“Oh…”

He scratched his head, behind one horn.

“So… you’re telling me that good ol’ Terrin was the captain of THIS very ship? Well then…”

Thoran thought a moment, then a chuckle escaped his lips. It turned quickly into a whole hearted chortle, and soon he was shaking with laughter. He threw his head back and laughed aloud, nearly falling off of the barstool.

“Of all the places to land!” he laughed. “Oh, this is just too funny!” Wiping a tear from his eye, he held his hand up in front of his face, palm towards the bartender.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he forced. “I really DO need to meet with your captain soon. This is going to be a really, um, interesting exchange!”

[ 09-03-2006 01:18 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Thoran ]

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...things."

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“Yes,” he said. “And delays are costly to all of us. And with this (hic) new information, it is very important that I see your captain right away. In fact, could you please relay a message that Lord Thoran of the Sith is here and waiting with news of said compatriots?”

Thoran suppressed a smile.

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...and while he didn't have access to Captain Barnes, he did have access to Level 7 guards. After all, he had dealt with a bar brawl or two, and needed such access to the guards on the rare occassion something of that nature did occur. He unfolded his arms and raised his comlink to his lips, keying in a particular frequency. "There is a Lord Thoran of the Sith here in Level 7 bar and dining who would like to speak with Captain Barnes about Captain Danner. I need someone to take care of this immediately, and the Captain should probably be notified."

Some sort of reply could be heard vaguely after that, but the bartender's comlink was too low and the noise in the area was too high for it to be heard. In a moment, he looked up from his comlink and to Thoran. "You should remain where you are. The Captain is being notified."

[ 09-04-2006 12:32 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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Thoran leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed voice, trying to keep it just below hearing of others.

“I am serious, though. Your Captain Terrin is alive, as is his wife Galen and some others. Chin up! And don’t take everything so seriously!”

Thoran then leaned back again, his arms folded behind his head, and waited.

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...and accepted the emssage.

"Sir," came the crisp voice of his Chief of Security, "The bartender in Level 7 has placed a complaint which demands immediate attention."

Aaron's frown deepened. How could events in a Level 7 bar be that important? "Go on," he said instead to the Chief of Security.

"The bartender says a certain patron, who claims to be a Lord Thoran of the Sith wamts tp speak with you about Captain Danner."

The Chief of Security fell silent. Aaron was at a loss for words.

Lord Thoran? The Sith? Terrin? Who was this guy?

Aaron struggled with words another moment. "Send him to my office with a squad of guards...immediately."

"Yes sir," came the officer's brisk reply. Aaron closed the frequency and stepped back in where the othere still were.

"I ummm...have a matter to attend to," he started out stiffly. "It seems that there is a Lord Thoran of the Sith aboard the Hornett, and he wants to speak with me regarding Captain Danner according to my subordinates."

He paused, his look dark and troubled. "I don't know who this guy is, what he wants or knows, and why or now he got onto this ship...

...but I've got to find out."

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He trailed an almost inperceptible moment, his eyes briefly cutting to the strange looking red-skinned and horned being nearby. "Lord Thoran and take him to Captain Barnes."

[ 09-04-2006 12:58 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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He slid off of the stool and stood, steadying himself on the bar. He was still a little tipsy, but his Sith body was absorbing the alcohol quickly.

“Take me to your leader!”

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Feeling no need to say anything further, the lead guard moved to Thoran's side, an equal number of his squadmates to each side of them. They headed out of the bar and then into the corridors without, taking various hallways and passageways til at length they began to head towards a turbolift.

The lead guard raised his comlink to his lips. "To the Chief of Security: Inform Captain Barnes we are on our way."

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...including the technician who still stood there with the datapadd waiting for specific instructions. Aaron blinked, and cleared his throat. "Sorry--" he opened with, turning to the tech, "Look through the med files for an antidote...and for that matter, look through the med files for anything that remotely resembles something similar to what you found in Thea's bloodstream. I'm not a fan of all these unknowns, and I'm quckly coming to dislike this situation in general."

The technician nodded at that, then turned and nodded politely to everyone else in the room, then leaving to return to the laboratory. Aaron looked to the others in the room. "I've got to go see what this..."

His words were cut off by his commlink. He held his hand up in apology to the others, and pressed the accept button, receiving word that the mysterious Lord Thoran was in transit to his office. He closed the connection, then looked up once more to the others. "...I have to go see about this Lord Thoran. I don't know what this guy thinks he knows or has to tell me about Terrin...

...but I've got a bad feeling about it. I'll be back shortly to make certain the techs are doing their jobs..."

He trailed, looking to Cel, "...and thank you so much for your help. You may very well have the key to what has been done to our young friend here."

He paused. "I will return shortly," he reiterated then, turning to go...

...a strange sort of knot forming in his stomach as he did so.

[ 09-04-2006 10:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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Too many friends lost, too much injury and death...

I watched as Barnes strode calmly from the room, looking for all the world as if he was simply going off to welcome a visiting dignitary to the Hornett. Then I cut a glance to Thea; her eyes had widened as well.

Guess I'm not the only one who's had dealings with these guys--

I knew Thea would tell me of her past scrapes with them, when she was good and ready to do so. In the meantime, she looked as though she needed a friend more than a step-parent; I gave her another hug, kissed her cheek, and pushed her a bit away from me. Serious, I searched her eyes.

"I'm going to go with Captain Barnes and make sure that he's... that everything goes okay with this meeting, honey," I said, forcing a smile to flicker around my lips.

"I'm sure Cel will stay and keep you company--"

Now I turned to the little Ryn, the smile now intended for her.

"Thank you for your help, Cel," I repeated Barne's sentiment.

"If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know. Meanwhile, if you'd just stay with Thea for a little bit, I'd really appreciate your help."

Nodding, I turned and gave Thea another hug for comfort. The I rose to my feet and quickly followed Aaron from the med-bay and out into the corridor beyond.

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He did so, smiling at the guards. He could feel the buzz from the drinks ebb some more, and was thankful to have a little more clarity in his thoughts. He sat back in the more-than-comfortable chair with his arms folded behind his head.

“So,” he asked the guard who appeared to be in charge. “If I may ask, when will the captain be arriving?”

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

...but I don't like it. Terrin was killed by some Sith creature, Galen and the guys have disappeared...

...and now there is suddenly a Sith aboard my late partner's ship that I don't recall ever authorizing onto this ship...

...wanting to talk to me about the aforementioned late partner. Who was involved in the Sith, heavily."

Aaron's look darkened. "I really, really don't like this."

He finally approached the turbolift, headed inside it with Yaoksi, took the lift a few levels down, then exited, his companion with him. Aaron and Yaoksi went through another series of corridors til at length they approached the door to Aaron's office, which he keyed open using his passcode to find the room empty. Aaron arched an eyebrow a bit...

...after all the guards did say they were enroute a few minutes before. Then, realizing what probably had occurred, Aaron motioned Yaoksi back out of his office and across the hallway to a main conference room...

...which was guarded. Aaron looked to one of the guards. "He's in there?" he asked.

The guard nodded. "Yes sir," came the crisp reply.

Aaron glanced over a bit nervously to Yaoksi, then wiped all traces of hesitation from his face. Taking a deep breath, Aaron keyed the conference door open, stepped inside along with Yaoksi, the door sliding closed behind him. Sitting at the table was one of the famed red-skinned, horned Sith, hands behind his head in apparent ease. Aaron took a casual bearing.

"I'm Captain Aaron Barnes," he began, extending a hand and then nodding towards Yaoksi, "And this is Captain Yaoksi Joao. My employee said you wanted to speak with me?"

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“Pleased to meet you all,” he smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you – all right, so I haven’t heard all that much, but I sure would have liked to! I bet you’re wondering who I am and what I’m doing here, right? Well, let’s just say for now that we happen to have some mutual friends, and perhaps you might like some news about one of them in particular. Namely, one Terrin Danner.”

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...and he wondered who else the Sith was referring to when he mentioned mutual "friends."

"What of Terrin...

...and what other mutual friends do you refer to?"

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

Thoran sat forward, his eyes growing dramatic.

“Long did we wander –“ Ooops, said that already!

“And came we upon the body of the fallen Captain Terrin, preserved through Sith technology and magick. Hearing the pleas of Galen, and feeling the righteousness of this mission, I ventured forth in the Darker Realms and rescued the spirit of the departed, and through great powers known only to me, restored life to the dead.”

And got into a world of trouble for it, but let’s not go there

“And I now offer you the knowledge of this resurrection, to usher in an age of peace and love between our people, and my hand in friendship.”

My head is really going to hurt when this stuff wears off….

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

"We decided to come back and rescue you once we had a plan. We retraced our steps and I sliced us a way in. I got seperated from the others at that point when i downloaded their database. When I met back up wit Yaoski they where under attack by someone and we had to use craz lady as a hostage to escape. When we found you, they had already put you in a coma somehow. And eventually we ended up here."

I moved closer to Thea's bed and sat down on it beside her.

"I don't know what happened to your lightsaber, and Rico has chosen to stay with crazy lady. But now you have Yaoski... it may not look like it to you but take it from someone who has spent her life with smugglers he really cares about you."

Such a thought about caring about someone on that level made my start to cry. In my entire life no one cared about me like that it wa only on the level that some one feels sad for a small injured nerf. Thea was lck to have someone like Yaoski.

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Yup. They haven't a clue. It's still pretty much hidden... but then, what exactly is still hidden?

I frowned, letting hurtful memories flash to the forefront, recalling the few meager times I'd had actual contact with these guys.

Where in all the known universe do they hail from anyway? I wondered briefly before dismissing that question to the back of my head. Of greater importance was what this one was telling Aaron--

--as well as Aaron's interpretation of his tale.

I shot a look Aaron's way, easily reading his heightening suspicions by the way his arms too were crossed, by the manner in which he was standing with his body angled slightly backward, slightly turned toward the towering self-proclaimed Lord. But more importantly by the expression on his face, which was growing more and more obvious by the moment.

I looked back to the so-called Lord Thoran, studied him as well. Although inebriated, he seemed to be telling the truth. I wasn't catching any strange vibes radiating from him...

Well, maybe a tiny bit, in one regard, one I couldn't quite pin down as yet but one which seemed somewhat miniscule in the light of the rest of his astounding revelation.

I leaned in closer to Aaron, let my arms drop to my sides.

"Don't dismiss what he's telling us," I whispered, nodding toward Thoran.

"I've run into these guys before, and believe me some pretty unbelievable things seem to happen whenver they're around--

"But I've not known you guys to raise the dead."

I addressed this latter comment to Thoran, who simply turned increasingly bleary eyes in my direction. Emboldened by the fact that nothing other than that was happening, I continued.

"If you've resurrected Terrin, as you say, and you've been with Galen and the rest, why haven't they contacted us? Where are they?"

I paused a moment, shuddering in remembrance of the demonic thing which had wreaked such bloody havoc aboard not only Devil-May-Care but within one of the medical bays of this very ship as well.

"And why are you telling us this now?"

Peace and love between us my hiney!

[ 09-08-2006 01:58 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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“I just told told you why!” he said. “Peace, love, friendship, all that stuff. I mean, really, why would I be telling you all this if it wasn’t true.”

Thoran stood, drawing glares from the security guards. Stone sober in his own judgment, he bobbled back and forth a few times before he stood steadily.

“I thought you’d be happy to hear this, Terrin being your captain and all. Maybe I’ve misjudged you. I mean, come one! Traipsing into the Darker Realms is no picnic, and putting that ungrateful human back in his body – a body that was preserved through Sith technology after he got himself killed – that was no easy thing either! And now all I get is suspicions. Everyone here is suspicious! Well, I’m tired of being suspicioused at! You want to know where he is or not? Or don’t you want him back?”

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"Seems like I've already asked you that, pal!" I gritted back, shaking my head inwardly at his apparent obtuseness.

"And while you're answering, I think I'm speaking on behalf of my fellow Captain here if you'd be so kind as to inform us as just how exactly you came aboardship?"

I shot Aaron another glance, this one accompanied by a slight shrug which I hope conveyed my silent apologies for possibly overstepping my bounds. But durnitall, there were questions here that needed answering.

And badly.

[ 09-08-2006 02:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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Thoran smiled, then sat back down, falling into the chair and relaxing.

“He’s with the Sith right now,” he said. “So is Galen and the others, all safe and sound. They’re all probably sitting around drinking Sith brandy about now.”

I hope so, anyway!

“And as for how I came on board,” he continued, “The Sith are a race of magick. You should know this, if you’ve encountered us before. I just sort of – dropped in.”

Thoran felt a yawn come on and stretched.

“Maybe I should allow you to digest this information, it is quite a lot to throw at you all at once. I could really use a nap myself, and the room you provided is really quite nice. What do you say if we knocked off for now and we meet again in a few hours? If you wish to reunite with your comrades, I would love to discuss how this can be accomplished.”

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I tried to find the words of the isolation I had felt for most of my life.

"I'm not crying on Rico's account... Its... just... seeing how much Yaoksi cares about you made me remeber how never in my life can I recall a time someone has ever felt that way about me."

"I was abandoned as an orphan on Correllia and was taken to the Smugglers run because I looked cute. Everything I learned was from cut throats and thieves... not all smugglers are like Yaoksi he is a rairety among them. most are selfish opertunists that care about nothing but money and fame."

"I learned everything from them... how to survive, how to steal, how to fight. but even through all that they could care less if i died. Seeing someone like Yaoksi who would risk everything to save you made me realize how no one would ever do that for me."

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"I would come after you. I would do everything I could to find you if I lost you."

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