Nikeo entered the interrogation room. Grey walls, a desk, two chairs, the obligatory mirror, cameras, a microphone, and Zal—no, Iolith, Iolith Zairos. She sat on the chair at the opposite side of the desk. The chair, like the desk, was bolted to the floor. Zal—Iolith was chained to the chair. The scene felt surreal. The guys from SIS had questioned her for hours. She looked tired, no signs they had done anything else but ask questions. Nikeo felt relieved. He was able to live without actually seeing her after she had been tortured, his imagination was bad enough. She was an enemy spy captured in a war zone. That the Republic wasn’t in a war with the Empire—yet—didn’t matter much. One way or another the SIS would get its answers, at least they’d try. Of course they had more sophisticated methods than those you were taught in Special Forces. So far Iolith Zairos had told them nothing apart from confirming her name, and stating that she’d talk to him, only to him.

“What do you want?” Great start Nik, he scolded himself, when he saw her responding stare. ‘Get her to talk and keep her talking!’ the agents had told him. Well, he had already impressively demonstrated that he wasn’t made out of spy-material. Although Jorgan probably had saved his hide when he had put on record, that he had ordered him to approach Zal and to offer her assistance in finding her ship. They both knew it was only part of the truth. He took a deep breath trying to control his anger.

A slight regretful smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I want to tell you, that I am sorry.”

He stared at her disbelievingly.

“I am sorry!” she said, “You have every right to be angry.”

“And you expect me to forgive you just like that?”

“No! I just wanted you to know. There is very little left for me to expect apart from a sudden death.”

She had been scanned thoroughly, she carried no devices to commit suicide. So what was she talking about? “I doubt that the agents offered tea and biscuits, but they won’t kill you. The SIS is not Imperial Intelligence.”

She laughed at that, a sorrowful laugh. “You know nothing, Nik!”

He took the seat opposite her. “You said you’d talk to me. Why don’t you start by telling me, what you were doing on Ord Mantell!”

“You already know that.” She answered. “I was delivering weapons to Viidu, to support the Republic here on Ord Mantell. My ship was stolen and I was stuck here, so I had no other choice than to search for my ship. I’d have left as soon as the cargo would have been unloaded otherwise.”

“Do you know this woman?” he showed her a holo picture.

She looked at the picture for a moment before she answered. “Yes, that’s Alma, from the refugee camp. She hired me to find her necklace.”

“So you admit that you’ve been working with an other Imperial spy.” Nik stated.

“What? Neither do I admit, that I am spy, nor do I know about her. I agreed to find her necklace, that’s all I did. You were there. Don’t you remember? When we argued about the medicine? I was there to see Alma. Her house had been burned down, I was too late to recover her necklace. If you’d been still there you would have heard.” Her eyes pleaded for him to believe her.

“It’s very convenient for you, that she’s disappeared.”

She raised her voice. “How is that convenient, when she could have told you, I am telling the truth?” She took a deep breath. “I remember her saying something about visiting her family though. Why don’t you try to find her? Or somebody else who was there?”

“What are you trying to achieve? What is the truth behind your stories? Why don’t you tell me, Zal?”

“I still like the way you make that name sound, but call me Io, it’s my real name.”

“Stop playing games with me, Io!” he demanded. Talking to her hurt more than he had anticipated.

“Yes, guess it was ‘Game over’ when Giz turned up. How is he doing?” She seemed to be truly concerned.

He told himself not to believe anything she wanted him to believe. She was too damned good at this. A lot better than he was. “You failed again in killing him, if that’s what you want to know. He’ll survive.” He got a datapad out of his pocket and shoved it over the table. “He sends his regards and has me ask you to sign this.”

She leaned forward to skim the text the datapad displayed. Nik wasn’t able to read her expression.

“I never intended to hurt him.” Io claimed.

“Yeah, he will be overjoyed to hear that. So it’s probably no big deal to sign the damned thing!” Nik wouldn’t have been able to tell anybody, why it still upset him, that she was married. Probably the marriage contract wasn’t legal anyway. Signing the divorce was more of a symbolic act. It shouldn’t matter to her but it mattered to Giz. Somehow he and Giz had ended up as members of the Broken-Hearts-Club after the first bottle of Whiskey and had invited Corso to join after the second, although Corso had only received a flesh wound from her shot. Nik had promised he’d get her to sign.

She thought about it for another moment, before she pressed her thumb to the pad and confirmed that she granted the divorce. “He saved my life back in that ambush, so I guess it’s fair to meet his wish. Even if we’d get the chance to start over again, I guess there’d be no confidence base left to build upon.”

Nik shook his head. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?”

She shrugged. “It does, doesn’t it?” She put her head back and closed her eyes. “Force! I am tired.” She raised her head to look at him again. “He was right, you know? Giz was right. The guys were Imperials. But he was also wrong. I didn’t hire them. They were there to kill me.” She waited for his reaction.

“And you think I will believe you?” Every word, every gesture, every emotion she let show was a lie.

“No, nobody will believe me. But that doesn’t mean I am not telling the truth.” She laughed again. “It’s ironic.” She glanced at the mirror. “You want to know the truth, but you won’t believe it if I tell you.” She shook her head. “That’s always the problem with lies. Once you’re caught nobody will believe you regardless of what the truth is.”

“So if you didn’t hire them, who did?” He would try to keep her talking, there was no need to believe her to do that.

“My father, probably,” she shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“You think your father hired someone to kill you?” Nik asked doubtfully.

“Truth be told, I always wondered, why he didn’t kill me once it became clear I was no Force user. I, his firstborn, had the effrontery to neither be a son nor a Force user, can you image such impertinence?” She closed her eyes again. She was only whispering when she continued. “I envied the slave children because their parents loved them. To my father I was less than nothing. Until I was old enough to be married to a Moff four times my age.” She sighed. “I sneaked off into Imperial Academy. My father was furious, but didn’t want to make a public fuss. I had escaped his reach for the duration of my training. But he was prepared by the time my education came to an end. I wasn’t accepted into Imperial Intelligence despite my impeccable graduation. My father already had the suitors waiting, I was a pawn in his political games.” Her eyes sparkled suddenly. “But I defied him again. I ran away. This time far enough. But there is no ‘far enough’ when you’re opposing a Lord of the Sith. Giz payed the price for my foolishness!”

“You should have made an application as a screenwriter.”

She nodded in the direction of the mirror. “Ask them about my dossier. If their spies are worth their pay there should be something in there to back my story up!”

“So you claim you ran away to escape your father and left the Empire. Why didn’t you officially defect?”

“You think that would have worked? You are more naive than I thought.” She looked him in the eyes. “I am the daughter of a high ranking Sith, without anything to sell that’s worth buying. Either nobody would have believed me, that would have left me in about the same position I am in now, or nobody would have cared about me, that would have left me open to any attacks from Imperial sources. No! My best chance was to go underground, to become Sidali Merru. I met Giz and I became his wife. We had a lot of fun together. I fled after I thought he was dead. I must have visited around two dozen planets since then. I didn’t dare to stay anywhere longer than it took me to conduct the business I had come for, trading in whatever goods promised a decent profit. When I met you…”

“Don’t!” Nik interrupted her.

“I never intended to hurt you either!” She looked at him sadly.

“I wish I’d never met you!” When he saw the look on her face he felt worse than if he had slapped her.

“Why didn’t you shoot me?” she asked. “That would have saved us all a lot of trouble.”

He had already asked himself the same question. “Stun is the standard setting inside the fort.” That was the truth.

“I see. I guess I got nothing left to tell you then.” She closed her eyes and didn’t watch him leaving.

I read of the fall of Taris. I know what to expect. The Sith bombardment made a martyr of a world not known for its shining ideals. If not for the way it died, it might be forgotten. Her people may be gone, but they are not dust.

When I was still a padawan Master Yuon shared images with me. Herself and her associates on different dig sites. Ruins in the background, crumbling fragments of a hundred different lost civilizations. She looks so pleased in all these images. Not at the destruction, but at the what she found beneath it.

I remember our discussion about her work. Knowledge, she said. She sought knowledge. In so doing, she gives these long lost people a voice. They speak to us, all of them, from the rulers to the slaves and everyone in between. Telling us their stories. Telling us about their culture. Telling us about how they lived. Not always about how they died, though sometimes they tell us that too. The dead tell tales, if you know how to listen. Examining bones is not gruesome. Time and objectivity granted her distance.

I stand here in the ruins of this world, the bones of her buildings rising up around me, and I cannot find that distance. Even with nature reclaiming the planet. Taris is not old enough to be just an archaeological curiosity for me. Taris’ destruction is too close to my personal experiences to ignore. I know what the people of Taris felt, looking at the sky and seeing the ship falling towards them. I know how the survivors felt, waiting for help or a rescue that never came. It haunts me in a way the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant did not. There, I could choose to recall better times.

Here, I have no memories to recall.

For all that, I do not live here. Not in this ruin, not in this wreckage. It is part of me. But it is not me, not all of me. Finding a balance between never forget and letting go is not done and over. It is an ongoing process. Balance always is.

When does archeology graduate from robbery? Is intent alone the dividing line? Is time a factor? When the dead have no identifiable relatives? When the species is extinct? What overriding concerns take precedence over the desires of the people whose graves these are? Is disease enough? Is knowledge to protect the living enough? Is satisfying curiosity sufficient? On Coruscant, we consider the Jedi Temple a tomb. The dead should be left in peace. On Taris, we sift through the rubble, hoping to glean knowledge enough to answer our many questions. Similar situations, different reasonable responses.

This, I believe, is the tenet within the Code’s second line: Ignorance, yet knowledge. Good answers exist. Just answers exist. Proper precedents, fair recommendations, and balanced solutions all exist. But there is no one single answer to suit all possibilities. Each resolution fits its situation alone. Precedent informs a decision, but cannot make it.

Easy answers are abundant, but unsatisfying.

@Magdalane Glad to see you write in here! A very sweet goodbye for Corso.

@theStirge I like the links between the two class quests

@bright I love Vette in Nalenne-verse. She's so vicious, but now I'm hungry for red velvet cake.

He couldn’t understand that the unity was a blending of will, not an imposition of one. She wasn’t sure she could explain it.

“Why…do I suddenly feel like I have terribly underestimated you?”

@alaurin I love what a handful Tia is.

@marissalf

Who said I had to hate you to kill you?

@Lesaberisa boogie ;_;.

@frauzet

Riggs, who hadn’t the faintest idea what was going on, actually took a step in front of Zal, trying to protect her from a danger he hadn’t yet located. Kark, why were men such fools?

@DarthSillyMonkey The name Korav'ette made me gigle and I'm dying of happiness with another Vette story. From her 'I quit' moment to Starwind. Love it!

@Striges I can't stress enough how much I love Jurial's philosophical musings. Especially this observation

Precedent informs a decision, but cannot make it.

"Why have you not asked me to turn from the dark side?" Lord Scourge looked down at Remi, she had been tiptoeing for a kiss but now she pulled back.

"What do you mean?" she seemed surprised by the question and immediately uncomfortable.

"You asked Praven to turn to the light as you do all Sith whom you defeat. Even now as Sith yourself, you maintain your ways."

"I gave Praven a choice of something other than death. I never needed to give you that choice. As for me, you know how I prefer to live." She tried to shrug but he was not finished.

"Yet you live with me. Do not pretend you cannot sense the darkness around me. You shield yourself from it even as you allow me within your boundaries."

The last part startled her, she stepped backward but he followed her maintaining the same distance. ”I didn’t see a point in asking.”

"If there is no point in asking me, there is no point in asking the others."

"Don’t be ridiculous, the others were completely different."

"How so?"

"For one thing, I’m," she paused cutting off what she was about to say.

"Monitoring me?"

"No." She said carefully, "But I know you’re not drunk or mad with corruption."

"Indeed the dark side is very dangerous and over time such power can corrupt. Would you not want to save me from that?"

"I don’t know what you’re trying to get from me, Scourge."

"I’m trying to determine why my wife openly despises what I am, yet does not ask me to change."

"Do you want to turn away from the dark side? Is that what you’re saying?"

"What if I do?" He met her eyes squarely.

She opened her mouth then changed her mind. She took a deep breath then started again, “It’s not that simple. The light is a difficult path even if you were born to it and I can’t teach you. We’re too close emotionally.”

He frowned, “There are others who would teach me. Your Jedi would accept me, they would almost have to.”

"Yes," she said slowly, "They would under specific circumstances."

"Such as?"

"You would have to commit yourself wholly to the training."

"Is that all?" He scoffed.

"It’s not easy."

"You think I am not capable of learning your ways?"

"Of course you can." She closed her eyes, her brows knit together in irritation.

He grabbed her shoulders closing the gap between them, “Then what is it? What prevents you? Tell me.”

She opened her eyes, flecks of red burned in her golden gaze, “You would have to become Jedi.” He stared back uncomprehending. ”And leave me.”

He released her, staring with eyes narrowed.

"You think the Jedi would take you, let you learn their ways, then let you come back to me?" She asked softly, "They’d keep you there until you didn’t want to return. If I asked you to change and you said no, it would hang between us. If you said yes, I’d lose you." Her expression was an odd mixture of sadness and shame.

"So," he stepped closer deliberately, he waited for her to guard herself but she did not. "Your reasons for not asking were," he paused, "selfish?" Her face reddened, she looked away but turned back sharply when his laughter echoed through the chamber. He lowered his face to hers, "There is hope for you yet, little Sith."

"I really hate you sometimes." She whispered.

"Yes, much hope indeed." He silenced whatever reply she would make with a kiss, then changed the subject entirely.

"Thank you," Remi smiled and accepted her meal from the stoic young man. He was too well trained to actually flinch but his body grew a touch more rigid before he saluted and took himself off. They had taken to dining in the mess hall so that everyone would grow accustomed to her presence.

Scourge did not sigh but his tone gave the impression that he did. "Why do you do that?"

"Whaaat?" She wrinkled her nose at him. She knew exactly what. While Sith could conduct themselves however they chose, there were certain behaviors members of the military were trained to expect. A stern Sith was predictable, a pleasant Sith was dangerous, and a happy Sith, a happy Sith was mad. Her smiles terrified them.

"That, cheerfulness," he said sourly, "The medics are reporting dozens of men and women coming to them with signs of stress. You really must stop."

She widened her eyes. "I would think inciting fear in the underlings would please you, my lord."

He scowled and ground his teeth.

She attempted a pout and only managed to get halfway there. "You don't want me to be happy?"

"Of course I," He said defensively then stopped at the expression on her face. He narrowed his eyes. "You are doing this to irritate me."

Her smile changed to a guilty one. "Maybe a little."

"May I ask why?"

She shrugged and pushed her food around her plate. "I like bothering you. You're so stoic. You're not exactly affectionate. At least when you're irritated with me I know you feel something."

He stared at her with open astonishment. "Stoic? I? Remi, that is the most hypocritical... You are the one who hardly registers emotions. Half the time I have to get you angry just to get you to want to," he stopped himself abruptly and started eating.

"Want to what?" Remi tilted her head. "I know you get me angry on purpose. I thought that was just something you did." She waited but he kept eating, "Scourge?"

Now he did sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "When you are angry, you are more, aggressive. With me."

It took her a moment to register the implication of his words. "You," she said loudly and a number of heads turned to look at them. "You get me angry as foreplay?" she finished in a harsh whisper. Scourge refused to look at her and she thought back to a number small seemingly petty arguments they had had recently. She threw her head back letting out a peal of laughter then grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the room.

This time Scourge did not care if she frightened anyone.

Today was the anniversary of his mistake. Quinn walked to his favorite place on Dromund Kaas, a waterfall near a cliff. The view of the jungle was magnificent and no one ever bothered him there.

Usually he did not waste time on what could have been. He did not to wonder what rank he could have achieved or the relationships he could have had. But not today. Today was a day for mourning the loss of all of those things and regret. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the stance was both habitual and comfortable despite his many years away from the military. He began the agonizing mental walk through the years since his mistake attempting not to envy his friends and crew for their success, their loves, and their happiness.

The crate landed behind him with a heavy thud. Quinn spun to face the box, acutely aware of the open air and the long drop that lay behind him. The box popped open and a small cloaked creature hired to deliver messages popped out and attempted a cartwheel. It failed miserably, fell over, and landed on its back. It gave him a thumbs up signal and handed him a package before scampering off.

Quinn sighed and tore open the small parcel. Inside was a gold star embossed with the words 'You Tried.' He snorted at the off centered and ugly typography, but he pocketed the memento with a smile. A small token to tell him that his friends would never forget this day either, but they also never forgot about him. He would put this star with the others, perhaps next year they would not find him. Then he could finally mope in peace.

Confessions 2 was alluded to in this piece.

Quinn suffers a number of setbacks post Chapter 3 in my story which force him to retire from the military. He's ok though.

The idea for the messenger came from the

Merok tugged on the gray Exchange shirt and wasted no time in quickly leaving his quarters. He pulled his earbud comlink from his pocket and fit it snugly inside his ear. He moved down the hallway at a brisk pace, scratching at the fake scar across his nose. He had dyed his hair a light blue color instead of its usual jet black, and used prosthetic makeup to bulk up his cheeks and chin.

"I'm in," he said.

"Good," replied Raina. "The information we're looking for is down the next hallway to your left. Take the first right, and it'll be the third door on your left."

"Roger," he replied.

He moved quickly in that direction. As he walked, his gray-gloved hand shot out and, undetected, swiped the badge off a passing officer's belt. Without hesitation, he swiped the card, and entered the computer room and tossed the badge into a recycling chute. Inside, he stepped forward to the computer and pulled out a slicer spike.

"Insert it to the port on the upper right part of the interface," Raina said. "Give it a 90-degree twist, and then access the computer."

Merok quickly followed her instructions, and the computer booted up. He reached down and began typing. He accessed the 'restricted' file and typed quickly, entering the access code he'd stolen from the corporate worker he'd knocked out to take his uniform.

"I'm in," he said.

"Good. Access the 'Nar Shaddaa' file and download its contents."

"On it."

As soon as the download was complete, Merok removed the spike from the computer and shoved it in his pocket. He turned to leave the room...and winced as the door slid open. With no time to move for cover, Merok whipped up his pistol and fired–on stun–at the scientist entering the room. The scientist dropped, and there was silence. Then everyone's footsteps started at once. Merok pulled out his vibroknife and slashed open the ventilation duct. Quickly, he crawled through the duct. Alarms began sounding. Merok reached the external vent and kicked it open.

"I need extraction," he said. "West side, one-fortieth floor."

Not hesitating, he leapt. A moment later, his ship shot below him, and he thunk-ed safely on the top. He pulled out the dataspike and exhaled in relief.

"Mission accomplished," he said. "Activate the stealth generator and get us out of here."

As Merok is an Imperial Agent, I have bought all the Cartel Market's corporate shirts for him.

http://www.swtorshenanigans.net/wiki/images/1/1a/Youtried_small.png

@frauzet: I'm glad you liked the piece with Tia and Jonas! I really liked your piece with Ciner.....the pride from both him and his father on his acceptance to the Sith Academy on Korriban really comes through. Nicely done! Also, WOW, really getting into this story with Nik and Zal. I feel bad for them both, but I really don't see Nik trusting her very easily after this.

@Bright: Awwwww, I got the warm fuzzies with Wynston and Hazard.

@alaurin, ooo, who’s spooking Val? I love that Khem Val has a perceptible desire to eat whoever they’re looking at. Poor hungry Dashade.

(Edit: I LOVE the dance floor piece! Eee, intrigue, and sketchy types thinking quick on their feet, but not as quick as Balkar. Love it!)

@Yoshi: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned......Miss Rok better watch her back! I can see Kaliyo causing massive damage to just about anything she can get her hands on, so good call leaving her behind! Also, loved the energy in the Nar Shaddaa piece....very exciting!

@Stridges: That was such an insightful piece for Juriel. I loved your descriptions of Taris and of his own experiences and how those things were very similiar yet so different.

Alaurin: The fairytale piece was nicely done. It does have Cinderella-like overtones. Tia's remembrances at the outset were great. I appreciated the brief look into her character.

@Kabeone: Oh, yeah, Tia is a handful......at least for Jorgan she is (but come on.....he totally deserves it). She's been so much fun to write that I almost wish they can stay on opposite sides.

"You," she said loudly and a number of heads turned to look at them. "You get me angry as foreplay?" she finished in a harsh whisper. Scourge refused to look at her and she thought back to a number small seemingly petty arguments they had had recently. She threw her head back letting out a peel of laughter then grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the room.

 

This time Scourge did not care if she frightened anyone.

“It should be up ahead, sir,” Elara called out over their helm coms as her CO kept spraying cannon fire.

After their meeting with Balkar, Aric and Elara rushed back to the Thunderclap, quickly donned on their armor, grabbed their weapons, and headed to the Nikto Sector. The Nikto Sector was home turf to the Kintan Kings, a Nikto gang that didn’t take kindly to outsiders and Aric and Elara had been fighting their way through, trying to get to the Axxon Storage vault before Captain Andrik could escape with the war droid, M1-4X.

“Copy that,” Aric answered, “I think the way should be clear for now. Let’s get in there.”

Aric entered first, Elara right behind him and they immediately heard blaster fire. The Axxon security team was engaged with war droids, but neither side proved to be friendly to Aric and Elara and they quickly found themselves in a three way battle. Elara was able to keep Aric up as he drew fire and after a few minutes, they managed to dispatch the remaining guards and droids. They entered the inner vault to find a much larger war droid speaking with an older mercenary soldier.

“We’re wasting time, Captain Andrik,” the droid insisted, “There’s an entire galaxy full of depraved lunatics out there plotting against our great Republic while we’re in here rummaging for valuables!”

“Be patient, Forex,” Captain Andrik replied, “Black ops aren’t cheap. Commander Tavus needs us to be resourceful.”

“But I’ve been operational for days now,” Forex shot back, “Imperial vermin across the galaxy should be cursing the Republic ingenuity that created me!”

“You do realize you’re actually working for the Imperials,” Aric called out, his cannon charged and ready. He’d heard the conversation and was sure that no one had clued the obviously patriotic droid in to what they were really doing. He hoped to use that information to get the droid to turn on Andrik and finish this quickly.

“Contact…..two armed subjects!” Forex cried.

“Engage and terminate!” Andrik ordered.

“Negative! Subject identity confirmed…..officer, Republic army,” Forex stated, “A valuable ally in our battle against tyranny!”

“Great,” Andrik sighed, looking at Jorgan, “Look, this is a top secret mission……Commander Tavus sent us himself. Does the name Havoc Squad mean anything to you?”

“Oh, it does,” Aric answered, a deadly smile crossing his features, “I happen to be the Commanding officer of Havoc Squad and Commander Tavus is a traitor to the Republic……as are you.”

“Tavus isn’t a traitor! He was betrayed and there are some of us who aren’t standing for it,” Andrik spat, “Forex, secure the packages and come with me. The rest of you take this scum out and proceed to Objective Seven.”

“Negative! What you suggest is an act of betrayal!” Forex accused, “The murder of fellow……”

“Emm-One-Four-Ex, override code five-five-eight,” Andrik interrupted, “Secure the objective and follow me now!”

“Sir, yes sir,” the large droid nodded.

“Belay that order, Forex!” Aric barked, “I’m your commanding officer!”

“Negative,” the droid responded, sounding almost sad, “Override code condition five-five-eight, obey only orders given by Commander Harron Tavus or personnel designated by same.”

“Let’s go, Forex!” Andrik ordered, “The rest of you, open fire!”

The rest of Andrik’s squad began firing on Jorgan and Dorne while their CO escaped with Forex. Despite being slightly outnumbered, after a few minutes Aric and Elara were the only ones left standing. Aric immediately pulled out his Holo and tried to contact Balkar with no luck.

“He better have a good reason for not answering,” Aric muttered when he tried again without success, and that better not involve Tia wearing anything less than she had on earlier!

“Sir,” Elara interrupted his thoughts, “I think it would be best if we get out of here.”

“Agreed,” Aric nodded, putting his Holo away, “I’ll keep trying Balkar when we’re someplace a little less hostile.”

Half an hour later, Aric and Elara were waiting for a taxi to the spaceport when Aric’s Holo went off and he quickly answered it.

“It’s about time,” he growled, “I’ve been…….”

“Don’t say anything else,” Jonas interrupted, “I’m in Tia’s suite……someone drugged her.”

“Dammit……is she alright?” Aric and Elara looked at one another, worry on both their faces.

“She will be,” Jonas assured them, “I don’t want to talk over the Holo……can we meet somewhere in a bit?”

“I’ll call everyone,” Aric nodded.

“Message me with the location,” Jonas instructed, “Hotel security is arranging a guard for her door and I’ll stay until he’s here. Maybe I’ll make her more comfortable while I’m waiting......I'm sure that dress isn't good to sleep in after all.”

“Listen you little sh*t, don’t even think about…….” Aric retorted, a huge surge of jealousy at the thought of Balkar removing Tia’s dress shot through him. Balkar cut him off by ending the call and he thought he heard a suspicious cough that sounded a lot like a laugh from his all too observant medic. Slightly embarrassed by his reaction, Aric avoided eye contact with Elara and called Val who answered immediately.

“Hey, Aric……one sec,” Val called out over blaster fire in the distance. She disappeared from view and they could hear louder blaster fire, then a shout of 'now you're dumb, ugly, and dead' that sounded like it came from Corso and a minute later Val appeared again, “Sorry about that......what’s up?”

“A lot,” he told her, “It’s a long story but there’s trouble. Tia was drugged……she’s alright and I’ll fill you in later. Elara and I are on our way to the spaceport, can we meet somewhere?”

“Yeah,” Val nodded, “We can meet on my ship. Corso and I are making our way back there now. I’ll give Kat a call and let her know.”

“Thanks, Val,” Aric replied, “See you in a bit, then.”

“Don’t forget we need to find that locker, sir,” Elara reminded him as they got into a taxi.

“Thanks, Sergeant,” Aric sighed, grabbing his datapad and sending Balkar a message to meet them at Val’s ship, “I’d forgotten about that. We’ll grab that and take it back to the ship before we head over to Val’s.”

Less than an hour later, after retrieving the plain backpack containing a bio canister, datapad, and another note explaining that it was the notes, formula, and a sample of Needles Rakghoul serum, from the storage locker and storing it on their ship, Aric and Elara, back in their civilian clothes, were boarding Val’s freighter.

It was actually difficult to write a piece where Jorgan isn't being teased or tormented by Tia......I'm a sick woman I guess!

@Frauzet: The Ciner piece was a great way to begin the stint on Korriban. I loved this line

Lord Ardens Ignis scrutinized him, letting him wait at the threshold to his chambers. At last he motioned him to enter. Seemingly he hadn’t found a flaw he deemed worth criticizing today.

I love how it shows the haughty disciplined air the Sith caste on DK should have.

Nik. Zal. Secrets. I can't tell you how much I'm digging this story. The truthful confession of Zal, and the knowledge that once you're caught, the seeds of doubt are always present making total trust nigh-impossible. Poor Nik! Keep 'em coming!

@Bright: Ok, I admit it. I was holding out for Wynston NOT to sleep with her. I love how you show the effects of having the bond just yanked out of you like that. After being in a place where there's serene peace and thousands of voices... to go silent that quickly could drive a person mad. What a great device that allows Wynston to overcome his issues with Hazard so he can cross that bridge and have a normal relationship with her (platonic, in a sense, is what I mean), rather than always have something in the back of his head.

@Alaurin: Balkar. Jonas Balkar. Shaken not... hey that's my drink! I've always had a soft spot for JB. He's the ladies man, sure, but he takes his job pretty seriously, viewing everything as a team effort. He reminds me of a cross between James Bond and Mal Reynolds, sort of. His quick rescue of Tia was awesome. Just like I'd picture him doing... of course the Jorgan teasing always helps too.

“Hey, Aric……one sec,” Val called out over blaster fire in the distance. She disappeared from view and they could hear louder blaster fire, then a shout from Corso and a minute later Val appeared again, “What’s up?”

What? No "Now you're dumb, ugly, AND dead!" or "I've got the tools AND the talent!"? I somehow feel like I've been robbed!

@Yoshi: Like you, I'm pretty excited to see the fighter expansion. I liked how you played the new companion, and loved this line in particular

"Quite a vocabulary, Miss Djannis. I hope there are no hard feelings."

lol, the look on Kaliyo's face must've been priceless.

I like how you used the Cartel shirts in Merok's story. It makes sense that an IA would have a solid outfit for infiltration.

@Striges: That was an awesome, internal, piece. I loved how you drew the comparisons between what the people of Taris must've been feeling, and the emotionss of the survivors of the Battle of Coruscant. Awesome.

@Kabeone: As always, the interplay between Remi and Scourge is fantastic. I loved Scourge trying to show his wife she has Sith qualities. The line about foreplay was killing me. But my favorite was this

"That, cheerfulness," he said sourly, "The medics are reporting dozens of men and women coming to them with signs of stress. You really must stop."

The idea that a happy Sith means someone's getting the whackins, and her not knowing and just being herself? Priceless.

The Quinn piece was awesome too. The jawagram slayed me.

Hehe, glad you liked the piece with Balkar......I always liked him, even more when Jorgan got jealous. It's too bad the fem trooper never gets to follow through with him.

Gen. Garza's Chambers, immediately following the destruction of the "Gauntlet" cannon.

"Captains, your leadership and skill in conducting this operation have been exemplary. Capt. Bro'Kian, I'm promoting you to the rank of Major, effective immediately. I've put in for promotions for your squad members as well. Also, I'm recommending you for the Silver Crescent, in honor of the extraordinary valor you demonstrated in the attack on the Gauntlet Superweapon."

Bro's smile was wide as he saluted, "Thank you, General. I was proud to be a part of the operation."

Elara said nothing, but beamed with pride at him. Yuun was also silent, merely bowing his head.

Vik came up and slapped him on the back, "Way to go, Boss!"

Kiera playfully hit him in the arm, "Oya! You deserve it though. Drinks are on me tonight!"

Bro heard Gen. Garza clear her throat, and looked at Vik, and his sister sternly. She was not one to have breaches of military discipline from her soldiers.

"Capt. Kiera'Kian, you, too, are promoted to the rank of Major..."

He looked at his sister, and saw her grinning. This was a big moment for both of them, but the way Garza announced it...

Something's not right. Something in Garza's tone...

"... however, for acts of insubordination, conduct unbecoming a Spec Ops Officer, desertion of your post during a critical operation, and disobeying a direct order..."

His heart dropped. Oh no. No no no no no...

"I am, regretfully, stripping that rank from you under Article 32, Sec. 16, Subsection D, paragraph 3 of the Republic Military Code of Conduct. You are, furthermore, placed on unpaid leave, until such time as you have been deemed fit to resume your command by a board review."

There was a stunned silence, during which, Garza lost none of her bearing. Then everyone spoke up at once.

"You... you're kidding, right?" Kiera blankly stared right through Garza.

Vik stepped forward quickly, and got a finger in the General's face, "Lady, you're outta line! Cap saved my bacon on that d*mn ship! Took on every squad she came up against, by herself, so I could set those charges! She even made it possible to save Lt. 'Prim and Proper' over there, and you're going to punish her for it?!"

Bro stepped in and slapped Vik's hand down, "That's enough, Specialist! You will STAND DOWN!"

The Weequay pushed the newly minted Major away from him, "Are you serious, Boss? You're going to stand there and let this happen? She's your BLOOD!"

"Vik, there are ways of dealing with this, just let me handle it, please!"

Elara came up and grabbed Tanno's arm, "Spec. Vik, listen to your superior officer!" Then in a softer tone, "You know Bro'Kian won't just stand by for this."

Yuun stood back, making no moves, saying nothing during this emotional altercation.

Bro looked at Gen. Garza, perplexed, "General, I don't understand, Ma'am? We all went and rescued Lt. Dorne. We all were pivotal in the destruction of the Gauntlet. Why are we being rewarded and Capt. Kiera'Kian is being punished?"

"Because, as I told you on your ship six days ago, the life of one soldier, even a member of HAVOC squad, is not worth the lives of thousands. Lt. Jorgan has been in a Bacta tank for 24 hours, recovering from near fatal wounds that might have been avoided had you spent the time drilling your assault. Instead, Capt. Kiera'Kian proceeded to 'quit her job' while making rude gestures at me, forcing you all to go after her."

"Yes, but..." Bro pleaded.

"There are no 'buts' in your line of work, Major! There are consequences! You follow orders, or people die! The concept is not hard to understand!" Her finger came up and pointed at him, then moved to his sister.

"She made a choice, and on any other day, in any other capacity, it would have been a noble choice. However, your Sister is the CO of HAVOC-VG! She does not HAVE the luxury of picking and choosing which orders to follow!"

Bro looked at his sister and could see her fuming. He felt so helpless. She had always been there for him, and he couldn't think of anything to hel...

She'd do it for you. You know she would.

He snapped to attention, facing Gen. Garza. "Ma'am, I understand what you are saying. As I was also to blame for this, I graciously refuse this promoti-*WHACK*-"

Out of nowhere, a fist to his jaw sent him flying.

"The karking HELL you do, OR'DINII!!" Kiera was bending over and grabbing his chest plate at the neck. "I will NOT be the reason you pass up a promotion, you hear me?! Right or wrong, you EARNED that, and if I have to beat you senseless, you're gonna take it!"

"But, Sis... I was only trying t--"

She pulled him up from the ground, and looked into his eyes, "Bro'Kian, this is bigger than me. Major is a huge step. You know when The General hears about it, he's gonna explode with pride in his boy. Hell, I was almost proud of you... until you tried to pull that ridiculous stunt!"

His frustrated stare bored into her eyes, "It's not right!", he said through clinched teeth and wet eyes, "This is the only thing I can do!"

Kiera smiled at him, "Yeah, and it's the wrong thing to do. Remember what Shira-Vod said? That one time, when we all got caught roasting those sweet potatoes we snatched from the farm down the road? You tried to take the blame to protect us, and she said--"

"-- every action has a cost. If you refuse to accept your part, someone else will suffer in your place, because the cost always has to be paid", he finished his sister's sentence.

"Exactly. Right or wrong, if I don't accept this, you'll suffer for it, because you're too d*amn stubborn to let it go." She turned to Garza, "That all you got for me? If so, I'd like to be dismissed. I have things to do that don't involve getting screwed by elderly women."

"It is precisely that attitude that put you in this position in the first place, Captain!" Garza's voice was as hard as her stare.

"And yet, I still somehow wound up in charge of HAVOC-VG. Amazing. You never answered my question. Am I dismissed?"

Through a tight lipped smile, the older general looked at her and said, "Yes, you're dismissed. As of this moment, you begin your unpaid leave. You will be notified when you're to report for your review."

"Yeah, can't wait. I'm going to check on Jorgy-boy. After that, if anybody needs me, I'll be on my ship... or around, somewhere."

He watched his sister walk out of the office, hands clinched. His thoughts were interrupted by Garza's commanding voice.

"Major, there are some other things I need to discuss with you. The rest of you are dismissed."

Vik, started to pop off, but was silenced by Bro'Kian's glare. They all saluted, about faced, and walked out.

"Now, I'm afraid not all the news is positive, we received this transmission...."

Bro was having problems focusing on the General's words. Even though it was against her wishes, he had always done his best to protect Kiera after Shira-Vod disappeared. This time, when it was really important... he had failed. He had to fix this, make it work.

... but I'll be d*mned if I know how...

Lixor growled deep in his throat. The Senate was talking about destroying his property and livelihood. They were destroying the Mogh fortune bit by bit. So what if they had funded the Mandalorians shortly before war had broken out? This could be said of nearly any aristocrat looking for bodyguards. They were great warriors, trustworthy allies, and always honored a contract, even at the odds of their government. Was it simply in reference to the large abundance of the mercenaries he had hired? Or was it a political machination by a rival shipping company? Or, possibly, was it the Jedi Order themselves?

He walked through the Senate tower, noticing all the holographic statues and the elaborate gold decoration on the pillars and walls, but at the same time thought of his beginning in this line of work. He thought of the Jedi Temple.

The other Jedi had strongly resented the idea of one of their order engaging in such affairs as trade and mining, but it had been necessary, as Taris and many of its independent shipping powers had just been cut off from trade for some reason. Lixor didn’t see how buying the services of Mandalore’s finest men to protect his holding was “supporting the activity of criminals.” Surely, the Mandalorians had their dregs just as much as any other culture, but the hundred-or-so men he had hired had been recommended by none other than Bastila Shan herself as men of good reputation and conduct. How did the Republic so easily betray one of its own? His holdings were many and varied, from diaper companies to stock within Czerka, but they could be taken away in the blink of an eye if it was what the Senate wished.

“Lixor Mogh,” the Chancellor called across the Senate chamber, “You have been called before the Senate on charges of aiding and abetting the Mandalorian war effort against the Republic. Do you have any evidence to the contrary?”

“Your Honor,” Lixor replied with a calmness that he did not feel, “The mercenaries I hired were recommended as honorable and good men by none other than Master Bastila Shan herself. Call her before the stand, and she will-“

“Master Shan has already been called to this court,” the Chancellor replied smoothly, “She is the one who has put you to this charge of treason.”

“Really?” Lixor inquired, “Well, then. I beseech those in front of me to read my financial records. I have not skimmed anything off the profits, I have donated great amounts of money to both the Jedi Order and the Republic as a whole, and the Mandalorians I hired were not actually combatants in the war. They were under my employment and protection throughout the whole conflict. Final-

“Enough!” one of the senators abruptly shouted, “You are clearly attempting to establish a monetary way out of this. I refuse to allow it. Your connections with my sector are officially broken, and your assets seized.”

“I will not stand for it. I have done far too much for the Republic to allow this to happen now.”

“You will go or be arrested.”

“No.”

“Guards! Take this man away!”

To be continued……

@alaurin, the bank scene is one of my favorites on Nar Shaddaa...and "dumb, ugly, and dead" is my favorite Corso line! Great work!

@DarthSillyMonkey: WOW, I loved that story.....I feel so bad for Bro and Kiera. I can understand why Garza did what she did, but it still stinks!! I liked Vik standing up for Kiera.....something I could definitely see him doing. Can't wait for the next part!!

Also, thank you for spotting a sorely missed opportunity with the Corso line!!!!

@Xakthul: I can't imagine being in the position Lixor was in......an interesting start for your legacy.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Val snapped, “I don’t karking believe this!”

“Calm down, Captain,” Corso softly pleaded, seeing the Ithorian anxiously eyeing Val’s blaster.

“Are you serious?!” Val seethed, “Not only did that blasted Hutt not answer his Holo, but apparently doesn’t feel the need to be where he said he’d be…….now we get to traipse through the Nikto sector and hope he’s still there!”

“I know, and believe me, I didn’t really want to take a tour of Nar Shaddaa this evening,” Corso agreed, “but it isn’t this guy’s fault…….don’t shoot the messenger.”

“I know it isn’t his fault.......thank you for letting me know what happened, Gozubb,” Val grumbled, “The Nikto Sector was a rough place when I lived on Nar Shaddaa and from what I understand, it’s gotten even worse over the past couple of years…….oh well, at least it’s not the Corellian Sector.”

Corso and Val hopped in a taxi and a little while later, they were entering the Nikto Sector and images of the past started fluttering across Val’s mind as they approached Kintan King turf.

“Being back on Nar Shaddaa certainly brings back the memories,” Val sighed, “and most of them aren’t good ones.”

Corso put a hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry, Val,” he told her, understanding what she was going through, “It can’t be easy coming back here after losing your parents the way you did. I was lucky……there were kindly neighbors that helped me get through my parents’ death. I still have a hard time seeing the old farm on Ord though……guess that’s why I went off into the Peace Brigade after it happened. Even after going back, I still avoided that area.”

“Yeah, seeing the Promenade earlier brought back memories of the day my parents were killed,” Val nodded, “I’m sorry you had to go through something like that, Corso.” They walked in silence for a moment, until Val stopped them.

“That’s where we lived for a few years,” Val pointed to an old, run down housing complex, “A few months after I hooked up with Kat and Tia, this elderly Human woman, Jessa, took us in. She was always doing that…….taking in kids off the streets. Most would stay a few nights, then go on their way, but Kat, Tia, and I stayed on. There was also a little rose colored Twi’lek girl, Zyr’anna. Zyra was two years older than me and the sweetest little girl.”

“Zyra’s the one who got kidnapped, right?”

“Yeah,” Val nodded, feeling the sting of tears, “Kat, Tia, and Zyra became like another family to me after losing my parents.”

“What happened to her exactly?”

“Well, all this area actually used to be part of the Corellian Sector,” Val explained as they ventured further into the Nikto Sector, “The Exchange was in control at the time and businesses had to pay ‘protection money.’ Jessa’s home was considered an orphanage and the exchange expected money in return for leaving the kids in her safe care. That’s one of the reasons Tia, Kat, and I stayed on…….Jessa was getting too old for the manual labor that the poor usually had to do to earn credits. Zyra was too little to work, so she helped Jessa around the house. Kat and I used to run cons and steal on the Promenade. I was really good at slicing and pickpocketing, especially after acquiring a stealth generator, and Kat was great at distracting people. At thirteen, she was very cute…..cream colored fur, big amber eyes. As she got older and her body started to develop, she went from cute girl to a seductive young woman and got very good at gaining and keeping a men’s attention while I cleaned them out……..she never prostituted herself or anything like that.....just flirted and teased.”

Val paused as a group of Kintan Kings spotted them and approached with the intent to attack. Val and Corso made quick work of them and Val went on, “Anyways, as Kat and I brought in money through less than legal means, Tia did the honest work. She didn’t really approve of stealing so she got jobs working stock rooms, loading docks, being strong despite her smaller size, and later when she started developing like Kat, she started working as a serving girl in one of the cantinas. They asked her to dance, but after one shift, she refused to do that again even though she made a pile of credits.”

“Did Zyra ever work with any of you?”

“Zyra was always tiny like me, so the manual labor like Tia was doing was out of the question. When she was twelve, shortly before she was taken, Tia got her a job at the cantina washing dishes. The owner wanted to use her as a serving girl, but Tia wouldn’t have it. Zyra was starting to develop at age twelve and she was breathtakingly beautiful,” Val shook her head, “Tia was afraid if she worked in a visible position in the cantina, she’d draw unwanted attention……after all, this is Nar Shaddaa, young girls are taken all the time.”

“Is that what happened?”

“No……she was taken at our home,” Val answered, her voice growing cold, “Jessa died a few weeks after Zyra started working……she wasn’t killed, just old age and these aren’t exactly the best conditions to live in. The Kintan Kings were starting to form around that time and it wasn’t a safe area. The Exchange started using their thugs to collect their ‘protection money’ because some people were starting to oppose them. Since we still had kids coming to us for shelter, we were expected to pay. Tia and Zyra started working night shifts so someone was always at the house…..thefts were common and someone needed to be there with the children.”

Val paused again, this time to check the coordinates for the docking area, “A few days after Jessa died, Kat and I came home to find Zyra gone and Tia lying unconscious in a pool of blood. The Exchange had come around for their money,” Val stiffened at the memory, her voice icy, “Tia and Zyra were alone at the house……one of those rare times the shelter was empty. Tia was sixteen at the time…..only a little smaller than she is now and two Exchange thugs had shown up to collect their money. I think they knew we didn’t have enough money after seeing Jessa’s remains taken care of and planned to take other payment. When Tia wasn’t able to pay them their credits, they tried to take Zyra as their payment. Tia fought them off as best as she could, but she only had an old blaster and her claws. Tia was no match for two grown men and after they cut her face, causing blood to blind her in one eye, they were able to subdue her…….she still has a scar, but luckily they didn’t damage her eye. She still blames herself for letting them take Zyra.”

“There’s no way she could have stopped them.......she's not much bigger than you are and those men were probably seasoned fighters,” Corso shook his head sadly as they approached the docks, “She’s lucky they didn’t kill her.”

“Kat and I tried to tell her that many times,” Val sighed, “but Tia refused to accept it and started studying and practicing melee combat. She got really good at it, too. Her size was still a disadvantage, but Tia wasn't afraid to fight dirty and used that curvy little body of hers to an advantage. You and Aric thought I was mean for kicking a man in his sensitive spot.......Tia would taunt and tease a man until he was practically panting then go in for the kill.”

"I get the feeling Aric's been on the receiving end of that," Corso muttered, then pointed at a large barge, judging from the noise, a party was in full force, “Hey, I think we’re in luck……that has to be Drooga’s.”

Val confirmed it with one of the dock staff and they boarded Drooga’s Pleasure Barge. They halted at the entrance though, seeing a large crowd forming around several Kaleesh fighters and a Wookiee.

“I think they’re about to start some sort of show,” Val whispered as one of the Kaleesh warriors stepped up and started speaking.

“……you Hutt slaying scum, the Cartel demands that you pay for your crimes!” the warrior shouted.

“No words, boneface, just fight!” the Wookiee roared.

“Listen to the Wookiee boast of his murders,” the Kaleesh sneered, “This monster has slaughtered entire Hutt clans but his reign of terror ends here! Before he dies, he will know true fear! We Kaleesh warriors swear it by our blood!”

“Oh, that guy’s a terrible actor……” Val snorted, shaking her head.

“Are you sure it’s an act?” Corso whispered, pointed at the group of warriors, “Those weapons look pretty real to me…..”

“Hey, sorry to interrupt your fine performance, but can you tell me where to find Drooga?” Val called out.

“Stay back you idiot!” the warrior snapped, “That beast will tear your head off just like he did to Nor’dro the Fearless! His claws are stained with the entrails of many…..his bloodlust can’t be sated!”

“Don’t fear, you’re not my enemy,” the Wookiee softly barked his assurance.

Val looked at the large Wookiee with his kind blue eyes and smirked at the Kaleesh, “Uh, yeah…..whatever you say, boneface. Maybe just point to where Drooga is and I’ll let you get back to your….uh…stellar performance.”

“Warriors, kill these scum!” the Kaleesh shouted and the fight was on as his fellows began firing.

“Captain,” Corso shouted as a rifle bolt tore across his arm, “This isn’t an act……its real and I’m hit!”

“Kark!” Val swore as the Wookiee charged into the throng of Kaleesh. She charged up her shotgun and began picking off the warriors that were focused on the Wookiee. Corso charged up his rifle and charged in as well, ignoring the pain from his bleeding arm. Luckily, the Kaleesh weren’t much better at fighting than acting and within a few minutes, Val, Corso, and the Wookiee were the only ones still standing.

“Woah, Captain,” Corso warned as Val approached the Wookiee, “Don’t get too close…..thing’s liable to tear your arms off and beat you to death with them.”

“That’s nonsense,” Val insisted, “I sense no malice from him…..towards us anyways.”

Corso gazed at the carnage on the floor that used to be a group of Kaleesh warriors, “I hope you’re right, Captain.”

“That was a good fight,” the Wookie barked his approval, “Bowdaar honors you.”

“Thanks,” Val smiled as Corso stepped over to her, his rifle still charged, “So, what’s your story, Bowdaar?”

“I fight to pay debts,” Bowdaar answered, “The Hutt chooses my enemies until the debt is paid.”

Val had heard of this sort of slavery before……Bowdaar was a gladiator for Drooga, “I’m sorry to hear that, Bowdaar……”

“Wookiee! Get back to your cage!” Drooga ordered from the back of the barge, “I’ll call you again when I want you.”

“Goodbye friend,” Bowdaar bowed to Val, “I must go now.”

“Stay safe, Bowdaar,” Val called to him as he went into the holding area.

“What have you done, foolish spacer?!” Drooga accused, “You ruined the show…..the Wookiee fights alone or there’s no drama!”

“Your idea of drama is a little sick, Hutt!” Val spat, “So I could care less if I spoiled the show!”

“Your opinion is of little interest to me, Captain,” Drooga waved her off, “My concern is that I hired the best Kaleesh warriors to fight my pet Wookiee and you butted in. That fight was supposed to drag out…..be dramatic, edgy, violent! Instead it was over in minutes with very little excitement. At least you saved me having to pay them!”

“A silver lining at least,” Val retorted wryly, “However, involving myself in your little show wasn’t the reason I fought my way through the Nikto Sector to get here…..”

“Save your breath, little one,” Drooga stopped her, “I know why you’re here and you’ve wasted your time. The deal’s off.”

“What?!!” Val snapped, “You can’t do that!!! We had an agreement and I want that engine!”

“I don’t intend to pay for something I don’t want,” Drooga shot back, “The only reason I wanted your male Shanjaru was to complete a set, but thieves stole my female. If I can’t complete the set, I don’t want that male of yours……now go away.”

“I don’t think so, Drooga,” Val glared at him, “I’m not leaving without…..”

“If you feel the need to complain,” Drooga waved her off again, “feel free to bother my assistant, Ga’ram with it.”

Val glanced at the dark blue Twi’lek gesturing for her to approach and decided she had nothing to lose. She was still fuming at the Hutt when she walked over to Ga’ram.”

“I overheard your conversation with the mighty Drooga,” Ga’ram told her, a nasal tone to his voice, “and I may be able to help you.”

“Let’s hear it,” Val nodded, trying to calm her temper.

“The Hutt can be very fickle, you have my sympathies, but we may be able to use that fickle nature to our advantage,” Ga’ram suggested, “Now, I can’t guarantee anything, but if you were able to locate and return Drooga’s female Shanjaru, he would most likely renew his interest in your male.”

“I’m hoping you have some clue as to what happened to the female,” Val prodded.

“This recording was left behind when the female was taken,” Ga’ram told her as he brought up an image of a young woman on his Holo and played it.

The young woman, Momi Andrell, was obviously some sort of animal rights activist and ranted for several minutes about cruelty to nature’s glorious creatures and how we must all save them from those horrible beings that would destroy them all.

“She goes on for another hour at least……it’s tiresome to listen to really,” Ga’ram sighed, “She’s a wealthy Senator’s daughter and relentlessly opposes all who ‘abuse’ nature’s wildlife. She spends her father’s wealth hiring mercenaries to fight her war and the Eco-terrorists maintain a base of operations in the Red Light Sector….not too far from here.”

“Seriously?!” Val snapped bitterly, “I have nothing against wildlife, but it really irks me when wealthy people think more of animals than people. There are orphaned children living in horrible conditions here on Nar Shaddaa, barely able to survive, that would benefit from a wealthy patron far more than that animal of Drooga’s.”

“I can’t argue with you on that,” Ga’ram agreed, “but there’s not much we can do other than shut down that operation and hope she makes better choices in the future……if she has one.”

“I guess I’m going to pay this base a little visit,” Val sighed, not happy that this simple delivery has turned out to be anything but.

“Should you discover any useful leads, bring them to us,” Ga’ram insisted, “We would happily assist your search.”

“Ga’ram,” Drooga bellowed, “I’m bored of this place……get this barge moving!”

“Right away, Great Feastmaster,” Ga’ram drawled, “We’ll be docking at these coordinates next, find us after you leave that base…..good hunting.”

Corso and Val hurried off the barge before it left the docks and Val sat Corso on a bench so she could take a look at his injured arm. It would need stitches, but she wasn’t able to take care of that there so she applied Kolto to the wound and dressed it quickly. They decided to head back to the ship so she could properly patch him up and get some rest before heading to the Eco-terrorists base in the Red Light Sector.

“So what did you, Tia, and Kat do after Zyra was taken?” Corso asked when they left the dock area.

“Our main focus was finding her. Tia managed to pick one of the men’s pockets before they knocked her out and that was our only lead, an Exchange smuggler by the name of Tegan Foster.” Val picked up where she’d left off as they made their way back through the Nikto Sector, “However, we needed money to live off of and pay off the right people to help in our search. I hooked up with some Red Light Lancers……they’re a gang of slicers. I never officially joined, but I picked up a lot of skills there. Kat and I both started practicing with our blasters, both of us becoming quite proficient with them. Kat even took on a few easy bounties to bring in extra money. One of us made sure to be at the house at all times to keep what little we had safe. We all had some valuable keepsakes from our parents, plus our credits, weapons, and Kat’s armor. Tia kept working the night shift at the cantina and agreed to start dancing to bring in more credits. After a few months, I finally got us a good lead.”

“Is that when you and Kat were injured?”

“Yup,” Val nodded, “While working with the Lancers, I found out there was an Exchange database deep in their territory in the Corellian Sector. It was going to be dangerous, but I knew I could slice it and we’d be able to track Foster. We decided to go during the day, when they were more likely to be out taking care of their various ‘businesses’. Tia stayed at the house with our stuff while Kat and I snuck through under my stealth generator. We made it inside, I got into the database and had just finished downloading Foster’s delivery schedule when we got caught. We were able to fight our way out and get away before too many alarms were raised, but both of us were injured. It took us a while, but we made it back to the house undetected. Kat was practically dragging me along and she wasn’t much better off.”

“That’s when Tia went to steal the medical supplies and got caught,” Corso spoke up.

A tear rolled down Val’s cheek, “I lost consciousness shortly after she left and when I woke the next morning, Kat explained what happened while she patched me up. Stars, Corso, I felt so guilty…….so did Kat. She tried to visit Tia in custody the next day, but they’d already shipped her off to the military. That’s when we began making our plans. Foster was scheduled for a large delivery on Nar Shaddaa in six months. We packed up our belongings and pooled together our credits. We had enough to rent a small apartment in a safer area for a few months and got jobs working on the Exchange docks. Six months later, Foster’s ship was being loaded and Kat and I snuck on board. We waited under my stealth generator and as soon as he put the ship in hyperspace, we ambushed him.”

Val stopped for a moment, looking troubled, “He wasn’t talking…..he figured we were two kids who didn’t know how to handle ourselves. He was so very wrong……at fifteen and seventeen, we were still young, but Nar Shaddaa has a way of aging you and a few hours later he’d realized how very wrong he was. We tortured that man, Corso, we tortured him until he talked.”

“You did what you had to do, Val” Corso assured her, feeling awful what she had to go through, knowing the guilt she carried that day on Taris, “It’s no different from what you did to that scavenger on Taris. He could have just told you what you wanted to know, but he refused and I’m sure this Foster guy wasn’t a good man.”

“You can say that,” Val snorted, “Hell, his own droid watched as we tortured him and cheered us on when we finally killed him and spaced the body. Anyways, Foster admitted that he never even knew her name, but he recognized Zyra’s description and remembered taking her from a Cathar girl who strongly resembled Kat. She’d been sold to an Imperial slaver on Dromund Kaas.”

Val’s Holo went off then, drawing some attention from a nearby group of Kintan Kings and she answered it as Corso charged into the group before they could fire. Aric’s image immediately appeared, “Hey, Aric…one sec,” Val grabbed her blaster and started picking off the gang members now firing on Corso. A minute later, they were dead and Val had to giggle when Corso shouted ‘now you’re dumb, ugly, and dead!’ Then she held up her Holo again, “Sorry about that….what’s up?”

“A lot,” he replied, “It’s a long story but there’s trouble. Tia was drugged……she’s alright and I’ll fill you in later. Elara and I are on our way to the spaceport, can we meet somewhere?”

“Yeah,” Val nodded, exchanging a worried look with Corso, “We can meet on my ship. Corso and I are making our way back there now. I’ll give Kat a call and let her know.”

“Thanks, Val,” Aric replied, “See you in a bit, then.”

As soon as Aric signed off, Val called Kat, who immediately answered sounding out of breath, “Hey Val….sorry, we had to run fast to beat the blast…….those fast acting devices can get tricky. I’ll explain that later, what’s up?”

“We need to talk,” Val told her friend, “can you head over to my ship when you’re done playing with explosives?”

“Sure thing, smarta**,” Kat retorted, “why…..did something happen?”

“I don’t have the details, but Aric just called, apparently Tia was drugged somehow.”

“What?!” Kat blanched.

“She’s fine, but that’s all I know, Kat,” Val insisted, “Aric didn’t want to get into it over the Holo and asked to meet. I volunteered my ship and Corso and I are headed there now.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Kat promised, “Mako and I are finished for the night, but we still have to make our way out of the Corellian Sector.”

“I guess I wasn’t the only one walking down memory lane,” Val sighed, “I’m in the Nikto Sector…..got to see the old house.”

“Is it still there?”

“Yeah, looks abandoned though,” Val answered, “Anyways, stay safe and I’ll see you in a bit.”

After signing off, Val and Corso decided to use her stealth generator to make their way through Kintan King turf without drawing any more attention. They had to move slower and silently, but as on Coruscant, they made better time not having to stop and fight every so often. Half an hour later, they were at the taxi pad and Val turned her generator off.

“So what did you do with Foster’s ship?” Corso asked as they climbed into a taxi.

“I kept it,” Val told him, “It’s the very same freighter I’m using now. We delivered the cargo to Hutta and while we were on the orbital station, I sliced into the computer systems and changed the ship’s registry to reflect me as the owner. We flew back to Nar Shaddaa, gathered our things from the apartment, and left. We made supply runs for the next two years, saving up money and worked on locating Tia and Zyra. Kat took occasional bounties and after two years, we split up. Kat returned to Nar Shaddaa, taking on more difficult, higher profile bounties until a few weeks ago when she agreed to enter The Great Hunt. I kept making deliveries, focusing more on Republic space. I wanted to establish ties so I could locate Tia and hopefully find out what really happened to my parents and Kat and Tia’s. I finally found Tia and was going to visit her after making a weapons delivery to Ord Mantell…..and you know what happened after that.”

“At least you got to spend time with Tia and now Kat,” Corso smiled as they got out of the taxi and entered the spaceport, “I hope it hasn’t all been bad since Ord.”

“Yeah, I was happy to see Tia on Ord and there’s been a few other good things,” Val returned his smile, looking at him shyly as they walked hand in hand to her ship.

Miriah was aware she was sleeping on a gear bag but since her ship had been stolen, it was the best sleep she’d had. She was also aware that she was being watched, guarded, and she didn’t have to open her eyes to know by whom. She stopped the sigh she’d almost let escape and blinked in the bright lights of the spaceport. Corso saw her move out of the corner of his eye and stretched to hand her a cup of hot caf. She grunted her thanks and closed her eyes again as she took a sip, letting the heat of the liquid warm her from the inside. Two days she’d spent in her current wardrobe, she thought as she pulled the jacket around her. “Hey, Riggs,” she said, her voice still hoarse both from sleep and from the yelling she’d done at the sky as her ship took off without her. “I’m going to go buy some clothes. Holo me if anything changes in the flight schedule and I’ll be back in time to board.” She saw him nod and pushed herself to her feet. New boots, maybe, she thought.

“Thank the stars my bank accounts are untouched,” she muttered, checking the balance there again with her datapad. She strolled along, visiting vendors in their stalls and accumulating several bags. She felt his stare even a few yards away, but knew he was only preserving his one means to get his precious blaster back. She continued to shop, looking at the wares that were displayed but also looking at the items that were further back, the more expensive items she knew she wouldn’t indulge in. She was turning to head back to the shuttle boarding area when the flash of silver caught her eye. A pair of boots hung in the back of the vendor’s stall, and she stopped in her tracks. He won’t have my size, she told herself, they never did. She debated with herself for a few minutes, then slowly walked over to the merchant.

“Hey, those boots in the back, can I see them please?” she said, seeing the tall Zabrack’s eyes light up with the prospect of a sale. He handed over the boots, keeping one hand on the security chain he’d fastened to the wall behind him.

“What size do you need, Captain? “ he asked, looking at her feet. She blushed a bit when she told him, and immediately grinned when he said he had made a pair already that were small enough to fit her. She watched with anticipation as he brought them out. “They’re not exactly the same color as these, but I think they’re actually prettier. I used softer leather, too. “ He watched as she ran her fingers over the toe of the boot and then back up the length of the leg. “Try them on, feel how they mold to your feet,” he encouraged her. She bit her bottom lip but sat, taking off her old, worn pair. They were indeed well made, she thought, as she slipped them on.

“They’re nice, “ she finally said, and flipped the tag on them over to see the price. “But surely you’re joking with this price.” She looked up at the merchant from her sitting position, putting on her best “you’re killing me here” face. “You know there aren’t many around who could wear this size. I’d bet I’m probably the only person who’s even tried these on.” She turned on her biggest smile. “I can pay you half that,” she told him.

“Half! No, no, no, “ he said, holding out his hand for the prized boots. “I can’t even cover my costs with half!”

“Well, surely there’s a better price than this,” she told him, flipping the tag over with her fingers.

“Nope, I won’t take a credit less,” he insisted, and Miriah slowly pulled the boots off her feet. She put her old ones back on with a sigh. She needed new ones, but she just couldn’t spend what he was asking for them.

Reluctantly, she picked up her other bags and made her way to the shuttles, her mood darkening when she saw the other passengers lined up. I’ll never get a decent cabin now, she fumed, looking around for her traveling companion. He was jogging up to the entrance when she spotted him. “Damn it, Riggs, I thought you were going to get us on first, so we had the pick of cabins! Now we’ll have to take something close to the engines. I’ll never sleep!” she grumbled, shuffling along behind the last person, her back turned to the Mantellian. He joined her, and they boarded the shuttle.

They walked down the halls looking for available cabins, and finally found one that had two bedrooms divided by a small refresher. “Here,“ he said. “I’ll take the one on this side and you can have this one on the end. It should be quieter.” She shot him a sour look and put her bags on the bed. “You can even have the ‘fresher first, a shower should help you feel better.” He turned and went to the smaller room, whistling as he stowed his gear. She pulled fresh clothes out of her bags and after takeoff, made her way into the small area.

He was right, she thought. I do feel better. She quickly dressed and made her way into her room, setting her clothes out for the service droid to pick up. She turned to put the rest of the things she’d bought into a duffle and stopped. There, on the bed where she was sure to see them, were the boots she’d wanted. She immediately felt terrible for being so irate, and walked over to pick up the prize. Beside it lay a note. “Thanks for letting me tag along, Captain. Gotta keep you light on your feet. You need these.” She sat to put the boots on and couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

Dha stalked through the cave, his boots crunching in the show. He winced and froze for a second, making sure no one noted his presence. Then, with a gesture to Torian, he continued down the craggy path. Clad in white-and-gray Mandalorian armor, he hoped that he was more or less invisible in the cave's dim light, but that invisibility wouldn't help if he was heard.

Gradak Ungan, an ugly Advozse in what appeared to be stolen Republic trooper armor, stood at the far end of the cavern, on a metal platform suspended above one of Hoth's only hot spots–a large sub-mountainous volcanic pit. The lava bubbled, casting Ungan's brown skin in an ugly orange glow. Dha took a step forward, grabbed one of Ungan's guards, and snapped his neck silently. At the same time, Torian drove a shiv into the second guard's spinal cord, dropping him.

Dha crept up the ramp, pulling his pistol slowly from its holster. When he was just behind Ungan, the Advozse turned, and his two remaining bodyguards moved from their hiding spots. Dha had known they were there, of course, but there was no way for him to reach them silently.

"That's quite a kit you're sporting, bounty hunter," noted Ungan. "Bet you spilled a lot of blood to get it."

Dha didn't lower his barrel a micrometer.

"Now, whose pride did I wound so badly that they resorted to a hired gun? The Republic? The Empire? Both?"

"Hate to burst your bubble," Dha replied, "but you're just means to an end."

"You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Gradak Ungan," Dha supplied. "Deserter. Pirate. Dead man walking."

"Is that right? I'm not some hack who couldn't cut it at boot camp, scumbag. I was one of the Republic's finest, merc. Best training, best equipment, best assignments. If they'd offered the best pension, I'd probably still be there." Ungan fingered his blaster. "If you came here for an easy kill, you made a grave mistake."

Before Dha could respond, Ungan had both blasters out of their holsters. His two bodyguards moved in, their weapons raised. Dha hissed under his helmet and prepared for combat.

* * *

Dankin was shivering, and regretting ever coming to Hoth. Blast Dodonna, blast Darmas, blast them all! Pulling his hood tighter around his head, he continued forward. It had been almost two hours since he'd departed for the starship graveyard, and halfway there he'd been ambushed by White Maw pirates and been split up from Akaavi. Now, cold and alone, he was afraid that death was near.

Pull it together, blast you! he thought. I ain't dying here!

Suddenly, through the blowing snow, he caught sight of a cave. Loosening the strap on his holster in case there was a wampa inside, Dankin staggered to the entrance. Inside, he made it perhaps a hundred meters before he collapsed against the wall.

"At least..." he said to himself, "I'm out...of the wind..."

He frowned. Was that warmth he felt under his boots...?

* * *

Ungan dropped to his knees, defeated. Dha moved forward to finish him off, but suddenly Ungan snapped off a shot that blew away a computer terminal behind Dha.

"Hope you like it hot, jactna. I'm not dying alone!"

"Tell me what that console was controlling," Dha replied coldly.

"You'll feel it soon enough," Ungan replied. "Every thermal shield in the network's about to fall!"

"The prisoners'll die," Torian noted. "What do we do, boss?"

"If we hurry, we can get them out of here," Dha replied. "Let's go."

"Haha! Good luck..." Ungan hissed. "I wish I could live long enough to see you crawl."

* * *

Dankin staggered into the cavern and gaped at the sight before him. It was a huge heat sink! Lava everywhere...and it was getting hotter. Some of the prisoners were passed out, already. Even as Dankin watched, a pair of Mandalorians sprinted up from the lava. Dankin waved them over.

"What's happening?" he demanded.

"This whole place is about to go up," the lead Mando replied. "We have to get these prisoners out, now."

Dankin nodded and jerked a thumb back over his shoulder. "I don't know how you came in, but there's a short passage back outside this way."

The second Mando nodded to the first. "That'll work, boss. I'll get the prisoners. Let's go."

* * *

Dha got outside with the rest of the prisoners just before the place finally reached critical temperature. For the first time since he'd been on Hoth, Dha was profoundly thankful for the cold. He sat with his back to a large ice pillar and looked up at the Mirialan man that had come in.

"I don't know who you are," Dha said, "but vor entye–thank you."

Dankin nodded. "No problem. You want to make it up to me, give me a ride to the starship graveyard?"

"Tell you what. Help me bring these prisoners we rescued within half a kilometer of the nearest Imperial outpost, and once they're safe I'll give you that ride."

"Now it's me who owes you thanks," Dankin replied. "Now I don't have to walk all that way!"

Hope I'm not stretching things too much here, but I like connectivity between class stories.

@Frauzet - Ciner sounds really interesting, I always enjoy seeing everyone's characters at the start...it makes seeing their journeys and destinations that much more interesting. Then there's the Zal/Nik story - the last two sentences/lines are perfect, summing up everything you need to know about what happened.

To my father I was less than nothing. Until I was old enough to be married to a Moff four times my age.

@Bright - I really really love Hazard and Wynston (and that you're collecting all your Wynston stuff for latecomers to this forum like me!)

@Alaurin - even in this universe, F!Trooper and Jonas can't catch a break. I guess it's good it isn't his fault this time? As for

***Edited to appease DSM so he no longer feels robbed!!!

You should have stuck to your guns! I even had Aric steal Corso's line while talking to Corso in my Ayrs topic

Val paused as a group of Kintan Kings spotted them and approached with the intent to attack. Val and Corso made quick work of them

RIP faceless mooks (Although at least they're very accurate to their in-game existence). Also, Bowdaar

@Yoshi - My Agent's getting a Chiss friend too! And I think I'm putting Ashy on my trooper's crew to hang out with Ayrs and Elara since

Also - "Dankin replied. "Now I don't have to walk all that way!"" - everyone wins with inter-factional cooperation!

Striges - I've been beaten to it since I don't post here often enough, but I really love your Jurial posts. There isn't that much/enough consular material here, but there's a lot of stuff you can dig through based on what the class is all about. I wish I could have used "Precedent informs a decision, but cannot make it" against one of my law school professors, too

@Kabe - Remi's confession is both really sweet and hilarious. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, of course. I think I like Scourge's better though, just by a bit. As for Quinn.. " Then he could finally mope in peace." NOPE

@DSM: Aw, Tanno standing up for his squadmates! Also, 'Jorgy-boy'...an intriguing idea I might need to steal.

@Xakthul:

Writer's block is a b*tch.

@Magdalane; I've always loved your Corso. I think the more romantic of my smugglers will live vicariously through Miriah.

Kaliyo and I returned to the ship bruised and with our clothes dirtied, but very much alive. Navigating the politics of dealing with the Cabal, the Republic and the Empire was slowly driving me mad. I hoped to find at least some resolution soon, but I had found the issiues inherent with life in the Empire - to say nothing of life with Kaliyo - to be anything but easily resolved.

I entered the meeting room to find a display board with two numbers side by side attached to the wall. Lokin and Raina were hunched over the table against the far wall, so I turned to Vector, puzzled.

"Vector, what are those numbers for?" I paused, considering my question more carefully. "Do I want to know what those numbers are for?"

He smiled, which put me at ease. Perhaps it was the fact that we were both outsiders that allowed him to do so easily, perhaps it was because we both enjoyed tormenting other Imperials with our eyes. "Ensign Temple felt a celebration was in order, and thought you would find a reason to smile. We would all like to see you happy."

I felt a slight flush across my cheeks as I snuck a glance at Raina. She remained fixed to her spot across the room, doing whatever it was that she and Lokin needed to do.

"That's quite considerate of you all. But, what are we celebrating?"

Vector moved smoothly across to the board, pointing to the number on the left first, then its partner. "This is how long it has been since our enemies have sent someone to kill Kaliyo. This is how long it has been since our enemies have tried to kill any another of our crew. We are pleased."

I glanced at the numbers. The first was a three and the second an eleven. "Days?"

"Hours." He frowned slightly.

I clapped my hands and smiled at him. "Hours are better than minutes. And minutes are better than seconds." I slipped my elbow in his and directed him toward Raina. "I think it's the perfect time for a celebration"

They had the full honor guard routine going when we landed on the Spirit of Vengeance. Made me laugh, all of the puppets dressed up in their armor, pretending any of it meant a damn thing. Of course, ‘Mandalore’ had them convinced that this was the kind of ceremony that the honorable warriors of Mandalorian past would have taken part in. Never mind that no honorable warrior would have been sent to do the things I had.

I left Gault on the ship no one needed to know why a previous target suddenly had a flesh and blood twin roaming around the galaxy. Just needed Mako, anyway, since we were just putting in an appearance to keep these di’kuts happy and clueless. Mako didn’t know much more than them, but it was better that way . Safer.

We followed the primary honor guard toward Mandalore’s office. I knew the way well enough, but he’d apparently decided that the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt needed special treatment. Probably just wanted to parade me around, give his minions something to cheer about. Politics. It took all of my self-control not to spit on the bulkheads as we passed them.

The scum that passed for the leader of the Mandalorians stood helmetless behind his desk. Behind him were three other hunters. I recognized them from Mako’s dossiers. Jewl’a Nightbringer – cold, ruthless…a potential ally given her attitude toward Mandalore. Mako hadn’t been able to dig much on Bloodworthy or the droid, but I knew that neither was particularly attached to the Mandalorians. Food for thought, as they say.

“Champion!” I grimaced as the grating tone of Mandalore’s voice echoed in my ears. “It is good that you are here. I have brought the other living Grand Champions here to present a proposal to you, one that will recognize your achievements and ensure you future as a hunter…and a Mandalorian.” I had to resist the urge to slap him. “Due to my obligations as Mandalore, I no longer have time to focus the amount of time and energy on this as I should. Therefore, I want you to take my place.”

“With you taking a share of my contracts?” I arched an eyebrow, trying to hide my genuine contempt for the man behind professional disdain.

“No, nothing like that. There has always been a Mandalorian in the group and I need one to replace me if I leave. I want you to be that Mandalorian. Do me and my people a great honor and join my clan. Become one of us, serve as an example for Mandalorians across the galaxy.”

I chewed on my lip for a moment. I had clan once, and this…man…had stolen it from me. Stolen everything. Now this shabuir wanted me to follow him? I would have liked to have been able to speak to Uncle Jicoln, to know if I would be bringing dishonor on myself or Clan Ordo, but the opportunity was as tantalizing as it was treacherous.

“I’ll join your clan, just as long as I operate on m terms, not yours.”

He studied my face. For a moment, I thought I had given myself away. The moment passed. “Excellent! You are now Amurri of Clan Lok, and you have my blessing.”

I smiled at him, but through teeth that I’d rather have been grinding. I am, and always will be, Amurri of Clan Ordo. And I will have your head.

I’ve found the trick to not panicking about how late you are getting somewhere is to simply stop looking at your chronometer. Sure, you might not actually get there any faster, but at least you wouldn’t feel quite as bad about it.

That trick wasn’t really working this time.

I did a nifty spin move to dodge a doctor coming the other way with a full head of steam, but my desperate dash to the end of the hallway simply ran me face-first into the elevator doors as they slid shut on me. I gave the visitors that hadn’t held the door open a visual demonstration of my feelings toward them, then dashed toward the nearest flight of stairs.

“Move! Move out of the damn way!” My yelling at the orderlies and other people making their way up and down bounced off the walls and echoed up and down the entire stairwell. Move. Move. Move. Pump those legs, faster. Faster. Faster.

A blinking sign alerted me to the fact that I’d reached the fourth floor. I slammed against the door with everything I had, sending it flying open and nearly hitting a member of the janitorial staff. I mumbled an apology and kept running, realizing only after a minute or two that I had gone the wrong way thanks to the bizarre system for numbering the rooms. I backtracked as best I could, slipping in and out of the flows of pedestrian traffic, passing the ICU and ignoring the unpleasant sounds emanating from it.

When I finally reached my destination, I was forced to pull up quickly when a Devaronian in a doctor’s coat stepped in front of me and put out a hand. “I’m sorry…Major, but we only allow family members and approved guests into the room.”

“I am family. It’s Colonel, Colonel Martell.” I was gifted with the sight of him turning a faint shade of green. “Now get the hell out of my way.”

He did.

Elara was in control of things, like she always was, walking the doctor through the final steps while a team of nurses hovered around, buzzing like a swam of insects. I couldn’t tell if the doctor’s expression was one of mild amusement or mild annoyance, but my experience with Jorgan had taught me that it could be problematic to be around someone who could do your job better than you. Or, in Jorgan’s case, thought they could.

I slipped into one of the gowns and put on one of the funny looking hats, then snuck over next to Elara, gently sandwiching her right hand between both of mine. She reacted sharply to the sudden pressure, but smiled and relaxed when she saw me.

“Sorry I’m late, sweetheart, you know how Garza is. I had to break all sorts of regulations to get here when I did. You’re going to be mad at me forever.” I smirked slightly as she squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back to reassure her.

“Sir-Ayrs…you have no idea. Fortunately, you’re here now.” She grimaced as she finished speaking. A contraction. It bothered me to see her hurting, but the medical report I’d received on the way over had said everything was going according to plan, and now I was here. As long as we were there together, we could handle anything. I sat down on a chair one of the nurses had helpfully brought over, and slid along the floor until I was right next to Elara. I could feel her warmth; it was a good feeling. The best feeling, really.

“Colonel, if you’d like to assist with the delivery?” I glanced over at the doctor and nodded. “Good, if you’ll come with me and get sanitized, I believe we’re ready to go.”

I was feeling a bit dizzy, but I went with the guy and scrubbed my hands furiously. Thankfully, I wasn’t sweating like I thought I’d have been – I actually felt calmer and more in control than I had in a while. I wondered if maybe Elara had had Garza dose me with something.

Things had obviously progressed substantially by the time we got back – they had Elara lying back with her legs open spread-eagled. One of the nurses was talking her through the breathing classes we’d practiced already, but it didn’t seem like Elara needed them. Not surprising, she was always ready for everything. Except you, you sly dog. I grinned evilly.

“Is everything okay, Colonel?”

“Huh?”

“Is everything okay? You had a funny look on your face, I just wanted to be sure there was nothing wrong.”

The doctor sounded confused, and Elara was looking at me with narrowed eyes; it was time for a tactical retreat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit nervous. Giddy even. In a good way.”

The doctor smirked, but nodded and motioned me toward the bed. “The baby will be coming any moment, you’ll want to be in position. Be gentle, as gentle as you’ve ever been with anything. We’ll need to borrow him for some tests just to be safe afterward, but your wife and he will be able to rest here.”

I nodded and tried to focus. Things looked a lot different from this vantage point. A lot different. Oh boy. The room was spinning.

“Ayrs, darling?” Elara’s voice helped center me. “Just breathe. Take a deep breath.”

“Contractions coming even faster!” Someone shouted in the background.

“That’s it, Ayrs. Breathe in, then breathe out. Nice, big, breaths.”

“The baby’s coming!”

“Focus on my voice, Ayrs. Relax. Breathe.” I relaxed. I breathed.

“It’s almost here, doctor!”

“Just stay calm, Ayrs. Just stay relaxed. We’re all here for you, darling. Breathe in…..breathe out.” Elara was really good at this. “Now get ready, Ayrs. Are you ready?”

“I’m ready, sweetheart.” Everything seemed so much more pleasant now. It took a few moments to realize I had something in my hands. Someone.

“Congratulations, Colonel and Doctor Martell. You have yourselves a very healthy boy.” The doctor was eyeing me strangely, but I guessed he was just making sure I was holding the baby right. He squirmed in my hands and nuzzled against me as I brought him over to see his mother. I found myself making cooing noises as his little hand tried and failed to get a hold of my finger.

After I'd come back from the stratosphere, I sat back on the chair and carefully handed our little ball of terror over to Elara. Her eyes lit up like stars going supernova, though I couldn’t help but notice her clinical gaze as she mentally checked off medical things to review. I gently caressed her face with my hand as she caressed his with hers.

“Artann,” she said, breathlessly through her smile.

“Tanno,” I echoed, feeling so lightheaded I almost expected to find myself floating off the ground. “Hopefully he takes after me, with the rugged good looks and natural charm.”

Elara snickered slightly, restraining herself to avoid troubling the baby. “If that is what you call it.”

The doctor interjected himself into the conversation. “If I may, we do have the precautionary tests to run.”

Elara nodded and carefully deposited Artann in the doctor’s arms. “Do not forget that the EPLR results may be skewed by the colonel’s obsession with nerf burgers.” Everyone in the room laughed, so I chuckled nervously along with them, despite having no idea what that meant.

When Elara and I were alone again, I leaned back in and kissed her, first on one cheek, then the other, and then on the lips. “We did it.” With the euphoria dying down slightly, my voice was weak, almost a whisper. “I’ve never been so happy.”

“Neither have I.” She was practically glowing, as if she needed anything else to remind me that she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. “And, if we are fortunate with how events unfold, we’ll not have to spend much time apart anymore.”

I smiled broadly at her, before I took another deep breath. There was something else I needed to talk about before my chest exploded.

“You know what I realized, Elara?” She shook her head. “All this time I’ve been thanking the Maker that I found you….that you saw past the bad jokes and the occasional lapses in my diet. I’d thank the Force, my lucky stars, everything except the person I should have been thanking. You.”

Her hand gently cupped my cheek. “We have both played our part. You have been wonderful in so many ways, ever since that first day on Taris.”

I flushed slightly. “What I mean is…before I met you, I was a soldier because I was fighting to keep what happened on Ithaca from happening to other people. I wanted to live only to keep something bad from happening, not because I had anything to look forward to. Then, I met you. And I got to know you. And I got to understanding that there’s more to life than trudging through it. I have someone who loves me, and that I love. I have a son…I have a family. I’ve got something more than ‘not dying’ to live for.”

She didn’t say anything, just smiled.

I glanced away quickly to wipe my eye, since something had gotten into it. “I ain’t got words for explaining what that means to me. And you ought to know that, and that I ought to thank you every day for that feeling. ”

Whe was better than I was at not ruining the moment, because she simply kissed me. “Does that mean you will take care of Artann’s diapers?”

Damn. Hook, line and sinker.

The hell with worrying about dirty diapers, though. I had too much else to live for.

@Xakthul: I like the set up. A Jedi businessman, being railroaded by the senate, more than likely for personal profits of their "constituents". Sounds like a great way for someone to start thinking the Republic needs order... maybe through force. Look forward to see if he turns or if he's just an angry Jedi.

@Alaurin: Brought to mind the Robert Frost line "You can never go home again". As bad as things were, it just seems magnified by what's happening now. And yay! Bowdaar! We could always use more Bowdaar in our lives. Nice ending there, having Val find a bright spot after all the bad memories.

@Magdalane: I think you, more than anyone else, managed to soften my Anti-Corso stance through your stories. He really is a good kid, and I could really see him doing something like that, risking the Captain's wrath just to make sure she was happy. Really liked what you did with him in this story too, where he was hardly seen, but was a major part of it.

@Yoshi: I liked how Dha and the Smuggler didn't butt heads, but worked for the common good. When a BH shows that honorable side of themselves, it's always a good thing in my book. Being stuck on Hoth like that though, it'll make working with a Dread Master seem palatable, if it gets you out of the cold!

@Lesaberisa:

I glanced at the numbers. The first was a three and the second an eleven. "Days?"

 

"Hours." He frowned slightly.

HAHAH! Nice! Celebrations required indeed! love that Kaliyo's got a smaller number than the agent.

I really like the direction you're taking Amurri. Everyone's opinion of honor isn't the same, and the Mandos should be no different. Just because the winners get to write history, it doesn't mean the loser changes their philosophy. I really want to see more of Amurri!

Ayrs, as always, was great. I like how this piece really shows his growth from the time Dorne enters the picture, and in doing so, it also shows how that growth is a direct result of her presence. NICELY done!

"Don't look like I could afford to put out a bounty, is that it? Well, truth be told, I can't. Not on a custodian's pay, anyway. Name's Tam Daral. A bunch of folk -- people like myself -- we lost loved ones to those no good Black Sun thugs. My daughter... Sam... Samanth...", he choked up while trying to say the name.

Kiera'Kian put a hand on his shoulder, "Mr. Daral, I'll make sure these lowlifes are brought to justice", she said softly.

Tam's face hardened into a scowl, tears escaping his eyes, "Justice... gods, a little justice would mean the world to me right now. I just wish... I just wish I could...", his fingers dug into the palms of his hands and they shook with frustration.

"I know, Mr. Daral. I know. Meet me back here tomorrow. I'll take care of this for you." She removed her hand and turned to Jorgen, who stood behind her. "Let's do this."

"Hey!", Tam called out as they walked away, "Be careful! Samovan Bann, some Czerka exec... he wants to revamp Black sun into a galactic franchise. The people working for him they're... well, they're pretty brutal."

Kiera turned back to him, a sadistic grin on her face, "I really hope so, Mr. Daral. It's been a bad couple of days, and I could use the release."

She and Aric walked towards the shuttle port. He had been released yesterday, and had been hanging out with the Captain after he found out what had happened. He wasn't really sure he liked that gleam in her eye right now.

"Captain, you sure you should be doing this? Senate passed some stupid bill making Bounty Hunting legal, but it flies in the face of what the Republic Military stands for. The Brass doesn't take too kindly to the idea."

"Jorgan, you don't have to come. I told you that, while I was acquiring this contract and you were b*itching about it then. I'm on forced leave after getting screwed by that exact same Brass, so I give a womprat's a*s what they think about it. If I have to sit around waiting for my review one more day, it's going to get ugly."

He thought about leaving right then. He wasn't on board with any of this. However, he'd been through a lot with Kiera'Kian, and he knew what was going on in her head. That feeling of getting hung out to dry by the same people you got your orders from... as a soldier, it could shatter your sense of purpose. She needed a friend right now, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"No, I told you already, Captain. If you're in, then I'm in. Not like the galaxy couldn't do with a few less Black Sun anyway."

They made their way to the part of Coruscant known as the "Black Sun" district. They fought their way through the landing pads, where the hoodlums had started a small war with the Republic Security Forces (RSF), and into the residential area. Dirty looks were being handed out like religious flyers, as they made their way to the Silent Sun Cantina -- a run down dive, full of the wrong types of people.

He knew what to look for, as well as Kiera did. They pegged a few people standing in the corners who looked more than a little nervous when they saw the HAVOC insignia. She had insisted on wearing her HAVOC-VG armor, even though it was in direct violation of her probation. Aric had tried talking her into wearing her old standard issue set, but she was adamant.

"HAVOC's known. It'll flush better game", she had said to him.

After questioning the people who wore guilty looks -- and he used the word questioning loosely, as it involved in at least three physical beat downs -- they found who they were looking for. Sitting at a table nursing a drink was a woman who was the Captain's size, wearing patchwork heavy armor and a look that would scare a charging Reek.

"You Domi Omus?" Kiera walked up to the table and tapped her fingers on it.

The woman looked at both of them, her expression unaltered, "Let me make something clear. I don't know you, and I don't talk to anyone I don't know. Get lost", her voice was gruff and menacing.

Kiera smiled at her, "I'm staying right here, until you tell me what I want to know. Believe me when I tell you, you really don't want that."

Domi stood up from the table, "Am I hearing you right? You gonna do something? You think you can take m-- *WHAM*", Kiera's hand shot out and grabbed her by the back of the head, slamming her face first into the table. It was so quick and unexpected, no one had time to react. Then she pulled her up by the hair, until they were face to face.

"The answer to the first question is 'Yes, I am going to do something', and to the second, 'Yes, I know I can take you'. Now, I have questions..."

Aric turned around, his cannon at the ready, watching the assembled onlookers in case they grew bold. Military or not, they were way out of their element here.

He wasn't happy with the way Kiera'Kian was handling this. She was usually more about implied intimidation. Slamming a person's face into a table without flinging a bunch of bravado first... it wasn't really her style. Plus, in a place like the Silent Sun, things like that could get you killed, HAVOC or no HAVOC.

Domi's nose was visibly swelling as blood ran out like a leaky faucet, but she smiled at the HAVOC Captain who held her by her ponytail. "Heh. I may not know you, but I gotta respect your powers of persuasion, that's for sure. I'll give you what you want."

"I'm waiting." Kiera twisted Domi's hair, cranking her neck.

"Guy you want is Kar'waAHHH! He set up shop deep in Black Sun territory, where the gang leaders hang out. That's all I knOWW!"

She let go of Domi's hair, pushing her back into the seat. Then she threw a few creds on the table.

"Stay here. Buy another round. If I have to come back, I don't want to have to hunt you down. Believe me when I tell you, you really don't want that."

Domi had put the ice from her glass into a napkin and held it to her face, "Trust me, you've made me a believer."

As they walked out of the cantina, Aric looked over at the Captain, "You all right? That was a little excessive, wasn't it?"

"Jorgan, I know what I'm doing. If you're going to help, then help. If you're going to gripe, then just back off."

"I'm griping because I'm worried about you, SIR! You don't even see how angry you are and what it's doing to you! I've been there before, remember? I know what goes through your head! I think you took this Bounty to give you an excuse to beat the kark out of someone, not out of a need to do something constructive with your time!"

She whirled on him, getting right in his face, "So what if I did? Huh? So WHAT? It's not like these are upstanding citizens, fine contributors to the Galactic Republic! This guy is scum! This GANG is scum! If they lose a few teeth -- or arms -- who cares?!" she snapped.

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Aric stepped back. "So the ideals of a fair trial only apply to the people YOU deem acceptable? What are you, a Justicar now? Due process is under your jurisdiction? If this was vengeance, I'd get that, but it's not. It's you, looking to take your anger out on someone, and that's no better than most the Imperials we've dealt with!"

"Jorgan," Kiera'Kian said with fire in her eyes, "walk away. NOW!"

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Company's gone bad around here anyways." He turned and stalked off, going back the way they came.

The Major's sister was nothing short of aggravating. If anything, she was more like Vik than like her brother, and he disliked the Weequay's attitude immensely.

Rushing in head first, out of control, no respect for authority... how'd she ever make it through basic?! I'm surprised she even made HAVOC! How can those two even be related?!

After he got to the first ramp, Aric had fumed his way back down to rationality. He was acting like he did when he got shafted by the Brass, and Maj. Bro'Kian had gotten promoted. Aric had rode his a*s for weeks.

Then he came to realize that the Major had a wealth of good qualities. Sure, sometimes he was stubborn; relied on his instincts more than actual tactics; cracked jokes at all the wrong times... but he always put his crew's needs before his own; trusted their judgment; had their backs anytime, anywhere.

Kiera had some of those same qualities, she just expressed them differently. She had pulled Aric's fur out of the fryer more than once, taking hits meant for him in combat; covered for him during the whole Deadeye fiasco; made him feel more like family than crew.

... and he had just left her back there. Alone. In hostile territory.

Aric Jorgan, you are a piss poor squad mate, and an even worse excuse for a Cathar. Better go back and get her.

He turned around and double timed it to the location they had pried out of Domi, and just in the nick of time it looked like; Kar'wa hadn't come alone. The Captain was holding her own, but she wasn't going to last. He leveled his cannon and began laying down mortar fire. He floored the two extra thugs, but they weren't out.

Leaving Kiera to deal with Kar'wa, he focused his fire on one of the thugs as the other scrambled to stand. Using his thumb, he flipped the switch to auto fire, and unloaded on the Duros thug. That kept him on the ground while Aric watched the Gran thug move towards him.

Quickly he pressed a button next to the trigger and launched explosive rounds at the Gran that took him off his feet. Then he fired multiple volleys into his body, until the Gran just lay there twitching.

The Duros had gotten up, but was looking wobbly. A single volley of bolts finished him. Aric turned to see Kiera take down Kar'wa to one knee. Then she leveled her blaster rifle at his head and slowly started to pull the trigger.

"NO! Captain, don't do it!" Aric raced over and stopped about five feet away. "Cap-- Kiera, listen to me. He's no innocent, but the people he's wronged, they deserve to see him stand trial. He's weaponless and he's on his last leg. This isn't justice. It's a summary execution. That's not who you are."

"He deserves to die, Jorgan. The people he's wronged? So many who couldn't fight back! So much taken from them! I'm actually saving the taxpayer's money and time here." She was breathing heavy, her hands shaking ever so slightly.

Aric shouldered his cannon and began to slowly move towards her, "Maybe. But it's not us who get to make that call, Kiera", he said softly. "We're not judge and jury here. You're projecting. You were wronged, and couldn't fight back. You had so much taken from you. You felt betrayed by the Brass, so they deserved to be removed."

He had made it over to her and gently laid his hand on the rifle, pushing it down. "You don't want to kill this jerk, Kiera. It's just murder, plain and simple. That'll stick with you, haunt you and he isn't worth it. Look, you kept me from making a huge mistake on Hoth that would've followed me forever. Let me keep you from doing the same. Here. Now."

She held the rifle on Kar'wa a few moments longer, her finger tense against the trigger. Then she relented with a deep breath, and pulled it up. "You're right, Tam Daral and those people deserve to look him in the face when he gets sentenced. Hope this piece of osiik get the death penalty."

She brought out the carbon freeze device, and soon, Kar'wa was a frozen mass. Aric watched her call it in to RSF headquarters, and then they sat and waited as a team was dispatched to pick up the oddly positioned carbonite statue.

After a few minutes, the Captain broke the silence. "Jorgan, look... I... you... Thanks. You were right, I got screwed and I wanted payback. It hurt that Garza threw me under the shuttle, so she wouldn't have to admit she manipulated the whole thing so we could rescue Dorne. I wanted to break her nose so bad when she dangled that prize and then pulled it away like that. I have worked so d*mn hard..."

He smiled slightly, his memories painfully nostalgic. "Yeah, trust me. I know the feeling."

"Bro said it took you a long time to get to a point where you accepted your demotion. How'd you get through it?"

Aric looked up at the metal ceiling that covered the district, "A lot of complaining and bitterness, but mostly your brother. He showed me that it's not what happens to you, but what you do about it, that matters."

He looked over at her and saw the mist in her eyes, heard her voice get husky. "Yeah, Bro'Kian has that effect on people. Hell, he doesn't even realize it. He's a good leader. Even better Vod'ika."

"You're not that bad yourself," Aric suddenly straightened up and coughed, "I mean, you're rough around the edges, and you should respect authority more, but you're a good CO."

She looked over at him in surprise, "Lt. Aric Jorgan, was that a compliment I just heard come out of your fanged little mouth?"

"Don't make such a big deal out of it! You act like all I ever do is ride your a*s!"

They laughed, as the RSF squad arrived to take custody of Kar'wa. There were questions and a few forms to fill out before they could leave.

When they had finished, they walked towards the exit, "C'mon Jorgan. I'll buy you a round at the Silent Sun. The liquor's probably watered down, but I'm pretty sure it'll be one hell of a fun night! After all, us demotees have to stick together, am I right?"

Aric snorted. By night's end, he'd probably be back in the same bacta tank he'd just left a day earlier. The irony wasn't lost on him.

"Yeah Captain, I got your back... I always do."