The trip to the planet of Rishi had been a fairly uneventful one. Terrin had made the necessary arrangements for the Challenger’s upgrades, and they had tried to get some rest after the recent ordeal they had all been through. For him, that rest had been uneasy, especially considering he still felt the blame rested on him for the trauma that had been inflicted on both Yaoksi and Link…

…or rather, on Adrianna, the name she had chosen as Yaoksi’s newly adopted daughter.

And then there were his even deeper concerns for Galen. She was spent and grieving, and Terrin knew deep to his core that she needed time. And he was going to do whatever he could to ensure she got it- Including this trip to the Skyline Falls and River Pass.

He’d taken several careful steps to get them here while drawing as little attention as possible, including taking a ship that had just been procured by Eagle Enterprises, meaning it had not been entered into the company’s data banks, leaving it completely unattached to EE. Even their destination- while it was familiar to him for other reasons- had been a strategic move. The specific location on Rishi that he’d settled them in was full of life, beautiful and tropical with hills and valleys, canyons and nearby falls, but also had the advantage of being friendly to pirates and smugglers with the nearby trading post of Raider’s Cove.

And of course with a planet that was friendly to pirates and smugglers there were quite a few local cantinas, such as the well-known Blaster’s Path, which Terrin had admittedly visited quite a few times. And surprise, surprise, they also had a less well known Blue Asteroid.

Despite the looming concerns he had, Terrin couldn’t help but laugh a bit to himself at that, raising the mug of caf he was holding to take a sip and leaning forward on the banister of the balcony of the small resort space he’d procured for them. He lowered the mug and scowled slightly, not because the caf wasn’t good but instead because, at the moment, he really wanted something much stronger. His blue eyes grew distant at that, and for a space of time he simply gazed out into the tropical canyon beyond- not really seeing it but instead seeing damning memories of Kyan’s untimely end, of Adrianna again minus an arm…

…and of the pain etched into every crease on Galen’s dear face. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, forcing those memories away. As he opened his eyes once more, he took another sip from his mug, scowling again and shaking his head, turning then to head in and see if anyone had gotten any rest or was stirring.

Cause kriffing hell, the caf just wasn’t cutting it. He was definitely going to need something a lot stronger…

She shared these with Yaoksi, not because she felt he would abandon her if she didn’t, but because she never had dealt with them before. Reluctantly she also shared these events with her Mon Cal doctor via the comms who used the information to adjust her medication. So now more properly adjusted she was finding it easier to cope with her present situation.

Adrianna did find other things to occupy her time, in a rather convoluted manner she made it look like the software upgrades to the Challenger was done under contract by “Link” who was elsewhere in the Galaxy, at the same time had Terrin’s men do a similar contract to “purchase” her security upgrades to prevent the same exploit within Terrin’s fleet that they had used in their escape. In an ironic twist the had “Link” suggest they license the fix and turn around to sell it back to the Empire, with a modest royalty to her account for each ship they fixed.

It wasn’t to say everything was going well during the day however. There where two instances where Adrianna experienced full blown panic attacks. The first was when during the fix to Terrin’s ship, a line grounded out to a nearby bulkhead the sound of electricity arcing through the air caused her to hyperventilate for a minute. Her second episode was more severe, she rounded a corner on the shopping level and came face to face with a mannequin adorned in an Imperial Officers uniform, a junior officers uniform. Collapsing to the ground, she actually passed out for a few seconds before her medical lead summoned help and Yaoksi. It was an hour or so of concern but one that was understandable given what she had just been through days ago, not to mention the prior years. In public the people who knew her could sense she was getting better, Yaoksi too, in private she shared her concerns with him.

Perhaps it was those private conversations doing her good, or Yaoksi sensed a change was needed in the short term. But he made Adrianna put her work on hold and took them down to Rishi to relax, a concept foreign to Adrianna. She tried her best to make it work, it was just so strange to not adopt that boastful mask she had worn to keep people away so she wouldn’t have to invest in relationships. Slowly she was discovering she could be more than just a runaway slave, and that she could let her guard down more. Still to no one other than Yaoksi did she share her darkest secrets. It was after a day of exploration, relaxation, and discovery that Adrianna can’t swim, that they arrived at the entrance of the Blue Asteroid on Raider’s Cove stepping in to take a break from it all.

Blue.

I didn’t bother trying to figure out the hows and whys and wherewithals concerning this amazing achievement in technology. I only had eyes for Adrianna, my new daughter, one who I’d come to realize as being more than simply an “adopted daughter” but somehow heart to my heart and soul to my soul. This was something new to me, and likewise was something that I didn’t know if she could really understand.

Those nightmares. She’s still suffering from them...

I couldn’t help but somehow blame myself for their occurrence. After all, thus spake my own brand of illogic, if I she understood deep in her heart how much she had come to mean to me, she’d know that I would do everything I could to protect her from everything, even while allowing her to spread her own wings and fly. She was flying all right, but only during the hours of day. The time of Nyx only brought her further pain and suffering; oh how I wished I could alleviate that pain. This apparently had yet to sink in to her psyche; I wallowed in the happiness of every little positive step we made in everyday occurrences, but those nightmares...

I hid an inner sigh, and led her into the establishment. To my surprise we were immediately greeted and led to a private booth, one big enough for several more people. There we were informed that Captain Danner would be joining us; while we waited, the N’ferti’i ‘047 was a very good year and the Blue Asteroid was privy to four bottles which amazingly enough were reserved for us...

I took in a breath, let it out. Nodded to our host, watched as he bowed off to retrieve said bottle and menus.

I leaned across the table, and grasped Adrianna’s hands, holding them tightly, wanting to tell her of my blossoming idea of going to the Kaminoans to restore her to perfection, but afraid of mentioning anything in case I couldn’t reach up to the pedestal upon which I would be placing those hopes. I did have some kind of connection, one of the loosest degree, but after all we’d been through I didn’t know if anyone of those impossible Sith worlds would remember me in a nice enough light to offer any assistance.

But they might remember a certain Ryn...

I shook my head, smiled, and grasped her hands across the booth.

“Would you like some of the wine?” I asked, then waited. Damn but I hoped that didn’t come across as patronizing. This fathering business was still new to me, after all.

Let them assume what they want about me. It can’t be anything worse than what I have been through.

She didn’t mind allowing Yaoksi to taking the lead, showing her around, holding her back when needed, and to give her that gentle prod to step out on occasion. It might appear oxymoronic for anyone who had meet her in the past to think this was a the very same ryn. With her former brash independent streak and arrogant demeanor she wouldn’t have blamed them. That was her defensive mechanism to keep herself safe, to always be ready to run when she was threatened. That was the difference now she was coming to understand, she could trust Yaoksi with her past. Though her past while able to still hurt her, it did not paralyze her like it had before. New things, while having the potential for danger could also be a positive influence.

Isn’t that what Papa is for me?

So when they had taken their place in the booth to wait and the offer of wine was made by Yaoksi, Adrianna’s mind made that initial rush to question the motive behind that. Was it to make her lower her guard? No she realized, it was an offer, simple as that. Slowly she exhaled and let that anxious line of reasoning drift away on the cool breezes of the establishment’s environmental systems. Unconsciously she traced the tear drop gem she wore, the gift, the one she adamantly refused to be without.

“I’ll give it a try,” Adrianna said.

A small amount was measured out into a glass for her, she wasn’t offended at the small volume. Adrianna knew that with her above human and higher than normal for ryn metabolism, along with smaller size, and lack of biomass from her artificial left arm it was a reasonable precaution for anyone to make. That and for the time being she trusted Yaoksi’s judgment more than her own at times like this. With a small amount of caution she took a sip of the offered liquid mildly surprised that it wasn’t sweet, slightly bitter, but also was akin to drinking velvet. It was smooth and she relished that sip and wanted to take another but felt that she should give it a minute to see its full effects, after all she was on who knows how many meds and no prior drinking experience. It did take the edge off of things allowing her to relax further in that moment.

“That was good, maybe not caf good… who am I kidding this is great. Is all booze like this?”

...but not before he checked in on Galen. Slipping into the darkened room where he had left her resting....

...Bloody hell, he hoped she was resting...

...he sat carefully on the bed beside her. By all outward appearances she was in fact, sleeping, so he took care to not disturb her while still stealing a few moments to gaze on her, relishing in the fact that he at least knew she was safe and here with him.

But she had been so distraught by Kyan’s sacrifice and death, having lost someone that was most definitely nothing short of an adoptive Father....that much was clear. And he wondered if there was more yet; after all, she had been stranded on the Cin Vheti and somehow when they needed help most she’d appeared on the Relentless.

No. Not somehow. He knew damn well how that had happened. And he’d always known, on some level, that It was in her. Now he was sure of it...

...and he loved her even more for it.

Despite his efforts to remain as noiseless as possible Terrin sighed, longing to help her shoulder the burden he most certainly knew that she was carrying. Without really thinking about it, he reached out and laid a hand along the side of her face, gently brushing back red hair that had fallen across her forehead.

She always talks about how she hates helmet hair....

The barest of smiles pulled at one corner of his lips, providing a brief surcease from his deeply held concerns for her well being. And for the moment he chose to remain as he was, by her side...

...for certainly Yaoksi and Adrianna would understand his tardiness. They had just been separated for far too long, and Terrin didn’t want her to wake alone...

...not again, not right now.

Well, at least mostly everyone was safe....

Terrin tried to ignore the damning sentiment, trying not to see the image of Adrianna as she was, minus an arm....

...trying not to see the fire in the docking bay of the SSD they had escaped from...because Kyan had sacrificed himself. He wasn’t very successful in this.

You were the Captain. They were your responsibility.

Terrin took another deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. After a few moments he opened them and looked to Galen...

...and realized with a start she’d probably have his head if she knew he was sitting around waiting for her, while they had friends here.

Friends who had given a whole damn lot for them to be here, together.

Recalling that he’d left them word of the Blue Asteroid, and once more recalling how he could really use a drink about now, he left Galen a note regarding his whereabouts, knowing she would come around when she was ready.

Then he pulled himself together and quietly departed, heading for the Blue Asteroid...

...and at length arriving there, finding the reserved booth where Adrianna and Yaoksi were already seated and dining.

“Sorry I was later than I expected,” he said apologetically. “I hope you both have been able to get some rest,” he then added, his concern evident. Lightning up a bit, he continued with, “and some good food and drinks.” Then, eyeballing the wine bottles on the table. “As good as I know this stuff is...

....I think I’m gonna need something stronger.”

I know Terrin’s doctors promised confidentiality, but they do report to him. And lets face it how many other ryns does he fund research grants for. No be real Adrianna, Terrin respects you, don’t think less of him for showing concern.

She set down the glass of wine in her hand, still her first one. The urge to make a sharp quip came to mind but she buried it, recognizing that was her defense mechanism to run from danger. Confronting it might be painful, but for the first time in her life she was actually changing things… with the help of others.

“As much as I can all things considered,” Adrianna answered. “What the Empire did to me is what amounts to a mediocre day as a slave. Not that I’m letting them off or anything.”

Her eyes darkened at the turn this conversation was taking. She reached for the cup to take another drink of the wine, her mechanical hand took hold and in a non-climatic fashion she grasped it, brought it to her mouth, and returned it to the table.

“Finally, I’m getting use to the new arm… you have no idea how many things I broke or dropped before I got use to how tightly to grab things.”

Returning to her meal she stayed silent while Terrin ordered his own beverage, and what appeared enough to share with Yaoksi. Adrianna wanted to ask about Galen, but with how spent she looked on the hanger deck Adrianna had a guess that she might need more time before appearing before other people.

Some time I’ll have to explain everything to Galen and Terrin, but I’m not ready yet, and I don’t know if they are ready to hear it yet…

Somehow she suspected they would assume some guilt for those events, even though there was nothing they could have done to prevent them.

Nothing I could have done either… maybe some day I will actually believe that.

One of Jasyn’s favorites, when he wasn’t drinking Sith Brandy...

This thought made him miss the guys and wonder how they were...

....but it also lead him back to being very thankful for Yaoksi and Adrianna’s presence here.

Taking a good drink of the Whyrene’s, Terrin listened to what Adrianna was saying. “I’m not surprised at all that they are being so tight-lipped,” he admitted. “Nor that there are no bounties out on us. I suspect that if and when they want to find us...

...they will. They won’t need any bounty hunters.”

Kriffing hell, they’ve already got that in the form of Lt. General Tarnus. And being the owner of Eagle Enterprises, you aren’‘t exactly inconspicuous, even though you’ve made all transactions not directly related to the company in the form of barter since the escape.

“What bothers me most is how things were handled, considering I was told that no one would be harmed....

...but then again, I was told that promise by one person, not by the Empire as a whole. I mean, it’s not like a directive was handed down stating as much...

...at least, not as far as I know.”

Terrin sighed, taking another drink. About then food arrived, and he took a bite or two, his blue eyes turning a bit distant as he thought. As much as he was angry with the Empire, and that Tarnus’s promises hadn’t panned out....

...as much as he wanted to retreat back to his mistrusting self, staying with trusting his small group of friends...

...Terrin knew that just couldn’t happen. Galen had already told him of things she had seen, when Kyan had been training her...

....and she’d also said that she had more to tell him, when he’d been able to see her via whatever technique Kyan had used, back aboard the Challenger and Cin Vheti, before they were tractored in.

Great Khaandon’s Ghost, what happened to you out there, Galen?

His eyes snapped alert once more. “As angry as I am about everything that happened, I’m also concerned about things that are potentially going to be happening...

...are already happening, that are bigger than all of us. We may need friends in higher places, and I don’t want to go burning any bridges...

...not until I know more.”

“I don’t… I don’t know if I can do that,” She answered weakly. “Not the burning bridges part, if I never had to deal with the Empire again all the better. But to help them… even if we need them.”

She looked up at Terrin with eyes full of rage and sadness, barely holding back the tears behind them.

“I want to tell you to take those ideas and shove them out the airlock, to let them burn. Let the Vong, Sith, whatever else is out there wipe the kriffen’ floor with the Empire. You… you have no idea what they did.”

Looking away she debated how much should Terrin know, certainly what the Empire did to her. But of her past as a slave…

The gory details; betrayal, surgeries, beatings, the child… no not that last one, not yet, maybe not ever.

“You need to hear about the people you are considering getting into bed with,”

Could say the same thing about your own past huh.

“And what they are actually capable of. You may need more of that drink this may make you want a couple of bottles.”

Calmly Adrianna clung to her drink and leaned on Yaoksi as she told Terrin of the events that occurred after they were separated on the Challenger to their reunion in the corridor outside their cells. The events of her torture; how they stripped her, shocked her, whipped her, beat her, then left her almost lifeless body hanging by her own tattered coat. So the state that Terrin first saw her in, though still relayed some of the torture she was subjected to, did not reveal even a fraction of the damage they did to her.

Then she told him of her past experiences as a slave. The first master who beat her because she was incompetent. The second who ‘modified’ her to be an exotic pet, that daily she woke up to some new experimental drug coursing through her system or wracked with pain when a third rate veterinarian actually cut out several centimeters of bone in her arms and legs to give her ‘cuter proportions’. That and along with the effects of malnourishment during her early years was why she still had the figure of a child of 9 instead the almost adult like appearance that she should at her age. She glossed over the last master, who bought her as a pet for his daughter, when it came to her escape from that life she went silent for a minute before following it up with.

“And then I escaped. Since then I have been trying my hardest to never be that powerless again, to never let people get close enough to hurt me.”

Adrianna reached for Yaoksi’s hand grasping it within her own.

“Luckily Papa is more stubborn than me. But when The Empire left me hanging, the source of their entertainment beatings. I snapped, I was powerless again, and if Galen hadn’t showed up then I don’t know what I would have done. Don’t tell her yet all of this, she knows some of it but I know she has a lot on her plate. But I want to tell her how she, and you Terrin…”

She looked up at Yaoksi and let loose one of her rare heartfelt smiles.

The Empire could say that they had changed all they wanted, that things weren’t as they always were...

...but here they were again, torturing someone simply because she wasn’t human...

...after all, they hadn’t done this to either him or Yaoksi...

...and for no other reason whatsoever, just like in the days of the Emperor. And maybe even more so. Kriffing bloody hell, damn them all.

Still, the logical portion of Terrin’s brain tried to point out that this was perhaps not done under the orders of Sorben Tarnus...and that perhaps he wasn’t even aware of it. Terrin mentally hung on to that thought, knowing that Galen trusted Tarnus...

...and needing nothing further to justify his own, if somewhat wavering, trust for the moment. Still, that didn’t mean he was ready to forgive...

...and he certainly didn’t expect that of Adrianna.

And this happened to her because you made a deal with Tarnus to ride the boarding and capture out. Dammit, Danner...

With effort, Terrin shook himself from his darkening thoughts and looked at Adrianna, and then to Yaoksi...and back to Adrianna.

“I’m so sorry that all of that happened to you...and that I got you into it on that SSD.” He paused, his blue eyes defocusing again. They turned stormy, and impossibly more distant for a moment. “I wonder if Tarnus has any idea what happened. This from an Empire lead by an Admiral who is most definitely not human...”

Terrin trailed. “...but then again, also an Admiral who can be extremely cruel.”

Falling silent for a few moments then, memories that were once buried surfaced, ones of Galen being snatched time and time again...

...at one point being left in some sort of freakish coma only because she wouldn’t comply. But even that didn’t really seem to compare to this...

Terrin took a long breath, closing his eyes, trying to clear his darkening thoughts. He was starting to understand just why Galen ran so often, to protect everyone. Truthfully, at this moment, with what he suspected was coming down the pike and even without knowing all that had happened to Galen since she’d left...

She’d been able to use the All to get to them on that SSD, he was sure of it. Something had happened...

....he was about ready to pack it all up and go with her anywhere she needed, leaving everyone else to safety. Because even if Tarnus had no idea what was going on below him, Terrin didn’t know if he could ask Yaoksi and Adrianna to sacrifice anything else.

And if and when Galen found out what had been done to Adrianna...

Terrin shook himself from his thoughts once more. The food that had been placed before him sat cooling, untouched. But then Adrianna’s final words wormed their way into his brain. “We won’t let you ever go back to that place of powerlessness ever again,” he then stated, his blue eyes resting on Yaoksi and Adrianna. “You are brave, kind, and brilliant...

...and a valued friend. I’ll let you tell Galen when you are ready. She will want to know.”

He paused at this, taking a sip of Whyrene’s Reserve, finally realizing what sort of a grip he had on his mug and consciously loosening it. “And speaking of Galen, I still don’t know exactly what happened to her once she left on the Cin Vheti.”

He paused, frowning, his eyes growing a bit vague once more. “Before we were captured, when I saw her in that vision of sorts that Master Kyan set up, she told me she had so much to tell me....that she had been to Dagobah...”

He trailed a final time. Then, “Something happened...”

“Don’t you dare, don’t you dare take any of this on yourself. Don’t make me see a picture of you standing next to those imperial pigs with batons in hand. Don’t you lessen what they did by accepting blame.”

Her pulse was racing, her breaths coming shallow and quick. Releasing Terrin’s hand she focused on her own rhythm willing it to slow back down. Once in control again she resumed her thoughts but remained focused on a spot off in the distance.

“Do you think my life would be better if you weren’t involved? I’d still be the runaway slave wishing for death. Without You and Galen I would have died on that rock you rescued us from, without Kyan I’d have died from amphistaff poison. Without Papa I’d still hate myself and think I could never escape from that fate. My life was a living hell long before I met any of you, but for reasons I don’t understand you actually care about me and give me hope. Don’t give me a reason to doubt that.”

She wiped away her tears focus renewed on Terrin.

“And don’t deny me the chance to help my friends. I might be new to this whole friends and family thing, but I have to believe it works, that it means something. Otherwise that past I described is all I can ever be, and I can’t live with that anymore.”

...and that all the stuff that was in the past, was just that. In the past.

"And if and when the time comes to confront Tarnus about what happened...

...you have my word that you will be there. And regarding this friends and family thing you're not quite used to...when that happens...

Here he paused, reaching across the table to place his hand atop Adrianna's.

...you won't be alone."

Then he fell silent, remaining as he was for a few moments before removing his hand once more, letting the words sink in for the meaning they held. For Adrianna was most certainly not alone anymore, with Yaoksi as her Papa and he and Galen as friends. And hopefully, someday, she could meet even more friends. Ones she deserved so very much.

The awkward silence had been broken and as much as Adrianna wanted to leave things at that and escape back to her own personal conflicts, she had becoming increasingly aware of other people’s feelings and concerns. Not only those that related directly to her own. When it came to Yaoksi she knew much of them centered around their ship, friends, the future, and Adrianna herself. Terrin’s were much the same from her read of things with more of a focus on his business and Galen. Then there was Galen… and though they hadn’t seen each other since that day on the Eagle’s hanger deck Adrianna had thought she was getting the strongest read on Galen and that realization took her these last few days to process. That and the understanding of what this may mean for their relationship.

“I have other concerns as well,” Adrianna admitted. “And I don’t know how much of this will make any sense.”

She saw the two men’s eyes darkened at that statement. Her own looking downcast at the table before returning her gaze to Terin.

“It is about Galen, you said I can tell her about what happened on the SSD when she was ready. That wasn’t what I meant, she already knew about that before you did, or even Papa did. I’m going to guess she hasn’t told you yet how she ended up in my cell?”

There was no answer to her question and an inquisitive look from Yaoksi because she hadn’t told him this event either. Calmly she took the last sip of the wine in her glass steeling herself to plunge back into the events of that particular dark day.

“It was after they… tortured me,” Adrianna began. “My wrists were bound, and I was suspended off the floor. All I could do was cry, I couldn’t even call speak because of the stun baton. Then it came, softly at first, I heard Galen’s voice or at least I thought I did. It wasn’t until they moved us to the other detention block that I heard her voice again, felt like I was being watched. Galen called out to me again, could somehow see me. I thought it was either a trick or I was losing my mind.”

“I couldn’t talk to her using words, I thought about what I wanted her to know and then she knew it. Then I would hear her as if she was next to me in that cell. And it was then that I told her what happened, or I think she felt everything that I felt. Not just the events on the SSD and I lost control when I thought it was all in my head. I yelled at her and I think I showed her things about my past that I have only told Papa, things that are very, very dark.”

There came a hand on her shoulder, Terrin’s or Yaoksi’s, she couldn’t tell but it gave her the push she needed to continue on.

“I don’t know what it was about that, but I felt Galen’s rage at the universe. Then for a brief few seconds she was actually there, she reached out and hugged me, and I felt her. It only lasted those brief seconds before she faded away, but left behind was some rings of frost on the deck, ice crystals on my fur, and I knew then she was real. So believing that it was Galen I called to her again, I sensed her own belief her defiance at the universe, and then she took a step forward and was there with me… and didn’t disappear. The rest you saw once she helped me into the vents and we escaped. But since that day things haven’t been the same. Like in the cell I still hear things, not strongly, more like background static. Feelings and memories that are not mine, some of them very strong like when Kyan died I felt my heart ripped from my chest and for a moment thought it was Papa. And I need to know if she feels the same, if my memories and feelings are doing the same to her, because I have done some very bad things, and I barely know how to deal with them.”