...but she was pretty sure, by the way she felt, that she'd been given a sedative to help with the pain. Her eyelids were getting so very heavy...

...but still she managed to direct a concerned indigo gaze Yaoksi way. "Please, tell me what happened to my cousin..."

She trailed, exhaustion sweeping over her as she began to feel even more warm and fuzzy. "...later..." she finished, her lids falling closed as her body totally relaxed. Perhaps she was going to get one of the best night's sleep she'd had in a very long time...

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

...which meant letting Aaron, Yaoksi, Kiara, and possibly K'khil get into the spaceport, make certain the Devil was loaded on the proper ship, as well as make certain Aaron's ship the Oasis was loaded so that they could get away from Sullust and to the business of making sure her tourists were extremely happy again. The whole process really didn't take all that long since Aaron had already pulled strings before all the mess with the bombs going off...

...so Aaron returned, took a seat, and took the mug of Whyrenes' that was still waiting for him. "It's all settled," he then stated. "We'll be out of here and on our way in a little over 5 standard hours. Maybe some of the hubbub will die down out there in the meantime."

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

I lifted my own glass in a toast, content to just sit and bask in the knowledge that 24 hours from now would find us in much, much better circumstances. I took a toasting drink, then set my glass down and approached the couch.

Kiara, who had mumbled something about Nassy, had faded into exhausted slumber.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring down at her quiet form but seeing another lady Twi'lek of my acquaintance. It felt like years, but it had to be just a few moments before I roused myself with a jerk. Then leaning down, I tucked the blanket in around her a bit more tightly, before backing off to go take my seat again.

"I'll go tell the ol' Cricket in a moment or two, but for now--"

I raised my glass and downed the contents. Then I poured myself another drink before offering another one to Aaron.

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

“Yeah, man, rodents. Rats, lots and lots of rats. Rats everywhere, man, that’s the trick!”

Bon plopped into a chair and worked the controls in the arm.

“Sit man, sit! You gonna have a hard time standing if you ain’t sittin’!” He paused and thought about that, then burst into laughter. He touched a sigil on the chair control and a door slid shut over the entry tunnel. The wall in front of them slid open, revealing a window that peered down a long, dark tunnel.

Would the imperials pop out and go "Boo!"? Would the floor turn to acid and this furball would just laugh and giggle the whole burning stinking way? Ohwell, things couldn't get much crazier than this-

I sat down cautiously, Dissuader still firmly in my grip. "Sat." He muttered, looking at him.

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

...and suddenly Kiara was seeing it back home, on her own world. The last image plastered in her mind when she awoke with a scream born of both horror and pain was that of Nassy's dear, pale face before the bombs destroyed it.

Kiara's eyes flew open, wide and full of terror; one word escaped her lips as she screamed.

"Nasrail'en...!"

[ 11-19-2005 12:18 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Kiara ]

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

She was sitting upright, the blanket I had just finished tucking around her held in trembling fingers that tried to bury it into her chin. Her face was pale and sweaty, her eyes wide and staring into nothing but whatever night terror she was in the process of escaping from.

I gulped at her cry, suddenly associating the pain her voice carried with my last memories of Nassy: another all-too pale form, silent and bleeding, laying in a medical unit on a monstrous ship, silently slipping off into a new brand of reality...

Shaking a bit myself I knelt by the couch, reached out and took a tentative hold of Kiara's shoulders.

Gave her a little, gentle shake.

"Hey, hey...!" I said in a low voice, trying to keep my own memories from flavoring the tone in which I spoke.

"It's ok, quiet now, it's a dream or something, you're ok, you're safe here.

"Hey, c'mon now, Kiara, wake up..."

I gave her another gentle little shake, chewing my lip in consternation, while the ever-present memory of the last hurting lady Twi'lek I had been with crashed to the forefront of my vision and remained there.

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

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

Following through on his previous suggestion, Shawn paused in his tracks, keying a freqency into his wristcomm. Then he spoke into it.

Captain Barnes, this is Shawn Petrolu. Have you done any tracking of the Eagle or the Raptor, as you previously suggested? Please give me an update, we have had no success here thusfar.

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

...and worriedly...

...to Shawn's message. He frowned to himself, and keyed in a highly secure, encrypted frequency to the Hornett, inquiring about the level of success anyone had tracking either the Eagle or the Raptor.

"Sir," came the crisp reply, "We've been unable to track either ship at all. In fact, we don't even get their signals. It almost appears as though the ships have been destroyed."

Aaron's look darkened, and he thanked the officer, closing his connection to the Hornett.

Then he dialed Petrolu's frequency. "You won't be able to use any information on the tracking systems of either ship, unfortunately," he replied. "We have no trace on them. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to further assist you, however," Aaron commented, then closing the frequency and regaining his seat where he had been lounging before, his look dark.

"The sooner we get out of here, the better," he then said darkly, eyeing his chrono. "I have no trace on either the Eagle or the Raptor, which implies one of two things. The ships have been destroyed, crashed...

...or on a third possibility, someone has discovered and dismantled their tracking capabilities. Somehow I think I prefer the latter over the other alternatives...

...I think..."

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

"Now is not the time to talk of Nassy," I fumbled, struggling to keep the sudden tears her name evoked from springing into my eyes. Kiara sure as shooting didn't need to see that.

"I'll tell you everything I know as soon as you've rested up and gotten well."

Enough to handle it, an inner demon chortled into my ear, finishing that statement with a finality I didn't want to think about.

Giving her hand another pat, I returned to Aaron and plopped back into my seat. Drawing in a heavy breath, I reached for my glass.

"Well, what do you suggest, then?" I asked before I downed half my drink in one gulp.

[ 11-29-2005 11:33 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

Pausing at that, Aaron's eyes turned a bit vague as he considered something. "You know, we could also opt to take the Devil aboard the Hornett. K'khil has been working there, he has access to anything he would need to repair her. That way you can keep an eye on her...

...and it'll save us a trip back to the shipyards to get her."

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

Who were these people, and what kind of trouble had they gotten into?

Unable to think on this clearly for the moment, Kiara laid back quietly, still feeling drowsy from her meds. And before she was aware of it, she slipped back off to sleep.

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

"That sounds like a plan to me," I said, raising my glass on high. Aaron merely raised a brow in turn; I quirked my lips, then ventured onward.

"I mean, going to Hornett sounds like the best option you've mentioned yet. I agree; K'kihl would be in his element there, and Devil would be up and running in no time.

"Not to mention the fact that you have a great medical facility, should Kiara need it."

I shot her slumbering form a quick glance, the accompanying grin immediately sobering as immediately upon the heels of that statement came the haunting image of who had lain in that facility the last to my knowledge. And why...

I returned my gaze to Aaron.

"How soon can we get there? From what we heard outside, I'm not certain that I'm relishing the thought of hanging here too much longer; could get a little bit on the uncomfortable side, if you know what I mean.

"How long was it until your transport can get here?"

[ 12-11-2005 09:49 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

...and you probably have some things to pack and want to let the Cricket know we need his help.

Nodding at that with a bit of a grin, Yaoksi vacated his seat and headed back to no doubt let Khikhl know of their imminent departure and to pack whatever he needed. In the meantime, Aaron helped himself to another glass of Whyrene's, savoring the last few peaceful moments he while he could...

...for they certainly would not be at all peaceful again until they found themselves enroute to the Hornett

************************************

Luckily for all parties involved, the transport arrived right on time and landed with only a little bit of haggling with the authorities. Now, once she'd landed and Aaron had gotten to the business of getting his ship and the Devil loaded...

...all hell promptly broke loose. It appeared the Devil, along with all the ships involved in the explosion in that particular docking area, was being held as evidence. So removing that evidence for repair was last on the list of things the authorities wanted to deal with. They promised over and over again that the ship could be moved in a few days...

...but Aaron stuck to his guns. He'd already told the authorities the transport would be coming in, and what ships he needed to load on her prior to the transport's arrival. But then, nothing was ever cut and dry. As the Devil was finally loaded on the transport, the Oasis already on board, Aaron hoped Yaoksi would forgive him for promising to allow the authorities to keep a piece of the damaged rubble that was once part of the hull of the Devil.

And finally, after two hours of wheeling and dealing, the transport took to the skies, and they found themselves in the lap of luxury once more, which Aaron was quite thankful for. Kiara still seemed very spent from her ordeal, and gods knew after dealing with the authorities that he was quite ready for some R and R and some food himself. But first, he had a little bargaining to do with the transport's captain...

...who fortunately was much more agreeable than the authorities on the planet now below them. Their destination: the Hornett. ETA: One standard day.

(((OOC: Please follow Aaron, Yaoksi, Kiara, and K'khil to The Dream of Those that Wake in the Empire and New Republic Forums, thanks.)))

[ 12-12-2005 03:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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

Interesting. A Rebellion. I saw and heard everything the Bothan and the other guy said. After all hell had broken loose I followed the two to a dead end where the bothan hit somrthing on his belt and the door opened. I got ready to run it behind it when the door shut.
Sithspawn!I walked up to where the door was and began feeling around to see if there was a button that would open it. No such luck. I guess the only way in was the belt the bothan had. Or...I glanced down at my lightsaber hiding under my cloak. No, I'd use that as a lst resort. I calmed my self and just knocked at where the door was.
I hope this works.

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

Bon flipped a switch on the small control panel, and a small screen showed a view of the dead end, fed from a holocam perched hidden above the alley. It showed a human male, slightly disheveled.

“Hey, hey! Someone all alone in the world of the oppressor! Someone coming to join our cause! Someone you know? Someone you don’t know? Either way is the same, man, either way is the same. If you vouch for him, then that’s all I need. You vouch for him, right?”

Bon flipped another switch and the door before the man outside opened. Bon laughed and turned to Stern.

"Thank you very much for letting me in. I heard you saying something about a rebellion. I'm assuming the Imperials. Might I be able to join?" I asked looking at the man watch me closly.

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

“Shhh! Man oh man, you don’t use the ‘R’ word, not here not there not anywhere! If he heard you, you don’t know what he might think!”

He took his hand from Stern’s mouth and looked at him.

“You didn’t hear that, did you? Good. Right, now, the door has judged you good and worthy and righteous, man, so I bow to your superior intellitude and welcome you to the rebellion.”

He looked again to Stern.

“It’s OK if I say it, man, I’m the narrator.”

He looked back to Jebbua.

"Bon, we're in your fething basement, sitting here like two morons, waiting for a so called "r-word" too show up and for us to begin an uprising. I'm yet too see one scrap of evidence that says you're nothing but a smoke-head who's still under the influence!"

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

"what do you mean if he heard me I might not know what he thought?"

This bothan was really strange. Was I sure I made the right choice?

"By the way, what are your names?"

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

"That is exactly what I was going to call you, man! You look just like a Jebbua Jebbua Dahutt! But man, I tell, you, lack of time is like the tick that sucks the blood from us all, so to make things as short as possible for all involved, and make things not so wordy and extra long, I'll call you JJ."

Bon turned to the control panel once more.

"This spiffy dresser is Stern. He's a ruffian, man, but we need low life scum like him. They're the ones hurt the most by the oppressors, man! Just don't let him hit you."

He pressed a few buttons and touched a sigil. He turned to Jebbua and smiled.

"Hang on," he said. He pushed a final button and the small room seemed to fold up behind them. A wall pushed up through the floor behind Jebbua, and the wall in front sild down halfway to reveal a window. The view before them was a long tunnel, well lit and bristling with automated blasters perched along the wall. The floor trembled and room began to move down the tunnel, picking up speed quickly. A few seconds later the movement stopped, and the room rotated 90 degrees. The walls closed.

"We're here!" squealed Bon, turning from the controls. He pointed to the wall behind Jebbua, where a door was now opening. "Follow me, men!"

Bon marched with high steps past Jebbua and through the door. The room beyond was a large warehouse, the walls lined with boxes and crates, with a large open space in the center the held three old style X-wing fighters. ROughly a dozen men and women of differing races were working on the fighters or hauling boxes. A group of six men, armed with blaster rifles, lowered their weapons when Bon appeared.

Bon turned back to wait for the other two.

"Come on, man! So much time, so little to do! Or maybe that's the other way around... anyway, the oppression won't stop while you ponder, man!"

"Wow. How old are these things?" I asked going around it and looking at it. Then I looked at Bon.

"Wait. You don't plan to go out there do you?" I asked indacting the sky and further, space.

"The Empire is out there. And I don't think 3 X-Wings are a match for them. So what is the real plan?"

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

“Sure, man, sure!” he said. “They’re out there, man. They’re always out there, like the stars and the moons, man, they’re always out there! They’re big, and oppressing, and no-one knows what it’s like, man, to know that they’re out there doing it until they’ve done it to you!”

Bon looked Jebbua up and down.

“But what I want to know, man, are you ready to know the truth about the oppressors? It’s all fine and good and dandy and wonderful to have a big powerful brother watching over you and bringing it all in line, yeah. But what do you give up, man? What do you lose when you gain so much? That’s what I want to know, man! What did you gain when they brought their big ships to your home? What did you gain when they broke up the senate? What did you gain when they massacred the innocents to find the guilty? You listen to them, man, and some of them they may mean what they say, but like any big brother, man, there is a dark side. What do you when you find your big brother is a bully?”

Bon paused, his eyes focused on Jebbua.

“So, my man, what did you gain. And what did you lose?”

Yet- anyway.

"So, this is your "big ole rebellion" eh?" I asked, looking over the individuals there, along with the ships under their care.

"Not much too look at. Or use."

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