"Would I ever!" I exclaimed as I unbuckled my blast harness and got to my feet. Turning away from the forward screen, which was all wrapped up in showing us the beautiful star-smears of hyperspace, I joined Aaron at the entrance to the small but efficient bridge.

"That pink stuff was only good to get my innards rumbling; I'm starved!"

We chatted amiably as we moved down the companionway, soon coming to the wardroom and the accompanying galley.

"Hi Link," I greeted the Ryn, who looked up but was too busy gulping down her breakfast to reply immediately. I just nodded and smiled, heading to the galley to make myself something tasty and hot. It didn't take long before I was back in the wardroom, finding a seat across from Link and setting the steaming plate I held down on the table.

"Mind if I join you?" I chuckled, for indeed there were no other tables save for the one at which she sat, one lined with seating for perhaps sixteen individuals. Taking a seat I dug in, savoring whatever it was that I had found and had tossed into the nearest pan to sear.

I didn't care if it was the left little toe of ol' Palpatine himself -- it was HOT and it tasted GOOD.

After all, the only meals I had managed to ingest during the last cycle were liquid ones...

[ 06-08-2006 11:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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I got up to see if there was any food and saw Aaron, Yaoski and Link all eating and chowing down.

"Mind if I join you guys?" I asked as I licked my lips from all the good-looking food.

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Yeah, just like the old days.

“Sullustan ground authorities, this is the pilot of the ship Rasia requesting clearance for departure, and requesting escape vector to Kati'Shyn."

I had to fight back a smile on that last word. Can’t say that I’d ever been there before. Ah well, time for an adventure, I guess. I hoped Bluebell knew where he was taking us.

I turned to Cass, after switching off the transmitter.

“So, what’s our business there, in case they ask?”

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"Sure," I said. "Food's in the galley, help yourself."

I jabbed the air with the fork, indicating a door in the back of the wardroom which led to the galley next door. Then I went back to eating, now turning my attention to Link.

"So..." I swallowed, sent her a smile. Not one too big, for I knew she'd only think that phony. I didn't want to seem condescending, either; just wanted to start getting to know her better, getting us both off on an honest level with each other.

"What's your story, kid? How did someone at your tender age manage to rack up the skills you seem to have?"

Sheesh, she's better than most adult slicers I've known, although to be truthful there haven't been that many who have crossed paths with me.

[ 06-09-2006 10:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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Like most things, he had memorized the drawings from the psychic and the coordinates of the strange system. His mind was never still, and he thrived on facts and figures, retaining the smallest details.

He had finished calculating the jump distance from Kati’Shyn to two other points, and the time involved in reaching the final destination, and had moved on to estimation Rico’s life expectancy when he finally realized he was being spoken to.

Wishy washy little Jedi, he thought a bit off-handedly. Not that I should be surprised though, the way he up and left the mission of looking for Galen before. How exactly did he split from the group originally looking for Galen anyway, I'm almost positive he was with them when they called from Sullust, all befuddled and mixed up. Maybe he left then...?

Aaron shook himself from these thoughts and refocused his attention on the conversation at hand, making a note to ask Jebbua about these things, and very soon.

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I took another bite of food and quickly swallowed it, then continued with my story.

"If you ever been to the run then you already know that not only smugglers frequent there, but also assasians, crimelords, mercinaries, techs, and slicers. You would be suprised what you can learn when you just act pretty and stupid, they basicly tell you everything you wanted to ever know. Eventually I just became really good at slicing and with being a ryn I'm virtualy ignored by all society which means if I steal a worker uniform and act like I'm fixing something while I'm slicing into a computer, no one cares."

I looked up at Yaoksi taking my eyes off my food.

"So thats basicly it, something I've wanted to know, I have spent all this time with Thea and I hardly know a thing about her. What can you tell me about her?"

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How much should she know? I thought to myself as, with a sigh, I suddenly surmised that in the very near future she and Thea just might end up having much in common with each other.

I swallowed, focusing on the intently waiting little Ryn again.

"Well-ll," I began slowly, setting my fork down to marshall my thoughts.

"She's been with me on Sullust for what now, a couple three years? Yeah. I took over her care from a Master Shawn Petrolu, who was supposed to teach her to be a Jedi, I guess.

"She's always wanted to be a jedi; I mean, that's all she's ever really mentioned to me when it comes to her background. I guess she started out at the Jedi Praxeum, before it was taken over--"

Another pause, this time to frown.

Even though the slowly rising governmental system this New Empire seemed to be emplacing seemed benevolent enough, was that gesture at all necessary? Was it crucial to wipe out the majority of the jedi, their students--?

I shook my head a little bit, then continued.

"She, ahh-- she started out at the Old Praxeum, and went out with a couple other jedi on a quest to find someone, someone a very bad person had taken. From that moment on Thea's not had a very normal life; she's whispered hints of being sent from person to person, being taken from those she cares about -- one of them the person we're trying to find now, among others -- put aboard some kind of dark and nasty ship someplace--"

I paused again, wondering as a shadowy sense of impending doom wafted from nowhere, washed quietly down along my spine, sent every nerve ending to tingling, then just as mysteriously trickled away.

"Anyway, she came into my life aboard Mr. Barne's ship Hornett, where we're going now. There were no jedi to teach her anything, and Master Petrolu thought that now was not the time to tend to her teaching. In fact, I don't know when the time would ever be right--"

Lessee. When we find our missing comrades, overthrow the seemingly omnipotent New Empire, destroy this dark Graysith lady, somehow corral the rising thread of the Sith--

Yeah. Then we can turn our attentions to Thea's formal education.

Right.

"Anyway, we didn't know about her parents, so he handed her over to me. I finally found a relative of hers, an uncle, and had made arrangements for her to go off to live with the closest blood relative she had when everything seemed to break loose on Sullust.

"And you know the rest."

With that I silently picked up my fork and turned back to my breakfast, though thoughts triggered by this little soliloquy continued to whirl and flit like Coruscant Shadow Dancers in my head.

[ 06-10-2006 01:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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"Yes?"

"Bridge here, Sir," came the instant response.

"Per your standing order, this is to inform you that Air Traffic Control advises a yacht is standing by for departure clearance, stated destination being Kati'Shyn," the Deck Officer announced before falling into a respectful silence.

Ahem frowned.

Kati'Shyn? He wondered to himself for a fraction of time before replying.

"Copy that, Bridge; please inform ATC to provide them with the standard clearance coordinates they have been using prior to our arrival here. In addition, as a precautionary measure have a fighter escort them to their destination, and let me know what you get on the ion signature of it's impulse trail when leaving Sullust.

"Ahem, out."

He turned back to the viewport, staring down at the tumultous planet which roiled blackly beneath the great SSD. Taking another sip of his tea, he frowned, for by now it was quite cold.

"Roger Rasia, this is Imperial Air Traffic Control, acting per emergency agreement with Sullustan government officials.

"We have you at 05deg 22'28"N by 76deg 23'09"W. Depart vector zero alpha niner, apical turn along 54-27-19Z; follow on impulse through to 0.0015ly distant, then 76% port yaw with Z-rotation of eight degrees to seven-seven-niner-ought; reversion to hyperdrive a roger that point, ETA Kati'Shyn 00512 four point three standard cycles hence.

"Be under advisement acts of piracy have been reported in that sector; as a precautionary measure we are sending a fighter escort to assure your protection to destination.

"This is Imperial Air Traffic Control, turning you to private runway 337, Rasia to depart six standard minutes.

"Over."

[ 06-12-2006 09:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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After settling down in the cockpit I took a quick look at the scanners and saw the imperials orbiting the planet. Great just what I need, even with the permits to leagaly own and transport almost any weapon in the galexy somehow the imperials demanded to inspect his ship and then make a "special request" for his servises.

In reply to Phoenix hail:

"Roger, Phoenix, this is Imperial Air Traffic Control acting in emergency coordination with Sullustan officials.

"Ah, negative your departure vector as requested. Please advise destination to receive clearance and shortest route to destination of choice.

"This is Imperial Air Traffic Control, over."

[ 06-12-2006 09:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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Piracy in that sector? Yeah, right. Just another way to tighten their fist even though it would someday all slip through their fingers...

Cardissa turned to Rico, arching a brow slightly. "Simply tell them that we are heading there to look at the real estate...

...which is not entirely true, but not necessarily untrue either. They will know, at some point, that we are up to something other...

...especially considering that they intend to follow us out, and Foyagee has already commented on Imperial ships surrounding our true destination. For now, we play their game. But only for now. Is this ship ready for departure?" she queried then, not deigning to say anything further for the time being.

[ 06-12-2006 10:00 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cardissa Mitra ]

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"Get them back online and find the best route for correllia. then relay that to the officials."

Sometimes I really need to retire.

"I suppose that could work. Though if they don't believe you, we'll be dead in an instant." I gave a slight stretch, uniform hot, but not bothersome after having spent so much time wearing it over the years.

If we were meant to fly, we would have wings. If we were meant to travel the void, we would have hyperdrives instead of bowel movements.

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As many times as they had tried...

Sitting up then, Aaron finally had something in the silence which now passed between them all. "I know of how it can be on Corellia," he first said to Cel, "It is my home planet. Many times those who are different are underestimated, and believe me, we are very glad you were able to take advantage of this cruelty."

Pausing at that for a moment, Aaron pursed his lips, wondering how he should say what was on his mind now, hoping he wouldn't offend in doing so. But he had to ask. "And you know, if Thea has been sent away from the Praxeum and you've tried to send her home only with no success...

...perhaps home is not where she should be? I mean, I've been around the galaxy enough and seen enough things in the past few years to most definitely believe in the Force, amongst other things..."

Here he trailed, his look momentarily dark. "Maybe the Force is trying to guide her back to finish what she started, or is guiding her to something else entirely?"

Suddenly, he turned to Jebbua. "What do you think, Jedi Dahutt?"

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"Pfft," I snorted through a mouthful of breakfast, then swallowed.

"Now, I'm not saying there's not anything strange and weird going on in the universe, because pal, have I ever seen a touch of it. But as for the Force guiding her to become a jedi... pfft.

"I'm not certain what she was doing back on Sullust, or how she got mixed up in all the hoopla we left back there. But brother, I can promise you sure as there's sandcats on Tatooine it wasn't any Force got her plopped back there.

"Probably a hyperdrive motivator; it's always a hyperdrive motivator..."

With that I shut up, attending to my food once again so that Jebbua could make reply to Aaron's comment.

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Aaron paused, shrugging then, "I don't know, maybe the kid just has the worst luck in all the universe. Or maybe it is, just like Link says, that she simply doesn't have any "street smarts." And the only way anyone gets those is simply by being a part of life."

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"The force is hard to explain. It has a destiny for each of us. Perhaps Thea's destiny is to become a jedi, or perhaps not. Onlny time will tell. But as for bad luck, There is no such thing. It was the force that guided her here to Sullest, she or we just don't know why she was guided here."

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Buddy, you can call it the Force if you want to, but I'll just call it...

Circumstance.

Shaking my head slightly, I laid down my fork and spoke to him.

"Speaking of the kid, how is she doing? Any progress in her condition? I'm kinda worried; if she's been drugged as you say she has, shouldn't she be waking up sometime soon?"

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I turned my head to him.

"... It depends on what kind of drug they gave her."

I got up and cleaned up and then went and sat back down with the others.

"I'm sure after we get to the Hornett the medics there can figuare out what kind of drug and how to fix it. No worries man."

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...and you think there should be 'no worries man'???"

He paused a moment, his scowl turning to a frown of utter concern. "Look, pal, I'm not trying to pry, but considering there are lives of people we all hold dear involved here, I was wondering just what yoou meant when you said you were a 'rogue Jedi'?"

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"Listen. She may be tossing and turning, but she is phyiscally alright. When we get to the Hornett they'll fix that. No worries, because she'll be alright. If you get all caught up in worring you loose concentration on the task at hand! You loose focus! She'll be ok!."

I turned to Aaron.

"As for my statement eariler. I'm not a good jedi, nor evil. I don't follow the Jedi code, nor the sith code. I follow my own code. I don't do it for money, I just do what I think is right. Now you're gong to get some kind of idea about me, but I don't care. This feels right. I want to be here. I want to help. I'm sorry I left and didn't help find Galen. But I'm here now and I swear I won't leave til Galen hugs you and is safe." I half screamed at them.

I put my hands on my head and backed up taking a couple of deep breaths.

Where the hell did that come from? I thought.

I looked back at the others to see what they would do next.

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"Hey, listen pal, no worries, like you said," I said in an inane sort of manner, immediately reverting to the soft shushing tone of voice I used to use when Thea's night terrors would come to haunt her.

Only those weren't nearly as physical, or with forces coming to their side as potentially deadly as what this guy could undoubtedly wield. Slowly, ever so slowly, I rose to my feet, reaching out a hand to Jebbua.

"Calm down, pal; we get your drift," I said, not wanting to launch myself at him, nor wanting to vacate the premises. Either action would probably be taken as other than what would motivate it; thus, I simply moved beside my chair and stood quietly, keeping one eyeball peeled toward Jebbua and the other casting a pleading sort of look Aaron's way.

[ 06-13-2006 10:00 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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Aaron could literally read the look in Yaoksi's eye, suddenly feeling that he'd better help by saying something that could calm this guy down before bad went to worse.

Yeesh, was it always going to be like this?

Aaron dismissed the thought, and looked to Jebbua, adding to Yaoksi's words."Yeah, nobody here is judging you for your choice to be a Rogue Jedi one way or another. Gods know the Jedi code is reported to be staunch and over-bearing...

...I don't blame you for feeling you need to follow your own path, and you wouldn't be the first of that variety I've known. Look--"

He then trailed, trying to figure out how to word his next statement the best. "How about we just start over with what we probably should be doing now and start working on plans for finding Galen and the guys? And while we're at it, perhaps we should consider what, in fact, we should do about a lady that drugs innocent little kids who want to be a Jedi?"

[ 06-13-2006 10:09 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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