Jasyn sat quietly at the one lousy cantina he could find on Fondor, drinking the strongest stuff that the bartender would give to him...

...legally, anyway. WalknFall, they called it. He'd long since contacted Aaron and Matt, not divulging one lick of information yet regarding what had happened on Kori'san. He'd only told them that something had happened, and that he didn't care to discuss it via a comm. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there or how much he'd spent on refills when, out of the corner of his now very blurred vision, a familiar short red-headed fellow entered the cantina, walked towards him, and took a seat across from him.

He exchanged a meaningful look with Matt, and didn't utter one word. He'd had so much to drink at this point he didn't know if he even had the brainpower to formulate a coherent sentence.

Matt cocked a brow, tilted his head, and queried "Jasyn, what happened? Where's Terrin?"

Jasyn closed his eyes, and shook his head, trying to shut out the feelings that question brought. After a moment he opened his eyes again and they landed dead into Matt's shocked and horrified green pair.

"Galen?" he asked.

"Widda othas,” he slurred, gripping his mug of WalknFall and tilting it upward, guzzling the remainder of the drink down. He then slammed the container down on the table, raising a hand to ask for another.

“That...will be enough, I think,” Matt stated, reaching out his own hand to place it on Jasyn’s arm and stop him from ordering more.

”Hey!” Jasyn growled, his look hardening. Matt merely shook his head warningly. After a moment or so, Jasyn finally gave in, putting his hand back on the table.

“I think it’s time I get you outta here,” Matt commented.

Jasyn just scowled. “Fine wi me!” he blurted.

Matt shook his head once more, then, helping his rather drunken friend along, began to head out of the cantina and back towards where he'd docked his ship, the Falcon.

The implications of Jasyn's actions and words were gnawing at the corners of his mind and his stomach with a sickening persistence...

[ 01-09-2003 07:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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“Shouldn’t be too much longer before we reach the Hornett,” Matt said aloud, trying to make conversation. “We’re in the outer rim; sales have sky-rocketed on Tatooine but our dealers are reporting that the planet is under some sort of attack,” he continued, frowning. “We’re trying to get them back in safely but have lost complete contact with them last I heard. Something strange is going on; this attack doesn’t sound like the workings of the Empire and there’s no rebellion strong enough to front one yet.”

Jasyn leveled a pair of very unfocused browns somewhere in Matt’s vicinity. He had to wonder how many “Matts” Jasyn was currently seeing. Jasyn snorted. “Wadal Roan n da Sifth show...” he muttered somewhat darkly. His eyes again wandered to the bulkhead of the ship, and Matt frowned.

“...er dat kid da his,” Jasyn continued to mumble, his look and the tone of his voice only darkening further. He balled a fist and slammed it against the edge of the seat. Words were about to erupt from his lips when he suddenly fell silent, the look in his eye only hardening further.

”Sh-killed-im,” he moaned at last, a hint of despair glinting his eyes as he once more fell into total silence. ”N Roan Darra,” he continued, now crossing his arms about himself, his eyes defocusing to the point Matt wasn’t even sure if Jasyn was seeing a thing in the cabin of the ship. The block of ice in his own stomach only seemed to freeze further with the words.

“Jasyn...” he started, “What happened?”

A response never came. Jasyn only clammed up tighter, turning towards the bulkhead of the ship so as to avoid any eye contact, closing his own eyes as he did so. Matt wasn’t certain; Jasyn could be responding to the symptoms of his recent drinking binge, but he had a sickening suspicion his buddy was reacting to something else entirely. Sensing an even greater urge to make all haste possible, Matt turned and tweaked a few controls on the navboard.

The sooner he could get Jasyn back to the Hornett and sober again, the sooner he could get to the bottom of what exactly was troubling him...

[ 01-09-2003 02:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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"Hell!" he blurted, his head suddenly throbbing. He cracked an eye open and was rewarded with the blinding spectrum of the rainbow in his line of vision. He groaned, his stomach suddenly churning in an effort to squeeze out unwanted contents. He grabbed his head and held it between his hands, closing his eyes in an effort to block out the blinding light. "Gonna ie..." he moaned, the urge to throw up returning once more. He vaguely heard some rustles that seemed rather loud, and at length felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. He cracked one eye open long enough to assess that there were about 5 Matts stooping over him. Then he closed his eyes again, and curled up into a little ball on the floor of the cabin.

"You're gonna have to strap in," Matt said, seemingly yelling. "We're about to revert and dock in the Hornett."

Jasyn could get one word out in response to that. "No."

Matt seemed to hesitate, then sighed. "Allright fine," he replied, "I'll make the approach and landing as gently as possible. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Jasyn merely nodded once.

Matt lingered a bit longer, then said one final thing; a question that at this point seemed somewhat rhetorical in nature. "What upset you so to cause you to get yourself this drunk?"

With nothing further than that, Matt began to stand,clearly not expecting and perhaps not even wanting an answer. Jasyn actually reached out and grabbed his shoulder before he could stand, cracking his unfocused yet somehow highly troubled browns open as he strove to look Matt dead in the eyes as best he could.

He just couldn't keep it to himself anymore. So, as the proximity indicator began to bleep its warning, he mumbled two final and startling clear words before he closed his eyes and curled up into a ball once more. "Terrin's...dead."

[ 01-09-2003 07:07 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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Out like a light.

Matt frowned, his thoughts darkening entirely.

Now he understood what had driven Jasyn to nearly drink himself to death.

Sighing at that, he patted Jasyn on the shoulder. "I'll be right back for you, buddy," he said, then turning for the hatch and exiting the ship, leaving the hatch behind him open.

At the foot stood Aaron Barnes, looking very concerned and somewhat impatient.

Matt started the expected explanation by pointing his thumb over his shoulder and back into his ship. "Jasyn's blacked out on the floor in there. Better take him to the medcenter; he's had quite alot to drink."

Aaron opened his mouth and started to say something when Matt stopped him by raising one hand. "I know, I know. Not good. But there's a reason, trust me. Several reasons, perhaps."

He paused a moment at that, then continued with, "From the little bit Jasyn did say, it sounds like the Sith are somehow really and truly back; from what I can tell, Galen is with them too. He also mentioned something about Roan and JhinDarra..."

He trailed for a moment at that, bracing himself for the next words he'd have to say, "Aaron...someone killed Terrin."

He then fell silent at that, clearly reading the utter shock in Aaron's eyes and pretty much feeling just the same.

"I...I don't know what happened; Jasyn hasn't said. He could be out for a while too, I don't know how long it'll be til we get something clearly from him concerning this..."

He trailed again, considering something. Then he continued. "Jasyn's not gonna be with it for a day or two at least. I don't know about you, but I'd like some answers before then..."

Not knowing what else to say, he simply waited to see just what Aaron might reply.

[ 01-09-2003 08:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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For a long moment Aaron stared almost blankly at Matt, as if not believing he'd heard half the words that had come from the other man's lips. Then, "You're damned straight I want some answers!" he growled.

He paused a moment, then continued with, "And the Sith, back? What the hell did he have to drink?! There is no way I believe that one buddy, NO WAY. But I'll tell ya what I do know," he continued, his usual fairly calm nature flying to the wind, "The last time I saw Terrin, he was very alive, and headed for Coruscant to look for Galen. So you tell me why I find it entirely wrong that a very drunk Jasyn, who was initially with Terrin when he went to Coruscant, has popped out of nowhere to tell us that Terrin is dead and Galen is with the Sith?

"..and something about Roan and Darra?"

Aaron fell silent for a long moment with that, his eyes defocusing as though he were deep in thought. He finally finished with, "Let's get Jasyn to the medcenter. While he's detoxing I think I'll go pull up some old coordinates from the navcomputer.

"I think it's time we paid the "Sith worlds" a little visit again..."

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Ugggh.

Sleep. Yes, yes more sleep...

For a long moment Jasyn again tried his best to simply drift off into total darkness. But that something simply wouldn't go away. He opened his mouth to groan again...

...and suddenly found himself rolling over on a medtable, gripping the sides of it for dear life as he proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach on the sickbay floor. The Universe exploded into every color in the spectrum about him as he did so; when he finally finished with that particular feat he let all the tension in the grip he had on the medtable simply release and laid on his stomach limply, closing his eyes to shut out every shred of light surrounding him. This didn't work to his expectancy; he groaned again, this time the sound coming out as a barely audible croak.

He turned and buried his face in the pillow. If anyone was around him at the moment, he hadn't a clue concerning their presence and could frankly care less. His head felt as though any attempt at conscious thought would make it explode.

He groaned into his pillow, and began once more to drift...

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"What now?" Matt queried.

Aaron pursed his lips. "I don't think we'll be getting any answers from him for a while," Aaron said simply, shaking his head a bit numbly. "I'd be lying if I said that I'm anything less than wary about the Sith at this point. Terrin trusted them..."

Aaron trailed for a moment, then, "He trusted them, and now he's somehow gone...somehow killed?"

Aaron shook his head again, then directed his gaze towards Jasyn. "He's in no condition to travel in a small ship right now; he's lucky he's even half-alive, which I think is about all he'll be for a day or so. Still, I have the feeling we're gonna need him. We'll hit hyperspace in the morning and head for the Endor; it's a ways from Khar Delba still but it's the closest known system. We'll make the decision when we arrive as to whether we take the Hornett to Khar Delba from there or take a smaller ship, it'll all depend on how Jasyn's holding up at the time and simply how I feel about the matter as well. For now I'd suggest we all try and get a little rest though; there's still a few salesmen who have yet to report in and I'm waiting for someone else to arrive here as well. Should he not arrive by morning...

...I'll simply have to leave someone behind to pick him up and bring him on to us. Either way, we're outta here in the morning...

...and there's no changing my mind on that one."

[ 01-10-2003 03:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

Aaron knew the feeling.

Not wanting to bog Rathal down with the further knowledge that one of the two men he'd been sent after was dead, Aaron merely placed a hand upon Rathal's shoulder, looking him square in the eye. "Get yourself cleaned up and get some rest," he started with. "We can talk about whatever happened in the morning...unless of course you'd rather get it off your chest now."

He fell silent a moment, then continued with, "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep myself either way...

...so it's up to you."

With that Aaron fell silent and waited to see what Rathal would choose to do. As he waited, though, he pressed a button on his commlink.

"Yes sir?" a voice answered crisply.

"Is the scout crew off?" he asked in return.

"Yes sir," came the answer

"Allright then," he responded to that, pursing his lips a moment and then continuing with, "Get us out of here."

"At once sir. Anything else?" the voice replied, falling silent and awaiting any further rinstruction.

"That is all, thank you. Barnes out," he finished, closing out the comm frequency and again turning his attentions to Rathal. Even as he did so he could feel the Hornett thrumm as she glided smoothly into hyperspace...

[ 01-11-2003 11:56 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

...but if not you're welcome to stay aboard the Hornett. I'll leave that up to you. But then, let's go and get that drink I mentioned before we talk everything over in more...

...depth," Aaron finished with, turning and leading Rathal to his own private quarters, whereupon he pulled out the best vintage of Whyrene's Reserve he had, giving Rathal a mug then pouring one for himself. Then, sitting upon a comfortable couch across from the already-seated Rathal, he took a sip of the liquor, then said, "Tell me about Finn," he said, sitting back and taking in his drink as the bounty hunter began to tell him of the things that had transpired during his journey to Coruscant.

[ 01-12-2003 04:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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Curious as to how his buddy in the medcenter was holding up, Matt sauntered from his personal quarters aboard the Hornett to check on him. He stepped into the door...

...and his brow shot up in surprise to find Jasyn's medtable empty. He frowned, turning to the medic. "Where is Mr. Lancaster?" he queried.

She looked a bit jumpy. "Mr. Lancaster woke and was rather ah...insistent that he be allowed to return to his quarters. There was no arguing with him, even though he really should have stayed the night...

...I'm sorry, but he would have none of my reasoning."

Matt simply shook his head. "No need to apologize. I'll see to Mr. Lancaster myself," he ended with then, turning and heading back the way he'd come.

Wanted to go to your quarters, eh Jas? Riiight...

In no time Matt had found the place where he suspected, quite accurately in fact, that Jasyn had really gone. Green Level's finest bar...

...Jasyn's favorite hangout. Took Matt no time to scan the area and find Jasyn in a corner, eyes a bit bloodshot and head in one hand, a mug of something in his other. A thundercloud of doom seemed to be raining worrts and sandrats over his head. Matt approached, took a seat, and eyed Jasyn, who simply returned the look with a glare.

"Go away," he grumbled.

"You're gonna have to talk about it Jas," was all Matt replied, actually taking the mug from Jasyn's less-than-secure grip. "This will do you no good...

...unless you intend to drink yourself to death."

Jasyn scowled further, a deeply rooted despair lurking somewhere in his brown eyes. At length his look shifted a bit and he sighed, moving to now hold his head with both hands.

"Allright then," he said, "I'll talk...but not here."

Getting shakily to his feet, still needing some assistance in staying balanced, Jasyn let Matt then lead the way to his personal quarters where they got seated comfortably. Then Matt simply leaned back, waiting patiently, sensing that Jasyn couldn't hold out on keeping all this to himself much longer.

"Talk it out buddy," he said quietly, reaching out and gently shaking Jasyn, who seemed to have drifted off into his own thoughts once more. "Talk it out..."

[ 01-12-2003 07:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Matt Stanza ]

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...from Actar to Coruscant to Kori'san until at length it was all said, including the knowledge that ShaRhylla had somehow toyed with Terrin's mind, later driving him to act in a manner that led to his death. Then he finished with the events that surrounded JhinDarra's death at the hands of Roan.

"I will always wonder if things would have been different had I stopped Terrin from going or had simply gone along with him. I've tried reasoning that feeling away, but I just can't...

...I can't. What a horrible way for him to die. Who knows if we could have ever done anything to help him, but we never got the chance. And Darra..."

Jasyn trailed a moment, then continued, "As if killing her wasn't enough, Roan... abused her..."

He sighed at that, anger now taking hold, a bit of bitterness actually escaping. "I don't understand why, with all their magickal powers, the Sith couldn't do SOMETHING to help Terrin or Darra..."

His eyes darkened at that and he hung his head, placing his elbows on his knees and then his head in his hands. For a long moment he simply remained silent til at lenght one final pained line came from him. "Terrin would die all over again if he knew what Roan did to that little girl..."

With that Jasyn fell into silent despair, not having any other words to say.

[ 01-12-2003 10:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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"I'm sorry boss." Jonovar added, feeling that an apology was nessesary. Then the world weary pilot fixed his gaze on the bottom of his mug. His view was, much to his chagrin, unobscured by liquid.

[ 01-12-2003 11:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Rathal ]

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

At that, he started walking towards the door, Rathal behind him, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere. Then he turned to Rathal. "Did they ever ask you who you were working for?"

[ 01-15-2003 12:41 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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For anything new needed testing before put into widespread use....

[ 01-15-2003 02:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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So now what?"

At this he fell silent, his brown eyes pinning Matt's green ones, waiting expectly.

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"Possible risk," Aaron repeated. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm not tampering with something that someone put in his body..." he explained, pointing to Rathal, "...because whomever put it there would have taken precautions to make certain it stayed there. Or else."

Aaron sighed, realizing defeat and understanding the reasons as much as he hated them. "Looks like you're stuck with this, my friend," he said, turning to Rathal, "Unless you want to go elsewhere and take the risk yourself." Aaron shrugged. "I won't have a hand in something that might kill you, however small the likelyhood of such a thing may be. So it's simply up to you."

[ 01-15-2003 11:28 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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“...so Aaron decided we’d pay them a little visit. We’re on our way to Endor to then decide if we are taking the entire Hornett into Khar Delban space or just a smaller ship.”

Jasyn’s still somewhat-defocused eyes jerked up into Matt’s green pair at that, a look somewhere between worry and something else rising in their depths. “Matt...

...I hope you don’t think I’m saying this because I’m still drunk...

...but that entire system is now populated with Sith.”

Matt simply cocked a brow.

“...Or at least that’s what that kriffing Roan would have us believe...” Jasyn trailed, and frowned. “Graysith and all the others were headed for Khar Delba...”

Matt nodded, “Well, I for one would like to see this for myself, especially considering we are supposedly tied to the Graysith because of Terrin’s blood oath...”

He trailed a moment, frowning. “...I wonder what happens with that now?”

Jasyn shrugged, not saying anything in reply. Then in seeming non-sequieter, “You know the Hornett rightfully belongs to Galen now.”

Matt wasn’t quite sure what Jasyn was thinking at this. “Yes, it does. This baby was Terrin’s, and all his. Used to be his pride and joy before...before other things and other people became more important, anyway.”

Jasyn’s look darkened. “I’d like to take her and ram her lasers right down a couple of people’s throats...”

Matt frowned again, “Hey, calm down buddy. That won’t do any of us any good. You said Galen went with the others to Khar Delba?”

Jasyn merely nodded.

Matt pursed his lips a moment then thoughtfully. “I don’t think Galen would stay with them,” he then stated. “Just a gut feeling.”

“Hell,” Jasyn replied, “Who would want to stay with a bunch of folk who have been dead for 4,000 kriffing years?” He shuddered a moment at the thought. Then he focused his browns back on Matt. “We should find her and let her know she has a place with us...and hell, she has an SSD. And, for that matter, the Eagle is hers as well.”

Matt nodded. “We’ll find her. In the meantime however, you my friend, need to get some rest. And not drink anymore. We’ll be hitting Endor soon, and we figured you’d wanna be in on this.”

“I certainly do,” Jasyn replied, pursing his lips in thought, “I certainly do...”

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He jerked his eyes up again towards Matt. "First things first," he said, standing and ignoring the remainder of the headache he had, "To hell with going to Endor first."

Matt stood next to him even as he began heading towards Aaron's office. "He's not there," he then said simply.

Jasyn halted suddenly, then turned. "Where then?"

"Last I heard, he was headed to the medcenter with a crewman of ours."

"Allright then," Jasyn commented then, turning on his heel and starting up again, albeit a touch shakily. In no time he was busting into the medcenter, coming to a halt in front of Aaron, who merely cocked a brow in surprise. "Glad to see you are a bit more operational," he observed, folding his arms.

Jasyn merely scowled. Beside him Matt remained completely silent. "We need to talk, now," Jasyn said.

Aaron frowned then, nodding in apology to Rathal, stepped somewhere off to the side with Matt and Jasyn. "What is this?" he queried then.

"Scratch stopping at Endor, that's what," Jasyn replied.

"We should go into this carefully..." Aaron started.

"Carefully?" Jasyn repeated. "Let's see here now..." he then continued, raising a finger. "Go into unknown and possibly very dangerous regions with a small ship, or with a big one?"

He paused at that, his finger still extended, as if waiting for Aaron to consider. At length Aaron simply sighed. "Allright, point taken. Besides, Endor is gonna delay us some anyway."

Jasyn nodded in approval. Aaron frowned once more, then queried. "Jasyn...the thing about..." his voice then grew quieter, "...the Sith being back...?" He trailed.

Jasyn nodded in affirmation. Then, "Biiiiiig ship," he restated.

"Agreed," Aaron said, reaching for his wrist comm. "Navigation, alter course to the coordinates I gave you," he said into the speaker of the little unit on his arm.

"Executing immediately, sir."

On cue to that, one could feel the Hornett gracefully drop out of hyperspace, reorient herself a bit, then slip back into hyperspace once more.

"Done sir," the controller then confirmed. "Any other orders?" he queried.

"Just make sure to take us out and put us in orbit around Khar Delba, but keep some distance til we know just exactly what the situation is," he responded.

"Yes sir. Navigation out."

Aaron directed his gaze to Jasyn once more. "You," he said, pointing now to a medtable. "Get some rest, preferrably here. You're under observation, buddy. Nearly killed yourself on WalknFall, remember?"

Jasyn groaned, considered objecting then thought better of it. He scowled again. "As you wish it," he then said. "But once we come out of hyperspace..."

"You'll be notified," Aaron promised. Then he turned to go back to where Rathal was, stopping a moment to eye Matt. "Keep an eye on him," he mouthed, then proceeded back where Rathal was to see if the man had yet made any decisions regarding his current delimma.

[ 01-16-2003 12:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Jasyn Lancaster ]

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My Characters: Rathal, Narcolm, Freedon Naad

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