I stared off toward the flaming horizon, my thoughts as hot and volcanic as the wildly beautiful -- if noxious -- landscape which spread three hundred and sixty degrees around me. I really don't know what it was that had prompted me to come back here to Sullust... ok, so on second thought, I did.

Here it was that two horrific events had occurred to me: the rape that demon from hell had committed upon me in the spas of this bubbling world, and the even more horrific and brutal murder of my daughter. Most people would probably have run to the hills, anywhere, other than come back to the scene of such terrible memories... but not me. I dunno; call me a glutton for punishment, but to me there's no better way to get riding down the road than by clambering back up on top of the ronto that just threw you off.

And in doing that, you have to look the Beast square in the eyes.

So here I found myself again, perched atop a rocky outcrop of basalt, staring with almost unseeing eyes out over the harsh contrast of reds and golds, flaming oranges and yellows, almost unviewable whites and deep velvety blacks this planet's face presented. The curtaining lavas flared, reflecting in my own vision, reminding me that although the surface of this place was lifeless, life indeed did dwell within it's bowels.

Never take appearances at their first impressions, Galen JhinDar Danner, I thought fiercely. There is always another side to every story... and always a solution to every problem.

The problem was, however, that I really didn't know exactly what the problem was. Other than the raging fury and utter anguish I felt boiling deep within my soul.

That little sometimes-logical part of me waggled a finger for recognition.

You know, if the two could come to terms, they might negate.... The utter incongruity of that idle thought provoked a snort.

Yeah, "A" + "B" = "C," and "C" is a cleanly emptied Galen.

Right.

I let out a sigh, and continued to gaze out over the volcanic environment of Sullust. Then I rose to my feet, readjusted my rebreather, and headed back to the tunnel that would take me back to the lively civilization that lived beneath the surface. A particular cantina I had seen flashed into my head, and sure as there's Treasure on Roon, although I wasn't much of a drinker, I could use one about now.

And the stiffer the better, too.

A former Dark Jedi, once overwhelmed by the darkness within his soul, and now becoming one who uses the light force. Beckoning the force as not a slave, but as an ally to help him during troublesome situations when his physical attributes fail. Coming down upon one of the underground cities, the unarmed TIE ship that had been given to him after his exit out of the incarceration on Yavin IV.

Exiting the ship as it was placed on the ship bay, he was out on the street. The smell was weird, something that he had only once before smelt many times before.

Food.

Going quickly down the path to the closest catina, he entered quickly with a sense of excitment being used for a facial expression. Coming to the bar, he seperated the two miners and began with his order. It was a Andoan Ale he seeked, one of his favorite acholoic bevarges, which in general were very few.

Turning about as he leaned casually against the bar counter in await, he glanced around the catina. It was a crowd of numerous species, all able to breathe in this atompshere, which was suprising, but what caught his eye the most was a red haired being that entered the catina only half a second during his rotation to observe the setting.

"Hmm--Do you know who this is." He asked, his eyes not moving away from her as the acohol was placed behind him by the waiter.

The man shook his head Twi'lek head, and venture off.

The Blue Asteroid.

I couldn't help but snort back a quick laugh as I entered and found a seat in that corner booth.

What is it, anyway? I thought out into the darkened interior of the place, idly watching as a young man turned from his position at the bar to pass a cursory glance upon me. It's like there's some unseen little gremlin who runs every such kind of place in the known universe, and this particular gremlin isn't very predisposed in the imagination department....

The sudden arrival of a soulful-eyed little waitress with my drink yanked my thoughts away from that non-sequiteur, and I in turn handed her a handful of credits. Probably way over what the drink cost, to judge from the way her eyes widened to even yet more enormously moist, black pits in her plump visage.

She murmured a quiet thanks, and left me to stare into the ruby depths of the Walkn'Fall she had placed in front of me. I had never gone near the stuff, knowing what it did to Sorben, and him a drinker.

But as my granny was wont to say, there was a time and a place for everything. Grimly I took hold of the tall glass, and in one swift motion threw half it's contents down my throat. Even as I choked and blinked through the tears that swallow provoked in me, slamming that glass back on the table, my hand was up in signal to my waitress.

Keep 'em coming, miss. Keep 'em coming....

Placing his hand on the table of the booth, he glanced into her eyes, a sly smile coming to his face as he gazed. The smile slowly was devoured by concerned eyes. His lips forming a straight line, implying a sense of importance in his coming question.

"Excuse me madam, if I can call you that." He began, his voice made clear & formal, though he kept composure so casual.

Running his hand along the table, feeling the soft, smooth texture he unconsciously threw himself into the booth. Landing onto the seat, with his eyes closing to set an aura of thought before he began again.

"Do you know where I could find some Ilum crystals for a lightsaber construction?" The youth inquired, his voice wielding a sense of seriousness and care about it.

The posture of the boy began to change slowly, rustling in the seat for a seek of comfort. It had been long since he had a good seat at all, and the annoyance of service had began to assault his mental status.

Such agony in those cells, no ability to move as you want, do as you need. Their was the hell of the seven rings in that chamber. Lumbia began to recollect the misery, torment and confused emotions that he had gain during his incarceratedion.

A vibration rain through his gleeful emotions, eradicating it with it's sound, creating an aura of anguish and ache in his heart.

Lumbia's head dropped down wearily, staring upon the soft, smooth texture of the table. It was once what he was, before he had been confined to the pains of that room in the captive world of Yavin IV. Running his hand along the bumpy edges, he noticed himself within them. Their was no ability to see his own reflection on it like the other elements of the table, they must have not sweeped this area.

But personal space it was, and now that personal space had been rudely invaded. I carefully set the glass back on the tabletop, but only after I had emptied it. I stared at the top of his head in silence, all the while my finger rose to capture the waitress's attention yet again. I opened my mouth, a slicing retort upon my lips, but suddenly paused.

And in such a manner are the new chapters of life begun, the thought came to me as abruptly and as unexpectedly as this young man had. I thought back to how I had so conveniently swooped into just the right vector of space on that day so long ago, to snatch Sorben out from Darth Wicked's paws... remembered further how I had chosed just that particular day to escape from Actar's luxurious prison on Ambria, to then meet Terrin, and couldn't help but wonder if this guy's sudden presence here would prove to be yet another nexus in my life.

So I forced back the anger which rose unbidden in me, and actually considered the question he was asking.

Ilum crystals for a lightsaber? Now... what's wrong with this picture... except that the only people in the galaxy who build the things are jedi, and I thought they went out on some kind of cleansing mecca or something to build them, nine weeks in the desert, so to speak....

My thoughts targeted back upon this young man as the waitress returned with yet another Walkn'Fall. It didn't even make it to the table, but was intercepted in mid-descent by my snatching fingers. I took another swig of the powerful ruby stuff, then set the glass shakily on the table.

Now I was staring at three young men's heads across from me. My tongue snaked out, wetting my lips.

"I- I dunno," I managed cleverly, blinking through the haze which was building up insidiously behind my eyes. He raised his face from the table to stare at me then as I continued. "I don' know much 'bout jed' stuff... you a jedi?" I slurred, pausing to give my head a shake.

The oh-so-dark humor of the situation slammed into me then. I shook my head harder, then harder yet as tears sprang unexpectedly into my eyes.

A jedi? Buddy, was he in for a surprise when he poked his head out into the Universe with his little lightsaber. There was a Beast waiting there to be slain, a Beast bigger than anyone ever could possibly dream of...

...and it lived on the worlds of the Red Sun, and it had a name, and it killed as it pleased, when it pleased, without ever a thought or consideration.

And there was nothing that could tame or slay the Beast, nothing nothing nothing....

My eyes grew vague then, looking out not into this young man's features but into other smiling faces, some not so smiling, some snarling and leering with the strength of the power at their disposal, some filled with deep-rooted and soul-filled fear.

And it really wasn't too much of a surprise to find my own face there amidst those final ones.

The young force-sensative child looked away once more, searching for something that could give him answers, but his hand still rubbed the table for comfort.

The smooth, soft side was what he wanted to return to and if/when he did, maybe he could call himself a Jedi. Yet his philosophies were contorted with the attack on Yavin, and action un-Jedi like. Actions were not done, but defense was.

Reaching forward, without even a glance back, he drew the glass back toward him. The young rogue noticed something had been injected into her by the bevarage and their was no more need for her to drink. Standing up, he walked slowly over to her limp body and pulled her up. Placing her over his shoulder, he began on a walk out the bar.

From somewhere deep inside me, that logical, tough-stuff kernal which truly was Galen JhinDar Danner was sitting and hollering warnings for all she was worth.

WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP...!

But Walkn'Fall is a harsh master. I managed to take a brief, if very bleary, look about me; noticed that everything wasn't quite as upright as it should be... a kind voice came whispering into my ears... I really ought to answer, maybe if I answer this damned descending fog would go away and then the real Galen Danner, yes that's me, could now please stand up....

Standing to his feet, gazing down at her body assuring himself that she was in safe hands on these streets, he ran back to the catina. Placing down some credits for some water, he was out as fast as he entered. Sliding along the pavement as the boy came out, meanwhile attempting to hold his balance and a grip upon the glass. Successful, he rushed to the limp body, the gal lingering motionless against the concrete wall. Throwing the glass upon her face, he wondered if the splash would awaken her.

Hell's Seven Circles, Ignatio, not in the pond! No way, no way; you always try to roll when I ride you in the pond, and I'm not that fond of getting wet when it really isn't necessary...

Dammit, Ignatio; I said NO!

Caught between a fuzzy approximation of reality and an even fuzzier remembrance, I waved a hand vaguely, as though brushing away an annoying insect. To no avail; my trusty steed danced into the pond anyway, his prancing feet sending water in a spray against my face.

I spluttered and coughed, waving.

"Excuse me, can you hear me?" He confusedly asked, his hands being placed behind his back as it had became a habbit of his, probably created because of his study on the old Jedi ways.

The boy's eyes wandered off to the side, observing his surrondings once more to find if their was any danger, though his skills were intuned to catch any growing tension in the Force.

"Are you there?" The boy asked, his mouth opening wide to let out a yawn as his words trailed into a murmur toward the end of his setence.

A sneer came to the force-sensative youth's face, a sense of discomfort & concern apart of his facial expression. The eyes of the boy calmly closed, his mind opening to the force. Every cell in his body using his the midclorhin to beckon the aide of the Force in the dire situation. Reaching into the mind of the girl with struggle, he attempted awakening her once more. The Rogue Jedi was clearly not a specialist in the arts of telephatics, but he had learn how, so their was still a possibility of her waking up.

Awaiting a response from the limp woman, Lumbia's legs crossed, situating himself in a stationary stance of meditation. Catching interested eyes around him from his abnormal bodily porportion.

I groaned as the jedi's Force abilities thrust into my mind, and as an side-effect seemed to clear some of the chemicals from the Walkn'Fall from my body. Not completely... but enough that a modicum of sanity and clarity came washing back to me, and I was able to drift slowly back toward consciousness.

I sat up a bit woozily, a hand going to my head. Memory descended in a flash; remarkably, my head didn't hurt to the extent I thought it would after all the Walkn'Fall I'd consumed.

Remind me to never, EVER, touch that nasty stuff again! I berated myself as I lowered my hand to prop it on the street behind me. I swayed a little bit, blinking away the last fogs of drink and bringing the world into focus once again.

Then I blinked again, completely shocked by the incongruity of my situation. I sitting upon the cold duracrete of a Piriingisian city street, peeps in motion all about, casting their curious glances our way....

Our way???

It was only then that I realized I was not alone. A young man who looked strangely familiar was cross-legged in the streets with me, almost in a meditative post, a calm look upon his countenance as if sitting in the city streets with an unconscious woman was the most natural thing in the universe to do.

My jaw fell to play in said streets next to my toes. Then I literally exploded.

"My name is Lumbia Whitfield, I aided you in retreiving concscious when you were in your acoholic infested sleep." The rogue said in a formal tone, his voice in more of a whisper so that the conversation wouldn't be heard by the passing citizens.

Taking his legs from their crossing, he slowly came to a stand, staring down at the face of whom he helped. She seemed angered & confused by his presence, but it was clearly reasonable. The galaxy was cloaked with darkness in his perspective ever since the Empire had taken existence, but it was clear that their was more complicated issue going on inside that forced her to think he was a criminal. He did wear torn rags at the moment, but his composure purposely sent a sensation that was formal and loving instead of a criminal.

"You-- you could have stolen my money while I was in my unconscious state?" I garbled in disbelief.

Who the hell was this guy, and what kind of nerve did he have anyway? I wake up after the one and only bender I ever wanted to go on in my life, to find myself sitting in the streets of Piriingisi like some street urchin, this guy involved in it somehow, I just know it... and here he stands, oh so smug, telling him he could have robbed me if he had wanted to? Like that's supposed to make me feel better?

And in the meanwhile, here I yet am, sitting in the streets of Sullust....

That realization sparked an action; holding my head steady against the last dregs of the Walkn'Fall effects, I climbed to my feet. Brushing myself off, I then turned to face him. Now my eyes narrowed to darkened slits; I brushed a hand quickly through the disaster my hair had become and glared even more at this "Lumbia Whitefield."

"I suppose then some kind of-- of thanks is in order here? That you managed to refrain from robbing me in my... unconscious state?" I sputtered darkly, staring him in the eye. Then my stance loosened a fraction.

"See, you were in that place and you feel unconscious. I, attempting to be a good citizen took you out the place so you wouldn't embarass yourself and tried to wake you up. During my effort to wake you I seeked the force, which was the reason I was in a meditative state before you when you awoke." His explaination ended with a small grunt, finding it tiring & irrelevant that he would have to explain something such as this. Doing the duty of a good citizen was now becoming congruent with criminal actions by how she looked upon him.

Twice.

He wanted to save me from embarrassing myself... so he accomplished this by dragging me out from "The Blue Asteroid" like yesterday's garbage and flinging me down into the streets like the same....

I wanted to slap this young man silly, really I did. But then I realized nothing would be gained from it...

...not to mention that he really wasn't who I simply ached to strike out against; no use acting on misdirected anger, Galen, you know that, so calm your jets....

...and finally managed to get myself under a semblance of self-control. Taking another deep breath, I opened my eyes.

He was still standing there, scowling down at his feet like a person scorned by his first love. Unbidden, a grin trembled around the corners of my mouth; with an effort I erased it from my features, and finally spoke up. This time the tone of my voice was softer, and far more civil.

"So, you make it a habit of rescuing people from themselves, ey?" I started, brushing an infinitesimal bit of dust from my flightsuit. "Nice hobby. But tell me:

"Well, men are commonly fools, woman shouldn't be seen drunk, it embarasses their race." The black haired man said, his hands being placed behind his back to create a more calm posture.

Running his left palm through his sweaty head, and into his hair he looked up once again. His eyes stared deep into her's as he thought, though his eyes seemed to wander into her's for an answer to what he had contemplated. It was clear that she didn't have one, she was probably as lost as him to what he was looking for, if not more.

"Women, drink... yeah," I muttered quietly, garbling the words as they fell from my lips in sharp memory of the fact that I'm not a drinker, and probably never would be. My smile grew a little vague then, as memories of other people tossing back drinks came unbidden into my mind.

Sorben and his damned Walkn'Fall... Terrin and the drinks we'd shared... Jasyn and his Sith brandy.

Sith... brandy.

I started with a noticable jerk, realizing Lumbia was staring at me intently. I sniffed a little, then sighed.

"Well," I finally managed most cleverly. "Every nek has his day... and even an angel can fall."

I trailed off at that, casting an idle glance around me, watching as the passersby went on their own merry ways through the underground maze of caverns and connecting tunnels that was Piriingisi.

Then the final question Lumbia had asked niggled into my mind.

Jedi and lightsaber-wielding pilgrimages? I wondered to myself. Now where in Hell's Seven Circles did he get that from?

It was then that I realized that I might have babbled on much more than I thought in my, er... unconscious state... and an insidiously growing sense of unease began wondering just how much I may have done so.

Regarding what, in most particular.

Maybe it's time to go sit and chat awhile, and find out. Can't have every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing what's really going on in the galaxy, at least not yet. I'd sure hate to think what would happen when all the King's Men would find their weapons of light utterly useless, and would thus fall down never to be picked up again... and sure as there's Treasure on Roon every knight errant would go dashing off to those twin worlds from hell the minute they knew of the existence of the Sith.

Only to hasten to their deaths.

I found myself shaking my head in the negative, and found him staring at me in sudden curiosity. I forced a smile and stuck out my hand.

Docking bay 17, the last bay in the row, So far from the BLUE ASTEROID. Why does this cursed planet have to be so inhospitable! I just need to find out more about this HOLOCHIP. What is the meaning of the name WHITFEILD??? Who or what is it. I can only remember brief glimpses of my past. All I know is that I have to find THE BLUE ASTEROID on SOLLUST.

Lumbia was seeking something... a crystal of some kind, to build a lightsaber. Enter stranger number two in less than the space of same amount of hours, sudden possessor of one, bad pilot of those who use them....

I cocked my head as I tensed, ready for anything, my eyes narrowing to black slits as I further appraised this sudden arrival.

Blue skinned, flowing white hair, great eyes... and an attitude you couldn't deflate with a rocket launcher. Not bad... hey a girl can look; haven't run into any of his breed in all my gallivanting around the galaxy, wonder who the hell he is but most importantly why the hell it's this particular moment he comed strolling up, big as you please, without so much as an introduction....

That final thought made me wince as I recalled my own laxity in the introductions department, and another one of my earlier thoughts, the one pertaining to serendipitous encounters, came flashing out of my slowly clearing faculties to remind me not to be such an automatic boob.

Boob.

I frowned more deeply, suddenly aware of this guy's wandering eyes on certain parts of my physical person. My eyes slit even further; it was all I could do to keep from growling in my throat. Yet for all my offended reaction, there was yet something about him I couldn't help staring at in turn. Something about him....

I shook myself with a snort.

Maybe he's like the Faleen, with pheromones or something.... I gritted my teeth, shaking my head again with a little snort, and tried to put the misery I was feeling over Terrin back into place. Sad to say it was a damned difficult thing to do, which only made me madder.

I fisted my hands at my sides, wanting to make some kind of retort, but knowing it wasn't my place. So I just stood there in silence, glowering.

Just HAS to be pheromones!

"I've already had enough to drink, thank you, er... Dash?" I said smoothly, drawing my hand with equal smoothness from his own. Yet I now found myself turning with him, as his one arm slid about my shoulders in directing be back toward the Blue Asteroid.

Galen, Galen... what in Hell's Seven Circles are you doing... Lumbia, please follow, oh please follow us....

I didn't say another word, but let this suave and charm-oozing man lead me back, lo and behold, right to the same booth I had vacated earlier. He seated me with a gentlemanly flourish, then sat down across from me.

"Err... ahh, nerfsteak and jango-salad, and Tatooine freshwater, if they have any," I managed to mumble without tripping over the words. Then his last comment hit me, and I winced again. Manners returned: I held my hand out, my eyes suddenly sparkling... wonder why in Hell's Seven Circles they were.

"The name's Galen... Galen Jhin'Dar Danner," I said with a smile.

Danner, Galen... DANNER.

I blinked, something of my smile fading the tiniest bit as memory slammed into me again. But for some reason the knowledge of Terrin and Darra's deaths weren't quite as devastating as they had been. The tiniest edge had been sliced off of that raw and biting hurt.

Strolling calmly into the catina, he placed his hands behind his back as he absorbed in the new scene. It was as previous, just less men standing, and very few in the same rich mood. They had grown groggy and quickly more drunk. A fight had brewed up to the left of Lumbia, and throwing of glass was going on to the far right. It was becoming a jungle, one more reason to take Galen out of this place.

"Excuse me.." Lumbia interupted as he came before the two, discussing at the same booth that Mr. Whitfield had taken the red haired woman from. The boy's eyes became a glare, amplified by his annoyed posture. Throwing his hands down on the table, he turned his head motioned to Galen, his brown orbs penetrating her's.

"Galen, you've been drunk and I know acohol is still in your system. You should rest.." Lumbia paused, taking his eyes off her and outside the window into the moving streets of Sullust, his voice becoming a whisper.

I cleared my head and walked out the door. maybe a drink would clear my head better. As i walked torwards a cantina irached out with the force a locked the door behind me.

"I never thought I would meet someone like you on a VOLCANIC ROCK like this".

I thought to myself, There is more to this wonam than I can possibly imagine, I'll have to use my powers of persuasion to learn more.

"So, what brings you..."
*Enter LUMBIASITH*
My concentration broken, I watch as LUMBIASITH walks toward us and tries to persuade GALEN, my new ladie friend, to leave with him.

"Excuse me, what was your name again?!? Whitfeild? You never did introduce yourself." I said politely.

After landing the Raptor securely in a frequent EE costumer’s landing pad, Jasyn headed for a place on this damnable planet of Sullust that he knew well, a place where he’d spent quite a good amount of time. He was fairly certain the location was still secure, and right now he wanted to be away from prying eyes and ears. And he couldn’t help but wonder if he was on the “missing prisoners from Coruscant, wanted dead or alive” list either. Finally he and Malf reached the secret entrance to that hidden dwelling where the gang had hung out after that terrible ordeal with Galen and Roan...

Jasyn scowled at the thought as he punched in the secret code to gain access, one which he’d set up himself. The rock “door” came obligingly open, Jasyn stepped in, and waved Malf in. The instant the furball got inside he slammed that same “door” closed and locked it behind him, pleased to find everything still in place, recalling how they’d all left here so hurriedly as he viewed all that had been left behind. He waved a hand towards the cupboards. “I can’t promise you anything good, but there might be something edible still lurking.”

Then he turned and headed for the room where Terrin had set up office back in the day. Place had the best scrambling comm frequency anyone could ask for...

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

After a brief “chat” with Aaron, Jasyn was comfortable with the plans he’d set for his next venture. Along with those arrangements, he’d also been informed that the Eagle had been tracked to...

...surprisingly enough...

...Sullust.

Kriffing planet attracts all of us like a magnet...

...or like a Venus-fly trap, take your pick, Jasyn thought smugly, heading for the eating area once more. There he spotted Malf, going through cupboards as expected...

...when out of the corner of his eye Jasyn spotted something absolutely blessed in one of those cupboards. He reached out a hand and jerked it out before Malf could get his paws on it, then stared at the bottle, licking his lips in anticipation. “This was one of the best vintage years for Whyrene’s Reserve,” Jasyn muttered, popping the top and sitting at the table, propping his feet up on it. He took a swig, and his eyes defocused with his next words. “Had alot of good times on this stuff despite the situation...”

He trailed, recalling sabaac with Matt and sometimes Nassy and Yaoksi...

...wonder what happened to them...?

...and the occasional times Terrin and Galen joined in for a drink or two...

Jasyn just sighed, taking another, larger swig. “We’ll stay the night before we head out,” Jasyn muttered then. “Make yourself at home...”

With that Jasyn turned his complete attentions to his drink. And as he sat there taking swig after swig of the Whyrene's Reserve, he couldn't help but think how damned lonely he'd become...

"I'm sorry. i wasn't paying attention were i was going." I told him. next to him was that same woman. Strange, are they always together. I thought. i closed my eyes for a second and realized something about the man next to me.

"Are you a ..."

Rule number 7, of Cartina's rules of hunting, Always keep your options open...

Just her luck, she quickly found a job that paid twice that of Galen Danner's mysterious bounty...

Besides, this job was as easy as they came...

A dishonest, conning, sweet talker of a Ch'iss was her target... This Ch'iss, Dash Kelderon, had swindled many women clean of their possessions through out the galaxy... his mistake was his choice of victims, most notably the Queen of Nabbo...

The Nabboans have placed a high price on his head, for the disappearance of the Queen...

That price was tripled after her death in an apparent accident of Dash's former ship...

Thus enters the ease of the assignment... without knowledge, Dash purchased his new YT-3000 from an undercover Nabboan agent...

A tracer was placed on it, and the proverbial pins were set up for Cartina to knock down...

Sullust

The Otana's Rival landed smoothly in docking bay 16, Cartina covertly followed Dash into a local cantina, The Blue Asteroid...

She took her place among the shadows in the back of the bar, waiting for the fight she caused to create enough confusion so that she may slip into the scene...

It was effective... as the woman Dash had entered with left the booth, no doubt his next victim, Cartina slipped into the warm seat...

Blaster aimed at Dash from beneath the table,"Dash, Dash Kelderon?"

At least this time I was upright, and coherent. Well... semi-coherent....

I shook my head again, and raised a hand to my temple. For some reason, my head was just pounding. I was just opening my mouth to reply when literally out of the blue there came yet another person, who just as literally ran smack-dab into my companion.

Lumbia rebounded with a slight, if ever polite, grunt. The new stranger immediately began mumbling apologies, then paused in seeming wonderment. Quite suddenly he blurted out a query as to whether Lumbia was a jedi...

I snorted, the sound slicing into my head and setting it to pounding again. I looked to Lumbia; the look in his guileless brown eyes bespoke a nonverbal commitment...

To me.

Why in Hell's Seven Circles that it was he had chosen me out of all the people in the known universe was something only a god or the future could answer. All I could do was assimilate it for future reference... and in the meantime, take things as they were coming at me.

"Th-thank you, Lumbia," I stammered in a low voice, my thoughts beginning to drift back to those lavender eyes we had left behind me. While I wondered just what the danger was Lumbia felt I had been placing myself in, the simple fact remained:

The way that guy had slid so quickly under my skin, there was no way I could have extricated myself on my own, even if I wanted to.

And what was making matters worse was the growing question of whether I did indeed really want to do just that or not.

A smile trembled on my lips as my thoughts whirled round and round. Bull's-eyed at the dead center of them was that aching kernel of the deaths of my husband and child, which suddenly returned full force to slam me deep in my soul.

I sighed, then raised a hand wanly in interruption.

"Excuse me, but if you two need to talk, the hostel where I'm staying has a really nice den area where you can sit by a fire and chat if you want. But if you don't mind, I suddenly am very tired, and would really like to get some sleep."

With that I provided Lumbia with the address of the place where I was staying... all the while fighting to keep my thoughts from drifting back to that lavender-eyed scoundrel we had left sitting back in the booth behind us.

I walked out of the Cantina, unaware of the danger that lurked behind me, and went looking for a place to stay for the evening.

After walking for a while, not seeing a single place to get some rest, I yelled, "What does a guy have to do around here to find an inn?!?"
And suddenly a little JAWA snuck up behind me and picked my pocket. I didn't even notice until I returned to the CANTINA, to try and meet up with GALEN again, that my Credits were missing!

So I thought to myself.
Why was my only memory of the crash, to bring this damn HOLOCHIP to Whitfeild??? What is so damn important about that guy??? And why does he want GELEN to have nothing to do with me??? I'll have to ponder long and hard about this!!!

I waited in the "BLUE ASTEROID" for about 2 hours and when noone showed up I want back to my ship. I decided that I better learn how to use theis LASER SWORD of mine. So I threw up a 'remote'.

I can't say I was any good... I could, but I'd be lieing! I got hit by just about as many as I deflected. The Purple beam eminating from the handle of my LASER SWORD lit up the ship with an EERIE glow, that's when I noticed that same little JAWA cowering in the corner, terrified that I had caught him trying to steal from MY SHIP!

"Hey," I said. "You little theif, give me back all that you have taken, or I practive my Skills with my LASER SWORD on you!" I bluffed.

He seemed to be fooling with another innocent victim when she had entered the hanger...

Slowly, quietly closing in on her prey, Cartina took her Westar-34 blaster from her thigh...

With the Westar in her right hand, she took her main Bryar blaster and held it by the barrel...

Stopping directly behind the unsuspecting Dash, she brought the Bryar blaster over her head... she unleashed the blunt blaster handle into the small of Dash's neck...

He fell atop his victim, fitting the way Cartina saw it...

Leaving the Jawa, Cartina drug the bounded Dash to the paralleled hanger number 16...

I awoke slowly, very slowly. I felt as if I had been through this kind of thing before.

My head throbbed, my wrists and ankels were sore from being restrained. I thought to myeslf, through the cloudiness, What have I done to deserve this???

I knew that this was going to be another one of those days, and that I would need all of my strength to survive it. So I let the cloudiness take over as I faded to that sweet, sweet, escape from the real world, we like to call unconscienceness.

Dreams of my past rushed into my head... I tried hard to distinguish all of the different stages of my past.

I awoke again with a start, screaming at the top of my lungs "THE STABILIZERS HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH!!! BRACE YOURSELF!!!!

Shoving some credits in his pocket, Jasyn stood and turned to Malf. "Look buddy," he said, "I'm starved and I could use another drink..."

...or two or three or four...

"...so I'm gonna head out and find a good local cantina. If you wanna come along, I'm sure you wouldn't object to some food yourself."

Then with no further ado, Jasyn headed into the underground city of Piriingisi and to the nearest cantina. He glanced up at the sign on his way in:

The Blue Asteroid.

Jasyn shook his head. How many kriffing "Blue Asteroid" establishments can there be in one Universe?!

Then shrugging, he headed in to a corner booth, and ordered a huge nerfsteak and a large Alderaanian Whiskey. He was rewarded in moments with his drink order, so Jasyn sat back with the mug and began to partake of the potent whiskey, waiting for his food to arrive, glancing about the cantina every so often and feeling a disturbing sense of de ja vu.

Hopefully the drink would fix that...

Sniffing the walkway up and down, Malf found himself further and further away from The Blue Asteroid...

Hours past by, but malf took molecule of scent by molecule of scent until he stopped at a door...

He pounded on Galen's door as politely as possible, for Malf...

Meanwhile, back at the cantina...

After a couple of drinks, and nearly finished with his meal, Jasyn looked as though he could use some company...

A young woman approached his booth, and asked if she could buy him a drink...

Wow, real HUMAN contact. Not that Malf was bad company, but the furball was more than just a bit lacking in the conversational department...

Jasyn waved the waiter over and ordered himself another Alderaanian wiskey. Then he turned to Cartina.

"And what'll you be havin'?" Jasyn queried with the slightest hint of a slur, waiting then to see what she would reply.

And this guy wants it spelled out for him. Well, not right at this moment.

"Look," I said, a bit shortly, turning to the young man. "Why I came here is business of my own. And what I do here is as well... as well as with whom I choose to spend company with."

I turned slightly to Lumbia with those last words, but tempering the seeming harshness of the word with the look of gratitude I sent into his eyes. I reached out then and took his arm.

"I'd really like to go get some rest, if you don't mind," I repeated, blinking a little as I stifled a yawn.

"Maybe we can all get together over a cuppa caf sometime and continue this conversation, but if I don't go lie down soon I'll just fall down right here."

And I've quite had my fill of laying around in the streets of Piriingisi, thank you very much....

I nodded politely to the newcomer before turning my eyes back into Lumbia's.

Turning back to Jasyn,"What did you say your name was, again..."

There's all kinds that make up the universe, I told myself, now frowning silently as I continued scrutinizing my erstwhile protector.

Including this guy.

Lumbia simply stood there, a faraway look in his eyes, not saying anything, his grip on my arm loosening. After another polite moment or two had passed... along with myriad people who occasionally glanced our way in curiosity as to the statue-like impression we were giving... I finally spoke up. I didn't know what was on his mind, or why he was maintaining such silence for so long, but I wasn't going to just stand here any longer waiting for him to speak.

"Umm-- er, well, thank you again, Lumbia," I stammered, gently pulling out of his grasp. It was weird; it was almost as if I wasn't there, as if he was focused on something a long, long time ago, and very far away....

"Er, if you ah, need me for anything, you know where I'm staying. Just ask at the desk."

With that I nodded good-bye and strode off, my eyes clouding a bit as the memories held in momentary abeyance through this entire strange, if short, episode now slammed back into me full force. I sighed, simply letting my feet carry me of their own accord, occasionally bumping into people with an automatic apology falling from my lips, but scarcely aware of this. In thus a manner I finally reached the hostel where I was staying, The Azure Planetoid.

Nodding to the desk clerk, I bore on past him and headed for the stairs. My room was an outside one... well, if one could consider a room with a balcony overlooking a pool inside solid rock as being "outside..." on the fourth floor. Soon I reached that level, headed on down the corridor past room after room, coming at length to the dog-leg at its end where I turned left...

...to run smack-dab into an extremely tall walking carpet who was just standing there outside my door, taking up a good majority of the hallway.

I rebounded from the hirsute being, blinking in surprise, and stood there a moment in silence while fatigue battled shock.

"Malf!" I finally managed with a weak smile. "What in Hell's Seven Circles are you doing here?"

He took Galen from the place she stood in the hallway, sweeping her off her feet... nearly knocking her unconcious with the G forces he was generating with his near horizontal bear-lashing... err, hug...

After a long moment of affection, Malf let a dizzy Galen down...

With the delirious, loving smile still on his features... Malf looked toward the door to Galen's apartment and then back to her, like a lost puppy... the tooth-filled smile never leaving his face...

As if he was saying he'd never leave her side again...

And, he didn't mean to...

At the mention of a reward the little JAWA set to work immediatly on my restraints. With expert precision, he got me out of my bind.
"Thank you my little friend!!! Come with me to my ship, I shall give you anything you like from there"

Hey he looted it already I figured, what more have I got to lose??? And besides, JAWA's aren't known for thier intelligence.

We went back to my ship, carefully making our way back to docking bay 17, where the SHIMMERING SCIMITAR sat. We entered the ship, to my surprise, NOTHING had been taken.

"I misjudged you little one! I offer my humble appologies, and my thanks. Why don't you come with me, I could use a little company on my journies! I'd be glad to have you. What say you little one?

"OOO-TEE-DEE" which I assume means "YES" was all he said. So I told him, "Make yourself at home, get more comfortable, relax. I'll be back soon, I just have to find an INN of some sort. Do you know where one is?"

"OOO-TEE-DEE" was his response.
"Can you draw me a map?"

So the little JAWA who I decided to affectionatly call 'DINK' drew me out a map to the INN.

I was on my way, with three goals in mind:
1) Find GALEN
2) Figure out who clubbed mr on the head!!!
3) Figure out this DAMN HOLOCHIP thing!!!

When I arrived at the INN, I asked the deskclerk "Which room is GALEN in."

"Even if I could tell you which room a person is in, I wouldn't, and if I could I would have to tell you that there is noone named GALEN here!" he responded.

"WHAT??? Where could she be??? Are there any other INN's on this INFERNAL HELL of a planet???"

Erik Kartan wasn’t a guy who would typically leave the controls, but the fact that Loban hadn’t even peeped was starting to become unnerving, and Erik was concerned that perhaps the young man might have stowed away on the transport with Shayla. Granted with Imperials this wasn’t likely, but then again Loban did have the Force so maybe he could have pulled it off. Sighing at this thought then, Erik began to search through the ship, unable to sense Loban clearly through the Force. And he had been giving some of the living quarters a good looking over when he instinctively felt that switch between realspace and hyperspace in the engines of the warship.

Oh, damn, I think you have just found him...

Turning from whatever it was he had been doing, Erik hurried back into the cabin as quietly as possible, keenly aware that this meant Shayla was back on Coruscant for the moment with no transportation. He fully intended to rectify this situation, and take control of the warship once more. Slipping his blaster smoothly and noiselessly out of its holster, Erik aimed it in front of him, and continued to stealthly inch towards the cabin. He was rewarded upon arrival with the sight of Loban Kenobi, turned towards the navboard and away from him, still gazing over the navboard. Before the other man could turn, Erik squeezed the trigger of his blaster effortlessly, sending a stun bolt directly for Loban. Immediately he crumpled to the deck, there to remain til the effects of the stun bolt began to wear off. Erik headed for the navboard, stepped over the unconscious Loban, and began assessing just where the hell they were going. After all it wasn’t wise to simply drop out of hyperspace, for you could end up just about anywhere. Better to figure out just where you were going, then plot a safe exit vector.

Erik pursed his lips in thought as the information on their destination popped up.

Sullust...hmmm. Not much between Coruscant and there excepting Corellia. And, aside from the fact he really didn’t want to go there anyway, there was the matter of a substantial Imperial blockade there.

The Corellian pilot simply sighed. Best to keep course to Sullust, then take it from there.

And watch Loban like a hawk while you are at it, Erik thought, aiming his blaster, still set for stun, back at the other man’s still unconscious form. In the same motion he sent out a tendril of a warning out towards Shayla through that link they shared with each other concerning what had happened.

I’ll get back to you just as soon as I can...

His thoughts on the matter struck me as though emblazoned in ten foot letters across the front of his forehead. The grimace on my own face smoothed out somewhat, and I placed my hands on my hips for a moment. Then I let them drop to my sides with a little sigh.

"Oh all right, ya big furball," I acquiesced, heading to my door and opening it up. Just beyond its frame, my bed beckoned to me. It hit me then how really exhausted I was, and indeed had been for far, far too long a time.

"But you're gonna share the rent, ya know...."

Hey, you bozo, here you are again, getting drunk...

...and sitting across the table from a female. Baaaaaad idea...

He glanced down at the mug he was holding in his hands, as thoughtfully as he could for a guy in the early stages of "too drunk to think at all."

He sighed, and pushed the mug away. It was hard, but he managed. "I...gotta...go!" he blurted then, actually somewhat proud of himself for withstanding his desire to just remain there and drink til he was totally plastered.

If Terrin was around he'd be furious with you right now, buddy, that little conscious muttered.

Jasyn didn't know if Cartina followed him from there. And he didn't care. All he knew was that he suddenly REALLY NEEDED SLEEP.

He stumbled to the nearest hotel...

...The Azure Planetoid...

...and bought a room, probably paying way more credits than he should have for it. He wasn't certain, he couldn't think at the moment.

Need...to detoxify...

He turned, and ambled ungracefully past a blue-skinned somebody towards the corridor, wondering if in fact that somebody was blue at all or if his senses were all messed up from too much drink. The lights were beginning to blind him, and numbers on the rooms were swimming about, out of focus.

Waaaay too much to drink, pal. When will you ever learn...?

Before he ever made it to his room, his arms and legs suddenly went to jelly, and he passed out right there in the corridor.

All was silent... Until a man, a very loud and drunk man, entered this rat hole of an INN. Jasyn, I believe he said his name was, Room #5. I don't know why I took notice of those two facts... must have something to do with my former life, as a smuggler?!? I thought to myself.

The Drunkard left for his room, and not 12 steps (no PUN intended), down the hallway he crashed down with a loud THUD!?!

I ran to JASYN. "Are you o.k.???"
No response...

"Well, let's get you to your room. You can't spend the night in the hallway!"

So off we went, to room #5, I placed JASYN on the bed. Lying on his side, so he wouldn't choke on his own vomit. He seemed alright for now. But I was worried for him, I don't want to have this guys death on my conscience, just because I wouldn't look after him during the night!!!
So I decided to stay in the room with him, I took up residence on the chair beside the bed. Half-awake, half-asleep I waited for him to wake up. But I could only last for soo long. The lack of good sleep took over and I found myelf slipping into a dreamlike state.

While I wait around here I may as well make my new home as comfortable as possible! So I set to work fashioning my quarters to my standards... Spare parts everywhere! Hey, you never know what will come in handy!

I decided to explore the ship in docking bay 16... the one I *pats himself on the back* saved DASH from. I cautiously entered the ship. At least there are no alarms going off! I thought. There were lots of gadgets I decided to 'APPROPRIATE' for DASH's ship, I even found a neat set of ARMOR... It looked scary, so I didn't touch that. I just took the BLASTERS!

I decided that I had gotten enough, and that DASH would be very proud of me for getting all this stuff for us! So I drug it all back to the SHIMMERING SCIMITAR.

My, how nice and soft this hotel floor was... he thought dully, still too drunk...

...or hungover maybe...

...to even move. He reached up to hold his head and try to stop the throbbing to find his arms were the equivelent weight of lead. He rose them just a bit above the surface of whatever it was he was laying on, and they landed right back down on that surface, entirely too heavy to move. He gripped the sides of the pillow his head was resting on...

...PILLOW...?! Ok, this is definitely not a hotel floor. So...

...WHERE...?!

Jasyn finally managed to crack one eye open, again blinded by that thing that other people would call light. He was laying on his side, in a bed...

...and the room, adorned with what looked to be a dresser, a bed, and a chair with a blue guy sleeping in it, was swimming. He squeezed his eyes shut, and groaned.

Then something else hit him. Blue guy...?! Oh no, not AGAIN...

Jasyn forced his eyes open again, trying his damndest to focus in on his surroundings, trying even harder to analyze if the blue guy was really there.

Great Jasyn, you've had so much to drink you're hallucinating...

But no. The blue guy was still there...

...or at least he appeared to be.

Ok, strange blue guy in your hotel room, and you can't move a finger right now. Hope the blue guy's a nice guy...

The room was still swimming, and Jasyn knew he was totally at odds with his current situation. But he was so tired, and needless to say feeling a bit more than just bad.

"Sir, I need to see your passenger ID." the trooper said, running after him. "Sir, do not force me to..."

Abruptly, the man's trench coat lifted to the side as he threw his hand back. The spike soared through the air and drove into the trooper's unprotected neck. The guard died before his body hit the ground.

And Romanus did not even look back during the whole time.

Bloody troopers... he thought as he rubbed his temples. I don't need them along with this damn headache.

Romanus had sense the presence of Force-users on this planet ever since the passenger ship entered the atmosphere...but he didn't feel like chasing them right away.

I've got a job to do...but I need a drink first...

Romanus stopped in front of a hotel and looked up at the sign.

Azure Planetoid? I swear, these Sullustans are getting more ridiculous every day...wonder why the Empire tolerates them...

I looked over at the side and saw a group of people huddled over something. I forced my way in and saw a dead trooper on the ground with a spike in his neck. I told the people around him to mind their own business while i picked up the body and droped it of at the morgue.

I went back to where he died and decided to head inside the Azure Planetoid hopeing the guy that killed him was there. before I went in I made sure my lightsaber was on my belt just in case I need it.

Sneak up on a Jedi in training, ey?

In fact, Lo Ban was waiting for Erik to attempt something... He knew Erik would eventually check on the cockpit... even so, Lo Ban expected something with a little more of a confrontation... a little more gutsy... Lo Ban thought a lot about Erik, mostly bad, but he thought he had heart...

Yet, this could prove to be in Lo Ban's favor...

Sidestepping the blast, what would have seemed like a feeble attempt to turn on the advanceing Erik, the shot missed him completely...

Falling limp like an injured dear, Lo Ban would play if for all it was worth...

"Why doesn't he just put poison in it and spare us the agony?" he muttered to himself.

There was a low pulsing sound in his head, and it was getting faster and faster. That only meant one thing...

Looks like another Jedi trying to stop me. I'm going to have to deal with him... he started eyeing his waitress, a blue-skinned Twi'lek, when a smile appeared on his face. But first...

He yanked a handful of credits out of his pocket and placed them on the table. The waitress came by and picked them up...then her eyes widened in surprise.

"The...the whiskey was only 20 credits!" she exclaimed. Romanus nodded, still smiling. "The remaining 280 is yours..." he replied.

"But only..." he began to say, leaning forward. "If you can make me think your...services...are worth it."

A mischeivous smile crossed the Twi'lek's face as she pocketed the money. "My break is coming up in a few minutes. My room is upstairs, number 14."

"I'll see you then..." Romanus said, watching the waitress walk off. Right after she had gone, a robed figure entered the Inn. The Force went off like an alarm inside Romanus's head, but he calmly stood up to approach him.

Now, to take care of a little business of my own.

Romanus "scanned" the Jedi, to sense how strong in the Force he was...

No more than a Padawan...though I do sense a small, dark cloud in his mind.

The smile, more rougish than it was before, was still on his face as he crossed him arms. "So...hero...is there something you want with me or are you here for the drinks from the sewers?"

This was the last thing Cartina needed, so much for time out of the armor...

She decided to follow Jasyn, who found himself in room number 5 of a nearby hotel...

But before a confrontation, she needed to change attire...

Docking Bay 16

The access port to the Otana's Rival was ajar...

Cartina took her Westar-34 blaster from a very concealed place on her person, ready for anything that possibly would appear from the darkness of the hanger...

Many things appeared to be missing from within her ship, most noteably her blasters... a Bryar-pistol, and the Tenloss DXR-6 Disruptor rifle...

And... her prisoner...

Quickly, furiously, she adorned herself in armor...

Armed with her lone blaster, Cartina made a trip next door... to docking bay 17...

Easily within the SHIMMERING SCIMITAR, Cartina found many objects that belonged to her... and a few things that didn't...

Although, she did not find her prisoner...

Lugging these objects back to her ship, and making sure no one would be able to enter the Otana's Rival... she placed several proximity mines around the inside of ALL entrances to the ship...

The Azure Planetoid, Room number 7

Cartina set up some surveillance equipment, and simply started recording...

"why did you kill that guard? He did nothing to bother you. I said to him with a little anger in my voice.

"I will not press any charges if you leave this planet now."

Some people nearby started to leave, and the bartender himself began to shake, ready duck underneath the bar itself.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, the guard died in the line of duty...looking at pictures and sniffing out people's garbage in their bags."

Romanus could sense the anger building up, and he felt that he may have taunted long enough. "I have some...business...to attend to upstairs. So I'll tell you what...you leave right now and you'll still be in one piece. But if you want to do it the hard way..."

Romanus threw his arms apart, his coat flying open and exposing the array of weaponry he had. Knives, spikes, poisonous darts were in rows of the inside of the coat...and the silver, cylindrical shape of a lightsaber rested on the side of his belt.

I stepped back in front the doorway that way I could just dive to the side and doge anything he threw at me.

"You may think you have beaten me now, but next time you might not have those weapons at your side and when that time comes I'll be there." I said.

and with that i ran out the door mixing into the crowd.

When i got home I could do nothing but think.There are too many jedi here. Plus i've mad an emeny now. i think its time for me to leave this place.

I slowly packed all my belongings into a suitcase and went to get my other jedi robe to pack when i stopped at the mirror and looked at myself. My blue eyes and black hair that was short. i had a mustache that i decided to grow.This isn't me. I'm begining to look like my father and act like him. the real me would try to find out why that guy is here and make so more friends to help me while i'm at.I thought.

I turned away from the mirror and dropped my suitcase on the ground and fell on my bed falling into a deep sleep.

"And I'll be waiting." he said, the smile fading.

Smart lad...wonder where his master was...

Shrugging his shoulders, the assassin turned around to head for the staircase.

"HEY!" the bartender shouted. Romanus stopped to look at him. "You just gotten rid of my best customers! I oughta--"

"Shut up." the Dark Jedi replied. Romanus waved his hand, and a beer bottle flew off from the shelf behind the bartender and smashed into his head, knocking him out.

Had enough interruptions for one day...

In Room Number 14...

"What took you so long?" The Twi'lek asked, sitting on the bed with an anxious look on her face. "I heard yelling downstairs..."

"Just a bunch of drunks..." Romanus replied, taking off his trench coat and letting drop to the floor. "Relax, don't worry about it." he said with the same, sly smile he had before.

"I think I should go, but before I leave I want to say my final 'goodbye'." The black haired warrior told himself, coming to a stand with the sheer thrust of his movement shifting his long Jedi robe swung to the side. Heading slowly toward the door, he exited with a calm, but contemplative demanor. Reaching at his robe he pulled it closer to him, keeping his body warm as he ventured down the streets toward the 'inn.'.

Coming before the The Azure Planetoid, his eyes motioning with a sense of interest over the title as he came to the door, he reached into the belly of the Force. Wandering for the answer in the white void of all things, he grasped what he had searched for. The force investigation had came to a conclusion and without a hint of hesitation he was inside the building.

Heading toward the elevator, he placed his simply spoke the level and the highly enhanced building transporter was on it's path. Coming to the coordinates he had commanded, the young Jedi was out, continuing down the long, yet slender hall.

Standing silently before the door, he began knocking, hitting the door repeatedly.

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

"Hey!" I bolted upright, my eyes wide. "Look out for the cliff!"

I blinked then, trying to chase momentary confusion from my brain, and finally succeeded with the realization that I wasn't riding Ignatio along the Tahika Cliffs, but was in a bed in my room in the Azure Planetoid in Piriingisi on Sullust, and someone was pounding on my door.

Shaking my head -- Khaandon's Ghost, but I must have been out deep! -- I stretched my arms, then wiped the remnants of sleep from my eyes. Running a hand through my hair, which probably looked like a sandrat's nest, I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood up. A garbling sort of snuffle grasped my attention; whirling, I found Malf dozing away in a chair in a dark corner of the room, his great hands clasped on his belly as he snored peacefully on.

I smiled, and went to my door.

He bolted to the door, before Galen could get anywhere near it...

Opening it, he pounced on the young Jedi...

Grasping him by his tunic, Malf lifted him off his feet and took him to the nearest turbolift...

Malf tossed the young man into the lift, and stood waiting for the doors to close...

They did so, as Malf let out one last short mountain-cat-roar toward the dazed Jedi...

"What's wrong?" The girl asked. He stared ahead, into the wall, an alarmed look on his face.

For a short time, he felt another ripple in the Force. Someone had come into the Inn as well...

Can't be that Padawan again...this one seems...darker...more experienced...interesting.

Romanus started to relax a bit, and looked back down at the Twi'lek, herself worried as to what was going on.

"Thought I heard something...nothing to worry about."

I'll figure it out later...

The words flew out of my mouth, colliding with Malf's ears the moment I myself collided with the bed once again. I hit it on my back, bounced once, and half rolled, half flew off the other side. My constant workouts came in good stead for me... I almost landed on my feet, almost....

I shot to them quickly enough, though, one hand unobtrusively going to my backside to rub it as I launched my body over the bed again, flying now to the doorway just in time to see Malf introducing none other than Lumbia to the nearest lift in a non-too friendly fashion.

"Malf!" I hollered, unthinking. "What the hell are you doing?"

I ran out of the room then, only to come to a rather abrupt, sliding stop as the lift doors closed in my face.

I just stood there, gawping, wondering why Lumbia had come to the room, wondering why Malf was so adamant that I not speak to him, wondering why I was just standing there wondering such things when I could find the answers for myself.

"That was rude, buddy!" I hollered over my shoulder as I now turned and ran off toward the nearest stairs, taking them two at a time, flying down them with winged feet, and hoping like hell I'd catch Lumbia at the bottom.

And I was in luck. I skidded to a halt at the front of the lift, and had just run my hand through my hair again when they opened, revealing Lumbia, who had a somewhat confused expression on his face.

"Well I'm fine, I just want to know who was that?" He asked, his eyebrow arching upward in further confusion, though his smile was kind and gentle.

Placing his hand behind his back now in less alarm, he inhaled & exhaled, reaching for a more calmer demanor, knowing his adernaline was on it's climax from the assault of the furry thing.

Gulping as he clutched the calm posture, he reached into his memory, slowing down the recorded tatics of the furry creature.

"Must be a Wookie..." Lumbia though, running his left hand through his hair, keeping it from dropping over his eye.

"That's-- that's, er... well, that's just Malf," I finally managed with a little shrug. "He's on some sort of crusade to keep me from harm, you'll have to forgive him. He does tend to get a bit on the overzealous side, but he's really ok once he's got some food in him...."

I trailed off a bit awkwardly, realizing that Lumbia was still standing in the lift, and that other beings were beginning to hover around, some trying to enter, others politely waiting for him to depart before they themselves went into the device.

"Ummm... was there, ahhh, anything in particular you wanted to talk about?" I finally asked, stepping back a bit and holding out an arm, that he would have room to depart the lift if he chose to do so.

A silence ran through the lift as people exited, going onto the cooridors leading to the rooms they seeked. The crowd that had drove Lumbia to hold Galen close slowly vanished, he began with his comment, his eyes held strong to keep a clam, but powerful composure.

"Galen, is Malf a Wookie?" The black haired Force specialist said, his lips arching upward in frown of concern, pushing outward as the results of an 'ever-going' habit.

The door slid open, revealing the lavishly carpeted hall that the Jedi had been thrown across. The protective furred being still standing jealously behind the door. Prepared to do the same actions as he did previous.

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Blinked a couple times for good measure. Opened my mouth again, and tried to speak.

Realized I now probably looked like some kind of weird cross between aforementioned Gandy Rak and opee, I swallowed, for some reason utterly unable to get past the block of duracrete which plopped into existence out of absolutely nowhere, right smack in the middle of my thoughts, and which kept me standing there, hand in Lumbia's, looking for all the world like the universe's biggest idiot.

It was only when I heard the wrath of god letting out it's valkyrie cry, and saw the trumpet of doom descending that I found incentive to move. However, the words only managed to whisper from my lips.

Sure hope the furball hears as well as he eats....

"It's- it's ok, Malf," I stammered, finally taking a step forward from the lift and coming to a halt between the two before my Knight in Shining Locks completely misunderstood and threw Lumbia back into the lift for round two. That movement gave me the incentive to finally loosen my hand from the warm one which held it. I slid it to my side, the palm suddenly sweaty, still staring into Lumbia's eyes, now cocking my head a bit as I tried to penetrate their depths to get a better handle on the situation.

He stepped into the lift, as the doors were closing behind him with Galen in their wake...

The doors opened on ground floor, Lumbia strewn over Malf's left shoulder...

Malf walked Lumbia out onto the streets, tossing him on his bum...

See how he likes the hard coldness that are the Sullustian streets...

"MALF!!" I hollered, grimacing and plucking at his fur as he snatched Lumbia from his feet as easily as I would pluck a flower, and re-entered the lift. I just barely got inside with them, tugging at a furry arm which felt like carpet-encased durasteel.

"Let him go, Malf! He wasn't trying to hurt me!"

To no avail. My self-appointed guardian merely yodeled something indecipherable and at an acoustic level far too intense for the small confines of the lift. When I finally pulled my hands from my ears and opened my eyes, it was to see the lift doors in the process of closing...

...and the rapidly dwindling image of Malf framed neatly between them, a struggling Lumbia over his shoulder like yesterday's laundry.

I slammed my shoulder into the closing doors, and barreled off after the two.
"Malf!" I repeated as I burst out into the streets, where he had just tossed the hapless Lumbia out upon that part of his anatomy best suited for landing, if one had to make such a choice.

I scowled up at the gurbling furball, who was shaking his fist at Lumbia.

"Malf, I said he wasn't trying to hurt us!" I cried, reaching out to capture his attention by grasping one iron-bound arm with both hands. By herculean tugging, literally lifting my feet and swinging thereupon, I managed to get him to recognize the fact that I was there. I dropped back to the ground, something of a smile now fighting the frown which had smeared my features.

"I don't think he was trying anything, er-- bad, buddy," I whispered, reaching up to lay a hand fondly upon his cheek. "But he did have something to talk about; now, I'm going over to try to find out one more time what that was. Please don't be such a worry-worrt, ok?"

With that I patted his cheek, then turned and hurried to where Lumbia was sitting up, shaking his head. I stood over him there, then held out an assisting hand.

"It seems I keep on apologizing for my, er... companion, but once again I'm sorry for his...er, enthusiasm." I leaned down a bit closer, a wry smile on my lips.

"He thinks he's my father, but he won't admit that," I quipped quietly, then let the little grin widen into a softer, more genuine smile.

"Let me help you up," I finished with, still standing there, waiting for him to reply, amending that offer with, "And oh- he's not a Wookiee...."

Finding the path of the light more attractive he ventured forward, slow and gradually toward the door. Gently caressing the palm of Galen he took her within the lift once more.

The advance elevator slowly lifted them upward, the two motionless and silent during the transport, though with even the dark actions of Malf, a kindle sensation clashed with the aura from the power of light. Lumbia stared down as the door once again opened, his senses spreading through the vacinity, grasping every object with his hearing ability. The soundwaves ran through, allowing him to capture ever motion.

Knowing the station of Malf, only a few feet away, he jumped forward, reaching for Galen. Pulling her gently, but in a thrusting action, to his body he pointed quickly at her.

And he's probably just warming up....

What to do? Any struggle on my part would result in yet another involuntary ride to the ground floor on the part of Lumbia... and perhaps this time without the benefit of a lift. But clearly I couldn't remain standing here like this much longer...

...if only for the simple fact that he was gripping me so tightly I was literally panting for breath.

So I compromised, turning my eyes up into his in order to smile my way into a looser clasp... and caught just the barest flash of... something flickering like dark fire deep in the depths of his eyes. That gave me pause; the slightest frown whispered across my face, and I felt my body tensing up just the slightest.

I laid a hand against his chest, not pushing, but letting him know I was there.

"May-maybe if you release me Malf won't try to eat you for breakfast... again," I whispered, now smiling once more for all I was worth. Indeed, I was getting tired of all this upstairs/downstairs rambunctiousness; time to sit like civilized beings and discuss matters.

The ship came out of the blissfulness that is hyperspace...

Either Erik piloted down to the city of Piriingisi, or somehow Lo Ban had already keyed that in...

Nonetheless, Piriingisi was where they now found themselves...

Lo Ban suddenly felt a great pain in his stomach, as force instinct kicked in...

He dashed from his resting position, to the bay of the craft... not heeding if Erik had followed him...

The bay doors opened, revealing the city...

Through the force, Lo Ban let it guide him...

He dove...

The Azure Planetoid

Malf was ready to pounce on Lumbia, once again, for his actions...

A crashing noise came from the window pane, as the entire West side of the hotel was window...

In the wake was Malf grasping for thin air, Galen dumbfounded, and Lumbia underneath one Lo Ban Kenobi...

"Thanks, you broke my fall..." Lo Ban said, getting to his feet... brushing the shards of broken glass that lie upon his shoulders...

"Who are you, and what happened?" The one known as Lumbia said, his head swinging over to the others for some physical expression that could lead to an answer to the sudden crashing.

"Hmm, maybe an attack happened." Lumbia though to himself as he stepped back, still trying to gain his full health during the silence of the cooridors after the sudden fall from the heavens of Sullust.

The situation had seemed to progress in a more akward and weird path.

"Hnn.." The sound of a concerned murmur came from the voicebox of Lumbia, his lips curling downward to shape a frown of despair. Lumbia had contemplated on this situation, though quickly, but it felt less weirder and more dangerous. This time it wasn't an attack from Malf that had was so hazardous, it was the presence of this man.

"Falling from the sky are those who will send [i]peril to the vacinity[/i]" Lumbia came to a conclusion in the hid of his mind, a smile coming to his face to express the humour of his mental comment.

...only to be felled like the proverbial ronto in his tracks as from nowhere who in all the universe came only too literally dropping in on us than Lo Ban Kenobi of Tatooine.

I swayed on the spot, blinking once again. It was actually all I could do to keep from rubbing my eyes with my fists.

Lo Ban Kenobi of Tatooine?! What in Hell's Seven Circles was he doing here?

Then reality struck with the twin blows that my protector was garbling and yowling, covered with shards of glass, which glittered and sparkled on his thick fur, hopefully causing him no real harm...

...and that Lumbia was covered with Loban, probably less fortunate.

A final eyeblink set my frozen body into action.

"What the-? Lumbia, are you okay? Great Khaandon's Ghost, get off him, Lo Ban!" I moved quickly forward, kneeling down to see if Lumbia was yet with us, then shooting a concerned look up at Malf, to ascertain whether he was alive and well...

...not to mention undoubtedly madder than a hornet....

It was then that Lumbia gained his footing, and began smiling in a totally strange manner, considering. That's when I started becoming seriously concerned....

An old girlfriend? Yeah, that's gotta be it... just my type... Brown eyes, red hair...

Lo Ban kicked into his suave gear...

"Hey baby... how you doin'?" Said Lo Ban, as he looked her up and down... with a sly grin on his face...

Baby?! That's how I know her!!! Galen.. TERRIN Danner...

Forget hiding emotions as a Jedi would, Lo Bans eyes were as huge as seas as realization struck...

Lo Ban couldn't help but turn red, as he pointed at Galen,"You're Galen Danner, right? The with the beautiful babe... and, the Captain Terrin Danner's your husband..."

Lo Ban, face still beat red, turned to Lumbia...

And answered his question as to what had happened...

"As I said... you broke my fall..."

An uncomfortable silence, aside from the confused whimpering of Malf, hit the 4th floor of The Azure Planetoid...

Beautiful baby... Terrin....

All the grief that had been pushed aside during the past hour's escapades in the Azure Planetoid crashed back into me with a vengeance.

It was almost as if none of the events had happened at all, not a one. All I could see was Terrin's laughing face, his blue eyes vague and unseeing... my Darra's big brown ones, closed in death, her flaming hair crusted with blood....

I swayed, struggling with what to say. Then it simply slipped from me.

"They're dead, they're both dead...."

Before I knew it I was on my knees, staring unseeing into middle space, finding myself at once in some distant place very far away from Sullust, fighting to keep from bursting into tears that I thought had already been cleansed from my soul.

How wrong I was in that regard. They probably never would be.

Ever.

"She's alive!" Lo Ban blurted out...

Taking a few moments to gather his thoughts, as to why he believed this...

Darra... that's was the name of the babe Shayla was referring to... being on Kamino, come to think of it...

"Yes, she's alive... and on the planet Kamino..." Lo Ban said, hoping his words would help relieve those sore deep browns...

He approached Galen, as he sensed she couldn't believe his words...

He knelt to her side, lightly bringing her face up to gaze into her beautiful eyes...

"A Jedi shall not lie..." Was all he said...

Darra alive...? On Kamino?

The ray of light flickered ominously then, threatening to blink out entirely as I made the connection with the obvious. Tears welled up in my eyes as I focused upon the electric blue pair so close to mine. I shook my head, gulping a little, and tried to lower my face. The hand kept my face lifted so I couldn't retreat back into despair.

"Clone...." I mumbled, gulping and sniffling again. "No, it's a clone. I know... I had clones made too, they must have made more, Darra is d-dead... and Terrin too."

He reared back, ready to pounce on the kneeling Lo Ban...

A gust of wind, or something to that effect, came into the open pavilion...

A bar form of food came from within Lo Ban's robe...

It lie there, teasing Malf...

He finally chose the to go after the food, his confusion had no bound, but his instinct kicked in...

An even larger gust of whatever it was came against the bar...

food...

"I wont take no for an answer..." A small smile finally broke his surface...

He looked deeply into Galen's eyes, looking for something that might let him understand why she couldn't accept what he felt so strongly...

"Keep it down, will ya?!" he shouted at the group of misfit Force-users down the hallway. "People have to sleep!"

Well, I had better try out my new invention. And while I'm at it, I need to find more spare parts.

So off I went in search of spare parts, my new invention the "DE-BIGGULATOR" sitting in the holster where my blaster should have been.

As I raced UP the stairs I noticed DINK coming DOWN. I grabbed him and gave him a hug... Good to see you again, what is going on UP there?

"OOO-TEE-DEE" he said again. I'm gonna get pretty sick of hearing that phrase! I thought half out loud.

"Let's go DINK!!!"

...eyes. Eyes of violet, and emerald green, and flaming red, oh such vivid eyes, watching, always watching no matter where I went, no matter what I did, they would come, they always did, and with them they brought pain and anguish and despair....

A sound arrowed through the black images that scrolled across my own eyes, breaking my focus which had slid from Lo Ban's sincerity into similar sincerities I had heard in the past, only to have the dangling carrot yanked laughingly away in one manner or another. That sound grew in immensity, taunting me.

Someone dared try to reduce this awful moment into something merely mundane....

My head jerked to the side, my eyes finding near focus on the sight of someone's head sticking out into the hall. Driven by my own demons I immediately flared, and leaped to my feet. Mis-directed anguish spurred me, making my fists clench at my sides even as I shouted back, the sight of the head now blurring through the tears which welled up into my eyes.

"Oh, get the hell outta here, you- you benighted son of a wannabe nerfherder!" I burst out, my nails sinking into the palms of my hands as I directed that cry toward the unknown person down the hall. Then I felt hands on my shoulders, and someone beginning to move me out of the hallway even while he attempted to gain back my attention.

I went along peaceably enough, but my fire-rimmed eyes never left that hallway. I opened my mouth, gearing up for another searing epithet when the head disappeared and the door slammed.

"Good riddance to bad garbage!" I yelled just as I was propelled into the door of my room and released. I stumbled forward and hit my bed; my hands splayed upon its rumbled covers long enough for me to regain my balance. Then I turned about to see who had followed me here, if indeed anyone had, or if I had merely been tossed back inside to collect myself and not embarrass others further.

And as I did, Lo Ban's last words sliced through my re-ignited anguish, bouncing about in my head like a rubber ball.

He could prove to me that Darra was alive? But-- but what if he was wrong? How could I bear the hurt again?

A three way zoo... in all directions...

The 'open' window...

Where the furball had seemed to happily fall out of...

The hallway...

Something wicked was near the end of the hallway, something Lo Ban would need to keep his guard against...

Protecting Galen, took his focus away from helping the man beast that flew out the window...

Now, the open door...

Disregarding Lumbia, Lo Ban entered Galen's room...

He could understand she needed time to connect the dots...

He found a chair, taking up his lengthy robes, as he fell back into it...

He would wait for her to respond to him...

Reaching for the nearly closed door's knob, he entered staring down at Galen as she sat there on her bed. A sneer was carved on the lips of the Force-user, his head falling down, wandering for an answer. A conflict had been created once more, whether he would help Galen or leave to help the Republic.

He came closer, reaching for Galen's shoulder in attempt to comfort her, his lips opening, directing his statement toward her. The Jedi's voice lull & powerful, but as comforting as the pillow on her bed.

"I must leave, I hope to see you again.." And with that he was out the room and down the road to the lift. The path was set clear, without even a human blockade to take him away.

Heading toward his ship, the one known as Lumbia went over again the holomessage. The dark haired man was quickly off, and out in space once more after the hastingly getting into his cockpit and click on the controls needed.

"I hope she'll be okay.." He thought as he entered hyperspace, staring down onto Sullust.

OOC: Check out Lumbia as he travels through space, going to the next thread, which is "Shattered green..."

"Knock, Knock" I said. "Whitfield, what's the story on that HOLOCHIP anyway???"
"Can I come in? Are you decent?"

I waited there for a few moments... No response. I knocked on the door quite vigorously. "I have to talk to you, Open up!"

He growled as he thought to himself. Argh...I'll kill her later...

Romanus could still feel the presence of the other "Jedi", but whether he should consider them a threat or not is still undecided.

Still have that target to take care of...

Well, there goes another one.... the non-sequiteur burst through my jangled brain. It just figures, doesn't it, Galen; see, you know yourself better than you think, you're a plague to be around, anyone associating with you ends up deader n' sticks, and that Jedi must have sensed that about you....

I grunted out a humorless little laugh at that, raising my head and taking a scant look around.

Lumbia was gone. Malf nowhere to be found. All was finally quiet in Paradise.

I sighed, quietly rising from my bed then, swallowing and taking a small, tired step forward.

Maybe a little food....

It was then that I realized the back of my neck was absolutely alive with that particular brand of creepy-crawlies one gets when one is being observed behind one's back. I whirled, the old Galen still alive somewhere within me finding the strength to break through as I did. I ended up half crouched, ready for anything.

And it was only then that I realized that Lo Ban was still with me, right smack in my room. He quirked a brow at my odd behavior, then smoothed it with a soft smile.

I heaved a sigh and straightened up shakily. I returned that smile with a half-hearted one of my own, one urged into life by the simple fact that he was still here.

Perhaps I'm not a total plague....

"Are- are you sure it's her, Lo Ban?" I finally whispered, sniffing a little. "I couldn't stand losing her again...."

I faltered to a halt, unable to even speak of this any further, not daring to come close to believing what he had divulged to me earlier in the hall.

Then my thoughts of my plague-ness-unto-others seemed to be underscored as there came a sudden knock on my door. I cast another look toward Lo Ban, and went to open it.

The pheromones alone were enough to knock me back onto my bed.

I jerked helplessly before that outwash, blinking in surprise to see Dash standing there, big as life, a jawa of all things lurking around in the background.

My jaw dropped. I almost laughed. Maybe I was still crying.

"Dash-?" I managed, standing there in the doorway, utterly unable to move or do anything else but stare into those lavender eyes and soak in the chemistry.

...and somehow accidentally put a little too much oomph into the motion and rolled right off the bed, landing with a bang on the floor. In all this, he didn't even bother to open his eyes, but just groaned and gripped the pillow-thing.

"Go the hell away!" he yelled entirely too loudly for his taste, completely oblivious to whether anyone was around anymore or not. Then he just fell back asleep once more, right there on the floor.

Sure was hard, but it would have to do...

Time to get the hell back to Coruscant.

Not even paying mind to the crowds or to Loban Kenobi anymore--

Good riddance!

--Erik took control of the ship and blasted his way off Sullust, calculating coordinates for Coruscant. As the ship glided off into hyperspace, Erik hoped that just maybe they'd still be able to make that appointment with Tyberius on time...

(((OCC: Follow Erik back to Return to Tomorrow in the Empire and New Republic forums.)))

Squinting, as he felt the unusually artificial chemistry between the two at the door...

Something wasn't right about the picture before Lo Ban...

But, he'd allow it to progress... for now...

When Dash reclaimed his composure, he introduced me to his friends as DINK!!!

I walked around town thinking about what happened the day before. the jedi that challenged him, the woman and the guy at the cantina, the murdered guard. I stopped walking a looked in the sky.
Something is going on here that I don't know about. Hey, if you ask nicely and they refuse to tell you, then the only other way to get it out of them is to force it out. I thought.

I grinned at that thought and headed torewards the Inn where the woman had handed the one guy where she was staying at on a piece of paper and i had happened to look at it.

She was staying at the Azure Planetoid.

"I... ahh, er that is--" I couldn't help stammering, standing there quite taken in by those damnable eyes (as well as being seriously helped along the way by the pheromones this guy was wafting about at hurricane force).

I fumbled to a stop, running a hand through my hair, then pausing and looking at that hand as if I'd never seen it before in my life. I stared at it, watching visions beginning to scroll upon it, visions of another pair of eyes, two sets in fact, wide and blue and intense and loving....

I clenched my fist so hard my nails drew blood, and hid it behind my back. This whole scenario was getting stranger and stranger by the minute; with great effort I sought to dig through the the miasma clouding my brain, trying to put a finger on just exactly what the wierdness was as for some reason the moment I managed to acknowledge such a thing actually existed it only seemed to slip farther and farther beyond my mental grasp.

I couldn't handle this any longer.

"Look, why don't we make a date--" I winced at that. Great choice of words, Galen ol' gal! "--for sometime when we can talk, ok? I have, er, things I have to do...."

Oh yeah, and now didn't that sound free and easy and natural, sheesh, might as well said you have to wash your hair!

Yet I stood there, fumblingly. Part of me wanted to fling open the door and invite Dash in. Another part wanted to run to the hills.

But the greater part just wanted to find out if what Lo Ban was saying was true, and that Darra really was alive somewhere on Kamino.

Too much to handle at once, and the pheromones weren't helping matters. So I just remained where I was, holding the door open, neither pushing Dash away or allowing him entry, wondering where all this was really going to go...

"Oh NO!!! He's makin' a mess..."
"Do you mind if I just collect my little friend?"

I start to walk into the room.... slowly, waiting for a yes or no answer...

"Hey, can you tell me which room.." I started to say to the clerk.
Wait, I didn't even know her name. Oh, thats just great. I thought.
I was going to have to do this the hard way.

"Never mind" I said to the clerk.

Oh what the hey, since my room seems to be a magnet....

"Go on in and make yourself comfortable," I finally broke down, waving my hand again and then gritting my teeth to keep myself in line as another attack of pheromones bombarded me. I turned my face to the coolness of the door then, trying to hide the sudden heat which had flushed my features.

Gads, Galen ol girl, this isn't you....

He could easily sense, what he could not hear, within the room...

...and Jasyn jolted awake, sitting upright on the floor with his blaster suddenly in hand. He peered over the bed with widly suspicious brown eyes...

...all the while trying to clear the fuzz in his line of vision enough to make an accurate aim for whomever or whatever was coming into the room...

...whatever room it was that he was in.

Finally the room cleared enough for Jasyn to see the fuzzy image of a human male in what appeared to be Jedi attire stepping into his room, looking about it curiously as if searching for someone or something.

A stinkin' Jedi?! Kriffing hell no way, not on a hang-over, not right now...

Jasyn aimed his blaster as best he could considering the fact that there were about 3 of this guy in his line of sight.

"Who the hell are you?!" Jasyn growled, peering suspiciously over the bed.

As he waited a little snickering voice inside Jasyn's head pointed something out. Well...at least this guy isn't BLUE...

"DINK!!! What are you doing??? We are guests here. Behave yourself or I'm gonna send you back to the ship!!!" Was Dash's reply to my saving his life again!

My shot was true, and I hit home on the target, but it seemed that nothing happened. I went over to the closet to see just what I had hit. There was a man sitting in a fetal position whimpering like a scared little girl. OOPS I thought. I'm gonna have to rename this thing "FEAR FACTOR", as it seems to cause it's targets to cower in fear.

Knowing the effect to be a temporary one... I ran over to Dash and pointed to the closet, where that guy I shot was laying.

"OOO-TEE-DEE" I shouted over and over and over!

"WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL WAS THAT???"
"DINK what are you doing??? I told you to behave!!!"

"I appologize GALEN, DINK does not interact well with others!"
"What is it DINK??? Will you stop with the OOO-TEE-DEE's? I'm coming, I'm coming."

DINK led me over to the closet, where a man laid on the floor in a fetal position.

...or worse.

He took his free hand and held it to his head, groaning as it simply throbbed. "Buddy, you've gotta stop this..." he muttered to himself, placing a hand on the wall and standing unsteadily so that he could reholster his blaster. Then he sat on the bed, pondering just where he was...

...and what the hell it was that he was doing, aside from getting entirely too drunk.

Lessee, there was that cantina, that girl...

...the Sullust hideout, Malf...

...what the HELL happened to him...?!

...and...

...ahhh Kamino, yeah, that was it...

...but the question is can you walk to where the Raptor is berthed and pilot your way out of here right now?

No kriffing way. Need some caf to clear the fuzz...

Jasyn stumbled to the tiny caf maker left in this pitiful excuse for a hotel room, and made the strongest pot of caf he could with the complementary package left there for the occupant...

He took his lightsaber from within his robes, now realizing exactly where that shot came from...

The JAWA?!

Lo Ban ignited his saber, coming down on the blaster now held loosely by the Jawa...

Dink now held a handle, and top part of the chamber...

The rest lie at Lo Ban's steady feet...

He lowered his lightsaber, retracting the blade...

He shot a look at Galen, slightly annoyed... not fully understanding why a women with such strength would let these trouble makers in her room...

I let go of the doorway and strode into my room, a quick glance on the move showing me that a certain someone wasn't in the chair where I had left him. Shouldering my way past Dash--

...electric jolt and all, damn the man and his pheromones!

--I looked over at the jawa--

Jawa?!

--only to see him staring at the remnants of some weapon, as if he might break down and cry. Nearby, Lo Ban was scowling at me, as though asking me how on earth he had come to be in such an undignified position in my closet.

My... closet.

I closed my eyes, suddenly shaking. Indeed, this was all getting to be on the thin edge of ludicrous. Dash's pheromones were blasting into me so hard that it was all I could do to keep from physically throwing myself at him, letting things go where they might. I gulped, swaying a bit where I stood. Then I started back-pedalling like there was a live and hungry acklay in my room. Gulping again, my eyes wide, I jerked a thumb toward my door, which was still open.

"I'm-- I'm going to just, er... Lo Ban, I can see you're ok, but I have to step out--"

With that I simply turned and fled, gaining hallway and distance with ever-increasing strides, heading toward the stairway--

Damn the lift!

--and flying down them. Once on the main floor I shot through the lobby like a bullet from an Imperial projectile rifle, hitting the street and the moist Sullustan air beyond.

I paused there, leaning against a nearby stone wall, gulping great lungsful of air and trying to clear my head. Then I turned round the corner of the hotel, and headed to the little pool my balcony overlooked.

I needed time away to think, to gather myself back to being myself again and something told me the Jedi would find me if he needed to. He seemed to have a particular knack for that....

"Hello there. Now tell me your name and why you're here or i'll blow your brains out. I said to her.

I stood there waiting for a reply and hoped nowbody followed her down.

I stared down into the gently rippling waters of the little pool, watching how the reflection of all the greenery added to the vibrancy of its waters, almost lulled into a sense of relief and quietude after all the silliness that had so suddenly transpired.

Almost....

"Oh, hell," I said, turning with one of my famous reverse hooking crescent kicks. It struck the side of the blaster this guy was pointing at me, sending it flying to land with a nice little splash smack in the middle of the pool.

I followed that with a roundhouse kick to his side, right about where his kidney was sitting there conversing blithely with his adrenal gland, and was overjoyed to see the color drain from his face as he promptly grunted and stumbled back and to one side, his hand flying to the spot to tell his innards they were still alive; well, at least for the moment.

I came to a stone-still halt, crouched, perfectly balanced, watching him like a hawk.

"The name's Galen, for your information, and that's about all I feel like divulging to you, pal!" I snorted, bringing my hands up in preparation for any further funny business this guy might try.

Lo Ban looked Dash up and down, knowing he hadn't handled a lightsaber in his life...

Lo Ban took a lamp from a nearby stand, and waved it in the direction of Dash's loose hold on the "LASERSWORD"...

The purple lightsaber dropped from Dash's hand...

"It's a lightsaber, my friend..." Lo Ban said, as he dashed after Galen...

Coming out of the stairwell, Lo Ban ran into a fur wall of water!?

I grabbed m lightsaber from my belt on ignited it the blue blade. Pointing the tip at Galen I said. "Listen i just want to know why you are here and i'll leave you alone. if you refuse we can do this the hard way."

I stood there in an defense position waiting for her to reply.

Who in all the known universe did this guy think he was? Hadn't I seen him somewhere before? Why in Hell's Seven Circles was he hounding me so much, for such an apparently ridiculous reason? What was it to him, a jedi, why I was here...

...unless maybe he wasn't quite of the particular ilk of jedi I first thought he was.

I little bit of ice began chilling my veins at that thought, and I tensed. I knew I was good against blasters and blaster rifles, but only an idiot would take on a lightsaber with nothing but their body as a weapon.

Body.

I had only one real defense, and I whipped it into high gear. Great tears began welling in my eyes, turning them into limpid brown pools -- which really weren't quite all of false origin, hardly so -- and I loosened my stance. I sniffled, letting my hands drop limply to my sides.

"I- I thought jedi are supposed to help people, and if anyone ever needed help, I sure do. You see, there are these guys in my room; I had to get away from them, they've been following me around Piriingisi. I'm sorry I attacked you, but I thought you were one of them..."

I blinked rapidly a couple more times, letting one or two tears leak artfully out to stand on my cheek. With a little hiccup, I told him my room number, hoping he'd go check things out.

"How do i know you're telling the truth?" I asked. " because i've fallen for a lot of tricks lately and i'm getting sick of it.Damn! Hell with the guys chaseing you just tell me why your here and i'll leave!"

I looked at her with an angry look on my face waiting for her to say something.

Maybe the walk to the Raptor will help...

A hand to his head, Jasyn left his room and started stumbling his way to the Raptor. Kinda hard to walk with everything spinning and with drums pounding in the back of your head...

...but Jasyn figured he'd have to manage it, however long it was going to take to amble his way to the ship. One thing was for certain though: if he got off this planet alive, he was going to have to do some serious sleeping while in hyperspace to clear out the rest of this hangover...

But even as I struggled with holding this image, that little logical portion of me began waving a finger for attention.

All he wants to know is why you're here... so Galen, why are you here?

For the briefest of moments my vision clouded. All I could see were the bodies of my husband and daughter, claimed by death, visions which gradually segued into that of the fiery, volcanic surface of this planet.

Why had I come? Maybe to cleanse myself in the blast-furnace that was Sullust.

And maybe not... for actually, I really didn't know what had compelled me back to this place. Something about climbing back on the ronto which threw one, but....

What I did most definitely know was that this guy certainly did not need to know my vulnerability regarding this particular issue. I just stood there, letting tears continue to dribble from my eyes, looking for all the world like a forlorn soul who has lost her way in the big, bad world...

...and wishing like hell this guy would just forget it all and leave.

Ditching through Malf's legs, Lo Ban came out into the pavilion with a small pool...

"Hey bub..." Lo Ban said, a sneer look on his face...

"I'm sorry, I'm not myself lately. I've been having these dreams lately about a girl screaming out in pain and looking out me as if calling out my name. I don't even know if I know her. I've been looking up stuff in the library about my family, but I can't find anything. If you'll excuse me, I have to medatite on my actions that have just occered. If i can ever repay you for my actions just let me know." I said.

I lowered my lightsaber and put it away and headed into the crowd.

"By the way, My name is Jebbua, Jebbua Dahutt!" I shouted over my shoulder.

I dispered into the crowd wondering if i would ever see her again.

"Are you ok?" He asked Galen...

Lo Ban looked into the mass of peoples, then back to Galen...

"I can chase after him, if you'd like..."

He retracted his blade, and placed the saber within his robes once again...

"By the way, I suggest we find a different route into the hotel... if it's your intention to come back inside..." Lo Ban quieted at that, waiting...

He dared not go the way he came, not with that wet man beast lurking...

With the sole exception of the jedi Lo Ban Kenobi of Tatooine, who was suddenly right there beside me, belting his lightsaber after gallantly offering to give chase for me.

I blinked, my jaw dropping a little bit in sheer disbelief of the rapidity in which something bordering comedy had stepped in to lighten the load I was carrying... and to find, much to my surprise, that the load was indeed very much lightened from its former burdensome weight.

I looked up into intensely blue eyes.

Damn. Blue. Always they're blue....

"Yeah, I think maybe I'd like to go back to my room again, Lo Ban," I said quietly. "Then maybe you might tell me what-- what you know about Darra."

"I think a walk would be good," I agreed with a nod. I held out a hand, waved it toward the entrance leading to the tiny cavern where the pool was, now beginning to crowd with people coming to soak.

She did, as he followed right behind...

The streets were crowded... Lo Ban took it upon himself, yet again, to cup his arm around Galen's... so not to lose one another... once they got back around the hotel, and off the street, they had time to talk...

"I am quite positive your daughter is alive..." He started with...

"I've not only heard it by my very ears, but have sensed so..."

They came upon the hotel entrance... Lo Ban understood he would have to go into further detail, he thought as well to wait until they got back into her room...

He let his words soak in, as they entered the turbolift...

ALIVE.

I little thrill set up somewhere behind my heart, setting it suddenly beating more loudly, thumping there in my chest as hope rekindled and flared within me. Hope I never knew I'd feel again. Hope I prayed was not false, and would be justified once we got to Kamino....

I stopped at that, pausing to examine it.

We. I had said, "we."

I cast a quick look up at Lo Ban, who was facing forward, staring at the doors of the lift.

He sensed her to be alive... just as he now sensed me looking at him. He turned his head, smilied quietly at me, giving me a look that said he would indeed show me, prove to me that his words were true, that indeed we were going together to Kamino, weren't we?

Indeed. For I suddenly realized I had never stopped to even remotely consider the idea of going to Kamino alone. It just wasn't an option, and that's all there was to it.

The hallway was clear, as Galen exited the lift...

The two strode to Galen's room, to find no one within it...

But, this was not the case... for the stranger and the Jawa were nowhere to be found, there was something in the bathroom...

Galen's hotel bathroom...

Malf had just finished drying himself with something fashioned as a hair drying unit...

When, over his hot hair smell, he caught wind of a familiar scent...

He exited the bathroom, hair poofed like a sponge...

Unable to see, he couldn't even smell Lo Ban's foreign scent over his own...

So, to Malf everything was back to normal as he approached Galen's position...

I could sense he wasn't buying the innocent puffed look, so I hastily pressed on.

"That's just Malf," I said, stopping Lo Ban before he did anything rash, such as pulling out his lightsaber and trying to defend me from the hairy being. "He's a friend--

"Malf!" I interrupted myself, now speaking up a little louder. "This is Lo Ban, and he's a friend, understand?"

I stopped with that, hoping Malf got the message. I didn't want to repeat the fiasco of Lumbia's seemingly eternal joyrides up and down the lift of, egad... was it mere hours ago...?

Lo Ban came further into the room,"...in fact, he looks much... more innocent... than he did in our first encounter..."

He tentatively approached Malf, holding one arm out... then using it to pet him on the side of his underbelly...

"Harmles--" Lo Ban's words were muffled by Malf's overzealous bear hug of a new...

"Don't hug him to death, pal," I said, then entered and came up to my bed. It was rumpled, the covers tossed and the pillows crooked, evidence of the dreams which had haunted me during the sleep I had earlier.

Sleeeeep....

I started at that, and cut my eyes to the nearby chronometer. The fact that I was extremely tired was suddenly brought home with the realization that it was still in the middle of the night, that all the aforementioned fiasco with Lumbia and Jebbua Dahutt and Lo Ban's appearance and Malf's antics and Dash and the jawa and the "loudmouth" down the hall had transpired in the space of but a few short hours. Like any other highly trafficked tourist world, Sullust was open 36 hours a day, so to speak; I never would have known how late it really was if I had simply tried judging the time by the throngs of people still up and around in my hotel.

I blinked. The bed looked very inviting....

Before I knew it I was crawling into it, this time managing to kick off my boots before sliding in between the sheets. I drew them up around me, snuggling and wiggling and making a nice little indentation, nestling my face in one of the two pillows in case someone needed the other.

I had scarcely let out a small sigh of contentment when I began drifting off....

Malf, still unable see, could sense the motionlessness of his new friend... the big furball knelt down on one knee, now only the height of a tall man, he searched for Lo Ban's body on his hands and knees...

Finding him, Malf took him up into his arms once more...

Finding Galen's room by her lovely scent trail, Malf closed--Slammed the door behind him...

He briskly carried Lo Ban into the room, the bed far closer than he imagined, Malf's legs came out from underneath him...

Lo Ban's body fell next to that of Galen's sleeping form...

Losing his balance, Malf fell into a nearby chair...

Did someone say, sleep?

Romanus closed the door of Room 14 behind him quietly.

No need to wake her up, otherwise she'll start asking those stupid questions again...

He rolled up the collar of his coat to hide part of his face, then walked down the hallway to the staircase. No way in hell he was going to use the lift; with all that disorder going on there, he didn't want any part of it.

Not yet anyway.

To his surprise, the Force-users were still here...and unaware of his presence. Interesting they haven't confronted him yet even though they were in the same building...

As he left the Azure Planetoid to complete his mission, Romanus noted there was a new bartender there.

I entered my ship, and set to work on a HOLO message.

"GALEN, I would like to begin by appologizeing for the actions of myself and my friend DINK, they were uncalled for and inappropriate. And I'm sorry! I understand if you don't want to see me again, but I hope you realize that I was just trying to protect you. If you get this message, you can find me in my ship the SHIMMERING SCIMITAR in docking bay 17. I hope to hear from you again! And oh, by the way, DINK say's 'OOO-TEE-DEE' which I beleive means 'SORRY'.

I had completed my message, and sent it to the MESSAGE BOARD in GALEN's room.

I decided to practice with my 'LIGHTSABER' as that guy called it. I went to my training room and thhrew up a REMOTE.

Massive and luxurious rooms, exotic carpets and wallhangings, technology of an unknown nature, a little home amidst this wonder, shared by me and this particular warm body....

Now dreaming, I wafted ever closer to awakening, until at last I breached that unlimited surface and woke up. One eye peeped lazily open... then widened.

I was not in Phrinnchatka at all, I was in Piriingisi, for there was Malf snoozing away beyond the form of Lo Ban, who was himself yet asleep, laying beside me with a vague smile of his own on his face.

Laying beside me?!

A quick checkover assured me that I was still fully attired, all but the boots; memories of a certain and long-ago day with Sorben -- that night in fact in which Darra was probably brought into being -- faded back into the place where all such memories are stored. I sighed with relief, and quietly slid from the bed. I was just in the process of donning my boots when I noticed the message light was flashing on the communications device sitting on the nightstand next to me.

I stared at it blankly, wondering who would know I was here. Finally deciding there was only one way to answer, I picked up a nearby crystalline chip and enabled the device with it. A tiny holographic image of none other than Dash Kelderon flashed into life on the nightstand, and he began speaking. I listened clearly, for once completely unaffected by the man's pheromones, and as I listened an idea began to grow in the back of my head.

Quickly, I took an information chip into the bathroom, and there recorded a message asking him to meet me as soon as he could in the little restaurant the hotel boasted, the Indigo Moon. Sending the message on its way, I then left a less exotic, hand-written one for Lo Ban and Malf to find when they woke up.

...but something in the back of his mind was trying to point out that the occasional swish and creak behind him on his way to the ship had been more than hangover-induced sounds.

Jasyn shook is head. No way was anyone following him. Unless...

Malf?

Frowning at that and wandering just what the hell happened to the furball, Jasyn warmed up the engines of the Raptor and took to the skies. Squinting then, he took a few minutes to interpret the numbers on the aforementioned sheet of paper, took a bit more time to program them into the Raptor, then pulled the hyperspace lever. Stars exploded then into starlines and Jasyn sat back into the pilots seat and began to drift once again.

Hopefully when he woke up the next time this kriffing headache would be gone, and he could actually get to the business of doing something worthwhile in his life again...

...just like in the good ole' days...

(((OCC: Follow Jasyn to A Civilization Stirs in this same forum. Thank you.)))

I retired to my room afterwards, and to my surprise I saw my MESSAGE ALERT flashing!?! I knew instictively that it was GALEN. I played the message... "This is ED McMAHON here, you MAY have just won..." I deleted that message immediatly. Message #2 was indeed from GALEN. I jumped for JOY... yelling to DINK "She wants to see me again! Right now!" I gotta go!

I played around with my newly APPROPRIATED spare parts... trying to come up with the perfect non-violent weapon. Then it came to me...

Dash...

Cartina followed Dash into a nearby restaurant...

She sat on the opposite side, and ordered some breakfast...

And coming my way, after a quick glance around to determine my whereabouts. I took in a deep breath, setting the cup down, and raised a hand. The pheromones grew in intensity as he approached, but this time, knowing of them in advance and not being taken by surprise, I was ready for them. Or rather, ready as I ever could be to keep everything on the up and up; I still couldn't help the biological reaction which sent heat flushing through me to rapidly redden my cheeks.

He came up with a smile and stopped beside the table. I smiled back, and invited him to sit down.

"Breakfast?" This time I managed to keep the tremor from my voice, as well as I managed to stifle the growing threat of my hand trembling. Steady as a proverbial rock, or at least I hoped, I picked up my cup and took another sip, giving him another appraising glance over the rim.

He finally turned to me, raising a brow and taking a sip of something he had ordered. I took that as my cue to begin, and set my cup down on the table with exaggerated care. Clasping my hands and doing my best to ignore the chemistry igniting between us, I began.

"Look, Dash," I started. "You said in your message that you were just trying to protect me. Now, why in Hell's Seven Circles you've come along stating that is something I don't understand; call it serendipity. But I want to let you know that what you tried in trying to protect me last night, is really appreciated, really. And more."

I paused, staring him straight in his lavender eyes, looking for any reaction he might have, any subtle form of body language which might in turn give me justification to call the whole thing quits right then and there with just this apology. But nothing seedy or dark seemed to be threatening, in fact he looked a bit more interested. So I took heart in that, and pressed onward.

"These pheromones of yours -- I assume that's what they are, right? -- are quite, uh... quite a lil ability you have about you," I started, apparently switching the subject. He paused in taking a drink, a shadow of confusion crossing his face. I leaned forward even more.

"Look, I won't take up any more of your time with polite observations, Dash. The fact of the matter is that... well, there are certain things which have been happening to me in my life over the past three years, things which for certain reasons I don't want to go into detail about right now. But the result of these things is that my daughter has been missing... and the jedi you got into a ruckus with last night has just brought me the information of her whereabouts."

I stopped, giving him this moment to make any polite rebuttal of his own, and escape. He sat. I went on.

"I'm going to go get my daughter, Dash, and as far as I know Lo Ban and Malf are coming to help. But-- these certain, er... things which are also involved may be lurking in the background...."

I trailed off momentarily, my eyes growing vague as my thoughts derailed back to the Sith. For a moment I sat there, a blank look on my face; then I grunted, gathered myself together, and continued.

"Your little jawa buddy is awfully handy with tinkering; that was quite a-- a weapon he zapped Lo Ban with last night. I've never seen it, it looked cobbled, I can only assume he made it, I know that's what jawas love to do. Abilities like that might come in handy against these, er... things; as well as your natural pheromone output. Some of the, er... things are female.

"Ok, there's the long of it, now here's the short. I've been told where my daughter is, I'm going there. It may just be a quickie in and out, or not. If not, I could sure use the addition of your abilities, as well as the capabilites of your buddy, in addition to the jedi and, er... well, the abilities of Malf.

"I-- I can pay you, actually...."

With that I fell silent, taking another sip of my java juice, waiting to see what he would say, as well as waiting to see if Lo Ban and Malf had gotten my message and would thus be joining me here in the Indigo Moon.

Realizing he didn't remember a thing about the night before, Lo Ban jumped out of the comfort of the bed...

He was clothed, so that it was doubtful anything happened... nonetheless, Lo Ban wasn't sure...

Well, this Malf seems to have watched over us... nothing happened...

Lo Ban thought to himself, as he found Galen's note...

Indigo Moon, ey...

"Wake up bud, we've got to get some breakfast..." Lo Ban barely got out before Malf was halfway to the turbolift...

Lo Ban followed him, through the Malf-sized hole in Galen's hotelroom door...

The Indigo Moon, Galen's table

Lo Ban entered the restaurant, easily finding Galen and... her friend...

Malf took a seat next to Galen, leaving Lo Ban no choice but next to Dash...

"Malf made a... changes to the room, don't worry about it, I paid for the damages on the way down..." Lo Ban said looking around the restaurant...

The Indigo Moon, across the room...

Cartina's stomach nearly flew out of her mouth, as she layed eyes on the person she'd never expect to see again...

Anyway, I didn't think I was going to be going back up to my room, so in the end it really didn't matter.

I then turned my attention to Lo Ban, and gave him a smile. Nodding to the still-silent Dash, I decided to be the one to break the ice.

"I asked Dash if he would come help us retrieve Darra, Lo Ban, in case... er, well in case things start getting a little bit out of hand. I was just waiting to hear what he would say...."

I trailed off into silence then, nodding meaningfully toward Lo Ban. He if anyone present would fully appreciate the hidden meaning and nuance I was placing in that particular word, things.... But during the course of that nod, something across the room caught my eye. I froze reflexively, then loosened.

Damn, there's a bounty hunter there, I thought, now sending my eyes every which way, trying to determine who of the people in the Indigo Moon would be hapless enough to be on the hit list. The pickings were slim, I'll admit that, but one never knew.

"If you'll excuse me, I left something in the room... be a doll and order me something..." Lo Ban few a few credits on the table, as he left the restaurant...

The Bounty Hunter followed his exit, not exactly what Lo Ban had in mind... but it would do...

Just outside the Indigo Moon...

Cartina was baffled that Lo Ban had somehow eluded her, this was explaned with authority as Lo Ban's heel met her jaw with solid contact...

He dragged the unconscious form of Cartina into the shadows of a back alley...

He entered the restaurant, and took his seat...

"The hunter is unconscious, I feel we must make space within the next hour... with or without the help of others... it is your call, if you believe they would help..."

He sensed the other Force-users by the Indigo Moon as he walked by, and wondered if he should pay them a visit after this is done...

Ah, but first things first... he thought, as he felt an estranged presence in an alley right next to the building. Sensing his target there, Romanus walked down into the shadows...

A human walked by him, pale and shaky, carrying a handful of capsules. The assassin finally ascertained that the Devaronian is here.

He saw the horned, red-skinned creature in the back of the alley, a paper box right next to him Romanus walked up to him, scratching his chin.

"How's it goin'?" he asked. The Devaronian stared at him, narrowing his brow.

"What do you want?" he asked, in a raspy, menacing voice. "Haven't seen you before..."

Romanus shrugged and smiled. "A friend of mine told me of this freak in an alley, with horns and a damn ugly face, and I could--"

The creature's face grew even redder, and began grabbing for his blaster. Romanus swiftly detached his lightsaber from the belt, ignited it, and swung it across his opponent's hand as the Devaronian brought his weapon up.

The green glow did not block Romanus's sight of the creature's face of agony, and he continued to watch as he grasped his new stump and crumpled to his knees.

Romanus balanced the blade right between the two horns on his head. He wiped his nose before he continued.

"Geez, not only are you ugly, but you smell bad too." the assassin said, then brought the saber down upon his target.

His weapon back on his belt, Romanus left the alley and stopped in front of the Indigo Moon again. His smile was still on his face.

Wouldn't hurt to get something to eat...

Lo Ban exited Indigo Moon.

Bounty hunter exited Indigo Moon.

Lo Ban re-enters Indigo Moon.

I waited a few minutes. Nope. No bounty hunter. And sure as there's Treasure on Roon I didn't want to be here when the hunter returned.

"I think you're right," I said, rising and waving to our waitress. At Malf's crestfallen look, I amended leaving without our food to requesting the universal doggy bag, and then whatever they had handily prepared in the kitchen to go in it. Malf brightened perceptibly at this; it didn't take the waitress long to return with a tower of containers.

Dash and Lo Ban began gathering them up, but were interrupted by Malf who swept the entire lot into his hairy arms.

"Just wait until we're in hyperspace, wouldja pal?" I asked with half a frown, half a grin.

Then leaving the remainder of my loose credits for a tip, I rose and led the way from the restaurant, passing information along to Dash who had mentioned that he had his own ship.

"We'll meet you at the rendezvous point on the edge of Kamino space then, ok?" I finalized, for the first time managing to stare him straight in the eye without swooning or wanting to throw my arms around him. He affirmed the fact that he was in like flint, and hurried off to his own ship.

I turned to Lo Ban; only then did it strike me that they might have their own transportation.

"Your ship sounds fine... lead the way..." He said, small beginning of a grin on his face...

I opened my eyes and saw i was sitting down on the floor cross legged, when i heard the door. someone was knocking at it, so i got up and went to the door and opened it and saw Ruhatt Luthan standing there with a grin on his face.

"Jebbua!" he said with excitement. "its been a while."

"Yeah" I answered him.
"I got your message that you wanted to see me."
"Yeah i need a ship and a pilot for a search."
"What search?" he asked me.
"Can we get started? i'll tell you once we get in hyperspace."
"Sure."

I grabbed a couple of clothes, some food and my belt with my lightsaber on it and we heaed torwards the docking bay to his ship.

"There is plenty of room in the SHIMMERING SCIMITAR for you, and even storage for a small Short range fighter."

"Oh, and GALEN," I said "Thanks for breakfast! Maybe we can do it again? I'll meet you at... where did you say we were going?"

Lo Ban politely declined Dash's offer, but he wouldn't mind giving him a few tips in the art of fencing... once things cooled down a bit...

"I'll be going with Galen, but I wouldn't mind showing you a thing or two with that lightsaber of yours... perhaps afterward..."

He trailed off, sensing how simply bringing the subject of what would happen after Kamino would affect Galen's temparament...

After... what should have happened long ago, Darra back in her mothers arms again...

When they got to his ship in docking bay 16 Ruhatt put the ramp up and started flying ou to space when he asked Jebbua a question.
"Where are we going?"
"Corscant" Jebbua answered.
"any specific reason?"
"to look at their archives to find someone."
"Ok."

when they got in space Ruhatt set the cordinates and pulled back the hyperspace lever. He stood wacthing the stars turn into white lines.
here goes nothing. he thought.
(((OCC: Follow Jebbua and Ruhatt to Return to Tomorrow in the Empire and New Rebuplic forum. Thank you.)))

He had room for a short range fighter, which wasn't too much smaller than a lambda class shuttle, I mused to myself. Maybe we should have him carry my ship, and all of us go with him in his?

Then I paused again, as my thoughts continued onward. Indeed, while close physical proximity to Dash didn't seem to be bothering Lo Ban or Malf any, I was constantly aware of his nearness. The thought of being in said close proximity with him while we traversed hyperspace was enough to make me stop and think.

But-- wouldn't it be better if we all went together? the little voice in my head pressed on. Don't you think it would be best to remain a strong and united unit, together where we could plan in person just how we were going to find Darra once we got to Kamino? I remember those scientists; they can be a touch wee on the snooty side, especially when it comes down to one of their projects...

A Lambda in the space for a SMALL short range fighter??

There was something artificially obstructing Galen's thought process...

Lo Ban finally spoke up,"I don't believe a Lambda class shuttle could possibly fit in a storage area that size..."

He gave Galen a questioning look, then waited for what would be said next...

Clearly then, no matter what I tried to tell myself, being near Dash and his damned pheromones was a definite hindrance to my thought processes. I took in a breath, admitting the stupidity of my earlier suggestion, and finally spoke up.

"Ok, then Lo Ban and Malf and I will take my lamby, and Dash can go with his buddy in his ship," I decided. "We'll rendezvous outside of Kamino space; I'll forward the coordinates to you when we're off this rock."

Nodding at that, I hurried on, soon coming out from the tunnels to the surface and taking the transport to the Piriingisi Spaceport. There we boarded my shuttle, with me sliding into the pilot's seat and warming her up, running a system's check while I waited for our departure vector to be cleared. It wasn't too long of a wait when the coordinates came through; the touch of a button and we were off, soaring cleanly up through the immense thermals this planet produced, being pushed upward as if by the fist of a giant. At length we exited the thermosphere, and came out into the cleanliness of star-spattered space.

"I'll see you in Kamino, Dash!" I radioed, sending him the coordinates to the rendezvous point. The the star speckles streamed out into the streaks of hyperspace, and we left the realms of reality to take a shortcut through hundreds of lightyears worth of void, on an unerring course to the system of the cloners and their storm driven planet in the far reaches of the Galaxy.