leave. Deciding he needed to do something to pass the time, he got up, and picked up his holdall. Slowly opening it, he went through the items inside, checking and rechecking he had everything. Hearing a beep, he realised time was up. Doing up the bag, he headed for the exit, only pausing to pick up his nerfhide jacket. Putting it on, he stopped to look at himself in a mirror. First a Jedi, now an Intellegence agent for the New Republic?. Ash, you really are one lucky son of a Ghitfur he said to himself, before a feeling of sadness hit him like an assassin's Vibroblade in the gut. I wish Jana could see this.

Leaving the hangar, he saw that a fight had gone on recently. Probably some kid trying to steal his way to wealth he thought, not pausing to look. ::

[Gil Hamner]

"Minions of Xendor, get that little brat!"

Gil dodged to the side to avoid blaster fire and hit something sharp. It ripped past his clothing and dug into his hip, probably striking blood. It was unfortunate the young man didn't have much time to see just what exactly had stabbed him. He pushed his way up and resumed what he had been doing for seven minutes straight, running.

It seemed to be that he had assaulted a drunken member of a swoop gang, or something along that line. Angry assailants had been shooting at him, and throwing vibroblades at his back. The idea of being gunned down didn't really work for Gil. It was one if the variables that allowed him to stand running for so long. He was in a tight position, so his body worked with double effort. His mind was racing a mile a minute. He had to make tough decisions.

Left, right, down that crevice, up this ladder, left again... Gil thought frantically as he slowly sank to Nar Shaddaa's lower levels.

Suddenly, something jumped out of the shadows and struck him in the side with a piece of duraplast. Gil let out a grunt and fell to the floor. His attacker didn't waste any time in allowing the agent to repay the attack. Gil craned his head to the side to miss a swing that would have either knocked him unconscience or killed him. Neither seemed appealing.

"Die, brat!" The cloaked figure hissed, and swung again.

Gil was in the middle of trying to stand up when the duraplast hit him in the back. He was launched forward and into a weak wall of stone. Gil collided into the wall, but managed to turn around and draw the blaster at his side. He shot at the duraplast, as it was about to smash his head open. The attacker was taken by surprise and took a step back. Gil planted another energy bolt in the attacker's chest, sending him to the floor. As he was trained in the NRI, Gil stripped the man of his cloak and used it to disguise himself. Like the vermin that plagued the city of Nar Shaddaa, Gil scurried into the darkness, and searched for a way back up to the higher levels.

No doubt Fett is already there, waiting for me. He must be wondering what I got myself in to. Gil frowned at the thought, wrapping the cloak around him even tighter.

[ReaperFett]

:: Reaching the designated building, Ash was suprised to see that Gil was nowhere to be found. Not wanting to go in early, he leant against a nearby wall, looking out for him.

Looking across the street, he saw a couple walking past, arms round the others waist. A Slight smile formed on his face, as memories came back to him. Just like how we were he thought to himself.

Seeing the two walk away, happy, suddenly snapped something in Ash's mind to life.

Pull yourself out of it Ash! Do you really think Jana would have wanted you to be miserable for the rest of your life? Do you think she wouldn't have forgave you? It's time to move on!

Slowly, he slid down the wall to the floor, unsure on where he was going. ::

[Gil Hamner]

Gil dived out of the alleyway and into the open street. In a last ditch effort to drive his pursuers back, he raised up his gun and shot blindly into the darkness of the alleyway. He heard a muffled cry, and a large clank. Gil assumed it was safe to move after no blaster fire came his way.

The young man looked up to see Ash watching him from a nearby wall outside the rendezvous point. Gil's clothes were ripped, and he looked like a wreck, but other then that the man had a confident smile on his face.

"Nice to see you again Ash." He grimaced and worked to lift himself off the ground. The blasts had caused a few people to turn their heads, but they were probably used to such noises on Nar Shaddaa. Gil shrugged it off and shakily walked over to the Jedi Master, now NRI agent. He put the blaster back in its holster underneath the brown cloak that he had acquired from one of the various attackers.

"It seems that I got myself into a bit of trouble..." He forced a smile, while he kept his voice low. "Looks like we'll have to go to the second hotel Evan picked out for us, should we be found out..." His voice was a near whisper on the last part of that sentence.

"Follow me, it ain't far."

The young man shook his head and grimaced from the headache that had formed mere minutes ago. He hadn't been in serious high stake fights like that before. That was the second time Gil had been forced to use a blaster to kill in his own self defence. He despised doing it, even on the scum that deserved it.

[ReaperFett]

:: "Couldn't you have tried to be a teensy bit more descreet?" Ash asked the fellow agent, as he followed him.

"Couldn't you have just hit the guy? Or ran? Instead of shooting at him?" He continued, smiling as he said it. As he followed, he only had one thought in his mind.

"Is the mission compromised?" ::

[Gil Hamner]

"No the mission is not compromised!" Gil scowled, in an irritated voice. "I just had a small problem with a drunken Rodian, and his army of friends."

The young man secured the blaster that was loosely put in it's holster. He had hoped to himself that he wouldn't have to use it again. On a planet like Nar Shaddaa, that was probably as possible as pulling the arms off a Gundark. Gil was actually surprised to have run into trouble so early on. He'd just left the Chainsaw and then the Rodian had confronted him.

Gil brought Fett past two standard Coruscant blocks and round the bend of another street. He brought his fellow intelligence agent down a flight of stairs that didn't look clean at all, and through a subterranean tunnle with no lights. Bodies of dead transients and residents lay on either side. The garbage pile was slowly, but steadily growing throughout the underground tunnel. Although it could not be seen, graffitti plastered the walls and the floor. No doubt some young punks had gotten their hands on a spray can and wanted to try it out.

At the end of the tunnel, they met a narrow ladder, with grimy and rusting handles. Before climbing up himself, Gil warned Fett to cautiously grab the handrails. Above the ladder, they were back on the street, but in a different district of the city.

"So where did that lead us?" Ash asked.

"Nowhere, actually. I just thought it'd be a good idea to take a different route to confuse any followers. But it seemed to work out fine, the safehouse is over there." Gil raised his cloaked arm and pointed to a large warehouse opening on the other side of the city. Unfortunately they were blocked from getting over to the other side by the black abyss that lay before them.

"There must be an extending ramp around here somewhere..." Gil began to search the surrounding area, and found a console building, no bigger then 4 meters wide. It was being operated by an old man that seemed to be asleep. As soon as Gil walked over the man's eyes snapped open.

"Whaddeya wan' sonny?" The man inquired, in a less then dignified voice.

"We need you to extend the ramp to the other side of the city district." Gil replied.

"Ye t'ink dese t'ings come free?" The man cackled. "300 credi's..."

"300?!" Gil stared at the man, giving him a cold eyed stern look. The old man stared back at him, twice as mean. Gil reached under the tattered cloak he was wearing and into his pouch. He pulled out three cred-chips worth about a hundred each. He reached over the booth and pushed them forward. "Woulda been faster to take an airspeeder..."

The man hungrily clamped his knobby hands down on the credits and gave Gil a rotten toothed grin. He pounded his weak fist down on a button. Immediately, the ramp began to ascend forward, from it's hiding place. Above and below the ramp, ships of all sorts and shapes flew through the air, either heading up or down. Gil knew it would be dangerous to cross the ramp, but then again...what wasn't dangerous these days?

"C'mon Ash." Before Gil finished the word Ash, he noticed the Jedi Master was missing. He turned around to see Ash already beginning to walk toward the ramp. Gil bowed his head and shook it. "Wait for me." He called out, and began to walk at a fast pace toward the ramp.

[ReaperFett]

:: Seeing Gil catching up, Ash kept up his pace. Not wanting to be in the streets any longer than needed. Not while I'm with pistol boy back there he thought, smiling at the irony in that comment. Looking up, he saw that he was approaching a large building, a bit cleaner than the others. The Jedi stopped, waiting for his fellow agent to catch up.

"This the place?" He asked

"Yeah. Floor Eleven. Three rooms have been taken out, all next to each other. All have access into each other. We use the middle one to talk, as there wont be anyone able to listen in. We each take a room either side to use. I take 1136, you get 1138. That way, noone should suspect anything. Okay?" He replied

"Fine by me. You better head up first again"

"Why me?"

"Because I know a good place for noodles nearby" Ash replied, smiling. Shaking his head, but smiling, Gil started off for the building, while he began walking in the direction of the Jubilant Jawa Noddle Palace.

-----

Leaving the Palace, a takeaway bag in his hand, he headed into the designated building. Taking the turbolift to the eleventh floor, Ash checked noone was watching, before entering room 1138.

The room was basic, but was more than adequate. bed, fresher, Holoprojecter. Looking to his side, he saw a door, which he presumed led to 1137. Opening it, he saw Gil sitting on a chair, talking to another man. WHen he saw the man, a lopsided grin appeared on his face.

"Ash, this is..." Gil began.

"Corsec!" Ash interrupted, almost laughing ::

[Ton Stekken]

Ton Stekken smiled at the new person in the room and got up off his chair.

"Ash Longbaugh. We finally meet" he said to the newcomer.

"I'm suprised you even know my name, how far away you were from finding me" The man replied.

"Ash Longbaugh. Hitman. Multiple jobs over a short time. Lived in a small flat in a town near Coronet City, with a man called Kyt Dekkar and a woman called Jana Sil. However, you spent as much time living in your heavily customised YT-2000, The Chainsaw. Prefered weapons were twin Slugthrowers, 1911s. You stopped one drugs operation single handedly, as well as one pirate organisation"

"How long you known all of that?" Ash replied, sounding suprised.

"Since you did it" Ton said, still smiling.

"Ahh. So, why you here? Come to finish the job?"

"Heh, unlikely. No, soon after you retired, this job came up. So, I signed up, and have been doing it ever since. Caff?" He asked, pointing to a small kitchen behind.

"No, thanks, got my own" Ash replied, holding up his takeaway bag. He sat down on a chair, and started on the food inside. Raising his head slightly, he looked at Ton, who had just started pouring himself a drink.

"Ton, I got a question" He said

"Yeah?"

"You had evidence. You could have arrested me. Why didn't you?"

Ton turned round, leaning against a table, and took a sip of his caff.

"You did, what, eight jobs? Nine?"

"Something like that"

"and of all of those, every one of them was someone else breaking the law. I knew your file. You were never even in suspicion of the murder of anyone innocent. It was after the third or fourth I was planning on arresting you. I had everything ready. But then I got thinking. Were you doing wrong? All you did was take out people who were killing or terrorising. Corsec wouldn't have ever been able to get to some of these people, they had too many legal contacts. You did a job I wanted to do. Help clean Corellia of scum. How could I arrest you? So, I forgot to mention a few pieces of evidence, made up a few extra leads. From that day on, you were as good as clean"

"Suppose I owe you one then" The Jedi replied, chewing on a noodle.

"Dont get me killed, and I'll consider us square"

"Deal"

[Gil Hamner]

Gil was not surprised when he found out that Ton and Ash knew eachother. Ash was the kind of man that got around, making friends and enemies alike.

The young man watched as the two conversed just a few meters away. At the same time, Ash was eating his noodles and drinking caff. Gil cringed at what the liquid and the food mixed together would have tasted like. He tried not to think about it too much. The chase in the lower levels had quickly diminished his appetite, and left him in a tired state.

In his left hand, he held a cup of Caff himself. It would give him the energy he needed to begin the first recon mission. The mission would be carried out in 10 hours, not nearly enough time to get a good night's sleep. Gil wasn't even aware if it was night or day on Nar Shaddaa. Both night and day looked like night, and it would take Gil a little time to get used to this. He raised his hand up and took a sip of the liquid, looking around the room.

The hotel woulda been nicer then this... He thought with a smug expression.

"So Ton, any changes in the mission? It's still the same right?" He asked, interrupting his conversation. Gil's question caused both Ash and Ton to turn their heads and regard him. Up until then, the young man had been pretty silent.

[Ton Stekken]

Ton looked at Gil, only slightly annoyed that he interrupted.

"No change. Everything is the same. Providning you dont have the urge to start shooting again" He said

[Gil Hamner]

Gil bit his lower lip, and stared at Ton. How did the news travel so fast? Was the New Republic monitoring him? Gil felt his anger level rise as he analyzed the situation more and more. This man was a veteran agent, one who had been in this line of business for quite a while. Now Gil was being insulted by him too? First Ash, and now this...

"Ton, what did you want me to do?" Gil shouted. "The Rodian was planning to shoot me. Hear that, shoot me."

The young man referred back to the training course he'd taken. The New Republic had put him through a series of tests and situations. One rule he was taught "Self defense before the mission." It pained him to hear Ton make these remarks. Gil finally realized the error he made, by losing his temper. Had this been a mission, he would have been dead.

Silently, he fronwed and turned away, staring at the wall. It was dirty, like everything else on the filthy moon. Gil counted to ten in hopes of cooling down a bit. It seemed to work to a small extent.

"What would you have done?" He inquired coldly, not caring to face Ton.

[Ton Stekken]

"For starters, fired on stun maybe?" Ton replied, slightly annoyed at Gil's outburst.

"There are a thousand and one ways to not get shot. The sooner you learn that, the quicker you will become a trustable agent"

[Gil Hamner]

Gil's anger fully subsided. Much to his distress, Ton was right. Gil could've fired the stun, and would have. The option just never really presented himself. Now he was stuck with the conscience that he had killed at least 4 sentients. Gil hated killing others, yet he'd done it out of protection for himself. At the time it seemed to crystal clear, but now it seemed wrong.

He turned to face Ton and Ash again, that were silently staring at him. He returned their stare, showing neither hate, nor any other visible emotions. Gil walked over to the table and set his mug of caff down. It was three quarters finished, and already Gil did not want to drink anymore. He needed some air, although this wasn't the perfect place to enhale fresh air.

"When do we start?" He asked.

OOC: Bumps.