His Own Greek Tragedy (Terran Starek, Open)

[DarthHERA]

Based very loosley on the character of Odysseus (http://www.messagenet.com/myths/bios/odysseus.html)


***********************************



The meteor storm was the worst Hera had ever experienced in her life. Had ever read of on record, in fact.

It went on for miles in either direction, and was as deep as it was wide. It was a leviathan of lethal masses of rock, that swirled chaotically within itself, making passage through it impossible.

The disruption caused by such concentration of iron and other elements en masse, wreaked havoc with her navigational instruments, and like many other travellers to that system, it was with no other choice that she had to abondon her set course and reroute to the Planet Cyclos. ( This planet was so named for its position in the galaxy that caused its surface to be frequented by violent storms and cylones, and terrible weather extremes of snow and flash floods.)

And so it was, that with an angry wind at her back, the Faene Mistress burst through the Inn door in a gust of dust and debris, and had to use all her strenth to shut it again.

Her blonde tresses were in a turmoil about her face as she took a moment to untangle her black sith robe from about her lithe form. Outside, the wind howled threateningly, but inside, all noise ceased for a breif moment, as patrons took in the new arrival, then it resumed once more.

Hera walked to the innkeeper who had just deposited two hefty plates of stewed venison infront of two grans. He loved these storms - it was great for business and he once again congratulated himself for doubling the prices for everything that afternoon in anticipation of such.

"Got any more rooms, Innkeeper?"

"None" he shook his head. Then pointed to a chair in the far corner, "But that'll sleep three. You can rent that for the night Missy"

Hera looked dourly at the mothridden chair.

"Maybe a room will come up" she said, her voice somewhat threatening.

The Innkeeper stopped busying himself with plate and dish and looked up from the two Gran, to take the Sith in more clearly.

"Maybe" was his safe reply.

With a snort, Hera turned to go sit at the bar.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau slouched in his chair watching the holo, but barely paying any attention. He had heard bits and pieces of the conversation outside the bar. From what he understood, the woman was looking for a room, much like him.

"If you want a room, you're going to have to wait." He said loudly and callously without looking at the woman as she entered the bar. Now he turned and looked at her then jabbed a thumb at his chest, "I'M next in line."

[imported_Terran Starek]

6,523 Before the Galactic Civil War


I was sought out by a student of the Academy named Rilinar Kadu. A Kel Dor, if I do remember correctly, Rilinar had been here for several years. He was maturing rather well and it was said by his Master, Master Vish, that he was to be knighted on the year. A strong Kel Dor, he had nigh two feet of height on me. Despite his gargantuan size, however, Rilian was known for his heart. He was compassionate, a lover of life and a protecter of its sanctity. He was known as the 'Friendly Giant' and was beloved by the children.

He asked me, 'Master Ridara, how should a Jedi reguard love?' I chuckled quietly to myself already knowing the true nature of his question. His thoughts and feelings betrayed his composure and I was able to sense that his question was not random. He had a deep personal connection to it. Draping my arm across his shoulders and guiding him to walk along the meadow with me, I replied in my usual manner, with another question: 'My young friend, in order to understand your question, I must question this: what is love?' The padawan puzzled and was quiet for a minute or two. Finally, he answered: 'Love, Master Ridara, is when one entity has such a connection, such an affection to another that it would not be complete without the other.' I allowed the comment to sink for a moment before I responded. The boy had a better grasp on relationships than I had thought. 'Rilinar, I think you understand more than you will admitt.' He looked back at me through his breathing apparatus puzzled. 'I don't follow, Master.' I smiled. 'A Jedi relies on two things to survive: himself and the Force. The connection between he and the Force must be strong for success. A Jedi with such a connection is complete.'

--from "The Mutterings of an Old Fool" by Jedi Master Bin Ridara





The Jedi sat in the far corner of the old Inn in hopes to stay warm by the fire. The violent storms that raged outside on the surface of the planet Cyclos created a strange mix of temperatures. In some regions, it was blistering hot. In others, a perfect temperature was formed. Here, it seemed, the winds had brought the ice from the Glacial Mountain Range down to the door of the Inn. A book in his hand--an old text with hide binding--and a cup of steaming hot jawa juice were the only protrusions from the deep brown cloak tightened around him. Despite the storms, Cyclos had one of the best libraries in the system. The bookworm was immediately drawn to it.

Something caused him to take note of a visitor who had just entered.

She was strikingly familiar. Perhaps he had seen her before, but he doubted that on such a location one would run into acquaintances. Upon further examination, however, it occured to him. Black robes--now being untangled from the harsh wind that had tossed them in every direction--hung from her form. She was blond--revealed now by the straightening of the cloak. She traveled alone, which was strange for this planet, but not strange for a Sith. With the robes, it was too easy to tell. Of course, it wasn't as though he was in icognito really. His brown Jedi cloak swept around him, barely revealing brown boots and a lighter, more beige colored under tunic and pants. What was unseen was the card the key that was tucked into his belt. It was the key to his room.

As he watched the exchange--and observed a very brave onlooker speak up against the imposing aura of the Sith--he wonderd what to do. He was in no mood for some kind of confrontation. It had been a few weeks now since his return to the Order, and he was definitely not itching for conflict any time soon. His mood was rather somber and quiet and he was in a time where he needed personal reflection and meditation. He thought it best to remain nuetral and watch the situation develop from an observer's point of view. The key seemed to hang rather heavily at his side. Perhaps it was a sign from the Force, a suggestion to act.

For now, however, he would stay his mouth and body and watch. If things were to become. . .unpleasant. . .it would be his duty and his obligation to act.

[DarthHERA]

A sardonic smile tugged at her lips as she turned toward the speaker.

At a glance, she took Xau in - his manner confident, even bordering on beligerent, as he slouched in his chair. His hard stare reminded her of a bull-terrier, daring her to contradict him.

"Well, friend" she said, a hint of bemusement in her voice, "I wouldn't think of jumping line."

She'd consider hauling a person bodily out of it, of course, and cliping his life from him so he would be in no need of a room, but she refrained from saying so. Right now, she couldnt be bothered with a ruckus, and the night was young...a lot could happen..

Xau didnt really seem placated by this answer, judging from his replying scowl, but a tap on her shoulder now drew her attention to the arrival of her rum.

Taking the shot glass in hand, the bottle too, Hera crossed the room to a still dirty table, and tossed herself heavily into a chair.

With a sweep of her arm, she pushed used glasses and ashtrays up against the wall. As a serving wench scuttled over to clear and wipe the table, Hera set her self up for a prolonged stay. Downing the rum, she looked around the room, studying breifly each occupant in quick assessment.

Her eyes passed over Xau once more, who was making a pretense of watching a holovid.

Finally, as she lowered her glass, her gaze rested on an individual who sat at table immediately to her left. He was looking right at her, doing some assessing of his own.

He held a book, which was lowered as he broke from his reading to watch her. Hera's eyes travelled from the volume to the robes, the beige clothing beneath them, and to what surely would be a weapon obscured by his resting hand. She lifted her eyes to meet his and both kept a sabaac face in place. Each recognised the other for what they were, both reserved their action according to what might develop.

Pouring herself another round, Hera nudged the toe of her boot against the leg of the chair opposite her, pushing it forward and out in a gesture of invitation to the Jedi to join her..

[Xau Ghin]

The Sith had bought it. She wasn't going to push Xau Ghin around. He almost smiled at his achievment, minor to most, major to him. He held the smile from crossing his face in order to keep up the image. A scowl, baggy clothes to hide his scrawny body and a mean voice; it made him look tougher than he was.

He glanced back at the Sith woman and noticed she was making eye contact with a Jedi on the other side of the room. A sort of conversation without words. Perhaps he would listen in when they began talking, of which they would. Xau had no doubts about that.

He climbed out of his seat and walked with a limp to a stand of magazines and a few outdated books and picked one up. He set it back down and picked up another as if he was trying to choose a selection. He didn't want the Sith to know that he had the intention of listening in on the conversation. He picked up a third book and moved to a booth and pretended like he was reading.

He did his best to maintain the image of a tough rugged man and didn't let the scowl fade from his face.

[imported_Terran Starek]

She was energetic--albeit a bit brash--but she seemed stable. And, for the time being, she wasn't threatening. Terran had a good enough head on his shoulders to know one thing: a person could hold a conversation of worth despite one's own personal affiliations. Thus, he was generally rather open to entertaining new guests. Why not, he thought. Basic manners and being polite usually accomplished quite a bit in terms of preserving good relations. He raised his eybrows and frowned in a gesture that said "OK."

Making his way to the table, he paused breifly, bending over to help a young server pick up a few shards of broken glass. She was capturing the glass in her apron and sweeping most of it with her hands. Several cuts had formed on one of them as she winced, drawing her hand across the rough, jagged floor. He helped shovel some of the smaller pieces carefully into the hollow of her apron and then he softly grabbed her wrist. Closing his eyes for just a moment, he concentrated and called upon the Force. Like Navaria had taught him, he located the source of a small ammount of pain. Seconds later, the young girl felt warmth replace the sting. Terran smiled.

"Clean your hand up--this is good enough for now." Though there were several pieces left, Terran felt for the girl on such a cold night. She smiled back nervously, but she could not resist his voice. It was calming and soothing, and he assured her with his eyes that she would face no trouble for breaking to wash her hands. She scurried off as quickly as she had come. Terran stood to face his new guest.

"I do hope I did understand your gesture for company," he spoke with a humility and smile that was rather undeniable. Nonetheless, it would be his first meeting with this woman. It would take him some time to gain an awareness of the rules of communication between them, especially since she was a Sith. They could be rather. . .crafty. He placed his book on the table before him, taking his seat and re-wrapping his robe about him.

"My name is Terran Starek. What travels would bring you to this desolate, stormy planet, Miss. . .?"

[DarthHERA]

He was taller than first expected. Hera had to tilt her head up at an angle as he stood beside her table and introduced himself.

Her reply was short, but not intentionally rude, as he sat.

"Hera DrenKast"

She reached forward and scooped up Terran's book as he settled in his seat. The intellectual volume looked somewhat out of place in her hands, unappreciated even, as she flipped the pages, fluttering them rapidly through her thumbs.

Closing it with a soft "thmp" she tossed it lightly back at Terran, who caught it in a flub against his chest.

"So you're a scholar and a gentleman" she remarked dryly, referring to his care of the waitress. "What is the galaxy coming to." A rueful smile played about her lips, and Terran couldnt be certain, but he thought she may be mocking him.

He looked offended, and this made Hera laugh. Not two minutes in the chair and already she'd got him wishing to change his mind about sitting. Almost a track record.

Waving him down with her hand, she tried to be a little less socially retarded. "Oh stay, stay. I might not be as refined a company as you may be used to, but since you're here, we may as well talk."

The waitress returned, a coy and bashful smile for Terran plastered across her face, and once again Hera wore her crooked smile.

The Sith watched him closely as he spoke to the server with courtesy and respect, and behind her blue eyes, Hera marvelled that one could be so kind and still be happy. Assuming the Jedi was happy.

The girl had brought with her a mug of Calypso Ale, on the house, for Terran's kindness and after being rewarded with a gentle word from him, she blushed her way back about her duties

"Thought she'd never leave" Hera rolled her eyes.

"My ship was blown off course during a meteor storm in the Xedyn Quadrant." she said in reply to his earlier question. "It scrambled my navigational systems and I was forced to re-route to this armpit of a planet, only to find another storm almost as bad here on the surface."

A particularly loud gust of wind rattled the walls of the inn, and the bookshelf where Xau had now taken a seat actually shook.


"What about you, master Jedi..." She gestured for him to drink his ale, as she lifted her own glass once more, "...you are along way from your Order I take it...?"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau felt the wind shake the wall and his chair; it nearly scared him half to death. He had dropped his book when he had jumped out of his seat and now bent over to pick it up when he noticed the cute, young waitress at the Sith's table. Wow. He thought.

He glanced back at the Sith and Jedi at the table and then to the waitress returning to the bar. To the Emperor's grave with them! He thought and dropped the book and walked to the bar, still limping a little although he did his best to conceal it.

He tried the same tactics to look tough with the waitress as he did with the Sithstress. "I, uh..A Corellian Ale...please." He said to the waitress. She filled a glass with what he requested and set it on the bar without saying a word. Clearly, she was caught up in the Jedi.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Terran smiled at the reappearance of the server as it broke the tension formed from the Sith's mocking tone. She was quite friendly, he could see, and although he was as polite as was possible, he was quiet and humble. Furthering relations with the girl was not particularly on his mind, escpecially in light of recent events in his life. Rather, he found Miss Hera DrenKast and her potential for conversation much more appealing for the time being. He chuckled as Hera spoke in reference to her departure and listened as she spoke.

Sensing a touch of arrogance in her voice, Terran deduced that she was most likely telling the truth about her arrival. Her reference to the planet was one of disgust--though Terran found the storm patterns frightneningly intriguing--and meteor storms in the Xedyn Quadrant were known to be quite treacherous. Somewhat of a bookworm, Terran was known for his wide base of knowledge.

"Master Jedi," he began, scoffing, his voice becoming warmer despite the cold wind that rocked the Inn. He raised his mug with her to drink, though he was not one to stomach too much alcohol. He swallowed less than he took into his mouth for show. "Hardly, I assure you. On topic, however, Cyclos is a good trip away from the Order, that's for sure. The Force has shown me here in search of the Camorian Library, which is in the township east of here. The keeper there is renowned for the rediscovery of several prized texts. This--" he picked the book up and waved it towards her in a mock-accusatory fashion "--happens to be one of the rare volumes." Terran noticed movement around him as one of the patrons--in fact, the one who originally and boldly challenged the Sith--changed positions. The feeling in the air was mixed, and though Terran could sense something, he did not feel like pursuing it at that time.

"Miss DrenKast," Terran began again after a few seconds of silence. His eyes, a deep brown similar to his cloak, probed her own. He was a thinker. His ability to assess, analyize, sense, and feel was second to none among his rank at the Order. Of course, it was well known within the Jedi that he was a fairly poor fighter and even less effective generally with offense Force manuvers. His strength was found in his heart and his brain. In this moment, however, it wained. She was difficult to pick apart. A Sith, another trained in the Force, was always difficult to simply read. Hera was moreso. Occassionaly, between visits from the server or drinks, he noticed her eyes upon him. Forlorn, they were. Questioning? Studying him? It was hard to narrow down, though he was beginning to detect something more behind the harsh, toughened visage. Something soft inside. . .maybe sad.

"If I could make an observation, a particular detail has come to my mind." She lifted an eyebrow, seemingly interested in listening. "It is clear that we do not share the same. . .sentiments in accordance to how we choose to exist." It was his wordy way of simply observing that they were Sith and Jedi respectively. "However, we meet just as peacefully. I would be more than privelaged if you would share with me your feelings on the Jedi. Simply opinion with no offense taken, of course." Terran was an intelectual and, as such, he was always open and curious to hearing the thoughts of others with enough brain working to make sense. Hera seemed a proper candidate.

[DarthHERA]

A variety of descriptive and colorful words paraded their way through her mind, and Hera struggled to find one that would describe her opinion of the Jedi without completely shutting the conversation down in an insulted silence from the man opposite her.

Terran Starek was, no doubt, indoctrinated with the whole "bringing balance to the universe through goodness and honor" schpeil - as the Jedi almost always were - but no Jedi had ever asked her such a question before. It was apparent he was in earnest in asking and this threw Hera off a little with her reply. Most interaction with the Jedi had been of a violent or deceptive manner (for her part) and conversation had been relegated to verbal parries and jabs before the saber-work began. With the exception of Master Yoghurt. But, Yoghurt was always the exception where Hera was concerned.

As Terran sipped from his ale, she saw honesty in his face - it sat so natural on him. It silently shamed her a little, being who and what she was. Alright..she would be honest also.

"I think the Jedi are a waste."

Her words didn't hold her usual malice - she was speaking quite sincerely.

"They choose to cling to ideals and hopes, in their desire to bring balance, instead of walking in reality."

Here she sat forward a little.

"Life is not balanced. It never has been. Life is natural selection - the survival of the fittest. The strong survive, the weak perish. Until another stronger comes, and then the cycle is repeated. It has always been this way. It is the way in all of nature. Right now, the darkside is stronger. The Jedi waste their force ability fighting it...when they should perpetuate it. The darkside is the strong survivor - all else is the weak perishing."

She looked him the more steadily, her last comment reinforcing her viewpoint, but directed for him personally.

"Wasted"


Across the room, the waitress tugged her eyes at last from Terran and gave her attention for a moment to Xau. She turned about to pour him another drink, then placing it infront of him, she encouraged him with a sweet smile to drink up .

The Innkeeper brought another round for the Jedi and Hera, even though the Jedi was still on his first. The Keep lifted an idle glance toward the serving girl, which the girl caught, she excused herself from Xau to continue her duties.

Back at the table, unlike Terran, Hera took advantage of the rum and poured herself another glass.


The server rounded through the swinging back door to the staff area of the bar.

***********************************

Coming alongside her boss as he stacked glasses into a large washer. Straightening he spoke softly from the side of his mouth.

"The blonde is a Jedi, it is dangerous"

--"I dont care" the server replied "I want him. And the one at the bar" --


The dynamic between boss and employee were markedly different behind scenes than they portrayed to the public.

"Its already starting to hit that one" (he said, pleased, as they peeked through the crack of the door) "See how he sinks lower to his mug"[/i]

The serving girl smiled darkly, as he continued.

"It wont be long now. Its good the bar is starting to empty, many already go to their rooms"

--"What about that drok the Jedi sits with? Will she give us trouble?" --

The Innkeeper shook his head.

"If I read my scum right, she's after his room. And anyway, we will deal with her if we need to" He tapped at the club set beside the washer.

The girl nodded.

--"No mistakes, Idor. I want them both....alive...fresh." --

"No mistakes, I promise"


*******************************

Terran noticed the server re-appear, loaded with fresh glasses to restock for the next day's business. The room was emptying gradually, many clientele calling it an early night in hopes of the storm abating and getting a head start first thing in the morning. The majority of them had been waylayed by the storm, and were anxious to move on.

While both Terran and Xau sat, they were unaware of the agent at work in their systems, administered to them through their ale.
It was a natural and subtle toxin that worked to lull its victim into a complacent and eventual catatonic state.

Undetectable by its prey, the instincts that would alert a person to its insidious permeation of their being were the first it targeted and attacked. Terran - and Xau - assumed they were just a bit tired, and both continued on as before. Xau with nowhere to go, having no room, and Terran wishing to continue his discussion.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"Well, Miss DrenKast, you're entitled to your opinion and I asked," Terran smiled and laughed a bit, suprised at how light his head was beginning to feel. He'd had less than two minute sips of the drink before him, yet it seemed to have a rather large effect. He looked down into the drink blankly, wondering exactly what ingridients went into Calypso Ale. The curiosity was quipped, however, by a strange desire to drink more. Never, ever, had he felt this attached to a beverage, especially of the alcoholic nature. It took his senses away from him--he found he could not concentrate. No longer could he feel the mind of Hera working nor could he sense his surroundings. Still, it was as though it was an ignorant euphoria--a release of responsibility found in the liquid that sat before him. He took a larger drink this time, the cool liquid boiling warmly in his stomach. He leaned a bit in his chair, relaxing.

"With your permission, of course, I should like to retort peacefully." She seemed agreeable enough to permitt his musings. He tried to observer her closely, but his concentration was completely lost. "Often, the philosophies of the Jedi as a whole often overshadow the feelings of the individual. Though I do believe in the things you have spoken of, I differ in a few choice ways." He yawned as his stomach felt gassy, giving way to a rather large burp. He excused himself embarassingly.

"I do not find myself clinging to hopes and ideals as you may think; I only believe in the truth. The truth is that the Force will restore balance and justice to the Galaxy in due time. It is not my place to understand or to see it, merely to know that fact and serve it accordingly. In terms of balance, the scales of good and evil shift regularly. In some ways, this is, in essence, balance. Though true balance may never truly be attained through the actions of men or other beings, I observe that it will be achieved by the Force." He yawned again, his head feeling more detached and heavier as he took another drink. He couldn't keep the liquid out of his mouth--it was ridiculously addictive.

"Protecting the weak, I assure you, is a pleasure of the job. For with great power comes great responsibility; it is with all things--government, militia, the Force. The power is given to capable hands to provide and protect, not deprive and destroy." He smiled, nearly goofily given his current condition.

"But I shan't bore you with doctorines you already have a rather predominate dislike for, Hiss Mera." He stopped abruptly, finding it odd that he had slurred such a phrase. Was he that weak in the stomach? Surely, something was different about this drink. Calypso Ale, something he would be very wary to have in the near future. He pushed the glass away from him and took a deep breath.

"I should be very interesting--interested, in hearing your own versonal piews in relation to Phith Silosophy." He couldn't help it. He tried to maintain eye contact with her, but he found his vision becoming distorted and blurry. Listening as best as he could muster, he put his cheek in the palm of his hand, bracing his head on the table. Slowly, his eyes became heavier and heavier. The lids felt as though they were being pulled down by Star Destroyers. He tried his best to maintain consciousness, but his eyes grew more blurred with sleep. . .

[DarthHERA]

Hera went from amused to slightly astonished as Terran's speech ran the gamit of polite, intelligent rebuttal to near incoherent rambling in an astoundingly short amount of time.

She sat up straight, blinking at him increduously.

Good greif....the man is drunk near to passing out!

His head drooped into his hand, seeking support, and his large bright brown eyes, now dulled and glazing over, fluttered in valiant effort to remain open.

Hera looked from the glass of ale and back to the Jedi, and she began to chuckle. What a peach, this is.

She would give him a few more moments, until he was out completely, and then help herself to his key (which she spied pocking out of his pocket) and his room.

There were only a couple of patrons left now in the bar, so a little more time wouldnt hurt. Poking her forefinger to his brow, she gave Terran a little nudge.

"How you doing there? You alright? Not much of an ale man, huh."

Clearly he wasn't, and Hera found it endlessly amusing.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"Actually, I don't thighk eyyeee sschhlleepppptt vvfvfveerrryy weeehhhllll. . ." the words came out as mushy as his thoughts began to feel. Within seconds of speaking, he experienced an all too familiar feeling wash over him. His head drifted as he fought to stay conscious, but the battle was futile. Something wasn't right about this whole situation, but he had no ability to correct it now.

A look of despair caught his face for a fleeting second. Hera could see it--a man who had no control realizing that it was true. He was terrified. The only other times he had been forcably or unintentionally unconscious were times that landed him either in captivity or torture. A mess of peach, blond, and blue swirled in front of him as Hera's face spun around the room. Finally the Jedi's head dropped to the table with a loud *THUMP*. His eyes closed as they rolled back in their sockets and his mouth fell open loosely.

Hold on, buddy, his inner strength told him. We're gonna be fine. We can make it through this.

With that, Terran Starek was unconscious.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau had only two Correlian ales and he felt like he had had five. Eventhough he was a lightweight, two ales shouldn't be affecting him like this. His head started to hang and his eyes were constantly struggling to stay open.

He finished the ale, he didn't want anyone to think he couldn't handle two drinks. "Gi- givf mee...." What was the word.... "An- anover." He barely got it out and the cute waitrees did as he asked. He immediatly took a gulp, he felt that his body craved it.

He turned his head and looked at the Sith and Jedi who were now fuzzy blobs of color. He turned to the front of the bar again and took another gulp. He head crashed to the bar just as someone walked out from the kitchen.

[DarthHERA]

As Terran's head fell with a thud, Hera darted a quick glance about the room to see if anyone noticed. She looked guilty enough as she sat there, even though she was quite innocent of his decline. Perhaps her intentions were enough to damn her. But her worry was needless, none watched. Not even the surly Xau, as he too was spent by the look of him. None were around to see, with the exception of the Server girl who was now taking out the garbage through a back door.

Opportunity waits for neither man nor Sith, and so Hera sprang from her seat to bend around behind Terran. She slid a furtive hand about his waist and beneath his robes, filching the key-card from its hiding. She whispered to the dozing Jedi as she smiled, "Thanks." She crossed the short distance to the stairs leading to the Inn suites, and took them up two at a time.

Her smile still held as she meandered down the corridor to room 18-B, but such an easy triumph made it feel hollow. Something wasn't right, even for a Jedi to be so easily overcome by his liquor. And such a little liquor at that. Terran's face kept filling her mind, the look in his eyes of...almost panic...wouldnt relent. She tried to mentally shrug him away and relegate him to his fate whatever it may be. But he wouldn't go so easily. Which was annoying. If foul-play was involved - to meet one's end snoozing harmlessly like a lamb wasn't deserving for anyone. Not especially a man like Terran. Hera had to admit, he was one of the very few light-siders to have impressed her. And that's saying a great deal considering the amount of time he spent drooling from his mouth.

Turning abruptly in a change of course, the Sith went back downstairs to the bar.

Descending the last few steps, she looked toward the table where she had left Terran mere moments before, and was taken aback to see it empty. Cutting a glance to the bar - Xau's place was empty too.

The sound of voices came from the staff area, and Hera quietly slipped between the swinging doors. The server girl came up from what Hera assumed to be the basement, or more likely a cellar.

-- "What do you want?" -- the girl hissed.

Her eyes were livid as she glared at Hera and then shifted them to look beyond her. Hera twisted around, knowing already that that was a mistake -she should have reached for her weapon first. Hera caught the full brunt of the Inn Keeper's heavy club as he brought it to bear violently across her head, dropping her in a heap to the floor.

**********************************************


It was not a basement, nor a cellar. It was a tunnel in the deep red rock of Cyclos and it led down into a vast cavern. Twenty feet below the Inn's pineboard floor was the lair of the Ichrids - black insect-like creatures that walked upright on two legs. They had 6 limbs in total, two of which were long wings resembling those of a grasshopper or mantis. They nested in the subterranean caves, where their burrowing into the rockface created a fine mineral dust that was necessary for the Doss (the species of the Inn Keeper and the Server) to breath. It was a symbiotic relationship between the two kind and it was a mutually appreciative one. An Ichrid took care of a Doss as did the Doss the Ichrid. They formed a bond and were often symbian mates for the course of their natural lives. Tunnels, just like the one from the inn, pockmarked the entire planet of Cyclos, repeating the events of that evening on unsuspecting wayfarers to the planet, over and over and over again.


Terran could hear a snickering sound - it was what woke him. It was a slick,rapid and industrious sound, like someone knitting. Of course, it was too loud to be someone knitting. He couldn't remember seeing any one knit in a quite a while. He was having trouble keeping his thoughts on track. The storm had stopped. Or at least Terran couldnt hear it. A low groan came from his left. He couldnt see, but it was Xau laid out on a slab beside him. Terran felt hot, extemely so, and humid - through his shirt he was sweating. But around his legs was a wet blanket or something that felt like that. And it was itchy.

Lifting his eyelids a fraction, the Jedi could make out two shapes and as he forced himself to focus, they took a more defined form. And, happy for small victories, he realised they were the source of the click-click-click sound.

The two Ichrids moved about Hera as she lay on her back on a slab. Her robes, like Terran and Xau's outter garments also, had been removed and bundled together with their weapons on the floor over in the shadows. In methodical and instinctive skill, the two creatures sewed their shroud over the Sith Mistress. A white sticky fiber, dispensed from the points of their tri-clawed pincers, much like a spider's web or moth's caccoon, wrapping their victim in its steel-like thread where it would confine them to ferment and stew for consumption. The fibre was made of a corrosive enzyme that would, in time, completely break down the prey's tissues, reducing it to a thick liquidy cocktail over a 2-day period. It would then be suitable to be ingested by the Ichrids through their hard black probescus.

They had already begun the process on Terran and Xau, relying on their toxic state to keep them lethargic and docile even though consciousness may return. Humans - force users especially - had an uncanny resistance to the toxins once they awoke, so work had to be quick. The arrival of another human, and one not subdued appropriately had interrupted them. Each Ichrid had left his respective meals-to-be in order to take care of the new arrival, thus Xau and Terran had only been wrapped to their knees. Hera, however, had already been encased up to her chest.

Another groan from Xau. Terran wondered how awake the man was, and if he could move.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau opened his eyes but everything was a blur. Black blobs surrounded by red. He called on the Force to aid him, but as always the Force was not there for him; it was with his brother. He let a moan escape his mouth, and he moved his legs to stretch them but they didn't budge. In his blurry vision he saw a blanket of white covering where his legs should be. Then he noticed the itch with a slight burning.

His vison was becoming clearer, but only a little. He could identify tiny little arms coming from the black blobs which were working maticulously over his pelvic region. He tried to move, but from the waist down, nothing budged.

Slowly but surely his vision was coming back to him, he looked around and saw someone wrapped up to the neck and another about as far as he was. Anothermoan, this time of desperation escaped. Where the hell was he?

With his free arm he reached for his belt but found it was gone. All the tools he needed would be in that belt. He reached aimlessly for it next to the slab he lay on. He barely got a chance to feel around for it when one of the tiny arms held his arm and placed it across his chest.

Now he could see the man up to his legs was the Jedi, the one up to their neck must be the Sith. He'd rather place his fate in the hands of a Sith, they knew how to fix a situation. But it looked like his best bet was with the Jedi... damn. Now, if he would only wake up!

[imported_Terran Starek]

It didn't take long before the facts hit him like a hovertrain gone off course:

Dizzy head--check.

Bitter taste in mouth--check.

Achy throat--check.

Crampy stomach--check.

Yep, de he'd been drugged. He wanted to scold himself for not realizing it sooner, especially while drinking it, but there was little time. He could taste the chemical residue in his mouth as his throat was seemingly coated in it. It was a highly rudimentary poison, as more synthetic types were difficult to detect. This one had all the makings of a basic, organic anastetic. It could even be, perhaps, a raw venom. Needless to say, he had an idea where it came from as his eyes came into complete focus on two large, arachnid figures.

Bipedal, but with four other working limbs. Chances were, these creatures could put all six legs into motion for some serious groundspeed. Glands protruded from a pair of the legs--with had some sort of claw or pincer structure--and were presently secreting a type of adhesive onto an already coated figure. He knew precisely what it was--a digestive agent. As a matter of fact, as he scanned his own body, he noticed he too was coated in the goo up to his knees. Already, his legs were feeling as though they were asleep, as some sort of enzyme began to work.

Time to move, he thought to himself, doing a situp to raise him to a seated position. One hand shot to his forehead, craddling the swimming, spinning sensation that drowned out all other thoughts. He still wasn't one hundred percent, but this wasn't the time to whine about a bad headache. Something had to happen and quick. He reached for his belt, coming to the realization that it wasn't there. His cloak and his utility belt had been stripped from him. Oddly enough, as he realized, so had his boots. Perhaps these creatures didn't believe in ingesting footwear. This left him without his equipment, which included his weapon. Time to improvise.

Scanning the room, he silently gagued his surroundings. To his immediate left lay the other being that stood out to him in the main hall of the Inn. He remembered the face, but knew no name. Slowly, the man's facial muscles were stirring. Perhaps, with some luck, he was also coming to. His actions were more controlled now, and Terran could hear him groaning. The Jedi decided to speed along the process, but without attracting too much attention.

"Hey. . .hey," he tried to attract the other's attention. Soon, the man's head turned to face his. He didn't know who this other was and he surely didn't have time to explain himself. Still, he felt an energy from him that he didn't detect from just any old bargoer. Still, Terran had training from the Order in crisis management, and the last thing he needed was for the other to get too crazy. "My name's Terran. I'm from the Jedi Order--what's yours?" The Jedi spoke with a hushed whisper, hoping to evade the ears of their captors. Terran read it on the other's lips as hs still had difficulty speaking.

"Xau. It's a pleasure to meet you, Xau. I'm sure you'll understand my sense of urgency in forgoeing the standard pleasentries. As you've already noticed, we need to get ourselves out of here!" Terran was wriggling his legs, feeling the adhesive give a little in some places and get tighter in others. It was made as a trap and reacted as such. "I've been stripped of my equipment. Do you have anything? A knife or any kind of edge, no matter how dull?" Terran glanced towards the human-sized cocoon as the figure inside wriggled a bit. He closed his eyes, waiting for Xau to respond, and concentrated. He had a feeling inside that he knew who was trapped within.

You have my word, as a Jedi, that I will not forsake you. The message was silent but easily heard by the right ears.

[DarthHERA]

The two Ichrids rustled and fluttered their folded-back wings, first one then the other. Their means of communication was a sophisticated form of sound pulses generated by their wings - much like humans would talk.

The rustling increased in great proportion to Terran's and Xau's movement, and one didnt have to be a large bug to get the general idea that they were becoming agitated.
The "knitting" pace quickened. The window of escape was closing rapidly.

Hera's eyes opened sharply as if one had been holding their breath for a long time, and suddenly gulped in air. In her mind, she heard Terran speak to her, and this confused her.

Hadn't she left Terran drunk at his table? And where the frell was she, exactly?

Her body itched, and she felt slimy. And hot. And altogether quite disgusting.

And her head was fricken thumping like she'd been hit by an angry wookie...

The Innkeeper..

It was coming back to her now.


That slaymo Server girl..


She remembered the club across the head.

Where the frell am I?

Hera couldnt move, she was fully encased. It was like being buried alive. Actually, it was exactly like being buried alive. And her head hurt insanely.


Was Terran close by? What about Xau? Where they in the same predicament?

And where were her boots?

Inside her coccoon, she screamed out in reply, wondering if he could hear her. If anyone could hear her.

"Terran!"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau felt something wash over him through the Force, but he couldn't identify it. Xau couldn't use the Force and he couldn't feel things though it. It was like the Force was there, but so small it hurt him more than it helped.

Now to look for an edge, he understood that. He reached around for any clothing he might be wearing. Nothing on his chest but his shorts... Xau remembered there was a pocket on the inside of his shorts where he kept a tiny blade. He looked at the arachnid creature and slowly fear crept into him. If he reaches for the blade the creatures might understand what he was doing, they might kill him right then.

He started to shake a little and he couldn't muster up the courage to even try and escape. He didn't want to die. He stared at the creature again and thought about puncturing its bulbous body. How he hated these creatures. It insides would drain from the hole he made. He HATED them for EVERTHING. His anger found now outlet though. he was almost too scared to move.

Slowly his hand crept towards his hidden pocket. He was going to kill this thing that was binding him down.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Terran! The scream sliced his head like a knife, although it was less audible to his ears and more a feeling that he recieved. It came from the cocoon, and he knew exactly who had uttered it. Sure enough, these things had captured the three outsiders together. There logic was probably simply and seemingly unflawed: three strange travelers, traveling alone, lost on a planet they were probably unfamiliar with. No questions asked. Freak accident. The investigation would never make it to this rundown Inn. All in all, it was an easy, clean kill.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

He stared back at Xau, who hadn't replied yet, and noticed movement from the other. He was drawing strength--Terran could feel it. The man was scared, perhaps just as much as the Jedi. Terran concentrated, closing his eyes, using the Force to guide his thoughts and feelings. He called upon the power of the Force to aid Xau--give him courage. He transfered a feeling of encouragement through the Force, hoping to give Xau a boost of confidence. It was unseen and unheard. Rather, it was a gut feeling, an instinctual motivation. Terran hoped it would do good--it was his best hope at this point.

The 'bugs' were getting more restless. They hadn't expected their victims to be so responsive. Luckily, their focus was on the cocoon at this point. Terran was thankful as he continued to squirm in an effor to free himself. They were running out of time and much too quickly. Terran began to think ahead as he formulated his plan for escape. He needed his lightsaber, and he needed it badly. If he could only sense it. . .

It was no use. With his last weapon, Halcyon, he had been able to feel the blade. It was constructed with meditation and care, and it was an extension of his own training. He had given that weapon up, however, and the one he carried now was a loaner. It was lucky that he actually armed himself before leaving the Order. As of late, he had steered away from carrying a weapon in an attempt to separate himself from reliance on a lightsaber. He was very glad that he had chosen to wear it.

He looked back towards Xazu, studying his movements and hoping that the other had drawn courage from his meditation.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau felt something inside him, it was the Force. Like it was knocking on a door but Xau didn't know how to open it. He wanted to desperatly, he wanted something to help him. He tried through the Force to move the blockade inside and let what it was in. No use though, and even if he could let it in it wouldn't matter because the knocking feeling had stopped.

He looked into the aracnids many eyes, it was probaly thinking about how delicious of a meal Xau would be. I hate you. He thought. The creature didn't hear his thoughts and this angered Xau. "I hate you." He whispered but the bug payed no attention. "I hate you!" He said louder now as he reached for the tiny blade in his shorts and grabbed it. "I HATE YOU!" He screamed and thrust his arm, with the blade first , into the creature's belly.

Instantly the other creatures diverted their attention towards Xau. He had lost all courage and his face drained of its color. He struggled to move ut the threads held him in place. "Help!" He he cried, but he already knew no one would be able to do anything.

[DarthHERA]

If Hera had room to lift her hand to slap her forehead, she would have done so. Terran was using the force to encourage is fellow captive. She could feel the lightsider's effort easily from within her shroud, and as it spilled over to touch her also, it was actually quite a nice feeling. It did give her hope to know he was there. But what they needed now was violence - and lots of it. Not peace, love and hope for the gentle by and by.

She intended to tell him as much when they got out of this mess.

"Kill something Terran" she wanted to screech. "And kill it fast!"


Hera's old self was returning after having had a few moments to clear her pounding head and get some grasp on the situation. She knew Terran was close from his force use - Xau probably was right there too. The pair of them in like captivity as she.

And then Xau started screaming for help.

Ok..not quite the same captivity as she, but something just as dire from the terror in the mans voice.

She started to really wriggle and squirm, but that did absolutely nothing but frustrate her.

All her weapons were gone, she had been stripped down to her light clothing - her sith robes, boots, knives, guns, saber - all gone.
But around her waist, remained the Morphal Crest. (http://pub8.ezboard.com/ftheacropolisfrm22.showMessage?topicID=61.topic) (**A weapon of biological nature that liquifies and morphs to the shape Hera imagines through their mental connection. When dorment it looks like a type of ore and sits about Hera's waist much like a belt or some type of accessory**)

Touching the crest with her finger, Hera pictured in her mind a long spear with a blade on the end that curved upwards. This would, hopefully, penetrate the white bindings that had encased her and with luck she might be able to maneuver it enough to cut herself free. She hoped with cold calculation, that whatever is scaring Xau will stay busy with him long enough for her to gain some advantage.

No sooner had she imagined it, than the Morphal Crest began to loosen about her waist. It glowed a bright deep blue as it morphed from its solid state to liquid and form to the weapon Hera envisioned. The Morphal Crest was a living creature, but its properties when solid were like extremely hard rock or much the same as iron.

As Xau screamed, the Ichrids twittered back and forth debating to themselves that they should just kill the prey, even though it made the meal bitter than if they were alive when the process of enzyming began. Menacingly, it looked like a bitter meal, over no meal at all was winning out and the creatures closed toward him. The one with the blade sticking from its gut eager to kill Xau.

Terran knew he must do something, anything.

Another scream - this one came from Hera - and as Terran looked, to his amazement, a sharp point broke through the outter case of the cocoon and continuing to erupt out of it was a large weapon.
Without a moments hesitation, the Jedi snatched the shaft of the spear, reefing it out of its place.

"Nooooooo!" was Xau's cry as one of the Ichrids pushed his tri-pincer at his throat.

Touching her belly, Hera winced. Some miscalculation on the weapons forming left her with a slit in her tummy and warm sticky blood began to seep across her abdomen and run down the groove in her back. She was too slow to grap the end of the Crest as it was snatched away from her.

"Noooooooo!"


She screamed too.

[imported_Terran Starek]

This screams of his fellow prisoners touched him with great emotion as he felt for their terror. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do, and he began to despair in his helplessness. In a miracle, out of the cocoon beside him, a long, slender weapon violently protruded from the cylindrical encasement.

It didn't take a manual to understand how a long, pointy weapon worked.

Without a second's hesitation, the spear--which, by the grace of the Force alone, had seemingly appeared out of nowhere--was put to immediate use. Terran had learned that when the Force gave a suggestion, it was always in his best interest to take it. Sitting up with the spear braced in his hands, he sliced through the binding over his legs. The small 'sac' split with ease, the oxygen and other gases in the air causing the inner adhesive to unpeel. Once the substance was exposed, it coroded quickly, and Terran's legs were free from captivity.

Xau winced and pulled his head away as the pincers were drawn back. As quickly as they came, the sprung out in a stabbing motion towards his head. They flew fast and hard, their tips reaching their destination--

*SCREECH*

The natural weapons fell to the floor, sliced from the arm of their owner, a long blade slicing through the air deftly and severing the arm into a bloody stump. A thick, pasty green blood spewed from the injury as Terran pulled the weapon back into a defensive stance. The creature reared in pain as they other had finally removed the blade from his gut and was squaring up to face the new, mobile threat.

Terran's eyes were a fierce brown, staring from behind dirty, golden locks of hair which hung over his face lke vines. He stood--his feet shoulder width--in an offensive stance, weilding the spear with both hands across his body. In this moment, aside from the beige tunic and pants he wore, he looked less like a Jedi and more like a savage. Spinning the weapon across his body, he lunged, slashing the blade across the already injured Ichrid. It's torso was opened by the razor sharp edge, and the creature fell to the floor, dead.

Turning to face the other, which had begun to charge the Jedi, Terran brought the end of the spear up, knocking what appeared to be the creature's face directly with the butt of the weapon. Whipping the weapon around in a slicing motion, he brought the weapon up and across the creature, sending it to the floor in pain. Flipping the spear, the blade stabbed downward and into the Ichrid's head, the creature twitching momentarily before dying.

"Here!" Terran reached down, grabbing Xau's blade and tossing it onto the slab. "Cut yourself out of there, friend! There will be more coming, and I shall need your help." There were several cave openings around them. Not only would this be a challenging labyrinth to escape, it was made more treacherous by the fact that he had no idea how many more of these things were out there. He did well against two--one already injured--but how would he fare against three? Or ten? He would need the others to make it out of here. They needed the same.

It was mutual.

Turning to the life-sized cocoon, he raised the weapon again. Carefuly--so as not to damage anyone inside--he sliced a long slit down the edge of the sticky prison. It was then that he heard the sounds. More 'knitting.' More clickling. The sounds of several legs crawling across rock. More had heard the commotion. More were coming.

"Hurry, Xau!" Terran called in desparation as he hoped the other would act. He leaned the weapon against the wall, both hands gripping the edges of the cocoon. Pulling against them, he ripped hard, tearing apart the very thick, gooey substance. Sure enough, inside, he found someone.

"Hera!" He nearly smiled at her--mostly out of excitement of the rescue, partly from a genuine concern for her despite their short aquaintance--as he pushed apart the mucous, pulling her from within it. Though she was probably quite capable, Terran threw her arm over his shoulder and grabbed her across her waist, helping her out. The enzymes had gone to work on her a bit, and she appeared partly drained from fighting them. Still, as a warrior, she remained strong.

"Are you ok?" Terran examined her very quickly, noting blood on her midsection. He was confident it would be no problem--he had become a decent healer in his time training under Navaria. "I can help you soon enough." His attention was stolen by a dim light approaching in one of the openings, as the sounds of feet grew louder and louder.

"We're going to have some more trouble," he said, scanning the room for a weapon. He wasn't positive how that spear had managed to release itself from the cocoon, but he knew it was probably Hera's, and thus he would have to improvise with something of his own until he could locate his saber. He spied a long wooden lever connected to a simple pulley device.

He could improvise.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau hurriedly cut himself from the malf made cocoon and got off the slab. He shudded at the thought of being full encased, much like Hera was. He wiped his blade off on his hand and wiped the arachnid guts on the wall.

Now he started to look for his clothing, which would have everything he would need hidden inside it. But he didn't see it anywhere. "Do you think maybe they put our stuff in a different place? He said out loud. "Maybe the..." Then Xau realized from the point of passing out and waking here he had no idea as to who did this. Did the spider-things come into tthe bar? "How'd I get here?"

[DarthHERA]

As if their arrival was conjured by Xau's question, Idor and the Serving girl stepped from one of the cavern's corridors, bearing a lighted torch before them.

Two rapid laser bolts heralded their appearance as one of them held a blaster, lately relieved from their captives, and opened fire on the trio.

Hera hadn't a moment to even thank Terran for her rescue, (or berrate him for taking her weapon for that matter - though she was very relieved it had been him and not their enemies that had put it to their use) before he yanked her, and himself, back into the shadows in defensive reflex action.

One bolt zung past Xau's head, and he - belatedly - jumped back too. "I was pretty sure you'd be dead by now" Hera remarked dryly as he bumped up beside her and Terran.

She then plucked the spear-like weapon from Terran's grip and with frightening accuracy launched it in a one-hand hatchet throw. The Crest found it's mark, imbedding in the center of the Inn Keeper's chest, and the one blaster clattered to the floor as it fell from his lifeless hand.

Meanwhile, the skittering of rallying Ichrids grew louder as the rest of the nest responded to the alarm sounded by the death-throe flutterings of the second bug Terran had killed.

Clutching at her midsection, Hera leaned some of her weight against the Jedi. She was bleeding from her stomach, and a little still from the gash in her head from Idor's club. Her skin felt like it was burning and raw. But all that was inconsequential at the moment - swarming into the cavern from all directions were atleast 30 more Ichrids, pincers snapping and wings fluttering and twitching in serious agitation.

"Well, this isn't good"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau retreated against the wall and close to the Sith and Jedi. "Yeah, well..." He said and trailed off. "I was actually hoping it would be you that was dead." He said and smiled at his own joke.

Xau looked at the innkeeper and the girl walk in, the Sith had killed the innkeeper; good riddance. Things seemed to be coming together now. The girl, innkeeper and the arachnids were in cahoots. Hell, the innkeeper probably had rooms for him and the Sith. He must have lied so he could feed his pets, or whatever the creatures were to him. His stuff must be at the inn.

He felt up the wall and found a loose piece of red rock. He pulled it from the cavern wall and threw it at the girl hitting her in the head and knocking her out. "Stupid girl." he said almost in a hushed tone.

By now the creatures had poured in the room, about thirty of them. he thought about making break for it. Just charging through the crowd likely to be caught and killed...bad idea. "Hey, you're a Sith. Can't you like electrify them or something?" he said to Hera.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Hera gripped her side with some pain, and Terran wished he had time to heal her. He wondered how it would effect her performance, and he also wondered how he was to react. Though he would be able to heal her, he would likely be left undefended and overwhelmed by several of the bugs if he did not ready to fight. Right now, noting the determination and resilience in her eyes, he decided that Hera would be capable of defending herself.

The Jedi nervously laughed, impressed with Xau's throw seeing as how it had disabled the second of their first two threats. Without waiting on the army of Ichrids to group, Terran had to arm himself and fast. With the reappearance of the innkeeper and the serving girl, he had a very lucky new option: a blaster. Charging forward towards the mouth of one entrance, he grabbed hold of the two blaster pistols--which lay near one and other--and retreated back to his allies' position.

"Here," he laid the pistol down for anyone to take. He kept one in his off-hand (his left) and, as the room began to flood with Ichrids, he grabbed hold of the long wooden lever he had noticed earlier. Kicking it at the base, it was broken off, giving him a very crude, but effective, stabbing weapon. Though the sea of Ichrids continued, he felt a little more confident in his ability to defend himself now.

"Hey, you're a Sith. Can't you like electrify them or something?"

Strangely, for once, Terran agreed. Though he would generally never advocate the use of the darkside in any way, the utility of the Force's violent side seemed increasingl valuable as more and more Ichrids piled in through the cave's mouth. He aimed his blaster, popping a bolt into an Ichrid's head, dropping the creature to the floor. The other creatures surged with energy and anger at witnessing this.

"Hera," he said hurredly, backing more into the corner as several more Ichrids cautiously approached. "I'm very open to suggestions!"

[DarthHERA]

"How about then" she suggested "you run and confront them - Ill be right behind you."

Terran blinked at her.

"No?" she grinned, knowing he would not like that idea too much.

Turning to Xau, who was looking at the Ichrids who had momentarily paused to assess the threat. The felling of their comrade had made them hesitate. "Sure, I could electrify them, as you say. ..."

Hera was quite capable, but the use of force lightening took a greater toll on a person than the b-rate holovids would have people believe. At least, it did for her. Inwardly, Hera wondered if that was the case with all users. But now was not the time for introspection and personal growth, as was reminded by Terran zinging off another bolt at one of the more bolder of the Ichrids who was inching forward.


"....But I got another idea."

Hera had noticed at the point where Terran had broken off the wooden lever, a thin fissure in the floor ran beside it, and particles of sandy dirt had slipped down there at the movement.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion of opportunity. Where there was one fault, with luck, there would be others.

Grabbing up the second blaster that Terran had moved over to them, she pushed it into Xau's hand. "You know how to use one of these right?"

Scrambling up to her feet, her side hurting, but far from debilitating her to any extreme degree, she instructed them both to "cover me" and launched herself toward the dead InnKeeper.

Prying the Morphal Crest weapon from his chest, Ichrids fell beside her left and right as Terran and Xau proved they were remarkably adept at hitting their targets.

She turned, and with a stroke that was empowered by a focused concentration of the darkforce behind it, she landed a hammer-blow into the floor of the cavern exactly along the fissure line.

Fortune held - as it so often does for a Sith who has genocide in her heart - and a loud, sharp crack heralded the beginning of a rent that zig-zagged along the cavern floor. A rumble in the earth, and for a moment everyone and everything stood stock still. The calm before the storm.

As if of one mind and body, the remaining Ichrids heaved forward, but their advance was checked as the ground beneath them vaulted and then dropped from underneath them.

The honeycomb of tunnels and caverns that comprised the hive, or nest, held no support for the ground on which they all stood.

Two thirds of the Ichrids disappeared down into that first rend, others were shaken off balance and were trying desparately to scatter to safety, only left to slide helplessly into the gaping chasm below them.

The split ran across from Hera and Terran and between them and Xau - the latter who would have fallen to his death also, had he not dropped onto his stomach as the earth moved, and clung to the edge as best he could. Xau dangled perilously on the sheer face of the drop by his both hands, the blaster having long gone the way of the rest of the floor, and tried frantically to gain purchse by swinging his one foot up.

Terran looked in horror as he saw the young man losing his battle. Hera, in contrast had a cruel satisfied smile. She stayed just long enough to quip,

"Guess I'm the next one in line for that room now, huh Xau"

And turning to leave Terran to either follow her or take his chances trying to save Xau, she disappeared down the tunnel Idor and the Servant girl had origninally come down.

[Xau Ghin]

Before Xau knew it he was dangling from the edge of the former floor. Although he didn't intend to but he glanced at the void beneath him while trying to bring himself up. For a moment he considered letting go and aflling, it would put an end to his miserable existence. Death, where he wouldn't need to be physically strong, death, where the Force wouldn't be able to tease him anymore. It was like his big break had come.

He struggled again trying to bring himself up. Something in him wanted to continue to fight for life. He swung himself again and his leg finally reached the edge, he might make it yet. Slowly but surely he pulled himself closer to saftey.

But he slipped again setting him back to the point where his leg still held on, barely. Again, he slowly pulled himself up but his body was beginning to give. All in one motion his leg slipped and his body swung the opposite way and his hand slipped from the edge followed by the other. Xau Ghin plunged into the void.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Xau Ghin plunged into the void. . .

. . .but abrubtly stopped only a few inches into his journey, as the strong, dirty forearm of the Jedi locked onto his own forearm, hand clasping around the other's so tightly that it was evident there would be no letting go. If Xau went, so did Terran. He had smelled out Hera's sadistic choice, and it had taken him less than a second to make his decision. He was a Jedi. A Jedi. A protector of the weak. A defender of justice. It was not just to leave a man to die--especially a man who had played some part in their current level of escape.

Still, she was a Sith. He had to remind himself of that. Despite ideologies, despite trangression from the general code, he knew Sith well enough to remember that most were selfish. Why would she risk anything for Xau? He offered her nothing. Secondly, why risk anything for the Jedi? There was no question--an oppurtunity to rid the galaxy of yet another of the Sith's opponents. It seemed only fitting that after he had rescued her--after he had put his own life at stake--she would desert him and his cause.

You are a Jedi, Terran. You will be loved and hated. You will be marveled at and feared. You will be praised and hunted. All of these things, you must understand, for it is the life we choose. Marcus' words rang in his head as he remembered, and he found himself coldly reminded of his task. If it was not for good, if it was not for valor, if it was not for self fullfillment, it was for his duty, as a Jedi, to save Xau. Indeed, there was no choice involved.

His left arm wrapped tightly around one of the slab legs. The slabs were carved from the caves themselves, and as long as the floor still held, it too would hold. It held him soundly as the rest of his body hung over the edge, his right arm supporting the weight of Xau Ghin. He breathed heavily as he felt the strain of his muscles, his body being pulled at the wieght of the other dangling from his arm.

Around him, Ichrids--unable to truly grip or grasp with their pincers--slid into the abyss. The toppled over him, around him, nearly through him. The room seemingly emptied out of opposition. His eyes spied the opposite side as he saw Hera slinking away from the gap. She laid two more Ichrids to their death before she reached the mouth of the exit she sought.

He wanted to scream at her, scold her, spit at her! But he knew better. He had lost control of his emotions before, and the loss had been detrimental to his progress and his respect as a Jedi. He held his emotions closely at bay. How could she? He just didn't understand it. He couldn't. He didn't understand how a dark heart operated. He used to believe that there was no such thing. He argued that people were good, they just made bad choices. Some Sith that he had met had told him so--Sasha, even Silus. But here, right now. . .he lost hope for good within her.

"Hold tight, Xau!" He yelled down to the frightened other, who hung perilously only by his grip. "We're going to get out of this together. I promise you, on my word, I will not let you perish." His eyes met Xau's, and Terran's determination was obvious.

"I'm going to swing you. We'll do three swings to gain momentum, and on the third, I'm going to heave you up. When I let go, grab for the other leg of the slab you see me holding. Grab and hold on for dear life, and we'll climb out of here." He put every ounce of his trust in the Force. Every ounce of his mind, body, and soul into the entity that had never forsaken him. When people, it seemed, delighted in failing him, the Force never did. "Ready?" Xau gulped, but it seemed like any option was better than that of free falling.

"Ok. Here we go. 1. . ." He swung Xau's body, his arm aching at the weight that pulled on him. It was a wide revolution, and Terran could feel the momentum gaining.

"2. . ." Faster, Xau got more and more speed. It was harder to hold the slab, with Terran's body now acting almost like a pulley. Still, he managed to keep his grip. Xau gained speed, and Terran could feel the tension in the third swing.

". . .3!" With that, Terran swung Xau hard, letting go on the upswing. Aided by the Force, he propelled the other into the air, praying that he could reach the slab.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau swung on Terran's arm and on the third he was pulled onto the ledge. Half of Xau's body hung over but the other half hung on for dear life. Terran pulled him further over the edge and Xau was safe from falling to his death.

Xau didn't move from his spot on the ground and didn't say anything. Slowly his mind brought things back into order as he went over what had happened. "Thanks." He said to the Jedi.

In the distance he saw the Sith exit the mouth of the cave. He swore to himself she would pay. She would pay dearly. "I need to get to my stuff." Xau said and stood up. "I expect she'll lead the way out."

[DarthHERA]

Hera made her way through the tunnel back up to the entrance of the Inn's back kitchen in short order and without incident. The Morphal Crest had changed and returned to its unassuming place, wrapped as a belt about Hera's waist.

The remaining Ichrids that had not slipped down to the depths of Cyclos' core were scattering to find safe haven deeper within their nest, as their instincts for their own survival took over.

Below, Terran made good his rescue of Xau, while above them, the Sith moved about the Inn, looking for her weapons. Opening one closet, she found it filled to near over-flowing with boots and cloaks. The remains of others that had not escaped.

Hera's own boots and cloak had disappeared down into the yawing chasm and so she grabbed a pair from the pile that she hoped would fit. There were socks there too, surprisingly, and neatly rolled. So she helped herself to a pair of those also.

Stepping into the office area of the Inn, Hera saw immediately to her left, her weapons - lightsaber and knives, laid out on a table. The Doss had obviously been inspecting their bounty when the ruckass down below had called them away from it in haste.
Earlier, Hera had been disarmed quickly - Idor not certain how long the Sith would remain unconscious. Xau and Terran's weapons were still down below with their robes and boots, though, and would normally have received a more leisurely retrieval, their owners having been submitted to the toxin and therefore were assumed as no threat.

Holding out a hand, "Atropos" leaped from the table into her palm, and there she clipped it to her side once more.
Sitting on one of the chairs, Hera was lacing up the ill-fitting boots as tightly as she could, when Terran and Xau burst in through the door - both looking a little wild and completely out of sorts.

"Ah - so you made it" she observed.

She was neither surprised nor disappointed. She was simply stating the obvious.

"There are boots are in the other room, in the closet, if you need them." They stared at her a moment, stunned at how nonplussed she was after leaving them to live or die as they may.

The windows shook with a sudden violent gust, reminding them all that the storm still raged and leaving the planet was not going to be a simple task.

Xau's mouth opened and closed, but he was so enraged that at first formulating words was beyond him. Getting up from her seat, Hera grabbed up the rest of her weapons, glancing to Terran, asking honestly, "Is something wrong with him?"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau left the room and went to the closet to see if anything of his was there. Slowly his anger died down and he told himself to be patient, she would get hers. "I- I need to find my clothes. You don't have any idea where they might be do you?" He said to Terran who he had followed up from the cave. Fracticly he threw things out of the closet in search of what was his.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Terran smiled at Xau's 'thanks.' He expected nothing less or nothing more. He did his duty, and that was all. The thanks was plenty good enough, as far as he was concerned. Now, he had two new objectives: retrieve his things and get off of this planet. He would need to report the actions of this particular inn to the Council for consideration. It was time to move. Surely, they made their way back up to the inn, not too far behind the Sith.

"Is something wrong with him?"

"I imagine he finds your apathetic appreciation of his life rather unappealing," Terran replied emotionlessly. Even though it was definitely a slight prod at her character, Terran was unnafected by the situation. He had learned, expecially as of late, that his emotions got him into much too much trouble. Instead, he embraced the Jedi philospohies of old. The only emotions he entertained were those of peace and justice. Saving Xau's life was an emotional action, it was true. But it was for good and it was his duty, as a Jedi. Circumstance, he decided.

Within a moment, he had closed his eyes, concentrating to locate his things. Ever since he had honed his ability to sense, he had found it advantageous to keep a small, personal affect sewed into his belt. It was a bracelet that his mother had given him when he returned to visit her on Gais. The bracelet was near to him, and with it sewed neatly behind his belt, he was always able to feel it with some concentration. His mind examined the room--definitely picking up on Xau's anger--and finally came to rest on a small, unsealed container to his right. Making his way over to it, he popped the lid open, revealing a tangled mess of things packed inside. Pulling on the lip of a garment, he exposed all the contents of the box, he and Xau's things falling out.

"Good, they didn't have time to loot yet," he remarked, securing his belt back around his waist and latching his lightsaber back onto it. He then put his boots and his cloak back on while Xau reaquired his goods. He came to one of the security stations and examined a camera that showed the perimeter of the inn. The storm raged on just as strong--as was evident by the rattling of the old inn--and it was quite certain that there would be no immediate travel. Still, he had to focus on exactly when and how that was to take place.

"Sith DrenKast," he said, detached and blank. Even after he had risked his life for her, she showed him no peace of mind. Thus, he would no longer entertain the idea that she would. "I traveled here by public transportation. You, as you stated, came by your own ship. Is it in working condition? When can we leave?" She raised a very apparent eyebrow at his 'we' comment, cracking a small grin as she perhaps prepared to speak.

"I saved your life today," he said, a grin of his own forming. "Surely, there is honor among even thieves. I think passage to the planet's prominent Star Port will settle our debt." She seemed taken back by the comment slightly, hopefully, he thought, seeing truth in the statement. He eyed her as she opened her mouth to speak--

"Wait," he interrupted, a twinge returning in the back of his head that he very much recognized. "Do you. . .do you feel that?" He gave her a hurried, quick glance as he sensed something. Below them, something was moving. It wasn't a group of people, but it didn't feel like a single being. It was too large to be one thing. It was. . .well, it was big. It's breathing was slow and controlled, deep and now very, very audible, he noticed. Something sent a hint of danger down his spine.

[DarthHERA]

"I - owe you?"

She sounded genuinely dumbfounded.

"You 'saved' me (she used finger quotation marks, which as everyone knows, is as irritating as hell) with a weapon 'I' (again the fingers) provided you."

If Hera sensed the same immenant danger as Terran, she ignored it and seemed determined to argue her point.

"And - I seem to recall killing off a whoooooole lot more of those bugs than you did, Master Jedi."

Terran knew she called him Master in a deliberate attempt to goad him.

"And!" (Still, she kept talking) "If I hadn't come downstairs again to check on you in the first place, there wouldnt be any "saving" of anybody and you and Xau over there, would be cockroach soup."

Terran wondered if it would be against the Code to tape her mouth closed.

"So Im thinking...."

The danger was approaching quickly.

"......I owe you Jack-nada."

Terran crossed to the door to look out, the same door which Xau came back through to look in - his eyes wide - as even he felt it now.


"But....seeming as I may need you around a little bit longer"

Hera got off her seat from the corner table, and the towel she had been holding to her side beneath her shirt was wet with blood.

"I'll be happy to give you a ride - both of you as I guess you've grown quite attached to your friend here - because, whatever is coming our way...appears to be really quite angry."

She took a fresh towel from the box of items spilled onto the floor and made a makeshift bandage about her waist. Walking gingerly over to stand next to Terran, Hera poked at the braclet.

"That from your woman?" she asked, grinning.

[Xau Ghin]

As Xau walked in he saw his things lying inside a container and sighed in relief. He hurriedly took ahold of his things and began to put them on finally ending with his belt with many pouches. Al the while something was nagging at him in the little bit of the Force he could feel. [I]It must be one of that witch's tricks. [I] he thought and shrugged it off.

He opened on of his pouches and felt around for a moment until he felt a small vial. Quickly he pulled it out and took out the cork and brought it to his mouth. Both of the Force users should have felt it and identified the thick red liquid, but Hera was too busy yapping her mouth and Terran looked too disurbed by something to take notice.

Xau let a droplet of the liquid touch his tongue and he swallowed it down. He winced in pain but soon feelings of relief overcame it. Closing his eyes he took breathed and let his mind settle. The Force was not there to tease him anymore.

Opening his eyes he saw Terran become greatly stressed by something. "...What's going on?" He asked with concern clearly in his voice.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"It's from someone important, yes," he answered annoyed. He could clearly not rationalize with this Sith, as she still maintained an attitude that was increasingly stubborn and pigheaded. Even with the foreboding danger, she wanted to goad him. No matter what was coming, she insisted on insulting and provoking him. It wouldn't work--especially not with his new philosophies--but it was becoming cumbersome to deal with. He wondered where he could find some tape.

"...What's going on?"

"I'm not positive, Xau," the Jedi replied, slowly backing away from the increasing noise. It seemed to be coming from below them--from where they had been. He heard the sound of movement getting closer. He felt a surge of raw energy in the Force--like a surge of anger or hatred--and it startled him a bit. Just as it came, it was seemingly manifested as the inn shook with a loud CRASH. Something was destroyed below, perhaps some type of foundation, as the building itself rippled with pain. Hera and Terran lost their footing, while Xau maintained balance, and the two crashed to the floor of the inn as it seemed as though the entire foundation shook.

"Xau, are you armed? Whatever it is, it isn't going to be good!" Terran shouted as they heard loud noises from the deep tunnel they had crawled up from. He hoped the other was, as a weapon would be very necessary for the task at hand. Terran was convinced that something--though he had no idea what--had been awoken. The Ichrids must've kept something down there. Perhaps it was another Ichrid? But it seemed much to large to be one. Perhaps it was some sort of war beast? But when had these creatures laid seige to any people? Who would they fight. He didn't think it was a war beast. Perhaps it was. . .perhaps it was a beast of burden. He wondered if it was something the Ichrid's maintained with the simple purpose of being an icon of punishment. Like the great Rancor of Jaba the Hut's palace or the desert's Sarlacc, this could be an animal of sorts with great strength or tenacity, capable of instilling fear into the hearts of the opponents of whatever faction controlled it.

Terran shuddered at the thought.

"How close is your ship and what are our chances of making it through that storm alive?" He spoke to Hera as the sounds of movement came closer and closer. The creature was at the top of the tunnel, he guessed. It was less than 20 meters from them. Soon enough, it would be in the same structure they stood currently. Right now, braving the storm looked much more promising than braving the ominous energy that slowed climbed its way towards them.

[DarthHERA]

"How close is your ship....."

"Its close" she replied, "On the other side of the block, behind the Inn."

Wincing as the pain in her side was agrivated by the twisted way she had landed beside Terran when the floor shook beneath them, Hera looked from the empty doorway and the sounds of impending doom, back to Terran.

"....Your wife? ....Girlfriend?"

Terran shot an impatient look at her, not comprehending for a moment what she was talking about.

"The person that gave that braclet to you? Was she your wife?"

The Jedi got to his feet without answering.

"Youre right, we can talk about this later" the smile still played about her lips. Hera deduced she was enjoying his company, much more than he was enjoying hers at this moment.

For all her nonsense, Hera was all the while, keenly gauging the extent of the threat coming towards them. While a full confrontation would be faced if it came down to it, avoidance of whatever it was that was labouring its way toward them, at this stage of the game, seemed prudent.

She stood, and in a tone that was much more level than a moment before, she spoke to both Xau (whom was tucking some vial away into his pocket) and Terran together.

"Outside is a windstorm - nothing that we cant survive. But, (and here she wiped the condensation from the window she was looking at) that mob might be another story."

Angry Doss had gathered themselves and after peicing together that the destruction of their Ichrid friends had originated at Idor's pub, they had armed themselves with weapons and were storming up the street to the Inn.

Watching them, the three saw it took great effort to negotiate the distance because of the lashing wind and driving rain. Their clothing was plastered to their chests and fronts of their legs, and their hair was tossed chaotically around their faces. Many of them haunched forward, ducking their faces away from the biting gale. Hera felt this could work to their advantage. It would not be the first time she had used the natural elements - enhanced by the power of the darkside - to destroy life and limb for her own benefit.

"If we are going to go, we better go now."

She slid the window upward, a strong gust of wind and driving rain exploded into the room.

[Xau Ghin]

"Out the window?" Xau said bu then realized there was not a door in the room with the exception of the one leading to what ever it was that was coming.

Hera had already made it outside and it seemed Terran was waiting for him. Xau hurriedly climbed out and into the vicious storm. The strong wind felt as though it could carry Xau off at any second. Soon Terran was out and they stood between the Inn and the approaching mob. The creature from the caves was closer now, likely just outside the very room they were once in.

[imported_Terran Starek]

The foundation behind them, the Inn that was at least holding up, shook again as a heavy blow bludgeoned it. Terran looked back, worried, despite the wind and rain in his eyes and the angry mob before him. What was still inside the Inn concerned him much more at this time, for he feared more lives were at stake. He needed to resolve this conflict and quickly.

"Hey! You three! You there!" An older man, his graying beard jutting out from underneath is hood, called to the trio. Behind him were several others--20, maybe--all armed with some type of crude weapon, some of the others armed with not-so crude weapons. Terran's face, stung by the sharp, tiny rain, centered on the man who had gained his attention. Xau stood directly behind him, Hera looking as impatient as usual.

"It is not safe here," Terran replied, his voice hurried as sounds of the inside of the Inn being smashed became audible. Tables and chairs flew as glass broke against walls. A deep, snarling growl could be heard.

"It sure ain't," the man replied. "It sure ain't safe fer you. We saw what happened--you killed those folk." More sounds of destruction from inside of the Inn, though it was drowned out by the crowd growing angrier. The people raised their weapons and shouted along with the man, phrases like "Kill 'em all!" and "Murderers!" echoed in the wind. "I'm the law around here, and I--"

"You and your people should get out of here. It's not safe." Terran interrupted as the noise grew. He waved his hand in front of him as the man froze in his speech. The Jedi remained before him, confident but visibly nervous.

"We. . .we should get out of here. It's not. . .it's not safe." The man spoke as though he wasn't entirely convinced of what he was saying. Still, he felt strangely attracted to the command.

"Flee to your homes and shut all of your doors and windows," Terran said. One of the walls to the Inn sustained a hefty blow with a loud THUD as it dented outward. Something was coming out.

"Flee back to your homes! Lock your doors and windows!" The man turned to the crowd, who was visibly puzzled now, the adrenaline pumping in their viens. The man was insistant, however. "Go on! It's not safe here!"

"I'm glad you understand, friend." Terran turned to flash Hera a quick grin, pleased with his efforts. "We will be on our--"

"ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!" Just then, cutting off the Jedi's next comment, the wall to the Inn contorted outward, smashing it's way about 30 m from where it once stood strong. A loud roar came as a very large, very intimidating creature stepped forth. It was bipedal, all though it could utilize it's upper extremeties for movement. It's face was pug and made up mostly of two beady eyes and a a giangantic jaw full of several sharp teeth. Faom dripped from its jaws as it roared, the rest of its body the muscular form of a giant predator. Terran's were suspicions were true--it was a pet reserved for the damned. A large, steel collar hung around it's neck, the chain hanging from it obviously pulled from its source and bloodied by the owner's lifeblood. It looked like a giant troll. Immediately, it spotted exactly what it had smelled: the three from its chambers.

"Run!" Terran directed his comment towards Hera and Xau, though the people that once comprised the angry mob fled even before the Jedi spoke. Hera and Xau took off before him as the blue blade of Terran's lightsaber came alive at his side. He followed them closely, weilding the saber in his right hand for balance as he tried to run at fullspeed. The storm was as harsh as ever, the rain and win blistering his face and hands, the only parts of his skin that were exposed. Drops hissed and steamed off of his lightsaber blade as he kept close chase behind the others.

CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .

The beast began to make its way towards the three.

CLUMP

[imported_Terran Starek]

The foundation behind them, the Inn that was at least holding up, shook again as a heavy blow bludgeoned it. Terran looked back, worried, despite the wind and rain in his eyes and the angry mob before him. What was still inside the Inn concerned him much more at this time, for he feared more lives were at stake. He needed to resolve this conflict and quickly.

"Hey! You three! You there!" An older man, his graying beard jutting out from underneath is hood, called to the trio. Behind him were several others--20, maybe--all armed with some type of crude weapon, some of the others armed with not-so crude weapons. Terran's face, stung by the sharp, tiny rain, centered on the man who had gained his attention. Xau stood directly behind him, Hera looking as impatient as usual.

"It is not safe here," Terran replied, his voice hurried as sounds of the inside of the Inn being smashed became audible. Tables and chairs flew as glass broke against walls. A deep, snarling growl could be heard.

"It sure ain't," the man replied. "It sure ain't safe fer you. We saw what happened--you killed those folk." More sounds of destruction from inside of the Inn, though it was drowned out by the crowd growing angrier. The people raised their weapons and shouted along with the man, phrases like "Kill 'em all!" and "Murderers!" echoed in the wind. "I'm the law around here, and I--"

"You and your people should get out of here. It's not safe." Terran interrupted as the noise grew. He waved his hand in front of him as the man froze in his speech. The Jedi remained before him, confident but visibly nervous.

"We. . .we should get out of here. It's not. . .it's not safe." The man spoke as though he wasn't entirely convinced of what he was saying. Still, he felt strangely attracted to the command.

"Flee to your homes and shut all of your doors and windows," Terran said. One of the walls to the Inn sustained a hefty blow with a loud THUD as it dented outward. Something was coming out.

"Flee back to your homes! Lock your doors and windows!" The man turned to the crowd, who was visibly puzzled now, the adrenaline pumping in their viens. The man was insistant, however. "Go on! It's not safe here!"

"I'm glad you understand, friend." Terran turned to flash Hera a quick grin, pleased with his efforts. "We will be on our--"

"ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!" Just then, cutting off the Jedi's next comment, the wall to the Inn contorted outward, smashing it's way about 30 m from where it once stood strong. A loud roar came as a very large, very intimidating creature stepped forth. It was bipedal, all though it could utilize it's upper extremeties for movement. It's face was pug and made up mostly of two beady eyes and a a giangantic jaw full of several sharp teeth. Faom dripped from its jaws as it roared, the rest of its body the muscular form of a giant predator. Terran's were suspicions were true--it was a pet reserved for the damned. A large, steel collar hung around it's neck, the chain hanging from it obviously pulled from its source and bloodied by the owner's lifeblood. It looked like a giant troll. Immediately, it spotted exactly what it had smelled: the three from its chambers.

"Run!" Terran directed his comment towards Hera and Xau, though the people that once comprised the angry mob fled even before the Jedi spoke. Hera and Xau took off before him as the blue blade of Terran's lightsaber came alive at his side. He followed them closely, weilding the saber in his right hand for balance as he tried to run at fullspeed. The storm was as harsh as ever, the rain and win blistering his face and hands, the only parts of his skin that were exposed. Drops hissed and steamed off of his lightsaber blade as he kept close chase behind the others.

CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .CLUMP. . .

The beast began to make its way towards the three.

CLUMP. .CLUMP. .CLUMP-CLUMP-CLUMP-CLUMP-CLUMP!

It was making quicker chase than Terran wanted, as he heard several growls behind him. He kept his eyes pinned on those before him, as visibility in the storm was low. However, the sounds of the beast were too much for him to ignore. He turned his head to view the great predator--which was less than 20 meters behind him--and in the single second of taking his eyes off the road before him, his feet found a piece of debris blown across the street.

"Arrghhh!" Terran found himself faceplanted into the gravely-muddy road, dark mud splattering all over him as he ate a mouthful of sandy mud. His saber left his grip, skipping a meter or two away from him. Coming up quickly, pain shot through his head as he could feel the beast closing in on him. His eyes opened--clouded by a haze of mud and blood--as he called the saber back into his grip, the blue blade reigniting just as--

SMASH

A heavy fist crushed the ground to his immediate left--where his body had just been--as the Jedi rolled to the left, shaking off his heavy cloak and squaring his body to the creature. He whirled his saber in his hands, bringing it before him defensively. This wasn't going to be good--he didn't have a 100% chance of surviving this fight alone. For a second, he wished Hera to be by his side, to be there to assist him. He wished the thought away in pride, telling himself he could survive this. He stayed square to the creature circling it slowly as it growled at him, breathing heavy clouds of hot, steamy breath.

[DarthHERA]

"Whoa...did he ever loose the battle with the ugly stick"

Hera was watching, almost mesmerised, as the brute beast descended onto Terran. It was kind of thrilling to watch such a battle, despite the inconvenience of the driving rain and the pain of the wound in her side.

Xau, too, was looking on - his face aghast as Terran was almost stomped by the huge creature.

The wind was pounding both man and beast, the former almost lifted at times from the ground by its force, the latter hardly even registering the gale.

Hera admired Terran's tenacity. And his footwork, despite the treacherousness of the slippery ground, was quite solid.

Xau was screaming something beside her, but his voice was quite carried away by the wind. She was left to decipher his meaning from the glare in his eyes and the flare of his nostrils. Hera assumed he was suggesting she lend a hand.

Which was quite a good idea. Hera had no assurance if Xau was skilled in navigation, and she would need someone who knew their stuff in order to help her escape this planet and avoid the meteor storm which had triggered this whole escapade in the first place. Terran was obviously learned. Hera had noted that easily from their breif conversation. Odds were on him that he would be more helpful to her in that regard than Xau would be.
She smirked at Xau beside her - funny if he could read her thoughts.

This was her reasoning therefore behind her careless entry into the fray. Atleast, thats what she told herself - couldn't have her not wanting the Jedi to perish. That would just be....sick.

The troll-like beast caught in his hand a large wooden beam that had been lifted by the wind and hurled into the air. He swung it repeatedly at Terran, who with nimble reflexes managed so far to avoid it.

Beating a tenacious staccato clang on the opposite building, was a sheet of metal roofing, which caught Hera's eye. Using the force, as she ran forward igniting her lightsaber as she went, Hera nudged the metal sheet free and shot it directly at the troll's throat. The beast saw it coming and easily punched it away, continuing it on its crazy flight. Swinging around, its free hand snatched forward striking to where Hera's luminescent blue saber blade waved menacingly. The troll caught the Sith Mistress in its rocky fist and lifted her off her feet.

Hera brought round "Atropos" and sliced the offending arm off at the elbow so that both it, and her, dropped with a wet 'splooge' into the mud below.

Xau had drawn his blaster and aimed at the beasts head, but the creatures momentum had shifted the said target and the laser bolt hit him directly in the back at the shoulder.

Hera, meanwhile, unfurled the dead paw from around her body, and tried with much effort to find her footing. The ground was fast becoming a mirey sludge and she kept slipping in her ill-fitting boots. Terran ran over to aid her to her feet, while Xau, again fired his blaster at the troll.

This served to anger the troll even further. It yelled in fury and stomped around with a somewhat imbalanced gait, unable to decide on which tormentor to squash first.


Finally, he chose Terran, because he was closest and still moving and.. because Terran was just unlucky. The troll bowed his great form almost double and snapped his gaping jaws at the Jedi.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau reached into his belt and pulled out a dart like weapon and he loaded a vial of toxin into it which he pulled from another pocket in his pants. If he shot it from a gun, it probably wouldn't make it due to the wind. He had to figure out another way...

Meanwhile Terran was busy avoiding the creatures massive fist as it came crashing down. The power from its colossal muscles rattled the ground and a small building, already damaged from the storm collapsed sending a cloud of dust into the already hostile atmosphere.

Xau had an idea, he need a Force user, but Terran was busy... That only left that wretched Sith woman. Reluctantly he began to look around for her. It was hard enough to see with the heavy rain and the dust didn't make things easier. Soon enough he found her.

Xau ran over to Hera and began shouting, hoping she would hear him the first time he spoke. "This dart has a poisen in it! It won't make it with my gun so I need you to use the Force to jab it into that thing's open wound!" The open wound refering to the area of the beast that Hera had cut off using a weapon unknown to Xau.

Hera looked at him with a blank look upon her face. "Speak up I can't hear you!" She shouted but Xau could barely make out what had been said due to a loud burst of thunderburst leaving, as he felt, completely deaf. However, he had caught the gist of what was said.

He repeated himself as loud as he could, throat aching. All the while he used his hands to try and convey his meaning instead of depending on words alone.

After he finished there was a pause and his facial expression read a questioning look as to whether Hera had understood, which she did. He placed the dart in her hands and took a step back and withdrew his blaster again. He took aim and fired three times, enough to grab the attention of the beast. It spun its head around and roared in anger, with it the monsters body turned leaving an open shot to the wound which was like a gateway to its bloodstream soon to be infected.

[imported_Terran Starek]

He was more grateful for her presence than he thought was possible as he caught breath inbetween the creature's attacks. She had severely wounded the troll, which seemed to have a very high pain tolerance or only half the brain to realize it was cut. Still, the two beady eyes--now bloodshot--peered back at him.

SNAP

Teeth cracked against teeth as the creature's mouth closed shut milimeters from Terran's skin. The creature had snapped out at him--trying to bite him in half--and had caught a mouthful of his tunic instead. Terran wriggled free as the creature pulled his head away, stripping his shirt completely off of him. His belt hung low as he managed to stay on his feet despite the attack. He ducked another fist, bringing his lightaber up in a whirling slash at the forearm of the beast. It was a glancing blow, but the white-hot blade drew hot blood as the troll screamed.

Terran backed up, his upper body taking a beating from the grainy mud and rain that came down hard upon him. He could barely hear as the harsh winds swirled with furious thunder. He cleared the dirt out of his eyes just in time to sidestep another strong, pounding fist from the troll. He was feeling especially lithe--compared to the beast--but wondered how long he could keep this up in the hard storm around him, which had already begun to waterlog his movements. It tired him out, carrying the weight of a thousand, stinging waterdrops.

To his suprise, and luck, the beast turned away from him his attention obviously diverted elsewhere. Through the cloud of dirt, Terran could see three bright sparks--blaster fire--as the creature turned his attention away. He got the feeling that this was a chance to regroup and that his temporary comrades had surely not forsaken him. So, keeping his distance, he sought to flank the creature and then rejoin the three who were his allies. Slowly, he made his way around the beast, as the other two attacked from its front.

[DarthHERA]

Xau was shouting in her face and Hera snarled at him angrily that she couldn't hear a frelling thing. The wind, the rain, the thundering of the troll all served to make any spoken communication almost impossible.

Shaking off his own frustration, Xau again attempted to make his point. Shoving the dart forward, snippets of what he was saying penetrated the commotion..."...poison in it.....wont make........my gun....thing's.....wound..." The way her eye's lit up, Xau saw she understood.

As the laser bolts zung about them, Hera angled to get access at the stub of the troll's arm. The lightsaber would have cauterized as it sliced through flesh and bone, but the nub would still be raw and soft in comparison to what it had been. She feigned and faked, positioning herself for a prime jab. Her eye caught a glimpse of dark color on the Troll's off side- Terran's legs - bluring slightly as he skipped aside from a particularly close swipe of the hunk of wood the troll still held. If Hera was going to strike, she would not get a better time than right now.

The Jedi continued running forward and as Hera saw him, she hesitated, distracted by the fact that Terran was now running around without his shirt on. This pleasantly appealing sight was the last thing she saw before the troll's shortened forearm came around in a deliberate backhand swing, collecting her full in the front of her body. It sent her soaring backwards through the air to crash heavily into a solid brick wall.

Hera slid from the surface of the wall to the ground with a thump, the toxic dart dropped somewhere in the mud midflight.

She yelled to Xau "You see where it went?"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau didn't quite hear what Hera said but he did see the dart fly from her hand; he yelled an unmentionable curse. Quickly he sifted through the mud but came up with nothing. That dart was his only one as well.

He looked back at the monster who was back to hassling Terran. Then to Hera who was getting up from against the wall and looking for the dart as well.
Xau got close to Hera and yelled over the howling wind, pounding rain and roaring beast. "THIS IS HOPELESS! CAN YOU-" Xau changed his mind on the wording "-WE GET TO YOUR SHIP AND SHOOT THAT DAMNED THING DOWN?" Xau hoped the Sith had heard him correctly. Especially on the we part, he didn't need the Sith to get selfish and take off without Terran and himself.

[DarthHERA]

Dang, if that wasn't yet another good idea.

Hera got the gist of what Xau was saying in the snatches of coherency she caught on the wind.

Terran had gotten rid of the angry mob, the stomping seething troll adding weight to his persuasion - but once that beast was no longer a threat, Hera had no doubt some of the more strong minded Doss would resume their hunt against them.

Brining the "Wolfsschance" to bear against the monster would not only provide a solution to their current dilema, but also a quick escape route for them all.

If only Terran could hold out that long.

It was a variable Hera was willing to risk.

She lingered long enough for another admiring glance the Jedi's way...yes it would be a shame to waste that.....and Hera grabbed Xau by the arm.

"C'MON! WE BETTER MAKE THIS QUICK"

Terran watched in disbelief as Hera and his only sure ally disappeared down the side road of the Inn.

[imported_Terran Starek]

You're kidding me, the Jedi thought as he watched the two round the corner and dissappear from sight. He just could not understand it. Was their no allegiance for the common good, here? He understood that he was to recieve no payment for his help--he was giving selflessly by aiding the two. He understood that Hera was a Sith. He also had the impression that Xau was not necessarily a bad seed, but that he was definitely looking out for his own survival above all. But what he couldn't understand was the fact that both had decided him obsolete in the effort to escape.

WHOOSH

He didn't have time to think about it, the great arm of the troll coming through the air like a hovertrain. In his disbelief, he had lost track of the task at hand--dispatching the beast--and was vulnerable to retaliation. Retaliate, the beast had. Terran groaned as the fist landed into his stomach, seemingly striking every organ in his lower torso. The blow lifted him off of his feet and sent him backwards as he landed awkwardly on his shoulders, his momentum carrying him through in a back somersault. The blue blade again was extinguished and the hilt of his lightsaber dissappeared several meters away from him, quickly camoflauged by mud and rain.

He came to a crouch, holding his stomach with his right arm. His upper body ached, as he noticed a dark red bruise forming across his defined abdominals. Mixed with mud and grit, the Jedi's entire torso was covered in a dark hue. He looked like a statue now, his musculature hued in a deep stoney brown. Save the rather constant stream of blood from the deep gash on his forehead--courteousy of his first fall--he seemed entirely covered in the grime.

A quick look for his saber revealed nothing, and the Jedi lost a few smidgeons of hope for his situation. He was disheartened, but not shaken, and he knew that the only way he was to survive this fight was by defeating the creature through means other than the physical. It was time to bring out the most powerful weapon of the Jedi--the Force. At the Order, he was always taught to rely on the Force soley when all other options are exhausted. It was a catch-all clause against laziness. As the headache grew and fatigue set into his body, he noted that he no longer had the option of fighting this beast head on.

"ROOOOOOOOAAARRR!" The troll cried out in anger as it charged the Jedi, who stood calmly in the path of its rage. Crouched, Terran closed his eyes and concentrated, though through the storm and his splitting headache, he found it more difficult than he wanted it to be. This was where his training truly came into play. This was where it all counted. The Troll descended upon him, claw outstretched towards the man, as Terran found the right moment to act.

Reaching out into the Force, Terran dodged the creature left, rolling to a stop only a few meters away from it. With his right hand, he located a fallen lamp pole, calling it to motion and sending the durasteel flying towards the troll. It seemed accelerated by the wind. The pole caught the troll across his legs, sending the beast to the ground in a painful sweeping motion. The troll reacted quickly, grabbing hold of the pole and weilding it dangerously as a weapon.

"Frell!" Terran ducked one swipe and barely jumped another, trying to keep calm. With the seemingly unfazed monster swinging at him, however, he found his hope a bit lost as one blow from the struck him crushingly in the side, again lifting him up and sending him flying several meters away. This time, he landed flat on his left side with a sickening thud, rolling a few more feet to a stop. The pain clouded his vision with white hot dots of light and ached against both his side and his head.

The Jedi lay, unmoving for the moment, his teeth gritted together as he tried to recuperate from the excrutiating blow. Just as Hera and Xau reached the ship, he let one final thought escape him, sending it speedily through the Force as he fought with consciousness:

Help!

[Xau Ghin]

Xau and Hera rounded the corner and Xau fiannly saw what was going to take him off this forsaken planet. It was a nice ship, nicer than he had ever seen, but he hadn't seen much.

Xau looked over the Hera and she looked as if she was almost alarmed. The pace quickened and they boarded the ship. Finally the wind was gone, the rain, the mud... it felt so good to finally be somewhere other than in that harsh weather

Xau shoved his relief from the outside away and focused again on helping Terran. "What kind of weapons systems does this thing have? And where are they?" he asked Hera, "I think if we don't hurry that thing is gonna pancake Terran."

[DarthHERA]

Hera's YT-2400 Light Freighter was a welcome haven, and she and Xau were happy to take refuge within its solid frame.

The Sith heard clearly Terran's call and her face was hard set in concentration as she powered the ship up. Dispensing with pre-flight check routine - she already knew the navigational system was kibbutzed and would quite literally be flying it by the seat of her pants. Well, it wouldnt be the first time. Could be the last time, though, the way this storm was rocking even the heavy mass of the ship.

"Hang on!" She warned, and pushed forward on the thrusters, the "Wolfsschance" responded eagerly, and they were airborn even before Xau could get a steadying grip.

Punching buttons and flicking switches, Hera raised the craft with the familiarity of an old friend, banking it quickly to travel in a tight arc over the grid to find Terran and the troll. Through the viewport, they could see him laying in the mud, almost blending completely against its murky surface.

Standard design of the YT-2400 carried heavy laser cannon and concussion missile launchers. However, the ship had been liberally modified to Hera's own aggressive tastes, with care given to balance muscle with agility so as not to hamper speed.

"Im gonna bring her in close, Xau. I got the troll covered, but its going to be close."

The descending hum as the outter ramp lowered caused Xau to look aft to the hatch. Hera explained matter of factly.

"Im not landing this and have it as a sitting target in all that mud for those villagers to fire upon. You're gonna have to hang out from there and help Terran in"

Hera said it as if it was something Xau did every day. Xau looked dubiously outside. The wind was still blowing its wild gale.

On the ground, the troll continued forward, heedless of the new, advancing danger. The Jedi was laying inert only steps away and the Troll ran a tongue between his thick lips in anticipation of crushing every bone in his body.

As the huge work beast lifted himself up in a jump, gleefully planning to come down with both feet onto Terran's back, Hera fired the laser.

White-blue bolts spat forward, zinging as true as an arrow and finding their mark. One second the troll was mid air, grinning wildly - then, he was not. As if plucked by magic from this realm, the troll was blasted to a million peices and he quite simply, was gone.

Flying by, this time doing a bigger arc and slowing down considerably, Hera reversed thrusters, angled the "Wolfsschance" once more landward and brought it to hover within reaching distance of Terran.

As if on que, doors of the dwellings of the Doss villagers opened and many began firing at the starship. Some bolder ones, even left the cover of their buildings and ran out onto the street.

"Get him in Xau - Im not gonna wait all day!"

[Xau Ghin]

"I hate you.." Xau said quietly and he hung on to the ship and reached out into the unwelcome stormy weather. Xau felt as if he was going to be swept away to who knew where. He could barely see what was in front of his face. Suddenly red flashes exploded in the distance and instantly they were ricocheting off the ship. Again, Xau muttered an unmentionable curse, things just never got better. Xau hoped that with the progressive downhill things seemed to be going that maybe this time things would go up for a change, Terran would just grab his hand and they would be off this damned planet.

Things weren't going that way at all. Xau couldn't see Terran at all through the rain and the blaster fire was very distracting as well. "I swear, I'm gonna get shot..." Xau thought to himself.

This was getting ridiculous, Terran was nowhere to be found. Xau looke dup and withdrew his blaster and fired a few shots at the townspeople. "CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" he yelled into the rainy darkness but nobody heard him. He began looking for Terran again and finally foudn him, covered in mud blending with the ground. "COME ON, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Xau called to the Jedi and Terran jumped, reached and grabbed a hold of Xau's hand. Xau began to pull Terran up but then things got worse. A blaster bolt struck Xau in the arm and the weight of a suspended Terran dragged him off the ship flipping him over and Xau landed on his back in the mud face up, rain forcing his eyes shut.

Xau turned his head and opened his eyes, he saw a tiny flame propel something through the windy air. Xau's heart stopped as he deduced the flame was not blaster fire, but a rocket propelled explosive. The explosion erupted on the side of Hera's ship and the ground shook violently from the blast. Xau sat up and looked with Terran to try and see through the smoke how bad the damage was, hopefully the cockpit had not been hit.

[DarthHERA]

"LEAVE HIM BEHIND!" Hera yelled over her shoulder as she worked the controls frantically.


A united cry came back from the hatch "No!!" as both Terran and Xau yelled back at her.

She rounded off a few cannon fire, but the way the ship was stationed, they did nothing to deter the Doss, but perhaps frightened a few alley cats.

She twisted her head around to see what the hold up was, and as she turned back to her controls, that was when the explosive hit. The damage was minimal - the Wolffschance could stand a whole lot more of that, and more. But the flash of the detonation caught Hera facing directly into it - blitzing her retinas so all she now saw was whiteness.

"aaaaahhhgg" She threw her arm over her eyes.

"Terran - you gotta take the controls. Leave Xau!"

"NO!"

"Take the frelling controls!" and with that she launched herself out of her chair, the ship's nose instantly dipping precariously, and stumbled her way over to where the blast of the wind from the open hatch was coming.

Terran ran passed her in the other direction to replace Hera in the pilot seat, as the Sith stretched her arm blindly downward, her hand gropping for Xau.

"Last chance, Xau" was all she said as she fingered the empty air.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau looked up from his position on the ground at Hera who was reaching for him. last chance... the words echoed in his mind. Summoning all his strength he leaped into the air and reached for Hera's hand.

He caught it and held tight although his blaster wound ached like no pain he had ever felt. His grip tightened and Hera slowly brought him back up to the ship. With his other free arm Xau took ahold of the ramp and pulled himself aboard.

Quickly he walked farther intot he ship, away from the rain and wind. He pulled some of his wet hair off of his forehead and brushed some mud off onto the durasteel floor. He sighed a breath of relief but did not give thanks to Hera.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to leave this place." He said and followed Hera to the cockpit.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Though his head spun in a million directions, the Jedi did what he could to concentrate. He focused in on view screen as he wiped more slop off of his face and onto the floor and surrounding seats. He breathed heavily, his side aching with every milimeter of expansion his lungs took on. Something seemed to stick into his insides as he felt a prick from a broken rib, or something else dislodged. He immediately swallowed the pain down, concentrating on what was ahead.

"Grab on, Xau, grab on," he said under his breath as the crowd before the ship began to descend upon them. He could not--would not--leave the man behind, not after the comradship he had developed with the other in this short time. He wanted to be back there and he would, had it not been for Hera's temporary disability.

Gripping the controls, he kept the boat steady. He was a pretty solid pilot--he'd always been better with coordination and dexterous things than pure strength. Keeping focused, he remained in control as he could see Hera pulling Xau on board. He looked forward as the crowd got closer. Some dissapeared from view, probably below the hull now. As soon as he saw Hera and Xau completely in, he pulled the lever, closing the gangplank, which hushed much of the sound below them out.

"Strap in!" He shouted back as he began to ascend a bit more with the Wolfschance. It was a very agile ship, and Terran found it a slight bit harder to control than he was used to. It jerked a bit as he pulled on the stick, sending his stomach a bit south of its usualy position. He hoped they had found their way to some seats and belts, because as he noted a large, hovermounted laser cannon being driven out to the middle of the street, he decided it was definitely time to go.

"Hang on!" Without much of a warning, he punched the thrusters, sending the ship forward with a very muscular lurch The Gs threw him back in his seat a bit as he heard a muffled blast from below. The laser cannon had opened fire--too little, too late as the Wolfschance bolted through the air towards the atmosphere of Cyclos, its hull a little bit shaky due to turbulence. That's when it finally hit him.

"Hera!" He found himself still yelling as the storm grew in volume and intensity. They were basically aimed, albeit inadvertently, at the eye of the storm, and as the intensity of the wind increased Terran's confidence to pilot decreased. The ship began to shake a bit as currents fought against it. "I'm not sure how well I can handle this. This is your ship--you're the better pilot." He wasn't trying to butter her up, he was being honest. He wasn't the best pilot for this situation. The question was, what was her condition.

"Can you see?" He questioned hurredly as they neared the storm, the Wolfschance battered back and forth in the storm. "If your eyes will not allow, I can be them for you. But I need you up here in this seat." He was describing the process by which he would form a mental link with Hera and would allow her to see what he could see in her mind's eye. He figured she would understand.

[DarthHERA]

She understood him perfectly, but there was no way on this side of the Unkown Regions that Hera was going to permit a Jedi to saunter through her mind freely. No matter how good he looked with his shirt off.

Her eyes were still shot - everything to her looked like some over exposed film negative. Way too much white and the partial return of darker images was blurred and undefined.

Hera shuffled into the seat beside Terran having made it there after many a lurching detour courtesy of his questionable piloting skills.

"Your'e doing fine" she clipped, "just level her out and ease back on the power"

Beside her, the Jedi struggled to do as she said.

Xau had strapped himself into a seat also, and was providing a running commentary of the instrument readings - wind velocity, speed, altitude etc. No precise navigational content though, as there was none to read, which was their most immediate dilema. Even the readings they had seemed to fluctuate drastically with no rhyme or reason. Xau doubted their accuracy.

The "Wolfsschanze" still seemed to be catapulting forward in an unhealthy rush of speed, so Hera reached over and placing her hand over Terran's who's own gripped the stick with bulging knuckles. Terran moved his hand from under hers, and Hera firmly and steadily reversed thrusters, the engines whining to a lower pitch as she slowed them

"We just need to get out of this storm and get some breathing room Terran. You can do this - its easy." She grinned, she could feel his tension.

"My sight should be ok in about 20 minutes.."

This, in fact, was optomistic. It would be three hours before she completely gained back her normal vision.

The raggedness of the ships performance told Hera how bad the storm was that they were in the middle off.

"Its gonna be to hard to try and go around this storm, so we are going to go right through it instead. In a moment, Im going to push full throttle Terran - all you gotta do is steer. Just keep her steady. We'll rush right through and then we can take some time to get our bearings, get ourselves patched up. Ok?"

She was suggesting running blind, at full speed, into who knew what. Hopefully not the meteor storm. She doubted that as it was much further out in space. However, if they died, atleast it would be fast, and one hell of a rush.

She prompted again.

"Ok?"

[imported_Terran Starek]

"Well, I don't know. I'm not sure if I am in the condition to do sooOOOOO!" He was cut off as Hera grew impatient with his blubbering. She grabbed hold of his hand, which rested on the thruster, and gave it a good push. Within seconds, the main engines achieved maximum power, and the ship lurched forward, stuttering for a mere second, before the Jedi was thrown back in his seat, his bare skin slapping against it has he was glued to the back of the chair. He kept his eyes focused on whatever obstacles could appear in front of them, and found Hera's hand now squeezing his own. It could have been due to the ammount of Gs that had been thrust upon them, or it could have been due to their connection to survive and for support. He didn't know which, but it was comforting.

His eyes gained focus as he intently studied the view before him. Currently, they were caught directly in an eastward current, as he held the ships controls firmly westward, which kept them steady. Suddenly it shifted to west, and so Terran jammed the controls east, countering the brisk wind and remaining level. It was intense, but a bit easier than he thought. Perhaps he did have the ability, something Hera saw in him, and he just lacked the confidence. He pulled on the stick, dipping the ship underneath some sort of beam that had been lifted by the storm and thrown upward. As the noise grew and grew, Terran saw a break in the clouds coming. He aimed right for it, dodging another large piece of debris, as they burst through the cloud wall into--

Silence.

They were in the eye of the storm, and it was the most beautiful weather Terran had ever seen. Around them, a pure circle of clouds churned and bumped against each other. But inside this eye, right in the middle of all the chaos, there was pure peace. The sun shone down into a perfectly blue sky, a few scattered, marshmellow puffs dancing a bit in the slight wind. Terran's mouth was left gaping at the sheer sight, and he found his mind put at ease for a mere moment. He felt as though the Force was touching him. It was a metaphor. . .for something else. In that moment, he turn to study Hera's face, her features lightened by this moment. Even for her, the storm stopped. He smiled to himself.

"Beautiful," he said under his breath, though loud enough to hear. Sadly, the moment of inspiration was short-lived, as the Wolfsschanze broke through the opposite cloud wall, and back into a stormy, violent hell. Luckily, they had reached the upper atmosphere, and the storm was dying down, the closer they got to space. Pushing against the hard currents, it became easier and easier to control. Terran relaxed a bit, until finally, the darkness of space appeared through the final layer of clouds. He sighed a bit of relief. A few more seconds, and the ship had broken through the outer atmosphere, now soaring free into the icy mass that was much more tame than the storm below. He could see the chruning, lightning mass of clouds in the rear monitors of the ship.

"Woooaahhhh," Terran let out a sigh of relief, letting off the thruster and standing from the chair, pulling his soaked, dirty body from the seat. Suddenly, his head became very heavy, and every part of him ached again. It was evident that his adrenaline and his sense of urgency had kept him together long enough to achieve the goal of getting out of there and escaping the storm and the hostile Doss. Now, however, every bit of pain and exhaustion he had endured was catching up to him.

"I think. . .I think I need to. . .I need. . ." his words trailed as he grabbed his head. His side screamed in pain as he gripped it with his other hand. He needed rest--he was desparately tired. A brave warrior, he was successful in getting out of danger. All the excitement had caught up with him, and it rushed upon him like a hovertrain. He lost focus and balance as he fell forward and into one of the co-pilot seats. He landed awkwardly across it, his eyes closing, as he drifted off. . .

[DarthHERA]

When Terran woke next, he found himself in a strange bunk, in a strange ship.

He sat up quickly - which wasn't a good idea as the blood drained from his head in a rush and made him dizzy.

"Easy" Hera got up from her chair, "Just move slower, thats it."

Terran's head was bandaged, as were his ribs. Gone was the mud and grime - the remnants of Cyclos - in fact gone was just about everything but his shorts.

"Xau" Hera said by reason of explanation. "He does a good patchup job. He left the stripping and washing you down for me though" she said with a wink. Terran's cheeks burned slightly and Hera laughed.

They had set the ship to autopilot after Terran had collapsed. It basically was barely moving - in what direction they hadn't really a clue - just that it was travelling forward at a snails pace. Collision alarms would go off if they came into a direct path of anything and so the trio had given themselves some time to regroup. It had been almost six hours since their escape from the planets surface. Hera's sight had returned, though there were occassional black spots that were an annoyance more than anything else.

Xau had proven himself quite knowledgeable in wound care and setting the dressings. He even used some staples Hera had on board to pin closed the gash on her abdomen. Though Hera had noticed Xau was rougher with her treatment than he needed to be...

He was sleeping now, but he had not rested until his new Jedi friend was settled and comfortable first.

Terran steadied himself and swung his legs around so he now sat on the bunk as Hera returned to her chair across from him.

As the pair examined each other, Terran saw that she too had cleaned up and was comfortably attired in a dark turtle-neck sweater and olive green cargo pants. She had replaced the borrowed boots now with a spare pair of her own, and as she reclined back, she looked nothing like the dangerous Sith she truly was. Her smile, when she allowed herself to smile, was such a contrast to her perpetual scowl. It lit her face and made it somehow a cruel joke that something so lovely could be capable of such smothering darkness.

"You did well back there"

Again the color to his cheeks as Terran remembered his dubious piloting.

"You fight well" she continued, "Though you still have not completed your training, am I correct?"

In the next compartment, they could hear Xau stirring.

"You have great potential Terran. Even my evil eyes can see it."

[imported_Terran Starek]

Terran squinted, getting used to the pain in his head. He examined himself a bit, letting out a sigh of relief as he noticed his cleanliness. His eyes adjusted to the light as he listened to Hera while she spoke to him. He did blush a little--he wasn't used to compliments and especially not from someone so inclined to scowl at him and curse his Order. It felt. . .good. Master Elessar was a different kind of Master altogether, and it was uncommon that Terran was praised. Mostly, he was taught by learning lessons the hard way and recieving the occasional tounge-lashing.

"Thank you--" he spoke, his voice quite froggy. He smiled embarassingly and cleared his throat. "Thank you for the kind words. It was the Force that guided our destinies together, and it was the Force that spared our lives. My actions were only in accordance with its will." He realized how impersonal he was being, considering that she had begun to warm up to him a bit more. She looked unimpressed with his rather 'Jedi' answer. He took a second to breathe and thought about what else to say.

"You are correct--I am not an accomplished Jedi." He thought of his most recent demerit and felt a twinge of shame for it. "I. . .I couldn't have done this without you. I think you know it as well as I," he spoke after a few seconds. "You didn't have to help me, and you didn't have to help Xau. But you did." He squinted his eyes, this time thinking. "I think your motives were, at times, kind." He thought about the fact that he was an important part of the group--a skilled fighter, a decent pilot and navigator, and a healer. Still, she hadn't risked her neck for him just because he was useful. Like the storm. . .there was a calm, good side to the Sith. "For that, I am very appreciative."

He examined himself some more. The bandages upon him were wrapped with relative skill, and he was grateful for Xau's presence. Though Hera was tough, he questioned medical prowess. He took in a deep breath, allowing the Force to flow through him. Within a few seconds of minor meditation, it was clear to him that he would be fine. If he spent a few hours in deep meditation and stasis, like Navaria had taught him, he could be fully healed. He turned his eyes upon Hera.

"Your stomach," he said, remembering her injury. "Does it still hurt?" Hera trusted him enough to lift her sweater, revealing the wound stapled together, most likely from Xau's handy work. Though it was well done, the Jedi could do better. He stood from his bed--for the first time realizing that he was practically naked--and quickly retreated into the blankets. He could see Hera nearly giggle at him as it occured to him that she had stripped him and cleaned him to begin with. He gave her a "screw it" look and left the blankets to squat beside her. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but the interior of a starship was far from new ground for the Jedi.

"Do you mind?" She gave him a look, as though she wasn't sure. He kept eye contact with her. "I don't know if any Jedi has ever healed you before, but you can trust me." Though she didn't say anything, her rolled eyes and sigh told him it was ok. Reaching out, he touched her skin with a very gentle right hand, not yet touching the wound. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He imagined how funny he looked--squatting in nothing but his boxers, a few bandanges dotting his muscular frame, touching the stomach of a Sith. It gave him peace to be helping, and used it to channel the Force.

Hera could feel a calm warmth wash over her mid-section as the Jedi applied the Force-lead anasthetic. After allowing the feeling to fully saturate her abdomen, the Jedi acted very quickly with his nimble hands, removing the seven staples as quickly as possible. Hera watched, tensing as he began. But slowly, she found that there was no pain. The anasthetic was powerful, but it wouldn't last long. The gash was reopened as a bit of blood began to ooze out. Quickly, Terran immediately placed pressure on the wound, bringing both hands to cover the gash. Again, closing his eyes, seeing with his mind, the Jedi meditated, calling upon the Force. Immediately, his mind was seemingly lead into Hera's body as he allowd the Force to lead him through healing the wound. Slowly, he the flesh and skin was awoken, joining together to seal the gap that had been created. Several minutes passed as he remained there, before finally letting out a great sigh.

"There," he said, removing his hands. Besides a smear of blood, the wound was completely gone as Hera regained feeling. It had taken him a bit of effort to channel the Force, but his previous and recent rest had sustained him well. "You might feel a little soreness, but you'll be free from infection." He massaged the spot a bit, working out the kinks in her muscles. Just then, he heard a few footsteps behind him.

"Good morning, friend," he said, turning to face the newly awakened Xau. "I trust you rested well." He smiled extending his hand to his friend. "Thank you for your aid, friend. I cannot repay you for your deeds." He referred to both the bandages and the assisatance on Cyclos. Looking down at himself, he turned back to Hera.

"I wonder if you have anything I could borrow for the duration of this trip," he said, realizing that his tunic and robe were both burried in the mud somewhere on the streets of the village below.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau had awoken on a bed inside a ship that he was unfamiler with. Soon enough it all came back to him, Cyclos, the arachnids, giant troll-beasts, Hera and Terran... What had he gotten into?

Xau rolled onto his back and stared at the darkened ceiling. Without looking his hand crept towards the blaster wound on his shoulder. Upon touching it withdrew his fingers and winced in pain, but slowly they inched back. The skin was black and crusty, it was a good thing it only hit him in the shoulder otherwise he would be dead.

Time to get up. he told himself as he sat up and threw the blanket off of to the side. He recollected his most recent memories, dressing Hera's wound as well as Terran's. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew the basics well enough to keep everyone from dying.

He slid on a shirt and some pants, but nothing more. He left his belt and most of his weapons on the floor next to the bed. He didn't like Hera, but he had confidence she wasn't going to try and kill him, especially with Terran around. She seemed to be going ga-ga about him, although she masked it very well. Offing Xau while Terran was around didn't seem likely at all.

The door opened and Xau peeked his head out , Hera was nowhere in sight, neither was Terran. Wonderful. There was a grumble from Xau's midsection as he realized he hadn't eatenin... maybe the pub, did he eat there? He couldn't remember and it didn't matter, what did was the fact that he wanted food. Now.

Xau looked around and just took a guess that the door to his right would lead to somewhere with food. He opened it and stood in the doorway. There was Terran half naked and Hera with her mid section exposed as if as if she was lifting her shirt off, but her wound appeared to be healed completely. Regardless, Xau felt as if he should not be there. Then Terran spoke.

"Nice cover up," Xau thought "pretend I don't have reason to suspect something is going on between you two." But then he thought how to respond, he really didn't have much but the clothes he wore. "I'm not sure... I might have something in the room where I slept. I can check. And Hera, is there some sort of food here that you'd be willing to share? I'm starving."

[DarthHERA]

She took her time responding as she inspected what was now her smooth skin where once the stapled wound had been.

The sith talisman about her neck remained tucked beneath her sweater. A gift from her Master, it enabled her to draw on its healing qualities - but it had never delivered the sense of well-being that she now felt as Terran generated force healing through her. The familiar scowl fell back into place - she didn't like that she felt such comfort at the touch of a Jedi hand - and couldn't bring herself to even mumble a "thankyou."

Standing abruptly, Hera flashed a 'what are you lookin at' glare toward Xau as he blinked from her half-lifted shirt to Terran's lack of clothing. Crossing to a small locker under the bunk and pulling it open, she rummaged through and brought out a black t-shirt and a pair of pants.

"They belong to Remkah, my Base Captain" she said. "They might fit, but will probably be a bit tight - he's thinner than you are."


Turning back to Xau, who's stomach voiced its impatience to be fed, she gestured to turn right from the doorway. "There's a small galley next door. Plenty of food and rum if your inclined. If not, then there's coffee. But thats it - coffee or rum."

Xau needed no prodding and disappeared immediately to forage.

Terran was already in the process of dressing, his blonde head pushing its way through the collar of the t-shirt, arms through its sleaves.

At first pushing the bottom of his shirt into the waist of his new pants, he felt too restricted and so pulled it all out to hang loosley over.

Belatedly, he realised Hera still stood there and was watching him with a strange intensity.

His eyes darted as in his mind he was trying to figure the meaning of such a strong look. The sounds of cupboards clanking and Xau rattling dishes reached into the room making the moment even stranger.

In all seriousness, Hera spoke, her words weighted with Terran's destiny on the line.

"Let me finish your training"

[imported_Terran Starek]

Though the collar of the tight white machinist shirt was a bit tight around his neck, it was not the reason for Terran's nearly sudden choke. Hera had spoken and caused him to lose his focus by the suprise and unexpectedness of her comment. His eyes, puzzled, turned to face her own.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice confused. "What did you just say?" The Jedi was pretty sure he heard, but he longed for clarification. The comment took him by surprise, and he needed to hear it again to be sure his ears had not decieved him. He gave her a funny look as he tightened the shoes she had given him. Luckily, the previous owner of these garments had bigger feet. He could live with oversized shoes.

"I don't think I heard you right." He took a few steps towards her, searching her scowl for clues as to what she meant. She couldn't be serious. . .but was she? It had come across pretty serious to Terran. Strange how combat made him delerious. Perhaps he was hearing things.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau rummaged through the cupboards and managed to pull together a meager meal with a little rum on the side. just opposite of the cupboards was a little table with two seats. Xau sat down and began to inhale the food.

Although he was in another room, the door was slightly ajar and he should have been able to hear what Hera said correctly, but he wasn't sure. Let her finish his training!?! What the hell? Was she out of her mind? Isn't there a distinct difference between Jedi and Sith? Xau stopped chewing so loudly and did his best to listen in, this was going to be very interesting.

[DarthHERA]

"I didn't take you for a dullard, Terran. The question is simple enough - though I warrant you, the answer not as easy."

With an almost imperceptible beckoning with her hand, she called the Jedi's blade from its resting place on the bunk where lately its owner had slept.

Catching it easily into her hand, she kept her stare focused on Starek as she held it out for him to take.

The air held a stillness to it. Everyone hung on the topic in hand. Even Xau had stopped his noisy fossicking, but that could just be that he had made himself a feast and was otherwise occupied in devouring it.

Terran took hold of the end of his weapon, but Hera instead of releasing it, held on and pulled him forward slightly.

"Come fight beside me, Terran. With me. Your ideals wont bring you the kind of satisfaction serving the darkside will. The Jedi way is ...(she searched for the right word)....unnatural. No one can live up to their ludicris sense of right and good."

She leant forward, as if she looked into his heart and could see the shame of his recent actions at the order which he hid there.


"..Even you cant attain them"

She spoke as one who understood him - not as a judge, but as one with the same humanity and failings as himself. She was very convincing.

"Learn from me, and you wont have to carry such burdens."

[imported_Terran Starek]

"No, you don't understand," he said, turning away from her, snatching his blade from her hands. He had to turn away, for he found her gaze to inviting to remain locked onto it for much longer. It was hard to think now, as feelings and memories swirled around in his head. He tried to shake them, taking a few steps to the small, mounted shelve that held the rest of his things. He tried to look occupied by examining his things, but his mind wasn't there.

"It's not like that at all." He tried to reason it out in his head. The Jedi did not have 'ludicris' or unattainable morals. They werer sound, good beliefs. And, when observed, they brought a great balance to the universe. They brought a needed balance. Their existence was necessary to the Galaxy in which they lived, and the lives they required their members to live were just and full.

Or were they? Was his life full?

"I can attain the goals I seek," he responded, perhaps not entirely convinced of his words. The Jedi, though not through publice mandate, did not encourage emotion. They did not encourage the full expression of one's inner thoughts and feelings. The Order taught control and taught iron will so that its members would be able to negotiate situations in the most objective, pratical manner possible. It was that simple. It wasn't about suppression through lack of emotion, it was about empowerment through self control. "The goals are attained within me."

He thought of Xazor. He thought of Sejah. He felt shamed. There were times in his life that he questioned his ability to carry such burdens.

"The unnatural behavior, Miss Drenkast, comes from a lack of discipline with one's gifts." He took the offensive now. It was best. She was probing his mind--he knew it, whether he could properly defend it or not. She was using his thoughts against him. Perhaps, he thought, it would be easier to keep himself focussed by supplying her with something to think about instead of defending himself. She placed doubt in his mind, and without the strength of his own will, he would have trouble defeating it. He had to remain strong. He had to fight back.

"Anger, hatred, fear--these emotions that you create, they are chaotic and undisciplined. We have seen, throughout history, that the undisciplined find themselves defeated. Conquests on Tattooine between the ancients, the Imperial Remnants' and their bickerings, and the Sith of old--all of these examples, living testament to the corruption of the undisciplined.

To harness our true capabilities, our true strength, we must be in control. We must operate in peace and in reason. You will find this level of control in the Jedi. I find true strength in my peace." His eyes burned with passion for what he said, though he still found an erie heaviness to the air. It was as though he was forcing himself to defend his position. It gave him the impression that perhaps she had a point. He remained confident, although he found himself slightly nervous at what might come next.

[DarthHERA]

She watched him intently and Terran felt her eyes hot on his back as he rumaged amongst his things on the shelf.

She listened even more keenly than he might think, her Sith instincts telling her that the Jedi "doth protest too much."

But she had to give him credit. It was a nice speech. Convincing, too, if one was inclined to that kind of claptrap.

As he finished she held his eyes momentarily, weighing the man more than the words. Then she dropped her head and laughed to herself softly.

Terran turned around sharply, in no mood to watch her mockery, and took his belongings from off the shelf. As he busied himself placing items in his pockets, Hera moved up close behind him. And, just like the proverbial devil on the shoulder, she whispered in his ear.

"....When you're ready to quit lying to yourself - find me"

Then she stepped away and turned to exit the room. The navicom needed her attention and her work here, for now, was done.

[imported_Terran Starek]

The Jedi closed his eyes and held his breath as he heard and felt her leave. As soon as she was out of range, he let out his breath in quite a huff. His shoulders sunk and he put his back against the wall. Lowering himself slowly down the smooth durasteel, he came to sit against it. His hands came up to rub his eyes as he stretched his face. He didn't like to defend himself and his reasons for choosing the path he did. It wasn't that he didn't believe in them, it was just that he didn't enjoy entering the topic with someone who was capable of manipulating him. He wasn't as strong as Hera--he could feel it--and it was more difficult to resist her.

"You're ok for now," he muttered to himself, coming back to his feet after a short rest. His stomach rumbled as mucles contorted and clenched within it. It was time for food. Something in his stomach would clear his mind and give him a chance to recuperate. Then, he would need to get to the cockpit. He decided that it was best to get out of this situation as quick as he could. Afterall, with a Sith who had entertained ideas of converting him, his current environment was less than desireable.

"Hey, what's for dinner?" He gave Xau a tired smile as he made his way into the seat opposite the other at the small table. He noticed a mostly empty plate with crumbs and scraps of different, non-perishable style foods on it.

"I'm starving. What does General Grumpy keep around this place?" He gave Xau another grin as he checked the cabinets. There were various dried foods--meat, vegetable chips, fruit--among other choice items. He took a small, brown packet from the cupboard and found a small glass. Tearing open the package, he pured the powder into the cup and then added some water from a depleting container. Popping it into the micro-heater, he removed it after the machine ran for a few seconds. A steaming cup of coffee emerged, and he smiled as the aroma tickled his nose. A hot drink was a sweet release from the blistering rains and winds of Cyclos. With a bag of driend manana chips, he sat down with Xau again.

"How are you feeling?" He spoke between bites, a genuine, caring tone to his voice.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau watched Terran enter the room just after his talk with Hera. "General Grumpy keeps plenty here. Unless you're looking for good food, that is." He said to the Jedi, who continued to look for something to eat anyway.

After a few moments the Jedi sat down across from Xau and asked how he was feeling. Xau replied, "Ah, I'm alright." Xau waited a few seconds before speaking again. "I heard you're conversation with Hera. Terran the Sith, master of death and friend to nobody." He smiled. "I don't know if it really fits your personality and plus, I doubt you'd look good in black." Xau's smile gave way to a little chuckle now. "So, do you have any idea where we're going?" Xau asked.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"No, I don't suppose black is my color," Terran smiled and chuckled along with Xau, taking another handful of manana chips. "And you're right: the whole Sith persona isn't for me. I think you've got me pegged." He crunched them as Xau spoke and then crinkled his brow a bit, thinking about Xau's question.

"I don't actually know, to be honest. I think Hera was headed to the cockpit anyway. The boosters haven't fired yet, so I assume we're still drifting." Now that Xau mentioned it, it would be a good idea to figure out where they were headed. Whether Hera was up for giving them a free ride to anywhere they wanted to go was rather doubtful, and he figured that it might be a good idea to have an active role in the navigation process. He grabbed up his coffee and chips and motioned for Xau to follow him to the cockpit.

"No matter what, if you need further assistance, I can help. I mean, in terms of travel. Wherever Hera dumps us, I can get us home." He continued down the corridor to the cockpit, walking alongside his friend. Moments later, they reached the cockpit, where Hera was hunched over one of the consoles. She was examining some sort of screen, though Terran didn't take enough notice to identify it.

"Are you hungry?" Terran came beside the Sith, his voice soft and genuine. He had learned, despite how difficult the taxing on the patience it may be, that the best way to combat the darkside was to fight the hate with love. Unless the situation was dire, he treated all opposition with respect and honor. It was his small way of planting the seeds of redemption. Many darksiders would never come back to the lightside of the Force, many because of their views of the Jedi. If he could assist the cause of the Jedi by positively affecting those views, it was well worth it. He plopped the back of manana chips down by her hand.

"Xau and I were just wondering what destination you had in mind," he took a seat opposite her, watching her with peaceful eyes. "I'm sure this isn't your ideal field trip--" and he was sure that a Jedi wasn't her ideal companion "--and I was wondering where you thought we might part ways. A planet with a solid spaceport would be nice." He threw his two cents in with a bit of wishful thinking.

[Xau Ghin]

Hera seemed to be in an unpleasent mood. From her point of view she offered Terran everything he could need, and he turned it down. Xau supposed her anger was justified.

Terran spoke inquiring about their next destination. Xau almost felt bad for the Jedi, who would want to speak to Sith like her? Let alone an angry Sith. He was just glad he didn't have to say anything. If she hated anyone more than Terran it was probably Xau. But then again, did she even hate Terran? They seemed pretty close earlier before the... disagreement. She really seemed to be a woman of twists and turns.

It was too much to think about for Xau, it wasn't his problem so there was no sense in trying to figure it out. He changed the subject in his mind by focusing on the first thing he saw with his eyes. It was a three dimensional map pinpointing the location of the the ship and a few nearby planets, the only one Xau recognized was the hellish planet they had just left. He shuddered at the thought of going back. Where were they going? The thought lingered in his mind for a moment while he waited Hera to respond to Terran.

[DarthHERA]

As her "good-will"entourage joined her, Hera grunted some sort of acknowledgement to them and grabbed up a handfull of the namana chips. Tossing them into her mouth and lifting her eyes from the screen, she laughed in what was now becoming her familiar sarcastic manner to Terran and Xau.

"Worried I might maroon you on some asteroid, are we?"

She looked from one to the other and the frank looks she got in return made her laugh out loud. Hera had never been so on the money.

She shrugged and turned back to her work without clarifying one way or the other, but the wicked grin remained to play about her lips.

"Xau - are you good for anything other than being in the way? Yes? Good..There are more of those charts in the databank. See if you can recognise anything to match where we are."

Xau sat glaring at her for a moment, but it didnt last. He knew better than to rise to the bait every time she tugged with it.

"By my reckoning, we are close to Ylesian space - or in the general vicinity - as thats where I was headed when I hit the meteor storm. The storm is now behind us, so it stands to reason Ylesia should be up ahead."

She shrugged. A guess was as good as a lie. Both could lead to who knows where, but Hera was not lying so much as guessing.

Beside her, Xau brought up three more start charts.

Turning now to Terran, her eyes looking directly into his. She had glimpsed something of the Jedi during their earlier conversation. He knew it - and she knew he knew it. There was a connection there that couldn't be denied. Just what it was, was more complicated than either could really say.

"If you want to take a look at this navi-system. I think there is a misfire somewhere due to the assault of magnetic fields and what-not from the meteor storm. If we can isolate it, we may get lucky and get it back to functioning. Ever done any of this techi stuff before? Or read about it maybe?"

The reference to his bookworm-y ways brought a soft smile to her eyes.

"Tell me the answer is 'yes'"

[imported_Terran Starek]

OOC: Sorry guys. I was outta town for fall break here at school. Please pardon the late response. :)

IC:

"I've seen one before." He squinted his brow, thinking for a moment. When he used to travel with Biggs, he'd learned quite a bit about ship maintenance. Unfortunately, nav computers weren't his specaility. But, despite Hera's somewhat mocking tones, he had read a bit about them, and he could figure out his way around the problem. Especially, he thought, if it was with the mechanisms. He was good with repairing things like this, but he was less good at programming.

"I think I can figure it out. No garuntees." He smiled. "The mechanic is not responsible for damages." With that he squatted before the panel that attached beneath the computer. Unlocking the latch--which operated like a fuse-box latch--he propped the door opening, taking a peek at the machinery that was cluttered inside. It was dark inside the case and he didn't have anything to work with.

"Tools?" He looked to Hera as she pointed him towards a small cabinet-desk combo a few steps away from the cockpit. There, he rumaged through a rather sufficient collection of tool kits until he found the electronics set. Popping the plastic case open, he examined the array of gadgets. This would do nicely. He also grabbed a flashlight.

"Ok, ere e o," he mumbled, the flashlight between his teeth as he peered inside the box. After a few seconds of scanning the wires, he located the main fuses. These were the specific power sources that the computer used to make its calculations. Navi-systems--at least, galaxy wide ones--were very powerful computers, able to make large processes, download specific information from the Holonet, and plot courses with little delay. This made their power usage soar through the roof. Many had their own batteries, seperate from the ship's main power. Still, their fuses were all alike. Popping open the box, he immediately spotted the blown fuse. It would cause the device to miss fire, and without it--one of six large fuses--calculations would remain incomplete. He fished for the right tools and the parts and slowly but surely made the repair.

"Give it a try," he said from underneath it. With the new fuse in place, Terran hoped it would operate smoothly. If not, he'd have to tinker deeper in the wiring--something he wasn't exactly looking forward to.

[Xau Ghin]

Terran was tinkering with the wires and fuses through the hole in the floor and Xau studied the charts. Hera was right, they were somewhat close to Ylesia. It was only a few systems off.

He thought about the possiblity of being dropped off at Ylesia. The spice mines.... there was definitely the possibility of being taken and being force to work in the mines. He definitely didn't want that.... Something began to interrupt his thoughts, it was that nagging, teasing feeling again. The Force.... he thought to himself. Why couldn't it just go away?

He took a step back away from Terran adn Hera, who was watching him and not Xau. Xau reached into his pocket and pulled out another red vile, holding it in his hand he considered opening it and the consequences it might have with two Force users around. It didn't matter, the teasing and nagging grew inside him, he didn't feel like he could take it any more. He pulled the corck from the vile exposing the Force nullifying liquid to Hera and Terran. Quickly, hopeing not to catch their attention he poured the thick red liquid down his throat. Hopefully Terran wasn't using the Force for anything down there. The short exposure to the red substance would prevent him from using it momentarily and could possibly lead to harming the Jedi.

Hera moved to try to see if the fuse fixed the problem when Xau caught a changed expression on her face. She knew something was up, but whether her or Terran would say anything was yet to be seen.

[DarthHERA]

Xau looked at her somewhat defiantly, and deftly slipped the vile once again to the concealment of his pocket.

Head in the wiring compartment, Terran was pointing out that he was going to bypass a certain circuit, giving a rather lengthy and detailed explanation of the "hows" and "whys". But Hera was not really listening to him now, her focus locked on to Xau and Terran rambled on regardless.

"What have you got there" her eyes narrowed.

"The circuit, Hera - I was showing you.." Terran answered, ignorant that the question was not for him. That is, until he twisted his neck round and saw the Sith looking hard at Xau.

The Jedi then twisted his head the other way and slightly frowned questioningly at his ally, obviously missing something.

Hera straightened and moved toward Xau.

They were not far from Hutt Space, and Hera had entertained thoughts of making Xau a gift to Geeda (http://216.73.105.30/forum/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=1272) - a compensory "goodwill" gesture for Hera's previous renegging on her contract to kill the Sith Garrett Blade. The Hutt had not been kindly disposed towards Hera since that act of rebellion and business had cooled dramatically between them. The Faene Mistress saw an opportunity to smooth things over in Xau. He would make a nice toy for the Spice Slaver for a while. Nothing permanent, of course - but that would depend on Xau too, on how entertaining Geeda found him.

Hera didn't want to anything further to spoil her plans for making some kind of profit or personal gain on what was proving to be a write-off trip of the year.

"Dont make me take it from you.." she warned Xau darkly.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Before Terran heard her speak the words, he felt them, as though he could sense a shift in the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood--like they always did when he sensed things through the Force. He jerked his head out from under/inside the circuit box and pushed and stood, quickly, a spark of urgency motivating him to be on his feet.

"Dont make me take it from you.."

Immediately, Terran stepped forward. Though not forcefully, he positioned himself slightly in front of Hera and most importantly between Xau and the Sith. Hera was threatening Xau about something, the Jedi could nearly smell the venom of her words. This was a situation that he had to be involved with.

"Wait one minute," he said, his voice gentle, trying to break the tension in the air. At this moment, it was fairly thick. Luckily, a large part of his training as a Jedi was conflict mediation. He felt comfortable between the two, as his skills in negotiation were rather good.

"What's going on?" He looked inquisitvely at Hera, then back at Xau, then back to Hera. He stopped, as niether really budged, and brought his focus back to the other man. "Are you ok?" Terran finally noticed that Xau was a bit pale, and he could feel his discomfort now in the Force.

[Xau Ghin]

"Well, I suppose I ought to just tell you guys what this stuff is." Xau said. "It's Ysalamiri blood. Basically it shuts the Force out of my body." He said and looked from Hera then back to Terran. "I wouldn't recommend taking it, let alone touching it. Both of you are strong in the Force, touching the vial would bring you pain, and if any of this stuff gets into your system, it will probably kill you." Xau watched the faces of Terran and Hera.

"And I haven't forgotten how you left me back on that hell hole, Hera. I'd check what you eat if I were you." Xau said threateningly knowing full well Hera was thinking of the possibilities. Xau was in the kitchen for a long enough period of time while her and Terran 'discussed' things.

Both of them knew Xau had some control over the Force so the next question was why wasn't he dead already? "The Force..." he said and looked down. He could feel the anger rise in him. "its like- it's like I'm a dog and the Force is a treat I can't reach but it's always there. Always teasing." he said. Now it was time for questions, and also Hera reaching out to kill him. He didn't know Hera very well at all, but he could guess that she didn't take threats lightly.

[DarthHERA]

Hera had never heard of such a thing - in all her experiences with Ysalamiri (and that was way too many that she cared to remember) - the creatures had to be alive to do any harm. Their force-nullifying effect in direct correlation to their living bodies.

But at the moment, that was beside the point.

The point was - Xau had just threatened her, and rather brazenly at that. Did he forget where he was? In deep space somewhere, in the company of a Sith Master who for convenience would have left him to his fate when he was on her side in the battle against the Ichrids? How much more when he openly declared himself her enemy.

Hera lunged forward pushing Xau up against the rampart so that his head bent down awkwardly.

"You know, Ive always wondered if a mans blood really does boil inside his body when cast adrift in space....Suddenly I have the urge to find out"

[Xau Ghin]

As well as he knew he was at Hera's mercy, Xau also knew he wasn't alone. The Jedi wouldn't allow him t be killed, Xau was nearly positive of that. At the moment Hera could kill him with a blade of some sorts and it may be too quick for Terran to do anything.

With his head pressed up against the rampart he did his best to speak, "Go ahead, toss me out there." He dared to say knowing full well it may not be the wisest thing to say to say. Either way she was going to do something terrible to him, leave him on Ylesia toss him into space, did it really matter?

Xau slid his hand to one of his pouches. Hera was blinded by rage and her mind would be filled with nasty thoughts arriving when Xau dared her to toss him out; Xau doubted she would notice. Inside his pocket he felt a smaller version of a thremal detonator. It may be less powerful but the explosion would kill her as well as Xau, who was doomed the way it was. If she managed to get away, the explosion would form a hole in the hull and then everyone died. Hera would finally find out if her blood would boil in space.

He waited until either Terran stepped in or Hera backed off, which was very unlikely before he made any bad decisions.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"Calm yourselves!" Terran stepped into the fray, trying to slightly edge himself in between the two. His back faced Xau--who was giving off a strange, reckless energy at this point--and his eyes locked onto Hera's. She was a Sith, and a stronger one than he. Xau had no chance against her and Terran, in all honesty, probably had little. He was capable and willing to protect what he believed in, but she had a stronger aura about her. The one thing he hoped to rely on was to feed her ego--to coax her into inaction.

"It would be a waste of your strength to squash this bug," he said, softer, so that it was mostly absorbed by Hera and not Xau. He tried to calm her in the best way he could. "There are better uses for him than this. Besides, it would be an awful mess to clean up." Hopefully, with a touch of the Force, she would find his cry for peace mildly effective. He felt the air begin to lessen around them, as some of the tension was let out.

"Xau," he said, louder. "I don't quite understand the process by which you speak of, but I should like to sit with you to hear more about it." His eyes remained locked on Hera's, keeping a steady contact with her. He hoped that something might bend inside of her. He knew that if she became set on hurting Xau, there would be little he would be able to do about it.

Calm down, you're doing fine, something inside of Terran comforted him. He took another breath.

[Xau Ghin]

Terran was doing just as Xau had predicted. If there was one thing he learned at the Order it was the Jedi were predictable. He took his hand from the detonator and did his best to push on Hera. Her force was stronger than anything he could muster up, but he managed to sqwirm away from between her and the wall.

"You left me to die," he said to Hera locking eyes with her yet his voice was a little shaky, "I haven't forgotten that."

Xau knew he was going to be lucky if Hera didn't kill him still. Now he was beginning to doubt whether or not he should have done anything. Who was he kidding, he wasn't some tough guy. He wouldn't allow himself to be pushed around. He had to draw the line somewhere.

"There's nothing in the food, either." He said but he knew Hera had guessed he was bluffing. Better to give her a definite yes or no than an unsure guess that he was bluffing. It might help his chances in living.

"Just remember Hera, what goes around comes around. You'll get yours." He said unsure whether this would make her angry or... well, it probably wasn't going to make her happy. But she might dismiss it.

[DarthHERA]

"Balance?" Hera sneered at Xau, "Is that what you're talking about?"

Beside her, Terran watched her intently and she could feel his readiness to spring at her should it be necessary. Her eyes remained locked on Xau.

"Evil will get its due? Right always comes out right, blah blah? Is that what you think?"

She started to laugh. It was cruel and mocking, and neither of the other two joined in her mirth.

"Where have you been living all your life?"

She grabbed Xau's face in her hand, pinching his cheeks together so that his lips pursed forward and got up in his face.

"Have you seen this frelled up galaxy at all? The only rule that applies is - whoever is stronger, wins. And you just bought yourself a ticket on the losing side of the war, Xau."

She let her hand drop and turned momentarily to Terran.

"You're right - this bug isn't worth my effort. But he will be worth something to Geeda the Hutt when we arrive in Ylesia."

She paused deliberately.

"Unless you can convince me of a reason not to hand him over to her.."

[imported_Terran Starek]

OOC: Guys, I'm so sorry. This last week was Homecoming here, and I was an advisor on the student team that worked with it, so please excuse my late response.

IC:

Terran let out a small sigh of relief as Hera turned away from Xau after some time. He gave her a quick look as she passed by him and made his way closer to Xau, helping him to his feet as had stumbled from her forceable shove at the end of the speech. He brushed a bit of dirt off of the other and gave him a stern look.

"You can't do that anymore," he said, his voice soft. "You must guard your tongue. We're on her ship, and fortunately, she hasn't ejected us from it yet." He gave the Jedi a protesting look. "I know she wasn't exactly cordial to you, but remember our situation." He gave him a quick squeeze on the shoulder and turned to face Hera, who took to tinkering with something.

"Are you done bullying the children?" He gave her a half serious look accompanied with a quick grin at his own wit. "I'd say that the last person we need to visit is Geeda. I think I deserve a half-way peaceful drop-off, and you know how well Jedi are recieved in Hutt Space." Terran paused for a second, his brow scrunching up as he thought. He bit his lip absent-mindedly, an idiosyncrasy he often exhibited.

"Is the navicomp running yet? Did you test it?" He decided to draw Hera's mind away from the subject for the moment. He would deal with destinations when the ship was actually in piloted motion.

[DarthHERA]

Bullying the children? She'd like to draw and quarter them more likes and the look she shot Terran said as much.

"I dont really care what you feel you deserve Terran. Ylesia is the closest port from our position...if your patchup job didnt screw the system up too much and we are where it says we are."

She was harsh in tone and personality, Hera was used to living on the hard edge of life and it computed out in almost everything she did and said.

Xau went back to checking the Star charts, and Hera followed him with a guarded sidelong glance.

"No need to check those any more Hutt-meat, I know where we are now."

Hera hoped Xau would respond in frustration and anger and take his focus off the maps. The Sith hadn't been completely honest when she'd said Ylesia was the closest port..


occ: no problem.

[Xau Ghin]

OOC: Sorry as well, I just got slammed with exams and papers.

IC: Hera really didn't understand. There was no balance, there was always something bigger consuming the other. Xau wasn't sure she knew she was on the smaller side of the war. The bigger side... Xau didn't even know how you joined it. Or even what it was, but Hera, Terran and Xau were on the losing side.

He went back to the maps. He did his best to focus but he was too shaken to do so. What Hera had said, what Terran had said... He just... He didn't know what he wanted to do. Xau wasn't afraid to put the blaster to his head, he was just afraid it would hurt like hell.

Then Hera spoke angering him more. He dropped the maps and looked at her. "Don't be so sure." He said having no clue what he meant by it. Xau broke eyes contact and looked out the window. Somewhere in the endless spread of stars he saw something different. It didn't shine like a star, was it possibly a ship?

"What's that?" He said and pointed.

[imported_Terran Starek]

"What in the name of Yoda. . ." Terran's voice trailed off as he squinted to identify the strange object that Xau had pointed out. He couldn't quite see it clearly with the glare of several cockpit lights that had been turned on as he had worked on the computer systems, but he could definitely make out that it was close.

And it was moving.

"Hera, you've got some sort of sensors on here, right?" Terran searched the cockpit frantically for some sort of sensor readout screen. He was a bit worried--with their previous altercation and perhaps with the reputation of this ship--that the approaching object was not coming in peace. He was mostly worried, however, because he didn't know what it was.

"I dunno what I see, but it definitely isn't standing still." Terran hoped the Sith had sensors--and sufficient weaponry, in the case of this situation becoming an emergency.

[DarthHERA]

Hera without hesitation engaged the sheilds.

"Strap up" she said, and she did the same even as she spoke.

"That ship isn't stopping by to lend us a hand - I'll bet Xau's life on it.."

Even before she'd finished speaking, a volley of ion cannon rocked the frame of the "Wolfsschanze" as the cruiser fired at them from behind.

"Frell! Probably friends of the roaches.." One could only guess what technology the Ichrids and their sybiotic friends had..

"Somebody get to the guns!"

[Xau Ghin]

Xau vaguely knew where the guns were, but he figured if he knew that much it was good enough. He ran to the back and he began to question why on earth he was defendeding this ship? For his own sake he assumed, it felt like the best thing to do and that's what counted.

Xau found the guns easily enough and climbed into the seat behind the controls. Another ion blast rattled the ship and the systems dimmed but remained online. Another ionizatin blast and the ship would be powerless to be either destoryed or taken to who knew where. The cruiser came around the Wolfsschanze on Xau's side and he fired away at the hull. The ship seemed to be made of scraps of other ships, if they didn't hold out at the moment Xau suspected the Wolfsschanze would be added to the conglomeration that made up the enemy.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Terran didn't waste time as he made his way to the laser cannon controls. Xau had manned one turret, and he quickly plopped into the seat of another. Engaging the systems with a flick of a switch, a small whine was heard as the machinery came to life. He pulled the headset on--to keep communication between he and Hera in the cockpit--and raised the yoke of the turret into his hands. The targeting HUD appeared, a display of red blue and green lights, and mapped out his enemy.

"Alright, Xau, let's show this guy why he picked on the wrong ship!" Terran smiled a bit--he hadn't fired a turret in some time. He was good with hand-eye coordination-type tasks, and it was refreshing from him usual means of defense: his lightsaber. The ship was moving rather fast for its size, and the Jedi had difficulty following its path. Strange.

THAK THAK THAK THAK THAK THAK

He opened fire directly into the path of the enemy ship, red blasts lighting up the dark mass of the space around them. The blasts whipped through the blackness like white hot razors, tearing a course directly towards the ship. None hit, however, as he heard Xau's cannons singing another chorus of gunfire towards their common enemy. Then, it hit Terran.

"Hera. . .are you seeing this?" Terran glanced to his HUD, noticing several other red dots coming into the scope. Five. . .maybe six. . .maybe ten, he couldn't tell, they were so bunched up. Any one of those figures wasn't a pleasant fact to face, and Terran began to worry a bit.

"This is not going to be good," he commented, releasing another hail of cannon fire onto the opposing ship, a few blasts striking the hull and shaking the enemy.

[DarthHERA]

The attacking vessel was an Ugly of sorts - a craft made up from scavenged parts of other fighters into a workable, if unsightly, craft.

The barrage of fire shook the "Wolfsschanze" even as they responded in kind - Terran and Xau both at the guns.

The red blips that appeared on Terrans screen, appeared on Hera's and Xau's also. The Uglies were attacking much like a wolf pack, only with a bit too much distance behind the leader.

Another particularly accurate volley made the YT-2000 lurch violently to the side and the overhead lights flicker. The sheilds were still holding, but such abuse wouldnt be tolerated for too long.

"Shoot them will you!" Hera yelled over her shoulder, not happy to be taking hits.

Pulling back hard and accellerating, Hera pulled the ship up in a sharp change of direction to fold up and over the first attacker. Dropping down in a dive behind it now, she left a clean target for both Xau and Terran to rake as they came by.

Terran and Xau needed no promting and the tactic proved successful as quad laser cannon spat across the spacescape, peppering the Ugly and sending it into a cartwheeling spin.

However, like a magnet pulling lead particles in its wake, the remaining pursurers followed the "Wolfsschanze" as she came out of her dive.

Continuing to bob and weave at an insane speed, Hera worked at dodging fire, avoiding a collision and preparing for the jump to hyperspeed.

Inwardly, she hoped the Navicomp had truely been repaired as there was not time to check it..

[Xau Ghin]

Xau focused as he took aim, a few well placed shots could cause the ship to break up. Assuming it was as poorly put together as it seemed to be.

"Careful..." he sid softly and then fired. A spray of red blaster fire shot across space as Xau's shot had missed when Hera sent the ship into a dive.

Instead of getting angry at the woman, Xau did his best to concentrate his energy towards hitting that enemy ship. Again he took aim at the pointy nose of the opposite ship. Moments before he fired, the Wolfsschanze took another dive and as Xau had anticipated the other ship followed and flew into his fire starting at the nose and stopping where Xau guessed the cockpit would be.

It was the first time Xau noticed the ship didn't have sheilds. "What the..." Xau said out loud. It wasn't making any sense, why on earth would a ship atack another without putting up its shields? The bits and pieces that made up the hull began to break off and fly into space as several much smaller ships emerged. Without being bogged down with the extra bits of hull that provided the disguise of a larger, more threatening ship. The smaller ships sped up until the formed a circle around the Wolfsschanze, dispite the firing from Terran and Xau's cannons. Then Xau noticed a pull of some sort on his gun, but not him. It wasn't a small tractor beam, it was almost like it was a powerful magnet.

[imported_Terran Starek]

These were truly some of the strangest ships he had ever encountered.

"It's like their entire attack force was forged from the junkyard!" Terran exclaimed as he tore apart another enemy fighter. Stray parts of other ships--sometimes loosely connected--seemed to hold together just enough to maintain flight as the ships did not take fire well. Terran was begining to wonder exactly where these ships were coming from. He'd never read about this type of fleet--and that greatly interested him.

"What the--" Terran could barely exclaim as he felt the same pull that Xau was experiencing from some reason, it was as thought the barrels of his weapon were being pulled towards some central force. Parts of the ship began to creak as well, and it did in fact seem as though they were being affected by some super-powered magnet.

"Hera--tell me we are getting out of here quick!" Terran wondered if there were any life support suits in his vacinity, just in case the Sith's ship was to be pulled apart. "I don't think this is good at all!"

[DarthHERA]

The flaming remnents of the ship Xau had exploded lit up Hera's face, revealing in its red glow the hard set to Hera's jaw.

There was no way these cretin would have the "Wolfscchanze"

It would be over her dead body...and Xau and Terrans bodies too, but that was beside the point.

A concentrated focus now in the Uglies assault resulted in a magnetic charge interferring with the ship and the firing turrets.

The pack circling them did so with difficulty as the speed with which the Sith ship was moving made any such maneuver perilous to execute. And it was just this precarious setup that worked in the Wolfsschanze favour.

"Keep firing!" Hera directed over her shoulder to her fellow occupants. "Cause as much interference as possible"

Facing forward, the Faene Mistress set her sights on the ship directly in front of her - an obscene little excuse for a spacecraft - and pushed on the throttle.

The Wolfsschanze would make the jump to hyperspace even if it had to go through the Ugly vessell, or what was left of it, in order to do it.

Firing her forward guns relentlessly, and accellerating so that the craft shook from stem to stern, Hera drove the YT-2400 into a deadly game of "chicken." The Ugly would avert course or blast into oblivion by being plowed through by its enemy.

Either way, Hera was done playing target pidgeon.

It was time to leave.

With split-second timing, a lethal shot finally entered into the Ugly's hulk exploding it, and with a cascade of brilliant white burning debris tumbling about the "Wolfsschanze" - the Sith vessell disappeared into the jump of hyperspace.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau slid out of his seat and stood up. He stretched his arms out and flexed his wrists. The whole ship had nearly fallen apart, if those ships had their way it would have. It would have cracked open and spilled its three passangers out into space. Finally, Hera would find out if their blood boils in space. Thankfully the question would go unanswered for just a little longer.

He walked over to Terran, "Any clue where we're going now?"

[DarthHERA]

Hera got up from her seat and hovered over Terran's shoulder too, looking at the star charts.

"Well, were a long way from where we were" she said blandly to Xau without looking up.

"Bring up the perimeter planets and see what choices we have"

As Terran responded, the three peered closely, each seeking out a haven that would best suit each of them. All three focused on different planets each as a possibility.

[imported_Terran Starek]

OOC: Sorry, school. Last weeks of the semester = busy

IC:

"Well, I don't exactly know the plan, Xau," Terran responded, slightly puzzled now that the situation was turned upside down. It would've been nice if he had a clue about this quadrant or the surrounding ones, but he honestly didn't. It was suprising--a chance hole in his usual bookwomish knowledge base. The Force worked in strange ways, he decided. Luckily, he knew a bit about one.

"Here's one option--Ni'karek. It's a pretty small planet, just outside of New Republic rule." Terran pulled the planet up on the map, showing a small, mostly water-based planet. A few land masses dotted the surface, but the majority was covered in vast, blue-orange seas. "The Ni'kareks are a race of smaller, bipedal humanoids. Their main industry is Ni'karek coral harvesting, which you might of heard of before. Used in certain ceramics and art." Though he was definitely loosing his audience, especially Hera as he heard her sigh, he continued.

"The Ni'karek haven't joined the Republic for one reason--to keep the nuetrality of their trade. However, they are known to support the Republic, and a fe Ni'karek have become Jedi." He felt comfortable with this fact--no Hutt space, no Empire or Sith control.

"Personally, my vote's Ni'karek."

[DarthHERA]

Terran was pretty handy with the general knowledge thing, and although he tended to be long-winded, his overall summary of the planet gave rise to hopes of a decent haven.

Hera pictured beaches, sun, warmth. She was already making her mind up.

The original planet she had been looking at had attracted her interest as it was the most remote of the group. But the more she thought about Ni'karek - its lack of formal ties with the NR, or any other military might for that matter - would in all probability make for easier entrance into their spacelanes. Less scruitiny.

They could only hope. Odds were that they would catch a break after all that they had been through.

"Fine by me" she stated.

She looked to Xau for his input. Like it mattered. He all but read her thoughts and she smirked at him.

"Ni'karek it is. Buckle up boys, were going for a dive."

She pushed forward on the throttle, locked in the co-ordinates of the planet, and the three unlikely adventurers pressed forward to the ocean planet rising up before them.

[imported_Terran Starek]

Well, that was unexpected, he thought. Hera had actually elected to accomadate him, and for a second, he guessed it was a joke. Hmmph. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, he thought, and decided that the quicker he could get back into control of this situation, the better.

As they approached the big blue planet, Terran smiled. It was nice to get away from all of the stars. Though he didn't mind travel, he preferred being on the surface of a planet any day. Especially one as pleasant as Ni'karek. Hera understood general planet dynamics, and he could tell that she was setting their course for a southern spaceport in the Northern Hemisphere. It would be a warm, sunny climate, and he didn't protest. Doing as Hera suggested, Terran buckled his belt tightly as they plunged into the planet's atmosphere.

The clouds swallowed them up into a white world of fog as they left the darkness of space. This was his favorite part about the descent onto a planet. Swirling and whipping around them, the cloud-cover of the upper atmoshpere surrounded them like a blanket, hugging the ship tightly. Terran could loose his mind in this peace. He could just let it flow. Typically, it was short lived, as the nose of the ship punched a hole in the wall of clouds and the ship plunged through, opeining into a beautiful, silent blue sky.

Breathtaking.

Below them, Terran could see a formation of about four islands, each populated with large, luxorious cities and forest lines. This was definitely a tourist starport, and the Jedi noticed several ships--both sea and air--bustling about. As they drew closer, they were met with the starport guard.

"This is Ni'karek Port 992 to unkown craft, please state your purpose," the heavily accented voice spoke basic in a slippery, yet elegant tongue. Hera handled the business that a pilot must, and now that the ship was descending softly, Terran made his way back to gather his things.

"Xau?" He called to the other as he packed his belongings into his bag. "Do you need help with something? Travel? Board?" He was in much better spirits now, especially considering that he was about to get some serious sleep, and the comforting smile he usually wore returned.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau was searching through his pockets gathering an invantory of what he did have and what he didn't. To honestly answer Terran, he did need help with both travel and board. "No. I should be fine, but thanks anyway." he replied and continued searching through his pockets. He looked up as Hera replied to ground control, he silently prayed that they would let them land so he could just get away from the ship. Every second he spent remotely close to Hera made him more and more uneasy. She could kill him and he was painfully aware of that.

"Well, are they going to let us land or what?" he said outloud.