All That Remains: On the Wings of Hope

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was an unassuming portion of space that they'd dropped into, falling out of hyperspace with ease. Sol's ship only barely shuddered, but it was enough of a tell for the Lupine to know that they'd left their hyperlane and fallen into subspace.

From her ever-constant presence at Zem's cot, s'Il sat up just a little straighter, blinking as she cast a quick look to the forward section of the shuttle. But it was only fleeting, and she returned her attentions to Zem. She gave his hand a squeeze.

""Not long now," she whispered, smiling an almost apologetic smile. She knew who had caused his wounds, and the guilt she felt would weigh upon her for a long time to come.

But, the time to act against the coming Darkness was now, and the time for reflection and penance would come later.

"I'll make everything right," she finished quietly.

[Zem Vymes]

He was grateful to bring her back from the brink, and yet the terrible machinations of the Sith Lord were still very much in motion. By her own words, she aimed to finish this the way she thought right. The narrow path that led back to Darth Decepis.

Zem shifted on his cot, grimacing as a pained rattle exhaled from dry lips. He scrabbled for better purchase, trying to sit up to better approximate eye level.

"How?"

Even on their best terms, Darth Decepis would tax them to the brink. And they were far from their best. Bruised, beaten, and worse, they were running from one fight headlong to pick another.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His question only elicited a smile, and s'Il reached out to give a gentle pat to his cheek. Her hand stilled then, fingers resting softly along the side of his face.

"It would take so long to explain," she started, "... and our time now is short."

But the questioning glint in his eyes didn't die away, and the Lupine inhaled deeply; she could pick apart each and every scent that she now drew in - it was like some heady concoction that gave her hope.

Finally.

"I had a teacher once, who instilled within me the need for defense. He taught me that it was sometimes better to wait and watch, and build my safeguards and gates to stave off whatever oncoming evil I might face. To find my center and let my opponent come to me... " As she spoke, s'Il rose to her feet.

Her hand remained in his however, even as she stood.

"My teacher was one of the Order's best... "

She placed a small kiss to his forehead.

"... even if he doesn't realize it."

[Zem Vymes]

Uncomfortable by her flattery, Zem nevertheless tried on a reciprocating smile.

"Well then, I hope you learned everything you could."

He didn't need to say what was best left to eyes to explain. Lupines rebounded from injury easily. Humans were a bit more leisurely. If the confrontation with Decepis proved personal, and he believed it would, then she would face her ancient nemesis, her lover, and her one-time master alone. So fresh from the brink and so fragile. A burden so heavy, and yet no other way to carry it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A final reassuring squeeze to his hand, and s'Il took a step back before pulling away completely.

"Rest," was her only parting word as she moved away, heading the short distance to the cockpit of the shuttle, and where she knew Sol would be.

Her gait, though still tender, held a resoluteness that came only from the knowledge that there was a heavy task ahead. And as she stepped through the threshold, the Lupine furrowed her brow, her eye scanning the starfield now before them.

"Your long range sensors... have they picked anything up?"

[Rev Solomon]

The Exodus was an old Theta T-2c medical shuttle with a long service record and a sensor package that had seen better days. The scopes were still dazzled by the transition from hyperspace, but presently the static cleared. Before them lay an ancient and desolate wreck of a star system, too old and remote to be known by anything but its catalog number. A dim red dwarf smoldered at the center of a great, spiraling trail of gas and dust, the sole remains of whatever planets might once have orbited the star in a younger epoch and been warmed by its light.

Gripping the flight yoke in his remaining hand, Solomon guided the Exodus somewhere north of the ecliptic, squinting through the canopy glass into the glimmering rings of dust. "Nothing yet," he said, "but if they're anywhere near that cloud, they'll probably see us before we see them."

He throttled down and let the shuttle ghost over the glowing rings while Loklorien searched them for any disturbance, any sign of a passing wake. "We can't wait for them very long," Solomon said. "He won't be waiting."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With hands gripping the headrest of his seat, s'Il let her thoughts drift outward in a moment of unchecked hope. There had never been aany definitive time, just a small window. A small window that they would all come together in a less-than-glorious coalescence of desperate intentions. She sought some manner of familiarity; some form of aetherial blossoming. The swirling ball of red energies that made up the system's star gave no hints, and the surrounding dust and spacial clouds held nothing but serene emptiness. It was a system so peaceful and so apart from the coming tumult. It was a place unto itself, without the trapping of conflict or hardships.

Bone-thin finger clenched the worn leather a little tighter as the Lupine closed her eyes, her head angled up as if trying to scent the very essence of the space around the Exodus.

"I cannot- "

And in a brilliant flash of unseen energies, she both felt and saw the sudden existence of a hope made manifest. It was like a shining beacon flaring up in inky blackness, to light a path previously unseen.

Outside, a massive ship cracked into supspace like a hawk, her hull both smooth and jagged. She sat in space like a bird of prey just emerged from some long stupor, yet alert and ready to hunt. She dwarfed the Theta T-2c, yet hung suspended above it like some mother hen protecting her young.

And in that moment, s'Il let out a long breath.

She would have spoken, but in this moment, there were no words to express her relief.

Instead, the Lupine opened her eyes, her gaze tracking down to the comm panel before Sol as it crackled to life with the reception of an incoming transmission.

[Kes Akiena]

He'd spent the last leg of their trip sitting in the captain's chair, settled above the pilot's station like some hunting bird's perch. Before them all was an expansive viewscreen that afforded an impressive view of the system they'd just dropped into.

Ship on our lower Z-axis, Major.

"Thank you KHER."

For a moment he said nothing, then stood from his chair.

"Keep us steady, Mr. Aamoran"

A sideways look to the mobile mainframe unit.

"Give me a channel."

A split second passed before the droid spoke once more.

Open.

"Theta shuttle, this is the Khera'Va'ss'io. We hope that we've not kept you waiting."

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon started in his seat when the massive, predatory ship burst into realspace above them, and he hardly noticed when the proximity alarm began chattering uselessly a few moments later. In his youth, he had served in the Clone Wars just as Loklorien had, and he had seen his share of warships, some that dwarfed even the monster that hung silently above them, but rarely had he seen so perfect a union of form and function. He had to crane his neck from side to side to see the Lupine cruiser's entire vast wingspan, nearly a kilometer all told, a mythic dragon from the legends of old.

"You didn't tell me she was that big."

The captain's hail broke the spell, and the Jedi preacher reached down to switch on the comm. "Khera'Va'ss'io, this is Exodus. We're on schedule, but time is short. With your permission, we'd like to come aboard immediately."

[Kes Akiena]

While he would have preferred a holo transmission, Kes knew time was of the essence. And truthfully, their shared radio transmission was all that was really needed.

He gave a nod that those aboard the Theta shuttle couldn't see.

"Permission granted, Exodus."

There was the barest of hesitation before he went on.

"Is she with you?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a quiet hrmph before answering.

"Yes, 'she' is."

And yet still, she could not help the glimmer of hope budding just a little bit more; like a seedling breaking through the soil to stare up at the sun.

[Kes Akiena]

A smile creased his features then, and the redhead breathed a sigh of relief.

"Very good then, Old Girl."

He turned to KHER then, nodding to the avatar.

"Begin docking procedures."

Yes Sir.

"And make things quick. Our time is in short supply."

[KHER]

I am aware, Sir.

So many processors fired, issuing inner orders and setting old subroutines into action.

KHER steadied his larger half, allowing the Theta shuttle to orient itself with the yaw of the larger ship. Beneath the main body, a pair of monolithic bay doors vented pressurized gas out into space as they began the ponderous motion of opening. The belly of the beast opened like a yawning mouth, the massive sliding bay doors widening ever farther.

[Rev Solomon]

With a steady hand Solomon guided the Exodus up into the belly of the beast. Inside was a vaulting structure of hard angles and buttresses and bulkheads, dense and compact as befitted a vessel of war, but the hangar deck was mostly empty, lights low save for a single illuminated pad, and no flight crew to receive them. The hangar doors groaned shut as the medical shuttle settled onto its skids.

Solomon powered down the engines and rose from his seat, his nearly two-meter frame stooped in the confines of the cockpit. "This is your show now, Lok," he said. "Lead the way."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

What was there to say? What words could there possibly be to utter in this moment? The answer was a simple one.

None.

Instead, s'Il only nodded. She knew that what was called for now was action, and she stepped back as Sol rose to stand, his form towering over her yet stooped all the same. It was surreal in a way, and she pressed her hands together, both palms hovering over her chest in a cross pattern, bowing in deference to the Jedi Master. It was a short-lived moment, but important none-the-less. And as she straightened back up, s'Il turned on her heel to stride purposefully from the cockpit.

The boarding ramp was already descending, and as s'Il strode purposefully toward it, she paused only long enough to look to James.

"I need you with me," her voice was firm, but gentle all the same. The other woman seemed like a leaf, ready to blow away at the slightest bit of wind. But the trust that she had in James was unshakable, and the Lupine gave an encouraging half-smile. There was so much in James that was pure and wonderful and strong. s'Il didn't wait for an answer however, as time was so much of the essence, and she continued her clipped pace, heading down the ramp's length even before it touched the deck of the hangar.

What happened now was dependent on the will of those involved. She had trusted in the Force to bring her thus far; trusted in the abilities of a myriad of individuals who had come together to bring them all this far. The war was not yet won, but this battle... this incredible culmination of so many efforts brought to fruition...

The Lupine breathed in the recycled air of the Khera'va'ss'io as though she was pulling in the fresh air of Schwartzweld. Despite the newly refurbished air regulators that the Alliance had installed, there was still a twinge of home. It caused her lips to pull back in a somewhat predatory grimace, and she let her expression hold even as she traversed the empty hangar bay. So much was still left to be done, but the hurdles that had been surpassed to reach this point in time gave her hope. Hope for the herself, hope for the galaxy, and more importantly hope for the Jedi.

And while her thoughts also trailed to Byl and Zem... she knew that Sol would see to those matters.

[James Prent]

James followed Lok into the big ship they'd docked with, trying to keep her legs from trembling as she walked. The...whatever it was she had done with the Force that had brought Jedi Vymes and Lok back from the brink of death... it had taken a lot out of her. She didn't understand it, didn't know where it had come from, but she felt hollowed out and ...transparent, somehow.

"What is this place?" she asked. Her voice echoed, and she flinched.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il slowed her pace slightly, allowing James to walk side by side with her.

"It is an old ship," she started slowly as they stepped through a pair of opening blast doors and into the ship proper. It was a stark affair, the empty corridors that seemed bathed in an ambient red glow. Normally they glowpanels would put of a soft white, but as the ship had come in hot from hyperspace, and was no doubt preparing for the next jump, Kes had called for a red alert. It was a strange thing to do in a way, as the only crew aboard were no doubt on the bridge, but it was a shrewd move regardless. It gave gravity to what they intended to plunge headlong into.

This was no easy task before them. It would be terrible and racked with pain. Of that she did not doubt.

The two stopped in front of a lift, and when the doors opened, they stepped inside.

"I had it rebuilt in secret, for this day," the doors closed, and the lift shot upwards.

But the ship was the last thing that s'Il wished to speak of now. Alone with James, the Lupine bowed her head, her eyes closing.

"I want you to know... James... "

A deep breath in, then back out. Her voice dropped low and she fumbled at the fingerless leather gloves she wore. Trappings and remnants of a terrible existence so recently pulled from.

"Even if you never forgive me, at least know that I am sorry."

She undid the clasps of each one, letting them fall to the metal decking of the lift as it came to a stop.

The doors opened, and s'Il stepped over the discarded gloves. Her stride was filled with a singular purpose, yet still there was a small limp, a gingerly placed step here and there.

"And after all of this, if you never wish to see me again... "

Bare hands now reached up to the clasps holding her form-fitting leather top, and with a sudden jerk she tore each one apart. Like the gloves, the top was cast aside, dropping to the deck. And still the Lupine walked, her gait steady enough as she led the way deeper into the ship.

"... I will never think ill of you."

[James Prent]

James had the irrational impulse to pick up the things Lok was dropping on the ground, but she resisted, just walking by her friend...former friend? She hadn't had enough time to process everything that had happened in the last few hours. Hells, she was still wearing the cream colored cold weather jumpsuit she'd dressed in for Hoth. The parka was still on the Exodus, but with Lok walking next to her in just a thin tank top James was starting to feel overdressed.

"I don't even know what t' think, Lok." She hurried her steps a bit to keep up. The other woman was incredibly energetic, considering what she'd just been through. "Are y'sure y'should be, you know, runnin' around like this?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il had stopped short of undoing the buttons of her trousers only due to the fact that she was still walking. James' words were a jarring reminder of her own still-healing wounds, but the Lupine refused to accept them. She could not afford them any thought.

"I must."

It was spoken so plainly, with so much conviction. And for her, it was the terrible truth.

Another bend in the corridor, and s'Il finally slowed her pace, coming to a stop at a nondescript door. It opened with only a slight hiss, and stepping inside, she moved through the small quarters that they now both occupied. And for one blessed moment she stood inactive. As if her mind had gone blank and she had to catch up with her own actions. She blinked. Then swallowed. Then closed her eyes and bowed her head low.

"I can't stop," she finally spoke, and turning around to face James, she could only shake her head.

"If I do - if any of us do - he will win."

[James Prent]

"Okay," she said, and then she reached out impulsively to take Lok's hand. She hollowed out Byl and left him to die! her mind screamed, but she couldn't reconcile that with her friend, standing in front of her. She felt hurt, confused, a little angry, and a lot tired. Solomon had said she had used a lot of herself, her energy patching Zem and Lok back together, but to be honest she didn't really know what she'd done.

"What do you want me to do?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Smiling at the contact, s'Il lifted her free hand and placed it over James' own in reassurance.

"I need you to hide me."

A strange request she knew, and the look on James' face was evident of that fact.

"I'll show you, not to worry," she gave the other woman's hand a squeeze.

"For now, you should rest."

And then the Lupine stepped back, releasing James so that she could move to a simple wardrobe that stood recessed into one of the walls. The doors were opened, and s'Il removed an Alliance uniform from its' hanger. There were others held within, all impeccably crisp and wrinkle-free.

"We have a small window while we're in hyperspace," pulling off her thin tanktop, she pulled on the white undershirt and began to fasten its' small buttons.

"If you wish to rest, then now would be the best time."

Her boots were unbuckled then, and pulled off as she unfastened her leather trousers. Those too were peeled from her body and dropped to the floor as though they carried upon their surface the most hideous of diseases. And perhaps they did. They certainly carried no good memories. Only death and terror.

The uniform pants were removed from the hanger, and pulled on with little fanfare.

"When we reach Ossus though... "

A pause, and fastening the waist-button, she leveled James with a heavy gaze.

"We'll all be put to the test. It will not be an easy task... "

Reaching for the tunic, s'Il shrugged it on.

"... killing a Sith Lord is never as such."

[James Prent]

James looked at the bunk, feeling the pull to climb into them and pull the covers over her head. What Lok was saying filtered through, however, and she looked at her abruptly. "Wait, what? Oh, no, no, no... I'm not gonna - I can't." She put out her hands, palms up, backing away slightly. "I mean, I want t' help, but that's way above my paygrade."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She could feel the worry as if it was a tactile sensation, and s'Il moved forward, her arms going out, hands taking James'.

"No no, it will not be much; I just need help. Neither of us is fully recovered, but together we are one."

It wasn't so much a pleading tone as it was encouraging, and her hands gripped the other woman's firmly. And in that moment the Lupine returned a small amount of the kindness that James had previously given to her. She let strength, confidence, and above all, hope, wash over them both. She held onto James and let the other woman pull what she wished. Comfort and warmth was sent to James.

"It is not much," came the whispered words, "... but even the smallest of help is often the greatest."

And as if providing shelter, s'Il pulled James close, embracing her tightly.

[James Prent]

She stood stiffly in Lok's embrace, and slowly relaxed, a feeling of peace washing over her. Part of her knew it was the Force working on her, but she didn't try to resist. James hugged Lok back. "I guess I'll do what I can," she said, still reluctant. Her thoughts turned to Byl, still on the Exodus in the belly of this big ship. He was the reason she was here, it was his safety she was concerned about.

She pulled back from Lok, looking up into her eyes. She couldn't find a trace of the horrible dark visage she'd seen in the past. Perhaps it would be okay. We should just take a shuttle and leave. This is not our concern. But if she didn't help Lok make a stand and this Dan person continued and grew stronger, he would become everyone's problem. James' eyes grew wet with unshed tears. It was an impossible choice. To stay put them in danger, to leave meant she valued her life and his over the lives of hundreds of other people.

"I'll stay," she said, hoarsely, reaching up to dash away the unwanted moisture.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Thank you."

Her own voice was a quiet whisper, and s'Il gave James a grateful nod.

The Lupine held James' gaze a moment longer, then buttoned up the metal clasps of her outer uniform jacket, only stopping until the last one, at her upper neckline, had been fastened. She placed a hand to the other woman's shoulder then.

"Rest now."

She smiled gently.

"I'll make sure that you're not disturbed until just before we reach Ossus."

[KHER]

* * *

He'd been sent from the bridge to meet the shuttle that'd been brought aboard. It wasn't an inglorious task, really. The mobile mainframe unit could monitor everything in his larger half no matter where he chose to be.

Major Akiena had ordered the jump back into hyperspace almost immediately after Exodus had berthed, and the ship had obeyed flawlessly, flinging them all back into a frantic race against time.


Exodus sat quietly, resting upon the deck beside the shuttle that had brought the initial cadre of conspirators to Dac. It seemed that their small group was growing. He had yet to meet the woman, Loklorien s'Ilancy, but that would come in time. He caught sight of her well enough through his internal sensors as she and another woman made their way through his corridors before disappearing into the captain's quarters.

He'd not pried. At least, not yet.

For now he'd been sent to see to those still aboard the shuttle, and the hawkish, towering droid moved with a deceptively smooth gait.

The shuttle's boarding ramp was extended, and without waiting for an invitation, the droid headed upward, never breaking stride.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon stood over Zem's bed, running a mediscanner over the stricken Jedi's chest. He still slept fitfully, and his breath sounded shallow and wet. The preacher looked up sharply at the unannounced arrival, a long, lean droid designed on similar lines as the ship they had landed on.

"Are you a member of the crew?" he asked. And then, not waiting for an answer, he gestured to Master Vymes. "If you have an infirmary on board, we need to get him there as soon as possible. I've done all I can for him here, but my resources are limited."

[KHER]

KHER stood in silence, the black orbs of his eyes staring at the one who'd spoke before slowly moving down to take in the injured man. His head angled to the side as he registered the words spoken.

I am the ship.

His simulated voice was gravelly, and KHER looked up as one of the small antennae on his head ticked back, then forward once more.

I have an infirmary, yes. My crew is limited though, so you will have to transport him yourself.

Stepping back then, the droid allowed more room for maneuvering.

I will show you the way.

[Rev Solomon]

Oh. Well, then.

Solomon wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of a droid avatar for shipboard AIs, but in both theory and practice he preferred a ship that couldn't decide it knew better than you did, especially when it commanded the firepower of a battlecruiser. But he wasn't in a position to debate the cyberethics of war with a walking starship mainframe. In the work of moments, he disconnected the monitor leads from Zem's ailing form and slipped a few safety locks, turning the stationary bed into a hover gurney he could float out of the belly of the Exodus with ease.

"Lead the way."

His thoughts turned to Lok, and to the young stranger, James, who were no doubt already preparing for the inevitable confrontation with General Dan, Loklorien's erstwhile Sith master. Solomon found himself torn, longing to be by their side, but unable to leave Zem's until he was properly cared for.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *

She tugged at the edge of her tunic's sleeve, remembering with a strange sense of peace the feel of a uniform. It focused her being, gave a defining edge to her self. It gave her purpose. But, it was merely a physical trigger, no matter how powerful. Her mind, so newly made whole, was still trying to process itself and catch up with the actions that she was now taking; knew she had to take. And as Lok s'Ilancy rode the lift in silence, hurtling up into the upper portions of her ship, she could not help the downward turn of her head, eyes closing as a hand came up to press fingers into the inside corners of each eye. The memories were so fresh, and cut so deeply. They were merciless in a time that she could not afford to be distracted by such things. In the solitary silence offered by her journey to the bridge level, the Lupine released a shaking breath, feeling it shudder from her lungs and escape her lips.

She was whole, yes, but the cost had been terrible. The actions of her fractured soul could never be forgotten, and in this moment, even she could find no forgiveness for herself. She had become a monster that sent innocents to their death with the cut of her own saber. All for one man. One man who had wrapped her so thoroughly around his gnarled finger with promises of kinship, immortality, and worst of all - love. She had destroyed lives, snuffed out such young fires for love. The love of a man who held no capacity to return that singular, primal requirement. Alone, she grieved. She grieved for those who met their ends by her hand - her misguided sentiments. The evil done to her paled so much compared to the evil that she brought to others in his name.

But, all was not completely lost, and the Lupine let her hand fall away, resolve once more settling over her inner demons and regrets. The long and twisted journey that had seen her so utterly enveloped in the madness of the Dark would end. Soon.

The lift slowed, coming to an easy stop, and the doors opened with a quiet hiss.

She stepped out into the corridor that would take her to the bridge, but as her eyes settled on the solitary figure standing in her path, she drew up. Her shoulders squared, her jaws set in a face that became a mask of wordless acknowledgement. There was sorrow, determination, and an understanding that passed through her eye as she looked up at him.

What could she possibly say that would counter any accusation he had every right to lay at her feet? The answer was a simple, nothing.

She met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Knight Evanar."

[Morgan Evanar]

Two meters of dimly lit Jedi stood before her. Morgan's long arms folded across his chest.

He physically towered over the lupine woman. His lips started to move but stopped. Morgan carefully rode the wave of his own emotions: confusion, anger, joy, betrayal, disbelief, and relief. There was still a gaping lack of trust towards her, given her recent past deeds. Jedi stood on a narrow ledge and the depths below were dark and mad. Had Loklorien pulled herself from the inky black? No one had the luxury of time to muse on that question. The stakes were too high now for anything but cooperation.

Distant, but not deaf from the living Force, he could feel turmoil within her. There was also peace and acceptance that he had never felt before somewhere below that turmoil. Morgan chose his next words to reflect the here and now of who he was, of what must be done instead of his own feelings. He sighed.

"We've got work to do, Loklorien. When we get out of this alive we're going to have a long talk."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A long talk. She had no doubts that there would be a great many of those.

She dipped her head in respect, her hands coming together in front of her as she bowed slightly at the waist. As she straightened back up, the Lupine lifted her eyes once more to meet his. His acknowledgement of their need for a dialogue was tempered with the needs of the present. She admired his restraint. By all rights he had every reason to cut her down; to send her head from her shoulders. And yet he did not. He existed in the weight of the moment, and understood so completely the terrible task that they had all set themselves upon. The were bound together now. After, however...

"I understand."

And understand she did, looking up at him with sincerity bourne of strife and betrayal; the same that she had rained down upon the Jedi. It was a heartbreaking truth, and that he still stood here, that he had even agreed to help in the first place... the Lupine blinked.

"When we are through with this business," she moved then, starting forward once more to down the length of corridor that would bring them to the bridge. There was little time for apologies now. What their focus was, was the crucible that they were set to cast themselves into.

"The ship... he functions smoothly enough, then?"

[Morgan Evanar]

They set off for the bridge. Her stride was rapid to keep pace.

"Your people may have had their flaws, but they knew how to build a spacecraft, and how to write a droid brain. I've got some long term concerns about KHER, but nothing in a combat role." He. Interesting. KHER seemed to prefer that gender binary. It was likely a lupine thing regarding their spacecraft.

"He's got some impressive stuff. Our engineers had to retrofit some modern equipment in spots, but the basics are still solid. Major Akiena did good work. From the tactical report we're going to need it." Morgan peeled away from Lok as they arrived on the bridge and resumed his post at the engineering console. He'd be able to monitor critical ship systems and make adjustments as needed. He'd had some initial difficulty drilling down to the power management philosophy of the ship, but once he was familiar with how things worked, he went to work to put him in peak condition.

[Kes Akiena]

Kes was on his feet and out of the Captain's seat the moment he heard the doors open. Quick strides brought him from the command perch and down the shallow steps that would place him on the main bridge level. Standing just behind the pilot's nest, he watched as Commodore s'Ilancy approached, and the monolithic Jedi, Morgan Evanar as he peeled off to resume his perch over the engineering console. If circumstances were different, he would've greeted his old Lupine friend with a wide smile and even a firm hug. Unfortunately, as things had played out for them, this reunion was anything but a time for happy meetings.

As it was she looked haggard, her skin pale and features hollow, sunken almost to the point of concern. The old fire burned in her eye still, and gave him reassurances, but her body seemed a shadow of what it had once been. Even wrapped in that familiar dressing of the Alliance uniform that he was so used to seeing her wear she seemed to pale in comparison to what he remembered.

"Commodore," a smile could not help but manifest, and though edged and thin, it was still there and it was hopeful.

"Good to see you aboard," his hands moved to clasp behind his back.

"And more or less in working order yourself."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A deep breath as she stopped in front of him, looking up to meet his eyes. She could see the smile that showed on his lips, and responded in kind.

"In a fashion, yes Major."

She felt his hand come down on her shoulder in a reassuring grip. "Hells Ma'am, call me Kes. We've known each other long enough."

Her gaze wandered then, moving away from him to pass over the rest of the bridge in a strange sort of enraptured fascination. But, she did not completely ignore him, and gave the redhead a wry answer.

"Then don't call me Commodore."

Kes seemed to consider that, then gave her a nod, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

For her part, s'Il let her eye roam about, taking in the wide, panoramic viewport and the catwalk that stretched alongside it. Behind, on a raised platform was the captain's chair and the graceful, curving tactical station. But perhaps the most important aspect, the pilot's nest, sat nestled in the center of the bridge. More like an open air cockpit than anything, it allowed a sort of control that ships of this size did not have.

Her gaze fell on the familiar face of the man now occupying the nest, and she smiled.

[Kes Akiena]

"He's about as ready as he'll ever be," Kes went on without any other thought given to the reunion. He moved away from her, allowing her the opportunity to look about her at the bridge's interior.

"Your friend, Knight Evanar -" a partial turn to regard Morgan with a sideways look as he approached to stand beside the much taller man, "... has been invaluable in putting into order the last batch of processes that hadn't been untangled yet. KHER is more or less just the same as when his keel first hit vacuum."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She half-listened as Kes spoke, moving up the shallow stairway that spilled out onto the front viewing walkway. The corrugated durasteel decking platform wrapped around the entirety of the forward viewscreen, and the Lupine took her time as she slowly ambled along. Her gaze swept up to the brilliant swirling lines, the tunnel of hyperspace a singularly beautiful and terrible thing to behold. She breathed in, then back out.

Stopped in the middle, the Lupine turned to look out at her motley crew. They all stared back at her, each and every one.

Finally.

"Any last words?"

There was no answer. There didn't really need to be, the more she thought on it. The task ahead was one that was horrid and painful and difficult. But it was necessary.

She turned back to look at the starlines.

"One chance."

One singular chance to try and right the wrongs of so many dark deeds.