"Matt Stanza to the Devil-May-Care, Matt Stanza to the Devil-May-Care, Dear gods we need your help down here..."

All due haste and from my duties am I retrieved. To comm unit I go, and reply is flashing sending.

"Devil-May-Care replies, this is Devil-May-Care" my response is flashed back in hurried pulses. "Come in ground; Yaoksi and Matt, recieving you I am."

Moments pass, no answer comes. Concerned I am growing, again I try. "Devil-May-Care replies, this is Devil-May-Care" once more I transmit, then quiet as expectantly await an answer do I. None is coming, concern for my captain and friend is now growing.

What to do, what to do? What would Galen have had me do?

Galen....

Now outward send I once again, fiddling with band-widths to send out broadscale. Hoping am I that Terrin receives this; far from Sullust are we now, and time we now must not waste. Concerned am I that no reply to my response has yet to come, concern I send along the ether to those yet behind.

"K'kihl on Devil-May-Care, this is K'kihl on Devil-May-Care. Captain Danner, receiving this are you? Trouble is here on Kessel where we are, assistance we are needing. With all due haste, please respond and hail to us.

"K'kihl on Devil-May-Care, this is K'kihl on Devil-May-Care. Captain Danner, receiving this are you? Trouble is here on Kessel where we are, assistance we are needing...."

Hopeful am I that transmission will be received. Hail I over and over into suddenly lonely space.

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

"K'kihl on Devil-May-Care, this is K'kihl on Devil-May-Care. Captain Danner, receiving this are you? Trouble is here on Kessel where we are, assistance we are needing...."

Oh, this was sounding so wonderful already...

"Devil-May-Care, this is Jasyn Lancaster on the ZZ'Shzq, I copy. What's the trouble? And furthermore, how can we help you?"

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

Suddenly, the tide of the Force shifts, and I feel the sane half of my mind gaining the upper hand. I quickly try to dispel the glitterstim clouding my consciousness, but it's useless--I'm breathing more in every second. I turn to Yaoksi, determined to speak to him, at least while I was in control of my thoughts.

Scratch the idea that Poliani is going to be any help. Sheesh, this is ten times worse than putting up with Jasyn when he's drunk. We've gotta get her out of here. She's really starting to seem more than just intoxicated...more like hooked. A Jedi with a glitterstim habit, now that's a pleasant thought.

"Errr..." Matt started, looking a bit blankly at Cella for a moment before returning his gaze to Yaoksi. "Maybe we can do a little recalibrating on our lifeform detector here. I'm pretty sure I could get it to detect temperature change...I'm not sure about pressure changes though. And we still have to deal with the fact that these mining tunnels will be unpredictable. We could go down then back up, or just get stuck going down, or get all the way up only to find no exit. I'm just not too sure I like this idea of trial and error, even with special devices.

"There might be one other option. If we figure out what in the assembly on the miner's cage is broken, we just might be able to hotwire the thing and get it going back up. Might be kinda difficult, but that just might be our best shot..."

[ 03-01-2002 11:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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"Cella-?" I began carefully, grasping her as gently as one would a dragon-pearl, for I was well aware of the heightened sensory input one suffered under the influence of glitterstim. "Can you hear me? It's me, Yaoksi." I paused a moment, searching her face for any indication of returning sanity. It was there, somewhat, but clearly under direct threat of being completely overwhelmed again.

I spoke up quickly, before that last glimmering of reality fled from her. "Listen to me if you can, Cella," I began sotto voce. "We are not going to leave you behind. But we are in a bit of a bind; it's going to take some time to get back up to the surface and then to the ship and away from this miserable hunk of rock."

I squeezed her arms ever so lightly, trying to help her focus. "But there is absolutely no way - no way! - we are going to leave you behind. We came here to bring you back, and bring you back we will."

And somehow we'll get you cured of this blasted glitterstim, Fates be with us....

I straightened up a bit, now sliding one arm about Cella's shoulders in the hope that the touch of humanity would keep her linked with us and reality. Fighting against an upwelling sense of futility, I turned to Matt.

"Hate to break it to ya, pal, but I really don't think we're gonna have the time to figure out how to repair the mechanics of the Cage; not to mention I don't think even you are wizard enough to do it without necessary tools. But we have to do something...."

My voice trailed off into the gloom surrounding us as I considered. Then the obvious struck me.

"You know, these Impys couldn't have relied solely on that Cage to get up and down. I mean, what did they do in the even that it - heh - broke down?" I paused, the tiniest of smiles trembling on my lips as I listened to my own words. Remarkably, they were actually beginning to sound good. I continued on with them.

"You'd think there would be an emergency shaft or something, somewhere, and I'm all for trying to find it. Imps were a lazy sort, military grunts that they were or no. I wouldn't imagine it was hidden too awfully far away from here.

"Well, what do you think?" Keenly aware of the sweat which was suddenly beginning to pour from Cella's forehead, I waited a tad anxiously to hear Matt's response to my suggestion.

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

But then, even if the route was not well hidden, the fact did remain that they had to find it still.

And judging from the looks of Cella, they needed to find it fast.

Too bad there wouldn't be a big red sign overhead that said EXIT when they found it...

But then...

Maybe...just maybe...

If there was an exit nearby that lead back up to the surface, wouldn't his commlink start getting a better signal as they approached it?

Could they, combined with a little recalibration of his biosensor to detect the surrounding temperature, use the commlink signal to find their way out of this hole?

Matt related these ideas to Yaoksi, hoping that they would indeed prove profitable...

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"Devil-May-Care, this is Jasyn Lancaster on the ZZ'Shzq, I copy. What's the trouble? And furthermore, how can we help you?"

Clack my mandibles now do I, in semblance of smile Yaoksi would be saying. Into comm device answer I am making, all the time in wonder of silence of the Twi'lek.

That one, into the maw of unknown has she disappeared, I am thinking. Wonderment to me is this; look into this after immediate concern.

My mouth-parts clack in finality.

"ZZ'Shzq, hail of yours is fine in-coming," I affirm briefly. Then to problem at hand I turn.

"Loss of communication between ground-party and ship has occurred. No way to determine whether ship transmission is being received. Party long overdue for rendezvous at landing coordinates. Help we are seeking."

Now into silence am I falling, suddenly helpless feeling am I. New friend, to lose so quickly, I wish not. Nor harm to others befall.

In silence I am waiting, and in hope that help will come.

Repeat I transmission.

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

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

Concern is coming. The Twi'lek this commboard should be attending, where has she gone? To find her I shall. The ship I should in attendance be, perhaps the down-course transmission increased in intensity can be made. Study this I must, I am thinking.

To ZZ'Shzq make I now a reply.

"In compliance with suggestion I shall be. Frequency increase to ground I shall be making. In meantime, awaiting your arrival shall we be."

"Devil-May-Care out."

Transmission I now close, and set down-planet one on automatic. Then off to find the hiding Twi'lek I go.

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

In no time, I was in the hold of the ship running a diagnostic on the weapons console. Toolkit in hand, I took out a hydrospanner and did a little minor maintenance on the laser cannons and concussion missile launchers. I couldn't help but fiddle with the guns a little bit; still, it was nothing compared to what I could do. I resolved to ask Yaoksi's permission to do more intensive work when he came back. I wondered absently when he and Matt would come back. They had been gone longer than I expected...

The unmistakable click of the Verpine's claws on the deck brought my thoughts into focus. I crawled out from under the gunnery computer and wiped my hands on a rag as I walked down the companionway to meet him.

Hydrospanner. Has a hydrospanner, does she. Wanted a hydrospanner, did I, needed hydrospanner....

My head I am shaking, and mandibles clacking, my thoughts into focus am bringing. Silly to pause longer; engines my finesse are still needing. Jump right into the swamp, do I, no time to not do so.

"Captain Joao and friend has long been gone. Has been long gone too long, I am not liking. Sent transmission to Captain Danner, did I... and he did I catch."

Pause I; uncomfortable I am becoming. Never much for such talk am I, prefer I the cool hum of engines smoothly working...

Continue on. "Their ship is in-coming here, to our help are they coming. I the engines must calibrate for optimum efficiency. You--" Point I appendage at this one standing so quiet now. "You the commboard can man maybe, I am thinking? Constant monitoring of situation is at hand."

Pause I now, concern in her eyes I am seeing. My shoulders shrug. The word has given been.

I go now to the engine room. Much work to do is yet at hand.

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

"I think I've done just about all I can with this," he said at length. "We should be able to get some temperature readings now. And some air pressure readings as well."

Looking a moment at Cella Poliani, Matt wondered if they'd already taken far too long. He wondered if she'd ever recover from this. For a moment, he felt a tinge of guilt. Here she'd come to help them, and instead she'd been sent away. And now even their best efforts didn't seem to be enough to help her out in return.

She must be terrified.

Pushing that line of thought away, Matt stood and again looked to Yaoksi. "We might as well try moving now. I'm going to try comming the Bee as we move along as well; she's closer to us and therefore we SHOULD be able to get a lock on her sooner than we will the Devil-May-Care. Other than that, we can only hope that the others have realized we've been gone far too long, and are taking steps of their own to find us..."

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

Walking hurriedly up to the ship's comm center, my stomach churned. Gone too long? Precious gods, why hadn't K'kihl let me know that Matt and Yaoksi might be in trouble, to say nothing of Cella? They were my friends too, and I might have been able to help. Cricket hadn't had to call Jasyn and Terrin!

I sat down behind the commboard, thoughts swirling in my head. Maybe it was better for me to man the ship with K'kihl...but my first impulse was to run out onto the barren surface of the planet, screaming Yaoksi's name. The old Naisra'len would have done that, the one with no sense of responsibility and the good of the group.

However, it might be nice to stick that Sith lady in here...and that Rean character as well...

Cella shut her eyes to try to stop the sensory overload, but it didn't work. Each new breath brought more glitterstim into her body, and as soon as she used the Force to bring herself some respite, she had to breathe and the cycle started all over again. She didn't give in to the drug however. The sane part of her mind warned her that if she gave up trying to purge herself of the glitterstim, it would saturate her tissues and she would be absolutely addicted.

"Terrin, we've just come out of hyperspace. We are at Kessel." A bit of hesitation. "Everything allright?"

"No. We've...gotta talk. I'll be to the cabin in a bit. Hail the Devil-May-Care and let K'kihl know we're here. And keep your eye out for Shawn Petrolu."

Jasyn didn't ask questions. "Got it boss."

With that, Jasyn was off. Still not able to actually form words about what had just happened, Terrin continued to gaze at Galen, something akin to anger starting to niggle in the corners of his mind.

WHERE WAS LITTLE JHINDARRA???

[ 03-17-2002 02:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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He couldn't read a thing about it in the Force. What the Heck?

Hesitantly, Shawn reached for his commboard and hailed the sleek little yacht. "Zz'Shzq, this is the Starlight, Jedi Shawn Petrolu captaining."

"This is Jasyn Lancaster. I hope you are here to help."

Okay, so what was up with this? Something was amiss...Shawn knew even without a Force lock on the ship. Confusion and fear arose as emotions from a planet that should be devoid of life. "Please let Captain Danner know that I have arrived. In te meantime, is there anything I can do for you?"

Lancaster hesitated. "As a matter of fact, I believe there is..."

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"We seem to have a Noghri stowaway onboard. I've been able to seal him off aft, but I think we'd really like to get rid of him. He's one of the Sith's little lackeys, that's almost certainly a given. I'd deal with him myself but I don't want him running amok aboard the ship."

Shawn seemed to consider. "Well...your ship has the most peculiar quality. I can't get a Force lock on it. The only way I can help you out is if I'm onboard the ship. Then I just might be able to peacefully rid you of your little critter."

"Think you can dock your freighter with our ship?" Jasyn asked.

Shawn replied in the affirmative.

"Allright then. We'll see just what you can do."

Then, punching a switch aboard the comm unit, Jasyn hailed the Devil-May-Care. "This is Jasyn Lancaster, Switchboard Operator of the ZZ'Shzq," he said a bit disgustedly. "K'kihl or Naisra'len, do you read me?"

[ 03-17-2002 03:58 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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"Lousy Jedi pilots!" he grumbled.

Then, unsealing the cabin doors and aiming a blaster in front of him for good measure, Jasyn proceeded to the hatch. Signals confirmed that the Starlight had docked. He released the airlock, and in minutes, Shawn Petrolu, blue Jedi robes streaming down his person, entered the ship.

Jasyn cocked his head at Petrolu and frowned. "You could have docked a little more softly, you know."

The shorter man shot him a piercing blue-green look. "Sorry," he said. "Piloting isn't one of those things I'm better at."

Before Jasyn could get a reply in, the Jedi suddenly turned dead serious, looking somewhere past Jasyn. "There is trouble here."

Jasyn rolled his brown eyes. "Damn skippy," he muttered. "Noghri and all, I'd say there's a good chance we have trouble."

Petrolu just shook his head, still looking right through Jasyn. "No...it's not that. There is mischief afoot."

Jasyn merely arched an eyebrow. "Are you here to prophesize or actually do something?"

"Well, you might like to know your Noghri buddy just took an escape pod out of here."

"Yeah right!" Jasyn blurted. "And I'm the bloody ghost of Khaandon!"

Petrolu was unphased by the sarcasm. "Look at your indicators for yourself."

"Fine," Jasyn mutter irritably. "Stinkin' Jedi."

As he mumbled and turned for the cabin, Shawn close on his heels, he missed the bemused look the Jedi gave him altogether. Keying up a few things on the navboard, Jasyn found Shawn's observations to be accurate. He whirled to face the Jedi.

"How do you do that?!"

Shawn merely grinned. "Trick of the trade. Though we have to wonder why this Noghri elected to board your ship, then left without doing a thing." Petrolu paused, considering. "Run a systems check."

"Done," Jasyn said. "Everything is clear."

"Allright. then I guess we'll wait til your friends reply to your comm and Captain Danner is available to talk."

Jasyn didn't even want to know how the Jedi knew about the comm. "Yeah," Then switching to the ship-wide comm, Jasyn announced, "Terrin, Jedi Petrolu is here. And I'm still waiting for K'kihl or Naisra'len to answer my hail..."

[ 03-17-2002 06:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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"No." The single word escaped my lips in a softly uttered breath of air. My mouth closed with a momentary clenching of teeth as I struggled to keep that awful darkness with its even more awful images at bay. All the blood seemed to rush from my extremities at the effort this took; my eyes clouded inward, glaring, daring the darkness to win.

It would not. I wouldn't let it.

For if I did, how could I come to the aid of my child?

Oh yes, that JhinDarra was alive and well was evident to me. I was as sure of this as though I had her in my arms. I didn't know exactly what gave me that assurity, but assumed it had something to do with the strength she had given me that awful day on Khar Delba, when I thought that Terrin was dead.

Be that as it may, I knew she was alive as well as I knew just whose child it was I had carried. I shuddered briefly, as the atrocity that awful Sith had perpetrated upon my body was suddenly given new meaning. Don't as me how I knew, I just did.

And I'd never tell Terrin. Just the mere possibility of what I was thinking would be enough to bring too much pain to bear on him, let alone what hell he'd go through if my suspicions were correct.

I now sat up, drew in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. The action helped focus my thoughts, and caused a blessed blanket of calm to suddenly descend upon me. But that I wasn't as calm as I appeared showed in my eyes: I knew they were blazing.

I turned them now to the pain-filled ones of my love, whose deep blue was deepening with his own slowly developing anger.

"She's alive, Terrin. I know...know this is true. They've got her on Khar Delba, I'm just sure of it."

I paused once more as the mere mention of that awful place brought a fresh onslaught of anger and fear; blinking back tears I managed to roll off the bed upon which I had just brought a child into the world, and grasped Terrin's hand.

"Terrin, we've got to go back there." I whispered.

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

Kessel, this is one strong lady! the thought erupted as her nails threatened to break through my clothing and into the flesh of my arm. I reached with my free hand and placed it atop hers, patting it gently, always maintaining that physical link with her I somehow knew she needed.

But was she strong enough to fend off the effects of this damned glitterstim?

That thought brought another wince, and brought forth an involuntary flood of other rumors I had heard throughout my years of traipsing through the Galaxy. Rumors of days past, when the Hutts had dealt one way or another with the old Empire, and had their slimy fingers into glitterstim mining themselves; days when entire villages were known to just up and disappear... to be put into forced labor in the glitterstim mines; days when, it was rumored, slaves would likewise disappear from those mines when their exposure to glitterstim was lengthy enough to finally overcome their meager protective clothing and rebreathers they were grudgingly allotted by the Hutts, and they were then deigned as of use to no one, least of all to themselves.

And this Jedi lady didn't have so much as a rebreather on her....

I turned a glance full of worry to Matt, who was still fiddling with his biosensor, then hauled myself to my feet.

"I hope you're right about that last," I agreed with him as I pulled Cella up onto her own two feet as well. "Because pal, whether or not you're ready, we have to go. This lady here can't take much more of the crap we're wading through down here."

I gave my head a final nod, and patted Cella's hand once more. Then I took it upon myself to put words into action. Basically choosing a direction at random, I set off, dragging the limply stumbling Jedi in my wake. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of Matt's following footsteps.

Kessel, but I hope the Fates are with us....

[ 03-18-2002 06:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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The eyes on that kid...

...turquoise with violet rings...

...and, horns?

Just like that...

...

Unconsciously Terrin bit his lip, hard.

Damn the Sith. Damn them to Hell!

Terrin didn't know how, but somehow he knew that something else had happened back on that horrible day when the horned-Sith had assaulted Galen.

But then, what had happened to Galen's baby?

As the horror of not having any idea what had happened to the baby slammed into Terrin full-force, Galen's words answered his thoughts as if on cue.

"She's alive, Terrin. I know...know this is true. They've got her on Khar Delba, I'm just sure of it."

Khar Delba?

What the hell did the Sith need their baby for if they had one of their own?

Did they intend to try to kill her?

They damned well better not lay a finger on her.

Grasping onto his arm, Galen stood. He wrapped his other arm about her, steadying her as she whispered, "Terrin, we've got to go back there."

Terrin nodded once, rather solemnly. "We'll find her," he said simply. "I think we should take Shawn Petrolu's help. Something tells me we are going to need him."

Mentally, Terrin added, I hope he's ready for what he's getting himself into...

[ 03-19-2002 10:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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The voice issuing from the commboard woke me up from a sound sleep. I hastily wiped a droplet of drool from my chin and tucked the dream I'd just had into my memory. Nice dream too...me and Yaoksi on a white sand beach, sun shining, wind blowing...oh, what I wouldn't give for a nice normal vacation like that.

Lancaster out."

With that, Jasyn clicked the comm off and eyed Shawn again. "Can you find them?"

Shawn looked a bit beyond himself for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. It's impossible to tell from this ship with the weird Force-blanket around it...I don't know how that happened or where it is coming from...but last I could feel they were trapped," he said. "And moving."

"Allright. I'll let Terrin know, then we'll be on our way. I think it's gonna be you and me, pal, so get your gear ready." Then he added, smugly, "I hope they teach you some hiking and survival tips in those Jedi schools."

Then, switching the comm once more, Jasyn opened the ship-wide channel, "Terrin, Petrolu says he can lead us to the group. He insists they are trapped. I'm thinking he and I should go scouting the surface. Your thoughts?"

[ 03-19-2002 08:00 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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With a couple of people aboard the Devil and a couple of people still aboard the ZZ'Shzq, they might give themselves a higher survival rate if another group got stuck. Always best to have a few men (and women) out of the fire in case someone gets burned. But then, might splitting up further cause more chaos? And what if someone was injured and they needed more than a couple of people to help them out?

Maybe they needed to land the ZZ'Shzq on the surface of Kessel, send Jasyn and Shawn out, then the rest of them act as a sort of back up?

This needed to get done quickly and efficiently. They absolutely HAD to get to Khar Delba. Not a moment could be wasted.

"Jasyn, take ZZ'Shzq down on the surface," Terrin replied at last. "I think it's a good idea for you and Shawn to go after the group, but I don't want you stranded out there with everyone else in the sky. Let Shawn lead you to everyone. If it takes you too long, we'll transmit back to the Devil for more help. Once we get everyone accounted for...we'll talk about what's coming next."

Jasyn hesitated at that. "Allright. I'll tell K'kihl and Nassy to keep their eyes and ears open. Meanwhile, everybody grab a hold of something. We're gong down."

With that, the comm went silent again, and Terrin returned his gaze to Galen, whom he was still holding steady.

"As soon as we find our missing friends, we're going to Khar Delba, regardless of who decides to go or stay. Hopefully our Jedi friends will stick around. At any rate," he continued, "You know I'm in this for the long haul, sweetheart.

"But," he ended, striving to bring a lightness to the situation that he didn't truly feel, "We'd better hang onto something while we land. After all, Jasyn is at the helm..."

[ 03-19-2002 08:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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And this guy complains about MY piloting?

Keeping that thought to himself, Shawn merely waited. And while he waited, he stretched out his Force-senses to further understand the distress which clearly was coming from others aboard the ship. Something akin to anger...most definitely anger...was running rampant throughout the ship. Considering that those aboard should have been experiencing joy at the birth of a child, a red flag was clearly waving in his mental line of sight.

And Shawn somehow knew that the child that should be here was not. There should have been the Force-signature of FOUR people on board when he entered, plus a stoway. Yet there had been 3 people, and no stowaway.

And the Force-signatures of those on board clearly indicated that all adults were present.

A departing stowaway. A missing child.

A coincidence?

Probably not.

"Hey Jedi," Jasyn said, breaking Shawn's thoughts, "You ready? ETA five minutes."

Shawn snapped from his musings, only then noticing that they were breaking into the atmosphere.

"Yes," Shawn replied simply. "Captain Danner and Galen will be watching the comm?"

Jasyn arched an eyebrow, "Yeah. Hopefully they won't have anything to worry about. I think they both need their rest."

Shawn nodded. "We'll find your friends, you have my word."

"Allright then, pal, I hope you follow through on that."

[ 03-20-2002 04:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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