The story is turning out great! But I can see this is not where your story had intended to go. The mood being set here right now is different from what it was in the begining. Much darker and less humerous. But a great story none the less.

You might be thinking of Quick Quinn Quotes. Ninety Seven Percent was never intended to be humorous.

Also, is the singular of Sand People, Sand Person because I cannot find anything referring to them as a Sand Person. Even the packaging for a Sand "person" action figure says Sand People and there's only one in there. Gah!

This recently hit TWELVE THOUSAND VIEWS! TWELVE THOUSAND! As a thank you, I have drawn something special for all my readers!!

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/268/7/7/the_three_quinns_by_irishfino-d5fw3dw.jpg

"I wouldn't lie about something like this!" ... Read that in a Lucy Pevensie voice.

SO STICK IT, FINO! I CAUGHT UP! >:]

The singular form of Sand People is... *stab*

QUINN! Knock that off! You can't go around stabbing my fellow authors!

Just look at what is happening to me.

It's not you. Well it is, but not YOU you...it's another you.

Another three me's.

What's a few Quinns between friends? ...don't you even try it.

Why shouldn't I? I have the knife.

*pulls keyboard closer* "Malavai Quinn and Broonmark engaged in hot, lusty..."

OKAY ENOUGH ENOUGH! I'll be good!

Did... did you just stab me!?

No, I swear I didn't!

Not you! Him! Grey Quinn!

I'd stab you, too.

>:[

>:]

I know Caption and quien try kill Jaesa be when did she felll to dark side (I never did like dark side Jaesa in the game but u write her on dark side better it less creey than she in acallly game)

It had been two years since then. Two years since the death of Malavai. Two years since the separation of the Captain and Quinn. Two years since Jaesa started her search for the Captain and Quinn and two years since Malavai moved into a space in her head.

Jaesa fell in the two years she had been training to defeat Quinn on Tatooine.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this!" ... Read that in a Lucy Pevensie voice.

 

SO STICK IT, FINO! I CAUGHT UP! >:]

Whoops, almost forgot you. Just make sure you can keep up this time, lol.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Unfortunately short.

I can hear you calling... Malavai...

Taub did not like this Jaesa or the people that followed her every order. He remembered them vaguely, like a drowning memory: blurry, dark, and drifting further from the surface. Barnabus stayed at his side at all times, but it was little comfort to their outnumbered status.

Taub sat on the ground, his legs folded under him as he let Barnabus tend to the wound he had received earlier in the day. He had nearly forgotten about it. His body still experienced pain, but his mind would often forget, the feeling sliding away with distraction. The pain he felt at the mention of a past life was mostly physical, the only pain he could feel any more. He was truly numb. But nothing set him on edge quite like a Sith of any kind and the one focusing on him both soothed and upset his mind.

Jaesa stared openly at Taub. He was all that remained of the Captain she had come to… something. He and Quinn had the same face, could smirk the same smirk, could hiss the same hiss, but he was obviously less cruel than his Sith counterpart. Perhaps not by as much, they were the same person as Malavai continued to assert despite her rampant protesting.

“Jaesa,” Malavai’s voice said quietly, “I need to go back.”

Taub’s head snapped toward Jaesa.

“I’ll send you back when I’m good and ready,” Jaesa grumbled quietly.

“He can hear me when we’re this close, Jaesa. It isn’t safe for you to keep me here.”

Taub’s face twitched in agitation. Barnabus noticed the change in his demeanor as he placed the last bit of medical tape over Taub’s chest injury.

“Calm down, Taub,” Barnabus murmured quietly. “You’ll get him back soon.”

Taub grunted a curse at Barnabus, grabbed his discarded armor, and left to patrol the area. Barnabus watched him go with sad eyes.

“Jaesa, be a dear and keep your conversations with Malavai to a bare minimum. Preferably while meditating and away from Taub,” Barnabus said evenly.

“I’ll talk to him when it pleases me,” Jaesa said firmly.

Barnabus smiled thinly. “It’s simply a suggestion. Wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

Jaesa bristled and sat up straighter. “Threatening me will get you nowhere,” she hissed lowly.

“Oh,” Barnabus said lightly. “It’s not a threat, dear.” His voice suddenly dipped in pitch, “It’s a promise.”

The smile on Barnabus’ face did not reach his eyes. He would see her die if need be. And it may need to be if she refused to return Malavai to Taub. They would all die if Malavai wasn’t returned to Taub.

I will keep up! I promise!

Also, i dun like DS Jaesa. No matter the universe. ever.

“Jaesa, be a dear and keep your conversations with Malavai to a bare minimum. Preferably while meditating and away from Taub,” Barnabus said evenly.

 

Barnabus smiled thinly. “It’s simply a suggestion. Wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

 

Jaesa bristled and sat up straighter. “Threatening me will get you nowhere,” she hissed lowly.

 

“Oh,” Barnabus said lightly. “It’s not a threat, dear.” His voice suddenly dipped in pitch, “It’s a promise.”

 

The smile on Barnabus’ face did not reach his eyes. He would see her die if need be. And it may need to be if she refused to return Malavai to Taub. They would all die if Malavai wasn’t returned to Taub.

Haha epic.

Unfortunately short.

Short can be good, you don't need to add in a great amount exposition to get your point across, a lot of the time it's better to keep things simple.

I will keep up! I promise!

 

Also, i dun like DS Jaesa. No matter the universe. ever.

Yeah, dark Jaesa is a little what the fun...

Hmm, the plot thickens. I'm eager to see where this ends up, I have a feeling that the resolution will be one that none of us were expecting.

Oh, no one will have seen this coming. Muahahahahahahaah!

Haha epic.

Barnabus is a total BAMF. I love him.

Short can be good, you don't need to add in a great amount exposition to get your point across, a lot of the time it's better to keep things simple.

This is true.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Barnabus started a fire shortly before double sundown to cast a bit of light around their camp and to heat up his pot of hot water for tea. He loved tea. It was one of the few constants in his life. Even out on the field he found time for tea. Deep undercover in a Republic terror cell? Still time for tea. Chasing a mad dog Sith Lord across the Galaxy? Still time for tea. There was always time for tea.

Taub returned to the camp an hour later with two Sand People in tow, a woman and a child by the looks of them. The small child ran to Barnabus and jumped onto his lap.

“K’nari!” Barnabus laughed.

Taub motioned to Barnabus then walked to a tent near the edge of the camp, the woman behind him following quietly. Pierce tapped Vette’s shoulder and made a crude hand gesture. Vette laughed loudly, only quieting when Jaesa turned to her and glared. K’nari turned from Barnabus to the group across the fire. The child turned its head from the group to Barnabus and back again. Barnabus smiled.

“Those are some of Taub’s old friends, from before his life in the tribe,” Barnabus explained quietly. “Don’t mind them. Tell me what you’ve been up to since last we met!”

In the privacy of his tent, Taub and the woman following him kneeled on the floor across from each other. Taub removed his protective head gear and gently removed the head gear of the woman in front of him. She smiled at him, her brown eyes warm and welcoming.

“Hello,” she said quietly.

Taub smiled at her. “Hello, Nari.”

“You are always so proper, Taub,” she said softly.

“Yes,” Taub agreed. “It pays to be nice to those around you.”

Nari laughed quietly. “I was not nice to you when we first met.”

“You were protecting your daughter from a man dressed as a Czerka employee. It is forgiven.”

“You were the first human I had seen since my capture,” Nari said quietly. “I could have been nicer.”

“That is in the past, Nari,” Taub said softly. He brushed a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “It is time.”

“Yes.”

Taub leaned over and kissed her as his hands made quick work of her top coverings. She eased into his embrace and removed his coverings in kind.

“You are injured,” Nari observed.

“Yes, while fighting the Sith. It will heal like the others,” Taub murmured.

“You are very strong,” Nari said quietly. “I love you, Taub.”

He eased her to the ground and balanced on his palms above her. “Nari…” he said, trailing off.

“I know,” she said sadly. “I know.”

“Do not be sad,” Taub said quietly as he removed her lower armoring and skirt. “This is to be a joyous time.”

“But you feel no joy.”

“I feel enough,” he argued quietly. “Relax yourself and enjoy.”

Nari smiled up at him shyly and relaxed into his touch as his hands roamed her familiar form. She loved him. She only wished he could feel the same way about her. Or anything at all.

Jaesa’s senses picked up the activity in the tent. Quiet murmurings of sadness and pleasure echoed through the Force. Disgusting. They were all disgusting. Barnabus mingling with a bastard child. The Captain, no, Taub mixing blood with a being less than human. Disgusting. They needed to be purged.

“You know,” Barnabus said loud enough for Jaesa to hear, “the lady across the fire and the man next to her are humans, too. The pretty blue lady is a Twi’lek.”

K’nari made a curious noise.

“Well, you may not know this, but Sand People and humans cannot create children together. It’s one of the reasons they take children from the places they raid. It helps expand the human element among their ranks,” Barnabus explained. He kept his eyes trained on Jaesa during his explanation. He had felt the disgust she felt with the goings on in the tent. Really, it was none of her damn business what Taub did in the privacy of the tent.

Jaesa scoffed. Typical enabling attitude. Disgusting.

“Don’t be jealous, Jaesa,” Malavai said quietly.

“Shut. Up,” Jaesa growled quietly.

“That doesn’t work on me. Eat some dinner and get some sleep. Quinn isn’t too far off.”

Jaesa growled low in her throat. The Quinns were an annoying bunch of idiots.

The following morning, Taub and Nari emerged from the tent. The group ate breakfast in silence before Nari and K’nari left the campsite for their settlement. Taub saw them off, pressing his forehead first to K’nari’s then to Nari’s. His forehead lingered on Nari’s for a few long moments before she turned and left, her child on her back. Taub raised his fist into the air to bid them safe travels then he turned and rejoined the group. Taub kneeled on the ground next to Barnabus and waited for the rest to finish their meal before they moved on.

“It was nice of her to bring little K’nari,” Barnabus said quietly.

Taub nodded.

“They’re safer at the settlement,” Barnabus said gently.

Taub nodded once more. He knew. He knew they were safer away from the Sith. They were safer away from him. Bad things followed wherever he went. With them safely tucked away and him far enough away that the Sith would attack him instead, he felt as at ease as possible given his current emotional state. Now, if he could just get Malavai back he could kill the Sith and be done with this place.

Notes:

Irishfino you are officially my favorite author ever!

*blushes prettily* Why thank you! I hope to continue to grab your interest with future installments!

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Ringing, ringing, ringing. Ka-clang, ka-clang, ka-clang. Barnabus came to hearing a cacophony of noises all fighting for supremacy in his ears. He opened his eyes and turned his head toward the constant clanging, clanging, clanging. Unless his old eyes were deceiving him, it was the Captain hitting the rocks blocking the entrance with a pickaxe.

“C-Captain…” Barnabus stuttered quietly.

To his surprise, the Captain stopped mid-swing and turned to him.

“You’re awake,” the Captain said tonelessly. “Quinn collapsed the entrance and the data stored on this copying machinery has been wiped.”

Barnabus groaned quietly. It had been years since he was on the receiving end of a Sith’s lightning hands. The Captain walked to Barnabus and squatted next to him.

“You are injured,” the Captain said quietly.

Medic mode engaged, the Captain examined Barnabus’ outer layers. His clothing was scorched and he could smell burnt flesh the closer he was to the man on the ground. He seemed stable, but without his medical scanner he had no absolute way of knowing.

“Captain,” Barnabus said quietly.

“I’m not a Captain anymore, Barnabus,” the Captain murmured quietly. “Think of something else to call me while I patch you up.”

“Where did you find those clothes?”

“A rusting locker.” The Captain pulled a burnt piece of clothing from Barnabus’ skin and watched the old man flinch in pain. It was strange that he felt no reaction to seeing Barnabus in pain. Calmly and with practiced ease, he used the medpack he found in the locker on Barnabus’ wounds. He would be fine, just some minor burning and a few spots of second degree burns. He hummed low in his throat.

“What’s the matter?” asked Barnabus.

“Nothing,” he replied. He blinked down at Barnabus, his face blank.

“Are you quite alright?”

“I am fine.”

“We should find a way out of here,” said Barnabus.

“Yes.” But he didn’t move. He just sat there, balanced on his haunches, staring at Barnabus with that blank face of his.

“You can… go back to what you were doing before,” Barnabus said with uncertainty.

The Captain nodded then made his way back to the fallen rocks and his forgotten pickaxe. Barnabus slowly sat up and watched as the Captain went about his work with a single mindedness that disturbed him greatly. It was true; he was no longer the Captain. Since Malavai’s death he had slowly been slipping away into nothing. He became numb to those around him, deaf to his emotions. There wasn’t much to him now. Perhaps an acknowledgement of biological functions, but what made the Captain the Captain was gone. In that instant, Barnabus knew what to rename the Captain.

It was a few weeks after they had gotten free of the Czerka base that they ran into Nari defending her child from the Sith. Taub never considered why the tribals were by themselves, he just knew that Sith was attacking them and that Sith needed to die. He didn’t have the ability to fight the Sith one on one, but his blaster had enough power to injure and drive the Sith off. Then the woman focused her attacks on him. Her attacks were quick and brutal and he was on his back after only a few seconds of confusion. She pressed the end of her Gaffi stick to his throat and pressed hard enough to puncture the skin.

“Stay your hand,” Taub said quietly, “I mean you no harm.”

“Look like Sith,” Nari growled. “Always mean harm.”

“He is my… brother.”

“Should kill.” She pressed the weapon further into his skin to drive her point home.

“I have… water… rations. I will give them to you in exchange for my life,” Taub said quietly.

“Czerka poison!” she spat.

“Not Czerka. Not poison.”

“Lies!”

She pressed the weapon harder into his neck, driving his head to the side. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He looked like the Sith. He probably was another Sith in disguise. Sith had to be dealt with. Swiftly. She removed her weapon from his neck then swung the blunt end at his head. It connected with a sickening thunk, leaving Taub barely conscious and bleeding in the dunes.

Taub’s vision slowly turned to grey. He saw the tribal gather her child and leave. He tried to speak, tried to get her to stop, to come back, but he either made no noise or she ignored him. Taub couldn't feel Barnabus nearby. He had no idea where that man had gotten off to. Not that it mattered anymore. He would be buried by the sand by the time Barnabus found him. If Barnabus found him alive, that is. He closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness that engulfed the twin suns of Tatooine. Finally, silence.

I just found your story today.

I can't express with words how this story affected me

My first character was Sith Juggernaut and I did not know that Quinn was going to break my heart . He did LOL, I was so upset I deleted this toon LOL.

Your story brings so much depth to this character, makes him so alive. I can never look at him again without thinking about who is lurking in his mind right now... you added so much to my gameplay:)

You made me forgive Quinn:). I am going to make a sith warrior again

And for that I thank you and I love you for writing and sharing this story with fans (in totally not creepy way /grin).

I just found your story today.

I can't express with words how this story affected me

My first character was Sith Juggernaut and I did not know that Quinn was going to break my heart . He did LOL, I was so upset I deleted this toon LOL.

 

Your story brings so much depth to this character, makes him so alive. I can never look at him again without thinking about who is lurking in his mind right now... you added so much to my gameplay:)

You made me forgive Quinn:). I am going to make a sith warrior again

 

And for that I thank you and I love you for writing and sharing this story with fans (in totally not creepy way /grin).

Wow! I'm glad my writing changed your mind on the whole Quinn thing and that you're going to create another Warrior! The Warrior story is a wonderful story! Enjoy the story (again, lol)!

Believe it or not, there was a time I had decided not to post this story. It started as a one-shot for the weekly challenge thread where it received positive feedback and now here we are! As much as I'd like to take all the credit, feedback from readers like you is what keeps me chugging along through writer's block and general blah when it comes to writing such a long story.

Thank you for your kind words and thank you for reading!

Thanks for reading everybody!!

Taub dreamed. He dreamed of nothing. He dreamed of darkness. He dreamed of screams. He dreamed of pain. He dreamed of Sand People and burning suns. He dreamed of Barnabus and of healing.

It was the dead of night when he finally awakened. The side of his head was pounding. He reached to it with a shaking hand and found gauze and kolto residue. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a large tent or a hut of some kind. There were primitive jugs nearby and he recognized them as belonging to the Sand People. He rolled to his side and moved to sit up when a gentle hand slipped through the sand beside him and pulled him back to the floor. He shifted his gaze and nearly jumped through his skin at the sudden appearance of half a person poking through the ground. His first instinct was to strike. Luckily, he was hit by a wave of nausea and, instead, raised his hand to cover his mouth. The tribal poking through the sand fully emerged and grabbed an empty bowl and placed it next to his head. He sat up enough to expel the contents of his stomach before flopping back to the floor bonelessly. The tribal moved around him, taking the bowl some place and reappearing with a small canteen.

“Here, drink,” the tribal said gently.

He recognized her voice instantly. It was the one he had helped drive off the Sith before she turned her weapon on him and left him for dead. Obviously she had a change of heart.

She lifted up his head as gently as possible and pressed the opening of the canteen to his lips. He drank small, measured sips before she removed the canteen.

“Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Least I could do,” she said quietly. She slowly placed his head back onto the mat he was lying on. “I am called Nari. What are you called?”

“Barnabus calls me Taub.”

“Not your name?”

“It is now.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “Have you seen him? He’s an older man, dressed similarly. Blue eyes.”

“Yes, he is speaking with the elders,” she answered quietly.

Taub made an acknowledging noise in the back of his throat and closed his eyes. He could feel the pain in his head and the annoyance of sleep deprivation, but little else. He was a bit hungry. As he searched his head for thoughts, pain lanced through the back of his skull. He shouted in pain and gripped his head in a bid to relieve the pressure. Another spike of pain, another shout of anguish. A weird feeling quivered in his gullet. Something was nearby. Something dangerous. Something volatile. Something Sith.

Quinn.

The thought forced Taub to climb unsteadily to his feet. He could hear disoriented shouting in the distance and the faint hum of a lightsaber. He took a shuffling step forward and nearly tumbled over. He was of little use in his current condition, but the Sith… the Sith was attacking. He had to kill the Sith. He grabbed a nearby Gaffi stick and used it as a crutch as he half-shuffled, half-stumbled toward the screams and shouts of terror and pain.

“Sith!” he shouted angrily. “Show yourself!”

Taub heard a mocking laugh in the distance and hobbled until the Sith was in his line of sight. A path of dead and dying extended behind the Sith. Being so close to the Sith, Taub felt the stirrings of rage in the pit of his stomach. He hated the Sith. He wanted to kill the Sith. He needed to kill the Sith. The Sith stopped his merciless slaughter as Taub drew closer.

“Hello, Captain,” the Sith said tonelessly.

“Taub,” Taub said firmly.

“Aw, did you lose your sense of self when I left?” the Sith teased.

“I know who I am.” Taub inhaled deeply then dropped into a combat position. “I am the one who will kill you.”

“I cannot be killed.”

Their fight was swift and one-sided. Taub was far too shaky on his feet and unskilled with the weapon he wielded to be any real threat to the Sith. The Sith slashed downward and sliced Taub’s weapon in half. It was over. Suddenly, the Sith’s head exploded into a mist of gray matter and blood. Taub stared at the falling body with wide eyes then looked in the direction the shot had come from. Snipers. The Sand People were never unprepared for an attack by an outside force.

Taub fell to his knees, tired, dizzy and suddenly empty. Nari reappeared next to him and helped him to his feet, pulling his arm across her shoulders to help him stay balanced.

“Thank you… Nari,” Taub said quietly.

“Second time you fight Sith. Amazed,” said Nari. “Sith looks dead, but he will return. Always does.”

“Then I will kill him when he returns,” Taub said firmly.

“You are strong and fearless like males of village. Perhaps you can prove your worth to elders. Become part of tribe.”

Taub groaned quietly as his head pulsed. He needed to rest first, to heal, to eat. They slowly made their way back to the tent. Nari helped Taub onto his mat and checked his body for injuries. Nothing openly bleeding, just a few bruises and scrapes, some light burning here and there. He would be fine.

Barnabus entered the tent with a tribal in tow. He smiled down at Taub and explained who the tribal was. He was a healer would who have Taub back on his feet lickety split. Taub simply nodded and let the shaman do his work. He needed more information on the Sith. He said he couldn’t be killed and Nari confirmed that he came back from whatever fate had befallen him.

He would kill the Sith. And he would keep killing him until his death became permanent.

Notes:

Taub's story is slowly coming along. He's rather hard to write because of his emotional emptiness, but he's interesting. At least, I hope he is, lol.

No worries there. You're handling it splendidly. I can't wait for more.

No worries there. You're handling it splendidly. I can't wait for more.

I second this!

I second this!

me2

nom nom nom nom

Nom nom nom? NOM NOM!

No worries there. You're handling it splendidly. I can't wait for more.

*wipes forehead* Thank goodness. Taub makes me so nervous because he's so weird. Like all Quinns... lol

I second this!

me2

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Barnabus watched over Taub as he slept. Nari was there as well as she seemed reluctant to leave Taub’s side for very long. She appeared nice enough, but without being able to see her face he couldn’t get a good read on her.

“You and Taub are strange people,” Nari said quietly.

Barnabus turned his head to her and smiled. “The Galaxy is full of strange people, my dear.”

Nari shivered at the sudden chill in the air. The old man set her on edge. His face held a smile, but his eyes held danger. He was not who he appeared to be. Perhaps Taub wasn’t who he appeared to be either.

“What is Taub?” asked Nari.

“Taub is a human,” replied Barnabus.

“He doesn’t… feel right,” Nari said wearily. “He feels… cold. Empty.”

“You can sense that?” Barnabus asked in disbelief.

“The sand reveals many things to those who are tuned to hear it.”

“Interesting,” Barnabus murmured thoughtfully.

“You are not who you pretend to be,” Nari said quietly. “You are –”

“Not another word,” Barnabus warned quietly.

“You feed on his life force.”

“Be silent,” Barnabus snapped.

“You’re –”

Barnabus raised his hand into the air and fixed Nari with a steely glare. “It is considered polite to cease a discussion when asked the first time,” he said stiffly. “I could kill you with a thought and the shaman would be none the wiser. Consider your next move carefully.”

Nari grabbed her Gaffi stick and scrambled from the floor. Barnabus regarded her with narrowed eyes. A simple memory wipe would take care of the problem temporarily, but death had a silence guarantee. He watched Nari poke the ground with the end of her staff. The sand beneath her feet allowed her to slip underground. Barnabus lowered his hand and turned his attention back to Taub. He was surprised to find a pair of blue eyes staring rather intently at his face.

“You’ve awakened,” Barnabus said quietly.

“That was unnecessary,” Taub said tonelessly.

“She wasn’t injured.”

“Do not upset the tribals. They are unpredictable and we are sorely outnumbered.”

Barnabus made a noise in the back of his throat. Taub sighed quietly. The old man was getting antsy. He craved dark energy and without Quinn around to siphon from he could barely find enough to keep himself lightly sated. Taub turned his back to Barnabus.

“Here, take what will tide you over for now,” Taub said quietly.

“You couldn’t possibly have enough without Quinn,” Barnabus said stiffly.

“It’s fine.”

“Very well.”

Barnabus latched onto Taub’s back like the barnacle he was. His ungodly sharp nails pierced flesh and muscle alike without regard for pain. Taub ground his teeth to keep from shouting. He never much cared for this process when he was mostly whole and he definitely didn’t care for it now that it drew directly from him rather than Quinn. Taub felt something shift and loosen within himself. Whatever it was traveled toward Barnabus’ claws and left Taub feeling as if he were drifting away from the living world.

“Barnabus…” Taub said weakly.

“Just a little more,” said Barnabus.

Taub exhaled and closed his eyes. He didn’t have anything left to put up a fight. Then he felt something strange rumbling in the sand under him. He slipped through the surface to the tunnels below. He tried to move, but he was flat on his back and simply out of energy. He found himself staring up at a Sand tribal’s mask and felt a primal fear filling his limbs. He was too weak to fight it off. To his surprise, the tribal knelt next to him.

“Calm,” the tribal said quietly.

“N-Nari?” he asked with a stutter.

“Yes,” she replied. “I could feel you slipping away. That man… he is dangerous. Why do you follow him?”

“I need him around for something,” he muttered.

Nari made a considering noise in the back of her throat then reached her hands up to the clasps of her head gear. She shouldn’t have, Sand People never revealed their faces to outsiders, but she couldn’t do this otherwise.

Taub’s eyes widened when he caught sight of her face. She was a human. Brown eyes, blonde hair and a plain face, but she was the most wonderful thing Taub had seen in what felt like ages: a kind face.

Nari smiled down at him then leaned down and pressed her lips to his. He inhaled sharply at the contact then relaxed as a warm energy entered his body and swirled around. It felt good. It felt warm. It reminded him of his time with Jaesa. The good times with Jaesa, when she would bring the light side of the Force into a room and warm him from the outside in. He sighed quietly at the loss of contact when Nari pulled away, but the warm feeling stayed. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward. It was a strange, but not entirely unwelcome feeling.

“Thank you, Nari,” he said quietly.

She smiled gently before replacing her head gear. “You are most welcome.” Several Sand People appeared behind Nari at the feeling of commotion in the tunnels below the village. They traded guttural banter before assisting her back through the sand with Taub. Barnabus was nowhere in sight when they surfaced and it was just as well. Nari had no desire to face him. Nari helped Taub settle back in for the evening. When she tried to leave he grabbed her hand to stop her.

“I… don’t like being alone,” he said quietly.

“Oh,” she said uncertainly. The strange pleading look in his eyes gave her pause. “Okay, I will stay.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly. He smiled at her before closing his eyes and focusing on getting back to sleep. She felt herself smiling in kind. He had a strange effect on her. And she found herself liking it.

Notes: