Knowing the Hornett was now safely protected within the throes of hyperspace, Commander Taylor Garrison turned to an officer on deck.

"See to it that the person within the recovered escape pod is cared for...

...and analyzed not only physically but mentally. I have my concerns as to his mental stability, if the traveller in the pod is the person we have come to believe.

Jedi Petrolu?"

Shawn stepped forward, hands folded within the sleeves of his blue robes.

"Would you oversee the opening of the Pod, and the evaluation of Kenobi if it is him within the Pod? After all, my workers said they believed he may have used Force powers against them...

...your expertise will be greatly needed."

The Jedi nodded once, and without a word departed, no doubt knowing precisely where to head. Taylor pursed his lips, gazing into the starlines of hyperspace...

...and wondered just how much more of this maddness the workers on the Hornett and of Eagle Enterprises could take...

...and just how much longer it would be until Minna Manth reported. Time was, after all, still slowly ticking even with Shawn's ministrations to the infected Captain...

"Kenobi has, unfortunately, suffered tramatic physical and mental injuries. I am concerned for the safety of your crew while he remains on board...

...as well as for his own safety. My reccomendation is for him to be taken to an institution where he can receive the proper help, and be in a safer environment."

Garrison nodded, but said nothing, as if sensing there was perhaps more Shawn wanted to say.

Good observer, Shawn couldn't help but think to himself.

"There is something else I'd like to address, now that some of our concerns have momentarily died down. I had, after all, some concerns of my own when I chose to come to the Hornett. You may not be able to answer all of my questions...

...but any help you can offer til Captain Barnes is healthy would be greatly appreciated. You see, I have only recently discovered that my sister, Shayla Stargazer Petrolu, and her husband Erik Kartan sold Stargazer Corporation to your boss. This move troubles me...

...it is highly unlike my sister, and her husband. They have since fallen out of the known world, and I have no leads as to their current whereabouts other than this. Barnes was going to speak with me further once I arrived here, but at the moment this is obviously impossible. Perhaps you know something of this exchange between Barnes, my sister, and her husband...

...or you could lead me to the whereabouts of someone who does."

"Have you not heard?" Taylor finally managed, his voice quiet and filled with obvious surprise. "Captain Danner was killed over a year ago--

--by some strange Sith beast, as I understand it. Eagle Enterprises hasn't been the same since his death, and never will be. After all, even though he had become highly involved with matters concerning his wife, the Captain still managed to hold this company together merely by his name. There was just more respect then..."

Taylor trailed, giving the Jedi a moment to take the news in. The look in his greeny-blue eyes was clearly shocked and troubled. "Galen and the others?" the Jedi finally queried, his eyes then redirected to Taylor, the look in them clearly reading that he expected much the same news about the people he was now asking about.

"They are alive," Taylor answered immediately, "Or at least they were the last we were all aware," he then clarified. "As I understand it she had gone off from here on her own. Everyone believed this was to perhaps retrieve some sort of Sith ship so that she could go after her daughter, who she thought was on Coruscant at the time, I believe. Lancaster and Stanza..."

He paused even as the Jedi sat forward, something unreadable flashing in his eyes, "...went after her," Taylor finished.

Taylor nodded. "Or at least, they were the last we knew," Taylor reiterated.

Shawn sat back then, nodding as his eyes turned vague, and something akin to sorrow flitted across his features. "I had no idea that Terrin..."

He paused, his look darkening further. "...that he had been killed," he then finished, his eyes remaining distant. For a moment then, Shawn said not a word...

...then his eyes snapped suddenly alert. "If JhinDarra--Galen's little girl--is alive, then she is out there somewhere, possibly unprotected. If Galen went to the Sith worlds for a ship, and neither she nor Terrin's two friends have returned...

...something just isn't right. I have a bad feeling about all this..."

...and if the Captain--that is, Captain Danner --were alive and knew about this something would have already been done about it. Hell--he probably would have been with them to begin with. As it is, I'm fairly certain Captain Barnes was hoping to speak with you and take some action regarding Galen, Jasyn, and Matt's disappearances."

However, since his first day as an employeer he seemed very different than the other janitors. They seemed rural, uncaring and more focused on getting off work than actually getting the work done. That mentality would've never been accepted in the day and age of Dashawn's existence, or atleast not in the fields that he was employeed.

The acts of a stormtrooper were clearly different than that of a janitor. However, they didn't seem as distant away from each other when one was levitating a lightsaber, or maybe it was just the levitation that was phasing his comparsion.

It was something, something was wrong. Even though he had in the sudden arrival to the present time mastered many arts of the Force user, he could barley focus like a Jedi would. The usuage of his mind numerously went out of wack when trying to be precise about focusing.

...but I don't want to simply jump into this."

Pausing then, he merely let his greeny-blue eyes rest on Taylor, who was truthfully looking somewhat uneasy. "I came here to speak with Captain Barnes, and I feel it would be unwise to leave here without doing just that. If something is going on in connection with all of these disappearances, I'm going to need his help as well as the help of perhaps both Eagle Enterprises and Stargazer Coorporation."

Pausing once more, Shawn pursed his lips, his look turning momentarily vague and thoughtful. Then he redirected his gaze to the Commander. "I may even need the help of others whom I may not be aware of just yet."

At this, Taylor merely crooked a puzzled brow as if to say What do you mean by that?

Shawn answered the unvoiced question. "The Force is giving me a premonition that there may be someone...or even more than just one...who may help us yet. I don't know who that may be, or if they are on this ship now...

...but I do know of at least one entity on this ship who appears to have Force abilities. I must now follow up on at least that."

Even as he said this the Jedi stood, his hands folded in the sleeves of his robes, and his look utterly serene. "I will be back in touch with you shortly, Commander. But I need to check out that employee of yours...the one who appears to have some Force abilities."

Taylor nodded at this. "Very well," he then said, "I will be waiting for your reports on that."

Shawn gave Taylor a respectful nod, then turning and departing the Commander's office altogether and heading for the dining hall where he had told the Force-using employee to meet him. And even as he did so, Shawn had to acknowledge the Force's continual prompting that he should yet be waiting...

...and knowing this, he had to wonder if there might yet be more allies he could call upon to aid him in his newly-developing quest...

So, he stood in the dining hall, slashing about his lightsaber gracefully at the air, hearing the sparking sound of the antique lightsaber. The fact of the matter was that he would also need to learn how to make the mystical sticks of glow. He had managed to haggle the item back in his merceneary days from a fallen warrior, who had given up on his violent way. Now it was become all the more comfortable to use and useless.

Taylor sat back in his chair at this, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Interesting. I wonder just what prompted this rather generous offer. There's obviously more to this...I wonder what this guy really wants.

"Send a message from me to this Rathal," Taylor then said, looking to his assitant. "I want him to report to my office... immediately. Any delay may result in termination...

...I don't care for those who pry in the personal matters of EE's administration...it makes them look entirely suspicious...

...but strike these final comments from my message. I just want him in my office, and now. You are otherwise dismissed."

Quieting at this, Taylor watched as his assitant then nodded and departed his office to perform the duty of sending the Commander's message. Returning to his work then, Taylor awaited Rathal's arrival at his office...

A moment passed in silence, then, "So tell me, my new friend...what brings one such as yourself to the Hornett?"

"The offer you sent me was most generous," he opened up with. "But I wonder...

In the end, as his eyes finally stopped in a dull stare ahead at Shawn, he knew there was only one way around it. Giving a half-way truth...

The little light assault cruiser popped out of hyperspace like a seed spit out from its pod.

"Hornett, this is Heaven's Forbiddance," Minna Manth called out even as the hulking bulk of that mighty super star destroyer burst into view above her ship.

"Requesting permission to dock, and docking coordinates. I'd appreciate if if you'd tell Mr. Garrison I've arrived...

"With my companion."

He searched about the closet, and came up with nothing he could use to minimize the effect of his presence. Finding none, he focused upon his cape, and smiled as it began to change slightly, lengthening to come up over his head and shadow himself and his face.

What's with that? she wondered to herself with a scowl of annoyance.

It's not like I'm trying to sneak anyone aboard; isn't the fact that I did state I had another one with me enough? I mean, I trust him, don't I?

Hearing a slight noise behind her, she pulled away from the comm altogether and turned around. Nefrai Kesh stood in the hatchway leading into the cockpit.

"I have a feeling they don't trust too many people, do they," she commented softly.

Yet they trusted me enough to go find their antidote....

Nefrai seemed to nod; she turned back to the comm and leaned into it.

"My companion is Nefrai Kesh, and he was... very much instrumental in my procuring the- the antidote you charged me to find."

She shot a look of the "what the hey" variety Nefrai's way, shrugged her shoulders, and waited outside the huge star destroyer for a reply.

Those days had seemed like yesterday, but in real time they were beyond centuries. Even he hadn't manage to exactly grasp how long it had been, even though there was a clear understanding from the whole galaxy that it wasn't something anyone wanted to feel again.

That was something that he couldn't understand.
How could the Empire do wrong?

"Its a long story," he finally said, looking into the eyes of Shawn with a smile on his face. "I'll have to talk to you about it later, eh?"

Commander Garrison, Minna Manth has returned stating that she has found the antidote, but has also announced that she now has a travelling companion by the name of Nefrai Kesh. I am clearing his boarding the Hornett with you first, sir. Manth is awaiting my reply.

**********

Across the lines of communication, Taylor Garrison almost immediately recieved the a blink on his communit indicating the deck officer's urgent communication.

"One moment," he then said to Rathal, who was waiting anxiously for his reply. Then he turned to the comm unit, choosing to replay the deck officer's communication in written format. When Kesh's name was mentioned as Manth's travelling companion, however, Taylor's jaw nearly fell to the floor. He immediately switched to an open comm channel and dialed in Shawn Petrolu's frequency, then sending a written message of his own.

Jedi Petrolu, I need you. Kesh is back, and has appearently somehow "joined" with the hunter who has been looking for Aaron's antidote. I can't have him onboard this ship wrecking havoc and murdering once more, but I find it strange he would allow Manth to give his name to us. What do you make of all this?

Finishing up this message and then sending it, Taylor returned his gaze to Rathal, who was still waiting. "Allright, you've proven yourself useful in the past, or so you say. But how am I to believe a word of this, since Captain Barnes is currently unavailable to confirm your claims?"

...that is, if you wish to continue working on the Hornett. I have a feeling Commander Garrison will not be comfortable with you trying to stay 'out of trouble' on this ship."

As these final words passed between the two men, a button on Shawn's wristcomm began to blink urgently, indicating a text message.

"I must attend to this," he then stated to Deshawn, knowing that few had his frequency, and likewise aware that this could be something important. He punched the receive button, and Taylor's message scrolled across the commlink's little screen. Shawn pursed his lips thoughtfully as he finished reading the message, and instinctively stretched out with the Force as his mind considered the things which had just been revealed to him.

So Kesh was back, and with the one who had been looking for Aaron's antidote? Had he been correct in his first evaluation of Kesh...that there was more to him than outerward appearances portrayed?

Remaining in quiet thought for a few moments then, Shawn let the Force guide his thoughts. They were taken a place he hadn't quite expected...

...but Shawn got the message nonetheless. Quickly, he typed a reply to Taylor's message.

You must trust me on what I am about to suggest, for the Force is leading me a direction I had not totally forseen until now. You must allow Kesh to return to the Hornett. He has been marked an evil and vile creature...but I believe there is more to him, and I also believe he may be of assistance to us, and perhaps in more than one way. The Force has brought him back here for a reason, and I feel we need to explore it. Again, please trust me on this. I will go to the main docking bay where the ship is landing, and see that his arrival proceeds smoothly...

...that is, if you are taking my suggestion.

Sending the message, Shawn looked to Deshawn. "You have been saved by the bell...at least, for the moment. We will speak further, but for now I must make my way to the main docking bay."

Saying nothing further than this, Shawn turned smoothly, his jedi robes flowing behind him, and departed the dining hall, a small portion of his senses still trained on the young man he left behind, seeing how he would respond now.

...and suddenly feeling very edgy. But he was keenly aware of how trusted Shawn had been in times past, both by Captain Barnes and Captain Danner. And Taylor knew that to earn the latter's trust was a major accomplishment...

...and it spoke volumes. He certainly hoped those volumes would continue to speak with the decision he was going to make now.

"Well, there you go," she said offhandedly to Kesh, waving to the communication panel in the wake of her clearance to dock.

Saying no more, she busied herself with the minutia of coming to safe dock in the hanger bay to which she had been assigned. The velvet touch of space was soon replaced by the rough thunk of her ship settling to rest, which was followed with the usual creaks and hisses and pings as metal warmed and expanded, and gases vented themselves into the great chamber without.

She leaned back in her seat for a moment, smiling.

That forty thou was as good as in her hands.

Well... at least she hoped so.

"Shall we go, my friend?" she then said, rising even as one hand slapped down upon the control which opened the main hatch. Turning from the navigation center, she went to where Nefrai was still standing, swathed in cloth, his face dark and hooded.

She peered up into it.

"I know your facial covering is pretty hideous, but I really don't think you need to go to this extreme," she said, cocking her head trying to see his eyes.

They remained beyond her scope; shrugging a bit, she merely waved a hand.

"Let's go see if what we brought is what they need."

He shifted his cloak, but kept it folded around his body. Many of the galaxy's paranoid, would say it was to hide weaponry or some other secret device.

His true intent was merely to disarm himself in immediate appearence as the monster he physically was.

...and he was rewarded with something that was very noteworthy.

Former Occupation: Bounty Hunter.

Oh, now that was very interesting.

Taylor looked up at Rathal as he finished his rather indignant remarks, and merely arched an eyebrow. The other man looked as though he was either waiting to be fired...

...or waiting for an opportune moment to punch the lights out of him. Possibly both.

You know, Taylor suddenly thought, How would this Rathal have known about the bounty hunter Tarnus and the kidnapping of Captain Danner's wife? You don't even know that much about it, the info on it was kept rather quiet, for only a priveleged few to be aware of...

...this guy has to be telling the truth.

"Allright," Taylor said at last, standing up, "I believe you."

Pausing at that, he pursed his lips, a thought coming to his mind as he recalled the former profession listed on Rathal's file. "And perhaps there is something you can do for EE...

...but it will be risky. I have something I must currently attend to," he continued then, raising a hand to stop any protests Rathal may have, "But I would like for you to accompany me to meet some people."

As he said this, Taylor reached for his communit, and dialed in a frequency. "Jedi Petrolu," he then said into the unit, "I am on my way to the main docking bay."

After saying this, he closed the comm frequency then reached for a switch on his desk, one which caused the metallic doors of his office to whoosh open. He took a few steps forward then paused a moment, turning to make certain Rathal was at least following behind. As they exited the office and proceeded into the corridors of the Hornett, Taylor was utterly silent. But once they entered a turbolift which would bring them to the level of the main docking bay, Taylor sprung a seemingly random question on Rathal.

"Tell me," he started, "What do you know of the Sith?"

...for easily could he sense Nefrai Kesh's presence, Shawn froze, his hands folded in front of him, hidden once more in the sleeves of his blue robes. The only others who joined him at the bottom of the ship were a few EE gaurds, some maintenance men, and a few docking bay staff. The Forbiddance's hatch popped smoothly open, and Kesh, wearing a shadowy cloak exited along with a Bothan.

Shawn didn't say a word to Nefrai but merely nodded towards him, then giving him an unreadable and steady look. A moment passed in silence...

...and then Shawn turned to the Bothan. "Commander Garrison will be arriving in a few moments," he started, pausing a moment as something familiar about the Bothan registered. He furrowed his brow, trying to place that familiarity. Then it dawned on him: Tatooine.

Though he had promised himself to make his best attempt at restraining his almost constant seeking of revenge, however, now as he watched this man, he could feel the urge to rend him swiftly and quickly.

His claws began to grow in the folds of his cloak, and he could almost feel the movements of his legs as his mentality began to leap forwards into the time he would do so. Hold.

A small voice came from the back of his mind. Hold, you know what you have thought about this entire time. You will not attack him, you are not a monster, you will never be one again.

That Minna's memory was sharply honed was to put it mildly. That her ability to pick up on the slightest of body nuances was even more so had proven her well in more than one incident. Thus it was that now she could feel the slightest bit of puzzlement emanating from the jedi, who she remembered very well, thank you; far overshadowing that was her companion's inner struggle.

If she wasn't a spy she would have smiled in approval. But being a spy, she kept her expression carefully bland.

"Yes," she said quietly, reverting back to the more usual throaty whisper she used when speaking to clients or anyone else to whom she wanted to appear as merely a spy. There weren't many she had allowed past that soft facade; a particular bounty hunter-turned-Imperial bore the inenviable title of Numero Uno in that regard, a certain leonine and apparent Sith came in a close second.

The third and only other individual to whom she had ever come close to behaving naturally toward was the tall and shadowy figure standing next to her, who was growing more and more still by the minute.

Why such an extreme reaction? she couldn't help wonder, but kept her expression neutral and continued with a small offering of her own.

"The Blue Asteroid, was it not?"

With that she simply fell silent, offering nothing in return, taking in all she could see.

She was, after all, a spy first and foremost, and acting in such a manner was more than second nature to her.

Falling silent a few moments at that, Shawn looked once more to Nefrai, his eyes quite nearly reading that he felt much the same way regarding Kesh's return to the Hornett. After all, what were the odds? His next words were directed towards Kesh as well.

"You have returned with she who bears an antidote for one aboard this ship, and have even assisted her in finding it. Yet you once told me you had no purpose other than to kill and destroy despite my own beliefs. Now I am certain there is more to you than that."

Pausing once more, Shawn's greeny-blue eyes meet Nefrai Kesh's skull unflinchingly. He felt the conflict within Nefrai without having to intrude upon his thoughts whatsoever, and it was that conflict which further verified Shawn's earlier estimations of him.

If one could have observed his eyes with scientific expertise, they would have noted that his pupils had shrunk, his expression full of utter hate.

Aside from his eyes, his hands, his fingers, had grown longer then previously observed by any of those still alive that had encountered him, the once semi-normal fingers extending to a near .5 meters, barely hidden by his cloak.

Though to those around him, nothing seemed to have changed physically from what any could see, he had just reached the brink of his temptation to return to the monster.

He lunged forwards, and wrapped one of his now extended hands around this seemingly calm and riteous man that stood before him, and raised him to his eyes level.

"You dare to asume, you would cast your beliefs that you were right and I was wrong. I will always be that creature, I may have my differences now, but what I am will never change. The sands of time will pass, you will pass, this ship will pass, but I never will. Once all of you are gone, who is there, who will be there to keep me in check, keep me from reverting to what I was?!"

He held him, quivering in the utmost fury, then released him, dropping him to the ground a near two feet, as he quickly withdrew his arms into the shadowy cloak he possessed.

Minna's first and wholly instinctive reaction to Nefrai's sudden attack upon the jedi had been to make herself invisible and vacate the premises while his attention was busy elsewhere. Stubborn beastie that it was, logic tsked and reared it's head, telling her of the obvious futility in that maneuver. Instead, once more, it was her wits she relied upon to break the iron-bound tension now filling the air.

Strangely enough, as the words to distract and calm raced through her brain, offering themselves to this end or that, words she scrutinized in less time than it took to tell them; as the words raced through her an odd little feeling came rag-tag upon their heels.

And this was the simple realization that she was not now speaking to merely save her neck or that of the jedi's.

For a reason as yet unfathomable to her, it was to save his.

"You have changed," she repeated softly as she took a quiet step closer to him. Her movement was at first quick and just as quickly truncated; at length it found fruition as she reached up and laid a gentle hand upon the shadowy thing that was his arm. It took all the self-control she possessed to not jerk away in distaste when she felt it move about in a manner which was far too weird, with joints placed far too strangely, for a "normal" arm.

Fighting the instinct to back off, she instead squeezed his arm delicately.

"No one can make you who or what you are but you, Nefrai," she whispered, calling him by name for the first time.

"Your body and your power are nothing against that. You are who you choose to be, just as I choose you to be my--

"My friend."

"A friend? But such...." He found he was having difficulty speaking, and took a pause.

"Yes," Shawn stated simply. "It is possible. I mean not to preach," he then continued with, "Only to bring you to the realization that the conflict within you now shows how capable of overcoming the past you indeed are. Those who would look upon your appearance to define who you are would be nothing but foolish...

...the friend you have gained here is very wise."

He turned, and quickly strode up the ramp into the ship, out of sight and went to the closet he had preoccupied earlier.

She blinked, let her arm drop to her side.

"Oh," she said, at first taken a little aback. Concern for her friend blanketed that; she took two steps forward toward her ship before logic hit home and she stopped in her tracks.

He will be all right... I think. He won't hurt the ship... I think.

Well, he knows she's all I've got, and so far he hasn't hurt me, so....

So I guess I'll give him what he needs. There is more at stake here anyway.

Smoothly she turned back to the jedi, acting as if this sort of thing happened every day. She reached into the pouch on her belt and withdrew the strange little vial Nefrai had found on Dxun.

"I believe this to be what I was contracted to find," she said simply then fell silent, one ear pricked back toward the hatch of her ship.

"Unfortunately, I do not have a full chemlab on board," she replied, somewhat archly.

"I have had no means of testing this material. However, it may be what you sought; there was not much of it to be found in the place where I looked, and I would think the creators of the poison would not want it to be otherwise.

"But, this of course remains to be seen. We can only hope."

She bowed her head then straightened, staring the men straight in the eye. But her attention was focused behind her, every cell straining to determine whether Nefrai would be coming back to join them...

"Yes sir, commander?" the guard queried even as he stepped up to the group.

"Take this to the medbay at once. Tell them that it is to be tested at once against the Captain's blood."

Taylor paused at this, waiting for the guard to acknowledge him and follow his instructions. Shawn handed the vial to the man, and he saluted to Taylor. "At once, Commander," he replied, then turning smartly on his heel and departing for the medbay.

Only then did Taylor turn back to Manth. "Would you like refreshment while we await the results, and will your..."

Here he paused, looking momentarily to Shawn before returning it to Minna, "...your companion will be joining us?"

He went down the ramp, and saw they were still standing there conversing. He heard the officers last words, and cringed inwardly. Does it pain them so much that they would not know or recognize me by name?

Once again she laid a hand gently upon his arm.

"I'm happy to see you have changed your mind, Nefrai," she said softly, concern for what had concerned him evident in her dark, soulful eyes.

Whatever it was you have changed it about, that is....

Then giving that arm a comradely squeeze, she turned smoothly back to Garrison, utterly disregarding the black scowl which thundered across his features.

"Yes, I would very much like some food," she said, very much aware of the fact that it was undoubtedly Nefrai's reappearance which had produced that scowl.

"Perhaps we can go dine together? The journey to find what we hope to be the antidote has been rather taxing...."

Dashawn had managed to take some sort of meditation since the unexpected exit of Shawn. In the end he came to the conclusion that it was for the best, even though he knew he would sooner or later have to reveal something about his past, though he would hope to avoid it aslong as possible.

Taking a quick sitting on the floor. He felt a coldness about the weird steel from some forgein planet that he hadn't felt, even when he was training on the Battle Station during his stormtrooper years. Those times were interesting. He occasionaly was taken off the battle station to planets to have land training, but rarely. Where he had been applied in the Forces wouldn't involve any wastelands that some other training courses had been taken.

He was just an average stormtrooper, though he accomplished numerous things that alot of his class didn't. However, from that perspective, that paradigm the galaxy as it was now seemed all the more weird. The ground...the feelings, the touch, everything personified it.

It seemed to come with the ability of the Force. The ability to outstretch, feel, understand more, the knowledge of it was enough to make one arrogant. Something of which many concluded, in his time, the reason for the destruction of the Jedi. Yet, at that lesson, of which he learned in his earlier trainings, he was certian not to take that cocky attitude onto a level that it shouldn't. It'd probably create more problems for the people around him and himself than should be.

...and then he turned to Minna Manth, nodding once. "I can take you to a place where you can refresh yourselves, and then we can proceed on to dine. It is likely it will at least take a few hours for our labs to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the antidote you brought, so you should have plenty of time to relax after your journey."

Pausing at this, Taylor motioned to Rathal as if just remembering he was along for the ride. "This is Jovonar Rathal, an employee here at Eagle Enterprises who is seeking advancement. He will be joining us to dine."

Feeling that there was no need for any further explanation at this time, Taylor then motioned towards the turbolifts. "If you will follow me now."

Manth sure seemed to like the stuff, he thought absently, If her antidote works, I'll make sure she gets a lifetime supply of it...

About this time, Taylor's wristcomm went off, alerting him of an incoming urgent message. Excusing himself from the dining area, he stepped into a corridor just outside where he could hear the news he knew was coming. He pressed the receive button.

"This is the medcenter, sir," came a crisp voice, "We have the results..."

**********

Only a minute or so after his departure, Taylor Garrison returned to the dining hall and took his seat, the look in his eye somehow darker than it had been before. Petrolu must have caught on to this; he looked towards the young commander with an arched eyebrow. Taylor merely closed his eyes, and shook his head. Then he cleared his throat. "I have unfortunate news," he then opened with. "The antidote has failed to cure the Captain."

Pausing at this, he let the words sink in. Manth's look was quite unreadable, but Taylor had no doubt she was seeing her credits going down the tubes.

"I am willing to pay you 15,000 for your trouble. My lab techincians were able to trace the antidote you brought us back to some sort of Mandolorian roots, so you were apparently at least on the right track. Now as I understand it, the Commander is stable...

...thus he will remain in a coma permanantly until he receives the proper antidote. If you are willing to stay on the hunt for this antidote, I'm willing to up the stakes for your work to 50,000...

"So is it that we failed, was I to assumptious? But as you have said, he now has time.... time....."

Kesh whispered the final word, then looked to the command. "If I myself cannot heal him, then perhaps we should venture back to that place again, but mayhaps,"

He paused, though to the others it was evident his mind was racing for another answer, another possible explanation.

...but I don't believe we were ever able to assess who she was or where she came from. She had to have worked her way onto the Hornett somehow, possibly as an employee since most of the people on board are just that. And that all depends on if your services are to be continued at the new price I've offered," Taylor commented, glancing a moment at Minna.

Then he turned back to Nefrai, opened his mouth, and started to say something...

...when he froze for the merest of moments as something registered that he'd just said. "Wait a minute...

"If it is, it'd be worth a shot to allow you to at least try to heal Aaron," he then continued, looking back to Kesh. "That is, of course, if you would even agree to do so. As it stands, he will otherwise remain in a coma, and anything you could do to even possibly help him would be worth the effort...

He looked at Manth. "I'm quite sure Minna would enjoy a reward if I were to be successful."

Fifteen thou isn't bad, no it's not indeed....

So she didn't say anything to Taylor's offer of an increase in reward, perking up her ears instead when Nefrai said he'd try to heal the poison victim instead.

It's worth a shot, she thought, keeping her most inscrutable of spy-faces etched upon her face, ready to just step back for a moment and let her enigmatic companion take the lead.

...for at this rate, Aaron may never return from his coma unless we try something else."

He paused, "The sick bay is a small area, however, so I am going to allow the two of you..." he paused, glaring a bit at the too-quiet Rathal.

And you want to be of HELP? You aren't even contributing anything!

...to continue to dine in a waiting area nearby while Nefrai, Shawn, and myself see what might be done for the Commander. Should this take a long time, you will be notified. But for now, let's all go," he stated as the others stood, taking the lead and motioning everyone out of the dining area and to the sickbay after taking Minna and Rathal to a waiting area. Then he escorted the Jedi and Nefrai to the room where Aaron still remained in a coma.

"His life is a faded thing, something that even I can not hide from in my past." He inwardly sighed, and put a hand over the mans chest, his breathing barely visible from Kesh's view.

"I can only try, but even I don't know the result...."

He felt the mists of his body begin to fall apart around his arm, seeping in through the mans pores, through his nose and mouth.

Slowly, he felt his mind eb away as though a tide was slowly carrying him out to an endless sea, as the mans thoughts became his.

He slowly felt something rush at him, and he suddenly stood on a baren plain, thousands upon thousands of faces he knew he'd slain at some time surrounding him.

They came, to destroy him and this man, and he fought them, tearing them apart as he had before, and killed others. They seemed endless, but he was a hunter, not giving in as he slew them, but slowly tiring as they seemed to fade away, until the last one had fallen.

He felt the plain eb away from him, and he found himself laying upon the floor of the room. "The demons.... that stood on the borders of life and death... are no more.... the gate is sealed, his fate, has been traded for mine..."

...sitting straight up in the process. The room immediately swam into view, the first immediate figures being Taylor Garrison and Shawn Petrolu, the latter rushing to the floor to assist some cloaked figure.

Wait...Shawn Petrolu? When did he get here...? And cloaked figure, in the sickbay? What the heck...?

Taylor laid a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Captain," he said simply.

Aaron nodded slightly. "Yeah," he croaked, "I feel like hell."

...and I hope we haven't lost him," he said, frowning, extreme concern evident on his face.

His help could be really valuable...

Then, with nothing further Shawn turned to help Kesh, closing his eyes and stretching out with Force-healing energies which he then channeled to him.

Aaron, sitting back once more, cocked a brow in question.

"I'll explain everything in more detail later, but the long and short of it was that I ended up highering a hunter to find a cure for you, the cure she thought she had found wasn't successful, so her companion, Nefrai Kesh, tried to heal you and succeeded. He has some sort of power, I don't know..."

Taylor trailed, frowning a bit. "You take it easy, and I'll get the meds in here to make sure you're all clear. A poison had been shot into you by that attacker of yours...

...an attacker who I regret to say has not been followed up on. At the time, other things were more important, like your health. Permission for dismissal, Captain?" he queried, giving Aaron full authority.

Aaron nodded, still looking a little dazed.

"I'll be back," Taylor ended with, departing the sickbay then and heading to the point where Minna Manth was waiting, wasting no time in filling her in on all that had happened...

Jamel had waited for while for a response to his message through frequency to the Eagle Enterprise to gain some sort of recognition and response, but there had been none. Even though he had delivered identification he hadn't gotten any certian reply from the company employee.

So, instead of giving up as he usually did in such occasions, the boy worked on resending the message. Going through the numerous recordings he had left on his datapad as he had rested in the cantina until he finally found the one he had tagged with importance. Changing the signal to that of emergency, he sent it again.

Now, finally relaxing, managing to loosen his muscles and untighten his brows, calling for another drink. Even at his age he could order in a cantina...that is if he was to order a Jawa Juice.

...the employee's brows furrowed in annoyance.

His job was to deal with urgent messages, not to hand out identification transmissions.

Knowing he must somehow respond to the matter, however, the employee made a brief and direct reply.

After ordering some drinks and giving a nice wink at the employee he was back to his work on the message. Placing it on his lap and his feet on the table, he began studying it. The transmission seem to be that of some seriousness or annoyance. So, handling it with care, he replied.

She blinked, once, when he came to a finish. Then--

"Thank you," she said softly, cocking her head just a fraction to one side. She licked her lips.

"I am pleased to hear the patient is doing well; may I now go see how my friend is doing?" she finally whispered, her voice even and soft and low...

...even though her mind was awhirl with the inexplicable terror that her strange and enigmatic companion could possibly be in danger of death.

Taylor pursed his lips in concern. "Any change?" he then asked, waiting for Petrolu's answer.

...and beneath his healing energies he began to sense the spirit of Nefrai Kesh growing stronger. Reaching for that spirit, he took hold of it with the Force and gently pulled it to the forefront of Kesh's mind...

...and at length, beneath his healing, Kesh began to stir.

There she hesitated a fraction of a moment before moving to the other side of the gurney upon which the silent, bemasked figure lay. In a silence just as deep, she reached out one hand and placed it upon his chest.

Come back to me, Nefrai, she thought, bowing her head and closing her eyes.

Mentally, his eyes seemed to flicker, and he seemed to awaken, though outwardly there was no change. Do I awaken, or take my deserved rest? His subconcious mind wondered.

He stirred slighly, his claws edging his resting place slightly, his head readjusting slightly in comfort. There is no rest for the restless. What and old sentiment.

He inwardly sighed, then openned his "eyes" and saw the figures standing about his resting place, He did not move, but merely observed them for a time, their words ringing and hollow sounding, similar to when one is victim to a loud sound.

Finally their voices and faces came to a final focus. He sat up, almost mechanically, and raised his arms out to the side, then rotated them a full 360 degrees around, and let them stay there.

He then reached up gently, and pushed his head back further than it's physical limit, and felt his own neck snap, only to crack and reshift back into place, before turning his head almost all the way around both ways, he turned back to look at them.

Up until this point, however, she hadn't really understood just how unusual those abilities really were.

She blinked, then folded her hands together in front of herself.

"I am glad to see you conscious, Nefrai," she said softly, giving her head a brief nod to acknowledge his return to reality. Even if it was to his own form of it.

"I do not know how long you were unconscious, but I am glad to see you... functional again. And--"

She paused a moment, cutting a quick glance to the others ringed about her intimidating companion. Her eyes shone like liquid obsidian.

"And I am also happy to understand that the subject of our efforts is likewise returned to us.

She opened her mouth, let it hang uselessly for the space of a few seconds, than closed it without saying so much as boo.

He paused a moment at this, letting his words sink in. And then, as Shawn Petrolu stood, the look in his greeny-blue eyes totally unreadable, Taylor continued. "But I'm wondering. There is yet another matter of concern to us at Eagle Enterprises, concerning a couple of missing and highly-valued employees. I would be willing to make arrangements with you both if you would be willing to assist in researching their disappearances and ascertaining their current status--if it would please the Captain, of course."

Here he quieted, turning to regard Aaron Barnes, who was sitting up in his sickbed and looking very interested and very thoughtful...

Aaron nodded back in reply. "Their disappearance is troubling, especially because they are also friends. No word from Galen either?" he then asked, this time looking to Shawn then Taylor. Both shook their heads once again.

She withdrew her hand and took a small step back, allowing him free space in which to sit up. After shooting Nefrai a questioning look, heavy with implications after what Barnes had just said, she finally turned from him to the others and nodded her head, once.

"Indeed, sustenance would be in order," she said simply. "It has been some time since I myself have eaten, and business arrangements always seem to mesh much more smoothly when agreed upon over a meal."

Then, with the assistance of a med droid, Aaron lead the way to some personal dining quarters on the Red Level; dining quarters which had been out of use for some time.

Used to be one of Terrin's favorite hideouts, Aaron couldn't help but think to himself, Especially in his more recent past.

Leading the others into the dining area, Aaron motioned for them to seat themselves, and dismissed the med droid, taking his own seat. A personal attendent arrived on the heels of the med droid's departure.

"You may order whatever it is your heart may desire and the cooks will see to its preparation; they are the best on board the Hornett.

Quieting then, Aaron waited as drinks and food were ordered by his guests, Shawn Petrolu, and his second in command. Then, as the attendent departed, he spoke once more.

"We will discuss the issue of payment for this job shortly," Aaron opened with, "But first I feel it important I inform you of the risks. How knowledgable are you concerning the Sith?"

Minna froze inwardly, her years of experience as a spy preventing any hint of her instinctive reaction from making its way into her body language.

Yet she was certain something of it had been given inadvertently away....

The Sith.

How well she remembered the leonine Serke, who had come to her from nowhere, his claims as to who he was, what he wanted her to find for him...

What he had planned for her if she failed him....

True, he had disappeared into the Great Void. But that omnipotent feeling of lurking power that he projected, the sense of an axe just hanging over her bared throat by a hair had never left her; hence, anything having anything to do with the word Sith had a tendency to make her freeze up like a Gandy Rak in headlights.

She blinked.

"Th-the Sith?" she stammered softly, cursing herself for the slip. The attendant arrived with remarkable serendipity then; flashing a quick smile, she reached out for a drink--

Heaven's, it was blue, somewhere, somehow they had gotten that wonderful, wonderful blue liqueur....

--and took a giant gulp. Then, doing her utmost to repress the shudders that insisted upon creeping about in her gut, she set the drink daintily upon the table.

"Umm... aren't they some kind of myth, or something?"

Why though? What secret could she hold that at the mention of the "sith" could have led to such a sudden reaction?

...she clearly knew something more. Aaron leaned forward. "I'm afraid they are much more than a myth," he responded. "And this search will lead you to the heart of one of their worlds. I am certain my two employees' last known destination was this world; they clearly believed Galen had gone there before them for justifiable reasons. They followed her there, and have disappeared themselves."

He paused at this, letting all the information he had divulged sink in. "Now don't be mistaken. I believe, at least from the information I've obtained, that the Sith as whole are a race like any other; full of those who do as much good as there are those who do evil. Petrolu here has more firsthand experience interacting with them...

...I'm just merely the messenger. But the heart of my request for your assistance is this: I've lost my business partner and that was a major blow, both to our business and in the lose of a friend. Losing these two employees would further the blow Eagle Enterprises has already recieved...

...and aside from that, these men are also my friends. Likewise, Galen Danner is a friend, and she has suffered much more than even just the lose of her husband. I believe you and Nefrai have some skills which will be very needed in this quest...

...and Petrolu will accompany you as well. But this all rests on whether you choose to accept this mission or not; aside from the sentimental nature of it I can garantee the payback will be well worth its risks. I will pay you for any expense you may encounter in relation to the task, and will also upgrade your ship as needed before your journey begins. Finally, I'm also going to offer you 100,000 credits a piece should you be successful."

Pausing one final time at this, Aaron pursed his lips, and leaned back, his look turning vague and thoughtful. "These people are just that important to me."

Along with his mysterious powers.

Not to mention the addition of a jedi.

She turned away from the humans, and for a moment merely contemplated Nefrai, who only returned her look with a solemn one of his own.

Then she turned back to Barnes.

"I accept the contract," she said simply, then took up her drink and lifted it, waiting for the others to join her in a toast to cement arrangements...

"Very good," he then said, "With your permission then, I will leave you to dine with Petrolu and see to the maintenance and upgrade of your ship. I am hoping you can depart no later than 0600 hours tomorrow; does this suit you, and are there any specific upgrades you would like for your ship?"

Aboard a lone fighter craft, a flashing indicator and incessant beeping break the pilot from his momentary reverie. The pilot recovers after the barest of moments and silences the alarm.

“Good,” he thinks, “arriving as scheduled.” A cursory glance at the instruments indicates that he is on course for his destination, the research facility residing in the Maw black hole cluster. He shivers involuntarily at the thought. “Black holes… they make this one of the most isolated and dangerous facilities in the galaxy.”

With one hand he retrieves his orders from the fighter’s databanks and waits as they scroll over the heads-up display.

NAME: Calto Ramic
RANK: Squadron Leader, Imperial Navy
UNIT: 149th TIE Avenger Squadron, Bravo Wing, 7th Fleet

Other information, including a background sketch and other biographical detail[s begins to scroll by, but he closes the file before it reaches the end. He knows his job, his background, and his true mission: insinuate himself as a new transfer into the research station to ensure the loyalty of the personnel involved in the project to construct one of the Empire’s most powerful weapons: a Death Star.

A more urgent beeping than before catches his attention as the ship begins to shudder ominously. The instruments that display hyperdrive function are wavering erratically – his drive is failing! In this dangerous region full of black holes, he can’t afford to stray from his preprogrammed trajectory, and makes the difficult decision to abort his flight and return to normal space. However, with the powerful gravitational gradients around him, this is almost as risky as remaining in hyperspace. The key word is almost. He reaches for the control to manually exit hyperspace, lifts the plasteel cover, and…

…The world begins to spin violently as the tiny vessel pitches and yaws out of control. Multicolored lights on his panel flash as the computer alerts him that he has left his planned hyperspace trajectory, and is now careening drunkenly toward the restricted area around one of the many black holes in the sector. He reaches for the controls to right his stricken craft when a particularly severe change in attitude throws him sideways, his helmeted head striking a cockpit support pylon. With a bark of surprise, his hands fall away from the controls as blackness descends on him…

A peculiar burst of light heralds the arrival of a tiny craft to normal space. Formation lights blink bravely against the inky blackness, a stark contrast to the fighter’s utter lack of maneuver on its arrival…

HornettScan has completed a short-range-scan resulting in conclusive data on the approach and halt of a ship, its size indicating a prossible fighter, class indiscernable from its current coordinates. Long-range scanning advised.

The man frowned. A fighter? Out here near Endor, in nowheresville...?

Quickly, he keyed in orders for the long-range scan and was immediately rewarded with the exact coordinates of the ship, along with specs. The specs were enough to grab his attention:

Avenger-class TIE Fighter, fully halted.

Knowing not only that the production of Avenger-class TIEs were zero to none, but that the fighters were also generally piloted by elite Imperials, the officer knew something strange might be afoot. And, aside from these things, the fact the fighter wasn't moving didn't ease his suspicions. He immediately hit a switch nearby his control station, one which would activate a general comm frequency which would hopefully be read by the incoming fighter.

Unidentified fighter...do you need assistance?

“--ou need assistance?”

Checking his sensors for vessels in the area, he finds only one: A vessel reminiscent of Lord Vader’s Executor, but different in a number of ways. His tiny fighter’s onboard computer has no data on this particular design. Still, the design is sufficiently distinctive as to be identified as an Imperial vessel. “Hmmm… Perhaps an experimental design,” he thinks as he looks over to verify his position. Much to his surprise his navigational sensors can make neither heads nor tails of his surroundings, returning an inconclusive response. The only thing he did know for sure was that he was far away from the Maw cluster. However, his mission still stood, so he chose to retain his cover identity when contacting this strange new craft. His thoughts stray to the strange readings, “Computer must’ve been knocked out during the…” The memories of his perilous trip returned to him, ending with a sharp <CRACK> and blackness.

...and dead or not Terrin Danner was still rightfully her Captain...

...had dealings with Admiral Pallaeon. So he knew the probable origin of this code, whether he knew exaclty what it was telling him or not.

An outdated Imperial fighter, of high level...

...and now it was spitting out something that looked highly Imperial and very old...

...and was requesting to dock, refit, and refuel on the Hornett?

The officer reached out in a flash to his commstation, keying in Commander Garrison's frequency. "Ahhh...sir, we have a...

... situation. An Imperial fighter--an Avenger-class TIE, to be more specific--has just come out of hyperspace on top of us and is requesting permission to refit and refuel with us. The pilot states he needs to do so before...

... continuing on his mission. And he has already begun to proceed this way. Reccomendations for action?"

Falling silent at that, Aaron let these words sink in...

...and became aware in that silent moment of the "urgent" bleep coming from Taylor's comm. He arched an eyebrow even as Taylor turned his attentions to the incoming message and frowned a bit more darkly than Aaron would have liked.

"What is it?" he queried as Taylor looked up.

"Seems we have a TIE Avenger that has just come out of hyperspace and is trying to dock with us to...

...'refuel and refit before continuing on its missin'."

"That's strange," Aaron said, frowning himself. "And disturbing. I'd better see to this one myself, since I am supposed to be the Hornett's acting Captain. And gods know that, if something were to happen to this ship, her owner might return from the dead to shoot me himself," he commented, standing up and addressing Taylor one final time. "Please see to the maintainence of Ms. Manth's ship, and I will return shortly."

I hope, came a black thought Aaron tried to ignore. Then, after getting the deck officer's comm frequency, Aaron nodded politely to Manth and Nefrai and departed from the dining suite, punching the frequency into his wristcomm. "This is Captain Barnes," he started with, "Get a tractor lock on that incoming TIE and lead it into the main hangar bay. I'm on my way."

"...something should happen to this ship...?"

She tried to send that non-verbal message to Nefrai, as though seeking his confirmation of what her ears had just told her. He, in turned, appeared much the same as normal, as normal as he ever could be considered, that is, and once more returned her questioning look with a noncommital one of his own.

A quiet clearing of a throat brought her attention back to Taylor who, judging from the look on his face, was trying his best to keep his own concerns about the mysterious TIE at bay. This only served to ignite Minna's inherent investigative instincts; folding her hands in front of herself, she forced every lick of emotion from her manner and her face, and finally spoke.

"Thank you, Mr. Taylor," she said softly, then went on give him a list of updates she required as though she hadn't overheard a thing.

"If you would be so kind as to see to the replacement of one of my forward laser blasters with an ion cannon, of smaller caliber of course, I would be most grateful... additionally, my shields are limited to simple ray shielding. The mission we are to embark upon may, as has already been indicated, be a dangerous one. The ability to shield my ship from solid matter would be most helpful; please consider this a request for particle shielding as well."

She paused a moment, then raised her goblet.

"And of course, a small supply of this..."

Flashing Taylor one of her rare smiles, she cut her eyes to Nefrai, letting her facade of near indifference drop as she sent him a meaningful look.

"0600 tomorrow then, as Captain Barnes has suggested; is this agreeable to all?"

The look she sent Nefrai did not at all complement the innocent affirmation of her last statement.

As he nears the ship, a few unsettling details nip at the edge of his consciousness. The ship lacks the standard markings that he would expect, though this might be due to this being an experimental vessel. The crew’s communications weren’t quite what he expected either, but what would one expect from a ship full of engineers? As he neared the hangar, though, his unease began to display itself in earnest. The other craft contained there were not orderly lines of TIE fighters; instead, all manner of craft of various classes could be seen.

Why in the Fates was a fighter out here near Endor, where there was absolutely NOTHING? What possible mission could this guy be on?

Finally approaching the fighter, the guards flanked Aaron on either side, at the ready. He folded his hands behind his back, and watched intently as the TIE fighter's pilot opened the hatch to his ship and climbed out in pilot attire, his helmet still on. Aaron pursed his lips and erased all emotion from his face. The pilot, who seemed only the slightest bit hesitant in his demeanor, proceeded forward through the aisle the flanking gaurds had created between him and Aaron.

As he approached, Aaron finally spoke. "Please, state your name and business," he said simply, the words falling into a moment of eerie silence.

After a moment’s hesitation as he examines his surroundings, including the various craft of unfamiliar configuration and the strange uniforms of the sentinels, he begins to stride purposefully forward, all the while seemingly ignoring the guards who part to clear his path. Their uniforms are strange, he thinks to himself, but this is to be expected from a ship of engineers. Stopping while still a reasonable distance from the man standing alone, he doffs his helmet and tucks it under his arm, revealing his face for the first time.

A number of possible introductions come to mind, and he discounts most of them as problematic for one reason or another. A few moments are spent sizing up the other man before he finally speaks.

“Squadron Leader Calto Ramic, en route to assume command of 149th TIE Avenger Squadron, currently attached to 7th Fleet conducting anti-smuggling operations in the Kessel system.” Not too far from the truth, he thinks, as the Maw cluster is nearby, but perhaps the priority authorization code I used was a bit much. “I entered an area of hyperspace instability, and ended up here.” His voice holds no ill-will, only the self-assured confidence of one who is used to being in control. “I require fuel and whatever repairs are necessary so that I may continue on to my destination. I must also contact Coruscant to explain my situation to my superiors at the High Command."

After allowing a brief moment for all of this to register with the man before him, he asks, "Which way to the Communications Center? I’m not familiar with this class of vessel.”

"We can repair your fighter," Aaron opened with, unsure of just how else he could start such a conversation, "But we'll have to assess the damage before I can give you an estimate on the cost," he continued with.

Then he couldn't help but add, and admittedly with a bit of his puzzlement obvious, "Did you say the 149th TIE Avenger Squadron? I thought the famed Squadron lead by Baron Soontir Fel was the 181st, and that was some time ago..."

“The 181st? That squadron isn’t even operational yet! It’s just now being raised; it’s pilots are green trainees… And who is this ‘Fel’?” He pauses, then continues, “What is this vessel? Is this a prototype? I’ve not seen its like, though Lord Vader’s Executor is relatively close in design.”

Aaron's look actually grew darker. "The Executor?" he quried. "That vessel was destroyed during the Battle of Endor. This is an Eclipse-class Superstar Destroyer, and there are others of her kind around. As for the 181st, it was very operational, especially during Thrawn's time. As for your 149th, and 7th fleet...

...I could be mistaken, but I believe those were both destroyed during the Second Death Star battle as well. So your cover has just been blown. Who are you really, and how and why have you come to Hornett?"

As Aaron made his final query, the guards flanking the two men snapped to even greater alertness, their weapons now in their hands..

...and ready, if need be...

A TIE here, at the Hornett? Had the New Empire, after all this time, decided to nail them for not being forthcoming concerning all their contacts, especially not concerning Admiral Gilad Pallaeon, who was still lurking out there, somewhere? But then, why would they send a single TIE? Unless this one was merely the first...

Taylor shook himself from his concerns, and turned his attentions to Minna Manth. "No, your requests are not unreasonable, not at all," he replied honestly. Then he keyed in the frequency for Maintainence and Repair into his wristcomm and listed off Minna's request to them, ending with the orders that all this was to be completed by 0500 hours, so that or the Captain could inspect the ship...

...and so that Minna could inspect them herself before departure. Closing off the frequency then, he returned his attentions to Shawn, Minna, and Nefrai. "You will get a chance to inspect the maintenance and see that it is done to your specifications before you depart," Taylor explained aloud. "And I will see that some of this..." He continued with, pointing to Manth's favorite liquor, "Is placed aboard your ship as well. Is there anything further you would like to ask, or will be needing before the morning arrives...

...or would you like to be directed to some resting quarters?" he queried, falling silent and waiting for Math and Kesh's reply.

His mind reels. "Battle of Endor?" he thinks. "What Battle of Endor? The newest Death Star is there, but... How could there be a 'battle'? The Rebels must have found out... I've reviewed the latest intelligence from that sector -- all was quiet! And the Executor... En route to Endor, but she definitely wouldn't have had time to get there yet... Would there have been a change of plans? What the hell is going on here!?

He stands for a time in silence, contemplating the proper course of action. On one hand, this could all be a very cleverly-designed ruse, meant to cause him to reveal classified information. Still, there is a point at which something becomes too strange to be a lie. This story is one of those cases. At any rate, he makes a decision, one that will most likely affect the rest of his (perhaps quite short) life.

"Major Dat Cyprios," he says in a low, hard voice, "of the Imperial Royal Guard." After letting that sink in for a moment, he speaks again. "I was tasked with covertly infiltrating a research facility in the Kessel system, to ensure the loyalty of the facility's personnel to the Emperor. The orders were given to me personally by the Emperor before he left for the construction facility at Endor. No sense in keeping up the "Ramic" facade, since my all-too-distinctive arms and armor are in the cargo pod. "I was en route to said research facility when I started experiencing gravitic turbulence in hyperspace. I tried to hold my course, but I seem to have failed, since I am now here, as if I knew where /here/ is."

His voice cools noticeably as he finishes, "There are your 'how' and 'why'. Now... Neither the Seventh Fleet nor the Executor have had nearly enough time to arrive at Endor from their respective stations at Coruscant and Kessel, yet you say that they've already been destroyed, in a battle that hasn't happened. So this leaves us at an impasse: One of us is lying..."

"Or else something is very wrong..." he finishes in thought.

...or he was somehow actually telling the truth. Somehow...

Aaron frowned at Cyprios's last comment. "I can provide you evidence of the Executor's destruction, as well as that of the 7th fleet and 149th squadron. You should speak to someone concerning all this...

His face lights up with a strange inspiration. Surprised he hasn't asked this before, he attributes this oversight to the shock of all he's learned. "Where is this? Right now, where in the Galaxy am I?" With a hint of incredulity, he continues, "And... when... am I? Things that I believe haven't happened are what you consider to be in the past."

...and times of utter conflict including the invasion of the galaxy by beings called the Yuuzhan Vong, who entered here from another galaxy. And you are correct--Pellaeon WAS the Commander of the Chimera--before her Captain was killed in the Battle of Endor. I reccomend that you speak with Pelleaon himself...

...but instead, what you will do with yourself that is in question, if you indeed are a part of the time anamoly it seems that you are. This is something, however, I'd like to look into further. But first--"

Here he trailed, keying a frequency in on his wristcomm then bringing it to his lips. "Admiral Pelleaon, this is Captain Aaron Barnes of Eagle Enterprises. I have a man here by the name of Major Dat Cyprios, who claims to be part of a time anomly. You see, the Major says he was a member of the elite Royal Guard for the Emperor, and was on a mission when he had encountered a hyperspace manulfunction and ended up coming out here, with us nearly 40 years after the time he claims to be from. I thought it would be helpful, both for him and for us, if you talked with him, first to verify his claims and secondly to reassure him; if what he says is truth then this is indeed a great shock. I will be escorting him to the communications station here on the Hornett shortly; he will be contacting you himself then. Barnes out."

Closing the connection then, Aaron motioned for the leader of the gaurd squad to come to his side, which he promptly did. "I need three of your men to accompany myself and the Major to the comm station. There you will stay with him until he has finished; after I want you to take him to private Red Level dining station 1181. The rest of your men may return to their regular duty."

The leader nodded, saluted, and turned to his men, pointing out three and motioning them to come to him. After they did so, the other men turned about-face and marched out of the main docking bay. Aaron turned to Dat. "Follow me," he said simply, then leading the Major and the three guards down a series of winding corridors, til at length they arrived at the main comm station on the Hornett. Aaron stepped inside, leading Dat to one of the open comm cubicles. He punched in an access code on the unit, which he knew would connect them with Admiral Pelleaon's personal ready room aboard the Chimera.

"When you are ready," Aaron then said to Dat, "This connection will link you with Pellaeon via hologram. All you have to do is begin a message then send it. When you are finished, the gaurds will be waiting for you."

With nothing more than that, Aaron stepped out of the cubicle, leaving Dat to speak with Pellaeon...

...only, you never arrived."

Pausing at that, the elderly man let this information settle in Dat's mind before he continued on. "The Emperor, as you probably have heard, was killed by Darth Vader...

...and Vader himself died after coming to terms with his son, Jedi Luke Skywalker. The Empire fell without the Emperor and Vader, and a New Republic was born. The New Republic had been in action until only a couple of years ago, when a faction of the Imperial Remnant--lead by an Admiral Actar--took over Coruscant by killing all of the Republic's senators. You will find this "New Empire" a shadow of the one we once were a part of...

...but so far as I've seen, since Actar has taken a step back, peace has been for the most part maintained. You will have to decide upon your path...

...as we all had to once the Empire died. I suggest you search your avenues carefully before you decide upon a path...

"We have...an interesting situation," Aaron opened with. He couldn't help but not the flash of interest somewhere deep in Minna Manth's eyes. "And I think this is something you might find interesting, and might be able to help with," he added, turning to Manth. "We have a guy who has just arrived, flying a TIE Avenger...

...who claims he is a member of the Emperor's Royal Gaurd. He is insistent that the Emperor lives, that the second Death Star is under construction, and that the Executor is still Darth Vader's personal ship. He's either telling me the truth, or he's out of his mind...

...because he sure believes what he's telling me. I think it would be helpful if you'd look through his cargo pod and assess his belongs...

By all indicators, the man you have taken aboard your ship, Major Dat Cyprios, was to take the lead of the 149th TIE Avenger Squadron in a mission to ensure the loyalty of men working on the construction of the second and final Death Star. Cyprios never arrived for his assignment...

...and his file indicates that his TIE, belongings, and body were never found either. The man I spoke to aboard your ship matches the image from his file precisely. Unless this is some extremely well-designed hoax, this man is indeed who he says he is...

...and he is from the time that he says he is. Take any precautions you see fit...

...but do not discount the Major, at least not unless you have evidence. My insticts, along with the evidence, lead me to believe he is telling the truth.

On entering the room, he is immediately stricken with a faint unease, the source of which he is unable to pinpoint. His eyes rove quickly over the others there, then lock to Aaron. "It seems that you were telling the truth. I'm sure you understand my incredulity, however. The whole situation is... Improbable, at best."

Plus something else that her carefully honed spy senses couldn't quite place a finger on. She frowned a moment, studying the man as he downed a hefty drink in one gulp before settling down to sip in a more genteel manner upon another, apparently lost in the vision of the starfield without the ship.

Then she turned back to Barnes, noting the brief flicker of unease that flashed across his features before he closed his comm-link with a little snap and raised his eyes to both her and Nefrai again.

She gave him a little smile.

"Please," she said in her soft voice.

"If you would be so kind as to have someone escort us to the vessel in question, I believe my partner and I would be more than happy to take a quick assessment of what might be there, and apprise you accordingly."

Unused to speaking in so lengthy a manner, the little Bothan then closed her mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed before she turned to her partner and gave him a nod of affirmation, silently cementing the pair of them to this new, if probably short-lived, adventure.

The gaurd replied with a "Yes sir" and then did precisely that, leading both Manth and Nefrai off and leaving Aaron, Dat, and Shawn Petrolu in the dining area.

Aaron took a drink, then sat across from the Jedi. "Major Cyprios, this is Jedi Shawn Petrolu," he then said, motioning to Shawn as he looked to Cyprios. An idea was niggling in the corners of his mind. And with absolutely nothing more than that he sat back...

In either case, what with technological advancement over nearly fifty ensuing years, the TIEs had disappeared from sight, other than an occasional relic popping up here and there as either a recently discovered crash victim or museum speciman.

She blinked again, staring.

A TIE Avenger... a real TIE Avenger, and in what looked to be perfect condition....

Well, as nearly perfect as can be stated about a fighter that had seen heavy use, judging by the carbon scoring it bore.

She shot a quick, trembling look up at Nefrai, suddenly very, very wary.

How could such a ship come to be in such condition? And those carbon scores looked relatively fresh.

She made a mental note to score one point in favor of its unknown pilot's story; then drawing in a deep breath she allowed herself to gain entry into the tiny vehicle.

All looked extremely ship-shape within: every system seemed in noncommittal running order, for various lights blinked upon its console, and the ratchety sound of relays opening and closing came clearly into her ears.

Her eyes widened further, and she backed out, turning to her hulking companion as she exited.

"Outwardly, it is exactly as it was stated to be: an almost 50-year old TIE Avenger in nearly perfect condition."

She paused, taking in his huge form again, shooting yet another glance back at the TIE, before settling her gaze on Nefrai once more.

"I shall gain access to its computer and navigational logs; why don't you check out what there might be in it's cargo pods?"

She pointed to a pair of egg-shaped partitions that hung innocently beneath its main body, just begging to be opened. Then she smiled, trying to make what might be misconstrued as being a command into a simple request, for Nefrai was large and would have a far more difficult time nosing about the interior than she, with her small and lithe frame, would have.

Oh dear, she couldn't help but sigh as she flowed back into the pilot's seat and settled herself before the console.

I do hope he's not inadvertently destroyed anything...

Then giving a mental shrug, she left Nefrai to his own devices and turned her attention to the computer system. It was a small but powerful unit, heavily encrypted and riddled with hidden, one-way backdoors through which sensitive information might flee to parts unknown in the unlikely event that it was being hacked into.

But again, fifty years is fifty years, and part of being a good spy in this day and age is keeping up with the virtual Joneses....

Minna smiled as she neatly by-passed the backdoors and gently convinced the system that she was its rightful owner. The unit muttered to itself for a moment or two before complying; soon file after file began scrolling across the tiny screen, files with strange names and numbers heading them.

She opened one at random... more names, dates: dates of birth, dates of employment, dates of...

Impending termination?

She shuddered, not believing one whit that said termination had anything to do with the unfortunate's current -- or past -- state of employment.

She drew in a breath, aligning her thoughts, and then continued on until one little file caught her eye simply by its seeming innocence.

In tiny, non-descript letters, it was merely headed, Black Light.

She cocked her head, curious, and tried to open the file.

A series of blockades popped up to scream profanities at her; she sat back in surprise, wondering why this particular file was so well protected.

Well, no matter...

Bending to the task once more, it wasn't until she had utilized every hacker's trick that she knew of before the file grudgingly obliged her access to it. Even then, it took her a long moment before she finally realized what it was she was looking at.

Inherited racial memories, shared from generation to generation, screamed at her from a point in history far, far too close to the present. A face rose up, smiling at her; a gnarled but strong hand reaching out to tousel someone's hair...

She watched in utter fascination as her own inherited memories showed her an image of her grandmother's hair being ruffled by another, battle-scarred Bothan:

Minna's great-grandfather...

...who had been one to die that others might gain the privilege of viewing that which she was staring at now....

She shook her head, tossing the cobwebs out of her brain, and continued to stare at the specs of the Empire's then-latest destroyer:

The second, and most powerful, Death Star.

What would anyone give to have this formidable knowledge, even today?

She shivered again, suddenly knowing that this craft's pilot had been telling the truth after all...

Knowing as well to whom this utterly dangerous man was still loyal to, no matter that his god was dead and gone lo these fifty years....

"I have to tell Captain Barnes," she whispered to herself as she reached to close up the files before exiting the ship. There she paused a moment, considering.

Indeed... such formidable knowledge...

Part of being a good spy was taking advantage of whatever opportunities might come unexpectedly flying her way. With no further hesitation, she dug into her personal bag and withdrew a tiny data chip. After a moment's hunting about, she found where to insert it into the little ship's computer. Once inserted, she quickly downloaded the everything and anything having to do with the file, Black Light. Withdrawing the chip, she secreted it upon her person before closing up the computer and exiting the ship.

A quick glance about and she caught the eye of the nearest EE employee.

"I think you should watch over this ship very carefully," she cautioned as she approached him. "Do not let anyone gain entry to it; as one sent by your employer, you must trust me in this."

Then she hurried to Nefrai, and quickly told him of what she had discovered in the cramped cockpit of the little TIE, finally ending with,

"Have you found anything of use or particular interest?"

Rarely does one see a person move as quickly as Dat did at the utterance of that word, Before Aaron can utter the next, Dat has shifted from contemplating an alien starfield beyond the window to resting on his heels facing the pair in some sort of martial arts stance, hands placed before him as if to ward off an evil spirit. In his eyes burn hatred and fury of an intensity that can only come from a purely visceral reaction, etched into his mind beneath any layer of conscious thought, buried by years of training in civility and discipline.

...<CRASH>...

The high-pitched sound of a glass shattering where he dropped it, tiny fragments of glass tinkling to the deck, breaks the relative silence of this scene For Dat, it is a moment frozen in time. Yet, at the same time, the noise seems to bring him back to his senses. Blinking twice and shaking his head as if to clear it, his face begins to return to its usual cool, controlled expression.

"Hello, Master Petrolu... Forgive my... reaction. I was unaware that there were any of your kind left, after all this time."

"I believe we should inform Mr. Barnes of our discovery," she allowed, leaning in closer to whisper in Nefrai's ear.

"But that is the only person who should be informed of this."

She then pulled back, and ran a quick hand through the personal belongings her partner had so ruthlessly uncovered. Buried in the heaps of what had once undoubtedly been arranged in a more orderly, military fashion, she spotted a flash of red. Her hand darted out, and from the piles of things she pulled out a red item.

It was an Imperial guard's helmet.

She wondered briefly why it would be secreted within the cargo pod, but then dismissed the matter entirely. That it had only cemented her convictions that the man was telling Barnes the truth...

...not to mention that it only further cemented her conviction that he was probably more dangerous to them than he might appear.

"Let us go, and take this with us as proof," she whispered, holding it out to her partner that he could secret it on his person. Then she assisted him in repacking to the best of their combined abilities what he had ripped asunder, and turned to seek the employee with whom she had just spoken.

"Perhaps that cargo pod could be repaired--?" she suggested before, nodding to Nefrai, she requested they be returned to the Dining Hall and Aaron Barnes.

"Keep the helmet hidden for now," she cautioned Nefrai as they moved through Hornett's maze of corridors once again.

"If the pilot of the ship happens to be in the Dining Hall as well, I do not know how he will respond if he sees we have it in our possession."

Sometime soon thereafter she found herself entering the Red Level Dining Hall once again, her hulking companion gliding silently along at her side. With a brief smile, the most non-prepossessing one she could drum up, she let herself be escorted to a table fairly close to where Barnes and his companions were seated, still deep in conversation.

A passing waitress recognized her, and soon she had a goblet of her favorite blue liqueur in front of her. Wanting to toss it back in one gulp, she took it daintily in hand instead and took a ladylike sip.

Only the most astute observer would have noticed the fact that her hand was shaking... a motion thoroughly justified by the newcomer's sudden burst of activity.

Moments after his blindingly fast movement he appeared to calm, and said something Minna couldn't quite hear to the others seated with Barnes.

Minna merely shuddered again, and took another sip of her liqueur, waiting for an opportunity to speak with Barnes.

...and in the same glance, totally nonjudgemental. In fact, there were traces of something resembling understanding deep in his greeny-blue eyes.

His gaze did not shift..and his senses clearly read the utter hatred Dat had felt in a mere split second.

"No forgiveness is needed," he then said to Dat simply, finally taking the smallest of drinks from his ale before continuing. "You cannot leave behind what you are, after all...

Looking past Petrolu, he notices that the diminutive Bothan female and the cloaked hulk accompanying her have returned. Though he can't place it, a sense of vague unease settles over him once again, this time tempered with a more acute perception of deception. A furtive glance here, a nervous shifting of the feet there. Curious, he thinks.

Turning his gaze to the officer before him for a moment, he asks in a not unfriendly manner, "Captain, you've not told me your name, yet I'd like to know to whom I owe my life." Offhandedly, he continues, "You seem to have other guests as well. Could I trouble you for introductions?"

And not the rightful Captain of this ship, a shoulder devil added. Be careful what you do, and what you say, Aaron...

This thought in mind, Aaron stood, motioning to Manth and Nefrai. "These are...employees of mine. They will be departing from here shortly, but I've allowed them the liberty of looking at your ship, just to ascertain the validity of your claims."

Aaron paused at that, noting a peculiar shift in Manth's body language. He was able to read between the lines. "Now, if you would excuse me once more...

...I need to speak with them."

And, saying nothing more than that, Aaron left the table where Shawn still sat, still barely drinking the ale in his hand. He came to Manth and Nefrai's table, nodding for them to follow him, which they did. Departing from the dining area, Aaron found a nearby conference room, lead them inside, and locked the sliding door behind them.

Minna turned to Barnes.

"It would appear that the pilot of the ship is in fact what he states: an Imperial guard from a time of the Old Republic, around fifty years in our past."

She paused a moment, cutting a wary look Nefrai's way before she turned once again to the acting captain of the SSD. Leaning over the conference table, she breathed in a tone of voice with which sky-doves coo their younglings into slumber.

"He bears the full schematics of the Second Death Star, the one history reports as having been destroyed at Endor."

She then sat back, clasping her hands together so as to keep them from trembling. Her knuckles grew white with her effort as she continued.

"This is a dangerous man, Captain Barnes. He is one of those who swore their very lives... no, their souls to one thing, and one thing only, and that was being in service to Emperor Palpatine."

She paused, stared down at her death-white knuckles.

"I know of these things, my great-grandfather was one of the Bothans who gave his life that the Rebellion could have these self-same schematics."

Her head jerked up again, and she pinned a surprisingly steady look directly into Barne's eyes.

"They are there, in his computer, in a hidden file, in their entirety, Captain..."

Of having a copied set of her own, she chose, at that time, to make no mention.

...and he immediately reached for his wristcomm, punching in a frequency. "Security, this is Captain Aaron Barnes. I want you to see to it that the TIE fighter in containment under the tractor beam in the main hanger bay has the extra security of two squadrons of gaurds. I also want you to see to it that our best engineers and technicians are allowed to look at the ship, and that the hard drive of her computer is copied, entirely. Orders understood?"

"Yes sir," came the crisp reply. Even as the reply came, Aaron could hear the respondent keying in access codes and orders as he spoke...

...and he knew his orders were being carried out at that very moment.

"I will be making a trip to the hangar bay, to ensure my orders are properly carried out," Aaron ended with before closing the connection and turning back to Nefrai and Manth.

For while she desired to return with the others, to learn more of this stranger who had come to them from the past, the fact of the matter was that she had just covertly rifled his computer systems.

The information she carried secreted upon her person was too valuable to risk in any manner.

So she let the odd look segue into a nod of acceptance, trusting that her companion would discover all she could about the stranger.

If not, perhaps, more.

She turned back to Barnes with a faint smile.

"Thank you, but I believe I wish to retire..."

To my ship! the thought followed directly on the heels of that statement.

However, not knowing a good enough reason to go to Forbiddance while it was yet in the midst of being upgraded, and not wishing to appear that she didn't believe Hornett's security wasn't as up-to-specs as her own, she finally decided to just return to her quarters.

She let her smile broaden, then fade.

"However, the appearance of this stranger disturbs me a bit; if you would be so kind as to provide some extra security for both me and my ship--?"

"This is Captain Barnes. I want a squad of security guards on Manth's ship as well," he then said.

A crisp "Yes sir" followed, then Aaron punched in another frequency, speaking again.

"I need four security guards from the Red Level in conference room 0915."

With nothing more than that, Aaron closed the connection and stepped up to the conference room doors, keying in the access code that made them slide obligingly open. There he waited for only a minute before the requested security arrived.

"Please escort Ms. Manth back to her quarters, where she can rest. See to it that 4 guards remain there...

...for purposes of her security."

And yet, he didn't.

"I'd venture to guess you will be spending some time here, considering your fighter has been damaged," Shawn began. "You are a man of deep convictions, and you must want to know about the past 50 years you've missed and the universe you now find yourself in. After all, this knowledge will give you an avenue to deciding what you will do here and now."

He paused, taking another drink of his ale.

"I know, trusting my information as a Jedi will be difficult for you," he said, his tone understanding, "But I'd be happy to begin filling you in...

...at least until you can get to sources to validate the information I would impart to you."

"I'd be grateful for any information you could impart, Master Jedi." It takes a supreme effort to maintain this civility, yet it's made just a touch easier by his own shock at his initial reaction. For a man so accustomed to being in complete control of himself, he's experienced quite a few outbursts since he's been here, none more potent than when presented with the Jedi. A lingering fear rests over his mind, flitting just beyond the realm of consciousness, perceptible only as a gentle unease. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that it's not just the presence of the Jedi, nor of anyone else aboard the ship, but rather the... absence... of something.

Setting these thoughts aside, he continues, "Tell me... If there is no Emperor, then there must be no Empire. I'm sure there are holdouts, Admiral Pelleaon for example, and I'm sure that there are some who have become nothing but petty warlords, but neither of these groups hold any significant power. Where then," he asks thoughtfully, "is order? Or has chaos descended everywhere in the galaxy?" As he turns to gaze at the stars again, he realizes that his question was directed out there just as much as it was directed toward the Jedi.

"-Or has chaos descended everywhere in the galaxy?" Was the first thing he truely focused on. Stepping forwards he could not help but smile. "Chaos, no matter what facade of order those in it may present, has always controlled the galaxy. It is merely part of the balance."

That statement just sounded rather like something Shayla would have come up with...

Squelching the thought, Shawn's greeny-blue gaze turned to Nefrai, his next words perhaps for him as well as Dat.

"There is a natural order to life, one which exists in that which we call the Force..."

He paused a moment as another thought crossed his mind, ...and in something even greater, according to some...

"During the times of the Republic, after the Emperor's death, the people were allowed to be the democracy and thus they governed themselves. And even now, even with the rise of the new Empire, people still have freedom to rule themselves...

...and honestly...particularly since Actar's strange disappearace from all things regarding the Empire...I have seen little change from how things once were. The Empire's eye remains steadfast and perhaps more quick to respond to threats...

Was this guy even aware of what he had onboard his fighter? Was he aware of how deadly it was...

...and furthermore, did he even care? Dammitall...

Aaron shook himself from his momentary reverie and sat...

...only after ordering a Corellian Ale. All the while his eyes never left Dat's, and with each passing moment became increasingly more unreadable.

"Your ship will take some time to repair," he started up quite suddenly. "Though Eagle Enterprises will be able to come up with the parts to its rather outdated class, you will have to be patient."

Dat is well aware of the presence of the Jedi nearby, as well as the... other... though his focus rests squarely on Aaron. "I understand completely," Dat says, nodding to the Captain. "...Just as I understand your... reservations." His face still holding that genuine smile, he continues, "Since this is a business, however, I don't know how to repay you. I'm sure that any credits I might have would be next to worthless now. You must have some idea of how I'm to 'pay the bill.'"

The smile fades from Dat's visage as he speaks again, "...And then there's the question of me. What will you do with a soldier who's far beyond his time, whose war has been over for decades? Some might throw me in the brig, but you don't seem like the type. Of course, who knows? Where I come from, I'm universally feared and hated. That branding might even hold true now." He cocks his head to the side, peering over the rim of his drink. "What I'd really like to do is get out of this flight suit and into a clean uniform. I don't think you'll find anything in my cargo pods useful to the repair process, and nothing would feel better right now than a fresh set of clothes. Is there any way I could return to the ship to retrieve some things?"

...or the Hornett's former Captain, for that matter. Aaron did a fairly decent job of masking any reaction he had to Dat's request, however.

"Our technicians are currently looking at your fighter to see what parts it will be needing...

...however, I'm certain someone there will be more than willing to bring up your essentials."

Saying this, Aaron waited for nothing further from Dat before he keyed a frequency in on his wristcomm and notified those in the main hangar bay to bring up some of Dat's things. Knowing the order would be carried out per specification and immediately, Aaron then turned back to Dat.

"I'm also assuming you may want some quarters where you may rest while you wait. And, as for paying your bill...

...I'm certain there is some sort of an arrangement that we can work out. Some of your "outdated" memories and information are still highly valuable ones..."

His eyes glow with mirth, though the mind behind them is examining every possible option. Can they know? And if so, do they hold it against me? Do they even care? It might be just as outdated as the fighter... "Information, Captain? What could I possibly know that could help you? Unless you want to trade ship parts for firsthand history lessons." He chuckles and sips his drink. Perhaps this joviality is just his way of "coming to terms" with his new situation...

"...But we can talk about that later. I think, with your permission, that I'll take you up on your offer of a place to rest. We can take care of all the details later, when I'm well-rested and up to the task." With that, he finishes his drink and sets the empty glass on the bar.

...that I can do."

With yet another short command over his wristcomm, the doors to the dining area slid obligingly open, revealing a squad of Red Level gaurds. Aaron stood, and walked to them.

"See to it that the Major is taken to some quarters..."

...but it's for everyone else's safety as well."

It was then that Dashawn took to a stand, shifting off the comfortable bed covering, which rubbed across his back like a Twi'lek's massage. Heading toward the door, he watched as the mechanics of advance science went about, forcing the metal door to slide to an open. Heading into the corridor and then the hallway, he went on his mission. Searching for any sign of the Jedi, and through the small comments and questions he had with the many other occupants of the base it became ever more clear where the man was.

After a momentary lapse of silence as he walked down his final corridor, passing a man and a few guards, he came to his stop. Inside there was an urge that plunged through his very soul, pushing him to step forth at the door. The simple notion at a forward head would open the door, but such an unexpected entrance would be rude...or atleast it had proven to be in the past.

Yet, he was a boy, so hope was somewhere within. The harsh grasp of reality hadn't tarnished his being enough, though his father had tried numerous times with his own hands. However, he was realistic, so as the wind blew, so did he. Jamel was out the door before midnight, which was suprising to the bartenders who had on a number of times asked for his help around the place for a few credits. On the streets he was just another boy, another face in the mixture of aliens and critters that came all alike and different. There was much to learn for Jamel and when to give up was one of them.

"What is the nature of your business?" the officer queried then waited, wondering what the reply might be.

-----------------------------

In the room where Deshawn had begun to bang insistently on the metal door, a group of unsuspecting EE employees remained totally unaware of the janitor's presence, as the doors had been designed specifically for soundproofing. Therefore they continued their work, unaware of the man's insistent knocks...

...and perhaps even feeling a bit nervous. He shot a sidelong glance at the quiet Jedi, whose look was obstinately unreadable.

"Having this man, Major Cyprios, on this ship is a major risk. However, it could be a major advantage...

...but pursing that possibility would include a taking a major risk. This guy has fighting prowess, knowledge of Imperials--however outdated--and he has plans aboard his ship I'd like to get a copy of and wipe from his files before he realizes it. Therefore, I need a distraction."

Pausing at this, Aaron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I know how Manth feels about Cyprios...

...but tell me, if we pointed out that having him under the observation of a Jedi and Kesh would be in everyone's best interest...

...do you think we could convince her to have Dat on the mission team? That is, of course, if we can convince the Major to even go?"

The target being a simple man at a desk, far, far away...

"This is Jamel. I'm searchin' for a Shawn. A Shawn Petrolu. My buisness is contacting him. I heard he has some sort of affilation with the E.E"

It ran itself along the young Dashawn's face, wrinkling the smoothness of his cheeks. The content rays which emit from his eyes took within as they closed, a satisfactory coming to his aura in a sudden rush. There was an accomplishment in there air, but was completely disfigured by the misdirecting of the young man's newly formed features. Opening his eyes from a calm close, he reached down, touching the comm. link beside the door that he had missed previously.

Activating the transmission after a solitare moment, he sighed. Slowly leaning forth, he dipped his head, feeling his bangs slap against his forehead and rest for a second before his words pierced through the lull that ran through the corridor.

"I am sorry, but I do not know of this 'Shawn Petrolu' you are asking for." He paused, cocking a querying eyebrow to the others at the table. The looks they returned told him they were in much the same ship to provide information. "In fact, no one here knows of who you speak. Perhaps it is advisable you contact someone in higher authority, if you wish to find this Petrolu, whoever he is."

....and it needs to be had now. This is of too urgent a matter to wait until the last minute, which is quickly approaching. Shawn--"

Here he paused, turning to the Jedi, who was standing as well, "I need you to stay here and wait. I may need you to go retrieve the Major."

The Jedi nodded, and took a step back. He did not, however, return to his seat.

"Come," Aaron said, then turning to Nefrai. "Your input on this will be very important, especially for Ms. Manth."

With no further ado than this, Aaron and Nefrai left the private dining area, leaving Shawn behind as they headed to a nearby guard post.

"Take me to Minna Manth's guest quarters," he said simply. The guard nodded and complied, leading the Captain and his strange companion down a short series of corridors, ones which led to the very elegant and posh guest area aboard the Red Level of the Hornett. Once they reached a particular set of metal doors, the guard stepped out of the way, leaving the captain and his guest alone after saluting.

Unless this ship has technology beyond the cutting edge of the rest of the galaxy, she thought, running her hand along the door frame as she hunted for hidden wires or sensors.

But her thorough search turned up nothing; satisfied, she then took about a quarter of an hour to run through some martial techniques before heading off to the sonic shower.

Refreshed, she slid into a simple gown she found hanging in a closet; it was a touch big on her, but silky and soft against her skin. She had just settled into her bunk with a cup of java juice and a holovid when an unseen speaker blared into life, heralding the arrival of Aaron Barnes and company.

She frowned, wondering what in the world they wanted now; with a grunt she set her cup on a small nightstand and slid out from the covers. Going to the closet, she was this time disappointed to discover that there was no robe to be had; her frown deepened to one of annoyance as she sighed, then went to the door.

There she paused, one hand raised to palm it open. The hand moved to the speakerphone set into the wall next to the frame.

"Yes?" she called out instead, not opening the door to her unexpected visitors.

"What is it? I was just preparing for bed; it is rather late, and I wish an early departure in the morning."

"You are free to use whatever you find in this suite," he said, "Which includes a kitchenette, some food staples, clothing, and so on. I'm certain the Captain will speak with you again in the morning. Should you need him otherwise I will be glad to contact him for you."

Pausing at this, the guard pulled out an access card and keyed a code into a keypad beside the door. The metal doors whooshed open, revealing a lavish seating area which was no doubt the opener to an equally as lavish sleeping area.

The guard then turned to Dat, and without the least bit of hesitation, handed him the access card. "This will get you in to anything inside that is locked down, since these will be your quarters as long as you are here."

Stepping back then, he waited to see what the Major would do.

Stepping over the pile of cables and hoses on the floor, he enters the head, spending nearly an hour making himself feel human again. When he emerges, scrubbed and newly-shaven, he moves to the center of the sitting area, pushes the furniture along the walls, and begins to glide silently across the floor in elaborate katas. He begins with the elegant, deceptively simple maneuvers of Keldaeris, then progressing slowly into the darker and more brutal Teras Kasi, until he ends up, in an near-meditative state, performing the most difficult and elaborate sequence in the deadly Echani form.

Dat is abruptly brought to his senses by a resounding <CRASH>. Searching the room for the threat, he finds it... in the form of an expensive-looking coffee table that he had just demolished. His mind whirls. Where is your focus, Dat? He feels as if he's off-balance. The purifying rage and hatred that had fueled his combat through all of his years serving the Emperor... Where is it? With a sigh, he pushes the pieces of the broken furniture aside and wanders toward the bed, extinguishing the lights along the way.

Try as he might, however, sleep refuses to claim him, leaving him alone, in the dark, with his thoughts...

Suspense rode high in his being as he finally took his first step into the room. The carpet responded to his trotting booting with a creaking and it did so against as his other foot came down. Dashawn was certain that the ground working needed some work, but it was expected of such a great vessel as this. Letting his eyes venture off into the distance of the room, absorbing in every mineral, fiber and fabric he came to.

The situation became ever more clear, as though looking from a telescope. The focus of Shawn stood right before him, Dashawn's eyebrows rising in interest. The curiosity was peaked in an abrupt scream of a "hello" and waving gesture.

For a long moment she just stood there, mouth hanging uselessly open, before she whirled about and leaned against the doorframe.

What madness was this? The thought shattered her normally calm facade.

It sounds like Barnes wants this-- this-- ancient gandyrak of a stormtrooper to come along???

It can't happen; it just can't! What will I do if he finds out I have--?

Moving quickly, she left the door and went to where her utility belt was laying. There she rummaged in a manner that was bordering upon frantic, until her fingers closed upon the data chip she had hidden there in one of its pouches.

Stifling a sigh of relief, she replaced the data chip and returned to the door.

Then, unable to come up with a good enough excuse to deny the current boss of this ship entry, she palmed open the door.

Her brows rose a fraction when she saw Nefrai standing there as well.

"Umm... yes?" she stammered, doing her best to present a bland yet tired-looking face to the pair, even though in her heart she knew the facade wasn't working.

Her mouth worked a bit before she stepped back into her room.

"Of course, Captain; please, enter."

She waved an arm graciously, her composure returning to her in leaps and bounds as she ushered the men into the quarters that had been assigned to her.

He wasted no time with words of comfort or delay.

"I know that this proposal comes as a shock, but hear me out on this. This Major Cyprios is a threat on more than one level, I know. Therefore I have to consider--especially in relation to the data his ship carries--the best situation to place him in without making him entirely suspicious. I can't just simply place him under arrest on this ship; he would immediately conclude that either we are extremely paranoid or up to some something.

Possibly both.

I can't just fix his ship and let him go on his merry way either. If he's aware of the data his ship carries well, in time I'm certain he will lay alliances with someone, and when he does I'm not so certain I want them to have the information that data can give them. However, if he's unaware of the data I could simply wipe it from his computer system and let him go...but then, what other information does he carry that might be useful to the powers that be? To anyone he comes in contact with and allies himself with?"

Aaron paused, the frustration in his words clearly evident. "My thinking is this. Placing him on this mission gives him a justifiable job, one in which both Nefrai and Shawn can keep tabs on him. This is something which I don't believe my men can do here aboard the Hornett, even as well as they are trained. Likewise, it will give him a way to pay for the "debt" he owes EE for the repairs to his ship...

...and it will buy us time to deal with the data aboard his ship and perhaps even discover if he is aware of its existence. His Imperial military expertise could be of some use to you as well should you encounter the new Empire on this mission...

...and any encounter you may have with the Empire with him will also allow us to gauge his reaction to it. This man could be a deadly weapon for the Empire, or whomever is out there who may want either his skills or the very data aboard that TIE fighter in the hangar bay.

Dare we risk making him suspicious by holding him here for an unnecessary amount of time? Dare we just let him go on his way? Or should we keep us under our thumbs and gaze for as long as we can until we know precisely what he is capable of, and what he might do?"

One of the men at the end of the table glared at the man still sitting nearby the communit, one finger still on the "reply" button.

At least, he thought it had been the reply button.

"Look closer, pal," the man at the end of the table said to him then, "That button says 'enter,' not 'accept'; they've recently changed the units."

The man at the communit scowled, took his finger from the control, and turned to Deshawn...

...who appeared to be looking directly at...

...well, nothing.

He cocked a brow at Deshawn, speaking up and wondering if the janitor would even hear him. "Had to many to drink today, eh buddy?"

Then, this time checking to make certain he had the "send" button pressed, he spoke into the communit once more. "Security," he said, "You are needed right away."

In less than a few seconds after the call, the metal doors to the conference room whooshed open. Security officers began to file in, and surrounded Deshawn.

"Come on, pal," the leader said as a man on either side of Deshawn took hold of his arms and began to turn him away from the conference table. "Let's go have a little talk about all this, shall we?"

For they made sense.

If he remained behind, aware that he was under the scrutiny of Eagle Enterprises, there was no doubt that he would grow angry. In fact, she was certain he was already angry... he was just trained well enough to hide the fact.

And anger leads to hatred... and she was a part of the entity toward whom that hatred would be focused.

Not to mention the very real possibility that he might already harbor suspicions she had made a copy of those Death Star files; she wasn't stupid enough to believe that he was unaware of their presence tucked away in his ship's computer.

He knew someone had been sent to his ship... therefore he simply had to assume it had been gone over with a fine toothed comb. And if he ever made the connection that it had been her and Nefrai, nothing would stop him from going after them in anger...

She raised her head, cut another glance to Nefrai.

My friend, I am so grateful you are here with me....

"Under the circumstances, and considering that I shall have the protection of a Jedi, not to mention the considerable talents of my friend, I can do nothing more than agree with your assessment, Captain," she said in a low voice.

She sighed.

...I think it best you do the same...

...or whatever it is you will need to do to prepare. The guards can escort you back to your quarters...

...I must go speak with the Major."

Saying nothing more than this, Aaron turned on his heel and departed from Manth's quarters, leaving she and Kesh behind. Quickly he made his way to the quarters where Dat had been taken, but not before sending a brief comm to Shawn Petrolu.

"Shawn, the Major will be accompanying you, unless he declines. Meet me at Red Level suite 0059."

After closing the connection, Aaron approached the metal door where the group of 4 guards stood in silence.

"Sir?" the lead guard queried.

"Change in plans," was all Aaron replied before speaking into the communit beside the metal door.

"Major Cyprios, I am aware you may already be resting, but if not I wish to speak with you once more. I've considered what repayment you can give me in return for the repair of your ship, and it has occurred to me your expertise in combat may be of considerable use to my team that is leaving tomorrow to search for a couple of employees who have gone missing on a planet with a grand clan of mystical warriors. If you accept this offer, not only will you be able to repay your debt...

Jasyn, Matt, Galen, Erik...

...and his sister.

Quite unexpectedly...

...for like his sister, Shawn had never been one for grand premonitions...

...a vision came, one emblazoned in fire then darkness. And in that darkness came a swirling mist, and the scream of an all-too-familiar voice. As if on cue to the scream that had to have come from none other than Shayla, an image slowly came into blurry focus, one of two shadowy images. One of the images lay prostrate on the ground, long red-hair swirling about her face...

...while the other image hovered over her. Shawn couldn't make out anything regarding the latter image...

...excepting a pair of disturbing electric blue eyes with chrome irises. They quite nearly looked Vong in nature...

...but suddenly it wasn't those disturbing eyes which had Shawn's attention. There was the scream again, the scream of his sister...

...and somewhere beyond that disturbing figure that previously had his attention, Shawn could now make out the silohette of a small, writhing form on the floor behind him. The form's bedraggled hair was long, and dark-blonde...

"I hope I did not make an error in this, my friend," she said in a low voice.

"I do not trust this Imperial; however, from what better vantage point to keep an eye on him than right in front of him?"

She moved back to her bed and sat down upon it, drawing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms about them.

"Perhaps I am wrong, Nefrai," she continued.

"Perhaps he will prove to be anything other than what history has shown these Imperial guards to have been."

Then she shook herself, and glanced at the chrono.

"The hour grows late, Nefrai; it is time to sleep, if we are to depart in the morning. I hope Captain Barnes has some further information for us, so we at least will have a starting point from which to begin our hunt.

"It is a terribly large galaxy, after all..."

Yet one made surprisingly small by the unexpected inclusion of Dat Cyprios.

...but you will have the chance to begin discovering the new galaxy which you find yourself a part of."

The voice from some hidden speaker drives Dat from his bed, sending him passing silently toward the door. Entering a guarded stance, he keys open the door to reveal Captain Barnes and his security detail.

"Oh?" His voice is wary -- alarm bells are ringing in his mind. What is this? One minute I'm effectively under house arrest, the next I'm being asked to participate in a mission? Something isn't quite right...

The wariness fades from his voice, at least slightly, as he continues, "...I'll be more than happy to assist in any way I can; I do indeed owe you a debt that I can't currently repay, though I'll need to know more about what this mission entails: background, intelligence, organization, composition, equipment and the like." He backs away from the door, gesturing with his hand, "Won't you come in? I wouldn't want to leave you standing in the corridor while we discuss business." Strangely, the remains of a piece of furniture are clearly visible in one corner of the room.

What has been going on here?

Then, regaining complete composure, he stepped inside and walked past Dat and into the sitting area as the metal doors of Dat's assigned quarters whooshed to close. He took a seat, but remained very alert.

"I am going to fill you in on all of this-but first, I want you to know I am recording this message and sending it off to Minna Manth and Nefrai Kesh's quarters via a secure frequency."

Pausing at this, Aaron keyed in a code on his commlink. Then he began to speak once more.

"The assignment entails going to a world where a couple of my employees and the wife of my former partner have strangely disappeared. It has been quite some time since we have heard from any of them--their names are Galen Danner, Matt Stanza, and Jasyn Lancaster. I will provide you all images of these people before you depart in a few short hours...

...but now I wish to inform you more of the nature of this world into which you will be finding yourself. The world--which is called K'eel Doba--is one of the homes of a race of magickal beings few know of. You see, they are the home of the true race of Sith..."

Here Aaron paused, knowing what the words Sith meant to Dat. "These peoples are very magickal, but are not Darksiders like the Emperor was. They are, however, very powerful, and the particular clan on this world include those who are warriors. I believe Galen Danner went to this world to procure a particular fighter...

...and my two employees Stanza and Lancaster went after her. All three have disappeared. You, as well as Manth and Nefrai, need to know that Galen's sister may be residing on K'eel Doba. I have not encountered her but once or twice; the only things I recall of her is that she has long red hair, is short of stature, and has a strange device implanted upon her forehead which glows. She is very powerful and very influential among the Sith; finding her may be the key to finding the others. She and Galen have had relations ranging from sisterly love to anything but, as I understand it.

Finally, you should also know that these there is also the possibility Galen succeeded in her quest, in which case she would have gone on to Coruscant, which is heavily blockaded. If she is on Coruscant, she is looking for her daughter...and therefore would be seeking out a man by the name of Sorben Tarnus, whom she believed last had the child. Tarnus is in high-command when it comes to the Empire, and should be approached carefully. But first and foremost, your search will begin on the world of K'eel Doba. My belief--and concern--is that none of the three of these missing people ever left from this location."

Finishing at that, Aaron keyed in something else on his comm, which in turn sent his message off through a secure link and directly to Manth and Kesh's quarters. Then he turned to Cyprios.

"Questions?"

"Also, how long have we been out of contact? I'd like to know, just so I can have some idea of the probability that the targets are already dead." Precise. Blunt. Military to a tee. "Your employees? How qualified were they? And how long ago were they dispatched? What equipment did they carry? And both teams... What vessels were they using? We can possibly pick up a distress signal once we get in range, or pick up their hull signatures."

"What equipment will we have at our disposal? What about possible support from the Hornett? I don't imagine it'll be available, but better for me to know now if it will be, than to be surprised later by it. Who's in command of this mission, and where will I fall within the chain of command? How free to act will I be?"

"Oh, and one more thing..."

"...How likely do you think it is that we will succeed, that we'll bring back your employees alive?"

A teacher once said that one can learn much from an individual by presenting them with their own thoughts as bluntly as possible. Dat would tend to agree.

"I don't believe I'm going to like having this gentleman aboard my ship," she said softly, the words spoken by the Imperial still ringing in her ears. Frowning then, she hit the comm-switch by her bed, cutting into the conversation going on in Dat's quarters.

"Excuse me, Captain Barnes, but please remind this-- gentleman that we are not a military mission...

"...and that the ship we are to travel in is not only a private vessel, but mine."

Shawn whirled to speak to Kesh's departing back.

As Dat sinks back into his chair, his breathing ragged, he ponders his disjointed reply. He was blinded by emotion, out of control... "What is happening to me," he asks himself as he stands and begins to pace, as if to pick up the broken shards of his composure from the floor.

"Wait!" Shawn called, his voice demanding attention, "What has the Major done to envoke such a hasty response from you? Your anger is clear to me...

She paused there, struggling to fight against the uncharacteristic anger that had erupted in the wake of Dat's searing words. A flicker caught at the edge of her vision; noticing that it was the hem of her nightclothes, she thought better of the directions in which her actions had been taking her, and turned away from the door.

Going back to the bed, she slammed her hand against the comm-switch.

"Captain Barnes, I am afraid that I must renege on my promise to you."

It was all she could do to keep the anger from slicing out in the words she was speaking.

"I'm afraid that I simply cannot allow this gentlman aboard Forbiddance; especially now that he has shown his true colors, his true personality."

She yanked her hand back, and began pacing the floor.

Too many friends had died due to faulty planning...

"Wait," Aaron said as he flipped the comm switch to Manth's quarters. "First and foremost, your ship will be your ship, and as such any major commands in regard to the vessel are yours to make while you are all onboard. I want that to be abundantly clear right now. Likewise I want it to be abundantly clear that the Bothans, whether on your side at your time or not, Major, are held in high regard in this day in age. They sacrificed alot in the time from when you came so that we could all be here now minus a goverment which was, at the time, felt to be very oppressive by some. So there will be no more of this reference to the shadows the Bothans walked in. They walked in those shadows mainly because they were forced to do so.

And Ms. Manth...I hope that you can reconsider this. I believe the Major is considering the interests of the entire crew and the mission in all of this...

...and I do believe your own ties to the second death Star battle are clouding your thoughts regarding what he is saying to you. I know this is a difficult combination we are making here...

...but the more I consider it,the more I believe each of your individual strengths and weaknesses will combine to make a great team. I am relying on Jedi Petrolu to balance you all out...and I trust him implicitly in this, as should you.

There is no longer the Empire of old to be dealt with here, nor is there a rebellion. What is to be dealt with hear are a group of my friends who are very lost...

Dammit Barnes--

A sigh burst from her and she plopped on the bed, shaking her head.

Minna, this isn't like you, she silently berated herself.

You know anger does no good, it only begets more anger. It is nothing but a loss of self control; you haven't become the spy that you have by losing your control like this with every Tom, Dick and Solo who came marching down the spacelanes and yelled at you.

What is prompting this, now?

She raised her head, her eyes huge and dark in her face as the truth hit her.

I'm afraid.

She fisted her hands, took up the bedclothes, kneaded them between her long fingers.

You will have Nefrai there if you need him; you will have the Jedi, there is no reason to be afraid of this man.

But--

But it isn't this man you are afraid of, is it?

She sighed, hung her head, remained quiet for a long moment. When she raised her head, there was new determination shining in her eyes, and her manner had calmed by degrees.

She raised a careful finger and punched the comm-switch.

"Forgive me my impulsion; it was most unlike me. Of course our new friend would have no knowledge of who and what we Bothans are now... who we have become; for that matter he has no idea as to what the Galaxy has become, either."

She paused.

Took in another breath.

"I apologize, Mr. Cyprios, for my reaction and any implied slur I might have made against you. You are of course welcome aboard my ship..."

Quieting at that, Aaron hesitated for the first time, uncertan of where to go from here.

...so will it take time for the Major to become accustomed to the place he finds himself now. I'm certain Captain Barnes will speak to him regarding whatever he has said to prompt you to take action; give the Captain the chance to respond."

Saying nothing more than this, Shawn stepped up to the metal doors and pressed the communit beside the door.

"Captain Barnes, this is Shawn Petrolu."

Without a word Shawn entered, his face obstinately unreadable...

...excepting the flash of something, perhaps concern, deep in his eyes. This only was evident for the barest of moments, however, and Aaron wondered if he should even bring it up.

"Kesh is waiting to have a word with you," Aaron then spoke up, raising a hand to stop any comment. "I'm letting Jedi Petrolu sit in on this one, for whatever it is he has to say. You are all going to be a team; now is a good time to start working on becoming one."

With no further word than this, Aaron turned and departed. As the metal doors to Dat's quarters slid open, Aaron walked out and paused in front of Nefrai. "You may speak with the Major now," he opened with, "But I want Jedi Petrolu to be part of this...

...discussion as well. Remember, you are all going to be a team...

...and Shawn is the one who knows where you are all headed for the best, who you are dealing with...

...and is the most objective of all of all of you in regards to the differences Manth and Cyprios may have. I'm counting on you to help him maintain the balance as well...

...along with the fact you have some amazing abilities. Keep that in mind."

Nefrai Kesh then straightened. If it hadn't been evident that he was hunched before, it was now made obvious, standing near 2.6 meters, looking down at Dat with his skull like visage, then came down again. "A little stretch is always enjoyable."

He went to the table, and placed a clawed hand upon it, scratching the metal ever-so-slightly. "Now, Cryprios is it? We, Petrolu here, you, myself and ms. Manth will be working with each other on a fairly dangerous mission, as juding by your thrist for information you realize."

He looked straight at Dat, no bs in his eyes. "As a team, I sense a bit of distrust, paranoia, something between you and Manth that I'm afraid we cannot have. After all, as a team-" he gave much emphasis on the word, "-we cannot have infighting and squabbling, that could get one of us hurt or killed. Now, I trust that if we work together we can keep anything bad from happening, but if there is a sliver of doubt between us all, disaster could easily be within reach."

...but I believe we are all quite capable of putting them aside to complete this mission. To continually rehash the point only makes it easier for us to get caught up in ourselves and our own possible disagreements over what we are doing."

Here he paused and let a moment hang in silence.

Then he finished with, "And let us not forget that none of us truly knows each other just yet; what we all know is based merely on our walks of life: An Imperial guard, a Jedi, a Bothan. These are the things we do, but they are not our sole descriptors.

And that being said...

...it is time for us all to get some rest."

"If I can stop being a creature that's haunted the shadows and nightmares of your kind for longer than you've had intelligent speech, then I'm sure you can get over your bigotry in time."

She crawled into bed, lay down, tried to still the deep-seated tremors that insisted on remaining with her, no matter what calming technique she tried.

She got up, went to the 'fresher, got a drink of water.

Washed her face for the third time. Crawled back into bed, pulled the covers up.

"Lights out," she said softly... then commanded them show themselves again that their brilliance would wash away the taunting image of a particular leonine face that came swimming at her out of the dark.

She sat up, defeated. Quickly then, she got out of bed, removed her nightclothes, put on her utility belt.

Checked a pocket: it was still there.

Holding her head high she moved to the door, palmed it quietly open, and stuck her head out to peruse the corridor without.

The few crewmen who yet moved at this late hour paid her little heed; satisfied, she moved out among them, her footfalls soft but sure, quickening as she hastened on the well-remembered path to the particular docking bay where her ship had been berthed.

Entering, she went immediately to the officer on deck.

"I-- I would sleep in my ship, please," she said, her tone still soft but carrying an undercurrent of steel within it, one that would brook no denial. The officer could find no reasonable excuse to not grant her request, and Minna was soon safely ensconced in the blessed familiarity of Heaven's Forbiddance.

She keyed a new sequence into the hatch before locking it securely. Then she attended to her navigational computer, pulling up the coordinates to a particular system and punching them in.

Her eyes remained glued to the chrono: three more hours until departure.

She yawned, but hunkered into her seat, determined to remain awake...

...and determined as well to depart the Hornett at precisely 0600 as scheduled.

Alone.

"Captain Barnes, this is Shawn Petrolu. A couple of requests. The Major would like access to his cargo pod to retrieve some items he may need for the trip...

...and he is also requesting a datacard with some information he was requesting. I trust you know what this is in reference to."

Here he paused a moment. "As for the Major's cargo pod...

...he can retrieve whatever it is he might need from cargo hold 1138 at 0530 hours. I will alert security of this...

...and I would like you to accompany him, Shawn, rather than my guards. This will draw less attention, and my men around here know you well enough to let him in based on your word. I can tell them all I want that he is coming, but having a familiar face would ease their minds. If you need anything further, let me know. Otherwise, til the morning, Barnes out."

...I will return here just before 0530. I don't know that I'll be getting much sleep..."

Here he trailed, the briefest flickers of concern glinting in his eyes, "...but I should try to meditate at least."

Saying nothing more than that, Shawn turned to go, his mind on the task ahead...

0515.

Now is the time, she told herself as she then reached to communications and toggled a switch. Immediately a link she had already keyed in popped into being, one connecting her to Captain Barne's private frequency.

She paused a moment, debating how to begin.

But yet another thought of the leonine Serke prompted her to speak, no matter how illogical or waffling her words might end up sounding.

"I regret to inform you yet again that I must back down from this mission," she began carefully.

"Other than that the reasons for my decision are personal ones, and shall not be mentioned here, I find myself having urgent business elsewhere."

She cringed a moment, then pursed her lips and continued.

"I am confident in the abilities of your new guest as well as those of Nefrai Kesh; he is a good companion, and a good hunter. He will help you on your quest."

I hope, the amendment came tumbling laong, but she squelched the thought, hurried on.

"I am sending you coordinates to a system called the Khar Delban system."

Just you nevermind how or why I happen to have those coordinates...

"That might be as good a place as any to begin looking for your missing people, if there is any involvement with the Sith."

A pause to close her eyes, fighting down a shudder.

"As for the upgrades you have just finished on my ship... please take payment from the credits Nefrai and I earned assisting Captain Barnes. I believe my half of that total will be more than enough."

She stopped again, her mouth working for a moment or two. Then realizing that there really was nothing more to say, she closed off communications, and set about warming up Forbiddance for its scheduled departure.

Shawn, after a night of pure meditation and absolutely no sleep, returned to Dat's quarters, the hood of his robe still on his head...

...to find a rather antsy looking threesome of guards.

Shawn frowned.

Three? Where's the other one?

It didn't take Shawn long to find out from the guards that Dat had taken from his quarters earlier and that the lead guard had followed in hot pursuit after him. Sensing outward, Shawn sensed nothing untoward, and requested that the lead guard be commed. In short order he was informed that both the Major and the guard were waiting in the docking bay to retrieve Dat's belongs.

He made his way to the docking bay cargo hold on his own, already having a fairly good idea of where it was. As stated, there the guard and Dat stood, waiting. The former looked a little bit rattled, and the latter...

What Shawn sensed gave him pause. His greeny-blue eyes cut to Dat, and for the moment he chose not to press. "Ready?" he queried instead, falling silent, and waiting to see what the Major might reply.

The Sith are a race of beings which existed four thousand years ago. They were destroyed by the Dark Jedi-who we usually call Sith-but not before they were able to use their magicks to ensure their return. I am uninformed as to the ins and outs of this magick and how this is possible...all I know is that, through the information my former business partner let me be privy to knowing, they do exist, and have come from the past and into our time. The amount of time Galen, Jasyn, and Matt have been missing has been extensive-possibly around a year or more. I know this number would lead one to believe they are all dead, but I simply can’t just assume that. For one, these people are all very qualified. Galen is an excellent pilot; Jasyn a technician, and Matt a quiet strategist. Aside from that, they have been in experiences with the Sith before, and have come against some incredible odds. While there is a possibility they have been killed...there is also every possibility they are hunkering down somewhere. It wouldn’t be the first time, it is just the longest span of time before I’ve heard from them, in hiding or not. When she last departed from the Hornett, Galen was flying The Eagle, my partner’s highly modified lambda-class shuttle. If this ship still exists, and the signal hasn’t been discovered, we may be able to track her. I will look into this, and inform you of the results before your arrival at K’eel Doba. Jasyn and Matt were flying in Matt’s highly modified lambda-class shuttle The Raptor. She has a tracking system like the Eagle’s. Support from the Hornett will be minimal to none; however, you can contact me at the frequency Jedi Petrolu and Ms. Manth have. I expect that you all work as a team: anything relating to Ms. Manth’s ship should remain her domain to determine. Otherwise I expect that Jedi Petrolu be given lead; he has the most experience both with these missing people and with the Sith. Nefrai and Major Cyprios, I am relying on you for your combat abilities. If you need any further information, contact me.

Sealing off the datachip and getting up, Aaron prepared to leave for the docking area...

...and froze as Minna Manth’s disturbing comm came through.

Suddenly very disturbed...if not for the simple fact that Minna had the Khar Delban coordinates than perhaps because of something else, Aaron keyed in the frequency for the main docking bay. “Until further notice from me and absolutely no one else, not one ship is to be given clearance to depart from any of the docking areas.”

Saying nothing further than this, Aaron departed his quarters and hurried to the docking area, knowing Shawn and Major Cyprios were bound to be there already despite the fact it was only 0530. Dat would be collecting his equipment.

Aaron rounded the corner, stopped right near Shawn, who appeared to be waiting for something from the Major, and broke in with, “Minna Manth has backed out again and has gone to her ship, and I don’t think it’s because she’s disturbed by the Major’s presence,” he opened with. “She knows the coordinates for Khar Delba...

...and there aren’t too many people who would know that.”

He quieted at that, his concern only heightening.

After all, who else in the galaxy knew exactly where the Khar Delban system was...?

Minna sighed, glancing at the chrono, impatiently ticking off the minutes before her scheduled departure.

They ought to be outside the ship, or at least nearby by now, she thought to herself, actually surprised that Barnes hadn't contacted her with yet another protest or entreaty.

She shrugged; curious then, she switched on the viewscreens, and set the hull's video cameras into a panoramic sweep of the hanger bay.

Yup, she thought to herself.

There they are. Hmmm... maybe Barnes didn't get my message? Maybe they are all still thinking they're coming aboard--

Wait.

A small frown wrinkled her features as she leaned forward to peruse the screens more carefully.

That's that TIE they're all heading toward; surely they know that the thing can't hardly carry a pilot, much less any passengers....

Another thought froze that speculation into ice; with an involuntary gasp she scrabbled at her utility pouch, digging.

She closed her eyes in relief as her fingers clasped around the tiny data chip. Drawing it out, she gave it a thoughtful look; then cut her glance about herself as if seeking something.

Every inborn instinct was crying out to her that, inexplicably, danger was imminent.

Nothing satisfactory met her sweeping gaze. She brought the chip up to her face, stared at it thoughtfully.

Then sighed, quickly brought it to her lips, and swallowed it.

Then, less than fifteen minutes from her scheduled departure, she gave in to that insistant scream within. The wide-open docking bay doors were too much to bear; quickly keying in an emergency sequence, she let out a small yelp and slammed her palm down upon the "enable" switch.

Heaven's Forbiddance rose easily to the occasion. Her thrusters flared, fired, and sent her shooting from Hornett like a podracer from the gate.

She had scarcely cleared the bay doors when she suddenly swooped down along the z-axis at a full 90-degrees to her departure vector, hugging the ship's immense hull like a gnat.

Interminable moments crawled by before the blur of metal and durasteel and glass at last gave way to the blessed blackness of space.

The ship pulled perhaps a couple hundred klicks or so from the huge SSD then disappeared altogether as the emergency escape vector Minna had keyed in ripped open the doorway into hyperspace, and sent the little cruiser flying on its way.

The word circulated around the young Dashawn's mind as he watched the security pile into the room and carry him out. There was a misunderstanding in the depths of his mind and though the interaction with "Shawn", or at least who had presumed to be, lead to such things as drinking as the conclusion it certainly became clear as he stepped out into the light that it wasn't. Alcohol had been a foregin venom to the young man's system for what had seem to be decades and any reunion wouldn't be long lived nor felt.

Turning about his head, almost mechanically, he gazed into the eyes of the security guard. A distinct mixture of white shined into his eyes from the hallway's high beaming ceiling. The illuminated wlakway left him in a dangerous state of momentary blindness. All there was before him was a large void that expanded for infinities of time, leaving only room for a zooming hault of his senses.

Something was wrong with him and only he knew it, for his face, his body, nothing noted for even the simpliest of changes in his body chemical. Then in an abrupt push from the unseen he fell, dropping to the floor from the gravity of the situation. There was something that had left him sick.

Maybe it was the janitor working finally getting to him and the chemicals that he used to whipe the floors up. Whatever it was it had left him motionless on the floor, shallow in his breathe.

They were all so different and so the same. Their motions varied from sluggish for those very few large, seemingly dumb type of aliens and fast for those that held eyes with content. Dug crawled themselves about, their slow motions held in contrast to their devilish facial features and bodily shaping. Meanwhile varies Bothans sly and coy motioned about, their hands roaming into the envelopes of their pockets. It was truly a scene of differed natures, however every single grouping held an intent, a meaning...a reason. The young human boy let his eyes drift off once more, fixing upon a more stationary, almost meaningless figure.

"Damn comm. unit."

The boy cursed at it, glaring at it as it gawked back in near confusion and anger. Nearly crushing it under the pressure of his grasp, Jamel beckoned the frequency that he had previously done before. His voice raised with intensity, yet the difference was now that his tone was calm and even more curteous. Anything and every account in life was being taken into nature, swagger and style in his oral. This impression was key, hopefully...

You didn't close the hangar bay doors, dammit, a little voice in his head scoffed. Terrin would have NEVER been that careless. Hell, he wouldn't have been so careless as to have a spy aboard his ship either. And NOW you have an oldtime Imperial who is working part of your ship...

Aaron jerked to look at Dat, who was showing an uncharacteristic amount of reaction to the situation, especially considering he had tried to bring the hangar bay doors to a close before Manth escaped.

"Why are you so concerned about her departure?" Aaron couldn't help but blurt out. "I've gotta try to contact her...

"...and where the Hell is Kesh? Maybe he went with her, for all I know..."

Here he paused, motioning a guard over. "Go to the guest quarters of Nefrai Kesh, as well as those of Minna Manth. Find out if Kesh is at either place, and if so, request that he meet us here. Give him no further information for the time being."

The guard nodded, and went about his business to look for Kesh. Aaron returned his attention to Shawn and Dat. He hesitated, glancing at Dat. "We may need to go after her. And as for the mission...

...I don't know what will come of it. Manth's hunting expertise, as well as her ship, were key variables..."

And not just from Aaron.

Shawn cut his greeny-blue eyes to Dat. "You said some things were missing from your ship. What things?"

"The final piece of my armor, my helmet..." He turns to Shawn as he speaks. "My belongings have been... rifled." He gestures to the claw-like markings, then shrugs, "This, of course, I expected. I didn't expect that anything would be... Stolen." He shakes his head and strides toward the fighter, hoisting himself up into the pilot's compartment.

A series of beeps come from inside the tiny fighter, then a string of profanities in a variety of tongues. Dat's body is a tense ball of apprehension, though his voice betrays nothing. His words, however...

"Someone has accessed this fighter's databanks. I suspected, but couldn't be sure... Until now." He pauses for a moment, then locks his gaze with Shawn's, pointedly leaving Aaron out of the equation for a moment. "Aboard this fighter was information that could change the balance of power in the galaxy. My mission was twofold: first, infiltrate the research station near Kessel to weed out enemy sympathizers; and second..." He steps closer to Shawn, moving as nonthreateningly as he can in his agitated state. When he speaks, his voice is a pained whisper.

"...To deliver the plans of the second Death Star to the facility to allow construction of another..."

"These data have been accessed. The person in question must have been skillful, as their tracks were mostly obliterated. Still, a few telltales were left behind. This information has been copied, Master Petrolu."

"They told me of some interesting plans aboard the TIE, and suggested I do something about them...

...which I do intend to do."

"Someone has those plans. Is it you, Captain? Or is it Manth, lost in some haze of racial memory?"

The question is entirely rhetorical; he believes that he already has the answer. He closes his eyes to summon control over himself. When he opens them again, his face is blank, controlled. "We have a situation, gentlemen." He pauses, remembering his position.

...but then, she does have the spy and the hunter in her, so perhaps I estimate her incorrectly. Those files have to be retrieved...

...but there is no way to track Manth as of now. She's on her own ship, and with the suddeness of her departure, I doubt we have any records on her departure vector."

Aaron paused, pursing his lips. "I hesitate to delay this mission regarding my employees any longer, while I know these files have to be recovered and destroyed as soon as possible as well. Perhaps I shoul dsimply contact Manth regarding them..."

These were the times being a Jedi could prove to be very difficult for, although he might not show any outward evidences of struggle in making a choice, they were there nonetheless.

"I advise the data files be deleted immediately," he finally spoke up, pausing and pursing his lips before restating, suspecting something judging from Aaron's emotions, "Completely deleted. And as to using Stargazer Coorporation in order to possibly discern Manth's location...

...it's a possibility, but then she is a very good spy. She'll cover her tracks well. Perhaps, if you send her a comm, she'll at least consider the possible ramifications of having a copy of those plans. Might take her some time to receive the message, if she is in hyperspace...

...but I think it's worth a shot before anyone starts to hunt her down."

"Ms. Manth, it has come to my attention that you have possibly copied some files which we discussed last night. You as well as anyone know the nature and importance of those files...

...as well as what could happen should those files fall into the wrong hands. I advise you to delete these files at once..."

Pausing at this, the Jedi pursed his lips, his mind still struggling with the reality that this could possibly have a great impact on the lives of th entire galaxy. Once again, his sister, Erik, and the others might have to wait...

...as much as he absolutely hated it. He had to keep the bigger picture in mind, as Shayla would say...

"I'd suggest you get us a ship ready, in case we have to make extra efforts to see that those plans do not get into the wrong hands. And we might need a pilot..."

A chime announcing the imminent reversion to realspace warbled through the bridge, yanking Minna from the short nap she had been trying to take. She jerked erect in her seat, yawning and stretching before tending to the ensuing drop from hyperspace.

Her hands danced about her console, keying in new coordinates, giving Forbiddance a trail to follow now that its diversionary tactic had been fulfilled.

But to her great consternation, the moment those starstreaks outside her viewports shrank back into pinpoints, her bridge came alive with the clamor of an incoming transmission. She frowned, keyed the comm to receive, and then sat in stunned silence as Barne's words filled the bridge with their tinny ring.

They know! she gasped.

I don't know how they do, but they know... good thing I took off when I did.

No time to pat herself on the back for her foresight, however. As Barne's plea ground to a halt she wasted no time, but busied herself with a reply, and in the preparation of its transmission from a communications buoy.

"Captain Barnes of the Hornett, this is Heaven's Forbiddance.

"Your suspicions are fruitless. Rest assured, there are no such plans aboard my ship.

"Thank you again for your hospitality.

"Heaven's Forbiddance, out."

Satisfied, she programmed the buoy for continuous repeat of the signal, then keyed in another series of hyperdriven flights to throw anyone off her trail. Finally keying in the coordinates to her true destination, she let the buoy drop from her ship's hold, then slipped away once more into the singular embrace of hyperspace.

The guard couldn't help but hesitate at this, if only for a moment.

Aaron frowned, listening to the message only a few times before closing the connection. He looked up to the others, leaving Nefrai for last. "Manth has bailed," he said simply, "And I'm afraid she may have some information from the Major's computer which may be very dangerous."

He paused, adding, "Do uou know of anything she may have taken from his computer files?"

Turning to Shawn then, he continued with, "As for your current mission...

...I believe you need to stay on it. Galen, Jasyn, and Matt have been missing far too long...

...and as it stands, we probably have no way to trace Ms. Manth."

Quieting a moment at this, he keyed in a frequency to the Hornett's main control bridge. "Do we have any staats on the departure vector of the ship which just left despite lack of clearance?"

"No sir," came the reply, "The departure was too sudden, and unexpected."

Closing the connection, Aaron pursed his lips. "We could attempt to track her via this comm I've received...

...but considering she replied only a few moments after I replied, I'd guess that she jumped randomly and set her departure vector from wherever she was when she replied. I doubt she's there any longer. I'll run this all through Stargazer Corporation, as well as the stats on the Forbiddance and see if they can give me any leads."

Pausing once more, he turned to Dat. "Regarding the mission you are all still going on...here is the datachip you requested. Now..."

For a moment, he trailed. "Jedi Petrolu mentioned the need for a pilot, and I think we've got one..."

"Well, I don't know how covert this mission will be. It should be, mostly..."

He paused, trailing a second, "...but there is an Imperial blockade in the Khar Delban system. You should be fine getting in though; so far as I know no one has been stopped going in. Just going out..."

"...therefore we'd better make sure you have a really good ship. I know Shawn's sister Shayla is a good pilot, if you find her she will probably be able to handle the situation. My sources tell me her hit and fades are perfectly executed."

For a moment his eyes darkened at this, as though he were recalling something. And perhaps he was at that.

"As for the ship you will take, I have in mind something very well equipped for this sort of travel. I don't want too much attention drawn to you, and I'm hoping you will have as little interaction with the Empire as possible since they'll easily be able to identify you all excepting Dat. Still, I don't want things to seem too undercover...

...and with Shawn aboard, you might be able to convince them you've simply been on a mission of mercy...

...which wouldn't be a lie. And even more so, you might be able to convince them that the type of ship you are flying was pertinent to the type of mission you were on should they stop you. I'm going to send you in a modified YT-2400...

...and as soon as you can familiarize yourself with the controls, I'd like you to proceed on. Follow me."

Motioning then, Aaron lead the way through the main hangar bay until they approached a highly polished ebony YT-2400 freighter. "Her hull will hide you well, and her weapons will give you a fighting chance."

I hope, came the addendum. "I will let you know if and when I receive information concerning Ms. Manth. Until then...

Placing the comm unit in his pocket, he took to a stand, pressing his weight against the wall. Propelling himself into the air for a skip forth, he edged himself into a smooth trot ahead. The waypoint was the starport. There was things to do on the new starship he had hijacked only a day previous, but it was seeming more and more tedious to do.

However at this point there was nothing else to do so it only seemed like the plausible escape from boredom. Plunging his hands into his pocket, he let them fiddle with the loose credits, few tools and comm unit within. Maybe sooner or later, hopefully sooner for him, they would respond. However, his eyes were as a wet leaf, dangling down in a lost of hope.