Quay’na’s Rescue Part III (Escape From Edonaaris)

[Argos Ewan]

I sat in my chair within the bridge contemplating my crews future as I stared out the bridge window.

What is to become of us? Our power is only partially restored and yet we have what we need to sustain our defenses for only a short while. These spider creatures are going to be something else to be dealt with, but being the pirates that we are, I only hope we’ll get through this. I’m not exactly sure how we will though.

It’s funny though, it seems that this being, Ma-thrus, seems to know something. Something I can’t quite put my finder on. Something about.....the one. Most strange. Don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone speak in that manner, but yet..........

As I sat in my chair I put my hands together and put them behind my head, leaned back and closed my eyes to rest them. For what seemed just a moment in time, I began to fall asleep. As I did I saw and heard Quay’Na. Ohh, Argos...I never meant to hurt you...or our son. I suddenly jerked upright in my chair and looked about as her words seemed so real and sad to me. I looked about to see if anyone saw what I had just done and nobody was around yet.

I sighed as I looked out the window of the bridge. I now know that we needed to get off Edonaaris and proceed to get on with our lives. I now had a son to think of. Us living here for the rest of our lives isn’t anything or any future I have planned for my son nor the one I love. There are many things I want for my wife and son and I’m sure, Edonaaris isn’t going to be the place where I want it to happen at.

[Tony Maxwell]

The door to the cockpit had lost power and hung open all by itself, perhaps to never close again. I simply slipped through that opening and stepped into the damaged cockpit. They'd tried to clean it up, I could see that, but debris still littered the floor, control panels sparked now and then, and wiring hung from a panel in the ceiling. At least things were getting repaired, even if it was done in a messy fashion. The Captain, who's name I'd picked up on my way to the cockpit to be Argos Ewan, sat slumped in his chair, eyes closed. I turned to leave, afterall the captain need his sleep, and then the man sat bolt upright, as if an icecube had been slipped down his throat, "Hello there, Mister Ewan," I said, a smile crossing my face. My smile was not as pretty as it used to be. Beatings at the Imperial's hands had knocked many of my beautiful teeth out and cracked and chipped countless others. But I smiled anyways. I'd only just woken up from my nap in the med bay and strange stories were flying around everywhere, "So what happened while I was out, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked as I took the co-pilots chair and sat down, swiveling the chair to the side so I could face Argos.

[Argos Ewan]

Having awakened from my small nap, I looked at Mr. Maxwell and was not pleased that he had entered onto my bridge since he wasn‘t a member of the Eclipse. I got up and walked over to him. “If you’ll please, I’d like for you to not come onto the bridge. Please come with me.”

I walked out of bridge and down a passageway toward the center of the ship as I spoke to him. “If you would I’d like for you to restrict your unescorted movements to the Medbay, the central lounge or ships’ galley. These areas of the ship will have people who will tend to your needs. At least those we can provide for you. I will see about getting you put into quarters soon. I think we have a few open now from those who died when you were freed from the Lynx. I don’t know where you are from but we’ll take you where ever you need to go just as soon as we get the Eclipse up and running again. However I would not expect that to be soon. We’ve got much to do to get her up and running again. That is if we can do it at all.”

As we walked I stopped near the lounge area of the ship and looked at him and smiled. “I know this doesn’t sound good but either way, your still better off here than you were on the Lynx. Which reminds me, I want to thank you for any assistance you may have given my wife during her imprisonment on board the Lynx. I don’t know the extent of the treatment you received while on the Lynx but if it was anything like it was for my wife, I know it couldn’t have been pleasant.”

[Avalon Aquilo]

I sat in a chair next to Celeste and slept there to keep a watchful eye on her. I knew the surgery had gone well but she had yet to recover from it. When I awoke I saw that she was still asleep and still unresponsive so far. I pulled her blanket down to help her remain cool to help keep any temperature down that she may have. I looked up to the monitors and saw her vitals were still stable at this point.

I walked over and found that Afwa had slept all night in a nearby chair with a blanket. I nudged him to awaken him. “Afwa, you don’t have to stay here to watch over her. She looks to be fine for now. Why don’t you go and get some solid rest. I’ll watch over her.”

[Afwa Dohren]

“I believe I will,” I replied as I stood up.

I looked over toward Quay’Na to check on her. “I took the liberty of moving Lady Ewan back into the Medbay while you slept. She looks like she is doing quite well all things considered.”

[Avalon Aquilo]

“Well she is a strong woman. She’ll be just fine after a fashion.”

I yawned and pushed on Afwa. “Now go. I’ll take care of things here.” I watched as he gathered up his blanket and walked out of the Medbay.

[Tony Maxwell]

It was evident that Argos did not trust me, and it made all the clearer when he led me off the bridge, gave me restrictions, and generally forced me to be content with sitting on my butt doing nothing. I had thought that the aid I gave Quay'Na and everything since then would have granted me a little more respect in this... pirate's eyes. Evidentally I was wrong. I was just another person to him, nothing special. But could I blame him? I was not one of his crew, one of his brothers in arms. No, I was just another guy who'd stood up against the Empire and been persecuted for my believes. I was unimportant, really. Just the president of a former multi-billion credit company that produced some of the best droids in the galaxy. Nothing special there, right? Wrong. If this had been anywhere else in the galaxy people would be throwing a party for me or at least taking me out for a drink. They might even want to rub my head, thinking it's good luck to rub the head of a rich man. Here, on this ship, I am nothing. Just worthless cargo. I can't fight, properly at least, and I can't fix this ship. My expertise of electronics only extends towards the construction and repair of droids, not ship machinery.

Argos' continued to talk, fully outlining my restrictions and then thanking me for helping Quay'Na. Wow, what a bunch of BS. One minute he's slapping the chains on my wrist and the next he's patting me on the head, "Yeah... Whatever," I replied as I looked through the doorway of the lounge. It was a mess, like anywhere else on the ship, but for the most part it'd been cleaned up and people were milling about inside; taking a break from their work to make time for rest and fellowship. I knew none of these people, and I really did not feel like getting to know them either. If any of them were like the captain I'd rather steer clear then get another reprimand for doing something their picky conscience does not like.

I turned back to the captain, "Do you have any droids onboard? Any kind of droid at all? Astromeche, protocol, combat, whatever."

[Argos Ewan]

I briskly looked at Mr. Maxwell as he gave me his attitude. ”Yeah......Whatever?” This I found to be offensive and could become dangerous and struck a cord with me.

I turned and stepped directly in front of him and spoke to him calmly. “Mr. Maxwell, I want you to understand something. I am very sorry you have been inconvenienced by matters here on the Eclipse, but this is a raid ship. Not a luxury liner. There were four good men that died trying to give you your freedom from the Lynx. You should be grateful that we didn’t just leave you there. If we had you wouldn't be alive now seeing how the Lynx was destroyed by us. Quay’Na, my wife, was our only goal when we boarded the Lynx. Freeing you was something I only did out of respect for others. So understand, there are over sixty other men here that wouldn’t mind taking the liberty of getting rid of you right now if need be. To them you could very well be viewed as a unnecessary distraction and they don’t take kindly to distractions. I hope you understand what I am saying. If not, then you are going to find out the hard way.”

I took one step away from him and continued. “I want you to understand, this isn’t a conversation. I am only trying to warn you. These men don't’ take kindly to someone coming into their affairs and that is simply what I am trying to help you to avoid. The men are here for one reason and that is to make credits from their work and I pay them well. They have been paid to rescue Quay’Na and now they are ready to move on to the next job. In order for them to get to the next job they know that we now have to get the Eclipse up and running again after her crash landing.”

I put my hand onto his shoulder and smiled. “Look if you have something to offer as far as help, then put it on the table and we’ll put something together for you to do to help get us underway. And no, we don’t have any droids here on the Eclipse. What droids we ever did have were only freighter droids and have long since been thrown out or sold. We simply didn‘t have any use for them.”

[Tony Maxwell]

No droids? Great. Now I have absolutely nothing to do on a ship, that I've just been informed, is full of greedy pirates that are more then likely to kill me where I stand then bother to spit in my eye first. Great. How could things have gotten so bad? Maybe I was better off blowing up on that ship, at least then I wouldn't owe these people the lives lost to rescue me. I did not like how he brought up the casualties. It was not as if they had come to rescue me, they'd come to rescue Quay'Na. I was just extra baggage. How dare he try and hang their deaths over my head. I brushed his arm from her shoulder and started to walk away, only to pause and look over my shoulder at him, "If not for me Quay'Na would have died in that cell. I think that pays any debt you may think I owe. So get off my tail and leave me be," I countered angrily and then continued down the corridor, heading towards the medical bay; leaving Argos behind to play captain and be the Schutta he is.

I entered the med bay and stomped over to the medical bed that I used and sat down on it, letting myself lean backwards until my back hit the bulkhead and kept me propped up. Afwa and the doctor were moving about taking care of the injured and Quay'Na. Nothing close to proper entertainment. I'd sleep if I could, but that's what I'd just stopped doing. I wasn't about to go back to sleep, especially with how hot and mad I am right now.

Curse these pirates to hell!

[Argos Ewan]

“Yeah....whatever,” I said to Mr. Maxwell as he stormed off. I didn’t like speaking this way to him but I knew he would come to terms with what I had said to him soon and cool down. I knew that if he didn’t at least I had tried to warn him.

I went into the lounge and found Ma-thrus still there on the deck sleeping. He awoke when I entered the lounge. “So your still here?”

Ma-thrus awoke and yawned and then looked at me. “Yeeeeeeees, Ma-thrus still here. Here to see the one. Seen them I haven’t but Ma-thrus will and soon.”

I looked at Ma-thrus will a puzzled look. “Let me guess. From what you have said so far, this has something to do with me, my wife and my son. Am I right?”

[Ma-thrus]

“Ma-thrus hungry and no bugs to eat here. Ma-thrus can speak not of the one.” I pointed my finger toward the one and smiled. “No, no........ no no no, you never heard me speak of the one. Ma-thrus can’t say. Not supposed to speak about the one. Forbidden it is. When Ma-thrus see the one theeeeeeeeen I may say, but not until.”

[Argos Ewan]

Now disgusted, I looked Ma-thrus in anger. “Alright then, then we will gather us all in the Medbay and put an end to this. There is something your not telling me and I want to know what it is about right now.”

I went to the nearby com-link and pressed the button for the ships announcing system and hoped it was working. “Aramis Rakai come to the Medbay. Aramis Rakai to the Medbay please.” I now knew the ships communication systems were working because I could hear my announcement over the ships’ system.

“There, now we go to the Medbay and put an end to this babble once and for all. Follow me." I turned away and saw Ma-thrus follow me to the Medbay.

Once in the Medbay I went to Quay’Na’sside and found her awake. I pulled Ma-thrus to my side and introduced Ma-thrus to her. “Ma-thrus this is my wife Quay’Na.”

I looked at Quay’Na and smiled. "Don’t be scared, he will not harm you. His name is Ma-thrus and he lives here on Edonaaris. There is something he has been trying to tell me and I just can’t get a handle on it. We’ll have to wait for Aramis to come here first though.”

[Ma-thrus]

As the Captain took me into the medbay I and took me to the lady’s bed side I looked at her in awe and pointed at her and nodded my head. “Ahhhhhhh, the one. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, now the one comes together.”

I sat down onto the deck of the Medbay and crossed my legs and nodded my head. “Now we wait for the one.”

[Argos Ewan]

I stepped toward Quay'Na and looked at her with puzzlement and whispered to her. "Do you have any idea what he means by this? Are you sensing anything?"

[Quay Rakai-Ewan]

I vaguely saw Tony enter, I knew it was him from just the outline of his face. He looked angry and was about to say something to him, when Argos came in with...a strange creature.

Before I could ask, the two of them began to speak. I listened and watched the one carefully. I was slightly confused by this strange information coming out of this creatures mouth.

I raised an eyebrow to him as he kept saying, I was the 'one'. "I haven't the slightest clue and all I sense in him is no danger." I told him. "Where'd you find him at?"

[Argos Ewan]

I looked at Quay'Na and smiled. "Well he found us. Aramis found him actually."

[Aramis Rakai]

I had been finally able to get some much needed sleep after I picked up some of my things that had been tossed about from the crash. It wasn't much though as I heard my name being summoned over the loud speaker.

I yawned and pulled on my boot, in a daze I struggled to my feet and headed out of the door and towards the medbay. With another yawn, I entered and tried not to look like I had just woken up. Though, my clothes probably looked rather wrinkled. "Captain." I said as came up to them and hastily rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "You called?"

Shamefully, I didn't look at my mother.

[Argos Ewan]

"Yes I did," I responded to Aramis. "I think our friend here wants to tell us something." I leaned over and whispered to him. "Maybe this will end his babble for a chance."

"Alright Ma-thrus. Tell us now what you have been saying."

[Tony Maxwell]

I watched the captain, Quay'Na, and the... creature through eyes shaded with anger. Glaring was more what I did, in fact. The cogs were already moving in my head. I will get off this planet someday and when I do I'll go back to my droids and then, well, then I can do whatever I want. But somehow the thought of paying the captain a visit afterwards sounds very appealing. What could the great Argos Ewan do against a unit of my X7-JK 'Guardian' class battle droids? Nothing is the answer. Revenge is not my style, nor is murder. But I'm sure I could find some way to make Argos' life difficult. It was the least I could do in return...

[Ma-thrus]

“Yes,” I replied. “Ma-thrus can tell now.“

I stood up as Aramis came next to us. "Ma-thrus happy to finally see the one. Ma-thrus knew you would be here." I opened my arms toward Aramis, Quay'Na and Argos. "Now Ma-thrus can tell. You are The One, all of you.”

I pointed at Quay'Na, "you, are the one.”

I pointed at Aramis, "and you, are the one."

Then I pointed at the Captain. "And you, are also the one."

I stepped closer and pointed at Quay'Na. "You are the beginning of the story."

Then I pointed at the Captain. "You are the middle of the story."

Then I pointed at Aramis. "And you are the continuing story."

I looked at them all as I continued. “Everything you have been, everything that you are, and everything that you will ever be will grow from what you mean to each other. Everything from your past will from this day forward be your future as you will always be as one. Nothing can divide you; no fear or pain. You will always stand face to face and fight back to back to stand as one, forever. This is why together you are The One.”