"Link... Link... They are ready to talk to us. Wake up Link. Someone will be here in a couple of minutes to pick us up and take us to Aaron's office. Link!"

Thea started back when she thought she finally saw movement. She didn't want to startle her friend but she didn't want to be late either. "Come on Link let's get ready to go." Turning back to her own bags Thea decided to change into the most Jedi like clothes she had left. She pulled on a pair of soft tan leggings, then exchanged her dress for a slightly too small white sleeveless top and slipped on her boots. She paused for a moment thinking then pulled out what had been one of Yaoksi's old white shirts which she had cut down the front and shortened the sleeves when her last shirt from the Temple had gotten to small. She slipped it on and wrapped it snuggly around herself tying it in place with a belt she had made out of the leftover fabric. She braided her hair back out of her way and shoved everything else back into her bag before shouldering it and turning to a still sleepy Link.
"What do you think? Will they take us?"

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"I still don't know if they will take us, but more importantly I need caff."

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...but hey, we can get you some if you'd like. After all, we might not have such good food at our disposal pretty soon," he observed, sobering a bit. "I hope this hasn't already been true for those that we are searching for."

He grew more somber. "I failed them, as a friend, for waiting so long to take matters into my own hands."

Falling silent at that, Aaron took another long drink from his caf mug. Noting that the liquid inside was lowering, he stood, refilling the mug before returning to his chair and changing the subject, at least partially. "How is the Devil? If there is anything that she needs, please let me know."

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"We aren't far," she indicated to the two, trying to keep things from being too quiet as they continued on. A few winding a twisting corridors more later, they reached an entirely official looking area, one lined with offices whose doors were made of the most secure metals. The ensign lead on all the way to the end of the corridor. At the end were two adjacent offices, both lacking the numbers above them as did the others in the hallway. Above the office to the right read "Captain's Ready Room" and above the one to the left were the words "Commander Aaron Barnes's Ready Room."

The Ensign stopped in front of the metal doors to the left, once more knocking lightly before pushing the button on the communit installed next to the door. "Ensign Kelly Kronin, here with the two I was requested to escort, Captain Barnes," she announced.

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"Come on in, guys..."

He trailed, a hint of humor lighting his features, "err...gals. Ensign, thank you very much. You are dismissed."

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And more than likely Cel's as well, in spite of her studied attempt to appear nonchalant and all business about things.

Letting a brief smile flicker across my features I turned away from them, walking to the server to pour myself another caf. Aftar a moment's hesitation I filled another cup, and brought it over to Cel.

"Here you go, partner," I said as I handed her the cup. The tone of my voice was light but the look in my eye was anything but as I swept my gaze back and forth between the pair.

Gods. They're just children!

I shook that off with an indrawn breath.

"As I was just about to say to Captain Barnes, K'kihl has Devil up and running and rarin' to go. We can take off anytime we're ready..."

I paused minisculely, then forced myself to say it.

"All of us... including you."

[ 12-21-2006 06:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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The looks the EE patrons were directing his way was more than enough to prompt the new bartender to do otherwise. Reaching underneath the counter, the bartender pulled out a bottle of something granulated that was the color red. He moved to where Thoran was sawing logs, scowling a bit, and took the top off the bottle. It was labeled "Tatooine smelling salts."

It always did the trick.

Rolling his eyes at Thoran, the bartender didn't hesitate, but lowered the opened bottle and placed it right under Thoran's nose.

"Time for you to move on, my friend," the bartender said as he kept the bottle right where it was.

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"Talk later... Caff first."

Slamming my head back I downed the entire mug of caff. Feeling the stimulants flowing through my body I relaxed a bit.

"There much better. Now what where we talking about?"

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“Mmmm…” he said. “That’s nice. Reminds me of home.”

Thoran stretched, popping his back. He rubbed his hair into a semblance of place and looked at the bartender.

“Did you change your shirt?” he asked. “And is the captain ready to go already?”

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The bartender trailed just a moment. "...that is, if he knows where you are or how to reach you."

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“I asked you send a message to look for me here,” he said, rubbing his eyes. He opened them again and looked at the bartender. “Oh, you’re not him, are you? I mean, you’re another him. Well, that explains that. Did the last guy send the message? I’m waiting for the captain and that other guy, um, Yuksti? Yukser? Yaksti? Anyway, Cap’n Barnes and him and me are meeting sometime. Can you tell someone on the bridge I’m here? Name’s Thoran. Lord Thoran.”

Thoran held his hand out to the bartender.

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Who knew how she had gained those... or why? I considered her from another angle. Then deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I smiled down upon her, now striving not to act or look too fatherly.

"We were discussing out imminent departure, Cel," I explained.

"We're going to go into Sith space, to a Sith planet to look for our lost friends. But to get there we have to go through a magickal doorway -- Sith are magickal, you know, or at least that's what someone told me -- into a place called the Darker Realms where death is alive and demons will rip your arms out and stuff them into your liver as soon as look at you."

I stopped, straightened upright with my arms crossed on my chest. Caf-cup a-dangle, I stared down at Ryn and Thea.

"Think you can pull your own weight there, if push comes to shove?" I asked.

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...Lord Thoran."

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Thoran stood, the sleep not quite gone from his legs. He steadied himself on the bar and paused, then walked out of the bar and into the hallway. He kept a hand on the wall as he walked down the hall towards his door.

He fumbled with the keypad, and after a few failed attempts finally opened the door. He walked in a yawned, then noticed a light blinking on the com pad on the wall. He leaned over and pressed the button. He was greeted with a message from the Captain, giving directions to his office. Smacking his lips together a few times, he disrobed and walked into the fresher.

A few minutes later Thoran was walking full stride through the halls, following the directions from the message. His eyes were still fairly blurry, but he felt much better. He found himself standing in front of what he assumed was the office, and knocked on the door.

“Hey, wake up! Got food?”

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Well it didn't sound quite the same but any system that ryn hunting was still legal came close.

"I believe that I can handle this darker realm. After all in our last adventure I wasn't the one pinned down by a slug thrower."

Just then there was a knocking sound emminating from the other side of the door.

"looks like the residential sith has arrived."

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...do not take this lightly, nor assume that just because you've been able to handle a lot that this will be a piece of cake. I have friends who've been lost there, fought battles there..."

He trailed a moment, eyes defocusing, "...and have died there. And while I don't have much direct experience with being on these worlds, both Captain Joao and I have had associations with several persons and things connected to these worlds, and have some knowledge in regards to them."

He paused then, looking towards Yaoksi for a moment before returning his gaze to Cel. "I hope that you will be willing to trust us at our word on things when we go there...

...and I hope you know that we will not be so foolish as to take any advice or suggestions you have lightly either."

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Well that was mostly true I've never actually met another ryn, I was raised in a multi-species enviorment. But from what I've heard our way of looking at things is different from most species.

"I'm new on this trust thing... in my line of work trusting others often can be a liability"

I took I brief look at Thea then back to Aaron.

"I'm working on it, but in return I need you and Yaoksi to realise that the life you are living in your adult life is the only life I have ever known. I'm not your average 14 year old who aspires to do well in school, go to a good college, and get a good job and family. I'm the 14 year old ryn who carries a blaster , can slice into any system, has more bounties then the average revolutionary, and a nice layer of white fur."

"I believe I'm not asking that much, just acknowledge that this is the life I lived, this is who I am. Not what you believe what I should be. Do this and I believe I can trust you."

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Without another word then, Aaron pushed the button on his desk to once more allow the doors to slide open, revealing Thoran.

"I hope you're rested up, my friend," he stated Thoran's way, "Because I think the time for departure is very imminent. And yes, by the way, we've got food," he finished with, motioning towards the caf and pastries before falling silent.

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“Watch out for this stuff,” he said. “It puts you to sleep. These, however, are great!”

He took a bite of a pastry and relished the sweet flakiness. He turned to face Aaron, and found everyone in the room staring at him.

“What?” he said, mouth full of pastry.

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But that still didn't make her out to be an adult in my eyes. Instead, it made her all the more vulnerable.

I clenched my jaw, fighting against a sudden urge to sweep her into my arms in a bearhug. Instead I directed my discomfiture in Thoran's direction.

"Well well well, look what the rancor dragged in!" I scowled, making an issue of staring at my chrono.

"It's about time; K'kihl has Devil ready to go."

I paused to take a final look round at our little party, drinking in each face, for who the hell knew if we'd all make it to our final destination together.

If at all.

Sighing, I turned to Thea.

"I think there's something onboard ship you can use as a weapon; ever handle a blaster kid?" I asked her with an arch of my brow as I nodded toward the door. It was all I could do to refrain from scooping her up in my arms and planting a big ol' embarrassing kiss on her cheek, too.

Somehow I had the feeling she wouldn't want that.

[ 12-27-2006 04:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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