Nefrai Kesh ceased his stolling and looked a cronometer, and smiled faintly. "About time." He commented, then went to Minna's room and knocked at the door.
Strange, no response?

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

The Sith are a race of beings which existed four thousand years ago. They were destroyed by the Dark Jedi-who we usually call Sith-but not before they were able to use their magicks to ensure their return. I am uninformed as to the ins and outs of this magick and how this is possible...all I know is that, through the information my former business partner let me be privy to knowing, they do exist, and have come from the past and into our time. The amount of time Galen, Jasyn, and Matt have been missing has been extensive-possibly around a year or more. I know this number would lead one to believe they are all dead, but I simply can’t just assume that. For one, these people are all very qualified. Galen is an excellent pilot; Jasyn a technician, and Matt a quiet strategist. Aside from that, they have been in experiences with the Sith before, and have come against some incredible odds. While there is a possibility they have been killed...there is also every possibility they are hunkering down somewhere. It wouldn’t be the first time, it is just the longest span of time before I’ve heard from them, in hiding or not. When she last departed from the Hornett, Galen was flying The Eagle, my partner’s highly modified lambda-class shuttle. If this ship still exists, and the signal hasn’t been discovered, we may be able to track her. I will look into this, and inform you of the results before your arrival at K’eel Doba. Jasyn and Matt were flying in Matt’s highly modified lambda-class shuttle The Raptor. She has a tracking system like the Eagle’s. Support from the Hornett will be minimal to none; however, you can contact me at the frequency Jedi Petrolu and Ms. Manth have. I expect that you all work as a team: anything relating to Ms. Manth’s ship should remain her domain to determine. Otherwise I expect that Jedi Petrolu be given lead; he has the most experience both with these missing people and with the Sith. Nefrai and Major Cyprios, I am relying on you for your combat abilities. If you need any further information, contact me.

Sealing off the datachip and getting up, Aaron prepared to leave for the docking area...

...and froze as Minna Manth’s disturbing comm came through.

Suddenly very disturbed...if not for the simple fact that Minna had the Khar Delban coordinates than perhaps because of something else, Aaron keyed in the frequency for the main docking bay. “Until further notice from me and absolutely no one else, not one ship is to be given clearance to depart from any of the docking areas.”

Saying nothing further than this, Aaron departed his quarters and hurried to the docking area, knowing Shawn and Major Cyprios were bound to be there already despite the fact it was only 0530. Dat would be collecting his equipment.

Aaron rounded the corner, stopped right near Shawn, who appeared to be waiting for something from the Major, and broke in with, “Minna Manth has backed out again and has gone to her ship, and I don’t think it’s because she’s disturbed by the Major’s presence,” he opened with. “She knows the coordinates for Khar Delba...

...and there aren’t too many people who would know that.”

He quieted at that, his concern only heightening.

After all, who else in the galaxy knew exactly where the Khar Delban system was...?

[ 05-26-2005 10:07 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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He shrugs and begins to move toward his fighter and its cargo pods. Once he arrives, he immediately notices that the damage to the pods looks... unnatural. He files this bit of information away for the moment, then begins to gather the things he needs. As Shawn arrives, Dat removes the power cells from his heavy blasters and gives them to the Jedi, doing the same with his Force pike as he reassembles it. After weapons, he tugs out a comprehensive field medical kit and other essentials. Finally, he retrieves the pieces of his uniform and armor, readying them for wear. Everything seems to be in place... Except for his helmet. He digs through the rest of the contents before turning to Shawn. "Things are missing..."

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

Minna sighed, glancing at the chrono, impatiently ticking off the minutes before her scheduled departure.

They ought to be outside the ship, or at least nearby by now, she thought to herself, actually surprised that Barnes hadn't contacted her with yet another protest or entreaty.

She shrugged; curious then, she switched on the viewscreens, and set the hull's video cameras into a panoramic sweep of the hanger bay.

Yup, she thought to herself.

There they are. Hmmm... maybe Barnes didn't get my message? Maybe they are all still thinking they're coming aboard--

Wait.

A small frown wrinkled her features as she leaned forward to peruse the screens more carefully.

That's that TIE they're all heading toward; surely they know that the thing can't hardly carry a pilot, much less any passengers....

Another thought froze that speculation into ice; with an involuntary gasp she scrabbled at her utility pouch, digging.

She closed her eyes in relief as her fingers clasped around the tiny data chip. Drawing it out, she gave it a thoughtful look; then cut her glance about herself as if seeking something.

Every inborn instinct was crying out to her that, inexplicably, danger was imminent.

Nothing satisfactory met her sweeping gaze. She brought the chip up to her face, stared at it thoughtfully.

Then sighed, quickly brought it to her lips, and swallowed it.

Then, less than fifteen minutes from her scheduled departure, she gave in to that insistant scream within. The wide-open docking bay doors were too much to bear; quickly keying in an emergency sequence, she let out a small yelp and slammed her palm down upon the "enable" switch.

Heaven's Forbiddance rose easily to the occasion. Her thrusters flared, fired, and sent her shooting from Hornett like a podracer from the gate.

She had scarcely cleared the bay doors when she suddenly swooped down along the z-axis at a full 90-degrees to her departure vector, hugging the ship's immense hull like a gnat.

Interminable moments crawled by before the blur of metal and durasteel and glass at last gave way to the blessed blackness of space.

The ship pulled perhaps a couple hundred klicks or so from the huge SSD then disappeared altogether as the emergency escape vector Minna had keyed in ripped open the doorway into hyperspace, and sent the little cruiser flying on its way.

[ 05-27-2005 06:04 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Minna Manth ]

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[ 05-27-2005 06:06 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dat Cyprios ]

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The word circulated around the young Dashawn's mind as he watched the security pile into the room and carry him out. There was a misunderstanding in the depths of his mind and though the interaction with "Shawn", or at least who had presumed to be, lead to such things as drinking as the conclusion it certainly became clear as he stepped out into the light that it wasn't. Alcohol had been a foregin venom to the young man's system for what had seem to be decades and any reunion wouldn't be long lived nor felt.

Turning about his head, almost mechanically, he gazed into the eyes of the security guard. A distinct mixture of white shined into his eyes from the hallway's high beaming ceiling. The illuminated wlakway left him in a dangerous state of momentary blindness. All there was before him was a large void that expanded for infinities of time, leaving only room for a zooming hault of his senses.

Something was wrong with him and only he knew it, for his face, his body, nothing noted for even the simpliest of changes in his body chemical. Then in an abrupt push from the unseen he fell, dropping to the floor from the gravity of the situation. There was something that had left him sick.

Maybe it was the janitor working finally getting to him and the chemicals that he used to whipe the floors up. Whatever it was it had left him motionless on the floor, shallow in his breathe.

His eyes lay shut, much like his body, limp and filled with weight. Only force could move him now, and from the look of his being it certainly wasn't going to be his own.

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

They were all so different and so the same. Their motions varied from sluggish for those very few large, seemingly dumb type of aliens and fast for those that held eyes with content. Dug crawled themselves about, their slow motions held in contrast to their devilish facial features and bodily shaping. Meanwhile varies Bothans sly and coy motioned about, their hands roaming into the envelopes of their pockets. It was truly a scene of differed natures, however every single grouping held an intent, a meaning...a reason. The young human boy let his eyes drift off once more, fixing upon a more stationary, almost meaningless figure.

"Damn comm. unit."

The boy cursed at it, glaring at it as it gawked back in near confusion and anger. Nearly crushing it under the pressure of his grasp, Jamel beckoned the frequency that he had previously done before. His voice raised with intensity, yet the difference was now that his tone was calm and even more curteous. Anything and every account in life was being taken into nature, swagger and style in his oral. This impression was key, hopefully...

"Who are ya' superiors? You told me to talk to someone "higher" in your organization...who would that be and how can I reach 'em?"

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

You didn't close the hangar bay doors, dammit, a little voice in his head scoffed. Terrin would have NEVER been that careless. Hell, he wouldn't have been so careless as to have a spy aboard his ship either. And NOW you have an oldtime Imperial who is working part of your ship...

Aaron jerked to look at Dat, who was showing an uncharacteristic amount of reaction to the situation, especially considering he had tried to bring the hangar bay doors to a close before Manth escaped.

"Why are you so concerned about her departure?" Aaron couldn't help but blurt out. "I've gotta try to contact her...

"...and where the Hell is Kesh? Maybe he went with her, for all I know..."

Here he paused, motioning a guard over. "Go to the guest quarters of Nefrai Kesh, as well as those of Minna Manth. Find out if Kesh is at either place, and if so, request that he meet us here. Give him no further information for the time being."

The guard nodded, and went about his business to look for Kesh. Aaron returned his attention to Shawn and Dat. He hesitated, glancing at Dat. "We may need to go after her. And as for the mission...

...I don't know what will come of it. Manth's hunting expertise, as well as her ship, were key variables..."

He trailed, frowning, his eyes growing dark.

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

And not just from Aaron.

Shawn cut his greeny-blue eyes to Dat. "You said some things were missing from your ship. What things?"

Even as he asked the question, he sensed Aaron tense, his apprehension clearly evident to the Jedi.

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

"The final piece of my armor, my helmet..." He turns to Shawn as he speaks. "My belongings have been... rifled." He gestures to the claw-like markings, then shrugs, "This, of course, I expected. I didn't expect that anything would be... Stolen." He shakes his head and strides toward the fighter, hoisting himself up into the pilot's compartment.

A series of beeps come from inside the tiny fighter, then a string of profanities in a variety of tongues. Dat's body is a tense ball of apprehension, though his voice betrays nothing. His words, however...

"Someone has accessed this fighter's databanks. I suspected, but couldn't be sure... Until now." He pauses for a moment, then locks his gaze with Shawn's, pointedly leaving Aaron out of the equation for a moment. "Aboard this fighter was information that could change the balance of power in the galaxy. My mission was twofold: first, infiltrate the research station near Kessel to weed out enemy sympathizers; and second..." He steps closer to Shawn, moving as nonthreateningly as he can in his agitated state. When he speaks, his voice is a pained whisper.

"...To deliver the plans of the second Death Star to the facility to allow construction of another..."

"These data have been accessed. The person in question must have been skillful, as their tracks were mostly obliterated. Still, a few telltales were left behind. This information has been copied, Master Petrolu."

[ 05-27-2005 10:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Dat Cyprios ]

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"What do you know about what Nefrai and Manth did when they came here to look over the Major's ship?"

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

"They told me of some interesting plans aboard the TIE, and suggested I do something about them...

...which I do intend to do."

He paused, an eerie feeling creeping at the corners of his mind. "Why, what is going on?"

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

"Someone has those plans. Is it you, Captain? Or is it Manth, lost in some haze of racial memory?"

The question is entirely rhetorical; he believes that he already has the answer. He closes his eyes to summon control over himself. When he opens them again, his face is blank, controlled. "We have a situation, gentlemen." He pauses, remembering his position.

"Your orders, Captain?"

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

...but then, she does have the spy and the hunter in her, so perhaps I estimate her incorrectly. Those files have to be retrieved...

...but there is no way to track Manth as of now. She's on her own ship, and with the suddeness of her departure, I doubt we have any records on her departure vector."

Aaron paused, pursing his lips. "I hesitate to delay this mission regarding my employees any longer, while I know these files have to be recovered and destroyed as soon as possible as well. Perhaps I shoul dsimply contact Manth regarding them..."

He trailed, an idea coming to mind. "...or I have an information smuggling agency at my disposal. Perhaps if I gave them the stats on her ship they could use their resources to find out where she lands, when she dos so..."

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

These were the times being a Jedi could prove to be very difficult for, although he might not show any outward evidences of struggle in making a choice, they were there nonetheless.

"I advise the data files be deleted immediately," he finally spoke up, pausing and pursing his lips before restating, suspecting something judging from Aaron's emotions, "Completely deleted. And as to using Stargazer Coorporation in order to possibly discern Manth's location...

...it's a possibility, but then she is a very good spy. She'll cover her tracks well. Perhaps, if you send her a comm, she'll at least consider the possible ramifications of having a copy of those plans. Might take her some time to receive the message, if she is in hyperspace...

...but I think it's worth a shot before anyone starts to hunt her down."

[ 05-28-2005 12:47 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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"Ms. Manth, it has come to my attention that you have possibly copied some files which we discussed last night. You as well as anyone know the nature and importance of those files...

...as well as what could happen should those files fall into the wrong hands. I advise you to delete these files at once..."

He paused, momentarily looking at Shawn and catching a brief flicker of something in his gaze, "...as am I. A reply to this request would be greatly appreciated. Barnes out."

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

Pausing at this, the Jedi pursed his lips, his mind still struggling with the reality that this could possibly have a great impact on the lives of th entire galaxy. Once again, his sister, Erik, and the others might have to wait...

...as much as he absolutely hated it. He had to keep the bigger picture in mind, as Shayla would say...

"I'd suggest you get us a ship ready, in case we have to make extra efforts to see that those plans do not get into the wrong hands. And we might need a pilot..."

He trailed once more, looking at Dat. "...and then again, we might not..."

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

"It's done," he says softly.

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

A chime announcing the imminent reversion to realspace warbled through the bridge, yanking Minna from the short nap she had been trying to take. She jerked erect in her seat, yawning and stretching before tending to the ensuing drop from hyperspace.

Her hands danced about her console, keying in new coordinates, giving Forbiddance a trail to follow now that its diversionary tactic had been fulfilled.

But to her great consternation, the moment those starstreaks outside her viewports shrank back into pinpoints, her bridge came alive with the clamor of an incoming transmission. She frowned, keyed the comm to receive, and then sat in stunned silence as Barne's words filled the bridge with their tinny ring.

They know! she gasped.

I don't know how they do, but they know... good thing I took off when I did.

No time to pat herself on the back for her foresight, however. As Barne's plea ground to a halt she wasted no time, but busied herself with a reply, and in the preparation of its transmission from a communications buoy.

"Captain Barnes of the Hornett, this is Heaven's Forbiddance.

"Your suspicions are fruitless. Rest assured, there are no such plans aboard my ship.

"Thank you again for your hospitality.

"Heaven's Forbiddance, out."

Satisfied, she programmed the buoy for continuous repeat of the signal, then keyed in another series of hyperdriven flights to throw anyone off her trail. Finally keying in the coordinates to her true destination, she let the buoy drop from her ship's hold, then slipped away once more into the singular embrace of hyperspace.

((OOC: Follow Minna to... well, somewhere. We'll find out later; she's a spy, you know...!))

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The guard couldn't help but hesitate at this, if only for a moment.

"Nefrai Kesh?" he then said. "Captain Barnes requests your presence in the main docking bay."

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

"Captain." Kesh said, agknowledging Barnes as he came to him.

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

Aaron frowned, listening to the message only a few times before closing the connection. He looked up to the others, leaving Nefrai for last. "Manth has bailed," he said simply, "And I'm afraid she may have some information from the Major's computer which may be very dangerous."

He paused, adding, "Do uou know of anything she may have taken from his computer files?"

Turning to Shawn then, he continued with, "As for your current mission...

...I believe you need to stay on it. Galen, Jasyn, and Matt have been missing far too long...

...and as it stands, we probably have no way to trace Ms. Manth."

Quieting a moment at this, he keyed in a frequency to the Hornett's main control bridge. "Do we have any staats on the departure vector of the ship which just left despite lack of clearance?"

"No sir," came the reply, "The departure was too sudden, and unexpected."

Closing the connection, Aaron pursed his lips. "We could attempt to track her via this comm I've received...

...but considering she replied only a few moments after I replied, I'd guess that she jumped randomly and set her departure vector from wherever she was when she replied. I doubt she's there any longer. I'll run this all through Stargazer Corporation, as well as the stats on the Forbiddance and see if they can give me any leads."

Pausing once more, he turned to Dat. "Regarding the mission you are all still going on...here is the datachip you requested. Now..."

For a moment, he trailed. "Jedi Petrolu mentioned the need for a pilot, and I think we've got one..."

[ 05-28-2005 11:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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A few keystrokes later, the other panels in the room return to life, and red indicators around the hangar bay fade to their usual black. Dat returns to the group, speaking as he walks. "I've shut down the security program I triggered to close the hangar bay doors." Without as much as a pause, he continues, "So what ship will we be taking? And when do we leave?"

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

"Well, I don't know how covert this mission will be. It should be, mostly..."

He paused, trailing a second, "...but there is an Imperial blockade in the Khar Delban system. You should be fine getting in though; so far as I know no one has been stopped going in. Just going out..."

"...therefore we'd better make sure you have a really good ship. I know Shawn's sister Shayla is a good pilot, if you find her she will probably be able to handle the situation. My sources tell me her hit and fades are perfectly executed."

For a moment his eyes darkened at this, as though he were recalling something. And perhaps he was at that.

"As for the ship you will take, I have in mind something very well equipped for this sort of travel. I don't want too much attention drawn to you, and I'm hoping you will have as little interaction with the Empire as possible since they'll easily be able to identify you all excepting Dat. Still, I don't want things to seem too undercover...

...and with Shawn aboard, you might be able to convince them you've simply been on a mission of mercy...

...which wouldn't be a lie. And even more so, you might be able to convince them that the type of ship you are flying was pertinent to the type of mission you were on should they stop you. I'm going to send you in a modified YT-2400...

...and as soon as you can familiarize yourself with the controls, I'd like you to proceed on. Follow me."

Motioning then, Aaron lead the way through the main hangar bay until they approached a highly polished ebony YT-2400 freighter. "Her hull will hide you well, and her weapons will give you a fighting chance."

I hope, came the addendum. "I will let you know if and when I receive information concerning Ms. Manth. Until then...

...go and look for the others. That is at least one mission we are all certain of."

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

He glanced at Dat as he spoke, unsure of how he'd take the labling of the imperials.

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