"I'll be right back," he whispered quietly in Galen's ear, giving her shoulder a squeeze before backing out just into the corridor beyond and hitting the accept button.

Jasyn's message played out. Terrin chewed his lip in thought. They had already been headed to K'eel Doba to retrieve an imprisoned Tarnus...

...but now that he was clearly not imprisoned and Matt was, with things going awry on K'eel Doba and elsewhere, Terrin wasn't sure what should come next. He didn't know if busting into K'eel Doba with no Dark Lady-or maybe ShaRhylla...in charge, would bode very well for them, or for Matt. And what the kriffing hell was Shayla doing with ShaRhylla? And Panthar, what was he doing?!?

Terrin hit the response button of his wristcomm.

"Jasyn, you are safe sticking with the plan to head out after Jharmeen," he responded. "Keep in contact and I'll let you knwo what we are going to proceed with next as well as there have been developments here. The Lt. General is not imprisoned on K'eel Doba as we suspected, at least not anymore."

He paused. "I need to let Galen and the oithers know what is going on, then I'll update you on our status."

Sending the message off, Terrin stepped back into the cockpit, returning to Galen's side and leaning in a bit, concern evident in his eyes. "We need to talk," he mouthed in her direction.

All of us, came a final mental addendum.

[ 11-25-2010 12:12 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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

“I doubt very much you have my buir,” answered Kyan. “Buir is a parent, ba’buir is a grandparent, Kan’ika is my ad’ika. Mando’a lessons set aside for another time or you can just ask Kan’ika for one later, The personal item I mentioned is your beskar’gam, Mandalorian armor, I’m told you lost yours I can retrieve it or even provide you with a new set if that is preferable. Kan’ika can attest to the quality of the armor of my clan. I also have information that your empire might have use for as well, in addition I can arrange a meeting with most of the chieftains on Manda’yaim.”

Kyan transmitted the message off to Sorban. Kyan didn’t want to reveal his entire hand already, such as Galen’s presence with him. At least no one outside of the ship know of Galen’s apprenticeship to him or more importantly her abilities.

(((OCC: Message Cross-posted in Round and Round and Round She Goes...in this same forum.)))

"Your offer is most generous, Kyan. However, at this time I'm afraid my staff and I are involved in other issues, and cannot be side-tracked by your hints of information the Empire might find use for.

"While I appreciate your offer of mediating between us and your clans, I will not take it on your word alone at this time. For although my young lieutenant here appears to know you, I myself do not.

"Please feel free to approach my office on the Galactic Home World of Coruscant; I will personally vouch for you and allow you and your... associates entry there.

"General Tarnus, out."

[ 11-25-2010 10:03 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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

"Oh yeah, that's him all right!" I muttered before we departed altogether from the bridge. Terrin strode along for a few tens of meters or so, before coming to a halt. Not that I knew for a fact, of course, but by his tense attitude and behavior it sure seemed that he wanted no bystanders present, at least for the moment, who could potentially eavesdrop upon is.

I frowned a little, feeling a familiar army of little geese beginning their icy march up and down my spine.

"What's up now?" I asked, looking up into his face.

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

Aruetiise, before I could have convinced the chieftains to actually meet with the empire or recovered Kan’ika at the same time from their clutches. But any Mando’ad worth his stuff would realize the tactical disadvantage we would face if all the clan leaders were captured or killed on Coruscant.

Kyan was venting his anger it helped him think, he then felt something through his Force link, concern and possibly anger as well coming from Galen. Immediately Kyan quelled his feelings of anger and frustration.

Not yet not now, I may by able to properly deal with and harness my anger but Gal’ika is still young in the Force I must not let her feel my own and help her to deal with her’s, but not yet I can sense she wants be alone for the moment.

Kyan utilized a few Jedi calming techniques and helped center his thoughts, he needed to meditate on what he learned and about this man Sorban. But before he did he reached out to Galen with the Force.

Ad’ika, I can sense you are busy, when you are done come get me I’ll be meditating on the bridge.

"Wha--?" I gasped, trying to orient myself. I straightened, turned my head to look here and there; of course there was nobody around but Terrin and myself, so where--?

But of course.

"It's Kyan," I breathed, stunned by this connection. "And he's pissed off about something.

"More than likely Sorben," I amended as I turned to go back to the bridge. "I mean, he wasn't very amenable back there, was he?

"But then, deep down, he was always the suspicious type. He had to be; he was a Hunter."

I entered the bridge, Terrin in tow, and approached Kyan. Off to the side Capt. Joao sat in utter silence, appearing to be somewhat shocked by something.

Or someone...? Was this my Teacher? Wow, I didn't think Jedi got so mad.

I kept that little discomfiting thought to myself, though, and came up to Kyan.

"He's usually worse than that, you know," I said out of the blue, giving a small nod toward the communications panel. "I above anyone ought to know; he's Darra's father, after all."

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

Kyan wasn’t shocked in the least from the surprise Galen felt at his anger. Not many Jedi wore their emotions so close to the surface and very few considered them the subtle nudging of the Force. Many times fellow Jedi would try to lecture him on the importance of maintaining control over oneself so they in turn could master the Force, but to Kyan Jedi didn’t master the Force they allowed the Force to manifest its self through them.

“I don’t know if he even wants our help,” Kyan sighed. “Even he has to realize that I can’t convince the clan chieftains to meet him on Coruscant. He of all people should realize we Mandalorians would not walk into such a disadvantageous situation with little reward. As it stands Gal’ika I can only speak for our clan at the moment.”

Look at me I already count Gal’ika as part of the clan, was it right to adopt her like I did or to tell her how I feel. No what happened was the will of the Force, something will happen because of this. If all she learns from me are just the ways of the Force I would still be proud to include her in my family.

“Now how do we proceed,” continued Kyan. “All main reason for traveling to K’eel Doba is gone, we still don’t know where Erik has gone, and even with what we have learned about the Vong and the return of our abilities will the Empire even be willing to hear us out.”

Kyan could almost sense the darkness looming in their future and the uncertainty of what was about to come, but at the same time he was reminded of the vision of the woman and the chance of a peaceful future. He smiled in his helmet and wanted to share his vision with Galen, but kept it to himself he wanted Galen’s future shaped by her own hands with her own strength.

Now, that was the silliest thing I'd heard in a long time. For if there was anything I knew, down to the bottom of my heart, down to the very midi-whatever-they-were that supposedly I had inside me...

It was Sorben.

But then a niggle raised a tentative hand for attention: why did you swoop out of nowhere to rescue him from the clutches of Darth Wicked? Whatever compelled you to welcome him aboard, this hunter and his insectile companion, to join forces with him in the first place?

Maybe it was the Force all along...

I shook my head to clear it, then replied, hoping to raise my new Teacher's spirits.

"You can trust him implicitly," I said with a definitive nod of my head, "and I don't care one whit that he's such a Big Baddie in the Empire now.

"Sure as there's Treasure on Roon!"

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

"Ya know, guys," I said as I raised an interruptive forefinger. "Maybe you misunderstood Tarnus. I mean, I might be wrong about it, but to me it sounded like we, that is us have an invitatiion to go discuss things with him at the Imperial home base on Coruscant."

I shot Kyan a look, ignoring the little thrill of discomfort that rippled along the back of my neck when he turned that damned Mandalorian mask in my direction.
This guy certainly wasn't one I wanted to get on the bad side of...!

"I mean," I went on. "Maybe he didn't mean that you and the clan leaders go; maybe he meant just us. I mean, he does know us, that's for certain; and after all he did say something about you mediating, didn't he?

"Maybe he wants you to come to him, to hear what there might be to be heard, and then take that to your clan leaders, rather than drag the whole bunch to Coruscant.

"So maybe a trip to the Galactic Core is in order here," I finished.

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

Gal’ika believes Tarnus to be a good man one whom we can trust, more so the Force is telling her to trust Tarnus which was more than enough for me. But even if I can trust Tarnus to be an honorable man I cannot trust the empire he represents, not while it has taken one of my children and has another under its sway.

“We trust Tarnus then,” came Kyan’s reply. “But remain cautious of the Empire, the chieftains and the Empire must realize the threat the vongese represent. Our people have had more experience fighting them and winning besides the Jedi, we could be beneficial allies if the vongese are indeed coming. First my people need to do something about that puppet Mandalore the Empire help install after they had Kan’ika, killed the last one.”

Kyan took out the holopad but did not activate it, he had burned all the images into his memory. The simple act of holding it reminded him of the family he once lost and the family he still had. He made a note to add Galen’s holo to his pad later so he could carry her with him always.

...and adding iformation of my own to that. Not too many civilian ships had the coordinates to the Mandalorian sector, after all; I wasn't surprised to find it wasn't in Challenger's lengthy list. But I'd been a smuggler, known a few peeps, been around a few places, heard and seen stuff and so on, some of it not too pleasant...

"Ah, here we go," I derailed my accelerating train of thoughts and sat back to review the results I'd come up with. Unless I had made some sort of humongous error, we were closer than I realized at first.

"We're closer than I thought," I said aloud, turning round to look Kyan directly in his T-shaped lens. "K'eel Doba is fairly close to the Outer Rim Territories; I'd expect us to stay on the course we're following for a couple more days, maybe five. I mean, the Outer Rim is a big place; at least we don't have to turn tail and go clear across the entire Galaxy again!"

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

“Manda’yaim,” pointed out Kyan. “Capital, or the closest thing we have, to my people. I have some contacts among the other clans that will support us and the Jedi if the vongese come, but not the empire. While Mandalore Fett may have had good terms with them most Mandalorians will only take mercenary jobs with them. The last time we united as one people fight was against the vongese the first time they came.”

One Jedi Master, one Knight, one apprentice, and a few loyal Mandalorian clans. While our skills can be formidable the vongese have proven themselves in combat as well. We simply need more numbers and the full force of the Mandalorians, and with that we can bring a sufficient force to enter as equals with the empire to combat this threat.

I sat back, letting my thoughts climb back aboard the train they had been shoved off of, and take off once again.

"You know, we are acting on speculation here," I finally said, my brows waggling. "I mean, yeah, it's speculation based on some fairly good logic, but we don't have so much as an echo of an outline of an incoming Vong ship to back up our suppositions.

"Now, I'm all for erring on the side of caution, but how do you think your boys are gonna take things if we're wrong?"

I paused a moment to let Kyan have the time he needed to ponder upon what I said. Then his last words hit me.

"Ummm... you said something about beefing up Challenger's armor? Hey, that would be super!"

Who was I to look a gift ronto in the mouth, after all?

"If anything, maybe you can talk to the clan leaders and get them to listen to the Empire, er... that is, if the Empire had anything they wanted to say to them, which it doesn't sound like, right? So probably your guys won't want anything to do with any of this unless the threat is a real one; oh dammitall, I just don't know what to think.

"But we're on our way to Mandalore, unless anybody can come up with a reason why we should not. At the very least we can get you home, Kyan."

[ 12-07-2010 11:16 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

...and even more so considering that Panthar had knowingly left him there to galavant off with ShaRhylla and Shayla.

Dammitall, Shayla did have a knack for entangling herself with the nasties. Not exactly the innocent flip of a thing she once was, that was for sure.

Terrin frowned to himself, his blue eyes darkening. Everyone else needed to know about all this, and now.

"Not to change the subject," Terrin started with, winciong to himself as he realized just how long he'd been quiet while chewing on these newest few bits of distasteful information, "But my employee Jasyn Lancaster who is back on one of the Sith worlds just commed me with some more troubling information. It would seem another of my crew--Matt Stanza--has been left imprisoned on a Sith world, knowingly left behind by a guy named Panthar Dantares."

Terrin frowned, his look growing even darker. Some in their new group wouldn't know the names he was about to drop, but Terrin had a sneaking suspicion they might all too soon. "Seems Panthar has made his way to being on a ship with Phalomir...

...but not before he spent some time with ShaRhylla and Shayla Stargazer Kartan."

He paused again, his eyes shifting to Galen. "Whatever those two are up to has upset your sister to the point of being in pain, and Jasyn and Lord Aeylmaar have somehow determined that she is on Bespin. JKasyn is going after your sister...

...but for the moment, nobody seems to know what Rhylla and Shayla are up to and Matt is left imprisoned."

Quieting for a moment then, Terrin sighed, hating where his thoughts were taking him. "I want to go back after Matt...

...I don't know how long he's been in this predicament. But at the same time, I've got a very bad feeling about all of this. ShaRhylla and Stargazer are very bad combination, and Galen's sister's apparent condition is troubling."

He shook his head. "We might need to alert the Mandalorians to more than the potential approach of the Yuuzhan Vong. Something is up...

...and it's not good."

(((OCC: My apologies for the delay in the response. Life called...but now it's straightening out! Hope the post works ok and isn't too hokey!!!)))

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

"What in Hell's Seven Circles is going on around here?!"

The words burst from my mouth almost like an epithet. Suddenly discomfited by the fact that my thoughts about all that was transpiring were whirling about like Tatooine dust devils (but not getting anywhere) I let myself slump against the nearest bulkhead, and blew a stray tendril of hair from my face.

"The Sith first seem to imprison Sorben, then he's free as the proverbial bird; then we find Matt has taken his place -- so to speak -- while on top of it we think the Vong are headed this way.

"And Sissy-poops is hurting."

I cut my words off with that, letting my gaze turn from one to another, waiting for someone to pick up on the implications those last words of mine carried.

Nada; peeps just turned interested eyeballs in my direction, so on I went.

"Guys, you know the Force users were momentarily deprived of their abilities, and now, going by this news, it would seem Sis had that weird power of hers snatched away as well. I mean, I know her; she's come to be something of a tough bird, and wouldn't allow herself to be in any kind of position even remotely similar to pain or anguish or anything like that if she wasn't able to do something about it.

"Terrin's right, this is troubling. That power of hers was something else; Kyan, my Teacher, you have to see it in action to understand it. It's not just the Force, it's more than the Force. I'm not certain what in Hell's Seven Circles it actually is, but I think the Force is kinda like a subset of it."

I wracked my brain a moment.

"She called it the All."

Still nada; peeps just kept their interested peepers peeping my way; I puffed on the recalcitrant tendril of hair and tried again.

"Look, I've seen this in action. It-- it, well it can do lots of things the Force can't. Like make things materialize from thin air, and heals terrible injuries in the blink of an eye, and other impossibilities. It's powerful... and something took it away from her as easy as taking candy from a baby.

"Or so I think."

Another pause; now everyone's look was becoming just a bit more perturbed. Even Captain Joao's. I went on.

"Guys, I know the supposed Vong advance is pretty dire, but we did kick their collective butts once, didn't we? And anyway, now we have the advantage that their element of surprise is gone, even if we're just assuming that they're coming. Yes Sorben should be told of this, but I don't think that's the main problem we're all dealing with here."

I paused again, now closing my eyes and letting my innards go limp. From my very toes there came a wash of warmth; it began to smoothly flow up my legs, gaining my torso where it joined the gaggle of geese still marching up and down my spine. They began to veritably stomp; the feeling continued, now adding tremors to the wealth of physical reactions my body was suddenly going through.

The flaring heat continued its course, finally ending in my brain where it poked around, digging as if looking for something. Only to find it; it seemed to rear back, waving its discovery like yet another Red Flag.

Yup, another hunch. Same as the first, only stronger this time. Better go with it, Galen ol' gal...

I opened my eyes; maybe something like a second or two had actually passed, real-time.

"There's SOMEthing or SOMEone able to take away the All from Sissy. We've already had a run-in out of nowhere with ol Googly, it's a purty tough ahh-- well, thing. Suddenly now, all the poo-doo is hitting the fan: a race we know to have been a super power in the past, thought dead, is back. Another powerful enemy is probably en route to try to kill us again. Our friends are captured by the aforementioned powerhouse, first Sorben -- who happens to represent the Empire now, doesn't he? -- and now Matt. Meanwhile, other friends now suddenly seem to have turned tail into enemies.

"Things that are just to weird, totally out of character, are suddenly happening and happening fast. Almost like coming from clear out of the blue. I-- I dunno guys, but... does anyone here besides me suddenly feel like he's being...

"Manipulated? And if you do, then who is the real enemy we're facing?

"Or am I just nuts?"

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

“I understand this The All you speak of in theory Gal’ika,” came Kyan’s rebuttal. “But understanding and witnessing are two very different things. What we Jedi call the Force is merely one way to tap a greater power in the universe, others have developed such a means as well and that is why there is such a wide variety of abilities. The Jedi order is just the most well known among the galaxy. I suspect this The All is a way to tap the source directly.”

But is such a way compatible with the Force, or the Living Force.

“I can’t explain the differences between the Force and the All. I only know what you have told me and what I can feel through the Force link between us. What I understand is that those who have used this power do not do so with the right intentions, or for the benefit of others. I can only teach you the ways of the Force and how to be a Jedi, maybe with the right moral anchor you can use this ability for the good of others.”

Kyan relayed his faith in Galen through their link and confidence in her abilities to do what was right when the time came.

For hadn't she used it to heal me? No, not heal, but rather to restore me to my original physical state of well being, that day back in Darth Wicked's dungeon?

And knew as well that somehow, in some way that I just couldn't grasp, the words Kyan had spoken were at their heart somehow...

Hollow.

As if the arrow had flown straight and true, only to miss the mark by a hair's-breadth.

I couldn't put my finger on it. In fact, I didn't even know if I should try. Maybe he was right; maybe, as Captain Joao just said, I shouldn't look a gift ronto in the mouth. Maybe I should just accept the thing within me, the thing I knew sure as there's Treasure on Roon, that didn't exist in me until after that fateful day when Sissy went into that mysterious cave after Dad only to return...

Different.

There was something in that cave, something that did something to her, and by proximity to me as well. Enough, at least, that she wasn't able to kill me as easily as she did Dad; I was able to elude her...

I shook my head, snapped myself to figurative attention, straightened my shoulders. Then reached inside myself hunting for the Elusive Solution I hoped would obligingly present itself.

It, of course, wasn't there. Not one peep of it.

I sighed, now trying to think why I thought Kyan's words seemed to fall short. What was missing? Hell, why did I even feel they were somehow lacking something?

And did it really matter?

The answer to that came flying out of the blue so impetuously that it staggered me.

Hell yes, it mattered!

I knew part of the answer now, knew it to my very soul. There was a power out there, a power some beings called one thing, while other named it something else. And this power was used from whatever moral angle they so chose, according to what they themselves believed in. Didn't Kyan just mention those using it for the good of everyone? Didn't he speak of morality and the power?

But what did that mean? How can a mere being, a culture, a civilization, hell, an entire species take it upon themselves to decide who or what were good, and who or what were bad? Wasn't it a matter of viewpoint?

Like you changing vision of your own flesh-and-blood sister, Galen ol' gal...

Where was the objective by-stander who would negotiate matters, and thus allow the user to touch upon the totality of it?

The... All of it...

The merest hint of correctness, the tiniest feeling of this is right snickered through me only to be avalanched beneath the debris of I haven't an idea of what I'm talking about; this is too big, too overwhelming...

All I could do was go round robin back to my original feeling, the sense that things were somehow being set up, that we were being played one against the other. To what purpose, I hadn't a clue. But it was clear that we were intended to follow certain paths to address certain issues; that much was obvious.

Of course we rally the troops to defend the Galaxy, right?

"Nope."

The apparent non sequiteur floated from my lips to drop like a stone to the deck.

The path less traveled. The unexpected course.

The setting of the stage...

"We go back on course to K'eel Doba, and rescue Matt from imprisonment. That's what I feel is the best course of action that we take."

[ 12-17-2010 12:20 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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

“Well done my apprentice,” answered Kyan. “Captain Joao, sorry to make such demands but return us to our original course.”

Her confidence in her abilities is growing, Gal’ika is learning that what she thought was impossible or incapable of can be accomplished through the Force. For someone of her age to show such proficiency and aptitude to learning the ways of the Force is astounding. Soon we will need to start more with controlling the Force.

There goes my armor, I couldn't help thinking as I dropped Challenger from hyperspace once more to tweak her course for the second time. Then I realized I was being selfish, putting the thought of armor ahead of a fellow man's life.

The armor would wait. I never had much of it on Devil-may-Care, after all; I got to where I was solely on my own prowess. Which had gotten me where--?

Shaking that discomfiting thought away I focused on the navboard, and soon had us safely ensconced in hyperspace again, back on our original course.

"About three days, guys," I said as with a flip of the autopilot I stood up to take a stretch.

"I think I'm gonna go grab a bite, and then maybe take a little breather. Fates alone know what we're going to be running into once we hit the Sith worlds, and I want to be ready for anything.

"Holler if you need me for anything; Galen, you have the comm, should any changes need to happen. I mean, you don't have to sit on top of it, just check 'er out every now and again, but if anything needs to be done before you can get me to do it, well, you know."

With that I nodded to them all and made my way from the bridge. Damn, but I wished K'kihl was here; I had the sneakiest of suspicions that we could use him.

[ 12-17-2010 02:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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

...and even more so by the very magnitude in which they seemed to be changing. He honestly wasn't sure what he found more disturbing...

...Panthar bailing out on Matt, that ShaRhylla and Shayla were galavanting around doing gods knew what...

...or that Jasyn was reporting Graysith was in some great and overwhelming pain.

Was this because of something she knew, or something she believed was going to happen? Could it have something to do with Shayla and ShaRhylla?

Or was it all a mere ploy somehow? Why was she on Bespin anyway? How did she get there?

Terrin frowned to himself once more.

And you just sent Jasyn on his merry way after her.

Terrin didn't know if his suspicious nature was just kicking in, or if he should comm back and tell Jasyn heading off after Jharmeen alone might be a very dangerous idea. But then, if Jasyn had promised Aeylmaar he would do this...

Terrin shook his head at his own thoughts...

...then decided he really needed more input on the matter.

"I'm wondering about what Jasyn just told me," he then said aloud. "And something about your sister's apparent condition is really bothering me," he continued, looking to Galen once more. "I mean, what is really hurting her so? Is it the ability of Something to remove her powers, or something related to the apparent situation with her daughter and Shayla...

...or somethng else entirely? Why in the worlds is she on Bespin anyway?"

He trailed. "I'm wondering if Jasyn should head off after her without back-up like he plans. Of course, Aeylmaar is expecting him to do this now, so backing out is not a good idea either, especially not when we probably want to keep friendly lines of communication open with the Sorcerors."

Terrin fell silent then, taken aback by his own wording. The Sorceror Clan of the Sith had always been the one they had been allied with. Never the Warriors.

Who appeared to be holding Matt, and who supposedly had Tarnus imprisoned once as well...

...and who were lead by none other than Graysith, Dark Lady of the Warriors, whose daughter was half-sith and the Heir...

...and whose right-had flunkie appeared to be hanging with.

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

If a situation comes up where Yaoksi is hurt or can’t fly the ship all I could do is enter a course and put the thing on auto pilot, I really need to learn to fly.

She was reading over the control setup on the Challenger when Yaoksi came back into the galley.

“Anything important happen?” asked Link. “It felt like we dropped out of hyperspace twice.”

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

"I don't know what's important anymore, kiddo," I said with exaggerated exasperation as I handed her a cup. "It seems Tarnus was a prisoner of the Sith, er, at least we think; now, oooh whatta miracle, he's free and on his way to Coruscant. We have a pretty little invite to go there, by the way, to make all nicey nicey with him and his Imps. And tell him what we think is going on."

I snorted at that, taking a quick sip of the steaming liquid I held before continuing.

"So, we were changing course, to go to Kya- Kyamer-- ahh, the Myakaneroo-- erm, the Mandalorian system, so our intrepid Mandalorian can hobnob with his clan leaders and get their approval to come help us save the galaxy.

"Which I supposed was the first Rule of Order, but--!"

I trailed again, taking another sip, letting the fire of the caf blaze its way down my throat, awakening my taste buds as well as the tissues lining my innards to the fact that maybe something stronger might actually be in order here...

I snorted again, this time at myself.

"But," I continued, now raising my cup aloft to wave it about, ignoring the caf that came sloshing out onto the table and my wrist, "Now because Cap'n Danner's wife has gone all hoo-doo on us, and has visions or whatever, it's been decided that instead of going to those with the power to maybe do something about what's maybe happening here, we're back on our original course to the Sith worlds. I guess some guy she and her husband knows is imprisoned there too; sheesh, seems like a popular place. Maybe they should open up a spa or something."

A third snort escaped me and I sat back with a scowl. Suddenly I felt like nothing more than a taxi driver, and one who was maybe going from the frying pan into the fire. Not that I really had wanted to go to Kyan's home to begin with; those Mandalorians were nasty, at least that's what I believed from the little bit I'd managed to read about them.

But now, here was suddenly another human guy, some ordinary Joe, in prison on a Sith world. Risking life and limb for the Boss Man of the Galaxy, that I could see. But for this--?

"I think I might have met him before, but I couldn't say for certain," I finished with a little frown as with a rather weak attempt I tried to push down those selfish feeling that were trying to rise within me again. I mean, armor was one thing to lose out on over some guy's life.

But my new ship? Now that was something else, and for a reason which truly eluded me I simply couldn't see how I could bring this up to any of the party who were traveling aboard Challenger.

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

“Well I’m glad that we aren’t going to Coruscant at least,” replied Link. Opening her datapad she brought up a list of bounties posted by the Empire and filtered the results by her most commonly used aliases.

“Let’s see the Empire wants me for terrorism and treason,” her response full of cheer and sarcasm. “I see I’m moving up on their crime list, now they will just shoot me on sight there.” Seeing her playful banter did little to help Yaoksi, Link think of a better way to help Yaoksi get his answer.

“Look we may be partners in this but ultimately this is your ship,” Link set her cup of caf down on the table and leaned forward on the table resting her chin in her palms. “I will go with whatever you decide to do, except if it is a Hutt world then there is no way in hell you could get me off this ship. Terrin did agree to pay us for this job, so it’s up to you if we take it for the credits. But just to be the voice of reason our wizard said those with fancy powers can use them again so we are walking into one of the major Sith worlds on a freighter, with a single powerless Jedi. If we do anything to piss them off we are poodoo. Maybe we should get Terrin to call his Super Star Destroyer just in case we need it.”

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

Relatively speaking, of course.

The major thing would be that someone else would have our collective backs; someone else would be there to intervene should things go wrong.

We wouldn't be all alone...

"You're right, Link!" I replied as I set my caf down on the table.

"I'd feel worlds better with Big Brother there at our back; lemme go find Danner and see if he'd cooperate with us on this.

"Here, keep this warm for me; I won't be long."

Pushing the cup over to her I got to my feet and headed back to the bridge where I'd left Danner standing with Kyan and Galen.

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"I don't know, hon," I said with a little frown. "Who knows what makes Sissy upset; maybe she lost someone or something dear to her, something we don't know about. Maybe she is all bent our of shape that her power was taken away, if, that is, our conjecture about that is correct.

"She might have been hurt, or is sick, or-- or--"

I stopped, shrugging.

"It's silly to speculate; suffice it to say that there's something going on around here, something that personally I believe doesn't have to do with the Vong. Well, they might be a part of it, but I don't think they're the entire picture."

I shook my head, oblivious to how close I had just come to parroting one of Sissy's basic tenets. How could I know? I didn't; the words came out of my mouth as natural as can be, in response to the hollering and flag-waving my innards were putting up inside me.

"But it's just scary about how Big Re-- that is, Panthar seems to have gone off the deep end. Assuming Jasyn's speculations about him and Shayla and all are indeed correct. Who knows, this is all hearsay, albeit from a reliable source.

"But maybe that is the issue. I know Sissy hung close with that Shayla; maybe there's something going on there that hurt her deeply. But we won't know anything until we get to a place wehre maybe we can find a little factual evidence. And I think that's on K'eel Doba; don't they have some kind of Oracle or something, you know, that Library thingy we heard about when we were there? Maybe we can get some answers there; or at least we can skip on over to Khar Delba and hobnob with Aeylmaar. He's magickal; you'd think he'd be able to get to the bottom of things for us now, wouldn't you?"

I paused a moment, trying to think of how to continue when a noise behind me announced the arrival of Captain Joao.

"Hey, I thought you were taking a breather!" I exclaimed as like the others I turned to him to see why he had come back.

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