There and back again..A Kinders Tale

[rin]

It all started off when the wee little Kinder happened upon a chance encounter with a couple of nasty looking pilots talking about a supposed shipment in a darkened hanger bay he happened to be passing by at the time. Curious, the Kinder quietly made his way to the back of the large vessel that was being loaded with creates and other supplies. Sliff slowly peered around one of the large containers trying desperately to get a better low down and look at the two men who spoke in hushed tones with out being seen or caught. The word "Faene" was the only audible word the Kinder could make out and the rest of the gibberish seemed to the tiny thief to be in an entirely different language all together.

"Hurmm,...Faene?...Must be some highly secretive password or something...Yup, yup...Top secret and stuff!" Sliff thought to himself, barely able to contain his excitement at the thought of a highly classified secret mission that was taking place right under his very nose.

Images of grandeur and adventure swirled in the thief’s mind as he pictured himself in the most dangerous of mission’s in the most remote parts of the galaxy…And all the while,…Undercover...It was life of death!

"They need me!" Sliff exclaimed under his breath as he spied one more glance at the pilot’s that continued their privet discussion about the end of man kind and simbiant life through out the know galaxies...Of course, that how Sliff was looking at it for the moment.

Sometime later...

The low hum of the multi engines whined to a slow stop as the cargo door's creaked then opened with the muffled sounds of the turbo repulse lift arm's sounding in Sliff's ear's, lowering then ending with a resounding hollow thud. Sliff was glad the long trip was finally over, letting out a sigh of relief then wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Thank goodness…Oh if I only had a nice cool drink water about now.” The Kinder moaned to himself quietly.

The cargo container where Sliff hid was most uncomfortable and hot during the seemingly long trip. The Kinder slept most of the way and entertained himself with make believe conversation's he had with interesting character’s he had met along his endless adventure's. As for food, Sliff had a few cookies and stale crackers he had saved just for an occasion like the one he now found himself in.

Chirping sounds of service droids could be heard accompanied with that of a number of human voices entering the back of the large vessel to unload the precious freight, Sliff held his breath trying not to make a peep as to give his location away. Shortly after, the hydraulic sounds of heavy equipment could be heard as they neared the area where the Kinder hid. Sliff's eye's widened as his container was heaved from the floor then loaded on something that was obviously outside the large craft.

"Take this load to the Poseidon…They’ve been waiting for this shipment for sometime now. I'll take care of the other detail's later this evening.” Said one of the secret spy’s in a rough commanding voice…At least this was all that Sliff could make out seeing he was buried under a mountain of other creates. Of course the real load rested under the Kinder and when he realized his small frame wasn’t going to fit in the medium sized container before the ship had taken off, he simply removed some of the packages and placed them in another container leavening only a few to pad his ride until he reached the highly secretive location.

The trip over to the Poseidon was most unpleasant for the Kinder as he was tossed to and fro as the cargo speeder made its way through the crowded mayhem of traffic.

“What in the…This guy just get his operating permit or what?” The Kinder cursed under his breath as he tried in vain to steady himself with both hands.


What seemed like hours later, the intended load finally reached the tavern called the Poseidon where it was then unloaded and placed in the back of the establishment for immediate inventory count. After all of the crates were unloaded and the voices dissipated from Sliff’s hearing, the Kinder pushed up on the container lid to relieve himself from the hot cramped metal box. The lid would not budge to Sliff’s surprise. Unfortunately the other bulky crates were stacked atop the Kinder’s and to make things even worse, he was at the very bottom of the heavy load its self!

“HELP!...Somebody…I,..I can’t breathe…Oh goodness…HEellppp!.” Sliff squealed in a shrill voice of panic.

“Please,…I’m dying in here!” The heat seemed unbearable and choking and Sliff was feeling a bit light headed as he screamed at the top of his lung’s to anyone that would hear his desperate plea for help…In the Kinder’s mind, he was really dying, but is was also a well known fact that Kinder’s had a tendency to exaggerate the predicaments they found themselves in.

“Ohh,…Is anybody out there?...I think I’m seeing dead people!...Papa,...Papa is that you?”

[imported_Ezra]

Coming from some work on the Empress Marva, Ezra thought he heard a voice coming from the shipment just brought in. He was in a black flightsuit and had some oil smudges on his pale face, his hair was pulled into a ponytail. He walked over while wiping his hands on the rag he was holding. Stopping by the stack, he listened closer...there it was, a muffled voice....sounded like a child...but it wasn't one.

He knocked on the metal crate. *rap rap rap* Then the voice became excited and begeed to be released. Ezra got one of the loaders and took the other crates off. He walked back to the last remaining crate and opened it. There he was, this sweaty and red faced Little man. Ezra took his coloring from the stiffling heat he had justr endured. He reached in with his hand opened in offer.

"Greetings, need a hand?"

[rin]

It was about damn time someone heard his cry for help…After all, Sliff had been stuffed in that god awful shoe box of a crate for nearly three day’s now…Of course that was a tall exaggeration, however Sliff was thinking that when the lid popped off and a strange man covered in icky black oil was standing there starring straight at him.

“Oh,…Hi.” Sliff said feebly as he rolled over and stood to his feet inside the metal container, barely a head and shoulders above the rim of the box.

"Greetings, need a hand?" Questioned the “inventory man” in a friendly voice. The tall sooty man kindly extended a hand to the Kinder who in turn raised both of his small arms for Ezra to pick him up out of the crate.

“Why yes,…Oh, thank my lucky star’s…I could have perished in there and that would have been a real mess…Yup, yup…All stinky and stuff.” The Kinder replied as Ezra took the wee tot of a man and set him on the ground outside the prison box Sliff had been trapped in for days. Sliff motioned for Ezra to bend down to him after he looked around the back room suspiciously.

“There’s something I must tell you of the utmost importance,…” The little thief said in a hushed tone as the Vampyre slowly bent down to his level.

“It's a very, very important matter mind you…It’s about,…Spy’s and stuff,…Yup, yup.” At that moment, Sliff reached out to Ezra and took him by the jaw with one stubby little hand until his lip’s pooched out slightly.

“Ewww…Hey,…Did you know that there’s slimy, icky oil all over your face kind sir?” Sliff said as he closely examined Ezra’s greasy face with a sincere fascination.

[imported_Ezra]

With the little fellow squeezing his cheeks, Ezra had to smile at the comment of oil on his face. His fangs showed partly as he chuckled.

"Yes there is.... but I need you to answer one thing for me. Why are you here?"

He asked when he stood up to his full height. He wiped his face with the rag and leaned against the other metal crate. Waiting for the little fellow to anser.

[rin]

Sliff put his hands on his hips in a nonchalant manner, not really noticing the lethal fang's that Ezra brandished only moment's earlier. Sliff rolled his eyes at the thought of having to repeat himself to the oily man.

"I juz told you for crying out loud..." The Kinder said with a hint of protest in his squeaky voice.

"Ok...I'll say it one more time..." Sliff was thinking that the oil had seeped a little bit too far into Ezra's ears and he didn’t fully understand the first time when he explained himself fully.

"Ya know what...I really don’t think it’s a good idea to say all this top secret stuff here ya know...Unlike yourself, THEY could be listening in on us." Again, Sliff looked around the storage room cautiously thinking the place could be bugged or worse yet...Spy cameras!

"Yup,...They said some kinda pass word and stuff...Oh blast me right here where I stand...What was that name again?" Sliff put a tiny finger to his lip as he looked up in deep thought, desperately trying to remember the cryptic pass word he had overheard the pilots say back at the hanger before the long trip.

"Oh yes...I remember...It was FAENE!...Yup, yup..That's it all right." Sliff said as his eyes widened in a dramatic manner, leaning in towards Ezra as if to keep the special word just between them both.

[imported_Ezra]

Ezra gave a mocked surprised look, then got down in a squat next to the kinder. He motioned for the little fellow to come closer, then leaning forward he whispered.

"But thats the thing, you see.....you ARE there. This is Faene."

Then he spoke in his normal tone.

"And the cameras? They are watching you right now..... and the boss doesn't like surprise guests. Now seeing that I am talking with you instead of tearing you apart that says something to them who are watching. It says I think you're a cool dude. So hopefully the boss will be "nice" to you when we both drop by the office."

He stood back up and gestured for the kinder to walk with him. Keeping a cordial smile on his face.

[rin]

The Kinder stepped back a pace as Ezra bent down and explained the truth of the matter to the ill informed Kinder.

"But that’s the thing, you see.....you ARE there. This is Faene." Sliff almost couldn't believe his own ear's at the oily mans revelations about the top secret word. It was possible the guy before him was some kind of double agent or something, working for a crime boss and was using this lame disguise as his operative cover.

"Really, really?" The Kinder managed to interject as he listened intently, a hard gulp ensued as Ezra went on then finished in a cool calculating manner that chilled the Kinder to the bone.

"And the cameras? They are watching you right now..... and the boss doesn't like surprise guests. Now seeing that I am talking with you instead of tearing you apart that says something to them who are watching. It says I think you're a cool dude. So hopefully the boss will be "nice" to you when we both drop by the office." The huge man then stood up and looked down at Sliff with a wiry smile that had death written all over it.

"Oh my,...Do you think your crime boss will kill me...I mean,...Will it hurt much?" A worried look etched its way across Sliff's face as the man gestured to the back door of the storage room. This was it the Kinder thought...He was better off in that hot ole shoe box of a crate and if he would have kept his big mouth shut, this nightmare wouldn't be taking place now.

"Oh please Mr...I,..I don't wanna die...Not like this...I haven't even seen all my adventuring day's yet" Sliff paused, trying to muster up a viable excuse why the man's boss shouldn’t kill him and send him to a horrible and heinous death.

"I have a family and stuff...Well, kinda...But that still accounts for something doesn’t it?...They need me…I’m their only source of income!" Sliff's big brown eyes pleaded with the oily man, begging him to reconsider his sheer misfortune and bad luck.

[imported_Ezra]

Ezra shook his head. The little fellow was entertaining to say the least. Ezra held a hand out to quiet him down.

"Now, did I say anything about you dying? No I did not. If you were to die little one, it would've been when I opened that crate. Now my boss, does fly off the handle at times, but all in all....a very..... nice person deep down."

He gestured again for the kinder to follow.

"Shall we?"

[rin]

Sliff could only stare at Ezra with wide eye's, especially after the mention of his "Boss" flying off the handle from time to time. Subconsciously, the little Kinder reached up to his neck line and with one hand he loosened his collar at the new thought that just hit him.

"So,...Ummm,...That mean she's a witch and stuff and that she...? Sliff paused at the end of his sentence thinking Ezra's "boss" was more then likely a female seeing the word "Handle" and "Flying Off" had come up in the conversation. In turn of course to the small Kinder, after putting two and two together meant only one thing...Broom Stick!

"....Is able to fly? Cuz I've heard stories about them but I never thought they were really ever true." Sliff questioned sincerely as images of a wicked old crone flying at him with all the fury of hell behind her raced through his troubled mind. The Kinder looked up at Ezra and shot him a sheepish smile as they neared the door leading out, trying hard to hide his deep concern of being turned into a fat toad or something even worse.

[imported_Ezra]

"A witch? hmmmm only when I confuse her. Which is only about everyday so far. And no, she doesn't fly."

Ezra explained as they walked down the cooridor. He had to give it to the little guy, he was clever. To come to Shadow Faene diguised as some supplies was original. He admired that. They came to a door and Ezra showed him through. He asked the kinder to wait a minute as he checked to see if the boss was in. He slowly entered and went to the back of the room where Hera was seated. She was leaned back and had a magazine laying on her face as her hands were clasped over her stomach.

Ezra smiled at the sight. He spoke to her telepathically as a whisper in her ear and he blew a kiss which in form was a force nudge....a very tiny nudge that felt like a touch . ' wakey wakey Hera ' She heard softly and felt the touch on her cheek that was showing under the magazine.

[DarthHERA]

"This better be good, Ezra" she threatened as she cracked open an eye to peek out from the copy of "Sith Illustrated".

"It is"

the Vamp assured her as he lifted the magazine from her face.

Pushing herself to sit upright in the leather chair, Hera peered at the SFF self-styled watchdog and followed his gaze over to where the kinder stood, twisting his shirt hem between nervous fingers.

The Sith dropped her heavy booted feet from off the table to thud loudly on the floor. Sliff jumped at the sound.

Sighing irritably, she looked back to Ezra with a scowl.

"No kids. I hate kids. Everyone knows this. I make rare exceptions for my close friends, but....this...." she gestered toward Sliff in a dismissive fashion.

"Kill him and eat him or bite him, or whatever it is you Vampyre's do. But get rid of him."

She snatched back her magazine and reclined once again in her seat.

[imported_Ezra]

Squatting down besides the reclining Sith Mistress, He leaned in and was a breath away from her ear as he whispered.

" I wouldv'e done that when I first discovered him, beautiful.....but I came with him to ask why you ordered him in the first place."

When she peeked out from under the magazine, Ezra smiled.

"Found him in one of the crates that came in today's supply run."

He said a little more audible. Then he stood up and placed his hand on her chair back. Then sent to her telepathically.

' Let's see what he wants, if you aren't satisfied with him, then your wish is my command.......he dies '

[rin]

The Kinder’s eye’s roamed around the place like a kid in a candy store as they walked the long stretch of corridor towards Hara’s office. Once Ezra and Sliff entered the room after he politely knocked, Sliff's attention was immediately drawn to the woman that lay sprawled out on the couch across the room from them. At first glance, Sliff was surprised to see that the "Boss Woman" wasn’t some knurled hag he’d envisioned earlier on some kind of flying broom stick ready to take his life with one glance of her wicked eye’s. Actually it was all on the contrary,…She looked quite normal. Sliff let out a small sigh of relief, nevertheless, the tiny wheels in his head started spinning once again.

“Maybe she has a powerful spell on her. One that just makes her look purtty of stuff.” The Kinder thought to himself as he rolled the tail of his shirt in a tight knot with worry. As Sliff tried to listen in on the conversation, he could make out a curtain agitation in the Boss Woman’s voice. Immediately Sliff’s face grew pale as he realized something. Glancing back out into the corridor where the two had come from, Sliff gasped in disbelief at what he saw. Five long greasy streak’s marred the complete length of the hallway approximately two feet from the polished floor where he had tried to rid himself of the inky black residue from Ezra's face. Horrified, the Kinder turned back to the two stranger’s who were still talking in low tones. He had to think of something,...And fast!…

“Ummm, excuse me…I was wondering if I could have a word with you Mrs. Boss lady? Sliff gulped as he slowly approached the two figure’s with cautious steps. The room grew deadly silent as Ezra turned and looked at the Kinder with an emotionless stare. Hera sat up with a narrowed look on her face as Sliff held his little hand up and waved.

“Oh, pardon me…I didn’t realize you were sleeping. Don’t let me bother you two any further…Whelp,…I’ll just be on my way then.” The Kinder shot them both a wide smile then quickly proceeded to make a about face, hurriedly making his way to the exit.

[DarthHERA]

She looked up once again at Ezra, not just responding to what he had said, but also to his strange behaviour.

He was working that whole Vamp slinking, seducing routine. All the biters seemed to like to do that for some reason. He had never tried it with her before, and it was lucky for him he hadnt. Hera was still twitchy on acount of Saurron and his infernal blood call.

She flashed him a warning with her eyes to be very careful and then stood up.

Coming out from behind the table, Hera scowled at Sliff.

She tuffted at his coat, circled him and flipped his curled locks as she passed. The little kinders head twisted on his little neck, his huge eyes following her every move with trepidation.

Hera knew the look, the fear. She could smell it almost. Sliffs eyes kept darting about now with increasing rapidness, and Hera followed his looks.

Five thin smears ran in unison all the way along her wall and continued on out into the hallway.

Quick as a striking viper, the Faene Mistress snatched up the little one's hand and he flailed his incriminating grubby fingers momentarily before thinking to hide them into a fist.

Hera yanked him up by his hand, forcing him on tiptoes and dragged him over to the wall.

"This! THIS is why I hate children. Youre dead. She tossed him across to Ezra who was standing silently watching.
"Get rid of him. He has no use for us here at SFF except to get stuff all messed up."

[imported_Ezra]

His was smiling and looked down at Hera, he caught Her warning glance and he himself shied away with an averting of his eyes. He stood silent and looking at the floor, till she got up and went to the kinder's side. Only then did he bring his eyes up to see what was going on.

Then she lost control of her anger and bit the little man's head off. Wasn't a big surprise to him at all. Was to be expected. The kinder however didn't expect such a welcome he was sure of that telling from the look on his little face. She got him airbourne and Ezra caught him, holding him aloft by the back of his coat. When she gave him her instructions, he bowed his head and started to walk out of the office. His face now void of expression.

"As you wish."

Was his reply as he took the kinder to the hanger to seal his fate.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Never in a good mood when abruptly woken from a much needed nap, Hera's mood went from bad to worse.

Daiquiri wanted to laugh and normally, she would have. But she had learned over time that there were other, more effective ways of drawing Hera back into a semblance of her normal 'nastiness'.

"You know.....with the vent cleaners down right now, he would fit the bil......after he cleans the wall, first."

Daiquiri was refering to the annoying little machines that were supposed to keep all of 'Faene's air vents and large conduits free from debris and dust. Lately though, they had been nothing but trouble...constant breakdowns in their systems, parts impossible to find, etc.

OW was just the right size for the job and Daiq was going to tell him to do it but now as she looked at the kid dangling from Ezra's grip, it made sense to her. Why not kill two birds with one stone? It would spare the boy's life and Hera would get something out of it in return.

Shruging lightly, she glanced back to her friend.

"Just a thought."

[rin]

The event's that were taking place in Hera's office moved like a whirlwind about the small Kinder. One moment he was snatched up by the nap of his neck by the Big Boss Woman then basically thrown half way across the room into Ezra's awaiting arm's. The tiny Kinder was now fully convinced that the blonde vixen was indeed a Witch in disguise and her fateful verdict on his behalf finalized this in Sliff's wee mind. This was terrible, he couldn’t win for loosing. Sliff only wanted to warn them of the impending doom that was awaiting them all in the evil shadows of tyranny...The spy theory of course...And now they wanted to disassemble him...Permanently!

"Oh, wait...Your making a terrible and awful mistake I tell you!" Sliff squealed as he fought against Ezra's tug, managing to grab a leg of a table as he was led out of the office.

"I'm not a kid...I'm...I'm almost thirty you mean ole pissie witch!" There, he finally said it to her face. Just about the time Sliff uttered the word's, another beautiful woman approached the Big Boss Witch and spoke to her at the door way as Ezra broke the Kinder death grip on the table leg.

"You know.....with the vent cleaners down right now, he would fit the bil......after he cleans the wall, first." The other woman said in low tones as they watched Ezra's vain attempt at getting the wiry Kinder under control. Sliff was extremely quick and agile on his feet, darting and spinning as the greasy man got a hold of him one minute only to find that it was cloth he was holding the next. Nevertheless, Ezra's innate speed was too much and Sliff finally succumbed as he pitched forward towards the two women in front of him. At that precise moment, Sliff's side satchel open and some of its odd content's spilled across the polished floor at Hera's feet. As Ezra reeled the Kinder in by his olive green cloak, Sliff kicked and wrestled like an animal gone wild.

"Get away from me you...You slimy traitorous Wamp Rat!" The Kinder yelped as he freed "Sting" from his waist line and swung it at the greasy mechanic’s hands. The tip of the Sith blade nicked Ezra's pale hand as it passed. The painful superficial wound immediately burned and blistered around the open cut, causing the Vampyre to recoil his right hand in agony as he continued to hold onto Sliff's cloak with his left for the time being.

As Hera's narrowed eye's slowly trailed down to the multiple object's strewn about the office floor, her attention was drawn to a rich leather bound book that was embossed in gold lettering...On the cover of the small tome was two simple word's that read..."Alana Stormcloud!"

[imported_Ezra]

Ezra's eyes turned their icy blue, and he grabbed the Kinder by the throat and held him aloft. He grabbed the wrist that held his damndable blade and brought the little man close to him as he bared his fangs.

"Fool!! For that, I will enjoy tearing into your neck and drinking your life essence!!"

Ezra's voice had taken on a low gutteral tone.

[DarthHERA]

Hera looked at her friend. Daiquiri was a ruthless and efficient killer. She loved the chaos of the darkside and all the nasty evil things that came with it. She and Hera had enjoyed many escapades of devilment and hellraising in their pasts together, and they were alike in so many ways. But there was a side of Daiquiri that Hera had not comprehension of. She had no understanding of it, and it often confounded the Faene Mistress. Daiquiri was a mother. And had the heart of a mother. And every now and then, that gentleness revealed itself, much as it had just now.

Sliff was a useless bag of bones, as far as Hera was concerned. But Daiquiri did not want to see him killed. Using him as a vent cleaner, as she suggested, was an idea, but they had OW for that. Hera was in the mood to see the Kinder bleed. She may spare him in deference to Daiquiri. But for now, she said nothing, being suddenly amused as the little fellow made yet another fatal mistake of insulting Ezra.

Ez snapped Sliff up in his steely grip and Hera smirked as the Vampyre revealed the darker side of his personality. She knew it would only be time before she saw the dark, violent side of the gentle spoken Vamp.

She took a seat on the edge of the desk, her eyes laughing as the little fellow flailed and threatened in great bravado.

A spill, and a tumble of items fell from the inside of his woven cloack. Who would have thought the kinder could stuff so much junk into one pocket.

Glancing down casually, Hera's gaze froze on the embossed lettering of the journal sprawled on the floor.

"Alana Stormcloud"

"Ezra!........Wait"

Stretching out her hand, Hera called the embossed volume to her via the force. Holding the closed book in her hand, she narrowed her eyes at Sliff.

In a leap that surprised the little fellow half out of his skin, Hera shot forward and snatched him up by the throat, reefing him violently out of Ezra's hand. Her voice was harsh, accusactory and full of menace...

"You are a SPY!"

[rin]

This wasn’t the first time the little Kinder had found himself in direr predicaments of this nature. Back on Coruscant, a situation took place in one of the local dives there in the lower end of Tin Ville where Sliff was accused of steeling something. One thing led to another and the wee thief was unfortunately caught red handed in the act...Sliff was grabbed up by the throat much like Ezra had him know...Nevertheless, the Kinder out of sheer instinct and fear for his life stabbed the unsuspecting man in the gullet...Sliff managed to make a hasty escape, however, the man did not fair so well...Due to the lack of prompt medical treatment and the poor area he resided,...Died within hour's from his grievous wound...

This time, Sliff had no way of escape. The iron grip of the Vampyre held him fast as his precious air began to leave him. Sparkly star's and tracers started to form in Sliff's rapidly fading vision. Then all the sudden, the Boss woman yelled something at the greasy guy and the next thing Sliff knew he was facing her...Eyeball to eyeball...Fortunately for the Kinder, he was able to gulp down a breath of fresh air before the exchange of hand's...

"You are a SPY!" There was blood in Hera's words as she spat them in Sliff's face that was now a beat red hue.

Sliff's tightly closed eyes widen in stark surprise at her strange question. A metal clang resounded in the room as the short sword that Sliff was holding in his hand dropped to the concrete floor. Desperately the small thief tried to choke out the word's...


"I,...Wha,..." Sliff gasped his words in short breaths, clutching in vain at Hera's wrist as she tightened her lethal grip around his throat. Sliff could feel his little body giving way to unconsciousness as he pleaded with her in his eye's...

"I,...Nnoo...SPY!" A thin stream of drool spilled from Sliff’s lower lip that was now a dark shade of purple. His valiant fight waned in the balance as his tiny hands began to slowly slip from the blonde woman’s wrist.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

It wasnt looking good for the little guy.

Alana's name featured so prominently, especially after the run-in that she and Hera had, didnt do anything to improve the Kinder's chances. In fact, it was very close to sealing his fate here and now.

Sliff's face had gone from pale, to bright red and now was slowly turning blue and his hands - which had fought to first remove Ezra's then Hera's - were now beginning to slip down and away.

The Kinder had indignately claimed that he wasnt a child but in Daiq's eyes, his size said otherwise. Hera was wanting some kind of satisfaction - satisfaction that she hadnt been able to get from Saurron, and now this little one was going to give it to her.

Daiquiri knew how deeply the Master Vampire's intrusion in Hera's mind had hurt her. And it was for this reason and this reason alone that she did nothing to stop her friend.

Quietly, she turned away.

[imported_Ezra]

Reaching out to grab Hera's wrist, Ezra's low voice sounded with a dark fire.

"No Hera......He is mine for doing this."

He held up his other hand to show the blistering cut running along the back of it.

"His insignificant life belongs to me and no one else.....unless..... you tell me other wise and for a good reason as to why I shouldn't rip his lungs out through his backside.

His lip twitched as he eyed the little runt. His fangs begging to rip into the soft flesh of his neck. To feel the hot, coppery tasting liquid flow into him.

[DarthHERA]

Hera stared into Ezra's deep brown eyes, and she was not in the mood to be repeating herself.

"I said, wait."

A slight arching of her eyebrow dared the Vampyre to argue with her and the air was bristing with the tension between them. She waited for the dark one to loosen his grip completely on the kinder - the little stowaway now promising to be of some use to Hera.

Daiquiri had stood back a step, allowing the chips to fall where they would as she watched Ezra struggle to keep his temper against the Faene Mistress.

[imported_Ezra]

This was one of the moments he was sure she waited for. The moment he'd lose control with her. But again, he showed his restraint as he slowly let go and averted his eyes to the floor. He slowly stepped back and turned toward the adjacent wall, leaning against it he took slow delibrate breaths to calm himself. That was one thing he was good at, keeping his anger in check when he needed to.

"Fine.......He lives....for now."

[rin]

Sliff was dying!...And they didn't even seem to care. Strangely, as the blonde woman and the greasy guy fought over the Kinder's fate, images of Sliff's care-free life waltzed across his fast fading mind. Friend's and family, people he owed money too, other's that he had barrowed stuff from seemed to be there. Even some of Sliff's worst enemy’s, two to be exact, filed past him one by one as if in a large group...Waving of all thing's as if they were saying their last good bye's. Sliff gasped, he franticly tried to reach out to them, to tell them he was quite alive and well. His feet seemed to be welded to the very spot, his mouth opened, yet no word's escaped this ashen lip's.

"Wa,...Wait...I'm not dead yet." All the sudden the words came out, however, they didn’t seem to hear him except one. It was a long life friend of Sliff's, a face he had not seen in quite some time. And oddly enough, the childhood friend was now standing right next to him...Smiling!

"Gump!...You...Umm, you don't think I'm dead do ya?" Sliff questioned, a frantic note was in his voice as he tugged at his friend's bright green tunic...

"Well, not yet...Soon enough though...Yup, yup!" Gump replied cheerfully as he looked Sliff squarely in the eyes. Sliff's mouth dropped as he heard his friend's awful words. How could he say such a thing?

"Noo,...Nooo,...But I don't wanna die Gump...My adventure day's have only just begun." Sliff protested as frown etched its way across his face. Of all Kinder's, surely Gump would understand this, what it meant, the importance of it all to their kind to finish the Grand Adventure...And Sliff wasn’t even half way yet!

"Well, Sliff ole pal...You gotta fight...Fight like you want it...Either that or give up like a big ole sissy would…Yup,..That’s it!" Gump snickered at his own comment, shooting Sliff a toothy smile as he finished.

“Bu,..But,…What the hell are you talking about Gump? Fight for what,…How? Are you some kinda Guru now or something?” Sliff asked in a shrill annoyed voice as he shook his friend, Gump’s head bobbling back and fourth slightly as he did so. At this point, Gump without warning slapped Sliff right across the chops.

“Yaa,…Fight ya big ole whiney goofball!” Sliff eyes closed as the sting of reality set in…Gump was right…And fight he would!

The Kinder’s eye’s snapped opened and his surrounding’s, even though blurred and narrowed, came back to him. He was back in Hera’s office! He was alive…Partially that is. With all his might, Sliff reached deep down and spoke…

“You,…Your…killing mmee!…YOUR KILLING ME YOU MEAN OLE BAG!...AND I WANNA LIVE!” Sliff squealed in a high pitched octave, pushing Hera backwards a few feet as he forced the shrill word’s out of his mouth. Strangely, the Kinder found himself tumbling and falling backwards until he collapsed on the polished floor in a heap. To Sliff, if he had the chance to think about, would have concluded it was his sheer will and the stern warning he gave the blonde woman…That it must have scared her or something. So he thought as he gulped in deep breaths of fresh air and that very thought began to slowly cross his joggled mind. Nevertheless, Hera knew different,…This little one wielded the force,…To some degree that is…

[DarthHERA]

Her brows knotted in thought as she allowed Sliff to drop uncerimoniously to the floor.

His power was faint, a lesser trained user of the darkside may have missed it, so slight had been the surge. But Hera, being a Master, picked up on the kinders ability as soon as he exerted it.

....curious......


The three Sith Smugglers watched as Sliff coughed and sputtered his way back to cognizance once again.

Hera kicked at him with her boot...the interrogation far from done.

"How did you come by this?" She waved the journal above him, and the kinder looked up lamely at the three stern faces peering down at him expectantly.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

When she had began holding her breath, Daiq wasnt sure but now that the little one was momentarily safe on the floor and not clutched tightly by the throat, she let it all out in a long sigh, the sound masked by Sliff's coughing and hacking.

From her place outside the office door, Daiquiri watched, still silent. But now her curiosity was aroused as well. Where had the Kinder gotten Alana's diary?

[rin]

The Kinder cast a sideways glare at the blonde, rubbing his neck line where the witch once had her claw's planted. After long moments, and the hacking ceased, Sliff stood to his feet boldly. With both hand's, the small thief straightened his olive green tunic, looking up at his interrogators. Hera's deadly gaze was matched with Sliff's own as she shook the mysterious journal at him. Of course, Sliff did his best to appear as ugly and menacing as he possibly could.

"How did you come by this?" Hera snapped impatiently as her form slightly pitched forward towards the Kinder. Sliff eye's narrowed to slit's, not answering the woman immediately as he thought over her angry word's. After a moment, Sliff answered her...

"I got it from a place called Roon...My friend took me there cuz he was dropping off a shipment to a contact named Lord Soth. I was bored and stuff so I took a gander around the place...Pretty nice actually." Sliff's demeanor changed slightly with a thin grin as he thought back to the perilous adventure, how wonderful everything was and not to mention how creepy it was too all at the same time. The story telling instinct in the Kinder was unbearable as it was to all their kindred, and even though they could have asked in a nicer manner, Sliff would not pass up a chance to tell the story as he recalled it.

"Yup, I was their all alone...All by my lonesome, moving through endless hall way's and through room's that had the most beautiful stuff I'd ever laid my eye's on,..." Sliff paused briefly at that thought as he remembered the lavishness of the mammoth stone Keep.

"...to bad I didn't have a bigger bag...Oh yes, the book." Sliff smiled coyly as he seen Hera's glare intensify, signifying that she probably wanted him to get to the point.

"Ok, yaa,...So there I was...I came to this big ole door...And,...Well,...I kinda let myself in...I thought someone might be there cuz I seen a light under the door...Anyway, after I knocked of course, I went in and that's how I found the book...Can't really read it...I think it's in a strange funny language...And you know what?" Sliff's eye's suddenly widened as he remembered something that struck him at the moment.

"I think it’s a race of Kitty people that live there...They all have theses big ole fangs when they smile at you...Yup, yup...Very irritable too...Kinda like yourself." Sliff smiled sheepishly at Hera, realizing to late that the comment slipped from his mouth before he could stop it. The Kinder quickly changed the subject as he went on.

"Just to think...I almost didn't go in the first place...But like my brother's, sister's, cousin always use to say to me...Never pass up a chance to adventure Sliff, cuz ya never know who you'll run into or the wonderful thing's ya might find." The blonde and the greasy guy continued to listen to Sliff intently as he spilled the beans. However to the small thief, he knew they were probably just enjoying the good story he was telling them and couldn’t believe his good fortune at the same time.

"See, I would have stayed with my bestest friend in the whole wide universe, but he was too busy doing stuff at the Seech,...So that's how I ended up going with Eldorack and his flee bitten dog to Roon…Yup,…So that's pretty much it...." Sliff of course was not telling the entire story and the platinum ring that caught his eye that still lay on the floor near him convinced Sliff he should leave that part out if he really wanted to keep it.


http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24565

[DarthHERA]

So many words!

Hera ran an agitated hand through her blonde hair in an effort to keep from throttling Sliff once again.

A pained glance toward Daiquiri showed her friend just how trying Hera found this vertically challenged individual. A wry smile from Daiquiri was all the sympathy Hera received.

Finally the mention of Eldorack and the DOG helped Hera to refocus. And a fond memory helped smooth her ire...Ah that was a good day - she shot the Dog to injure the man, Mockadane. An honest smile now.

Yet... still on the kinder talked..

Standing it no longer, Hera blurted out a summary.

"So you snooped around in their private quarters and came out with a book? Your'e even dumber than you look."

The comment was to belittle the journals importance to the Faene Mistress, though in truth, this revelation was quite the opposite. The little theif had quite a talent if he could scrounge around the Shrine...crawling with vamps....and come out of it unscathed with prize in hand.

"You better not try anything like that round here...or Ill have Ezra here cut off your hands and slow roast them for our supper. I might just get him to do it anyway..just as a precaution."

A subtle "cough" from Daiquiri reminded Hera that her friend was hoping for a more civil treatment of the little fellow. And so, Hera forced herself to relent a little.

"But...I guess that could wait until tomorrow."

A sidelong glance at Daiq, seeking some small approval of her effort.

[imported_Ezra]

He was leaning against the wall, not saying a word. He was looking out the doorway into the other room, listening, yet not paying attention. He was still miffed about getting cut and not being able to twist the little bugger's head off. Plus once again, she had played her trump card and he lost. Why he always gave in was entirely lost to him. Anyone else and he'd have dealt them with a nice thumping. But with these two women, it was different.

He glanced back over to see everything was calming down, good for them, now all that needs calming was him. He remembered Alana, they met once and also spent time together when they both visited his old mentor.... She was another like him, a vampyre who felt too much. e glanced at his hand and it started to heal a bit. He looked down at the floor, then slowly back towards Sliff and Hera.

[rin]

As Sliff finished his short version of the story, Hera waved the small tome at him, holding it tightly by the spine as she did so. The cranky blonde then proceeded to tell the Kinder how pathetic and stupid he was, even mocking Sliff's wee size. Well, this was Sliff's interpretation of what Hera was saying if anyone asked him. She even had the audacity to tell him that if he ever stole anything from "this" office that his hand's would be removed and stir fried immediately. Again Sliff piped up without think about what he was saying, a grin stretching across his child like face as he looked up to Hera.

"Oh yes,...I have heard about such punishment's like that before in other system's and on other world’s...Yup...Bedside’s if this ever happened to me, I'd just use my tootsies." The Kinder looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes then glanced back up to the blonde with a boyish smile.

"But you need not worry lady, I don't do stuff like that...I just take care of stuff for people who leave it laying around unattended...So that way it really doesn’t get lost...And you know what...I don't even charge them storage fee's for it when they ask for it back..." If Sliff could have patted himself on the back at that moment, he would have. However, in the past when he tried to do this, he had learned such a thing wasn’t as easy as it looked. The Kinder truly felt and believed it was his sole calling in life to look after all the carelessly discarded valuables and trinket’s that others left lying around.

Sliff big blue eyes trailed to the book in Hera's hand then over to Ezra who was examining his wound. Sliff felt bad for the man at that moment and thought he should comfort him with a kind word.

"I'm sorry Mr. mechanic guy...I didn't really mean to hurt you...But don't worry, it'll go away in a month or so...It's not that bad." The Kinder said in a sincere tone as he looked back to the book.

"Ummm, so you think I could get my book back now miss?...Besides, it won't do you any good seeing I'm the only one who knows how to really read,..." Sliff eye's widened as he realized the full significance of what he had just said, slapping his tiny hand over his mouth as if to halt the fumbling sentence that had just came out...But it was far to late.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Daiquiri shook her head slightly. The little guy just didnt have a clue when to leave well enough alone. The hole Sliff was digging for himself grew progressively deeper.

Hera had calmed down considerably and with the glance she slid over to her friend, Daiq knew the little Kinder was safe ... for a few moments, at least.

Ezra had stopped cradling his hand and even from here, Daiquiri could tell that the wound had started healing but even so, the vampire still looked as if he need to snap something (or someone) in half.

"C'mon, Ez, lets take a look at that and get it cleaned out - just to be sure."

[DarthHERA]

She ran her hand once more over the gilded lettering on the front of the book, and then looked up sharply, as if coming to a decision.

"Ezra, put this little theif in the retainment room"

The Vamypre smiled. "Retainment" was just a polite word for dungeon. Finally some justice for having to tolerate this short annoyance.

"Perhaps a night or two experiencing the unique comforts of that suite may incline our new friend to share some of his knowledge with us and spare us his longwinded fancies. And maybe teach him not to venture into ShadowFaene uninvited."

She smiled smugly at Sliff.

"I'll just look after this for you for now. I feel it is my calling, so to speak."

[rin]

The Kinder eyes widened in horror as the blonde woman ordered Ezra to grab Sliff and throw him into detainment cell of all places. Pressing both hands to his chest, Sliff looked at the three with pleading puppy dog eye's that tore at the other woman's heart strings. The Kinders own heart dropped then rose in his throat when the images of the small hellish cargo crate crossed his mind. The unbearable ordeal in the confined box on his trip to the Shadow-Faene was less then accommodating, knowing what that was like first hand, he knew death was now immanent.

"But,...It wasn’t my fault...I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time…I,..I was juz trying to... HELP!" The Kinder screeched as the oily man reached out for him. Sliff dove for the silver ring and a few other of his trinket’s that had spilled onto the floor earlier. The Kinder managed to place the silver ring on his finger but was halted immediately as the brutish man snatched him from the highly polished floor.

"Help!...I promise I'll wash my hand's next time!...I just forgot to ask where the bath room was...Give me a break...It was an honest miSTAK!.. eeEEpp!" The Kinder yelled in a high pitched voice as he felt his cloak jerking him upwards, strangling him as his body weight fought against Ezra’s tug.