Author's Note:

 

 

 

 

Some are born blessed, with linear lives propelling them from birth to death with little or no deviation. Some are born cursed, with lives that spiral out of control no matter how hard they fight the maelstrom of fate. Some are born to live on the fringes where one decision can flip the coin and the future is left to chance.

 

 

She let her mind wander as she entered the cabin on the Thunderclap to pack what little was left. The resignation had been accepted, the discharge papers signed and the rest was just formality. She had already handed in the uniform, armor and ordnance; surprised they didn’t want the government issued underwear as well. She would miss the assault cannon but it was just another yoke she was no longer willing to wear.

 

For the first time, in a very long time, the road ahead was uncertain; no orders, no direction, no expectations, just freedom to float in the black and choose a random point of light as a destination. It would take some getting used to, but she was way past ready.

 

It felt weird to be in civvies, but a lot lighter too. Simple khaki pants, linen shirt, jerba leather boots and utility vest that she had picked up on Tatooine. She just needed to find that sweet spot on her hip for the TM 59 blaster. She was getting tired of poking new holes in the holster belt.

 

She had saved every credit she could during her stint with the Republic Army and Special Forces, but then, army life didn’t require her to spend much of her own funds. Everything was provided, from food to gear, hell, even the ship was gratis, all it had cost were her ideals.

 

Her mother had died two years into her enlistment and she had sent what she could afford until then. There was no funeral and cremation didn’t cost much. After that, there was nowhere else to spend her wages except the occasional bender, where she bought way too many rounds, a couple of trinkets, some clothes and her personal sidearm.

 

The muster out pay was not a fortune, but it was better than nothing, an extra rank or two had probably helped out with the final tally. They could have kept the medals, the plating wouldn’t melt down to anything worthwhile and the meaning had turned to ash.

 

She had already put a down payment on a ship. An aging light freighter she had found on Nar Shaddaa that had probably started out as an XS class but had undergone some surgery in its life. It even came complete with two droids, cheap models with bad attitudes, but memory wipes could cure a lot of ills. The payoff would leave her damn near broke, but she suspected there were things about the old girl that even the seller didn’t know.

 

Finding work might be a problem. She could probably get some contracts from the core worlds hauling regular cargo, medical supplies, food, but she didn’t want to rely on her reputation or previous affiliations if she didn’t have to. Being the ex-commander of Havoc Squad could either open or close doors, and on that front, one day at a time seemed prudent.

 

If things went south, she still had some names that had come up on the radar in her old life. That Riggs kid on Ord Mantell had some underworld connections along with that guy, Okarr, she had bumped into somewhere in her travels. Nikki Revel from Tatooine was another possibility, though she heard he was banging some Sith lord now, good for him, if he survived it.

 

She might even get an inroad to Port Nowhere. Not that she wouldn’t prefer to stay legit, but if she had to straddle that line to keep fuel in the tank and food on the table, so be it. And, there was always Jonas Balkar. Damn, that man still made her nether regions tighten when he crossed her mind.

 

About to close the lid on her foot locker, she took one last look around the room and noticed Aric Jorgan standing in the door. “Still the silent one, even in combat boots. You had the wrong calling, Aric, you should have been a spy. Come to say one last goodbye?”

 

“No Tal, I came to ask you one more time to stay. You belong in Havoc, hell, you are Havoc. The team needs you, I need you.”

 

“You don’t need me Aric, and Havoc will be just fine with you as their CO. You always were better at taking orders than I was. Hell, I broke protocol so many times during our missions, we just barely covered our asses half the time.”

 

He took a couple of steps into the room and she backed up just enough to stay out of his reach. “Aric, we have had this conversation before. We had some good times. I was lonely, you were lonely, war is stressful and we let off some steam in my bunk. I still carry those scars from your teeth and claws. I enjoyed it, you enjoyed it, then it was done. You got clingy.”

 

“Yeah, so you keep reminding me. I just thought there was more, but there never is more with you, right Tal?”

 

“Don’t get all bitter on me, Aric. You’re a good man. But, life mate just never registered in my plans. Go find yourself some nice Cathar woman, settle down after the war, have a couple of babies, or kits or whatever. I am finished here.”

 

“I suppose you’re off to meet Balker? I always knew that man was trouble.”

 

“Oh, great balls, Aric! No! Jonas is a no strings attached port of call. We screw when I’m in town. I leave, he gets on with his life, I get on with mine. It’s a good arrangement. That what you want to hear?”

 

“Always go for the gut, huh? I get it, I just thought maybe someone had touched that durasteel heart of yours.”

 

“You really want to trade low blows, Jorgan?” She took a deep breath to calm down. “Look, I did not change course on a whim or for the sake of some hard one I bumped into. Don’t insult me by insinuating that I could be swayed by anyone. You, of all people, should know better. I don’t want to fight with you, there’s nothing left to fight about.”

 

He leaned back against the door frame, his head down, looking at the floor. “I know, it’s just so damned hard to see you go, I just never thought you’d leave Specforce or the team.”

 

“If you want to blame someone, blame Saresh. I was there on Taris, I know what she did. I should have resigned when she released Rakton. We lost some damn fine people on Corellia, and for what? Makeb just cinched the deal. If it weren’t for the Hutts, thousands would be starving somewhere in space. Now, please, move aside. I have a transport to catch.”

 

“You said goodbye to the others yet?”

 

“Said my farewells yesterday. Dorne kept asking if I had filled out all the correct forms, so like her. I think she’s a bit hurt, but she saw it coming. Yuun didn’t seem surprised and mentioned something about a mountain with only one way down, whatever the hell that means. Forex and I did the pat on the back, job well done, it was an honor routine. They’re a good team, Aric, take care of them.”

 

He stepped over to touch her arm. “If you ever need me…”

 

She shrugged off his hand, picked up her foot locker and walked toward the door. “Ditto.”

 

She didn’t even look back at the ship as she left the hangar. Some doors shouldn’t be closed unless you were willing to lock them. She stood there for a minute and turned the key.

 

She found one of those baggage cart rentals not too far down the concourse and put a credit chip in the slot. The carts all looked beat to crap and the one she got had a wobbly wheel, but it was better than lugging the foot locker all the way to the departures hangar.

 

Walking along, her mind skipped from one thing to another, being distracted is never a good thing. She almost didn’t hear the footsteps coming up behind her. The reflexes kicked in and her hand reached up, automatically, for the assault cannon.

 

Damn, gotta break that habit, it’ll get me killed.

 

Letting her hand fall to the sidearm, she heard an all too familiar voice. “Heya, boss. A little twitchy ain’t ya?”

 

“Tanno Vik. A warning would be nice, unless you like dying to friendly fire.”

 

“Avoided it so far, although I am pretty sure there are plenty that would have liked to make it a permanent condition.”

 

As if on queue, her personal holo beeped. It was Aric. Again. Going against her better judgement, she picked up.

 

“What now, Jorgan?”

 

“I just wanted to say…….is that Vik? Really Tal? You and Vik?”

 

She wanted to throttle the man. “You know Jorgan, if you worried as much about your crotch as you do mine, you might have a girl by now. Tanno doesn’t swing that way, I hope the irony isn’t lost on you.”

 

“He what? Are you saying? Oh…..”

 

Seems the cat was finally speechless, about damn time.

 

“Gotta go, don’t make me block your calls.”

 

I really need a drink, maybe several.

 

Vik chuckled. “How’d ya know?”

 

“One: you looked at Jorgan’s a.ss but never at Dorne’s or mine and you don’t even like him. Two: no grown man would be caught dead talking about his mother as much as you do. Three: I caught a glimpse of the pin ups on your datapad. Your reflexes were a little slow that day.”

 

He was still chuckling when they entered the departures hangar. She transferred the handle of the cart to Vik’s hand, “Stow my stuff will ya? I have one last goodbye to say.”

 

She proceeded down the winding concourse past the various hangar bays and watched the people scurry about, engrossed in their own affairs. Diplomats, businessmen, families and refugees, all moving inch by inch into their futures, a bit like her.

 

The drone of traffic reached her long before she walked out into the open air of the spaceport terrace where the sound became an persistent whine. Never ending caravans of vehicles buzzed by, keeping to their assigned lanes as far up and down as the eye could see. Smaller speeders, limos and taxis kept to the lower tiers, while larger transports filled the upper, either waiting to land or take off.

 

Over the top of the taxi terminal, the round Senate Building loomed. The bastion of Republic freedom, democracy and justice. She once thought it the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, now it just seemed like a giant metal leech, sucking the soul out of the people it was meant to protect. She had never been so disheartened or angry as she was at this moment.

 

She gave the one finger salute to Saresh and the idiot government that would drive the Republic into the ground and ruin the only home she had ever known. The gesture was silly and futile, but it made her feel a damn sight better.

 

Turning on her heel, she walked back into the spaceport. For better or worse, the dice was thrown and she could either let Lady Luck kick her a.ss down the street or make her own luck. She preferred the latter.

 

On the way back to departures, she had the niggling feeling of being watched, but when she looked around there was nobody following or paying any attention. Maybe it was Jorgan peeking around a corner to get a final look. Shrugging it off, she moved on.

 

An attendant met her at the door of the shuttle that would take them to the spaceliner waiting in orbit. Vik had saved her a seat and she plopped down beside him. She still needed that drink and hoped there was a decent cantina on the ship.

 

To save credits, Vik and she were sharing a cabin on the three and a half day jump from Coruscant to Nar Shaddaa. Being molested in her sleep was not a concern, but if he snored she might shoot him.

 

When they docked on the Drexel Star, a steward pointed the way to their cabin, 317A, lower deck, cheaper and smellier, but the sheets appeared clean and there was room to stow their gear. The refresher was small, just a reclamation unit and sink. There was a public sonic down the hall, but you couldn’t pay her enough to go in there, not even with a full hazmat suit. Spit baths would have to do, but at least she could wash her hair, this was going to be fun.

 

“I need a drink. You coming Vik?”

 

“You go ahead, be there in a bit.”

 

She walked out into the hall and there was that feeling again. Made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. She looked around, but nobody was there. She thought she caught a shimmer or something out of the corner of her eye, but then it was gone. Her senses didn’t chime for nothing, and she found out long ago, it was never good to ignore her gut. Sooner or later they would show themselves.

 

The bar was on the first deck and she took the stairs. She hated enclosed places like elevators, even sonics or showers gave her the jeebs, but at least she could look out through the glass, which made it tolerable. The starliner shifted into hyperspace as she reached the cantina.

 

Scanning the room was an old habit, this one was pretty empty except for a couple sitting at the bar, some guy intent on his data pad sitting at a table, and one other sitting in a corner, face hidden behind a newspaper. The bartender was Twi’lek and the waitress human.

 

She found a table across from newspaper guy where she could sit, back to the wall, and survey the entire room. The waitress came over and she ordered a Bendbelly Dark and a Corellian whisky in a shot glass. When the waitress returned, she placed enough credits on the table to cover the drinks and a tip.

 

“Run a tab?” the waitress asked.

 

“Not today. But thanks.”

 

She took a drink of the ale, then dropped the shot glass down into the mug. She took another drink and waited for the effect to hit her stomach and veins at the same time. There is nothing quite like the burn of alcohol spreading through your system; clears the brain, at first, anyway.

 

Vik walked in at the same time that newspaper guy left, seems he was just a businessman after all. With her boot, she shoved a chair out from the table for Vik, the chair that didn’t block her view, then motioned for the waitress.

 

“What’ll you have?” the waitress asked.

 

“A Twistler.” answered Vik. The waitress cocked an eyebrow then walked away to get the order.

 

“Ugh, Vik. How can you drink that osik?”

 

The waitress returned with Vik’s drink and left after she scooped up the credits he dropped onto the table.

 

“Sweets for the sweet.” He grinned and raised the glass. “So what now boss?” He took a long swig and leaned back in his seat.

 

“The to do list? Nar Shaddaa, pick up my ship, see if I need to contact any freighter type guilds, check the bulletin board for possible jobs, check up on an old friend who will let me know if I’ve missed anything. Did you have any other ideas?”

 

“I might have a job for us. Let me meet someone when we get to Nar Shaddaa, I’ll let you know.”

 

“Just two rules, Vik. I won’t run drugs and I want to try not to run anything that would hurt the Republic, although that is open for discussion. Other than that, I got no problems. Understood?”

 

“You’re the boss, but it’s gonna cut into profits, eventually.”

 

She ordered a couple of sandwiches with some of those fried potato wedges and another round of drinks. When they were done, they returned to the cabin, stripped down to their underwear and crawled into bed. She was reading a holo novel on the data pad until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off.

 

Dingy apartment….door slamming open……sound of hand slapping flesh, cry of pain. Little girl with impossibly red hair running into room. Momma? Momma! Giant man, red eyes, smell of alcohol. Daddy! Stop! Man reaches for woman…... Momma’s face, bloody lip. Wh.ore! he yells.

 

Little girl runs at man, kicks his legs, beats his back, he pulls doll from little girl's hand and throws it down the incinerator chute. Suelee! No! Little girl screams…..bites man’s arm….flying backward…...hits wall…..blackness.

 

(To Be Continued)

I <3 !

Very consistent atmosphere, great job!

This is a great start! Does this take place in the same "universe" as Rey'elle's story?

Very nice start, she is quite a contrast to Rey'elle. Looking forward to seeing where the adventure leads.

This is a great start! Does this take place in the same "universe" as Rey'elle's story?

 

(Whew) big sigh of relief. I worried a bit about introducing Tal. Would anybody like her, hate her, care about what happens to her, a lot is set up in the first chapter. It is comforting to know that at least I got that right.

 

As for same Universe, I wanted to start in a familiar place and veer off from there. Tal had met Andronikus Revel on Tatooine and knows him well enough to call him "Nikki", which would not have happened in Rey'elle's universe. So for this story, I may cross some timeline references, like Makeb or SOR, but I don't want to be restricted by that republic/empire line in the sand. I want to leave who Tal can meet rather open ended. It will also effect where she travels too, which will be places that Rey'elle has never been to. If that makes sense?

 

I <3 !

Very consistent atmosphere, great job!

 

Thanks frauzet. I tried to make the start explain where Tal is coming from, her state of mind, etc. Glad you like it so far.

 

Very nice start, she is quite a contrast to Rey'elle. Looking forward to seeing where the adventure leads.

 

Hi Luna. Yes, they are different. Rey'elle has that quiet strength, Tal is more mercurial. She is totally unapologetic for her indiscretions and also has different baggage than Rey'elle. I hope she will be fun to read about.

Edited August 3, 2016 by MishaCantu

Love this! So thrilled to have a new story to follow written by you:) It's a great start, and I'm very interested to see where this goes...

Agreed! The writing is superb and the dialogue sounds natural and realistic. The latter's something I'm still struggling to do right in my own stuff, so I am quite envious that you pull it off so well!

Love this! So thrilled to have a new story to follow written by you:) It's a great start, and I'm very interested to see where this goes...

 

I am so happy to have you back as a reader. I will be interested to see where this goes also. I actually have notes and a sort of outline this time, but as most will agree, characters sometimes do a complete 180 and you wonder just what the heck happened to all the well thought out plans.

 

Agreed! The writing is superb and the dialogue sounds natural and realistic. The latter's something I'm still struggling to do right in my own stuff, so I am quite envious that you pull it off so well!

 

Thank you for the compliments. To be honest, I am just a plain old story teller. Nothing fancy at all. I pick out a character that seems interesting and put them in situations, they just tend to talk about stuff more. I rather enjoy writing some of the back and forth banter, it is fun for me. Hopefully it is fun for my readers also.

 

I do not have the elegance of description that you or some of the other writers possess. Which is something I envy.

 

She sat straight up in bed, hand over her hammering heart, undershirt soaked in sweat.

 

Damn, I hate that farking dream!

 

She got up and went to the refresher to splash cold water on her face. No need to turn on lights, the place was too small to get lost.

 

“You ok?” Vik’s sleepy voice cut through the silence.

 

“Yeah, fine, go back to sleep.”

 

“Who’s Suelee? You were yelling her name.”

 

“My best friend when I was a kid.”

 

“What happened to her?”

 

“She died in a fire. Just drop it Vik. It was a long time ago.”

 

She crawled back into bed, the sheets felt clammy now because of the sweat. She lay awake for a long time, thinking back on that night.

 

Suelee was rescued from a rubbish pile by her mother who carefully cleaned the doll and her clothes, brushed the coarse blond hair into golden ringlets and kept the gift secret until her seventh birthday. She was the most beautiful thing in the world to those seven year old eyes. She told Suelee all her secrets, wishes and fears and talked to her for hours. Somehow the doll’s silence was more comforting than words.

 

Her father was a sonofab.i.tch who drank too much, whored to much and liked to come home and take his miserable existence out on her mother. That particular night, she tried to fight back. She was too young and too weak, and couldn’t save anyone. She cried for hours, for her mother, for herself but mostly for that stupid blond doll. She was eight years old.

 

Memories suck!

 

She mentally clicked off that switch in her brain that she had learned to use so many years ago and let the hum of the hyperdrive generator lull her back to sleep.

 

Mornings and nights came and went, chit chat was kept small between her and Vik; they ate, drank and slept. When the ship finally shifted out of hyperspace, they gathered their things and headed to the shuttle that would take them down to the armpit of the universe.

 

Nar Shaddaa, a loud, bright, sh.it.hole of a moon where you could get laid, robbed, swindled and dead all in the same night, and not necessarily in that order. Nothing was real here except the crime, even the trees were holographs and the underbelly was some of the worst slums in the galaxy. Vik would feel right at home.

 

The shuttle took them down to Deucelon Spaceport where they headed out of the hangar to the concourse as a second shuttle from the Drexel Star arrived with more passengers. She rented one of those banged up carts for the long walk from arrivals bay 2 to bay 34 where her ship waited.

 

“Don’t look like much from here,” said Vik when they entered bay 34 at last. “Does it even fly?”

 

“I tested the sublight and hyperdrive before I put the down payment, Vik. What kind of dolt do you take me for?”

 

“Not sure what dolt means, but let’s take a closer look.”

 

Vik walked around the ship, taking his time to inspect the plating, landing struts, and side laser cannons. “Needs some rust cleanup, but looks solid enough. Has some upgrades too. Let’s take a look inside.”

 

A voice chimed from the bay entrance. “Probably not a wise thing to do. Boarding security protocols are still active. You should wait until the ship is yours.”

 

“Relloo Vell, glad to see you again and ready to complete our transaction.” She said, turning to greet the Rodian who was approaching, flanked by two burly bodyguards, one human the other Chagrian.

 

Vik advanced to stand by her, but remained silent and alert. The movement was not wasted on the Rodian.

 

“I have the necessary documents right here in my data pad. If you would kindly complete your payment, I will transfer ownership, codes and passwords. Of course your man can be the witness of record.” The Rodian narrowed his eyes and waited for the transfer of funds.

 

She stood with her thumb wavering over her datapad, staring into Relloo’s eyes. “There’s not going to be a problem, is there? I mean, an upstanding fellow like you would not try to cheat a hard working girl like me, now would you?”

 

“Who would have guessed that an old hunk of junk won in a Sabacc game could be so lucrative. Actually, you are the third buyer of this vessel. Not that I had anything against the other two, it is just that I need the credits more, you understand, yes? Their bodies may still be falling, as far as I know. It is a long way down.” He nodded his head to the two bodyguards as three more came through the entrance to the hangar.

 

Why can’t things ever be easy?

 

Vik had his blaster rifle in his hands so fast it was a blur, he hit the man in the face with the rifle butt then flipped it around to blast him in the chest, sending him backward. The Chagrian swiped his fist at her face, she ducked and tumbled backward, reaching for her blaster as she rolled.

 

“Grab that farking Rodian, Vik, but don’t kill him!”

 

The Chagrian was faster than he looked and was on top of her before she could bring the blaster up to fire. He knocked her backward and she felt her skull crack into one of the durasteel crates littered around the bay. Her blaster skittered away across the floor, her head rang like a bell and as she was bringing her boot up for the knee breaker, the air behind the Chagrian shimmered.

 

A hooded man in a mask, stepped out of nowhere. He stuck two blades, one on each side, into the Chagrian just below the ribs and shoved upward to the hilt, letting the blades slide back out as the Chagrian slumped to the floor, blood bubbling from his lips.

 

She rolled to her blaster, sat up and fired at the Rodian who was running toward the other three men, hitting him in the leg and knocking him off his feet. Vik was already engaged in a firefight with the three at the door, using one of the crates for cover, when her mystery man threw one of his daggers. It sliced into the throat of the one on the left, burying the blade until only the hilt was visible. Blood spurted against the door frame and created a pool on the floor where the man fell.

 

Before he shimmered away again, mystery man’s eyes looked down into hers and he uttered two words, “Nolo Rine.”

 

She was stunned beyond reaction for a second, that was a name she had not spoken to anyone, not ever. She felt the sting of blaster fire as it grazed her upper arm, snapping her out of her momentary daze, and fired at the man on the right who kept ducking behind the door frame.

 

The middle man keeled forward onto his face, unable to move, his eyes wide as he struggled to breathe. He would not last long. The Rodian got to his feet, tried to run out of the hangar and seemed to hit an invisible wall. The wall shimmered and mystery man appeared, catching the Rodian by his arm. The other assailant fled, a trail of blood tracking out into the concourse.

 

Tal and Vik walked over to where the masked man held the Rodian captive. Vik grabbed the Rodian by the collar and pulled him away from the other man’s grip.

 

She looked up at the masked man. “Do you have a name or do I just call you mystery man?”

 

“Argent.” was all he offered.

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

She turned to the Rodian that Vik held fast, and ran a thumb down his spine, then dug in. “There is a nerve cluster here, and if I apply just enough pressure in just the right spot, I can paralyze you for life. Not a pleasant future, I’d wager, given the climate of this place. What say you? Shall we finish our transaction?”

 

When he didn’t answer, she adjusted the angle and pressed just a little harder. When his legs started to give he squeaked, “All right! All right! The ship is yours, just hand me my datapad and I’ll sign all the documents. Please! just stop.”

 

She picked his datapad off the floor and handed it to him watching as he punched in his codes and signed it with his thumb print, then he handed it to her and she did the same, transferring the documents to her personal datapad. Vik punched in his codes as witness and the ship was finally hers.

 

She retrieved her own datapad from where it had fallen, verified that the documents were all present, and punched in the codes for the credit transfer to his account.

 

“Why would you pay me after all this?” Relloo asked.

 

“Because I keep my word, well except for the twenty-five percent I deducted for my inconvenience to say nothing of the cleanup I will have to pay for. And another 20 credits because you ruined my new shirt. Live with it and do not let me see your face again.”

 

“Honesty can get you killed in this place. And, you have made an enemy today.”

 

“Not scared, dumba.ss, you needed more men. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

 

They watched Relloo Vell’s back disappear, as he limped down the concourse.

 

“Vik, your ear is bleeding, you need to take care of it.”

 

“I’ve had worse, what did you name her,” asked Vik, inclining his head toward the ship.

 

“Suelee Mae, after my friend and my mother. It seems fitting.”

 

“Sounds silly to me, I don’t like it,” said Vik with a scowl.

 

“Tough, it’s not your ship. Let’s go take a look at what we have, shall we?”

 

She punched in the entry codes and watched as the ramp descended then walked up to the hatch and opened the door. Argent was still standing at the bottom of the ramp.

 

“Well, are you coming or what?” She yelled back at him.

 

“You need to tend that arm,” he said as he walked up the ramp and followed her inside.

 

The interior was dark and smelled musty. They headed toward a dim source of light coming from the cockpit windows and found the controls for interior lights and air recycling. They waited as the lights began to flicker on, first down one side of the circular corridor, then the other. The recycling fans groaned to life and air stirred her hair as it started to flow from the vents. She heard Argent inhale deeply behind her and almost bumped into him as she turned to survey the rest of the ship. Their eyes locked for just a moment before he moved aside to let her pass.

 

They walked around the hub corridor, taking stock of each room; crew quarters with refresher, galley, med bay, engine room with control and monitoring console, captain and guest quarters each with private refreshers. The recreation room was immediately off the ship's entrance, complete with dejarik table and spacer lounge. There was a recessed alcove with a ladder to the top mounted cannon turret. The cargo hold was large, rated at 75 metric tons, with its own hydraulic loading platform.

 

She would have to get with the spaceport operations agent to see about refueling, filling the water and kolto tanks and tibanna gas canisters. There was so much to do, it was like setting up house. She felt overwhelmed already and hadn’t even started. It was damned hard to relegate when there were only two of you.

 

“Vik, I need you to go meet your contact first. Here are a few credits to get what you need for your quarters, and don’t muck about, I still have to meet my guy.”

 

“I just bet you do,” Vik said with a smirk. “Be back soon as I can.”

 

She pointed at Argent. “You, with me. I have questions I need answered.”

 

They walked to the galley where she sat down on one of the stools at the counter. He removed a device from within the folds of his clothes and scanned the room, stopping at one of the cabinets where the device started to beep. Opening one of the doors, he reached to the back and pulled out a small listening device which he dropped on the floor and smashed with the heel of his boot, then walked over and closed the galley door.

 

Argent reached into the sash at his waist and pulled out a small tube of kolto gel. “Let me take a look at your arm, please.”

 

“It’s just a scratch, nothing to worry about.”

 

He took a step toward her, “This is Nar Shaddaa, who knows what kind of diseases are hidden here. It is not the wound, it is the infection. Again, I ask, please.”

 

“Fine. Can you remove that damned mask though?” Tal stood and removed her vest, then unbuttoned her shirt and slid the top down over her shoulder to just below the blaster wound.

 

He closed the distance between them, opened the tube and began to apply kolto to her arm. He breathed in the scent of her hair again and watched the rise and fall of the top of her breast where it just peaked over her shirt. He was suddenly too aware of their proximity and stepped back, returning the tube to his sash.

 

He walked around the counter and sat down on the stool directly across from her. “Now, we can talk.”

 

(To be Continued)

Edited August 5, 2016 by MishaCantu

Ack! What a place to stop! Who IS this guy?

<Squeals with delight!> I am so happy you are writing, and sharing another story! I will comment after I have luxuriously sauntered through your verse....

 

Awesome voice. I love that we dove right into new action. Now we just need to know who is behind that mask and what Nolo Rine refers to.

Edited August 5, 2016 by msanthrope
I finished reading!

Mmm, a man of mystery. I curious about Argent and looking forward to seeing more soon. Could there be a romance brewing in Tal's future? Keep it up!

Ack! What a place to stop! Who IS this guy?

 

You will know soon enough Foxfirerose. Probably not someone anyone expects, but someone I always wanted to put a different spin on.

 

<Squeals with delight!> I am so happy you are writing, and sharing another story! I will comment after I have luxuriously sauntered through your verse....

 

Awesome voice. I love that we dove right into new action. Now we just need to know who is behind that mask and what Nolo Rine refers to.

 

Happy you are following along. Mystery men are fun, up to a point, and you will find out about Nolo Rine. Can't say much more before I post.

 

Mmm, a man of mystery. I curious about Argent and looking forward to seeing more soon. Could there be a romance brewing in Tal's future? Keep it up!

 

Like I said, I am a hopeless romantic, but that is not all there is, I have plans, it is just a matter of getting there. Research is a b.i.tch sometimes.

Author's Note:

 

 

 

 

“First thing. Can you, please, remove that damn mask and hood? All this cloak and dagger s.hit sets my teeth on edge. I like to put a face to my friends or foes, whichever the case may be.”

 

“Friend,” he stated as he swept the hood back and lowered the mask.

 

“We’ll see, although you get points for the kolto.”

 

She studied his face. Not bad. Classic good looks. Strong jaw and chin, she hated weak chins, couldn’t trust them. Nice mouth, not pouty. Facial tattoo on the right side, probably tribal or affiliation. It created a three part half moon pattern around his eye.

 

Very dark brown hair swept sideways across his forehead, ragged around the edges where it swept back over his ears to lay on his neck. The eyes were brown, almost as dark as his hair. They were calm, unwavering, almost shielded, but something feral too, restrained there in the darkness.

 

His mouth quirked into a smile. “Well? Do I pass inspection?”

 

“Umm, yeah. Sorry, didn’t mean to stare, the tattoo is interesting, sort of held my attention.” She took a deep breath looking down at her hands, folded on the counter. “So, back to Nolo, how do you know him? I never, ever mentioned him to anyone.”

 

“Let’s just say he was a friend. You became a promise I made to him before he died, a promise I intend to keep. I have watched you for a long time.”

 

“That is either flattering or creepy and I am leaning more toward creepy. Look, bud, let’s cut to the chase ok? Those daggers of yours, Rantok design, meaning you are more than likely part of an assassin’s guild, either Genoharadan or Fpi. I’d say probably Fpi. You’re not here to kill me or I’d be dead already. So what does this have to do with Nolo or me?”

 

His eyes were earnest as he started to speak. “Ok, you deserve the truth, or as much as I can tell you anyway. Nolo saved my life when I was sixteen. Typical story for Nar Shaddaa, orphan son of refugees, trying to scavenge enough to eat. I was barely keeping ahead of the Exchange, who like to recruit young, and avoiding the Hutts because I had become a pretty good thief.

 

“A person can run on luck only so long and I had run out. I was good at a lot of things, but fighting was not one of them. I got caught in a blind alley with three guys beating the s.hit out of me when out of nowhere, this old guy with a cane appears. He had moves I had never seen before; quick, precise, economical. Not one motion was wasted. Only Nolo and I walked out of there.”

 

The story was one she knew, only too well. “That all sounds familiar, please continue.”

 

Argent took a deep breath and resumed. “Nolo took me back to his place. I was pretty out of it for a couple of days, he patched me up, fed me soup and tea until I was well enough to sit up, then he asked me one question.”

 

“Do you want to survive? Yeah, I know that one too.” She motioned for him to go on.

 

“Of course I said yes, hell I was a street kid and most of us don’t survive long on Nar Shaddaa. I was beating the odds by living to sixteen. I stayed with him for two years, training every day, then, he said he had a proposition for me, for my future. I was young, dumb and maybe a little too idealistic, figured there was some greater purpose for my life. So, even though I respected and loved the old man, I declined and joined the Army instead. I believed in the Republic, thought I had something to offer. Like I said, young and dumb. Hell, I even served under Aric Jorgan for a while. Never liked him, always had a stick up his butt, drove me nuts.”

 

She coughed, trying to suppress a chuckle, but didn’t fully succeed. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her, like they had shared a private joke.

 

“Anyway, it all went fine until that op on Althir where I got captured by the Imps. Had close to a week disappear from my life, then they just cut me loose. Damned if I know why to this day. After all that, the Army tried to put my career in cold storage, literally. They sent me to Hoth and as soon as I could, I mustered out.

 

“I came back here, contacted Nolo and became part of the guild. Now I’m here and not much more to tell.”

 

She stayed silent for a few minutes, trying to digest all he had said. “I thought the only way out of the guild was feet first into an incineration unit. This part makes no sense.”

 

“I never said I left the guild, I am just on special assignment. Nolo was an elder. Very much respected and revered. He asked for this on his deathbed, the guild will honor this request.”

 

She lowered her eyes. “I was on Makeb when he died. I never made it back for his funeral, if that is even your custom. He was like a father to me, no, more than a father, I should have been here.”

 

He reached out tentatively to place his hand on hers. “The guild takes care of their own, Tal. There is no guilt to be had. I know you saw him whenever you could. I was there sometimes when you dropped by, but always slipped out before you could see me. He loved you like his own, you made him happy, he was proud of you. That is all that matters.”

 

His hand was too warm, too comforting, she pulled away. “So, what am I supposed to do with my very own assassin? I’ve never had one of those before, and to be honest, I am at a loss. Please enlighten me about this promise of yours. And why now?”

 

“Just take me on as part of your crew. I am good in a fight, not a half bad pilot and I will always watch your back. That was the promise, to always watch your back. If I fall, another will take my place, that is the code of the guild.

 

“Why now? You are alone, you need someone you can trust, like you trusted your team.

 

“Vik will not stay, Tal, you know this. He will be here only as long as it serves him, when some other opportunity comes along, he will abandon you, it is his nature.

 

“This will fulfill my oath and give you someone you can rely on. Just let me stay, I will prove myself to you, it is a debt I must honor.”

 

She sat there for some time, mulling over the options, and he was right about Vik. “In memory of Nolo, I agree. But, my trust doesn’t come easy, and I will be watching you. If you even twitch the wrong way, you are gone. Clear?”

 

“As crystal.”

 

They sat silent for a few minutes, then he broke the lull. “Umm, Tal, you do know that you could not have paralyzed the Rodian, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah, but every species has a pain point, I just needed to find his and bluff. He believed it, that was all that mattered. That disappearing act of yours, cloaking device? I thought I saw a shimmer a couple of times, but that was it.”

 

He took a round disk from his clothes and laid it on the counter. It looked like a much smaller version of a holo. “Hard to come by. Some sort of light bending as far as I can understand, that causes the shimmer. It comes in pretty handy in my line of work but it draws a lot of power and is only good for short term use. I should probably return it to the guild, but I think I will hold onto it for now.”

 

She lifted her eyes to his. “For the record, I had the Chagrian. In ten seconds he would have had his nuts crushed, his knee dislocated and a blaster between the eyes.”

 

“In five seconds you would have had at least three broken ribs, I was faster. You’re welcome, by the way.”

 

She got up and walked out of the room. “Insufferable man.”

 

She walked around the hub to the exit, picked up the foot locker, wincing as she lifted it, and hauled it back to the captain’s quarters. She passed the two droids standing silent in the rec room and decided to deal with them tomorrow. She started to unpack and realized just how little she really owned. It was a good thing, ‘she who travels light, travels fast’ was one of Nolo’s favorite sayings.

 

Damn, I really miss that old man.

 

She unpacked a set of shimmersilk sheets that had never been used. One of the few extravagances she had allowed herself, the reason for the purchase escaping her. It had likely seemed like a good idea at the time, or she was drunk. Tonight was as good a night as any, first night on her ship, cause to celebrate. Besides, they were the only sheets she owned. Just one more thing to add to the growing list.

 

When she was done making the bed, she pulled out her holo and pressed the secure code then hit send. A couple of beeps and a very familiar face appeared.

 

“Tal, when did you get into town? You are beautiful as ever. What can I do for you?”

 

“Hi Jonas, you look good. You got some free time? I can be there in an hour or two. I really need a shower, a drink and some advice.”

 

“Anything for you. You remember how to get here?”

 

“It is burned indelibly in my memory. See you soon.”

 

 

“Is that who I think it is?” asked the man sitting at the table nursing a drink.

 

“Yes it is and I am damned glad to see her. You gotta leave soon, Shan.”

 

“Well can I, at least, finish my drink? So, you and the CO of Havoc huh? She’s just a little slip of a thing. Only saw her once at the Senate Tower from far away, can’t miss that hair.”

 

“That little slip of a thing can shove your head up your a.ss and introduce you to your colon. And, she’s the ex-CO now. She resigned. The Republic lost a good one, damn shame. She is one of a kind.”

 

“Sounds like you admire her. Maybe more? Your voice is a little too wistful, Jonas.”

 

“Let me tell you a few things about her, while you finish your drink. She can cripple or paralyze an opponent. She knows how to puncture lungs, burst kidneys and hearts, shut off the flow of blood to the brain or air to the lungs. And that’s just half of it. That’s stuff you don’t learn in the corp, not even specforce.

 

“We know she was born on Coruscant. We know her father died in a cantina fight, her mother was a junky who died when Tal was twenty. We know something happened when she was about thirteen and then she just fell off the grid until she joined the Army at eighteen. Five years of her life are a blip. Someone taught her an awful lot in those five years.

 

“If she likes you, she will crawl through broken glass or take a blaster bolt or a knife for you. If she doesn’t like you, it’s probably best to stay out of her way.”

 

“Never thought I’d say this, but sounds like you’re in love with this one.”

 

“Always have been, always will be. But she is not for me, Theron. She wafts through my life like smoke, not something I could ever hang on to. Hell, if we ever settled down together, she would hate me in a year, maybe less. It’s better this way, for both of us.”

 

“How do you know you’re not the one for her?”

 

“Because she’s always in the loft.”

 

“What the hell does that even mean?”

 

“If you knew her, you wouldn’t need to ask. Bah, just drop it. So, you’re off to Carrington huh? Some big confab with the high mucky mucks?”

 

“If I told you, yada….yada...yada. The only downside to this is that I will be working with the new CO of Havoc, I’d much rather it was her.”

 

“I hope you’re not allergic to cats,” laughed Jonas.

 

“Just tell me one thing, is she a natural redhead?”

 

“Fark you, Shan!”

 

(To be Continued)

Just finished Chapter 3 and I'm even more curious than I was. Still no clue who "Argent" could be.....I am assuming that isn't his real name and that he is really someone we would know from the game? Can't wait for the next chapter!

*chuckles* I always enjoy seeing the boys, Theron and Jonas are two of my favs. I do enjoy the ribbings they give each other. I wish the game would make it possible for us to have them both as comps.

 

I'm curious to see how things are going to go. I sense some delicious Balkar action in the future possibly? The mystery man sounds pretty lovely too. Interesting things shaping up! Awaiting your next chapter.

Hmmm, this Nolo doesn't sound like a man who'd send an assassin to protect someone if he were not convinced that someone needed protection. What did he know we don't? Trouble might be lurking just around the corner.

Tal seems to get along quite well without a relationship. It won't be an easy task to convince her she's missing out.

 

Eagerly awaiting the next part

I thought I guessed who Argent was. Then I did a quick google search on him and that part about Althir confirmed it.

 

I also posted in Forget Me, Remember Voss about how I "totally figured out through skill, logic, and reason" one of your big character reveals. Totally.

 

Oh, and did I mention great story(s)!

Warning for sexual content. Not really graphic but definitely suggestive.

 

 

Tal had gone to the Spaceport Operations office, after talking to Jonas, to begin the refueling and provisioning process. She knew Argent had followed, but didn’t see him anywhere around. He was good at staying hidden, she had to give him that. Having to pay for the ‘extra’ cleanup came as no surprise but at least no questions were asked. This was Nar Shaddaa and as long as it didn’t affect the Hutts, a lot was overlooked. Gang wars, murder, robbery and mayhem were all part of the local flavor. She hadn’t expected the additional docking fees and her account was starting to look pretty bleak, she needed a job soon. She hoped Vik had come up with something.

 

She returned to the ship and walked to the galley to take stock of what they had on hand. At least there were dishes and utensils from the previous owner. She was frankly surprised that Relloo hadn’t sold everything. The conservator was cooling down and the caf dispenser was still there, she sighed with relief. There were a lot of things she could do without, but her morning caf was not one of them. Argent leaned against the counter watching her.

 

“Honey, I’m home!” yelled Vik as he walked through the entrance and down the corridor to the galley. He took a bag of caf beans out of one of the sacks he was toting and plopped it on the counter.

 

“I could kiss you, Tanno Vik.”

 

“Naw, I’ll pass, but he can kiss me,” Vik said as he winked at Argent.

 

“As tempting as that is, Vik, I have to decline. I won’t change my mind...ever.”

 

Vik laughed as he walked out of the galley and headed toward the guest quarters that he had adopted as his room.

 

Tal hadn’t realized how late it was becoming until she looked at her chrono. She stuck her head out of the galley and yelled down the hall. “Gotta go Vik, running late as it is. We can talk tomorrow, lock up after I leave.”

 

“Yeah, got it Tal. See ya tomorrow.”

 

She looked at Argent. “Crew quarters will have to do. Make yourself at home.”

 

“I should go with you,” Argent replied.

 

“Not where I’m going, no.”

 

“Then at least wear this,” he pulled a bracelet from some hidden pocket in his clothes.

 

“A tracker? You know where you can shove that thing! Hell, Argent, what else you got hidden in there? Stun cuffs? Shock collar? Kitchen sink?”

 

Argent chuckled. “Ok, then at least tell me what sector, I can wait at the taxi terminal. No interference, you have my word.”

 

“Red light district and that’s as much as you get.”

 

Argent smiled, “Until later then.”

 

She took the spaceport taxi to Hydian Drive, paid the driver and got out to walk the rest of the distance. A couple of blocks down, a couple of blocks over, she halted in front of 26B Ballistrade where she rang the bell and waited for Jonas to buzz her into the building. She knew he had surveillance so would see it was her.

 

The blank nameplate by the 623 button lit up, the door unlocked and she entered. She cursed him at every landing, all six of them and finally stopped before his door giving it a quick rap with her knuckles.

 

Jonas opened the door, “Hi, Tal, come on in.”

 

“It’s been over six months, you jerk, and all I get is ‘Hi, Tal?’”

 

She grabbed the front of his shirt pulling his lips down to hers. She pressed her body against his, wrapping one leg around his thigh and slipping her free hand around to cup his a.ss, drawing him even closer. He wrapped his arms around her and moaned into her mouth…...then someone in the room cleared their throat.

 

She lowered her leg and gave his a.ss a playful squeeze as she turned. Never leaving the circle of his arms, she stared at the man sitting at the table.

 

“You didn’t mention you had company, Jonas. Hope he enjoyed the show. So who is your friend? he seems familiar.”

 

“Tal, this is Theron Shan, an associate of mine, who was supposed to be gone thirty minutes ago.”

 

“I guess this is where I’m supposed to say, ‘pleasure to meet you, agent Shan.’”

 

“The pleasure really is all mine,” Theron remarked.

 

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone to finish up whatever it is you do. I’m going to hit the shower and then I’m going to ask for that drink.” Tal removed herself from Jonas’ embrace and walked to his bedroom, closing the door behind her.

 

Jonas glared down at Theron, “I told you to go, but no, you had to hang around anyway. I should have thrown your a.ss out long before she got here. I swear you do this sh.it on purpose.”

 

“Just give me a couple minutes, Jonas, hard to stand right now, you get my drift, and I still need that data spike, which should almost be done downloading.”

 

“You really are a pr.ick, Shan.”

 

Jonas heard his shower turn on and kept listening for it to turn off again. He wanted his place and her all to himself and the sooner the better.

 

Theron got out of his chair and walked over to the computer terminal. “She likes me, Jonas.”

 

“Trust me, she doesn’t.”

 

Finally the terminal beeped, signaling the completion of the download. Jonas pulled the spike, thrust it into Shan’s hand and pushed him toward the door.

 

“Now, get out.”

 

“Hey, my jacket.”

 

“Pick it up tomorrow, it’s not going anywhere.”

 

Jonas leaned his back against the door, ran his fingers through his hair and let out a huge sigh. Closing his eyes, he let her image float before him, damn it was good to see her again.

 

The shower had stopped and a few minutes later his bedroom door opened, she walked out wearing nothing but one of his shirts. The sleeves were rolled up and it was unbuttoned to the middle of her stomach, the length covered her only to mid thigh. A thin silver necklace with a tiny star glittered at her throat.

 

“Your friend gone?”

 

Jonas had turned to a cupboard above the sink and grabbed two glasses. “Yeah, finally. I thought he’d never leave. Whisky ok? Is the necklace new?”

 

“Whisky’s good. I don’t care much for your friend, by the way. He’s nice enough looking, but too smug for my taste. I have no patience for smug. The necklace was my mother’s. I never wore it much, got caught in the armor.”

 

“It looks pretty on you. So, enough about Shan, what can I do for you, besides the usual and obvious?”

 

Tal took the glass from Jonas, letting her fingers slide over his. “Usual and obvious? You make it sound so clinical. I thought you enjoyed our time together as much as I do.”

 

“More than you know, Tal. But seriously, what can I do for you? You said you needed advice? Information? Let’s see if we can get the business out of the way first, ok?”

 

She patted the back of his computer chair indicating for him to sit down. He walked over to the chair, set his drink down on the desk and activated the screen.

 

“Ok, what are we looking for?”

 

“Human male. Planet of birth, unknown. Did time in the Army, not specforce, which I know you have trouble getting into sometimes. Served with Jorgan. Mentioned op or tour on Althir, then Hoth, then he mustered out. That’s all I’ve got.”

 

Jonas took a sip and set his glass back down. “Parameters are entered. It may take a while to complete the search. What else did you want to ask?”

 

“You know I bought my own ship, right? Signed the papers today.”

 

“What the hell are you doing, Tal? You going into the smuggling business now?”

 

“Hardly, and don’t get your undies in a wad. I wanted to ask about legit guilds I might need to join, pay dues, whatever they call it.”

 

“Well, there is the Spacer’s Guild and the Independent Freighter’s Guild. The Commerce Guild is fairly new, but they get shady, and stay away from the Hutts. Anything you haul for them is going to put you on SIS radar, on my radar, and I really don’t want to deal with that where you are concerned.”

 

The computer beeped, signaling the end of the search. Jonas leaned forward to read the data.

 

“Huh, Lieutenant Felix Iresso. Born 3673 on Rehemsa. Looks like he was trouble. Lived by his own moral code which was often at odds with his orders. His personal sense of justice often conflicted with the republic and he refused to put his team at undue risk if he could help it. Seems he did serve with Jorgan for a couple of years. That thing on Althir really stymied any hopes for promotions and he got passed around more often that a 2 credit h.ooker, finally ending up in a no future post on Hoth. Why all the interest?”

 

Jonas felt her breasts press into his back as she leaned in closer for a look and when her breath blew, warm, across his neck, all his composure went straight to hell. He stood up, kicking the chair to the side and it was impossible to know who grasped who first. Her glass fell to the rug, spilling the remaining contents. They became like impatient teenagers all clutching hands and wet kisses, melding together then pulling apart as he left his clothes scattered across the living room floor.

 

Just inside the bedroom door, he gripped the front of the shirt she wore and tore it open, sending buttons flying like errant moths, then skimmed it from her shoulders to fall, like snow, around her feet. He kissed the small scar on her cheek and let his mouth drift down her body from scar to scar, pausing here and there for maximum effect. He moved behind her to let his tongue trail over her hip, the small of her back, through the scars at her shoulder blades and come to rest at the nape of her neck. He encircled her with his arms, cupping her breasts in his hands as she growled low in her throat.

 

She turned to face him, forcing herself against his body, kissing his mouth, probing her tongue between his teeth and letting her hands wander his landscape with purpose and need.

 

Tal pushed Jonas gently to the bed where he settled himself onto the sheets and pillows as she stalked up his body, licking and nibbling from knees to neck and at last straddled his hips with her own.

 

Their bodies united like old friends that continued the conversation long after hands and mouths had gone silent. They rose and fell in unison, using their hips and thighs as leverage to push harder and deeper to the point of shattering where the world fell away, and all that remained was the center of sensation that consumed them both.

 

With a sigh of contentment, Tal collapsed forward onto Jonas’ chest, snuggling into his arms as he wrapped her in his warmth. They lay like that for a long, long time, their breathing the only sound between them.

 

“I love you, Talree Onejen.” Jonas whispered. The words just slipped out. Idiot!

 

“I know.”

 

He waited for the response he knew would never come.

 

“I don’t know why, Tal, but this feels like goodbye. Is it?”

 

She raised her head to look into his eyes. “I don’t like goodbyes, Jonas, and right now, I don’t know anything. This life is too new to me. How can I speak to tomorrow when I don’t even know what today may bring?”

 

“This Felix Iresso, is he important to you? Truth, please.”

 

“I don’t know that either. We have a past of sorts, yet I just met him yesterday. It’s complicated.”

 

“I’m a spy, I’m good at complicated. Want to tell me about it?”

 

“I can’t Jonas. I need to go.”

 

“So soon? It seems like you just got here. Encore performance? Breakfast in bed? Anything to tempt you to stay?”

 

“You, Jonas, you tempt me. That’s why it’s so hard to leave and impossible to stay.”

 

She tried to sit up but the harder she pushed, the more he tightened his grip.

 

“Don’t make me hurt you, Jonas.”

 

“Too late,” he sighed and opened his arms.

 

She got up and walked to the refresher, he rose also and found a pair of tracksuit pants to slip into. He leaned on the dresser waiting for her to return.

 

She exited the refresher and gathered her clothes, he watched her get dressed finally noticing the gash on her upper arm before she put on her shirt. He walked over and kissed her shoulder lightly touching the wound with his fingers.

 

“Where’d you get this?”

 

“Slight altercation at the ship sale. We got it all figured out. It’s nothing, just a scratch.”

 

She moved away from him, slipped on her shirt and vest and was buckling her holster to her hip as she walked through the bedroom door.

 

Jonas followed her into the living room where she stooped down to pick up the dropped glass and set it on the table, then looked around like she would never see this place again.

 

He walked her to the door and as she opened it, he folded his arms around her and crushed his mouth to hers, just wanting that one last taste, that one last feeling of her against him.

 

As she pushed herself away from him and moved through the door, she turned and said, “Don’t wait for me, Jonas.”

 

He watched her on his monitors as she meandered down the stairs, exited the front door and then she was gone. He looked around at the half empty whisky bottle and felt a real bender coming on.

 

Tal’s mind was awhirl as she walked down the flights of stairs from Jonas’ apartment. He was important to her, more so than anyone since Nolo. But love? Love made you weak, blind and vulnerable. Love made you do stupid sh.it, it was control, and pain. It was easier to just leave and not look back. But, damn, they had been good together, more than good. She felt an unfamiliar sense of great loss, but pushed it aside and walked into the night.

 

(To be Continued)

 

Author's note:

 

 

Just finished Chapter 3 and I'm even more curious than I was. Still no clue who "Argent" could be.....I am assuming that isn't his real name and that he is really someone we would know from the game? Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

This last chapter should answer your questions and yes, he is someone from the game. I just like to twist things about somewhat though. Hope you enjoy.

 

*chuckles* I always enjoy seeing the boys, Theron and Jonas are two of my favs. I do enjoy the ribbings they give each other. I wish the game would make it possible for us to have them both as comps.

 

I'm curious to see how things are going to go. I sense some delicious Balkar action in the future possibly? The mystery man sounds pretty lovely too. Interesting things shaping up! Awaiting your next chapter.

 

Yes, me too. Love the boys together, they play off each other so well. Hope the delicious action does not disappoint. The spoiler at the bottom shows my version of Argent in game and why I chose it. And, I wish we could have had both Balker and Shan as companions also, nothing greedy about me at all. Of course, in stories, anything is possible, but I don't think I'll go there.

 

Hmmm, this Nolo doesn't sound like a man who'd send an assassin to protect someone if he were not convinced that someone needed protection. What did he know we don't? Trouble might be lurking just around the corner.

Tal seems to get along quite well without a relationship. It won't be an easy task to convince her she's missing out.

 

Eagerly awaiting the next part

 

Thanks for posting Frauzet. Nolo has always watched out for Tal from the shadows and now that she has lost the protection of her squad, who better to send than someone he trained himself and someone he trusts. We will see where this all leads eventually.

 

As for Tal not needing a relationship, there are things in her past that haunt her and her idea of love is pretty tainted. More about that later also. Of course it all started with the doll that she loved dearly. I always appreciate your posts and insight. Thank you.

 

I thought I guessed who Argent was. Then I did a quick google search on him and that part about Althir confirmed it.

 

I also posted in Forget Me, Remember Voss about how I "totally figured out through skill, logic, and reason" one of your big character reveals. Totally.

 

Oh, and did I mention great story(s)!

 

Yay, another new reader. Welcome and thank you for letting me know that you are enjoying my little stories. Yep, Argent in this story was pretty easy to figure out, google is your friend. I will have to check out your post in my Voss escapade, I think Serevin was a little harder to figure out in that one. I hope you continue to read.

Spoilertagging for spoilers:

 

 

 

Aha, so now we know the identity of the mysterious Argent. And more of the boys, whom I love <3 I've always had a soft spot for Jonas. Best part of the trooper story, I think. ^^

 

I could totally see Theron enjoying making Jonas squirm, he hee. And, I see you use the same customization for Iresso as I did in the game. Nice choice. Looking forward to the next bit. Sorry to be a bit late to the party, I'm sick, so I'm struggling to keep up with things.

Spoilertagging for spoilers:

 

 

It's Iresso! I'm curious to see what's going to happen with him; I don't see Iresso on these forums very much, and you had a wonderful take on Vector. I'm looking forward to see what you bring to his persona. Codename Argent, i like it!

 

But what does he want with Tal?

 

Also, I kind of love that you made Tanno Vik gay.

 

Spoiler tagging right back at ya:

 

 

 

 

Aha, so now we know the identity of the mysterious Argent. And more of the boys, whom I love <3 I've always had a soft spot for Jonas. Best part of the trooper story, I think. ^^

 

I could totally see Theron enjoying making Jonas squirm, he hee. And, I see you use the same customization for Iresso as I did in the game. Nice choice. Looking forward to the next bit. Sorry to be a bit late to the party, I'm sick, so I'm struggling to keep up with things.

 

Sorry you have been under the weather. Yes, I think the boys really like to rib each other but only friends could get away with the smack talk they throw at each other. I have a soft spot for both of them, but like you, I could have used a bit more Jonas time in game. Feel better soon.

I know why now that I never thought of Felix Iresso as the mystery man. It was that customization you used on yours in game with the facial tattoo. When I read his description in your story I knew Iresso (default) didn't have a tattoo, so I never considered him after that. How confusing! LOL. That's a very nice customization though I must admit:) But I was ok with the default appearance so didn't look for a replacement. They certainly could have done a better job on his facial appearance....he wasn't ugly, but it lacked enough detail.

 

Anyway, I love that it turned out to be him....I did the Consular story twice,

. I also wish they had brought him into the story much earlier than they did. There is room for a lot of improvement there but I have no doubt that you will fix that with your story!

 

But poor Jonas:( I did hurt for him a lot......loved him in game too.

Sorry you have been under the weather. Yes, I think the boys really like to rib each other but only friends could get away with the smack talk they throw at each other. I have a soft spot for both of them, but like you, I could have used a bit more Jonas time in game. Feel better soon.

 

Thanks It's nothing major, just a cold, but at this time of year it seems a bit ridiculous to me to be knocked down by a blasted cold. Oh definitely could have used more Jonas i/g. I always wish he would've been a companion choice. He kept my trooper going really. Without him, I'd have died of boredom.