I couldn't help it; no one so beautiful should be so-- so--

So what Yaoksi? Evil? Had she been evil?

Well... she did wham Jebbua, didn't she?

I shook my head, then lifted my face. The open door to relative freedom was just ahead, Link standing anxiously nearby.

"Move it!" I hissed.

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

As soon as the shots had left the protective bubble of the Ysalamiri, I saw him begin to turn, the force giving him notice that they were approaching. I do give him props for managing to block two of the shots, but they were rather foolish.

Upon the disintigration of the shots, acid spattered out from the sides and gave a small raining shower to the hall, not enough to concentratedly damage, but enough to hurt those in the immediate area.

But the third shot was the main trick. It was beyond the surprised jolt of the Jedi when the third round slipped through his middle finger that was clasped about the hilt of his saber, and slammed into the small powercell and out the other side to explode on the floor, creating a small puddle of acid that boiled on the floor.

"Don't, move you fethwipes." I called down the hall, still in good cover from the door, weapon trained. "Mistress Mitra may be important, but realize that if she dies, there's nothing to stop me from wasting you all. This is a very small hallway, and this is a rather powerful gun."

I moved the gun just slightly to cover over towards Yaoski and Thea. "Let her go, let them both go, and I wont have to call for a cleaning crew, and you two walk out of here with a bit more than pile of ashes for bodies."

Jedi's main power is down, lets just hope they take that into account and let it go.

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

I grunted, pressing Thea yet closer to me, arching my body protectively over her as the acid droplets showered around us.

I knew that guy was psycho, I just knew it..

"Th-this goes a helluva long way toward endearing us into believing what you've been saying, lady," I muttered as I froze in place, the door to freedom an enticing couple meters away.

Link, bless her furry little hide, had faded away into the shadows.

I refused to release Thea, however, or my blaster. I just half-crouched there, staring at Cardissa, knowing this sudden change in circumstance would be the one to let her show her true colors.

And I hate going around saying, "I told you so--"

[ 06-05-2006 01:51 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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...let alone a little girl. Sounded damnably like another little girl that Aaron's former partner had fallen in love with and adopted as his own...

Aaron pushed the tip of his blaster up against Cardissa's head even more strongly, suddenly not caring one wit about himself.

This was one time he wasn't going to just sit by. Not anymore.

"If you're gonna shoot, then you're killing her while you're at it," Aaron growled,nodding towards Cardissa. "Cause she's on our side of the heavy weaponry, pal."

[ 06-05-2006 01:55 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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A, I let them go and they ran off to god-knows where.

B, I wasted the lot of them, but that would be quite redundantw ouldn't it?

C, I wait, and hope that the loud bangs of the Dissuader will draw guards very soon.

D, I surrender.

None of these seemed like the best of given options, but it seemed we had little choice. "Alright, here's how it plays. You let Mitra go, you get away scott free. But if you tell anyone about this, then the gloves are off, and I will come for you. A gesture of faith-"

I moved one hand off the handle slowly, and tapped the slide, the magazine with 6 shots in it falling with a dull thud to the floor. "There. No shots. Let her go."

I raised the gun slowly from them, the angle now about 4 meters over their heads and far into the ceiling. One shot left in the chamber, but it's likely they wouldn't know. No one seems to remember how good the old slugthrowers are.

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"Look, all we want is to take the girl with us, ok? We're the ones she belongs to; she was placed into my care for the past three years, and--

"Oh hell, why am I trying to explain myself to you?"

I straightened slowly when I realized the droplets of acid were no longer falling. Cutting my gaze to the trigger happy Stern, I snorted, tightening my grip on Thea.

"Wow, you've gotten yourself a new employer rather quickly, don't ya think, buddy?" I said, further emboldened by his removing the immediate threat of his weapon from our collective faces.

I began inching closer to Cardissa, my blaster still out and pointed toward Stern.

"All I want is to take Thea and go, is that too much to ask for? What in Hell's Seven Circles do you need with her anyway?

"She's a kid, and doesn't know what the hell she's doing. And she belongs with me."

I paused again, my eyes never leaving Stern but speaking fully to Cardissa now.

"Let us go."

[ 06-05-2006 02:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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Eventually I stumbled across a computer terminal.

"Hello computer."

I plugged in one of my data ports and procedded to download all I could get, I'll decrypt it later if i had a chance after i finished the download i left the data port in just in case and went looking for the others. I found them in about the same place I left them only this time they had a weapon pointed at them, but at least they had thea back.

"looks like i found a bad time to comeback"

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...we must begin somewhere."

Cardissa paused, closing her eyes, still keenly aware of the tip of the blaster yet at her forehead. "As for taking the girl from here...

...you had but to ask."

Opening her eyes then, Cardissa leveled a dark look on Stern. "Put your weapon away. There is a time and place for everything...

...and the time for that is not now."

At least, not yet.

Cardissa then looked to Yaoksi. "Are you going to let me go...

...and will you have the Empire in here, rummaging through every nook and cranny within the hour?"

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Yeesh, wasn't anybody listening?!

Opening them, I stared directly into her own, bracing myself against their innate and glistening beauty.

"Lady, I don't give a womprat's hind end for your silly Rebellion, supposed Reborn or no. I have issues of my own to attend to.

"So okay, I'm asking now: let us leave here freely and safely, ALL of us, THIS MINUTE, and with Thea, and you'll never see us again. That's a promise."

Yeesh. If I get us out of here, I'm never coming back to this blasted planet again!

[ 06-05-2006 02:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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You failed, like your father before you. And you, the one with the Destiny...

She let the door to that line of thought slam closed with a resounding thud.

"Leave now." she said simply. "All of you."

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My lightsaber was worthless and my hand felt like it was on fire.

I had fallen on my knees, but got up and backed up to where the others were.

"I suggest we leave now." I continued backup past them to the door we came through and stopped to see if they were coming.
Oh how I hate ysalmiri. Watch Stern, I'll be back someday. I tried to smile, but grimaced while I thought this.

"Sometime today."

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The Jedi's time will come soon enough.

I remained in the doorway, waiting for them to get enough distance before I would move. Never trust someone who consorts with that sort of scum.

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"Aaron, back slowly down the corridor, and keep your aim on this lady," I said, my eyes now turning to pin those of Stern's. He still stood there, his own weapon now moving from its upward position to thankfully slide into its holster--

--but I still didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. We still had Cardissa, and by all the gods even though it was only a couple of meters, we were gonna get outta this mess or my name wasn't Yaoksi Joao.

Slowly we continued moving backward toward the opened door, Cardissa yet a momentary hostage. A slight grunt and then an extremely logical suggestion from Jebbua broke my concentration; I cut a fast glance to him, returned my eyes to Stern.

"You okay there, Jedi?" I asked, knowing that somewhere in all the preceding fracas something or someone had gotten hit by something.

We moved a little further, and soon something white and furry came into the corner of my vision.

Link, bless her furry little hide, seemed to be unscathed.

"Hiya Link, and thanks for the door outta here!"

Suddenly I was aware that that was exactly where we were: the opened door. Another quick glance about, and into the passage beyond we backed, Aaron and Cardissa first, with me nanoseconds behind.

That's when out of the corner of my eye I caught the shadowy image of someone far too close to us, with a far too nasty looking stick held threateningly. Not only was it held threateningly, logic precluded that it would soon come crashing down on someone's noggin.

This would never do...

"Oh, hell--!"

Not knowing what to do, I pulled Thea's body closer to me, shifting the blaster to where it was parallel and not perpendicular to her body. Hunching over her, I let out a loud whoop and, turning a little sideways, charged into Aaron, the unexpected act loosening Cardissa from his hold and sending her careening into the shadowy figure.

Which proved to be Rico, imagine that.

I didn't plan on hanging around for lengthy hellos or farewells.

"Let's go!" I shouted and nobody uttered anything otherwise. Off we ran: Aaron, me, Jebbua and the little white Link, without whose help we could never have gotten in to retrieve Thea.

Soon we had concealed ourselves in the maze of stone corridors that was the warren of this major Sullustan city, heading toward who knows where, just anywhere that was a safe distance from that base.

Preferably on the other side of the planet!

[ 06-05-2006 05:08 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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I let loose with a yell that would have made a dead man turn even more pale. I could have taken his head right off, I’m sure, but I wasn’t going to swing with Cass there. There was some movement next to Aaron, and the next thing I know Cass is flying at me. I let the stick go and caught her as she tripped, holding on to Bluebell with the other arm.

The cowards took off running and disappeared into the dark streets. I seethed, but not being a total fool I took everyone back inside and closed the door, just as the black-clothed troops showed up.

“A little late!” I yelled, kicking one in the butt. "Who the hell is in charge of security around here?!"

I dropped Bluebell into the arms of one of the troops, and held on tight to Cass. I was mad as hell, but something really made me not want to let her go.

[ 06-05-2006 05:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rico Riven ]

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"Do you think we can stop somewhere, my hand just got shattered by that one guys gun."

I looked at it and it wasn't a pretty sight.

I looked at the others who had stopped for the moment, but I realized they weren't looking at me. I turned around to see the Trandoshan with a blaster in one hand and a remote in the other.

Why now? could he not have waited? I thought to myself.

"See you in the afterlife jedi." the Trandoshan yelled and he pushed the remote.

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

As the Trandoshan fiddled with the remote, absolutely nothing happening at that, Aaron did what he was best at.

Only unlike the previous time with Stern, he sure didn't miss.

His blaster still in hand, Aaron merely aimed and fired, stunning the Jedi hunter again. Again he fell to the ground, out like a light for a good long while.

"Something tells me that guy better buy his weapons from a better distributor," Aaron said smugly. "Barnes 2, Jedi Killer 0. Let's get the kriffing hell out of here."

[ 06-05-2006 07:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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"You, you... where were you all this time...?!?!?"

Falling silent a moment at that, she collected herself just a bit, wrapping pride around herself. "They are going to reveal this base," she said quietly, "I just know it..."

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

I'll check it out later; I want to put some distance between us and the base!

That's all I could focus on. Getting somewhere far away, where I could stop and think as to how to deal with the mess we had gotten ourselves into.

Or nearly into, I reminded myself. We're out, aren't we?

Whether for the count, now that was another issue, one that I wanted to do everything in my power to make certain happened. So I kept pushing, ducking down one passage, into another, keeping to the shadows, trying to avoid crowds and more importantly, trying to avoid those nasty little men in their gleaming white armor.

Where to go? Where to go?

The dilemma struck home with a vengeance.

I'm sure as hell not going to risk going to my place; that's a fool's journey, an assured accident waiting to happen.

Our ship is being repaired; I don't know if it's going to be safe to use even after it's repaired.

Look at what already happened. The little blue dude, working for the lady---

THEY BLEW UP MY SHIP!!!

The thought almost made me slam down instinctive brakes, ready to go back and kick some royal hiney. But common sense managed to win the day, surprisingly enough, even over my personal brand of hotheadedness.

Thea... Yaoksi, you have to do everything you can to help Thea.

Dodging down yet another shadowy stone corridor, I cast a quick look down at her. She still slumbered away, her eyes rolling like ships in a heavy sea.

Grunting, I shifted my welcomed burden, kept on going.

"A-Aaron," I panted at last.

"D-do you have any idea as to where we should go?"

Then an idea hit, something he had suggested earlier.

Thank the gods we hadn't gone there then!

A passageway came up, I slid us to a halt at the junction. Peered cautiously around the corner to get my bearings. There ahead of us was an open area, which sported facilities of every kind, dotted with darker rectangles where yet other passageways ended. I squinted, reading a sign across the way, my face brightening as I recognized it as the particular spa where that gal--

Where that tough little gal--

I thrust the thought savagely away, focused instead.

"It's this way, c'mon!" I said, stepping out and strolling casually across the large, opened area. To any casual observer I would be simply a father heading home with a little girl, too tired after too many sweets or too much of whatever it is little girls do.

The hour was late. There was no one around. I heaved a sigh of relief as, after passing the spa I moved quietly down a particular corridor. Moved along further, entering one, then another once again, intersections and junctions and stair coming upon us like ghosts in the night.

And then we were there.

I stood before the door a moment, suddenly stumped.

What the blazes was Terrin's entry code?!

Frustrated, all I could do was turn to Aaron and shrug, shifting Thea once more in my arms as we stood there in front of Captain Terrin Danner's own secreted and private little branch HQ for Eagle Enterprises.

[ 06-05-2006 07:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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...and that whoever it was just might not be him.

"I...I don't..." Aaron started, pausing suddenly as a lightbulb flickered. "Oh, wait," he then ammended, reaching for the keypad and pressing a sequence in. The door opened obligingly...

...and Aaron stepped to the side, waving Yaoksi, who was still burdened with Thea, to proceed on in front of him. Stepping in behind Yaoksi then, Aaron was met with the view of an actually comfortable looking living space with a nice enough looking couch and chairs...

...and a kitchen with eating table, some of the chairs still out as though they had just been vacated...

...and one with a mostly empty Whyrene's bottle on the table top in front of it.

Aaron blinked. "Well," he said, his voice suddenly quiet. "We know that Jasyn was here for sure..."

[ 06-05-2006 08:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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No more of that stuff, Yaoksi ol' pirate! I silently berated myself, setting Thea down on a comfortable looking couch. It even had a nice blanket tossed obligingly atop it's back; feeling most fatherly and even more at odds with myself, I covered her gently.

Then I plopped into the nearest chair, utterly exhausted.

There was no rest for the weary, though; even though my entire body was crying out for rest, my mind would simply not close up shop for the night. Or at least for what remained of it.

"Aaron," I broke the silence, silence filled with the small noises as he went about tending to Jabbua's wound. Next to the Jedi, a small white form hovered, trying to look tough.

And she deserves it, too; she just proved herself by fire...

I shook my wandering thoughts back on track.

"Aaron, we have to get off-planet, quick... somehow."

He turned a sideways glance my way.

"They've got a base; they're hidden away here right underneath the authorities noses; stands to reason they've got pay-offs at many levels; hell's bells, isn't that how the old New Republic used to operate?

"But whether or not they do or not, the fact remains that they've drugged Thea. We have to get her to a medical unit, and frankly I don't believe it safe enough to go to one anywhere on this planet.

"Oasis is down with a fried hyperdrive, isn't that just the kettle of beans I've been wanting to cook-- ok.

"Any suggestions?"

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

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

The only problem is I don't know if it will work of if the risk is worth it.

"The problem is that the ship is owned by that weapons designer I told you about earlier, the only thing I didn't mention is in addition to being in the Correllian miltary he also worked for the empire."

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

How in blazes had she managed that during the utter chaos back at the base? I wondered, gaping at her openly because frankly, I was too tired to hide the sentiment.

Swallowing, I closed my mouth, but only for a moment.

"A weapon's dealer who might have a ship, but who works for the Empire... oh goody."

I sighed, leaned back, raised my head to the ceiling and closed my eyes, trying to think. I was so tired it was getting harder and harder as time marched on.

Somewhere in her offering, there was something we could use. I knew it, I just knew it.

But durned if I could see it now...

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

...we could always slice into them aboard the Hornett, and see to what has happened with Thea. Maybe after we slice the files and find out just what they did to the kid..."

Aaron trailed, his something dark flashing in his eyes, "We could get with that weapons designer and even the Empire, possibly. Because, realistically speaking, I don't think I can just sit back and watch if this lady isn't quiet the idealist she claims to be."

[ 06-05-2006 08:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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But--!

But...

"Do we have time for that, Aaron?" I said, my voice lowering as weariness began settling even more closely about me. Working my mouth a bit I licked dry lips, strove to keep lids that felt lined with concrete from crashing closed.

"Remember the star positions I took from Bon; you said something about coordinates back there, didn't you?

"What about that responsibility? To Galen and whoever else the little fuzz-bucket was spouting off back there? Don't you think that's a touch wee important, too?

"You know bureaucracy; if we go traipsing off to the Empire, they'll hold us who the hell knows how long."

[ 06-05-2006 08:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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