Quinn stopped the speeder at the little camp on top of the Juran mountains. It was tiny, a couple of slightly sloped prefab buildings surrounded by permacrete walls with walkways letting people run up to the roofs. One of the wing-fish thingies hovered over a grassy nest beside a wind shield. A white-faced amateur who’d let the dark side suffuse him scowled at everything, idly tossing bits of meat up at the fish’s mouth. There was a noble here too. You could tell by the jacket. He was old and craggy faced, with brown hair cut the same way as Quinn’s. He leant over a large table with a flatscreen holo-viewer on it. I ignored him and went straight for the Sith.

“Do you know agent Wheezy? Because he thought you might want this.” I started, hopping onto the raised ledge of the roof to even out our heights. The Sith, wait, Wheezy said his name… Urdunn! Urdunn curled his head around his neck to glare at me, black Sithspots spreading over his cheeks.

“It’s the Republic’s proof of our local allies being…,” I paused for effect, “Thul-ish.” I got nothing. Quinn’s face didn’t move at all and the Sith just glowered a bit. Oh come on! That was funny. Vette would’ve found it funny. Well, she would’ve made that stretched grimace-smile and patted my head. Urdunn’s glower exploded with dawning understanding and he practically lunged at the datacron. I flicked it up over his head and it dropped into Quinn’s hands. Uh uh: not so fast! Now we haggle and get something fun out of it, like ice cream. Wait, no better than ice cream: I want to ride the big flappy-fishy thing! It has a harnesses and is big enough and everything! Besides, Vette’s off riding one, and I want to too.

Quinn handed him the holocron. What? But the flappy fish!

“Jedi made, gatekeeper intact, even predates House Thul’s exile from Alderaan. Perfect. The Jedi were fools to hide these secrets from the Sith. Thanks to you they now belong to the Empire.” Figures, Quinn betrayed me for the vague ‘Empire’. Weird how helping random Sith or officer with stuff helps the Empire, as if the dark council would care about Thul’s secrets, or Thul for that matter. They’re pawns to be discarded when no longer convenient.

“Greetings, My Lord. We don’t often see Sith on Alderaan.” Someone behind me remarked. Really? Then who was I just talking to? I glanced over my shoulder and saw the noble. He hadn’t moved away from the table and just stood there, holding his hands in front of him, fingers twitching. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said he looked like he wanted to sell me something.

The flappy-fishy let out a loud baying wail and wind slapped me. I spun back around and saw it fly away, Urdunn on its back. Oh, and Quinn was holding a small circle in his outstretched palm. he’d given Quinn a credit chit. Credits? We give you the means to control house Thul and you gave us credits. Why would we even need credits?

I cast out my will, ready to crush the fleeing Urdunn and his stupid holocron, but something disrupted my summon. The force was already agitated, practically roiling around me. No, it wasn’t around me, it was around the Thul noble. I released the tatter I’d grabbed, turned around fully and looked at him properly. He was older, closer to Quinn than Vette, but had crinkles over his face like Ragate. What really struck out though was the fear: he reeked of it, metaphysically. No wonder the Dark Side was all screwy. He was buckling it before I could.

“I trust you’re here to find out what happened to the Imperial Inspection Team?” he said, even though he was really asking it, as if giving the idea more weight would persuade me to do it.

“No, not really”

“Oh,” the tatter-ey façade collapsed and I felt his fear sluice out all over the camp, “I- I didn’t mean to presume, I just thought - Let me start over.” He was a noble, and he was scared, terrified even, of me? None of the nobles I’d seen, including creepy Kendoh, had been scared of me, or noticed I was Sith, not until I did something.

“I’m Stanel Thul, General of the Thul forces in this region. We recently had a large Imperial contingent arrive from Dromund Kaas to inspect our mines for lathinide deposits, but in the middle of their inspection, the entire place was overrun by killiks. We’ve had no communication for days. Moff Sarek wants the inspection team rescued fast. Apparently some of them hold serious rank offworld.” He offered, a hint of desperation twinging in his tone.

“Our orders come from Darth Baras: Moff Sarek’s desires do not factor into his command.” Quinn refused, crossing his arms. Oh, now you want to negotiate with the locals. Stanel Thul’s eyes popped open. I looked at him, his emotions were all wrong. When Quinn or imperial officers don’t get their orders followed, they get all pouty and try to hide it. He looked like he was about to drop to his knees and beg us to help him. I get the whole ‘terrify the locals into obedience’ thing, but he wasn’t scared of me. Something got to him long before that.

“Why is this so important to you?” Quinn turned to look at me, his face all frowny. I know you don’t care and want to carry on, but I’m curious and I’m the Sith here. I let you talk to people, but you don’t decide where I use my power. You just waste it.

“I- I don’t want you to think I ‘m asking for personal reasons, but my daughter was leading the inspection team.” Oh. He wasn’t just a noble wanting more stuff. He wanted his daughter back.

“If you can find her, find our advisers, free them if they’re prisoners. I promise you a reward that will leave me bankrupt.” I’m getting her. Quinn can figure out what he means by ‘bang corrupt’ later.

“My Lord, we already have a mission that cannot be delayed.” Quinn reminded me, but I couldn’t hear much protest in his voice. Besides, he was wrong: it can be delayed. We just need to get information from Renata Alde. The Alde house isn’t going anywhere, so why would she?

“Quinn, they stole his daughter and it helps the Empire. Aren’t you normally trying to get me to that?”

“My Lord, it is not a matter of willingness but one of practicality. The local fauna emit a pheromone that can influence and even outright dominate sentients. Risking a Sith on such an endeavour is highly inadvisable, especially for such a paltry reward.” Quinn said, as if any of that explained anything. I don’t know what power the local faunae pheromones have over the locals, but I am Sith. I am not afraid of an entity trying to compel my mind: I have broken the Dark Side to my will and I will break theirs just the same. I will get his daughter back. He was trying to be there for his daughter, even when it would be easy to abandon her, which was better than mi- than most. Besides, as Ragate says, ‘true loyalty should be rewarded, if only to encourage it in others’.

“You stay here if the fauns bother you so much, but I’m going!” I commanded Quinn, and then ran down the hill before he could say anything. It wasn’t Baras’ mission, he wasn’t coming: fine. He just slows me down anyway. Besides, if I can’t get a flappy-fish ride, then he can’t get his mission done today.

* * *

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t my best idea. Yes, I still want to rescue what’s his name’s daughter, Daria Thul, and the Imperial guys too but I have no idea where I’m going. It turns out that running off downhill didn’t instantly take you to the mine. Also, the Thuls didn’t want to advertise that they were mining in Alde’s realm, so they didn’t have any roads or signposts pointing it out.

Currently, I was walking through these huge papery mounds, that bubbled up from the ground. They were okay, but they weren’t a mine. I could see a structure on top of the mountain. Maybe that was-. Wait, I can hear blasterfire! I set off, darting and bouncing down the slope towards the shots. They were near enough, with two people settled behind a load lifter. One had his rifle resting on top of the makeshift barricade and he was shooting at nothing furiously. Orange sizzled the area in front of him, burning the grasslands and pocking the mounds. Eventually, his power pack ran out.

“Where are you? Come out! I know you’re there, you brain-stealing vermin!” the human yelled from the far side of the load lifter as he reloaded. His companion, an orange-y, horn headed Zabrak with black tattoos grabbed the end of his blaster, pushing it down into the crate he leant on. Huh, he shot at me. That should mean he dies, but he wasn’t red: he was yellow. Should I kill him anyway? No, if I kill them, they can’t tell me where the mine is, because they’d be dead. Besides, I can always kill them later. Walking up to them, I noticed they were in red and grey-blue livery of Thul.

“Oh! Uh… sorry. I didn’t see you,” then how did you know to shoot at me, “Captain Ascercia of House Thul. Can’t speak now, got to keep an eye out. Killiks are everywhere…” he said, looking around for the giant bug monsters, but I didn’t see any, or sense any nearby either. His Zabrak friend put his face in his hand and shook his head.

“They’ll turn us all into mindless drones to serve in their hives. They must be stopped!” Huh, convenient.

“Do you know where their hive is?

“They control your mind. They’ll worm their way into your brain too.” Uh, okay. That’s not a location. The Zabrak seemed to realise this too. He said something in Huttese. Captain Assertia nodded, turned around and took up watch again. Then the Zabrak said something to me too.

“Uh, I have no idea what you just said.” The Zabrak looked at me, blinked slowly a few times and then gestured for me to follow. I did and he took me halfway around the mound thingy, out of sight from his scared-ey partner.

“The Captain has been through enough right now, he doesn’t need the stress of everything recounted back to him,” the Zabrak explained in a heavy accent I’ve never heard before. It seems odd that someone who got stressed out by bugs that weren’t even here was chosen to lead this mission, but okay. The Thuls aren’t very good at all this war stuff, are they?

“Please forgive him. He hasn’t been the same ever since the Imperial squad we were travelling with was attacked by the Killiks. We were their field guides, helping install a long-range field array. Prototype technology, all the way from Dromund Kaas.” Really, so was the team Daria Thul led? Is Captain Assertia really Daria Thul? No, daughters are girls. Does that mean she’s dead from the killiks like the Imperials they were scouting?

“Did your group include Daria Thul. She’s a woman and a Thul.” Maybe I should’ve asked what she looked like… The Zabrak shook his head. Guess they didn’t have any women in their squad. That means she’s still alive, probably.

“The killiks overwhelmed us. The Imperials had the sensors on their backs. They… attached them to their hives,” He continued, shuddering as he remembered something. What did he mean like glue? Wait, no. some bugs make Papier Mache hives and lick them to make the bits stick together. Did they lick the soldiers to make them stick? Stop, no - Daria Thul. You’re rescuing Daria Thul, not looking at l1ckedy-sticked squaddies.

“And you know where the mine is,” I asked pointedly. I’m not here for you, random Thul soldier guy. I’m here for Daria Thul.

“I do, but we can’t go anywhere without those sensors. If you get the sensors back, I would be more than happy to show you.”

“I don’t need a guide, can’t you just tell me?”

“The way is hidden, you won’t find it without a guide.” I pouted, except it wasn’t a pout: Sith don’t pout. It was a leer, and a menacing one too. He didn’t look menaced. Fine, I’ll help but only because I need you to guide me there. You have to do so right after, or I’m changing my mind on killing you.

I sat down on the load lifter and closed my eyes. Reaching out with my mind, I let it roam across the area. While I had felt out life and darkness before, this time I hunted metal. It was easy enough, and I found six bright metal poles sticking out of the mounds, faint outlines of men beside them. Focussing on one at a time, I pulled at their bodies, slowly peeling them from the papery mound. Once free, I brought them down and rested the men one beside the other near Captain Assertia. The captain started gibbering something about flying Joiners and curled up behind the crates. Huh, was he broken or did he mean to shame his unit? Back home, his lieutenant would have shot him for that. Thul really didn’t know how to do armies at all.

“Here, six sensors, and the Imperials’ bodies, for their families. Now, where is the mine?”

The mine entrance wasn’t particularly big or special, just a rectangular hole cut into the side of the bluff. If the big truck hadn’t been outside, I might’ve missed it entirely. I guess that was sort of the point though. Secret mines aren’t supposed to be easy to spot. Good thing I had a guide them. The Zabrak had shown me the way up until I saw the truck. Right now, I could feel him trudge back up the mountain, grumbling something in Huttese.

There were two big bug creatures outside, the elusive Killiks. They were slightly taller than a human, with torsos too long for their bodies. Their bottoms curled under them, making a hooky shape where their three-jointed insect legs sprouted. They were covered in chitin, like a Terentatek, and their heads were completely insect-like, with a beak between four clicky mandibles. They had big red eyes that were completely alien, not even like Chiss eyes, as they had little squiggles inside, making lots of hexagons. Lastly, they had antennae that spread over the tops and backs of their heads, and big moulded staff things.

I thought something that looks like a warrior and is obviously a guard would’ve been able to fight but they died really fast. I mean, it was like one swing and they fell apart. They didn’t even shoot at me or anything. I walked over their bodies a little disappointed and entered the mine.

It was dark inside, except when I looked at it through the force: then it practically glowed. I wasn’t going to be able to sense the imperials or Daria Thul in all that. I went in further, passing by what looked like big papery bulbs. I didn’t look in, but the contents smelled gooey, kind of like my cake, except my cake wasn’t full of bugs: flour and sugar, but no bugs. The walls had been square, with a flat floor that sloped down. The Killiks had rounded off the walls with oozy papery gunk and the floor was bumpy with these slightly ball-shaped mounds. I made my way down to a big bulby room.

There were people in here, but they felt weird. It was, I don’t know, like they’d been scooped out and a new thing was wearing them, like people suits. They moved alongside the big bugs, massaging the resin-ey puke on two men in Imperial uniforms. No, bad people: no gluing Imperials to the wall. I drew my lightsaber and thumbed it on. The blade hissed and red light bathed the cavern. The big bugs and their human helpers saw the light and they went red too.

Sprinting down the ramp, I leapt and pushed my blade through a human’s heart. He dropped wordlessly, while the other one drew a pistol. The big bugs were armed too: one had a rifle, the other a staff. Blaster bug took aim while staff-bug- no, that name doesn’t work- clicked something at me. Pistol girl shot first, she dies first. I deflected the first shot and dodged the second. Then I put my saber through her joiner belly before she fired the third. The staff bug, no- the branch bug: that’s not any better– swept its staff at me. I brought my blade to block, the staff shearing clean because lightsabers beat sticks and then I whipped off its head. Silly bug: guess you don’t need a name now. That just left the blaster bug.

It decided now was the best time to shoot me. The long rifle flashed gold and sound cracked through the mine. The force pulled my attention from the silly stick bug. My blade flashed and I felt a weight push against my lightsaber. Its blaster wasn’t a blaster. It was a slug thrower. Do you know what that means? It’s not a blast-bug: it’s a slug-bug! Or it was anyway. I kinda stabbed it in the face. The last bug squelched on the floor, leaving me with the Imperials.

They were all wrapped up in their resin-y Papier Mache cocoons, with only their heads and their hats showing. Why do they shave their heads to wear the little caps anyway, it looks silly, like a bobble on top of a ball. Uh anyway, I reached out with my will and ripped the Papier Mache from the Imperials. They fell forwards and hit the ground with grunty ‘whumphs’. That seemed to wake them up. Slowly, they got up, eyes red and looking all wobbly, but awake. Both stammered something –their thanks, I think– and ran back the way I came. I grinned as they fled: they left their hats behind.

Wait, how many Imperials were in her inspection team? Doesn’t matter, I’ll free all of them until I find Daria Thul. She’ll know how many minions she had. If I free more than that, then they’re a bonus.

I carried on going down, killing a few wandering bugs or their weird human allies. They weren’t interesting though. The walls sparkled, even though bits didn’t have any lights rigged up. Where there were, I saw the sparkles were from white bits in it. I know this was a mine, but was that what they were after? They’re pretty, but I don’t see much point to them.

There was another group of bugs: two killiks with blasters, a human puppet with a pistol and a shorter one that looked like a K’lorr slug. All of them were grouped up, beside two trapped Imperials. I leapt into the middle and spun my lightsaber in a Sarlaac Sweep. Then there were none.

I waved my lightsaber around the first cocoon in a lazy loop and saw something interesting. Where I cut the cocoon, little fires spread along threads inside that stiffly wiggled. The Papier Mache was crunchy and sticky but flexible. Could I shatter it? I went over to the other one while the first Imperial splatted on the squishy floor.

I put my hand on the sticky paper surface and reached out with my will. The paper was just that, but the glue was crystalline. I sent waves of force out into the glue, and it shook but it didn’t break. Hmm, maybe it needed more power before it- Argh! The Imperial fell forwards: he would’ve hit me if I hadn’t blurred back. I’m still holding my lightsaber, so that would’ve been bad for him. The other Imperial helped him up, both of them still woozy from their bug-induced nap. I pointed up the slope and watched them go. That was four, but I don’t know how many were in their team. I’m reaching the bottom of the mine, so I guess there’s another group. Maybe Daria Thul is there. I turned and headed down, deeper into the mine.

After a minute, I reached the bottom and it flattened out. There were little sub-passages running out from each side of the wall, but they weren’t very long and had drilling droids at the ends of each. No, the interesting stuff was at the end of the main passage.

There was an even bigger bug, three times as tall as the other ones. It had an electrostaff, a proper one, with metal and electric arcs and stuff. There were two little ones, and another Imperial trapped in a cocoon.

I drew my saber, twirling it in front of me as I approached. They didn’t even notice me. Instead, the big one clicked something and pointed at the cocooned Imperial. The little ones started snipping through their Papier Mache, trying to bring him down. While they did, the Imperial started screaming. Hey, that’s My imperial, get your own. I threw my lightsaber, carving through one of the little ones and slashing the wall beside the Imperial’s screamy head. He stopped screaming, and the last little bug and the big bug turned around. Ragate always says not to ignore your surroundings, even when they’re really boring. Then she would hit me for not paying attention.

I grabbed my lightsaber with my will and brought it across, hitting the other little one in the back of the head. It crunched and the bug dropped. It wasn’t dead, just dazed. I called and my weapon sailed back to my hand. The rushing hiss of the crimson blade silenced the big bug’s clicking.

I settled into a ready stance: feet in a backwards Leth, right hand held towards the creature with my blade out to the side. Oh, it recognised this was a duel and dropped into a stance. It wasn’t a very good one, but aren’t they supposed to be mindless bugs that can use tools and blasters?

It moved towards me on its click-ey segmented legs and swung at me, bringing both sides of the staff over to its right for a full sweeping blow. If it hit me, I knew it would throw me across the squelchy room and you know, hurt… a lot. I counter-charged, rushing to my right, swapping my saber to my right hand with a twirl. I’ll slash its leg out while it was still swinging, then I can kill it and continue looking.

It had two more arms, wrapped around its chest. One of them lashed out and grabbed my head. It smelled awful, all greasy and I could feel its three segmented fingers in my hair, squeezing so much it hurt. I whipped my saber up and the pain dropped off. The Killik screamed, the noise adding pressure to my now-throbby head. I dropped, the ground slapping the bottom of my feet. My legs went out from under me and I fell on my side. Reaching up, I took the arm by its wrist and heaved it off my head.

I twisted on the ground, using the force to push off. Twisting in the air, I lashed out parallel with the ground, and cleaved the electrostaff. Finishing my twirl, I landed, dipping into a spinning lunge to slow myself down. I came to a stop, swaying slightly as the world kept turning. Whoa, dizzy. The big bug was clutching its severed arm with its other little hand, and now had two two electro-sticks, one in each big arm. They still sparked.

It charged at me, bringing one stick down while the other stayed close to its body, obviously warding against another rush under its defence. That’s okay, I can go through it too. I sidestepped so it’s sweep down didn’t smush me, and then I jumped on its wrist. It howled again and punched the other stick at me. I hopped up, landing on the other arm’s elbow and leapt-lunged, sweeping my saber in a stabbing slash. It threw up its last hand to try and save its life, but it still didn’t get lightsabers. The tip skewered its hand and carried on into its throat. My momentum took the blade up, sizzling a line through its beak and out between its antennae. I turned in the air, watching the dead insect fall, its head falling apart onto either side of its shoulders.

I landed beside the trapped Imperial and with one fluid motion smacked the bottom of my fist into the Papier Mache. I put my will into the strike and spread it out with the vibrations in the cocoon, feeling the whole thing. Then I pulled. The Papier Mache prison disintegrated and the Imperial fell forwards, getting a knee under him so he didn’t go splat into ichor like everyone else. He was the last one in this mine cave and he looked more aware than the others. He’d been screaming, while they’d all been asleep until they met the ground.

He was a human, with short fuzzy black hair under his cap. See, finally someone who doesn’t look like an egg from behind, not that he looked like an egg normally. His skin was a dark brown and eggs are pinky, so… unless there are made from chocolate. Wait: are chocolate eggs a thing? I’ll have to ask Vette later. He got up and I saw he had a Lieutenant rank on his lapel, just like Quinn, until he changed it. He had some other bits on his front, but I didn’t know what they were.

“Please my lord. There are four others, as well as the Imperial squad and our local guides. Please save them,” He supplicated, or is it begged? No, begged, he wasn’t kneeling. He looked worried though. I should tell him.

“Found them, the officers and guides I mean: the squad was dead, though I guess that means I found them too, just not alive. Where’s Daria Thul? She was supposed to be with you.” He squinted at me, trying to make sense of what I said. People keep doing that, it’s getting annoying.

“The Alderaanian girl… They took her further into the nest, down there,” he eventually answered, pointing at a large-ish hole high up in the wall. Had all the killiks squeezed out from there? Even the big one? Wow, guess they’re more flexible than they look. Still, guess where I’m going next: clue, it’s though there.

“The screams… it was terrible.” He shuddered, looking away from it, “Please my lord, I can’t stay here, let them do that to me.” He was a Lieutenant, it said so on his lapel, but he was acting like a coward. Cowards don’t get promoted into officer ranks, they get executed as guardsmen. None of this made any sense, but I knew a way to make it. Commander Ragate showed it to me.

“Lieutenant, if I commanded you to take your blaster and follow me further in, what would you do?” his eyes bulged, and his throat bobble wiggled. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and then opened them. They were normal, terrified, but normal, “I would follow your command, even if it leads to my death. I am a loyal servant of the Empire, My Lord.” That was the right answer: he wasn’t a coward. I nodded at him and pointed up the slope.

“The way out is that way, I’ll be up once I find Daria Thul. Keep the others safe until I return, okay?” his eyes flashed full of water and he couldn’t keep the large smile off his face.

“I shall carry out your orders. Thank you, my lord.” With that, he withdrew up the slope, leaving me alone in the bug-infested mine.

Looking up, I figured how much force it’d take and jumped. Guided by my will, I landed in a crouch in the hole. Despite how it looked from the ground, It wasn’t as small as I thought. Sure, I couldn’t stand up, but I could crouch and crawl through without any problems. There weren’t any normal lights in here, but that’s not really a problem for me. I don’t need my eyes to see through the force.

I came to the end of the tunnel and saw a big round room. It had faint lighting from somewhere, but it wasn’t natural… or rather, it was. Light came from a raised platform, casting weird wavy shadows over the sparkling walls. I got closer, standing up as I clambered out of the tunnel a pool filled with bubbly little purple eggs.

There was a human down there, kneeling beside the pool, washing slimy water over the eggs. More importantly, she wore a Thul coat over her armour! Darting over to her, I squelched across the squishy ground, purple-grey ichor spattering my boots. She didn’t turn as I approached, squelching every step of the way.

“You have removed those who are not of the nest. Had they stayed, they would have learnt the peace of the Joining,” she said, and her voice was off. It wasn’t unnatural, just strange like she was sedated or something, “We will not deny you your prize.” She turned around.

Her eyes were completely, utterly black.

I- Uh- No, she’s not,- she can’t be him: she just… can’t. I didn’t sense the force from her: he can’t manifest like that without it. This was wrong, this was all very wrong!

“You must leave now. There has been a song of swarming. We have claimed these mines for the nest.” We, nest? But we don’t have a -. The Killiks… they have a hive mind, and theirs absorbed people too. If that’s so, then she wasn’t coming back. Her mind had been overridden by the hive. She would be an empty shell, a soulless meat-machine whose only purpose was to obey slavishly.

“Are you Daria Thul?”

“Once we were called Daria Thul. Now we are known as New Child of the Ukanaku nest. We have tasted the gel and scented the egg chamber. We have joined. We are of the nest now. You cannot take us from it any more than your lungs could live outside your body.” That’s not how a hive mind works. You don’t get a new name. You simply become a part of the greater controlling will. More than that, you are always linked: no matter where you go. You’d have to remove yourself from the force to- oh. I let the smile bubbling up inside shine through. She ate some goo and smelled a smell, there was no force ritual empowering it. It was just smells affecting her, and it didn’t want her to leave the hive. That’s not mind control, that’s addiction. There was still time.

Reaching out with my will, I learnt just how wrong I was. I heard the song: or maybe I felt it. The song screamed from every bug, every not-mind for kilometres around. Staggering, I clutched at my head and it was all I could do not to scream. The song thrummed around me, through me, and I could feel it twisting at the edges of my mind: trying to change me, piece by piece. It wanted me, to turn me into one of their little mindless drones. That thought alone, their desire to rob me of my very self, gave me the infusion of hate I needed. I raised bastions of jagged rage that walled off my mind through Dark Power. The Will of Stars slowly forced the psychic cacophony out of my being. Slowly, I gained enough of myself to just about think clearly.

It was a chorus of voices too many to consider counting, all in harmony with each other, but that doesn’t explain it right. All the voices held the same notes, the same speed, the same mind. There were no individual sounds: many voices but with only one all-encompassing will. It was intimately familiar… and Evil. Memories long locked away jangled loose in my mind, a painful reminder of long ago.

A faint wry smile broke through as I remembered the warm summer’s day. We had been in a field specially chosen and marked out for the occasion. It had rained before dawn and the grass was still slick with the sweet scent of dew. Thousands joined me, and untold millions of friends and servants, spectators and slaves. All gave their voices, their bodies and their power to the ritual. The chant there had been just as beautiful as it was now. I still remember the tune some nights when I can’t sleep. Then the song changed.

Cries of joy became shrieks of terror as their bodies became ash. Spirits, their every hope, dream and desire, warped and buckled as they became naught but fuel for the most implacable will. Those not empowering the rite were washed apart by an all-consuming wave, a tide of decay that wrapped my world in death.

I took this memory and smashed it into their glorious harmony. Here, have some doubt with your lotus leaf bliss. The song vanished as suddenly as how I’d first heard it. In its place was the hissing screech of an insect: the true voice of the Killik hive mind. My wry smile became cruel triumph. The inhuman screech drove Daria Thul to her knees. Lunging at her, I put one hand on her head, fingers on her temple. My other hand rested over her heart. Now that the bugs were distracted, I delved deep into Daria’s mind.

I found myself standing in the Thul palace, but instead of statues and pillars lining the walls, I saw moving murals. Each one played a different scene, all from one perspective: Daria’s. The halls were a mess, with mud and Killik slime coating every surface. Where it touched the memory murals, they faded and had half-dissolved. No sooner than I entered this place, it buckled and shifted: the psychic pressure of my presence straining the foundations of her very psyche. I couldn’t be in here long, not without snapping her mind entirely.

Without touching the murals, I followed the damage back. Something had done this from inside her: otherwise, she’d be addicted, not dominated. I took long, leaping strides, doing my utmost to touch her mind as little as possible. I am not like them at all, I want her to be her, not a broken copy.

As I ran deeper and deeper into the slimy tunnels, the memories played. I saw Daria play on a too-huge toy Thranta, argue with Stanel and another person, possibly her mother. I saw the mother wither as she got smaller until there was nothing but a skeletal human in a fancy bed. And then there were the lovers, boys and men all in noble coats, some of Thul, most not. They gave her things and stuff, and she marked their faces from one to seven, the lowest being the prettiest.

At a crossroads, I saw her turn down a marriage proposal from number Five, instead attending the Royal Academy with number Three. Glancing back down the way I’d come, I saw inky black pools spreading from my footsteps. My power was affecting her faster than I thought. Turning right, where the paintings were a bit more faded, I stopped watching the memory murals and sprinted. While I might miss some light damage, lingering in here would kill her spirit.

Hurtling around a corner, I found it: the metaphysical bug in her head. It was pure white, spiky and the real Daria dangled limply from its mandibles. She looked gaunt, as if the bug monster was draining the very life from her spirit.

“Turn back, creature of darkness,” the beetle clicked and Daria’s mouth said the words. The rest of her shook limply with the motion of its mandibles. She was almost gone: I had to do this now or she wouldn’t survive the creature’s death. I reached out and sent tendrils of power cascading towards the creature. All I had to do was rip off its head and she’d be free.

Dark splotches covered the closest mural as my power passed close by, turning it into an inky mirror. Within, I saw a purple blade and a blue blade, their wielders standing proudly by the door to the audience chamber. Snarling at my own stupidity, I drew back my power before it could do any harm. While Commander Ragate said to think of your lightsabers as an extension of your body, I never really believed it. My lightsabers were with my real body: I was unarmed save for Power that would destroy that I wished to save. I was going to have to get creative.

I charged the creature, watching it raise a bladed forelimb and swipe at my chest. It was fast, almost as fast as me, but I had an advantage. I wore my power like a cloak, but the Dark Side is never so easily tamed. It coiled and writhed around me, rising more into an umbral mist than a garment. The creature didn’t know precisely where I was, only that I was in the dark haze. Using this, I dropped and slid under its razor-sharp leg, leaving a trail of ink in my wake. Grabbing the leg behind above the blade, I flexed my wrist. Power rushed from my fingers, granting me inhuman strength to throw my entire spirit-self up and onto the creature’s back. The Killik will screeched as I touched it, and I saw inky shadows worm their way through the leg where I touched it, tearing globs of opaque flesh from the beast. So it was just as vulnerable to my Power as Daria, good to know. I finished my little flip and landed on its back. the Killik bucked and writhed, desperate to unseat me even as the shadows bit into its back.

In the real world, my body worked against me, always drawing in power, warping it even as I let it flow, but I wasn’t in my body anymore. I knew the right gestures, and now I faced a being that consumed your spirit and stole your will to be free: There was nothing I could possibly hate more.

Black tendrils of Dark Power arced free from my shadow-stained fingers, scoring deep white welts in the creature’s head. It screeched and bucked, but I clamped on with my legs, wrapping tendrils of Dark Power around its midsection. The sizzling hiss drowned out its screams and I felt its fear so strongly I could practically taste it: it was delicious. I rode the creature down, pouring ever more Power into its blackening exoskeleton until nothing remained but an inky grey formless mass. Rising from the puddle, I moved over to Daria, drawing my Power back in.

Daria Thul was practically gone, a translucent wisp of a skeletal woman. She looked a bit like her mother, just before the end. The world shifted, growing starker and grey as my power poured in through my eyes. However, my hands looked their normal, scarred selves. Lifting the almost ghostly Daria, I carried her over to the grey puddle. The Killik mind parasite had consumed a lot of her spirit, but it was dead and its remains were former parts of her. Pushing her into the puddle back-first, I watched it shrink, slurping up into and over her. Daria was still gaunt, but she was corporeal again. She gasped open her eyes and I was back in the real world.

The insect screech was gone. Instead, the hive thrummed with frantic activity. Reaching out with my will, I could feel the fear of a hundred-thousand confused insects. The hive mind had dissolved, choosing oblivion over the memory of the ritual: can’t say I blamed it. Slowly, she stirred under my hands. Please don’t be broken!

She opened her eyes and they were black. No… after all that, I’d broken her: That’s not fair at all! Braca’s words echoed in my head ‘The world isn’t fair, the sooner you realise that, the better it will be.’ No: I refuse to accept that chain. Through Victory, chains are broken. Reaching into her with my will, I rooted around for my power. There were clumps all over her head, corruptions of her spirit. Some were stuck fast, filling voids rent by the killiks and their hive mind, but most weren’t. Gently, I drew my power back in. Slowly, the black faded to a cloudy grey, and then to white and blue.

“Master?” My breath balled up the back of my throat. Please don’t be broken, “No, sorry, who are you?” I blurred forwards and smacked my head against her ribs. She choked out a breath and froze. Even through the thick, muddy coat, I could feel her heartbeat. She wasn’t heartless! She would be okay! Letting go, I looked up at her. Now wasn’t the time to play the child.

“I’m your escape route. Let’s go!” She didn’t recognise me: she’d recover!

Whirling around, I grabbed her wrist and half-pulled, half-guided her out of the chamber. The floor was slimy and we were running uphill and she was slipping and sliding behind, but we made it back up into the mine workings. The ground was firmer here, but there were more of the big soldier bugs, a lot more. I wasn’t stopping to count or anything, but there were at least fifty.

I wasn’t going to cut through all that before they swarmed me. They scrabbled and lashed out at each other in their mad attempt to charge away from us. Wait, they’re running away from us? But I ripped up their hive mind and took my people back from them. Shouldn’t they want-, No: not complaining! I bounced up over the uneven floor, leaping from the bulb-like mounds that infested the walls. The exit wasn’t that far away, it was just all uphill. Daria staggered and ran woozily behind me, leaning on every other bulb for balance.

A wriggly smaller bug writhed out of a nearby hole, squelching as it saw her. I spun in mid-air and flicked a lightsaber at it. Red sliced through its middle and whirled back to me before I landed. They weren’t going to slow us down.

I darted out of the mine and saw the Imperials I’d rescued earlier huddled on top of the truck, seemingly ignored by the mass of fleeing Killiks. Pulling Daria close, I threw us both on top with them.

Now, all we had to do was wait for them to flee past and make our way back to her father… So, which way was it back to camp?

It is good to see you back. I have missed Roan. He is always fun to read. I really enjoyed the second offering you posted today. I am intruded by his memory that he shared to disrupt the Song. I have a couple ideas thought

That was also an interesting way to get her out of there. Well done.

"Wanshom?"

Arcann found himself suddenly staring at a plate containing an already half eaten chokolate-coated cake that was held by a blue hand. He had been wandering in his thoughts for a while, anything that came to his mind, as long as it kept him away from this awkward feeling of… He shook his head to put his ideas back into place and his gaze followed the arm that was holding the plate to finally meet two violet eyes. "I beg you pardon?"

"Humf" Vette held a finger up, asking him to wait and swallowed loudly before licking her lips.

"Do you want some? Looked like you needed some comfort…"

He broke eye contact again to stare into the void. "No, I am fine, thank you."

"Nah, you're not."

"I am. Thank you for your concern."

He heard her move and for a split second almost believed that she was giving up, but all of a sudden, he felt her lean against his back, her arms coming to rest on his shoulders from behind. A lekku brushed the right side of his face while she put her chin on her forearm.

"You've been staring." she almost chanted with an amused voice.

"I do not know what you are talking about."

Vette approached her mouth closer to his ear and whispered. "Mh, let me describe the scene for you… Two o'clock, gray skin, nice legs if you ask me, and currently laughing with a dark-skinned man who's clearly flirting with her."

Arcann repressed a sigh. Yes, he might have been staring. A bit. He was trying not to as each glimpse awoke in his guts a mix of anger and sadness that he wanted to go away. He had no right for feeling this way. She was not his. She would probably never be. He was being foolish and overly emotional about what he saw and this feeling had to go, he had to make it die away. She said that he should learn how to tame and use his emotions, feed on them, but this, this had to disappear.

"You're jealous…" Vette whispered, giggling softly. "I might have been right after all. You have a little crush, don't you?"

Arcann could not help looking again and saw Nyx observing him from the couch where she had been drinking and talking with the newcomer. She was frowning interrogatively, her head tilted on the side, but immediately changed her expression to a neutral smile when their gazes met. He tried to smile neutrally in return then turned his bar stool a few degrees in the opposite direction to both break eye contact and force Vette to move from his back. His friend knew that he was not used to such familiarity but it was as if she voluntarily trespassed into his comfort zone as often as she could.

The twilek pushed her plate again in front of him on the bar. "Go on, help yourself, and be quick otherwise I might eat it all. Chokolate is good stuff against heartbreaks."

"I am not having a so-called 'crush', Vette," he tried to defend himself. "And I would appreciate that you do not persist in thinking so."

"Oh, sure, so you were only concerned for her well-being since this guy is a stranger, right? Just checking that she's safe, hu?"

Of course she would not stop, what was he hoping for? He liked her very much, but when Vette had something stuck in her head and was not satisfied with the answers she got, she would gladly continue chewing on the bone. And unfortunately, she was rather perceptive and gifted with empathy. Lying to her was not easy, the best he could usually get away with was half truths.

"I… I do not like him. The way he addresses her is terribly disrespectful. Did you hear him? She is not some random girl in a bar, she… She is the Commander of the whole Eternal Alliance!"

And yet that man had dared calling her 'babe' and Arcann had heard him refer to her as 'his girl' a few times in her absence, making of course most of the men around chuckle. He did not know what infuriated him the most, the man's disrespect, the evidently possessive words he used for her or the fact that Nyx had barely reacted with a disapproving look when he had done so. Gods! How could this man appear suddenly out of nowhere and call her his… whatever else than Commander? And that had nothing to do with… with…

"Ah yep, I did," Vette said before engulfing a giant spoonful of cake into her mouth. "Humf… Well considering that Ashara told me that the Commander and this guy used to… hum, let me recall her words… yes, 'have recurring sexual encounters' back in the days, looks like he wouldn't be against resuming the good ol' kinky stuff."

Arcann paled a little. "I.. I… I didn't need to hear that."

"Nay, you don't want to hear that. Stings, hu?"

"No."

Stars! Arcann put his hands into his lap to hide them as he realised that he was both clenching them tightly into fists. Though they were cut short, he could clearly feel the bite of his fingernails in the palm of his right hand. Yes, it stung, it bloody stung, more than it ever should. So why could she simply not leave him alone so that he could just go over it and silence it all?

"Yeeeeeeah, it stings. Why don't you protect your hunting territory and tell her?"

"I am not on a hunt and there is nothing to say. Now please, stop prodding my patience."

"Urgh! Guys can be so damn dumb!" Vette rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Okay, Mr. Grumpy Face. So I'd rather find you a treat to cheer you up before you become as grim as Skadge. What's your poison?"

"My… what?" Arcann looked at his twilek friend questioningly. Poison?

"Yeah. The one thing you always liked to stuff your mouth with when you were a kid, you know. Something that makes you feel good."

Arcann frowned. Was there such a thing? In the last two decades he had probably not indulged in any food the way she described. The Empire's kitchens usually served very elaborated dishes but nothing he could associate with joy and comfort, nothing he truly enjoyed eating. But he remembered that there had been something, earlier, when they were still a family. "I hum…" he answered tentatively. "There were pies my mother used to bake when we were young. I loved the smell…" The memory made him smile a little. "She always had to chide us because we could barely wait for them to cool down and would have burnt our tongues eating them up when they were still too hot. But then, she used to let us eat them with our fingers…"

He recalled the laughter, sitting on the floor with their plates, smeared faces and sticky fingers, his brother and him making fun of their baby sister's terribly messy way of eating... These had been rare purely joyful moments when nobody around was imposing them to train, or learn, or watch their manners. Yes, if there was one thing he had enjoyed eating, that was the one... Arcann raised his eyes on Vette, granting her with half a smile. "The closest you find here would be cloudberry pie…"

Vette uttered a delighted giggle and yelled to the bar-droid. "Hey, Teefour, bring a slice of cloudberry pie to my friend here. With a huge amount of whipped cream!" And with a big grin stuck on her face, she turned around again to face him. "Now, Big Boy. Let's work on your case."

I love Vette, I really do. She is one of my favorite companions.

I do feel a smidge bit bad for Arcaan, not wanting top qualify the fact he has a crush, as having a crush, Nyx's old lover returning and Arcaan has no idea who Nikki even is. Vette has figured out what is going on with him. Hopefully she is able to help him out.

Thank you. I like their relationship. Arcann needed to have at least one real friend around and Vette is just perfect for that. I see her as someone who does not hold everlasting grudges. And she is the perfect character to add some fun to stories.

Nikki is highly colourful as well. More to come.

Prompt: Happy Together

Name: Cassie Danae

Class: Jedi Sage

Odessen Training Room:

Nalia could hear the tell-tale signs of lightsaber’s clashing. It was what attracted her down the corridor, aside from her first actual scheduled non-lethal sparring session with Lana Beniko, a Sith! She’d been here only a few days and her mind was still trying to piece together this alliance of Empire and Republic personnel working side by side.

It was awe-inspiring to say the least, but if anyone could have accomplished it, she knew the Barthensor could. Master Dane had done what both the Sith and the Jedi never could, find a way to work together for a greater good. Of course, things weren’t perfect, with the current situation on Ossus causing a bit of tension amongst the mixed ranks.

But those thoughts were immediately wiped from her mind the moment she entered the training room. Lana and Master Danae were sparring, and it appeared as if neither was holding back. Was this a common practice with Alliance training?

She looked around the room to observe that she wasn’t the only one watching as quite the crowd was gathering.

“A thousand credits says the Commander takes out Beniko.” Lt. Pierce replied.

“You would say something like that you jerk.” Vette replied.

“Did I hear a bet begin placed?” Gault suddenly spoke up from behind.

“I’ll see that bet and raise you another thousand on our blonde Sith, and to make things more interesting, the loser has to do any unnamed task of the winners choosing.”

“Done.” Pierce replied.

“Jerks.” Vette responded with a roll of her eyes.

“Is..is this typical, the sparring sessions and betting, I mean.” Nalia inquired.

“Naw, it’s just the first time the Commander and Lana have sparred in front of any of us before.” Vette answered.

“They’re both usually so serious it’s nice to see them let loose, you know.”

“Serious, is that what you call it Vette, I would say it’s more like they need a private moment alone to work out…”

“Gaaaulllt…you’re spilling the not supposed to know beans all over the floor!” Vette replied in her sweet sing song way.

“Fine, fine, but it’s not like it isn’t obvious.” He retorted with disapproval.

Nalia would have likely been sucked into this odd moment if it wasn’t for the main distraction taking place in the middle of the room.

“Commander, your holding back.” Lana replied as their saber’s clashed once more.

“And don’t insult me, I can sense your frustration, I would tell you to channel that aggression if you were Sith.”

“I think we’re beyond the titles of Sith and Jedi, Lana.” Cassie responded in kind, as she force pushed Lana away.

The former Sith landed gracefully on her feet but did not let up her assault.

“Then let lose, we’ve done this too many times before to start taking it easy on each other now.”

Lana charged, unleashing a bolt of lightning from her fingertips, giving Cassie barely enough time to shield herself as the lightening scorched the side of her sleeve. Lana lept into the air and came down hard toward Cassie, as the former Jedi blocked her strike with her saber.

In that split moment as they were locked, eye to eye, Cassie felt a flicker of conflict before responding.

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

There was a look of amusement and satisfaction in Lana’s eyes before she was pulled from the moment by a rather large piece of flying debris headed straight for her. She cleaved it in half with her saber only to have to turn and parry an attack from her opponent. Cassie’s strikes were coming much quicker and with an increasing amount of power behind them. Thus, began a dangerously beautiful dance of lightsabers cupelled with an impressive show of force powers.

Nalia would have been worried had Vette not kicked back in her seat and poked the barrier with her foot.

“Have a seat, might as well enjoy the display while these jerks gamble their money away.”

“The Names Vette by the way.”

Nalia took a seat next to Vette, her eyes torn between the sparring going on and the Twi’lek next to her.

“Hi, I’m Nalia.”

That’s about as far as the conversation got before another flying piece of debris hit the barrier in front of them. If you didn’t know any better, one would think that the two were trying to kill each other. Perspiration beaded the head of each of the woman and both had sustained scorched saber marks along arms, torso and legs. A few bruises could be seen forming along Cassie’s arm and Lana’s cheek, but still the women kept pushing each other.

“You can’t be serious?!”

“You’re actually healing me as we fight, is this what you plan on doing with all the Sith you encounter?”

“I’m a healer by nature Lana.”

“Don’t be a damned fool, you know what I mean.”

Cassie laughed, the tension now gone from her shoulders but the feel of fatigue starting to set in. As the dance between them continued, an explosion from behind knocked Cassie into Lana as their body of entangled limbs slid to a stop at the foot of HK-55.

Exclamation: When it was reported that two meat bags were trying to kill each other in the training room, I had not expected it to be you, and Master Beniko.

Statement: Imagine the quandary I was in on which of you I should protect or eliminate.

Conclusion: The only logical solution was to break you up like a pack of wild dogs. Since there was no water I shot the generator to the shield instead.

Proud Statement: It appears that my solution was correct.

Lana and Cassie looked at one another before Cassie burst into laughter while Lana shook her head.

“Oh HK!”

Cassie’s head fell back on Lana’s shoulder as she laughed. Still shaking her head, Lana looked between the droid and Cassie and smiled.

“What am I going to do with the both of you?”

“I hope keep us around for a very long time, wife.” Cassie replied as she drew Lana down for a kiss.

Nalia couldn’t exactly say she was entirely stunned. Before Cassie had joined them on Odessen she could feel that Lana had a fondness for her former Master, and now she knew what that fondness was. Still shocked by the whole scene, Nalia forced herself to look at Vette.

“Well, at least they look happy together?” Nalia questioned.

Vette laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about the two of them. Come on, let’s go to the Cantina, I could use a drink.”

Nalia looked back at Lana and Cassie and decided there was no reason to stay, both women looked as if they’d be occupied for a while in the med bay, so she followed Vette out of the training room. As they passed an arguing Gault and Pierce, she decided she needed to have that sit down with her former master. Nalia had missed way too much of her life while they were apart, and if today was any indication this would be quite the tale.

“Beep beep. Beep beep.”

Burzek slowly reentered consciousness at the sound of the ship’s hyperspace exit alarm. The alarm was simply alerting him that they were about to reach their destination: Balmorra. The tone of the alarm was a tad too high pitched for Burzek’s taste, though. He added that to his mental lists of chores for 2V-R8 to take care of.

The Mantis vessel was a new type of craft for Burzek. The Zabrak bounty hunter had just stolen the ship after wrapping up some business on Dromund Kaas. After the melee and hunting down his targets on the planet, he was too tired to immediately fix up his new ship. After the tour given by 2V-R8, he had immediately found the captain’s quarters and lied down on the mattress. The water mattress. Apparently the previous owner (who was now dead in a Dromund Kaas spaceport alongside about a dozen imperials and dock hands) favored sleeping on water than on a more traditional kod'yok mattress. That was one of the other things that Burzek would make sure to acquire once they returned to the Imperial fleet. Maybe the base on Balmorra sold quality supplies, but Burzek doubted that any mattress from a military installation was any more comfortable than the water mattress.

Burzek rubbed his eyes and rose out of bed-careful to not fall over as the mattress moved around as if it were alive. He sighed, annoyed at the bed. He was able to sleep almost anywhere, but there was something about sleeping on a moving surface that he wasn’t quite comfortable with.

“Good morning, master; I hope you slept well!” came the disingenuous greeting from the ship’s protocol droid. “It would be my pleasure to serve you in whatever capacity you need me to.” Burzek knew that droids were programmed to have simulated feelings, but 2V-R8 was the first droid that Burzek knew who had an unhealthy amount of fear. The hunter could only guess as to what he had been through with his previous owner.

“Grab a bucket, I need to relieve myself,” Burzek said a tad too seriously.

“Y-yes, sir. Right away, master,” the droid managed to respond before turning to leave.

“I’m just joking, droid. Get me and Mako something to eat it. Make it light and nutritious. We’ll need something to energize us before we set out today.”

“Oh, thank you, master. I can do that,” the droid sounded as if a planet had been lifted off of his chassis. 2V-R8 walked toward the galley to begin preparing their meals.

“And grab my armor,” Burzek called out. “I want to suit up before we land planetside.”

“I have it right here, actually.” Burzek turned to the bridge to see Mako holding a knee pad and what appeared to be a-

“Is that a rag?” Burzek could feel his orange skin turning red.

“Yes, it is. I thought that I would clean up your armor before we land-”

“You didn’t polish it, did you?” Burzek plodded toward the bridge. He couldn’t see the rest of his armor from his position near the holoterminal, but the knee pad looked different from when he last saw it.

“Um, I did. I wanted to make sure it was ready for-”

“-Stupid, stupid,” Burzek muttered. He quickly reached Mako and looked down at the deck. Near her feet was his remaining pieces of armor, glistening brightly under the ship lights. “You idiot. Do you understand what you did to me?”

Mako’s smile faded as she tried to understand what was happening. “I...protected your armor from rust so that it wouldn't break apart in the field?” she said as a question.

“No, I cleaned my armor before I laid down. You painted a target on me by polishing it. I’m not some kind of soldier or fancy Hutt guard. I’m a hunter. I can’t hunt if my target can see me coming from a mile away!” Burzek snatched the knee pad from Mako and looked it over before throwing it on the ground.

“I-I’m sorry, Burzek. I was just trying to-”

“-Breakfast is served!” Burzek turned to see 2V-R8 walking up the staircase with a tray covered with different meats and grains as well as two cups of blue milk. Burzek sighed again.

“I hate blue milk.” The hunter pushed past Mako and sat down at the controls of the ship, desperate to get away from his newfound partners. Everything seemed to be inferior in some way to Burzek whether it was his sidekick, his droid, his equipment, his ship, or even his meal. Everything had a long way to go before Burzek would be satisfied.

“And here, and here…” Zry’Dran directed on a datapad. The station constable nodded, padding his damp forehead with a cloth, pressing his thumb against the points. “So they’re officially in your custody, so you’ll want to put your HoloNet account codes there and the Empire will cover their air bill until a security transport does the pickup.”

The station chief glanced at the five in cuffs – only the two humans were showing the bruises, but one of the Duros’s eyes lolled, barely conscious, and the kolto packs were still on the burly Trandoshan where he’d stopped a blaster bolt.

The constable patted his head again, as the datapad ground on. Dustrat Station mainly supported the local asteroid miner fleet, and the Hutts apparently felt they could cut massive corners on the station electronics. That reminded her…

“Relax,” Zry’Dran said dryly, “They’ve been searched for weapons, including bio and energy-scan. The Blue Krayt gang is out of tricks.” She waited a second, then finished, “They won’t be breaking out on their own.”

The constable flinched again as the Trandoshan growled. She was pretty sure Big Fix’s reaction was involuntary, but the constable’s certainly wasn’t. He wasn’t on the bounty Mako had found running one of her usual cross-checks when they’d stopped for supplies, and he hadn’t stood in her way, so not her problem. For a smuggler gang with a bounty that size, they’d definitely been on easy street, but that was the Hutts’ problem in this space, until they put a job out.

“You’re going to want to put those numbers in. I’m sure the sure the station manager will check the books and you’ll need to be able to justify your share of the bounty,” she pressed. Maybe it bothered her a little. She gave the Trandoshan a brief kick and a flash of her own fangs to keep her conscience buried under adrenaline.

The constable took the datapad and then dropped it at a thump behind him. “Where did you want the detonators?” Torian asked. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t taken a repulsor sled for the last batch of contraband. but she admired the way the sweat moved on the young Mandalroian and – focus, she directed herself. Job wasn’t done.

“Left cabinet on the back bulkhead – but not the second shelf. There’s a surprise there anyone ever breaks aboard and best not to aggravate it,” she said, stooping to pick up the datapad. Torian nodded. He was good crew – confident but not afraid to ask when he was lost. Not that happened to the tracker very much.

Finally, the transfer was complete with the constable, and a couple of his security men were free to lead away the gang. She looked at the number in satisfaction. Even if the Quesh trip was a bust, this quick side venture would at least pay for the fuel.

Torian came back from a hatch. “That droid already had all the gems sorted out, and was polishing them,” he said with some disbelief, “You sure on them?”

“TwoVee’s last owner was a real gem himself,” Zry’Dran assured the Mandalorian, “So he likes to keep busy.” Torian frowned. “Oh, the jewels,” she teased, “No one was willing to claim them as stolen property, and the miners who snatched them will have some other fence running here in a week under the local slug’s nose.”

Torian still looked pouty, and she couldn’t have that. “Look kid,” she said, “You’re a hell of a quartermaster but you’d be amazed how much all this stuff costs.”

A confident voice rang across the bay. “Not by the time I’m done,” said a cocky Devaronian, wiping his hands with a satisfied expression. Mako rolled her eyes besides him, carrying a small crate.

“You couldn’t move all their stock?” Zry’Dran said.

“Now, my friend, you should no better than to doubt your pal Gault,” Gault said, “Since I can say with confidence the local commissary has no idea how much to pay for bad wine, I thought I’d leave us the top-shelf stuff to save them the pain of crushing realization of a poor palate.”

“This stuff was separate from the rest,” Mako said, “Must have been private stock.”

Gault nodded, “The asteroid miners would be better drinking their hydraulics than some of the stuff, but it seems to come with the profession. I’ll have to tell you the story sometime when I cornered the titanium market on Savros 3 using only four Ithorian peppers and an amazing soup recipe.”

“If this is the last, you can tell me after we make the jump,” Zry’Dran said, “Unless there’s anyone else we should check on?”

Mako said, “No, nothing else that ticked anyone off at interstellar distances, thankfully. I’m going to need a long shower after having my head in this relic of a system that long.” She looked at the ship with some gratitude. “If we didn’t have our own transmitter, the Blue Krayt would have died of old age before we could collect.”

“Well, Quesh is apparently up to date, and we’re fueled up,” Zry’Dran said, “So let’s see stars.”

Gault shook his head as they trotted up the short ramp. “Still can’t think a factory visit will be anything but they’ve got a holocorder ready to go,” Gault called as Zry’Dran took the steps to the cockpit. “That means at least ten percent more!”

Zry’Dran shook her head. Personally, she just figured Adascorp wanted their own turf and it was rare this side of the border. Mako began to handle clearances with a thumbs up as the Great Champion settled in the pilot’s seat and thumbed the engines. The big Mantis gave a growl, and Zry’Dran worked to not bite on her tongue – the asteroid fields weren’t kept far back from the station outside the hyperspace corridor, and she wasn’t much of a flygirl. Neither was anyone else, though, and her name was on the bills.

Repulsors carried them free of the bay, and she tabbed the engines to unfold. She saw the light go red on the console before a terrible screech began to ring through the ship.

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

Later, back in the bay, TwoVee groveled as he gave his report in the common room. “Master, the hydraulic ring on the lower stanchion corroded, and the heat partially fused the motor as well. I can find no cuts or burns on the ring. Please do not disintegrate me, master.”

Zry’Dran waved that off. Mako protested, “I don’t believe this, we replaced that whole hydraulic rig last year when we had to get new fuel lines at Balmorra!”

“Worst case of mynock bites they ever saw,” Zry’Dran reminisced.

Gault brightened, on the other hand, “So if it’s that new, it’s under warranty. And if there wasn’t a warranty, well, give me a stylus and twenty minutes.”

Torian asked, “What about the other two?”

TwoVee assured, “I have replaced both rings, but they did not appear to be corroded, sir.”

“First things first is to get the ship working,” Zry’Dran said, “Mako, see what they’ve got local that works, or could limp us to Nar Shaddda, at least. Gault, get on the HoloNet and see what you can get from the manufacturer. Torian, you and I are going over the blaster rig on that engine.”

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

Later, as the mechanics were working their (expensive) magic, Gault gave his report in the bay, the crew having vacated the Mantis when the welding noise got too much.

“Good news! I looked at the warranty and even a pack of Senators couldn’t talk their way out of the company owing you money – you could bury the ship on Taris for a year and that ring was supposed to stay intact,” the con artist said with a smile.

“Great, how much was it?” Zry’Dran said, patting at her fur with some futility. She was going to smell like laser coolant for weeks. At least on Quesh it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Ah, that’s the bad news,” Gault said, “I can’t find the company that owes you money.”

“You’ve lost me.”

“Well, so the shipwright in Sobrik was a subsidiary of Balmorran Arms – not surprising. Corporate planets love their hierarchies. But there’s been a bit of a change of ownership,” The Devaronian said with a wince.

“You buy out a contract, you still have responsibility. That’s not even Bounty Hunting 101,” the Cathar replied.

“Yeah, this was more political,” Gault said, “Apparently, the Balmorran Resistance wasn’t quite as done as the oddsmakers thought. It seems the planet’s become a proud member of the Republic. And ideology is trumping good business sense at the moment.”

“The Empire’s got to be holding some off-planet assets in the meanwhile,” Zry’Dran protested.

“Yeah and they’re busy being used in the knife-fight over whose fault it was,” Gault said, “The Sith were running the planet directly, so back-stabbing gets more expensive with lightsabers, besides how fluid ownership gets once everyone gets zappy.”

“Fantastic news,” Zry’Dran growled, “Any suggestions?”

“Gun-running to the Inner Rim is about to become WAY more lucrative if we can scrape up some hand blasters,” Gault said weakly, “Otherwise hope something else pops up on the Blacklist fast, since it’s the stanchion, the hydraulics, and half an engine. And don’t buy parts from active insurrections.” Mako and Torian groaned.

Zry’Dran sighed, “Not much of a choice – you should have seen the ship then. Mako, so much for a quick stop, let’s see if anyone on Quesh needs a hunter, maybe we can salvage a vacation.”

Mako sighed, “The lucrative life of a Champion. I’ll see what I can find.”

“You’ve got the hunter’s luck,” Torian pointed out, “It broke in a shuttle ride of Nar Shaddaa, instead of where you’re a week’s ride from any parts.”

“Luck makes my fur itch,” Zry’Dran complained.

Gault promised, “I’ll keep working on it in the meanwhile. Someone somewhere owes you money for this, don’t worry!”

*******

Several months later, as the ship was approaching Voss, Gault tapped Zry’Dran on the shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Got a fiver?” Gault asked. Puzzled, the Cathar handed over petty cash. Gault took it, held it to the light, then handed it back.

“Congratulations, you now have the remaining assets of Sobrik Shipwrights, an Imperial bonded company.”

“From the engine thing?” Zry’Dran asked.

“Yup, spread the word around it’s all dead and buried. Some Sith subordinate handed over the contract, I think just to shut me up.” Worryingly, Gault was grinning.

“What? I promise, no more ship rebuilds in a war zone, if we can,” Zry’Dran allowed.

“Well, you’ve taken ownership – so here’s this,” Gault said, handing over a datapad. Zry’Dran gave a low whistle at the sum indicated.

“Seems a little high?” she commented.

“You have to factor in interest, processing fees. Apparently Lachris had some own accounts, and with the Sith owning the planet, they got folded in under a header under a file under a holding company…” Zry’Dran felt her eyes start to glaze over. Gault, finished with a shrug, “Well, you know the Sith – much closer than any of us would like – but well, they don’t like to read the fine print.”

Burzek hesitated for a moment. He knew that he wanted a drink-heck, he knew that he deserved a drink, but he was always reluctant to take the first sip. Being a bounty hunter, the Zabrak never wanted to do anything that could hinder his ability to function in the field. Not again. When he was younger, he had made the mistake of being under the influence on multiple occasions when something big would go down. He suffered the consequences each time whether they be the loss of a bounty or the loss of a partner. He had tried to stay mostly sober for the past few years and had made great strides in his career ever since. He had become the champion of the Great Hunt, and he had even been welcomed into the Mandalorian culture by Mandalore himself. But things were getting worse each day. The targets were getting more elusive, and his enemies were beginning to attack him and his crew personally. It was becoming a life full of caution and deception. Burzek needed a break.

There was no time to escape, though. Mako had mentioned on several occasions wanting to vacation on some tropical planet and leave everything behind for a moment. Burzek had always shot down the idea. He and his crew had a job to do. There was no time for a break, and there was no time to stop. They would keep moving from target to target until they were in the clear. They had too many enemies that were a lot bigger and a lot tougher than they were. The hunter would need to be on his toes if he and his allies were going to stop them. But, a vacation would have been nice before everything fell into the fire.

Burzek finally reached for the bottle that he had tucked away in the galley. He grabbed a glass then found his hand hovering over a second glass. Drinking alone was not an alien concept to the alien, but he realized that he would feel miserable if it were just him drinking. The others onboard the ship felt more like business associates to Burzek than drinking buddies. They all had their unique purposes, but none of them quite fit the job title of “friend”.

Mako had been with Burzek the longest. She was a genius when it came to slicing, information retrieval, and was one of the most important members on the crew. She was also incredibly kind, sweet, and Burzek even found himself drawn to the human during multiple personal moments. But, she was also incredibly naive, immature, and worrisome. Burzek felt more like an evil uncle to her rather than a friend as he had tried to turn her more into a ruthless bounty hunter instead of a reclusive slicer. He had helped further her blaster training, compile a set of armor, and taught her countless survival and hunting skills. But, when it was time to do the unpleasant tasks that so often beset them, she would go kicking and screaming all the way through the job. There were times where violence, brutality, murder, and things even worse than murder were necessary in the job. Mako was too kind of a person to accept that. Burzek respected that about her, but it would always cause a chasm to be between the two of them. She never fully understood him, and Burzek could live with that.

Gault was the exact opposite of Mako. He was a double crosser, a manipulator, a viper in the grass, and downright scum. Burzek found himself constantly regretting the decision to not blast his body full of bolts rather than the body double that Gault had conveniently held onto. The Devaronian was a lowlife and did acts that Burzek found too dishonorable to support. Gault had been given safe haven on the ship in order to help fund the crew with his schemes and jobs, but Burzek despised him. There was something that felt wrong about manipulating beings as openly as Gault did. Sure, the Zabrak did terrible things as well, but he didn’t hide in the shadows or take advantage of the weak. He was always meetings his prey face to face when he dealt the final blow. He did not cower, and he did not scheme against his enemies. He faced them head on with honor and respect (as long as they treated him the same way). Even the vile low lifes that Burzek had hunted from time to time, he faced them head on, too. Just not always with honor and respect.

Gault would not do either. The two had little in common as well. Burzek would probably die of alcohol poisoning if he had to listen to yet another tale of betrayal or subterfuge. The tales that Torian told, on the other hand, were far more interesting to Burzek. The Mandalorian human had become a sort of brother to Burzek throughout their journeys. He had helped the kid with some family business back on Taris which lead Torian to join up with the crew. He was bold, brave, and an honorable warrior. Burzek held great respect for the man. But, even the impressive Torian felt a bit too distant. There was still a divide that the two had not yet crossed. Maybe a drink would help them to overcome that.

Burzek grabbed the bottle and headed toward the port side crew quarters. He pressed the button to open the door and walked in. Surprisingly, Torian was the only member in the cabin. The beds on the port side had been assigned to all but Mako as she was given her own room on the starboard side. Seeing just the one crew member was a surprise. What was even more surprising was seeing him breathing heavily as he was sitting perfectly still in bed.

“Uh, hey, Burzek,” the human called out through his panting, a single light near his bed illuminating his face and bare upper torso. “What are you, uh, doing here?”

“I thought I would see if you wanted a drink,” Burzek explained while lightly shaking the bottle in his hand. The Zabrak looked over the human suspiciously before eyeing the blanket covering Torian. Beside the Mandalorian, Burzek could see that something was being concealed by the blanket. “But, I see you’re busy with something with a little more kick to it than alcohol. I won’t keep you two,” Burzek said, a sly smile gracing his lips. Even with the minimal lighting, he could tell that Torian’s cheeks were beginning to turn red. A second pair of arms pushed back the sheets just enough to reveal a face.

“We, uh, meant to tell you, but we’ve been so busy lately,” Mako explained, her face looking like a floating head as everything below her chin was hidden by the blanket.

“How long has this been going on?” Burzek asked.

“Since you all rescued me,” Torian explained. Burzek had taken the crew down to Hoth in order to free Torian from a group of hunters who had captured him. Burzek could tell back then that Mako felt strongly for him, but he didn’t realize how close they had become.

“You know I have a problem with us mixing business and pleasure,” Burzek stated before his eyes drifted to the bottle in his hand. “But, I guess we all need a bit more pleasure these days.”

“Thanks, Burzek,” Mako said with a smile.

“You’re not out of the Sarlacc yet,” Burzek said a bit more firmly. “But, I can’t stay mad at you kids. You’re both just so darn cute.” The Zabrak grinned before turning toward the door. He rested his free hand on the controls for a moment. “We will discuss this in the morning, though. The relationship and you not locking the door. That needs to change,” Burzek added before closing the door and setting the two way lock.

Torian and Mako. Burzek had thought the two seemed closer lately. Torian was fairly composed and didn’t show too much emotion, but Mako was more like a flooded river when it came to emoting. He realized now that she was almost gushing when she talked about Torian.

The Zabrak was happy for the two, though. They had both been through a lot. Burzek wasn’t able to be a companion for Mako or the best friend to Torian; so he was glad that they could find a deeper and closer relationship with each other. Hopefully their union would help push each other forward rather than hold them back. Burzek would make sure to talk with them about it in the morning to make sure that what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.

Burzek looked back down at the bottle in his hand.

Am I really considering Blizz?

The Jawa had showed up on the ship recently, and he had actually been a valuable addition to the team. He was the best craftsman, mechanic, and tinkerer that Burzek had ever seen. If he had a problem with any of his gear, Blizz was there to help. On top of that, he had a childlike quality to him that somehow managed to melt away Burzek’s burly attitude. Blizz was the cutest little thing that the hunter had ever seen. He couldn’t help but feel like he now had a small son with Blizz’s addition to the crew.

He was great, but Burzek wasn’t sure how Blizz would be drunk. Or if Blizz should be drinking. The hunter decided that he didn’t want to find out what would a drunk Jawa was like.

That left Skadge as the last available member of the crew. Burzek knew the least about him as he was the latest addition to the team. What little he did knew seemed to be more than enough, however. The Houk was a cold hearted killer. Burzek was not opposed to killing, but Skadge seemed to revel in it like some sort of psychopath. The stories of the Sith that Burzek had studied up on reminded him an awful lot of Skadge. He was unhinged and seemed to view murder as Burzek used to view spice or the bottle. He was addicted to it and was always craving bloodshed. He had even threatened Burzek on several occasions, and the threats would surely keep coming as the hunter tried to keep the massive creature in line.

Burzek walked back toward the glasses, lost in thought.

Mako, Gault, Torian, Blizz, or Skadge. Hmm...

“So...” Burzek took a large gulp of the alcohol and leaned back on his bed-his right hand firmly grasping the bottle. “What’s been going on with you, lately?”

“Oh, just the usual, master,” 2V-R8 stated. He looked awkward sitting across from Burzek in a chair that was definitely not intended for protocol droids. “I’ve just been trying my best to serve you, master.”

“That’s just great.” Burzek took another sip. “Why don’t you tell me more about what that’s like?”

I feel that my bounty hunter doesn't really have much in common with any of the companions. I wanted to show that with this story as he has a hard time trying to relate to any of his crew and hesitates to share an intimate moment with anyone.