"Hello, Ms. Petrolu," came Moff Krenoff's deep voice. "I have been looking forward to seeing you again for some time. I was only fortunate enough to find you here in total luck. You see, I've been given control of this system, and you just made the mistake of buying fuel here. So getting an ID on your ship and tractoring you in was a piece of cake. I don't know if you can quite pay the debt you owe me however, my dear. We shall have to discuss this..."

He paused at that, laughing darkly. Shayla reached out with the Force and tried to sense him, all the while trying to think of just what to do to get out of this situation. Disturbingly enough, she couldn't sense Krenoff at all. Not that she couldn't sense some things aboard his ship, but Shayla had been around that guy enough times to know his presence. And for the moment at least, he wasn't there.

What gives here?

She could try to blast out of the tractor beam; people had been known to do so successfully before. But the problem was that this would leave her ship significantly damaged, and Shayla knew that wouldn't get her very far if Krenoff did indeed control this system. Knowing she was being tractored and had no where to run, still worried about the reasons why she couldn't sense through the Force here at all, Shayla took one final action, activating her comm and punching in the frequency for the Stargazer.

"I'm in..." she said across the line. Then, just as soon as she'd made the connection, it cut off. Krenoff had jammed her transmissions.

"...trouble," she ended with through the Force, hoping that someone would hear.

Well, she'd faced Krenoff once. She could do it again.

But before she hadn't been alone...

The Force was gone.

Didn't really matter exactly why the Force was gone; could be ysalamiri or a Force field or something. All that mattered was that it was gone. Shayla wondered what game Krenoff cared to play this time; before he had confronted her directly and she'd barely wormed her way out by the sheer fact she was able to Force-blast him and run like the wind while Erik kept Krenoff down with his lightsaber that he rarely used.

Erik.

Shayla couldn't get him out of her head now that things appeared to, at least for the moment, be totally out of her control.

She hadn't been fair to him lately. And he was her fiance. HER FIANCE.

She hoped she would be able to make it up to him...

But for now, all Shayla Stargazer Petrolu could do was wait. For surely Moff Krenoff wouldn't pass up the chance to rub her capture right in her face...

Erik glared at the comm, then forced himself to calm down. "Yes, I have."

At that, Erik felt something lock onto his ship, and he was slowly tractored into the main hanger bay of Krenoff's SSD. He spotted Shayla's X-wing in his viewscreen, all the while preparing himself for whatever might be laying ahead of him. When the ship hit the decking of the larger one, Erik shut down the engines. Krenoff's voice boomed once again through the comm. "Come with the ransom. I'll take you to your little girlfriend only after I've recieved payment."

Erik shook his head and sighed, then grabbed the satchel with the money in it. Standing, he walked for the hatch of the ship and extended the platform, slowly wandering out to be greeted by a swarm of Imperial guards. In the center of them stood Moff Krenoff, looking as unconcerned as ever.

"The money, Mr. Kartan?"

Erik clutched the bag. "I want to see that Shayla is safe first," he answered.

"You are not in the position to make stipulations, Mr. Kartan. But, seeing as you are at my whim here, I suppose there is no reason for me to deny your request."

Krenoff waved to the gaurd. "Bring the prisoner out."

But all thought as to her current predicament flew to the wind as guards came to her cell to retreive her with not so much as a word.

Now, this could possibly be put to good use...

As the gaurds approached her to restrain her arms, Shayla played the part of a little helpless female. She actually held her hands out so that the guards could cuff her. When he was in good range, she made her move. In a lightning fast move that could only be the result of a very physically fit and trained body, Shayla lifted her right leg, twisted her torso slightly, and whirled, hooking the guard with her leg as it moved in sync with her body. He flailed, reaching for his blaster, but as he jerked it out of the holster Shayla landed another kick right where it counted most. He yelped like a school girl, involuntarily letting go of his blaster.

Shayla didn't miss a beat. She caught it, and leveled it at the guards who were now coming to see what the disturbance was about.

Four of them. She could take four...

...maybe...

Now moving, practically running, Shayla shot the first guard square in the middle. She didn't know if the blaster was on stun or kill; by the looks of things it was the later and not the former. But then Shayla was becoming aware of two other small things. As she moved away from her cell, the Force was returning...

...and she could feel a very familiar presence on board the ship.

That was all the motivation she needed. With the three other guards still chasing, Shayla whirled and Force slammed two of them right into a wall. To follow that up she shot them both, then dealt with the final guard, using her free right hand to punch him square in the gut since he was nearly right on top of her by this point. She kicked him good and hard to make sure he was down for the count.

All this occurred not far from her cell. Shayla waited for yet more pursuers yet was not surprised to find that no one followed. Krenoff was short staffed, and apparently he had more faith in his employees than he should. Reaching out in the Force Shayla called to Erik.

I'm lose and armed. Play stupid. I'll be there shortly.

And with that, Shayla ran towards the presence that she knew was Erik Kartan.

But then, Erik had been in similar situations before. He knew Shayla would have to sneak her way through the entirity of the SSD before she reached him, and something could happen before she got to her destination.

As if on cue to that, Krenoff stepped back in front of Erik and spoke. "Ms. Petrolu seems to have downed four of my guards, two presumably dead. I'm sure she's headed this way; too bad she forgets she's aboard my ship and won't get off so easily as she did before. The two of you are a menace, and I can't deal with you both at the same time..."

A red flag shot up in Erik's mind at this comment, and he reached for his blaster. His hand never made contact, however. He'd misinterpreted Krenoff's words; he thought Shayla was the one in trouble. He hadn't even thought that it would be him.

Her heart jumped up into her throat. He wasn't dead; she could still sense him. But she wasn't sensing much from him other than his presence. Her mind was still screaming set-up, but her heart was now guiding and totally ignoring any logic that was trying to present itself. Before she knew it, she was in the main hanger bay unimpeded to the scene of a squad of Imperial guards surrounding Krenoff and...

...and...

...and her pain. This sense spurred him into motion. At length his senses began to come to him enough to realize that he was still holding his blaster, much to the oversight of the Imperial guards that had downed him. After a much longer period of time, he was able to crack an eye open as Krenoff and his cronies gathered around the listless form of Shayla.

That was all it took. Grasping the blaster still in his hand, reacting on instinct alone, Erik aimed and fired dead on. Krenoff crumpled to the floor in much the same manner as he himself had only a little while before, only Erik knew his weapon hadn't been set for stun. He sat up, firing as the guards whirled on him, all the while shooting as a pell-mell of blaster shots began to fill the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shayla stirring.

The guards weren't quite so stupid this time. About half of them kept a watchful eye on her; too bad they weren't planning for how she might react to what had been done to her. Reaching out her right hand, all her fingers extended, Shayla shoved three men of the half-squad with something that couldn't be seen. They fell against the decking of the SSD. This wasn't enough to stop them however, as they scrambled to their feet Shayla stood and fired with the blaster that the guards had never managed to take from her.

Erik, meanwhile, hurried to her side, all the while shooting at guards and ducking shots of theirs as the thickness of blaster shots and Imperial guards increased; by the time he reached Shayla she was taking on a whole new squad of guards. Erik grabbed her hand; she didn't resist but continued to fire as they ran towards his intended destination. Knowing that the Starlight was most likely still stuck in the tractor, Erik took Shayla to her X-wing. By the time they'd headed up the ladder and managed to cram inside what was supposed to be a hatch to accomadate one Imperial guards were all but climbing into the cockpit with them, hanging on to the sides and firing.

Shayla responded by firing up her converters even as Erik made sure the hatch of the little fighter was sealed above them; fortunately for both of them Krenoff had the x-wing moved in order to accomadate the arrival of the Starlight; they weren't in the tractor. As the x-wing warmed, Shayla powered up the weapons and shot at the guards with her laser; several men had crumpled to the floor by the time she was able to ascend from the decking of the hanger and head outward. As they headed out into the stars that stretched beyond, the SSDs own weapons came to bear on them; fortunately Shayla was quick with the throttle as well as her hyperdrive. She rolled and twisted, her vector all but uncertain as, with one swift motion, she keyed in coordinates and then pulled the hyperdrive lever. Her x-wing faded from realspace into the starlines that in turn consisted of nothing other than the safety of hyperspace.

Shayla took a deep breath, then let it out in a slow release of air from her mouth, at the same time laying her head back into the form of the other person occupying an all-too-tiny cockpit with her. It was a good thing Shayla was a small person and Erik was around average; if not they never would have been able to both fit inside this thing without both of them being completley unable to move. As it was, all Shayla really had control of were her arms. which she let fall into her lap and then slide over to rest upon Erik's own legs. She laid back into him further, still not able to say a word for quite some time.

"I'm sorry I've been distant lately..." she started, still trying to figure out just what to say. "I love you, more than anything."

At that she struggled but managed to turn in his arms, lightly kissing him on the chin. Then, as much as she could in the tightness of that little cockpit, she met her greeny-blue eyes with his brown ones. "We've gotta find Graysith," she said quietly. "I've forgotten what the life of an info smuggler entails...

...and I'd forgotten it's no longer the life for me."

With that she quieted, still searching his eyes and waiting to see what he might have to say, all the while trying once more to reach through the link that she somehow knew she still shared with Graysith.

I miss you all so very much. I wish to return to your side as Sister and Adept so that I may assist you in whatever way possible...

...if you will still have me.

Shayla's words rang in Erik's ears in a prophetic sort of manner; he looked at her with a flash of concern. "Shayla I..."

he paused, trying to discern the best way to say this. He figured just being up front was the only solution. "I sold Stargazer Corporation."

He stopped at that for a moment, wincing to see the incredulous look in Shayla's eye. She opened her mouth to say something but he put a finger to her lips. "Wait..." he prompted. Then, "You and I both know we might not ever be back to run the company; we haven't been there for far too long already. Aside from that, Katrina will continue to run the corporation as she has been for some time, and will continue to stay in contact with us. For all practical purposes, the business will still have our names attached to it, and we could go back at any time. This will just ensure that our employees get the treatment and the pay that they deserve."

He waited for her to absorb this, then answered the question he knew she must still have. "Co-owner of Eagle Enterprises, Aaron Barnes, now owns Stargazer Corporation. He agreed to this because it'll give him a good fall back should he ever need one, and he felt he owed us something since the predicament you were in was partially due to actions those in his company had taken."

Then he filled in Shayla on the details of what Krenoff had tried to do after capturing her; using her kidnapping as a grounds to demand a 2 million credit ransom.

"Sooo..." she interrupted, "Krenoff has the money now?"

Erik just grinned. "That's the beauty of this. The 2 million is safely deposited in the bank under my name, and I can withdraw it automatically at any time. I brought Krenoff credit notes for the amount, notes which only would become his to spend once you were safely with me and my signature was on the bottom line.

Neither ever happened. And incidentally, Barnes paid us in cash so that no trace could be made on the sell. You and I are rich, my dear..."

The roguish grin covering his face now spread further as Shayla returned the look right back at him. Then he changed topics with one more question. "So where precisely are we headed?"

So, instead of dwelling on this issue, Shayla turned her attentions to what he had just asked her. She'd been scheming left and right for some time regarding just how to reunite the Allies; without the All she was unable to track Graysith enough to get a direction of sorts so she had instead decided she'd simply have to use the networks her company had to find the remainder of the allies so they could strategize. The key to her thoughts had originally been that, quite simply, Roan would strike again. She'd thought that being seperated into two might lend itself to catching him off guard; only now as she sat back and thought about this did she realize the major flaws in this thinking.

First and foremost, she didn't have a clue where Roan was. If he struck, he'd strike and pull back with his prey and she'd never be able to go after him, allies or not, to help Graysith and Lord Recinis. Secondly, the allies were still very much split, even more so than they were when the initial break up in Prinn'chatka had occurred. And finally, she didn't have one whit of an idea what Graysith or Lord Recinis was planning.

If they were going to defeat Roan, they needed to do the planning together.

Which lead Shayla right back to her first problem. She didn't know where Graysith was. But, in the heat of the moment of

She turned and looked Erik dead in the eye, a wave of something akin to discouragement in her eyes. "I don't know. Well...I do know...for the moment, we are headed for Atzerri. Maybe then we can collect ourselves enough to figure out just what to do next..."

Slowly he had been learning of his own little form... And now he used it with swift accuracy, delevering a strong kick out in pride as if to say "Hey mommy, Here i am!"

...her wedding.

Something, however, finally pulled her from her thoughts, striving for attention. Whatever it was niggled...or rather, kicked. She froze in her tracks as she realized just what that little niggle was, forcing Erik to stop beside her as the recognition of the new little Force-essence inside herself became even clearer.

Erik, meanwhile, turned his deep brown eyes to hers, frowning. "You OK?" he asked.

Shayla stood quietly for a moment, taking the time to bask in the wonderful newness of her situation by sending a loving tendril of herself out in response to the little one she sensed within. Then she turned her greeny-blue eyes into those still-concerned brown ones of Erik's. She smiled a bit sappily. "I'm fine," she said quietly. With those words she took his hand in hers, lead him to a bench to sit by her, then took that same hand and quietly laid it atop her now firm abdomen. Her smile turned even mushier as Erik glanced down, then turned a pair of now quizzical eyes into her own. She didn’t say anything for a long moment, but simply nodded once as if to answer a question he hadn’t even asked.

"He kicked. He's done that twice now," she said to Erik, grinning.

Erik just smiled right back at her. "I see he has your personality already," he teased. Then his look turned a bit more serious. "It's a good thing we have that extra cash with us now..."

"And a ship," Shayla added. Her look defocused a bit at that. "There's so much I want to talk with Graysith about..."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It'll happen, give it time."

She nodded, snuggling into him a bit. He wrapped an arm about her. "Let's just enjoy one day before we start talking business again, Mrs. Kartan."

She turned her face to his and kissed him softly on the cheek, then rested her head against his shoulder. "Allright Mr. Kartan," she replied, "But I have this sudden craving for some nerfsteak..."

"Go where?" she whispered quietly, a pang of sadness taking over her spirits, which had been so very light only hours before.

"We could try Khar Delba or K'eel Doba," Erik offered.

Shayla bit her lip, and leaned into him. "K'eel Doba, perhaps..." she said. Then she trailed, her eyes turning a bit vague.

"Have you tried the link with Graysith again?" he prompted.

She shook her head, "Not recently. I haven't heard anything from her...I don't think she'd shut me out, so I just really wonder if the link works at all anymore. Maybe I lost it when Lord Aelvedaar removed the All from me..."

"But you still have the Force," he replied.

Shayla just nodded once more. "Yes, I do. But is it enough? I suppose K'eel Doba is the only option. We'd best be moving on."

With that she began to move with Erik to their ship to depart, all the while still trying that one link that she so desperately wished would bear a reply.

Graysith, are you there? Oh, how I want to find you and talk to you! So much has happened since we parted ways. She smiled a moment as she continued with her thoughts. I'm going to be a mother...

Then, sobering, I so wish you could hear me, that you could share these times with me...

..please, if you can hear me, give me a sign...

Inside of the impregnable materail walls of the ship sat a young man, attired in natural hot-weathered areas. His spectacular sharp black-jet hair hung neatly over his forehead, down to his eyebrows. He sat tranquilized in his leather seat before his control panel of numerous compotents which would shift the ship in many ways. Yet only one thing was on his mind. Gotta land for a bit of trading, or some kind of action.

Clutching onto the manual control rod of the aircraft, slowly heading toward the atomsphere, hoping to land softly atop the foundation of Azterri. As he pressed agians the atomsphere, and was slowly absorbed in, he leaned back relaxed in his seat. He placed the ship's computer unmanual control on "Automoic polit: Landing". As the ship carried him to leisurally-paced landing onto the ground, he glanced down to check if the duties were carried. The sudden suprise came to his sight, staring down at a ship where he was reported to land from his auto-pilot computer alert system.

"Oh man!" He fearfully stated, grabbing his ship's control rod while his other hand was accopied in taking them out of autopilot control.

As the progression of unaccopying the ship in its works on auto-pilot came to an end, he motioned wearingly to the side, untrained for such situations. Cruising to a turn, he clashed against the foundation, forming a fulmination, with the fire bursting out from the twenty yards from the ship which played an interferrence in Rakim's landing.

Slowly heading out of the smoke, Rakim's body was bruised, with blood trickling from his mouth, holding onto what life he had with a locked fist at his side. Running his hand along his face, he drew the blood that was implaced on his face upon his hand to tkae a glander at. An intense anger boiled in his pupils as they took a quick glare toward the two beings heading toward the ship which played as the meddle in his landing.

...somewhat. The ship, however, did skid to a rather rough stop, smoke billowing from it as it finally made harsh impact with the rough Azterri landscape. He was about to turn to Shayla to inquire if they should go check on the pilot when a man exited the crashed ship and approached them, anger in his eyes and voice. Erik's guard rose a bit despite the man's injury; Shayla, however, stepped away from him to lightly touch the other man's shoulder. The moments passed silently as they ticked into minutes, and after some length of time she was assured healing had truly begun. Only then did she step back a bit, still assessing the new man, concern still apparent in the features of her face.

Erik looked dead at the man. "Can we help you find somewhere to stay and get some medical care?" he asked. Then he waited to see what the man might reply.

Erik nodded, and turned back to the man. Shayla meanwhile continued speaking. “We will be happy to buy you some accomadations for the week here to give you some time to rest up a bit after your crash,” she explained. Then she added, “And my husband...” She hesitated a moment and grinned at being able to use that term for Erik, “...will see that your ship is properly repaired.”

And, saying all these things, Shayla carried out on them. In short order the wounded man had been given a room in one of the finer hostels on Azterri, and Erik looked into the repairs for the man’s damaged ship. After working on the minor problems himself, Erik found a well-respected ship place on Azterri to repair the more severe damage the ship sustained during the crash. After leaving the ship there and prepaying for repairs in cash, Erik made sure the hostel owner knew where the ship had been berthed so that her owner could retrieve her when he was ready. Then, although Erik had considered staying to make sure their charge recovered completely, Shayla insisted that they leave him to rest and move on themselves. Something in the Force was prompting her that time was of essence, and that the time to move was now. So, making sure they left some cash for the man to live on for the week, Erik and Shayla headed for their freighter and took to the stars and then into hyperspace shortly thereafter.

Their destination: Kee’l Doba.

(((OCC: Follow Shayla and Erik to The End of the Hunt in the Jedi Praxeum and Sith Temple. Thank you!)))

As he stepped into his patched up ship, he shifted off the planet, heading into the atomsphere for something that would help him on his road to Yavin, to save the people of that planet, or somehow revive that joy he once had. A woman; maybe a dangerous path, nearly anything could spark his intrest, as the road he had been one was long, with little people upon it. A rebel against nothing at all, a lost soul-still blown in the wind.